Jackson Brodie is back in Death at the sign of the rook

British author, Kate Atkinson, can do no wrong in my eyes. I've read all of her books but have only reviewed her last historical fiction, Shrines of gaiety, so far on my blog. I fell in love with Atkinson's writing with my first read, Behind the scenes at the museum, published in 1995. Her books are superbly British, full of vivid characters, and simply beautifully written. The Jackson Brodie books are among by favourite British crime novels, helped by Jason Isaacs on-point portrayal of Brodie in the television series. I now see Isaacs whenever I read a Brodie novel! Death at the sign of the rook is book number 6.

Death at the sign of the rook | Published August 2024 | Read April 2025

Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series is very much carried by Jackson himself. He is a private detective these days, having previously served in the British army and police force. There's a load of Brodie backstory woven throughout the series, so if book 6 is your first go, I urge you to go back and read the others.

I love Brodie, and not just because I love Jason Isaacs... Brodie is completely relatable - tough and sensible, caring and honest Atkinson adds interest to her fictional sleuth by making him witty and acerbic; his observations of himself and those around him are hilarious and on-point. Revelling in Atkinson's trademark wit and being close to Brodie are enough for me to enjoy the books in the series.

In the latest outing, Brodie has hit 60 and his now a grandfather. He takes on a case of a missing painting, seemingly stolen by a home care assistant from a dying woman's bedroom. The woman's adult children want the painting back as they think it is valuable. Jackson senses something off about the pair and their story. Things are further complicated by the theft of another painting, this time from a crumbling estate, by its housekeeper. Added into the mix is a murder mystery weekend at the estate and a psychopathic killer on the loose.

I've loved every Brodie book and I'm glad he's back. The last outing was 2019's Big sky. That novel featured DC Reggie Chase, a character we first met in the 2008 Brodie novel., When will there be good news? Reggie is a decent human - empathetic, clever, and street-smart and her friendship with Brodie (and the witty banter) is a joy to read. Jackson and Reggie are connected by their respective traumatic pasts and both admire each other's capabilities, despite their snarky repartee. I could read a whole series of books on Reggie and Jackson solving crimes!

Death at the sign of the rook is all kinds of crazy but I went with the flow and had a ball. As per usual for Atkinson, there is a cast of eccentric characters, but they are all fleshed out. There's a madcap, Agatha Christie-Fawlty Towers vibe to the novel and it makes for a lively story, even if it's all a bit bonkers.

The mad bunch of characters (and their inner and outer dialogue) is the star of the show, closely followed by the humour. I actually chuckled out loud at various points in the book. Jackson's internal monologue is a fine-tuned machine now and his inner thoughts are witty and accurate (with a sprinkling of irony).

There's a lot going on this one - perhaps too much - and some bits I felt could have been left out as they didn't seem to serve much purpose. The book is very character-driven and there are loads of pages dedicated to the main players' backstories and to showcasing their inner thoughts. I loved the Downton-Abbey-style Lady Milton (posh British to a tee) and Major Benedict Jennings, suffering from depression and PTSD after losing a leg during his army service.

The book feels as if Atkinson decided to have a blast writing a farcical mystery with a bunch of oddball characters bumbling about the place (including Jackson himself). I enjoyed that element of the book, but felt there could have been fewer characters (and less detail about them all) and more of a plot. I also wish there'd been more of Jackson and Reggie. I have rated the book four stars, unable to give it the full five as I was a bit confused by the end (too many paintings, backstories, and would-be thieves). I was also left wondering about the inclusion of some of the characters and sub-plots as they weren't properly explained or resolved. That said, I just sat back and enjoyed the madness!!!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