Author:Kate Atkinson
The second Jackson Brodie novel (after Case Histories): literary crime from the prizewinning, number-one bestselling author of Big Sky and Transcription.
'An absolute joy to read...the pleasure of One Good Turn lies in the ride, in Atkinson's wry, unvanquished characters, her swooping, savvy, sarcastic prose and authorial joie de vivre' Guardian
It is summer, it is the Edinburgh Festival. People queuing for a lunchtime show witness a road-rage incident - a near-homicidal attack which changes the lives of everyone involved. Jackson Brodie, ex-army, ex-police, ex-private detective, is also an innocent bystander - until he becomes a murder suspect.
As the body count mounts, each member of the teeming Dickensian cast's story contains a kernel of the next, like a set of nesting Russian dolls. They are all looking for love or money or redemption or escape: but what each actually discovers is their own true self.
Breathtaking - brightly written, scalpel-sharp, and altogether inspired. This swift, red-blooded thriller set my pulse thrumming.
—— A. J. Finn, Sunday Times bestseller of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOWA haunted summer camp. A lake darker than midnight. This chilling tale will keep you awake long after you've turned the last page
—— Liv Constantine, bestselling author of THE LAST MRS PARISHAn edge-of-your-seat thriller full of twists and intrigue, THE LAST TIME I LIED had me riveted from the first page to the stunning conclusion. A fantastic read - eerie, sharp, and all-around captivating
—— Megan Miranda, bestselling author of THE PERFECT STRANGERIf you like unreliable narrators and being scared witless, then this is the book for you
—— Red MagazineA deliciously unnerving and unpredictable novel
—— CULTUREFLYA fast-paced atmospheric thriller with well-drawn characters and unexpected twists with a fabulous ending
—— CANDISA twisty, turny plot
—— MY WEEKLYObvious echoes of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time . . . darker and with more twists and coils than a hangman's noose, it deserves to do equally well
—— Daily ExpressRubbernecker isn’t your average crime novel: it's far better than that
—— We Love This BookBauer has once again succeeded in creating an innovative path into detection
—— The TimesThe exciting result reads like a collaboration between Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) and Barbara Vine
—— Sunday TelegraphA brilliant description of autism from the inside
—— Literary ReviewObvious echoes of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time . . . and with more twists and coils than a hangman's noose, it deserves to do equally well
—— Sunday ExpressBauer's great gift is her ability to surprise the reader: in the sense of making you jump out of your chair, certainly, but also in that she makes you think a bit differently about the world
—— Daily TelegraphThe exciting result reads like a collaboration between Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) and Barbara Vine.
—— Sunday TelegraphBauer has once again succeeded in creating an innovative path into detection.
—— The Times[Rubbernecker] contains one of the most startling plots in contemporary crime fiction
—— Sunday Times Culture MagazineA fearlessly twisty whodunit
—— MetroBelinda Bauer is one of the best British crime writers out there right now
—— Simon KernickBelinda Bauer's thrillers are always compelling, always original, always brilliant. I will rush to read anything she writes
—— Mark BillinghamBold and original, Rubbernecker draws you into unexpected psychological territory with its sophisticated, fast-paced story. A thought-provoking page-turner you won't be able to put down.
—— KOETHI ZAN, author of The Never ListThis clever page-turner tackles some sobering subjects, but the real draw is the return of Jackson Brodie, the dour but big-hearted private investigator
—— TelegraphBrimming with the wit and let-justice-triumph tenacity that led the series to print bestsellerdom and a popular BBC-TV series... With Atkinson it's Raymond Chandler meets Jane Austen, and amazingly she makes it all work.
—— Washington PostAs is often the case in Atkinson's genre-defying fiction, assignments to track lost cats and unfaithful husbands are never quite what they seem.
—— TIMEHe [Jackson] is one of the few characters in modern crime fiction so fully realised that one can imagine him living a life outside the books...By some alchemy Atkinson makes her sad stories supremely funny, even uplifting.
