I'm a huge fan of Kate Atkinson and her Jackson Brodie novels were the first of hers that drew me in. This is a brilliant read as always with a slightly bonkers cast of characters that all end up in a crumbling country house at a Murder Mystery Weekend. We also get a reunion of Jackson and Reggie which is a delight. Loved it!

Yay! Brodie's back! And even better, Reggie's back! Even if this were not my favourite investigator you would've had me at 'decaying mansion'. Adored this wry, modern take on a Christie-esque (Christie-an?) set-up.

In this sixth helping of the long-running series about private detective Jackson Brodie,
Jackson delves into the murky world of art theft and ends up at a murder mystery event in a stately home.
Like all of Kate Atkinson’s books, this one has a beautiful flow. However, for me the pacing was a bit off. I found it a bit slow at the start and too much of a romp once all the characters collide with each other.
Not my favourite JB but it’s still good company, like checking in with an old friend, and a quirky take on a cosy crime mystery.

Thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for ARC.
This is a delight. Jackson Brodie and his friend DC Reggie Chase get involved in a case that's straight outta the Golden Age. There's art theft, genteel poverty, PTSD and a love story all converging on a country house. If you know this writer you'll be delighted. If you don't, feel free to start here but if you can, begin with Started early, took my dog. A delight.

The Jackson Brodie novels have always riffed off the tropes of golden age detective fiction, but Death at the Sign of the Rook steps it up a notch into full-blown parody. It's wild and witty with lots of laugh-out-loud moments: a lovingly-crafted spoof of the genre.

As always with an Atkinson novel, there are moments of real pathos amongst the sardonic humour: no one draws a hapless, world-weary character half so well. The cast are endearingly and brilliantly mad: caricatures so well drawn they leap off the page. While the denouement is a little predictable, there were so many surprises along the way I really didn't mind.

Death at the Sign of the Rook is a wild ride from start to finish: another triumph for Atkinson.

I love the writing of Kate Atkinson and love the character of Jackson Brodie. I am so pleased that he is back although I just felt there was a little bit missing in this one. The scene is set: a country house in Yorkshire near to a small village during a snowstorm. Lady Milton (lady of the house) has been losing paintings over time, including a Turner and Sophie the housekeeper is thought to have stolen it. However, Sophie has disappeared overnight. The country house in question is running murder weekends in order to make some well needed money. A drama troupe turns up to enact said murder mystery and chaos ensues. Jackson Brodie also turns up with DC Reggie Chase, his colleague from old. They are investigating the suspected theft of a painting and the thief is coincidentally the carer of the widow who owned said painting. I can see this book making a really good stage farce as the setting just gives itself to the story. However, I do think there maybe could have been more of Jackson and Reggie than there was. I also think at times it was a bit chaotic as we are given the actors' real names and the characters that they are playing in this murder weekend. I thought this was a little confusing hence only 4 stars. However, I love Kate Atkinson's writing and characters so I am quite happy to forgive her for this especially as Bridie is back. I am extremely grateful to Netgalley for being given the chance to read and review this book.

I've missed Jackson Brodie so this was a very welcome return

This time Jackson is tasked with tracking down a stolen painting with an already dodgy provenance. Running alongside this is a murder mystery event at a stately home. The characters and storylines come together brilliantly to a satisfying and clever conclusion.

The trademark wry humour and brilliantly observed characterisation of this series is still very much in evidence in this sixth instalment.

I felt this was perhaps a little slower than the previous books but still a very enjoyable read

Thanks to Doubleday and Netgalley for an early read

The sixth and final book in the Jackson Brodie series, although it can easily be read as a standalone.

Jackson Brodie, ex-police officer turned Private Investigator, now a 70-odd-year-old grandfather, is called out to Burton Makepeace, a former stately home in Yorkshire, to look into the theft of a painting.

The novel begins like an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery and ends with a play within the novel.

