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When Will There Be Good News [Paperback]

Kate Atkinson
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (176 customer reviews)

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Book Description

1 Jan 2009

In rural Devon, six-year-old Joanna Mason witnesses an appalling crime.

Thirty years later the man convicted of the crime is released from prison.

In Edinburgh, sixteen-year-old Reggie works as a nanny for a G.P. But Dr Hunter has gone missing and Reggie seems to be the only person who is worried.

Across town, Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe is also looking for a missing person, unaware that hurtling towards her is an old friend -- Jackson Brodie -- himself on a journey that becomes fatally interrupted.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.


Product details

  • Paperback
  • Publisher: Black Swan (1 Jan 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0552775347
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552775342
  • Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 3.5 x 17.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (176 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,523,150 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

By becoming a crime writer she has - in a way that other "literary" types may wish to note - become a better literary writer than ever: funny, bracingly intelligent and delightfully prickly . . . Kate Atkinson is that rarest of beasts, a genuinely surprising novelist. (Guardian )

Atkinson's genius is her sure control of plot . . . immaculately - even lovingly - paced, and it is a measure of Atkinson's talent that I read it in one sitting . . . insightful, often funny, life-affirming. (Sunday Telegraph )

An exhilarating read. Her wry humour, sharp eye for the quirks of human behaviour and subtle characterisation are a constant joy...with writing of this quality, there is good news on every page. (Daily Mail )

An intricately crafted tale of coincidence and fate, love and longing. From the get-go, Atkinson's pitch-perfect ear for dialogue is apparent . . . As in the best crime fiction, dramatic events and unexpected twists abound, but Atkinson subverts the genre by refusing to neatly tie up every thread. And while there is plenty of blood and bitterness, redemption and resolve are well represented too. Good news all around. (Independent )

Atkinson's world is full of bizarre accidents and meaningless murders, but she celebrates love, laughter and literature so wholeheartedly that I cheered aloud. She is one of the most eccentric of crime writers, and perhaps the sanest. Everybody should read her. (Telegraph ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Book Description

Now a major 6-part BBC1 crime drama series with Jason Isaacs as Jackson Brodie covering Case Histories, One Good Turn and When Will There Be Good News? --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 48 people found the following review helpful
By Ulysses
Format:Hardcover
As the third in the Jackson Brodie series, I found KA's continuation of his life absolutely compelling. Each book builds on the foundations of the last, and I was unable to put this one down. Those people who speak of 'padding' and 'lack of believability' clearly have no understanding of the literary ability Atkinson wields as an author - all the knowing nods to other writers and genres, the clever little conceits she employs to tie her ideas together, the fact that she leaves a lot to the imagination, doesn't feel compelled to tie up every loose end (although if you read the whole series some loose ends are tied up in later books). She doesn't patronise you as a reader, she assumes a level of literary understanding and intellectual ability, and best of all she loves the pure musicality of the words on the page (see Emotionally Weird for proof of this!). I cannot wait for August when her next book is released, and have lent Case Histories, One Fine Day and When Will There Be Good News? to anyone I can think of, jumping up and down with glee as I see their enjoyment increasing exponentially with each new book. Open your minds a little, don't expect a Patricia Cornwell-esque read, recognise this writer's true ability and realise that her books are about more than just a detective story. You won't be able to put them down either in that case!
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115 of 130 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars A little cluttered, though I'm still a big fan 27 Aug 2008
By Sarah W VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover
I love Kate Atkinson's writing (I don't usually buy books in hardback!) and did enjoy this novel, finishing it in a matter of days.

However, I can't deny that it felt a little cluttered - too many perspectives; too many personal tragedies; too much drama and bloody violence. I felt that an awful lot had been packed in along the way and it began to feel unrealistic and unsubtle.

To my mind, the Needler story was unnecessary; Reggie's personal circumstances went from bad to unlikely; and all the key characters were a little too connected. A bit of coincidence is one thing, but this went too far. Perhaps it was meant to feel 'fateful' but it didn't quite work for me.

