Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (2004) contains
intricate, interesting, and interconnected plots. The central, though not the
most interesting, character is a British private investigator, who is working
on three cases. One involves a beloved three year old child, youngest of three
daughters, who disappears in the middle of the night. In the second case a
lovely and much loved 17 year old is murdered. The third tells of the murder of
a young father in the presence of his infant daughter. All are "cold
cases." Jackson Brodie, the p.i., is looking for the daughter who has been missing for 34 years;
the teenager's murderer, ten years after
the crime; and the infant daughter of the slain father whose wife has served a
lengthy sentence but is now free. The novel features doting fathers,
competitive sisters, and dysfunctional families. The women are complex and
interesting, the men mostly shallow and predictable. There are numerous plot
twists, plenty of hints, and a lot of misdirection. It is an interesting read
that commands the reader's careful attention.
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