We are reunited with all our favourite characters from the previous Jackson Brodie books – Jackson's daughter Marlee, his ex-wife Julia, the love of his life Louise Monroe, and, of course, police officer Reggie. There is also a cast of new and equally colourful characters – a couple of greedy siblings, a mute vicar, a war veteran suffering from PTSD and a dangerous convict on the loose. Add to that a snowstorm and you have all the ingredients for a gripping, twisty and atmospheric Jackson Brodie novel, complete with a laugh-out-loud moment in practically every chapter.

Loved it!

What a return to form for Jackson Brodie and his creator! I ENJOYED big Sky but felt it lacked the flair and joie de vivre You get with a JB novel. It was less literary too. But this one is so much better. There are several chances to actually laugh out loud as Jackson meets the clients who need him to find their missing painting. His relationship with Reggie is sweet and the bond between them grows. Add in the lovely character Ben, and vicar Simon and there are several strands to care about here. I was less enthused by the farce at the Murder Mystery event but Jackson Brodie never disappoints. Here his cynicism and dry wit makes him ever more lovable. Jackson Brodie says what most people are thinking but dont mention. Or he thinks it for us via the page. I LAUGHED a lot. Thank you Kate Atkinson, Jackson is back on form.

This is #6 in the hugely popular Jackson Brodie series from an author I’ve enjoyed for many years, Kate Atkinson. This is a classic country manor “whodunnit” starring ex-detective Brodie and his police buddy, Reggie Chase. Brodie has been called to investigate the disappearance of a valuable painting in a sleepy Yorkshire village. A valuable Turner painting has also been stolen from the old country manor of Burton Makepeace, along with the disappearance of the housekeeper, Sophie Greenway.

The crumbling Manor House has been converted into a hotel offering murder mystery weekends to help pay the bills. As the guests arrive during a snowstorm, prepare for the convergence of a series of plots for Brodie and Reggie to solve.

This is the perfect easy holiday read. The many legions of Kate Atkinson fans will not be disappointed by the multiple plot lines, sharp humour and the final big reveal. Three stars from me and with many thanks to @netgalley and @penguinbooksuk for the advance copy in return for my honest review.

I was so excited to read this, there may have been squealing involved, but in the end it didn't live up to my expectations. The story revolves around a couple of missing paintings, and turns into a country house mystery. For me there were a few too many characters who weren't involved in the story in any way, and the story itself felt disjointed. This was supposed to be a Jackson Brodie book but he felt very much like a supporting character.

Wonderful, simply wonderful. Kate Atkinson gets better and better. I laughed aloud on almost every page, and wanted to get out my highlighter pen to underline all the insightful, pithy and memorable gems of wisdom. I absolutely loved this book and will definitely reread it. A sort of country house murder mystery, which frequently dissolves into farce, but always remains gripping and entertaining. Jackson Brodie is tasked with discovering what happened to a possibly valuable painting, and goes in search of the mysterious carer who disappeared along with the work of art. His investigations lead him to a similar case, where a painting was stolen from a stately home. Throw in a staged murder mystery, a disillusioned vicar and a disabled war veteran, not to mention a dangerous escaped prisoner, and you have an explosive mixture. Truth and justice are explored and, as always, when Jackson is involved, are open to interpretation. A truly enjoyable, but also thought provoking, novel, which leaves you satisfied yet still wanting more.

LIked the previous Jackson Brodie's books, but this was one was just not my cup of tea.

The book starts at a murder mystery weekend, we then jump to Jackson Brodie speaking to a brother and sister whose late mother had a picture stolen from her, and from there we go backwards (and then forwards!!) to the country home where the weekend will eventually be held, and coincidentally a few years ago a painting also disappeared.

To be honest the book was quite farcical, it felt like a written episode of Fawlty Towers.

There was so much character set up that it wasn't until a good two thirds of the book that this actually stops, and you get to grips with the story.

