Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson

After recently reading Case histories the first in the Jackson Brodie series I rushed through the rest of the books finishing with Atkinson’s latest, the sixth book, Death at the Sign of the Rook. Brodie is hired to track down the disappearance of a painting, The woman with a weasel, by two siblings who accuse a young carer of stealing it. Meanwhile this is not the only painting that has gone missing. A Turner has vanished from Burton Makepeace, the country mansion of Lady Milton. A young woman, Sophie the housekeeper, disappeared the same night and is believed to have stolen it. Brodie and his able assistant DC Reggie Chase turn up to investigate, finding themselves snowbound for the night and embroiled in a murder mystery weekend show that has been hosted to make money for the upkeep of the mansion. Meanwhile a convicted murderer is on the run on the moors around the manor.

As always Atkinson pens a complex, witty and hugely enjoyable mystery, with engaging characters and a thrilling plot. Atkinson uses characters that could have come from an Agatha Christie novel – Simon, a vicar, Lady Milton and an Army major and this adds to the pleasure of the story. The background of art theft and fraud is fascinating as is the character of the young woman who has posed as a carer and housekeeper in both cases.

Death at the Sign of the Rook is an outstanding mystery, as are others in the series. It could be read as a stand-alone but readers will gain insights into the characters if the books are read in order. I hope that Atkinson continues to write books starring Jackson Brodie and Reggie Chase.

Themes: Murder, Art fraud.

Pat Pledger