CWA Judges’ comments: ‘A multifaceted and thought-provoking exploration of the aftermath of a savage family killing.’
Winner of the Richard & Judy Best Read 2009.
Reviewed on Richard & Judy's Book Club 2009 on Wednesday 11 February.
When this literary author turned crime writer something very special happened to her work. The Guardian believes it has made her a better writer, I feel that her lovely style adds an extra dimension to a fascinating tale. Characters intercept and react, there are many coincidences, twists and turns and it all comes racing together at the end, a bit like a runaway train except, of course, Jackson and Louise’s stories which remain open for the next book.
In rural Devon, six-year-old Joanna Mason witnesses an appalling crime.
Thirty years later the man convicted of the crime is released from prison.
In Edinburgh, sixteen-year-old Reggie works as a nanny for a G.P. But Dr Hunter has gone missing and Reggie seems to be the only person who is worried.
Across town, Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe is also looking for a missing person, unaware that hurtling towards her is an old friend -- Jackson Brodie -- himself on a journey that becomes fatally interrupted.
Kate Atkinson won the Whitbread (now Costa) Book of the Year prize with her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, and has been a critically acclaimed writer ever since. Her four bestselling novels featuring former detective Jackson Brodie became the BBC television series Case Histories, starring Jason Isaacs. Her latest novel Life After Life was shortlisted for several prestigious literary prizes including the Women’s (formerly Orange) and the Costa Novel Prize. She was appointed MBE in the 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Kate Atkinson was born in York and now lives in Edinburgh.
