Jackson Brodie
Big Sky
The fifth novel featuring Jackson Brodie
Jackson Brodie has relocated to a quiet seaside village in North Yorkshire, in the occasional company of his recalcitrant teenage son Nathan and ageing Labrador Dido, both at the discretion of his former partner Julia. It’s a picturesque setting, but there’s something darker lurking behind the scenes.
Jackson’s current job, gathering proof of an unfaithful husband for his suspicious wife, seems straightforward, but a chance encounter with a desperate man on a crumbling cliff leads him into a sinister network—and back into the path of someone from his past.
Old secrets and new lies intersect in this breathtaking new novel, both sharply funny and achingly sad, by one of the most dazzling and surprising writers at work today.
‘A hero for men and women alike’ – The Times
Videos
Jason Isaacs and Kate Atkinson on Big Sky
Kate Atkinson in conversation with Lee Randall at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival
Reviews
The main plot…is dark and disturbing, but Atkinson brings wry comic touches to the story as she both playfully inhabits and deftly subverts the crime genre.
Observer
Atkinson’s new mystery hits all the right notes.
Sunday Times Style
As ever, the plotting is clever and complex, it’s full of the dry wit Atkinson is so good at and it’s an absorbing mystery.
Good Housekeeping
There’s a lot going on here, all of it rendered with Atkinson’s vastly enjoyable nonchalance…Atkinson tells a great story, toys with expectations, deceives by omission, blows smoke and also writes like she’s your favourite friend. Thank goodness the long Jackson Brodie hiatus is over.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Atkinson weaves a magically absorbing world full of crossed paths and coincidences. Her sublime turn of phrase, impeccable gallows humour, beautifully drawn characters and complex plotting make for a fabulously entertaining and moving book. It can be enjoyed as either a standalone mystery or a very welcome reunion with an old friend.
Sunday Mirror
The brilliance of Big Sky lies in its broad range of memorable characters, each with their own intriguing backstory…sharp humour, sparkling prose and acute psychological insight.
Daily Express
Big Sky is laced with Atkinson’s sharp, dry humour, and one of the joys of the Brodie novels has always been that they are so funny.
Stephanie Merritt, Observer
A masterclass in what can be done with crime fiction, brilliantly using the form to expose what Atkinson bleakly describes as ‘one more battle in the war against women’.
Joan Smith, Sunday Times
Atkinson throws in many entertaining diversions, and a fair few juicy red herrings… an exuberant, entertaining read…Atkinson’s work is always playful, and there’s a brisk, jaunty tone to Big Sky and much dry observational comedy.
Independent
Atkinson brings back her much-loved PI Jackson Brodie for a tightly plotted tale…the real mystery here is the human heart, with Atkinson serving up an acute and believable look at the state of Britain today.
i
The stand-out read of the summer. It’s a masterclass in brilliant writing and whether you’ve read the earlier books in the series or not, you’ll enjoy it.
Independent
Like all good detectives, he is a hero for men and women alike.
The Times
