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

A Cluster of Confusion

In my opinion this story is too convoluted for audio presentation. The reader is great, the writing itself deft and the story quite funny. Sadly, the tale is a cluster of detail, back story, time gaps and meandering narrative, making it almost impossible to follow at times. Maybe it is better read off the page where one can go back and trace the characters and action.

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!

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.

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?

Boring

I struggled to finish it for this book never peaked my interest. the narration was good.

Absolutely Great!

This is my forth Kate Atkinson and I love her writing but this book was a step above! I loved that the story line would go on tangents and loop back. Her descriptions of situations, peoples interactions and the setting are spot on and I feel like I can picture everything perfectly. You don't have to have read the first Jackson Brody to 'read' this or appreciate the plot, and is was not confusing to follow. The narrator gave excellent voices to all of the characters and his intonation made the book come alive. Definitely a book I will re-listen to and is in my top 5 of my audible reads (with over 100 in my library).