Death at the Sign of the Rook

<p><b>THE #1 <i>SUNDAY TIMES</i> BESTSELLER</b><br><br><b><i>THE NEW JACKSON BRODIE NOVEL, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SHRINES OF GAIETY</i></b><br><br>''How <b>delicious </b>to have Jackson Brodie back, this time in a story that starts off in Agatha Christie''s world but soon becomes a landscape that <b>could only have been crafted from the pen of the incomparable Kate Atkinson''</b> <i>Ian Rankin</i><br><br>''Christie would be proud . . . I defy you not to snort with laughter as the novel progresses to its farcical denouement. Atkinson is <b>brilliant</b>''<i> Observer</i><br><br><i>*****</i></p><p><b>Welcome to Rook Hall.<br><br>The stage is set. The players are ready. By night’s end, a murderer will be revealed.</b><br><br>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.<br><br>But one theft leads to another, including the disappearance of a valuable Turner from Burton Makepeace, home to Lady Milton and her family.<br><br>Once a magnificent country house, Burton Makepeace has now partially been converted into a hotel, hosting Murder Mystery weekends.<br><br>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.<br><br><b>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.<br><br>****</b><br><br>''<b>Sharp, droll</b> and <b>knowing</b> as ever, Atkinson has <b>huge fun</b> 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.'' <i>Guardian</i><br><br>‘<b>Delicious</b> character studies… <b>fine writing, wit, originality </b>and eccentricity – even as it induces a warm glow’ <i>Telegraph<br><br>''</i>Another<b> brilliant addition </b>to her impressive oeuvre, Atkinson masterfully blends intricate plotting with rich character development, delivering a mystery that is <b>both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging</b>.’ <i>Glamour</i><br><br>‘The set-up is a delight, paying homage to traditional <b>Agatha Christie-style</b> 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<b> great read</b>.’ <i>PA Media</i><br><br>‘<b>Superior writing</b>...a <b>highly entertaining</b> read’ <i>Grazia</i><br><br><br>Kate Atkinson, <i>Sunday Times </i>bestseller, August 2024<br></p>