Started Early, Took My Dog

A Novel

De: Kate Atkinson

Narrado por: Graeme Malcolm

Tracy Waterhouse leads a quiet, ordered life as a retired police detective -- a life that takes a surprising turn when she encounters Kelly Cross, a habitual offender, dragging a young child through town. Both appear miserable and better off without each other -- or so decides Tracy, in a snap decision that surprises herself as much as Kelly. Suddenly burdened with a small child, Tracy soon learns her parental inexperience is actually the least of her problems, as much larger ones loom for her and her young charge.

Meanwhile, Jackson Brodie, the beloved detective of novels such as Case Histories, is embarking on a different sort of rescue: that of an abused dog. Dog in tow, Jackson is about to learn, along with Tracy, that no good deed goes unpunished.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Brilliant...Atkinson seamlessly weaves together [strands] in a plot driven by coincidence and a diamond-hard recognition of man's darker nature...[Tracy's] odyssey as a new parent to a waif dressed in a ragged fairy costume, relayed with both tenderness and wry wit, must be one of the grandest love affairs in crime fiction...For its singular melding of radiant humor and dark deeds, this is must-reading for literary crime-fiction fans."—Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist, starred review

"The sleuthing is less important than Atkinson's fascinating take on the philosophical and emotional dimensions of her characters' lives."—Kirkus

"[The Jackson Brodie books] are an entrancing hybrid of the literary novel/detective story. Case Histories...is a classic....Atkinson's views of contemporary society can be bleak, but she has an amazing eye for kids, dogs and human fallibility." —Mary Ann Gwinn, The Seattle Times

"Magnificently plotted...In the author's signature multilayered style, she shifts between past and present...Atkinson injects wit even in the bleakest moments...yet never loses her razor-sharp edge."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"I can't take my nose out of Kate Atkinson's new thriller, Started Early, Took My Dog."—Alex Beam, The Boston Globe

"Mixing wry wit and gritty realism, Atkinson deftly smudges the border between literary and detective fiction-with complex, compelling characters negotiating a maze of grisly violence, dark secrets, and shadowy dangers."—Karen Holt, O, The Oprah Magazine

"Wonderful...full of artful digressions and unexpected turns, but it amply makes good on its obligations as a mystery novel to explain the who, what and why." —Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

"Mold-breaking...Each one of these [Jackson Brodie] books, including this latest, is a delight: an intricate construction that assembles itself before the reader's eyes, populated by idiosyncratic, multidimensional characters and written with shrewd, mordant grace. They are in some respects mystery novels, but they're written with a literary skill uncommon in that genre, and in a mode -- the tragicomic -- that few but the most adept novelists can pull off in any genre."—Laura Miller, Salon

Ms. Atkinson writes passages that simply have to be read twice, once when you first travel through the book and then later, when you want to see just how she tricked you...Ms. Atkinson remains a wonderful stylist and Grade A schemer...She was never confined to the crime genre, has written in assorted other modes and excels at them all. Whatever she goes on to write, she leaves Jackson Brodie at a suspenseful and pivotal moment. Future installments are well worth waiting for." —Janet Maslin, New York Times

Pay Attention--and Stick With It

The title of this book has a whimsical sound to it--kind of like a fun romp through the day with the pup. In fact, it is a story about normal lives that sometimes take tragic turns that make it impossible to go back no matter how much they might want to.

Don't get me wrong, though. Overall this was not a sad or depressing tale--but it could have been were it not for the expert subtle handling of each character by Kate Atkinson and the superb narration by Graeme Malcolm. Sometimes I actually laughed out loud.

I note other reviews that indicate "couldn't finish" or "hard to follow" and I agree this could be the case if you don't make an effort to pay attention early on. It gets much easier to put things together as it progresses--and you will be rewarded with some rich dialogue if you hang in there.

Sure there are a lot of people to keep straight--a Tracy, Tilly, Courtney, Jackson, another Jackson, Linda, Kitty, etc. They each have a role to play and are crucial to the outcome. If you liked this author's other works, I think you will like this one. Even though the detective has appeared in previous books, this is not really a series which must be read from the first. It might help, but not necessary.

Thoroughly enjoyed and recommended!

Dog Saves Man

Abused child and dog rescued. Good people win. Loved the book. However, I've listened to many books narrated by Graeme Malcolm, and just wish he wouldn't sing song so much.

Could listen to this again and again

There's nothing more delicious than Graeme Malcolm reading this novel, especially when character Tracy Waterhouse is in the scene. I am stunned by the humanity that Atkinson and Malcolm together create -- with her amazing writing and Malcolm's ability to capture every nuance of meaning. The plot is complex, but it's the individual moments that are so rich.

Not her best, but still...

This took a while to get into but once Jackson Brodie appeared I was hooked. The story is okay, but I don't read Kate Atkinson for that. She slays me with her dry wit and keen observations of the fragile webs we weave as we move through a very gray moral landscape.

for the want of a nail ...

There aren't many books I would care to listen to again, but long before it was over - I knew I'd want to hear it again.

The stories of the characters are unraveled and re-woven with subtle twists that allow you to be come a secret witness to events and inside participant to the story!

The narrator's voice was perfect pairing to the author's tone of understated humor & intelligence in the story telling.

Kudos to Tilly! I will miss her the most.

Good not great

This is a good beach read, a book in between other great books to slow down but entertain the brain, or just one because you like interweaving tales. I haven't recommended it to a lot of friends which is the telling sentiment, but it still put a smile on my face.

Witty and Un-Put-Downable

I always look forward to Kate Atkinson's most recent Jackson Brody mystery, and each one is better than the last.

just could not get in to this at all.

did not keep my interest, seemed choppy, and I could not finish it. maybe if I tried again but for right now, no.

Pleasant surprise

I downloaded this book as a filler in until I got my next credits, and chose it strictly for its quirky title. (I never heard of the author.) I hoped it would be a good listen, and I wasn't disappointed. The characters are well formed and real, not ultra glamourous, as they have been in some of the books I've listened to recently. The plot held my interest throughout. It also had that real effect. It was a story that could plausibly happen to any of us, and kept me listening to find out how everything would turn out in the end. The narrator's British accent threw me off at first, only because I had to listen just a tad bit closer to understand the words. Once I got used to it, I found his voice smooth and delightful to listen to. I look forward to listening to another one of Ms. Atkinson's books. This one deserves all five stars.

Second Reading just as enjoyable.

This is Kate Atkinson at her best: wise, funny, pithy. Her stories and people, all flawed, but they are so loveably human. When Tracy described her parents as living past their sell by date, I laughed out loud and hope I won't come to that fate. Jackson Brody, detective, tries to find an adoptee's biological parents. Seems simple but he is almost killed trying. Meantime, retired police woman Tracy decides to buy a little girl off an abusive parent, so she will have someone to love. And then there is aging actress Tilly who wanders in and out of the plot. Read this book.