It was an OK read, but nothing more than that

This is actually the sixth in the 'Jackson Brodie' series but my first time reading one and I think they do work very well as standalone novels. There are a few repeating characters and references to what I imagine were events in previous books but they're all dealt with unobtrusively so I think new readers can pick up on what's gone before while it's not too clunky for those returning to the series. The basic plot is that a brother and sister call in retired police officer turned private detective Jackson Brodie to discover if their mother's carer has stolen a picture of questionable provenance. This narrative strand is then slightly clunkily told against a murder-mystery weekend in a country house where there was a connection between the two narrative strands in that there had also been a theft in the country house but tonally these two elements were so different that it became very jarring and as though you were reading two separate novels. It could have used more deftness or a slightly tweaking of the structure to make it work but Kate Atkinson is a lovely writer and this is an engaging and funny story that sits well within the genre of 'bloodless crime' without being too twee.

Oh how I’ve missed Jackson Brodie (and Reggie!) but this was worth the wait. Classic Kate Atkinson writing - dry, warm and witty and full of the most well-turned and clever dialogue, all embellishing an inspired Agatha Christie meets Alan Ayckbourn plot. Absolute perfection.

This is the 6th Jackson Brodie novel but it can be read as a standalone book. Although a 'crime novel', it is not a thriller but rather a 'tongue-in-cheek' nod to cosy crime and Agatha Christie. What sets this book apart is the superb writing. The prose sparkles with wit and humour. There is a wonderful cast of eccentric characters including a vicar, injured ex-serviceman, and an aristocratic family fallen on hard times. Brodie is initially called in by twins Hazel and Ian to investigate the disappearance of a painting. The multiple strands of the plot culminate at Burton Makepiece where a shambolic 'murder mystery weekend' takes place during a snowstorm. Great fun and a joy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc. All opinions are my own.

The return of private detective Jackson Brodie is always a wonderful moment but add the smart and witty Reggie Chase to the mix and it’s pure magic.
This is Kate Atkinson’s sixth novel featuring Jackson. Reggie was first introduced in the third book, When Will There be Good News?, as a 16-year-old au pair student in Edinburgh worried about her missing boss and grieving the death of her mother when her path crosses with Jackson. She’s an absolute delight and it was great to have her pop up in book five, Big Sky, as a young cop whose own investigation dove-tails with a case Jackson is working on. This happens again in the latest book, much to Reggie’s annoyance. She’s fond of him but can’t stand Jackson’s dismissal of rules and procedures and doesn’t want to get dragged into the ‘messiness’ that seems to follow him.
Jackson is working on what seems like a small case, that of a stolen painting, until he stumbles onto a second missing painting. There’s a lot going on and many eccentric characters as the story culminates in a snowed-in murder-mystery evening at a crumbling stately country manor.
It’s a funny, delightful, chaotic read with lots of meandering and not a typical murder-mystery at all. It's also time for Reggie to get her own series, fingers crossed.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

This cozy mystery had a charming cast of characters, and the overall tone felt very inviting. However, the pacing was a bit slower than I typically prefer, and with so many introductions, it took a while for me to fully connect with the story. If you enjoy relaxed mysteries with a focus on character development, this could be a great choice! Unfortunately, for me, it wasn't quite the perfect fit.

I’m a huge fan of Kate Atkinson, and “Death at The Sign of the Rook” did not disappoint. In the novel, a couple of crimes involving stolen paintings bring Jackson Brodie and Reggie Chase back together. Reggie is investigating a crime that takes place in a huge stately home called Burton Makepeace, where Lady Milton and her family reside. Jackson is hired by twins to investigate a painting stolen immediately after their mother’s death. Add an escaped convict and a murder mystery weekend and you have a recipe for a fantastic story and complete chaos.

This story is very humorous (almost farcical), so might not be for people who are looking for a stereotypical whodunnit, but will be loved by a wide audience. Atkinson writes beautifully, uses a wide range of vocabulary, and deploys a lot in jokes or call backs to earlier parts of the novel. The story is told from the position of a number of different larger than life characters, which Atkinson deftly moves between, until she reaches the denouement. All in all it was a tale very well told and I was sad for the book to end.

With many references to old school British murder mysteries, but with its own, much more pacey, modern momentum, Death at the Sign of the Rook is great fun. I think I’ve only read one of Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie novels before, years ago, but that didn’t matter. Good characterisation, suitably confusing plot twists and a satisfying denouement.