Death at the Sign of the Rook (Hardback) - Kate Atkinson

DISCOVER THE NEW JACKSON BRODIE NOVEL, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SHRINES OF GAIETY

'How delicious to have Jackson Brodie back, this time in a story that starts off in Agatha Christie's world but soon becomes a landscape that could only have been crafted from the pen of the incomparable Kate Atkinson' Ian Rankin

'Christie would be proud . . . I defy you not to snort with laughter as the novel progresses to its farcical denouement. Atkinson is brilliant' Observer

**SPECIAL FIRST EDITION PRINT RUN: With an exclusive design underneath the dust jacket and Author Q&A, available while stocks last**

*****

Welcome to Rook Hall.

The stage is set. The players are ready. By night's end, a murderer will be revealed.
Ex-detective Jackson Brodie is staving off a bad case of midlife malaise when he is called to a sleepy Yorkshire town, and the seemingly tedious matter of a stolen painting. But one theft leads to another, including the disappearance of a valuable Turner from Burton Makepeace, home to Lady Milton and her family. Once a magnificent country house, Burton Makepeace has now partially been converted into a hotel, hosting Murder Mystery weekends.
As paying guests, a vicar, an ex-army officer, impecunious aristocrats, and old friends converge, we are treated a fiendishly clever mystery; one that pays homage to the masters of the genre-from Agatha Christie to Dorothy Sayers.
Brilliantly inventive, with all of Atkinson's signature wit, wordplay and narrative brio, Death at the Sign of the Rook may be Jackson Brodie's most outrageous and memorable case yet.

****

'Sharp, droll and knowing as ever, Atkinson has huge fun with the set-up;
the supporting cast is terrific, and the rueful Brodie, ever more mindful of the passing years,
feels like an old friend.' Guardian

'Delicious character studies... fine writing, wit, originality and eccentricity - even as it induces a warm glow' Telegraph

'Another brilliant addition to her impressive oeuvre, Atkinson masterfully blends intricate plotting with rich character development, delivering a mystery that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging.' Glamour
'The set-up is a delight, paying homage to traditional Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries - the characters are well-drawn, their stories unfolding alongside each other until gradually the strands unite, keeping the reader guessing how they will ultimately tie together. A great read.' PA Media
'Superior writing...a highly entertaining read' Grazia

Kate Atkinson, Sunday Times bestseller, August 2023

About the Author

Kate Atkinson is one of the world's foremost novelists. Her most recent novel, Shrines of Gaiety, set in the aftermath of the First World War, is a Sunday Times bestseller. She won the Whitbread Book of the Year prize with her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum. Her three critically lauded and prize-winning novels set around the Second World War are Life After Life, an acclaimed 2022 BBC TV series, A God in Ruins (both winners of the Costa Novel Award) and Transcription. Her bestselling literary crime novels featuring former detective Jackson Brodie, Case Histories, One Good Turn, When Will There Be Good News? and Started Early, Took My Dog, became a BBC television series starring Jason Isaacs. Jackson Brodie later returned in the novel Big Sky. Kate Atkinson was awarded an MBE in 2011 and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.