—— TelegraphMs Atkinson has been on the trail of lost children (particularly girls) since her very first novel...as in all [her] fiction, she supplies gruesome discoveries and a strong helping of violence, all nevertheless relayed with a deft and witty touch...Big Sky has all the sizzle of a British fry-up; Ms Atkinson's evocation of the beauty and desolation of faded seaside resorts is unerring. Several stories are woven into a seamless plot, with the help of credible-seeming twists of fate. And there is just enough unfinished business to leave readers impatient for [Brodie's] next outing.
—— EconomistBeautifully written, with the unfolding narrative revealed from many different points of view.
—— Literary ReviewEvery person here is written from the inside out, without any signs of prejudice. Atkinson saves judgement for when it matters: to bring wrongdoers to justice. Sad bastards, low-life heroes, pervy types: the streets of the seaside town are well-populated. A fantastic mosaic of a book.
—— SpectatorA riveting page turner! Dark and unsettling, this one creeps under your skin
—— J.D. Barker, author of The Fourth MonkeyOne of the best crime novels I've read in ages. Alex North has crafted a book that manages to be thrilling, terrifying and genuinely moving.
—— Mason Cross, bestselling author of The SamaritanThere's a soft voice outside your window and it demands your attention. The Whisper Man is coming. In fact, he's already here. Get ready to be unnerved. This novel is thrilling
—— Brad MeltzerThe Whisper Man is a tour de force, utterly absorbing and brilliantly realised
—— Mel McGrath, bestselling author of Give Me The ChildThe Whisper Man is a chilling, gripping read but also deeply moving. It's a novel that succeeds on all kinds of levels and deserves all the success that is no doubt coming it's way
—— William RyanNo one does Dark with a Heart like Alex North and The Whisper Man delivers a sucker punch that stays with you. Beautifully crafted, chilling & emotional, this's going to be topping Books of the Year lists as soon as it's out
—— Sarah HilaryI read The Whisper Man in one go, barely remembering to breathe. North writes brilliantly about the cruelties of life, great and small, and the terrors that afflict young children (not to mention their parents). Tender, terrifying and utterly compelling, The Whisper Man will haunt you to the final page and beyond.
—— Jane CaseyA creepy, serial killer-inflected thriller
—— iMore than just superbly creepy, this beautifully written thriller might just break your heart a little, too
—— HeatWith a tender theme about the complexity of father son relationships at its heart, this thriller is immaculately plotted, superbly written, and so good it deserves to be shouted about
—— The PeopleA psychological thriller that's both terrifying and heartbreaking - you won't want to miss this one
—— Woman's Weekly[A] superb thriller... Readers will have a tough time putting down this truly unnerving tale, with its seemingly unexplainable elements and glimpses of broken and dangerous minds
—— Publishers WeeklyExtraordinarily well-written, deeply moving . . . The stories are deftly marshalled and interwoven by North with a mastery that would be astonishing were he a debut novelist
—— Irish TimesALEX NORTH'S tightly plotted crime thriller presses all the right buttons for the genre
—— Press AssociationSummer Books of 2019
—— Barry Forshaw, Financial TimesThis exceptionally creepy thriller is also a touching portrait of a bereaved father and son learning to depend on each other
—— Morning StarA debut that will disturb and intrigue in equal measure
—— WomanA debut novel set to disturb and intrigue. Truly chilling
—— Woman's OwnAs much an exploration of grief and of the father-son bond as it is a nerve-shredder, this is a good choice for Stephen King fans
—— Meath ChronicleHollywood has snapped up this psychological thriller - and no wonder
—— SunStandout thriller
—— Daily ExpressDeliciously dark and twisty, this is a page-turner from start to finish
—— Connaught TelegraphIf you like a touch of Stephen King mixed with British crime, then this is for you . . . this is a spooky read, but also holds its own as a police procedural novel
—— People's FriendThis flawless thriller will touch your heart and live long in your memory
—— Daily ExpressThis flawless thriller lives long in the memory
—— Daily Mirror