Case Histories (Jackson Brodie Series #1)

That's It?

CASE HISTORIES is a novel about three murder mysteries erratically woven together. I bought the book at the recommendation of Stephen King. Yes, that Stephen King. In his column in Entertainment Weekly a couple of years ago, he named CASE HISTORIES as the best book of the year. Perhaps I read it during the wrong year. The first few chapters of the novel introduce a new set of characters in each chapter, without tying them together -- haphazardly -- until much later. Their only connection seemingly being Jackson, a detective trying to solve each cold case crime. There were too many characters and names thrown at the reader to truly enjoy and get to know (or care about) any one of them. I recommend future readers grab a piece of paper and pen before sitting down to read CASE HISTORIES and draw family trees and connections so they know who's who and what time period they're in. It truly helped years ago when I read Truddi Chase's 100+ multiple personality account in When Rabbit Howls. Then again, that book held my interest. As I started to get to know the characters a little bit, the author would end the chapter and start anew with different characters. By the time I got to a second chapter with characters introduced several chapters back, I had already forgotten what their story was and how each interacted with one another. After several chapters like this, I was discouraged. A friend of mine told me to 'stick with it' because after she got through the muck, she got into the story much more. Sadly, I never reached that point. Like the 2007-2008 TV Season, I got interested in the new characters and then they were taken away from me (because of the writers' strike). I had to endure their absences and by the time they returned, I forgot why I liked them in the first place. As for Kate Atkinson's writing, it was reminiscent of Ellen DeGeneres' comic rambling...without the comedy. The author went off on tangents at every possible moment, as if we were leaping from one person's thoughts to another's. There wasn't a specific point of view in the book, as if Atkinson couldn't decide whose viewpoint to use. Another disappointment I found with Atkinson's writing is her account of the violence and murders. They were all written matter-of-factly. No drama, no suspense, no build-up. It was almost...textbook. This, too, made me unsympathetic toward the characters and their bonds with the victims. And when the mysteries were solved and truths revealed, they felt anticlimatic. The ideas were interesting, but they weren't fleshed out in the writing. The author mostly tells you what happened instead of showing it. All in all, although this wasn't the worst book I've read, I was very disappointed after investing in 300 pages. After too long of disinterest, when you finally reach something of interest, you can't muster up the enthusiasm to enjoy it. By then, you already feel cheated by the writer. 'That's it?' Jackson [asked]. 'No, of course it's not,' Amelia said. 'Now we have tea and cake.'

14 out of 14 people found this review helpful.

loved it.

this was a great read! i just finished it. portions of this book were so heartbreaking that i found them difficult to read-- but as a whole, the book was entirely rewarding. i was sort of obsessed with this book while i was reading it. i, too, couldn't stop thinking about it. yes, it does have a lot of characters. there were a few times where i had to stop and think for a minute (or just charge through and wait to catch up)-- but i was able to keep track well enough to know what was going on. and i'm pretty dumb in that way.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Mysteries for smart people

Trying to find a smart and savvy mystery that isn't full of ludacris plot twists and flat characters has been like trying to find a unicorn. Seemingly impossible. That is, until I found Kate Atkinson. This book is so intellegently written and it really captured my interest from the very first chapter. But the thing that really amazes me is how much depth the characters have. Often when a novel features so many characters, there isn't enough time for the author to give much depth to any of them, but that isn't the case here. Atkinson manages to delve into the heart of each character and put its contents on the page for the reader to connect with. She made me feel connected to every character and each one is quirky and unique, without being too unbelievable. I also love her sly, snarky writing style. It adds the perfect amount of humor to an already amazing book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A winner

