Author:Dorothy L. Sayers,Ian Carmichael,Sarah Badel,Full Cast
Society’s eligible women are in mourning. Lord Peter Wimsey has married at last, having finally succeeded in his ardent pursuit of the lovely mystery novelist Harriet Vane. The two depart for a tranquil honeymoon in a country farmhouse but find, instead of a well-prepared love nest, the place left in a shambles by the previous owner. His sudden appearance, dead from a broken skull in the cellar, only prompts more questions. Why would anyone have wanted to kill old Mr Noakes? What dark secrets had he to hide? The honeymoon is over, as Lord Peter and Harriet Vane start their investigations. Suspicion is rife and everyone seems to have something to hide, from the local constable to the housekeeper. Wimsey and his wife can think of plenty of theories, but it’s not until they discover a vital fact that the identity of the murderer becomes clear.
Wallander's investigations are perfectly judged to create a thrilling mood of growing tension culminating in a satisfying climax
—— The TimesWonderfully bleak thrillers...somehow unremitting and gripping at the same time
—— Sean French , IndependentMankell is one of the most ingenious crime writers around. Highly recommended
—— ObserverSweden's answer to Morse and Wexford
—— Mail on SundayGripping... Expert plotting
—— Daily TelegraphThrough the quality of her writing she's raised the game of the crime novel in this country
—— Peter JamesRendell's mesmerising capacity to shock, chill and disturb is unmatched
—— The TimesAtkinson is very good indeed... more satisfying than many detective novels. Everyone who picks it up will feel compelled to follow it through to the last page
—— GuardianBrilliantly playful, witty and original... massive and consistent talent for comedy
—— The ScotsmanIntriguing and affecting... she has also created a compelling central chracter in world-weary private investigator Jackson Brodie, who is determined to bring justice to all the lives that lie fractured around him
—— Red (Book of the Month)Civilised, funny, life-affirming and hugely enjoyable
—— Literary ReviewBrilliantly detailed and unexpectedly funny
—— MirrorPerceptive and engaging
—— IndependentMurder, mystery and Atkinson's skill make for an atmospheric and moving story
—— EveFunny, furious fourth novel rumbustiously drives a path through the genre of detective fiction, demolishing its careful, forensic summation of human behaviour and replacing them with bloody, believable, vigorous tales
—— Rachel CuskVivid, multifaceted... Case Histories manages to be such an ultimately joyful novel.. I found myself captivated throughout by the vivacity and big-hearted humour... skilled juxtaposition
—— WBQNot just the best novel I have read this year...but the best mystery of the decade. There are actually four mysteries, nesting like Russian dolls, and when they begin to fit together, I defy any reader not to feel a combination of delight and amazement. Case Histories is the literary equivalent of a triple axel. I read it once for pleasure and then again just to see how it was done. This is the kind of book you shove in people's faces, saying 'You gotta read this!
—— Entertainment WeeklyPerhaps the most consummately all-round book of the year is Kate Atkinson's One Good Turn, a marvelous thriller so beautifully written you'd stop to admire the prose if you weren't so busy page-turning.... It features a killermost writers would die for, and a plot that touches genius. It's unalloyed pleasure from first to last
—— The Scotsman[Atkinson has a] knack for psychological portraiture and dark humor... Paradoxically, murder has given her a framework that helps liberate her insights on the living, as the lurking presence of corpses reminds readers there are worse offenses than bad parenting and worse fates than unhappy marriages.... Atkinson knows that the line between victim and tormentor can be blurry and that survivors sometimes have good reasons for guilt.... Astutely, Atkinson has noticed that the high-tech lifestyle has given rise to a high-tech deathstyle that makes the old props of detective fiction -- fingerprints, dusting powder, alibis -- as passe as a fedora
—— The New York TimesCrackling one-liners, spot-on set pieces and full-blooded characters help make this another absorbing character study from the versatile, effervescent Atkinson
—— Publishers Weekly'Civilised, funny, life-affirming and hugely enjoyable. I can't recall reading crime fiction quite like this before- honest, ironic, and cheerfully unselfconscious. I urge you to share my surprise and delight.'
—— Philip Oakes, Literary ReviewOne of the most brilliantly playful, witty and original writers we have.
—— Scotsman'At heart a comic novelist, who explores the relationship between comedy and crime... In Case Histories, these skills have found their literary home.'
—— Heather O’Donoghue, Times Literary Supplement'Sharp humour, together with a number of unexpected twists, make this a typically pacey and intelligent read.'
—— Daily MailNot just the best novel I have read this year...but the best mystery of the decade. There are actually four mysteries, nesting like Russian dolls, and when they begin to fit together, I defy any reader not to feel a combination of delight and amazement. Case Histories is the literary equivalent of a triple axel. I read it once for pleasure and then again just to see how it was done. This is the mind of book you shove in people's faces, saying 'You gotta read this!'
—— Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly