One Good Turn

A Novel

By: Kate Atkinson

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

Length: 14 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

On a beautiful summer day, crowds lined up outside a theater witness a sudden act of extreme road rage: a tap on a fender triggers a nearly homicidal attack. Jackson Brodie, ex-cop, ex-private detective, new millionaire, is among the bystanders.

The event thrusts Jackson into the orbit of the wife of an unscrupulous real estate tycoon, a washed-up comedian, a successful crime novelist, a mysterious Russian woman, and a female police detective. Each of them hiding a secret, each looking for love or money or redemption or escape, they all play a role in driving Jackson out of retirement and into the middle of several mysteries that intersect in one sinister scheme.

Kate Atkinson "writes such fluid, sparkling prose that an ingenious plot almost seems too much to ask, but we get it anyway", writes Laura Miller for Salon. With a keen eye for the excesses of modern life, a warm understanding of the frailties of the human heart, and a genius for plots that turn and twist, Atkinson has written a novel that delights and surprises from the first minute to the last.

©2006 Kate Atkinson (P)2020 Little, Brown & Company

Devious, clever, delightful and hilarious

Ms Atkinson’s sense of humor is unparalleled, especially in a mystery with twists and turns galore. I laughed aloud and gasped with surprise. Great book.

Steven Crossley was such an excellent narrator! His comedic timing made the story even more compelling. I loved this Audible book.

Convoluted

Not my favorite from this author. Hard to follow on audio and not much to interest me.

Still great, the second time around

I've READ all the Jackson Brodie novels and was completely entranced by them. Now, several years after reading them,
I decided to listen to the books because Steven Crossley is such a good narrator and I missed Jackson Brody, the main character. My expectations were fully rewarded by both the novel and narrator. The key to the book's excellence are the characters, especially Jackson. He's a man you simply enjoy spending time with - sardonic, smart, yet a bit of a romantic. He wants to be detached, but he can't help getting involved, "helping out" The plot takes a winding, meandering path . It keeps you wondering. At times you think you know what will come, but Atkinson takes the story elsewhere. I plan to listen to books 3 & 4, as long as Steven Crossley is the narrator

Not formulaic

The complex, overlapping narratives in this constellation book provided entertainment, redemption and humor. Well done. Gonna go find other books by her. And of course Steven crossley is like friend by now.

Boring

I have it a good 47 min before I threw in the towel. So incredibly boring. No story line at all! Save yourself the credit and avoid this book!

Terrific novel!

The plot was memorable, many of the characters were lovable, and there was enough suspense to keep me wanting to keep listening. There were some humorous moments, too, that had me laughing out loud. I hope to meet some of these characters again.

Another Good Turn by Kate Atkinson!

Loved it. I wait in anticipation for each new work from Ms. Atkinson. I consider her to be one of the great writers of our time! Not only does she write brilliantly, but she actually tells an interesting story at the same time, which is not always a given. I love her stand alone novels and her Jackson Brody series.The narators are always excellent and suited to the story. Due to a health condition, I now depend heavily on audible books and a poor narrator can spoil a good book, so I really appreciate when a writer and narrator are well matched and can bring characters to life! I believe I have read them all and would really love more Jackson Brody right now! So I have to ask, When Will There Be Good News?

Great Fun

Crazy characters, Immigrant cleaners, crumbling houses, a retired policeman, a baseball bat swinging giant, all tied together through a simple fender bender.
Amazing writer and narrator.

Great character development but weak story

The narration is excellent and you get to know the characters. The slow pace that others mention was ok because the characters and the author's humor are interesting. But. . . then you realize that the book is almost over and you're wondering what the point is. The "clever twist" ending isn't that clever and you're left unfulfilled. Won't try an other one by this author.

The Performance was horrendous!

I was so distracted by this narration I kept missing the story!!! Is she English, Australian, American, perhaps Canadian? Who knows!!!! The story was probably great but after 45 mins of listening I had to return it! The fake English accent was more that I could handle... Ion sure this would have been a 4 or 5 star review as I love this series but I just couldn’t do it with this reader! I wish Kate Atkinson would ding a great narrator and just stick with them! Every book is different and this one was awful!!!!!