Book Review: One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson

One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson is a mix of literature and mystery. The story is full of deeply flawed, quirky characters which are very memorable. The writing is very good in this atypical mystery. The mystery is a slow burn, as it takes a while for you, the reader, to know what the mystery is all about. This story revolves around 7 characters who we all get perspectives from. This can sometimes be too much as I prefer 3 to 4 perspectives, but Kate Atkinson is such a good character writer that I was never confused with whose perspective was in charge. As the story unfolds those 7 characters will be connected through happenstance and murder plots. The story reminded me a lot of Fargo the TV series since all the characters are so quirky and could each lead their own story. One Good Turn is book two in the Jackson Brodie series. The first book is the excellent Case Histories, where the character of Jackson Brodie is introduced. One Good Turn does not require you to read Case Histories as the book does a good job of telling you what happened to Jackson Brodie in the first book. Jackson Brodie the character is so interesting as he does not want to be a detective anymore but keeps getting drawn in. One Good Turn was published on August 1, 2006.

Plot Summary: In Edinburgh, Scotland a light fender bender provokes an act of violence with a baseball bat. Was it road rage gone wrong or something more planned? A quiet small writer intervenes which is very out of character and saves the beaten man. Jackson Brodie, a now-retired detective from England, is on vacation with his girlfriend who is in a play up the street from the car accident and is just strolling by when the writer intervenes. Brodie consoles the writer and watches the suspect flee he disappears before the police arrive but makes an impression on the mystery writer he consoled. Gloria watches the accident from her window and is greeted by the police after but they are not here for the accident. Her husband is in a coma and found unresponsive with his mistress. The book starts with an accident but nothing in this book is an accident as all the characters are linked and on someone’s hit list.

What I Liked: The characters in this book are so well-rounded we know their past, their dreams, and what they are trying to change about themselves. The story is a great ensemble of characters in this Jackson Brodie series but he doesn’t have more pages than anybody else I would say Martin the writer is in the book more. I liked the balance of characters and how long the reader stays with them. The pace is pretty even if we learn more about the characters than is necessary but it is so interesting. The flashbacks reminded me of Stephen King’s writing where he dives deeper into the character than necessary but it is interesting. The ending of this book is great where most of the characters are all coming together and the action is surprising and great.

What I Disliked: After that great ending that I loved the wrap-up of all the characters is too slow. I was very satisfied with the ending but then there were forty pages after that. Only about 25% was great and gave insight into the mystery but the rest was just too much. Going into the ending the book was a 4.7star review but I don’t know if it will survive to get rounded up 5.

Recommendation: Kate Atkinson has written my favorite book of all time Life After Life, but since that, I have read 4 of her novels. where they have for the most part been good, they have not been great. One Good Turn is great and the writing and character development are so good. I don’t think everyone will like it because it is not your typical mystery it is more literature that takes place in a mystery. If you are a reader who likes a challenging at times story then this is the book for you.

Rating: I rated One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Ranking: I have read 4 Kate Atkinson books this is my ranking from best to worst: 1) Life After Life, 2) One Good Turn, 3) Case Histories, and 4) Shrines of Gaiety.