Big Sky (Jackson Brodie #5)

I really enjoyed this fifth book in the Jackson Brodie series – and I am even more glad that I re-read all of the preceding volumes, because it’s been almost nine years since the last time I read them! After reading them consecutively, though, I would almost say that if you are looking to refresh your memory, you can probably just read When Will There Be Good News (the third book) and then this latest, as this one feels more like a follow-up to that, then a continuation of Started Early, Took My Dog (in fact, that book’s unanswered questions are not addressed here). I was surprised that this one takes place in 2019 – the character’s ages are all adjusted accordingly (and there is even mentions of Brexit), so this addition to the series feels quite up-to-date! It’s a satisfying addition to the series. The plot ties together nicely and it has more of the lightness and humor found in the earlier installments of the series.

I had a very hard time putting this one down! I practically read it in one sitting. It’s fast-paced and I love Atkinson’s characters – both the returning series characters and the newly introduced ones. The plot isn’t as twisty or as shocking here, (and of course there are still a few things left hanging) but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I most sincerely hope, too, that the wait isn’t as long for a sixth addition to the series!

I read 75 pages of this novel and could not bring myself to continue. There are many characters and by
page 75 the connections between most of them was still unclear. More importantly, little of interest was happening. There are two hints of interesting things to come–the foreign girls who are being scammed, evidently to become victims of human trafficking, and also a young girl who is hitching a ride who may or may not become some sort of victim.

I have liked all the other Kate Atkinson books I have read, so for me this book was a big disappointment.

For those new to Kate Atkinson’s detective, Jackson Brodie, this book is fine as a stand alone. If you want to binge and indulge, it would be doing yourself a favor to start with the beginning of the series. For those new to Kate Atkinson, lucky you. Her books are not confined by time and her characters all jump off the page fully formed.

This book finds Jackson co-parenting with his former girlfriend, Julia, as their son, Nathan, slouches into adolescence. The central plot revolves around a group of men who lure young girls to England with a promise of jobs such as nannying, front desk work in hotels or any number of other appealing adventures. An ongoing operation, authorities have been alerted to a network which goes beyond two men who were jailed in the past. Two female detectives are given the task of trying to track down this group. The wives of one of the men suspects she is being followed and engages Brody to find out why and he is pulled into an investigation he knows nothing about.

The suspicious wife, Crystal, is a bombshell with a very young daughter, Candy, and a stepson, Harry, who is 12. Harry works part time in a burlesque theater where he befriends a ragtag group of performers: a drag queen, chorus girls, and a foul mouthed comic. Crystal has a past and she is overly protective of both Candy and Harry and when she hires Jackson, things take a turn which leads to all kinds of mayhem, violence and missed opportunities as none of the players understand how the others factor into the larger picture.

There are red herrings, pink herrings and every other herring thrown into the mix. Atkinson never lets the reader forget that while all of these characters are chasing down blind alleys and being chased, somewhere there are young girls awaiting rescue. Will they be?

The thing about the past was that, no matter how far you ran or how fast you ran, it was always right behind you, snapping at your heels.

Past, present, future. Its all here in one delicious detective novel. If this had been written by a typically genre author in dramatic fashion, it would have come off rather melodramatic and derivative. But British novelist Kate Atkinson, who has written some of my favorite stand-alone novels, dips deliciously into her Jackson Brodie fare with relish, making it piquant, droll, and equal parts character and plot.

Jackson Brodie, living in Yorkshire, by the sea, is the laconic main character, trying to raise his son as a co-parent separately with Nathans mother, Julia. Nathan is a typical thirteen-year-old glommed onto his iPhone and bored with anything his father finds interesting.

In the meantime, we are introduced to Crystal, a new charactermother, stepmother, and wife, who you root for, secrets and all. A few other characters, some burlesque, and some grotesque, keep you fastened to the pages.

Former child character from Brodies past, Reggie, is all grown up and a police officer now. Brodie will eventually cross paths with everyone in an intriguing way, with his old pal and dog, Dido. Dido is so old that walks on the seaside are difficult. Tide in, tide outits a metaphor for a lot, turns out.

If you like the Jackson Brodie novelsthis is a treat. If you love Atkinson, youll recognize her trademark humor. She creates a nice circle in the end. And, just an aside, but I think Jackson Brodie would be way more fun as a love interest than Darcy. Hes my man-fiction of the year.

I have loved the previous Jackson Brodie books, so I was excited when I got the chance to pre-order No. 5. I started it as soon as I downloaded it. I was disappointed as this one is a slog. A lot of characters, which isn’t normally an issue, but it seemed like forever before the strands started to be knitted together. I did finish the book, but I was unimpressed.
The worst part, however, was the multitude of parenthetical comments, conversations and asides; sometimes multiple times on the same page. It thoroughly disrupted the flow of the narrative and became so annoying I finally stopped reading them. It definitely made a less than exciting read even worse.

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