Case Histories

A Novel

By: Kate Atkinson

Narrated by: Susan Jameson

Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Case One: A little girl goes missing in the night.

Case Two: A beautiful young office worker falls victim to a maniac's apparently random attack.

Case Three: A new mother finds herself trapped in a hell of her own making - with a very needy baby and a very demanding husband - until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape.

Thirty years after the first incident, as private detective Jackson Brodie begins investigating all three cases, startling connections and discoveries emerge.

©2004 Kate Atkinson (P)2005 BBC Audiobooks Ltd.

Wasn't what I expected

The book had lots of character development and the stories were woven throughout. An interesting way to present the material. Just wasn't what I was expecting at the time.

Entertaining! Worth a Credit!

This has been on my radar for a long time, when I search " mysteries similar to Agatha Christie's books" this one almost always pops up on the lists that I see- I'm just sorry it took me so long to finally get to it!! My only complaint is that it seemed to drag on in some areas- there was one character's p.o.v. that I felt was just too repetitive- like once we understand how she thought that was enough but it went on and on throughout the book, tediously. Other then that, the plots, the characters, the protagonist and setting were excellently fleshed out - and narration was quite good. I highly recommend especially if u enjoy British mysteries. There is some foul language, some sex talk and some talk of drugs- in regards to possible " suspects" mostly- just a warning for anyone who doesn't like that. I enjoyed this immensely and will be reading/ listening to the rest of the series ASAP

Started Out Hating it But Ended Up a Fan

I almost gave up in this book. I'm not going to lie her writing style is SO IRRITATING. She writes very well, but the story is structured around endless interior monologies just full of stupid, annoying, unnecessary and irrelevant comments and observations from the characters. It just goes on and on. This is the kind of book where it takes 5 pages to go from a to b.

Oh, that lady's wearing a yellow hat. Since when did women wear yellow hats? It looks ridiculous. Maybe if it were a nice lemon, but no, it's a sickly banana. Maybe I should get a hat. If I were to get a hat, it would be green. A nice, spring green like the leaves on my roses. Gardens are so lovely. Why can't more people have gardens? And blah blah blah blah blah BLAH

99% of it has no bearing on the plot OR on character revelation. Three different characters go on an interior mini rant on why there are so many Australians working in Britain. Three times. There are no Aussies in the book, There is no reason for it. It illuminates nothing. It's mere filler.

The only reason I stuck with was because a.) I was very intrigued by the set up and b.) I have nothing else to read at the moment. Any other time I would have chucked this.

And yet I really liked it by the end. The writing does get better and leaner. And somehow, by the end I really cared about the characters. I was not disappointed by the resolutions; I thought it was wrapped up nicely. Overall I found it a very satisfying listen, though trust me, you will have to slog through a lot of total gibberish for 1/3 or 1/2 of the book.

I never thought when I started I'd want to read anything else by Kate Atkinson ever again, but now I want to read the rest of the series.

Suited me perfectly

A who-dunnit, similar in very British and acerbic wit to Amanda Craig. Very funny and great characters. Am going to try and find more by this author. Just returned to listen to this one again. It isn't perfect. The various story strands don't fully relate to and illuminate each other but feel more like distractions or other stories Atkinson might have written but were not 'full' enough for a single novel. But even having said that, this is still one of my favorite books of recent years. A winner. I completely forgot to add - Susan Jameson is simply perfect reading this book. Just delightful and with just enough nuance to always be clear without being a caricature. And she totally gets Atkinson's northern Brit humor and knows how to place it - I giggled and barked my way through the listen.

Great Twists and Fun Read

I've become a great fan of Atkinson. She's an excellent story-teller, developing engaging characters and plot lines that surprise.

Loved it!

The narrator was fantastic. She made the characters really come to life. Story was captivating. Going to be reading more from this author in the future!

Great writing!

I had a hard time getting started because I wasn't paying close attention. I am so glad that I stayed with it! Kate really makes you Think...

Great Narrator, interesting story

Probably the best narrator of all my audible books. She really helped create the characters and was probably the reason why I enjoyed this book so much.

Engaging story, superb narrator.

Kate Atkinson is a skilled writer. She weaves together several apparently disparate, character-driven plot lines and emerges with a wonderful tale.

Meh....

This read did not keep my interest. I found my mind wondering off. The story was fine but it just was not my cup of tea.