When writing from Jackson Brodie's perspective Kate Atkinson seems at her most comfortable, he's a rounded character and totally believable. For me, Reggie was endearing but didn't quite ring true and I am not at all keen on her new pet character, Louise Munroe. Not that it's vital to always like characters in novels, but she's clearly being established as a heroine, perhaps equal to Jackson, but for me she has few redeeming features. I simply don't want to know much more about her.

Given Kate Atkinson's talents as a writer (her colourful prose and characterisation draw the reader in from the very start) I feel she doesn't need to rely so heavily on crime as a genre. She built up her initial tale of the Mason family in a compelling way, only to destroy them a few pages later. It felt like a waste. I remember feeling the same way about Case Histories.

I look forward to her next novel but hope she tones down the crime elements just a little and focuses on her characters and insights into their lives and loves.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Kate Atkinson firing on all cylinders 10 Oct 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is Kate Atkinson's third novel to feature her private detective Jackson Brodie, so it probably helps to have started with the first, Case Histories, to have a feel for the back story - and the second, One Good Turn, also features another major player in this story - Louise Munroe, hard bitten but soft centred DCI. I found One Good Turn not quite as good as Case Histories but this sees her back on top form.

I've been a fan of Kate Atkinson's writing since her debut in Behind The Scenes At The Museum. The Jackson Brodie stories have several intertwining plot lines, including a twist at the end to something I hadn't realised was even a plot line until that point. She's a master story teller, her characterisation very sharp, and she makes amusing use of parentheses and italics to voice unspoken thoughts. She's also brilliant at time shifts and flashbacks, and shifts between everyday life and stark tragedy.

What's this one about? Without giving anything away, one storyline concerns the grown-up survivor of an horrific murder of a mother and two of her three children (reminiscent of a real and well-known murder) who is now a doctor married to a dodgy husband, another a sixteen year old girl called Reggie, a third Jackson Brodie, a fourth Louise Munroe. They intertwine and overlap brilliantly. I'm about to start on Kate Atkinson's latest Started Early, Took My Dog
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Third in the Jackson Brodie novels
Very different ending to the one I expected. Again Kate Atkinson keeps you intrigued throughout. Don't have to retain as many names as in her first two novels either!
Published 8 hours ago by Sylvia Reilly
4.0 out of 5 stars Phew! Return to form!
I was so relieved to find this third in her Jackson Brodie series is a return to her fine form as in Case Histories. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lynne C. Gill
4.0 out of 5 stars up to her usual standard.
a crime novel with a difference. I liked the main character. The plot kept me guessing with its twists and turns.
Published 1 month ago by A T WRIGHT
4.0 out of 5 stars Looking forward to the return of Jackson Brodie
Whilst Atkinson covers some dark morbid material, she still manages to be witty and wry. Her characters are well rounded and believable. Good plot twists
Published 1 month ago by Helen Collins
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
I re-read this book periodically and it still remains a good read and one to keep me interested and entertained
Published 1 month ago by jhduffy
4.0 out of 5 stars escapism
Thoroughly good crime fiction. Total escapism great read for either summer holiday or bad winter stay at home. Well drawn characters.
Published 1 month ago by Madeleine
5.0 out of 5 stars She spins a good yarn
This is the third of the Jackson Brodie novels and Atkinson has not disappointed me. I love the characters and the twisting and turning of the plot. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Philippa Dunkley
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
I can't understand what book the low scoring reviewers read.
This book is a masterpiece.
Full of real characters and clever plot twists and turns. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Parry
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant - Best in series
Finished this last night and wondering what book I will be able to read next that will keep me so gripped. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Stoogie
5.0 out of 5 stars When Will There Be Good News? - Kate Atkinson
I have now read all 4 of the Jackson Brodie books. Good stories and great characters. Told with wit and irony. I recommend them, but try to read in the right order!!!
Published 3 months ago by Steve
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