Kate Atkinson

It's the summer of 1951 and everyone is looking to put the dark days of the war behind them. The government’s solution: The Festival of Britain, a celebration of the country’s creativity, grit and ingenuity. For foreign correspondent-turned-war reporter, Harry Flynn, it might offer the chance of redemption after a bad war in the Far East. But when he returns to London, the peace proves no less easy to negotiate. Having failed to resume his journalistic career, he reluctantly joins an oddball team of misfits, ne'er do wells and downright chancers helping to ready the Festival of Britain for launch. Flynn’s attempts at some semblance of a romantic life also founder when one of his dates goes missing and he is deemed the last person to see her alive. Could he have been in some way responsible for her disappearance? Little does he realise that the answer to some of his mounting problems may lie in the hands of a precocious straight-talking thirteen-year-old called Veronica and a rather scruffy terrier who goes by the name of Mrs Betty… Brilliantly plotted, witty and compelling, Our Noble Selves once again affirms Kate Atkinson’s place as one of the greatest chroniclers of our times.

NEZAKONNOE POTREBLENIE NARKOTICHESKIKh SREDSTV, PSIKHOTROPNYKh VESCHESTV, IKh ANALOGOV PRICHINJAET VRED ZDOROVJu, IKh NEZAKONNYJ OBOROT ZAPRESCHEN I VLECHET USTANOVLENNUJu ZAKONODATELSTVOM OTVETSTVENNOST. V vysshuju ligu sovremennoj literatury Kejt Atkinson popala s pervoj zhe popytki: ejo debjutnyj roman "Muzej moikh tajn" poluchil prestizhnuju Uitbredovskuju premiju, obojdja "Proschalnyj vzdokh mavra" Salmana Rushdi. Knigi Kejt Atkinson poljubilis i rossijskomu chitatelju: tsikl romanov o chastnom detektive Dzheksone Broudi - "Prestuplenija proshlogo", "Povorot k luchshemu", "Zhdat li dobrykh vestej?", "Chut svet, s sobakoju vdvojom", "Bolshoe nebo" - Stiven King okrestil "glavnym detektivnym proektom desjatiletija". Ischete detektivy, kotorye stoit prochitat? Eta serija - otlichnyj vybor." Khramy veselja" - britanskij otvet "Velikomu Getsbi", - pisali kritiki, - proshityj literaturnymi alljuzijami na kuchu shedevrov, ot Shekspira do T. S. Eliota. Roman uzhe nazyvajut luchshej istoricheskoj prozoj goda i knigoj, kotoraja stala sobytiem v mire literatury. Itak, na dvore 1926 god. Strana eschjo tolkom ne opravilas ot mjasorubki Velikoj vojny, a v Londone pravit bal "epokha dzhaza". V nochnykh klubakh Sokho pery Anglii trutsja plechami s gangsterami, a vysokopostavlennye inostrannye gosti tantsujut so starletkami, po shillingu za tanets. Samymi modnymi klubami - "Ametist", "Feja", "Lisja nora", "Sfinks" i "Khrustalnaja chasha" - pravit Nelli Koker s ejo neputjovymi detmi. No gde uspekh, tam i vragi: otrazhat ugrozy vneshnie i vnutrennie missis Koker ne privykat. Odnako sejchas tainstvennyj protivnik natselilsja na ejo imperiju tselikom - i vdobavok vsjo blizhe neujutnyj fokus politsejskogo vnimanija: imenno na ejo kluby vyvodit rassledovanie tseloj serii tainstvennykh ischeznovenij molodykh devushek. Sovpadenie li?..

AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR - THE INSTANT #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER (SUNDAY TIMES, UK) - The highly anticipated return of private eye Jackson Brodie in the newest installment of the bestselling series. "How delicious to have Jackson Brodie back, this time in a story that starts off in Agatha Christie's world but soon becomes a landscape that could only have been crafted from the pen of the incomparable Kate Atkinson."-Ian Rankin, author of the Inspector Rebus Novels Welcome to Rook Hall. The stage is set. The players are ready. By night's end, a murderer will be revealed. Ex-detective Jackson Brodie is staving off a bad case of mid-life malaise when he is called to a sleepy Yorkshire town, and the seemingly tedious matter of a stolen painting. But Jackson soon uncovers a string of unsolved art thefts that lead him down a dizzying spiral of disguise and deceit to Burton Makepeace, a formerly magnificent estate now partially converted into a hotel hosting Murder Mystery weekends. As paying guests, impecunious aristocrats and old friends collide, we are treated to Atkinson's most charming and fiendishly clever mystery yet, one that pays homage to the masters of the genre--from Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers to the modern era of Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building. Brilliantly inventive, with all of Atkinson's signature wit, wordplay, and narrative brio, Death at the Sign of the Rook may be Jackson Brodie's most outrageous and memorable case yet.

