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Case Historiesby Kate Atkinson |
Debbie Weiss: I, too, enjoyed "Case Histories." At first I was a little confused with the author's style
of jumping back and forth between seemingly unrelated stories. However, after a while it became
apparent that the stories and characters were somehow related, and I found it fascinating to see
how the author wove all the parts together into one all-encompassing whole. Like Arlene, I definitely recommend
this book to our readers.
Rating: ****
Arlene Almas: Here is another of Kate Atkinson's
Jackson Brodie mysteries (recommended by Gail Reid in her review of "When
Will There Be Good News" - thank you, Gail!).
There are several mysteries in this novel: what happened to Olivia,
the youngest of four sisters, who disappeared 30 years ago? Who murdered
Laura in her father's law office ten years ago? Why did Caroline steal
someone's identity, and where is the baby she left behind 25 years ago?
As Jackson Brodie, private investigator, delves into these three cases from the past,
we become familiar with Olivia's three older sisters,
Sylvia, Julia, and Amelia; Laura's father, Theo;
and Michelle, who as a young mother is accused of committing a violent crime.
Even the more minor characters seem not to be so minor after all - each contributes
to the fullness of the narrative and the feeling of reality the reader gets
from grasping their part in the larger story. I found myself tugged along
by each of these people and my desire to have all the mysteries resolved,
and Atkinson does not disappoint.
Rating: *****