In 1970 four year old Olivia Land and her two sisters Julia and Amelia are having a sleep out in their backyard. When Julia and Amelia awaken the next morning, they find Olivia is gone. Thirty-four years later, the two sisters find Olivia¿s favorite toy Blue Mouse in their recently deceased father¿s house. They hire private investigator Jackson Brodie to see if he can learn what happened to her.......................... In 1979, Theo is thankful that his eighteen year old daughter works in his office instead of traveling to dangerous countries like her friends are doing. The safety of his office is only an illusion when a bland looking man slits Laura¿s throat. The killer escapes. Decades later Theo hires Jackson Brodie to track down the culprit................................. Also in 1979, a depressed and sleep-deprived Michelle, after giving birth to her daughter Tania, kills her husband with an axe when he wakes the baby up. Years later, Michelle¿s sister Shirley hires Jackson to find her niece........................ While Jackson is juggling these three cases, someone cuts his brake lines causing him to have an accident and a few days later, someone blows up his house. The incidents may relate to any of the three cases he is working on but he is not about to drop them because he understands their need for closure and wants to give it to each of them........................ The three cases don¿t connect in any way except through Jackson, who finds himself emotionally involved with his clients who are in deep anguish. Jackson has compassion and empathy for people he sees as victims. Readers will care for him and hope that the turmoil in his personal life will end happily............................ Harriet Klausner

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Disappointing

I almost never fail to finish a book, but it was very difficult at times to continue with this one. I found the storyline to be eratic, and at times quite difficult to follow. When the various pieces finally started to come together, this seemed rushed, as if the book couldn't go beyond a specified number of pages. In retrospect, the story of the book is interesting, but the eratic approach just didn't work, at least not for me.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Enjoyable - Stick with It

I had to push myself to continue through the first part of this book, and it got a little confusing keeping track of the characters. The story got more interesting as people and events were tied together, and by the end I was really enjoying this book. What surprised me was that I found myself thinking back on some of the characters, and actually quoting one of them to a friend.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very interesting

I will admit I usually avoid British mystery writers but have read a few through the years...Kate Atikinson is one I would actually recommend!

Loved the book, loved the premise -- all the different stories and how they all touched each other without being put together in one nicy tidy ending. The underlying story is the relationships between parent and child and relationships between siblings. And, the main character, private detective, Jackson Brodie, is extremely appealing. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great read and wonderful characters

I had a hard time putting this book down from the moment I started reading the first case. The characters are well developed. The only reason I didn't get the book five stars is the fact that the stories do jump around a bit and it's hard to keep up with the characters. Towards the ending all the stories come together and really make it a must read.

The reason I had to read the book is a review from Stephen King. He said "Not just the best novel I read this year, but the best mystery of the decade. . . . I defy any reader not to feel a combination of delight and amazement."

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

At first glance, Case Histories appears to be a collection of stand-alone stories but as the novel unfolds, they come together to form a very different kind of mystery.

Often, I find mysteries to be a bit predictable in nature. For this reason, I typically steer clear of them. However, my book club picked Case Histories for this month and although it's definitely a mystery, it's sort of veiled in its delivery. Meaning, it doesn't hit you over the head with its mysterious-ness.

Each case is, well.a tad shocking. Shocking in that these characters tend to think out loud and their observations and feelings over a particular person, place or thing are so honest that at times, you suck in a breath and say, "Wow."

I believe the idea was to have the stories alternate, and then eventually mesh into one. This happens, but rather loosely. You aren't given all the details, but given enough to know what happens by the end of the novel. Although the result was a tad predictable, what happens within each case, is not.

In the end, I'm not sure I liked how the cases came together. I almost like them better as stand-alone stories. As I read each case, I was left wondering about the people within them. As horrible as some of these characters are, I could easily relate to them. But given the entire situation, I lost the ability to relate to them. Well, some of them.