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERTHE NEW JACKSON BRODIE NOVEL, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SHRINES OF GAIETY'How delicious to have Jackson Brodie back, this time in a story that starts off in Agatha Christie's world but soon becomes a landscape that could only have been crafted from the pen of the incomparable Kate Atkinson' Ian Rankin'Christie would be proud . . . I defy you not to snort with laughter as the novel progresses to its farcical denouement. Atkinson is brilliant' Observer*****Welcome to Rook Hall. The stage is set. The players are ready. By night’s end, a murderer will be revealed. Ex-detective Jackson Brodie is staving off a bad case of midlife malaise when he is called to a sleepy Yorkshire town, and the seemingly tedious matter of a stolen painting. But one theft leads to another, including the disappearance of a valuable Turner from Burton Makepeace, home to Lady Milton and her family. Once a magnificent country house, Burton Makepeace has now partially been converted into a hotel, hosting Murder Mystery weekends. As paying guests, a vicar, an ex-army officer, impecunious aristocrats, and old friends converge, we are treated a fiendishly clever mystery; one that pays homage to the masters of the genre—from Agatha Christie to Dorothy Sayers. Brilliantly inventive, with all of Atkinson’s signature wit, wordplay and narrative brio, Death at the Sign of the Rook may be Jackson Brodie’s most outrageous and memorable case yet.****'Sharp, droll and knowing as ever, Atkinson has huge fun with the set-up; the supporting cast is terrific, and the rueful Brodie, ever more mindful of the passing years, feels like an old friend.' Guardian‘Delicious character studies… fine writing, wit, originality and eccentricity – even as it induces a warm glow’ Telegraph'Another brilliant addition to her impressive oeuvre, Atkinson masterfully blends intricate plotting with rich character development, delivering a mystery that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging.’ Glamour‘The set-up is a delight, paying homage to traditional Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries – the characters are well-drawn, their stories unfolding alongside each other until gradually the strands unite, keeping the reader guessing how they will ultimately tie together. A great read.’ PA Media‘Superior writing...a highly entertaining read’ GraziaKate Atkinson, Sunday Times bestseller, August 2024

Uneliaassa yorkshirelaiskaupungissa kuusikymppinen ex-poliisi Jackson Brodie taistelee tylsistymistä vastaan. Varastetun taulun tapaus vie Brodien selvittämättömien taidevarkauksien jäljille, jotka johtavat Burton Makepeace Houseen – rapistuneeseen kartanoon, jossa järjestetään murhamysteeriviikonloppu. Cluedo-henkisen viikonlopun vieraiden joukossa on isäntäväen, köyhtyneen aatelispariskunnan, lisäksi uskonsa menettänyt pastori, kyynistynyt Afganistanin sotaveteraani, Brodien vanhoja tuttuja ja muita eksentrisiä tyyppejä. Samaan aikaan seudulla liikkuu vankilasta karannut murhaaja – ja kartanoa lähestyy vuosisadan lumimyrsky. Kate Atkinsonin jäljittelemätön kirjailijanlaatu loistaa Agatha Christien hengessä kirjoitetussa, leikkisässä vanhan hyvän ajan palapelidekkarissa. Kuolema kulkee kartanohotellissa on Jackson Brodie -sarjan kuudes osa, joka lunastaa kaikki odotukset ja ylittää ne.

Året är 1926 och i Storbritannien håller man fortfarande på att återhämta sig efter kriget. London har blivit centrum för ett nytt och uppsluppet nattliv. På nattklubbarna i Soho trängs adelsmän, filmstjärnor och kriminella. Privata dansföreställningar säljs för en shilling, av unga kvinnor och flickor som drömmer om något större. En av dem är oskuldsfulla Freda, som har siktet inställt på att inta storstadens teaterscener. Tillsammans med sin väluppfostrade och naiva vän Florence tar hon sig fram i London, men verkligheten visar sig snart vara hårdare än de föreställt sig. Den ökända drottningen i denna glamorösa värld heter Nellie Coker. Hon är hänsynslös och har höga ambitioner för alla sina sex barn, framför allt för äldste sonen Niven, som har förändrats avsevärt sedan han kom hem från kriget. Men framgång föder fiender, och snart visar sig hoten mot Nellies imperium komma både utifrån och inifrån. För trots allt glitter och all glamour så har nattlivet i Soho en baksida: det är en värld där det är alltför lätt att tappa bort sig själv. Kate Atkinson slog igenom med I museets dolda vrår som belönades med Whitbread Book of the Year och har haft stora framgångar med flera av sina böcker, bland annat Liv efter liv och En gud i spillror.

