''Case Histories'' (2004) is a

detective novel Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as spec ...

by British author Kate Atkinson and is set in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...

, England. It introduces Jackson Brodie, a former

police inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

and now

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

. The plot revolves around three seemingly unconnected family tragediesthe disappearance of a three-year-old girl from a garden; the murder of a husband by his wife with an axe; and the apparently motiveless murder of a solicitor's daughter. ''Case Histories'' has been described as Atkinson's breakthrough, and she has since published four additional novels featuring Brodie: '' One Good Turn'' (2006), '' When Will There Be Good News?'' (2008), ''

Started Early, Took My Dog ''Started Early, Took My Dog'' is a 2010 novel by English writer Kate Atkinson named after the Emily Dickinson poem of the same name. It was adapted into an episode of the second season of the British television series ''Case Histories'' in 2013 ...

'' (2010) and ''Big Sky'' (2019).

Plot

'Case Histories' tells the story of Jackson Brodie, a private investigator who tries to find out the truth of some cases. Brodie meets some people who reclaim his help to solve their cases

Reviews

Kirkus Reviews found this novel revealing the talent Kate Atkinson showed in her first award-winning novel, “back on form” with this story. Atkinson is “a gripping storyteller”. This is a “compulsive page-turner that looks deep into the heart of sadness, cruelty, and loss,” which “ultimately grants her charming p.i. ... a chance at happiness and some measure of reconciliation with the past.”

Adaptations

*An abridged

audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...

adaptation of the book was released, with Jason Isaacs narrating the book. *An unabridged

version of the book, narrated by Susan Jameson. *A three-part

television adaptation An adaptation is a transfer of a work of art from one style, culture or medium to another. Some common examples are: * Film adaptation, a story from another work, adapted into a film (it may be a novel, non-fiction like journalism, autobiography, ...

of Atkinson's first three books in the Brodie series was produced for the BBC under the blanket title '' Case Histories'' (2011). It stars Jason Isaacs as Brodie. The adaptation of ''Case Histories'' itself was shown over consecutive nights on 5 June and 6 June 2011, followed by adaptations of '' One Good Turn'' (2006) and '' When Will There Be Good News?'' (2008) over the succeeding two weeks.

References

External links

*
Links to multiple reviews of ''Case Histories''
2004 British novels British mystery novels British detective novels Novels by Kate Atkinson Novels set in Cambridge Doubleday (publisher) books British novels adapted into television shows Novels with multiple narrators {{UK-lit-stub

Plot

Reviews

Adaptations

See also

References

External links