brilliant! - Rated 
This novel sucks you in from page 1 - it's a rollercoaster of a story, great characters as in all her novels and also very sad and funny - its takes a brilliant writer to achieve this combination and she is. Could not recommend highly enough.
First time ever I gave up on a book - Rated 
I could not get in to this book at all. The story line was uneven; it jumps from one character to another, suddenly and with no point.
The structure made my reading very uncomfortable and I decided not to waste any more time reading it for the sake of finishing the book.
Which book are some of the people on this review page reading?! - Rated
As the third in the Jackson Brodie series, I found KA's continuation of his life absolutely compelling. Each book builds on the foundations of the last, and I was unable to put this one down. Those people who speak of 'padding' and 'lack of believability' clearly have no understanding of the literary ability Atkinson wields as an author - all the knowing nods to other writers and genres, the clever little conceits she employs to tie her ideas together, the fact that she leaves a lot to the imagination, doesn't feel compelled to tie up every loose end (although if you read the whole series some loose ends are tied up in later books). She doesn't patronise you as a reader, she assumes a level of literary understanding and intellectual ability, and best of all she loves the pure musicality of the words on the page (see Emotionally Weird for proof of this!). I cannot wait for August when her next book is released, and have lent Case Histories, One Fine Day and When Will There Be Good News? to anyone I can think of, jumping up and down with glee as I see their enjoyment increasing exponentially with each new book. Open your minds a little, don't expect a Patricia Cornwell-esque read, recognise this writer's true ability and realise that her books are about more than just a detective story. You won't be able to put them down either in that case!
I never believed in "dumbing down of society" until.............. - Rated 
This was my first experience of Kate Atkinson, I'd seen a lot of positive online reviews and printed press but I hadn't gone out of my way to read her books as I was particularly (rather ironically as it turns out!) concerned she could be another flash in the pan writer. A friend recently loaned me a copy along with some positive remarks about the tale and it's sub plots so I'd thought I'd give it a try.
The reality is that the story despondently becomes very predictable and jumbled, the characters connections were all too loosely based on coincidences. Story lines are opened but never developed, new characters names are mentioned then left unexplained, whilst you are flicking back the pages saying "hang on have it missed something here?".
To be absolutely honest there is way too much pointless padding in the novel that doesn't really assist in the story telling, I am not left with the correct class of questions that make you want to read the next book in a series or know anything further about its characters.............and really what on earth was the point in the Needler story and it's tragic outcome running through its chapters with no real attachment to the main plot?!
What genre does this book fall under exactly??? Where on earth were the clever twists and tales of a good crime/mystery novel?! Why does this novel feel like a ghastly chick lit?!
Perhaps I am being too harsh, perhaps I really needed to read the rest of the Jackson Brodie series. I not going to be completely negative about this and I will admit it had its little cliffhanger moments when I thought that finally story had begun but I was only to be disappointed further down the line when Kate completely bulldozed the suspense. These moments are the only thing that happened to get me through to the end of the book. Kate's character development of little Reggie was also reasonable but sadly she'd experience too much disaster in her short existence to be absolutely believable.
If your going on holiday and want to read something none too taxing that you need to be assured you'll leave behind without any regrets, then look no further this is the ideal book for you. As in my case had this been my own copy I think I would have done something rather terrible to it.
bad book! - Rated
ok so i after i read all the glowing reviews on the blurb, i thought the book would be great, a nice crime fiction, relatively easy read, a clever twist here or there. I was left utterly disappointed and completely frustrated by the lack of a proper plot line or characterization! I think the problem here was that she was trying to be too clever, 'subverting the genre' by doing god knows what with a load of completely unrealistic characters. dont read it, its a mess.
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