THE INSTANT #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER (SUNDAY TIMES, UK) - The highly anticipated return of "irresistible" (New York Times) private eye Jackson Brodie in the newest installment of the bestselling series hailed as "unputdownable" by Time "How delicious to have Jackson Brodie back, this time in a story that starts off in Agatha Christie's world but soon becomes a landscape that could only have been crafted from the pen of the incomparable Kate Atkinson."-Ian Rankin, author of the Inspector Rebus Novels Welcome to Rook Hall. The stage is set. The players are ready. By night's end, a murderer will be revealed. In his sleepy Yorkshire town, ex-detective Jackson Brodie is staving off boredom and malaise. His only case is the seemingly tedious matter of a stolen painting. But Jackson soon uncovers a string of unsolved art thefts that lead him down a dizzying spiral of disguise and deceit to Burton Makepeace, a formerly magnificent estate now partially converted into a hotel hosting Murder Mystery weekends. As paying guests, impecunious aristocrats and old friends collide, we are treated to Atkinson's most charming and fiendishly clever mystery yet, one that pays homage to the masters of the genre--from Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers to the modern era of Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building.

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER. DISCOVER THE NEW JACKSON BRODIE NOVEL, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SHRINES OF GAIETY'How delicious to have Jackson Brodie back, this time in a story that starts off in Agatha Christie's world but soon becomes a landscape that could only have been crafted from the pen of the incomparable Kate Atkinson' Ian Rankin'Christie would be proud . . . I defy you not to snort with laughter as the novel progresses to its farcical denouement. Atkinson is brilliant' Observer*****Welcome to Rook Hall. The stage is set. The players are ready. By night’s end, a murderer will be revealed. Ex-detective Jackson Brodie is staving off a bad case of midlife malaise when he is called to a sleepy Yorkshire town, and the seemingly tedious matter of a stolen painting. But one theft leads to another, including the disappearance of a valuable Turner from Burton Makepeace, home to Lady Milton and her family. Once a magnificent country house, Burton Makepeace has now partially been converted into a hotel, hosting Murder Mystery weekends. As paying guests, a vicar, an ex-army officer, impecunious aristocrats, and old friends converge, we are treated a fiendishly clever mystery; one that pays homage to the masters of the genre—from Agatha Christie to Dorothy Sayers. Brilliantly inventive, with all of Atkinson’s signature wit, wordplay and narrative brio, Death at the Sign of the Rook may be Jackson Brodie’s most outrageous and memorable case yet.****'Sharp, droll and knowing as ever, Atkinson has huge fun with the set-up; the supporting cast is terrific, and the rueful Brodie, ever more mindful of the passing years, feels like an old friend.' Guardian‘Delicious character studies… fine writing, wit, originality and eccentricity – even as it induces a warm glow’ Telegraph'Another brilliant addition to her impressive oeuvre, Atkinson masterfully blends intricate plotting with rich character development, delivering a mystery that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging.’ Glamour‘The set-up is a delight, paying homage to traditional Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries – the characters are well-drawn, their stories unfolding alongside each other until gradually the strands unite, keeping the reader guessing how they will ultimately tie together. A great read.’ PA Media‘Superior writing...a highly entertaining read’ GraziaKate Atkinson, Sunday Times bestseller, August 2024

The stage is set. Marooned overnight by a snowstorm in a grand country house are a cast of characters and a setting that even Agatha Christie might recognize - a vicar, an Army major, a Dowager, a sleuth and his sidekick - except that the sleuth is Jackson Brodie, and the 'sidekick' is DC Reggie Chase. The crumbling house - Burton Makepeace and its chatelaine the Dowager Lady Milton - suffered the loss of their last remaining painting of any value, a Turner, some years ago. The housekeeper, Sophie, who disappeared the same night, is suspected of stealing it. Jackson, a reluctant hostage to the snowstorm, has been investigating the theft of another painting: The Woman with a Weasel, a portrait, taken from the house of an elderly widow, on the morning she died. The suspect this time is the widow's carer, Melanie. Is this a coincidence or is there a connection? And what secrets does the Woman with a Weasel hold? The puzzle is Jackson's to solve. And let's not forget that a convicted murderer is on the run on the moors around Burton Makepeace. All the while, in a bid to make money, Burton Makepeace is determined to keep hosting a shambolic Murder Mystery that acts as a backdrop while the real drama is being played out in the house. A brilliantly plotted, supremely entertaining, and utterly compulsive tour de force from a great writer at the height of her powers.

