He is then propelled into situations that are funny, dangerous, illuminating in some respects, and mystifying in others.Īs we are led through the stories, past and present, connections begin to appear. From her toddler years onward, she had adoptive parents and now that they are gone, she wants to find her roots.Īlthough he doesn’t really want another client, Jackson’s family history impels him to agree. For Jackson Brodie it starts in the present day with an email from a woman in New Zealand asking for his help to find out who she was when she was born in England thirty years before.

It is virtually impossible to be bored with one of these novels as they keep you on your toes and checking (or guessing at) the mentions that add spice and texture to the plots and the characters.īriefly, the plots in this 4th novel of the series revolve around missing children from 1975. There are perfectly dropped tiny references to literary pieces, to music (both lyrics and titles), to current world events and historical ones. There are tie-ins with previous novels in this series. In this novel, the plot and sub-plots move between the mid-1970’s and roughly 30 years later. She masterfully deploys her plots in such a way that fascination is enhanced. It is authentic – I believe in the reality of all the characters and what they are experiencing. It is witty with surprise literary flourishes. This novel is a great example of why I love Kate Atkinson’s writing so much.

Started early took my dog book review