Halloween Bingo 2024
I usually try not to start with the sixth volume of a series, but the rook on the cover of this novel overrode my good sense. As it turned out, I had no trouble figuring out what was going on. There were probably details that I didn't fully appreciate, but they weren't integral to this plot.
I do feel that reading the earlier books would have given me more perspective on Jackson Brodie, who seems to be rather a pain in the arse. Despite that, I couldn't help liking him. I also very much liked Reggie Chase and would like to know how Brodie made her acquaintance. Perhaps I will backtrack.
The book was complex enough to keep the little grey cells firing. It was like a Venn diagram, with three (four?) plots overlapping and interacting in interesting ways. Atkinson leads the reader on a merry chase, trying to keep up with her as she strews clues in her wake. The many characters are well realized, amusing, and varied. Two stolen paintings, two investigations, a soldier with PTSD, a vicar who has lost his faith, an upper-class family trying to hold their estate together, it all comes together. Really intricate, fast moving, and very well done.
I read this book to fill the Genre: Mystery square on my Bingo card.
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