As you can see, this review is a collection of my rambling thoughts because this reading experience left me rather antsy. It wasn't a short story collection but in my opinion it didn't really read like a novel either.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Case Histories

This is a cracking good story, held interest from the first page to the last. Kate Atkinson cleverly weaves the plots of the "cases" together, peopled by interesting folk just making it desirable to know them better. It is a combination of a mystery story, psychological study, family/relationship study. Would be a great discussion book for a book group. Some violence, one must note, but would be hard to have a book beginning with mysteries without this. Perhaps the worst criticism would be a "too pat" ending for the multi-characters, but in the world of today, with so much seeming to end badly, it is actually rather nice. This reader is going to find more books by this author to enjoy.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Terrific

I read this book in one sitting. Loved it. Not for the faint of heart. Quirky. Not for the 'romance readers' Came online to order other books by this author.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great book!!!

This book is absolutely amazing! I could not put it down and I highly recommend this book if your into mysteries and suspense. Great Read!!!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Not worth reading!

Although this book was highly rated I found it very disappointing. The characters were not interesting or fully developed.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

This book was well done. The characters are either likeable or interesting enough that you want to find out what happens to them. Not for the faint of mind, however, as there are a lot of characters and it takes a bit of focus to hold it altogether. The climax and endings seem a bit rushed but there is closure to most of the plots. The characters are engaging and it would be lovely to see what happens to them next.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very Disappointed

1. Too much time passes between the introduction of the cases and the climax of the story. 2. You are pulled back and forth between plots that are so poorly put together that you pretty much miss the connection. 3. Characters, clues, and connections are introduced in such a seperated method that you may not read about another for almost five chapters! By then you are going through a mental refresher so that you can keep up.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly enjoyable read

I must confess that the first Kate Atkinson book I read was "Left Early, Took My Dog" which is the 4th of the Jackson Brodie Series. So I went and read "Case Histories" and it was wonderful. Jackson, a ex-soldier, ex-policeman, decides to try being a private detective and the 3 cases in this novel all touch him in some way. He is a great detective, just he is a bit tired of following the chain of command. The characters are well rounded and vibrant. Jackson is rather laid back in personality but very observant. He has some personal things to work out (like an ex wife and a young daughter) as do us all. The plot has lots of turns and deals a lot with missing people and missing life.

Not a quick read, but worth spending time with

Three crimes -- in 1970, 1979 and 1994 -- form the heart of Case Histories. How are the cases of a missing toddler, a dead teenager and an axe-murder related? The pivotal character is private detective and former cop, Jackson Brodie, who has as his clients, several people who were involved one way or another in the three cases. Case Histories is a book readers need to approach knowing as little as possible - that way its unfolding will be more fun. Don't get me wrong, the three case histories are tragic, the losses immense; the people who lived through them remain traumatized decades later. Still Kate Atkinson writes with a deft pen and a sense of humor - and she brings "English eccentrics" to full flower. I read Behind the Scenes at the Museum, Kate Atkinson's first novel, when it came out in 1995. It was a surprise winner (at least to the literary "establishment") of the prestigious Whitbread Book of the Year award in 1995. Now she's embarked on a series of what are being called mysteries starring Jackson Brodie; Case Histories is the first. Case Histories is the first book that, the moment I finished it, I wanted to go right back and start reading it again. That's pretty weird! I settled for scanning it again to get all the pieces put together in my head. Case Histories is not a quick read, but it's worth spending time with. I plan to read the next three in the series and keep my fingers crossed for more. Readers who don't care for strong language (occasional) and very descriptive (but brief) sex scenes might want to give Case Histories a pass or relax their rules for this one.

Starts off slow, but ends with a bang

Don't let the beginning fool you, or get you confused, as you might become what with the different stories and different characters coming in. I ended up loving this book and couldn't put it down in the end.

Recommend ~

I love the way she writes, and the way her stories move forward and backward and all around. I will look forward to reading more of her.

Terrible

Don't waste your time - This was a free ebook and so far I have enjoyed all the free books - but this one was a waste of time. I read the reviews and they said stick with the book and it would get better - not true I read to the end and it did not get better. It was only 268 pages and took me two weeks - normally I ready about 400 pages a week - this book never got my attention.