Discover the fantastical Sunday Times bestselling short story collection from the award-winning author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life.'Simply one of the best writers working today, anywhere in the world' Gillian Flynn‘As soon as you get to the end, you’ll be tempted to just start at the beginning’ Independent‘Funny and poignant in equal measure, you’ll want to read this captivating collection in one mystical sitting.’ Daily ExpressWelcome to a world, where nothing is quite what it seems… In these pages, you’ll meet, among others, a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep, a secretary who watches over the life she has just left, and a man whose luck changes when a horse speaks to him. With clockwork intricacy, inventiveness and sharp social observation, Kate Atkinson conjures a feast for the imagination in a constantly changing multiverse. Atkinson’s first short story collection in twenty years, Normal Rules Don't Apply is a dazzling array of eleven interconnected tales.____________‘Hilarious, breathtaking, horrific, irresistible ... [Atkinson is] always in command ... Heart in mouth, I never wanted this book to end’ Sydney Morning Herald‘Sublime … showcases her superb storytelling and the wit of her writing’ Good Housekeeping‘Life in all of its surreal, tragic and comic glory is perfectly captured within these pages’ Red‘Dazzling’ Reader's DigestPraise for Kate Atkinson:'Inexhaustibly ingenious' HILARY MANTEL'A brilliant and profoundly original writer' RACHEL CUSK'Atkinson is a novelist of unrivalled immediacy, authority, and skill' FINANCIAL TIMES'One of the country's most innovative, exciting and intelligent authors.' SCOTSMAN

”Uppsluppet och sprakande om lekande lust och mörka begär.” Femina”en sprudlande mix av kriminalitet och romantik” Allers"Hon har djupet i personskildringen och bredden i miljöerna" Go'kväll, SVT"Energin i texten, kvickheterna, liksom ömheten i varje karakterisering bidrar till njutbar läsning och god underhållning." Västerbottens-KurirenÅret är 1926 och i Storbritannien håller man fortfarande på att återhämta sig efter kriget. London har blivit centrum för ett nytt och uppsluppet nattliv. På nattklubbarna i Soho trängs adelsmän, filmstjärnor och kriminella. Privata dansföreställningar säljs för en shilling, av unga kvinnor och flickor som drömmer om något större. En av dem är oskuldsfulla Freda, som har siktet inställt på att inta storstadens teaterscener. Tillsammans med sin väluppfostrade och naiva vän Florence tar hon sig fram i London, men verkligheten visar sig snart vara hårdare än de föreställt sig. Den ökända drottningen i denna glamorösa värld heter Nellie Coker. Hon är hänsynslös och har höga ambitioner för alla sina sex barn, framför allt för äldste sonen Niven, som har förändrats avsevärt sedan han kom hem från kriget. Men framgång föder fiender, och snart visar sig hoten mot Nellies imperium komma både utifrån och inifrån. För trots allt glitter och all glamour så har nattlivet i Soho en baksida: det är en värld där det är alltför lätt att tappa bort sig själv. Kate Atkinson slog igenom med I museets dolda vrår som belönades med Whitbread Book of the Year och har haft stora framgångar med flera av sina böcker, bland annat Liv efter liv och En gud i spillror.

A collection of eleven interconnected stories from the bestselling, award-winning author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life, "Stunning... A master class in literary worldbuilding... Full of speculative glee, but tinged with poignancy." (Publishers Weekly) Nothing is quite as it seems in this collection of eleven dazzling stories. We meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a man who bets on a horse that may--or may not--have spoken to him. Everything that readers love about the novels of Kate Atkinson is here--the inventiveness, the verbal felicity, the sharp observations on human nature, and the deeply satisfying emotional wallop. A startling and funny feast for the imagination, these stories conjure a multiverse of subtly connected worlds while illuminating the webs of chance and connection among us all.

A dazzling collection of eleven interconnected stories from the bestselling, award-winning author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life which offer the gimlet eye and delightful social critique that have made Atkinson one of the most lauded writers of our time. In this brilliant volume, nothing is quite as it seems. We meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a lost man who bets on a horse that may--or may not--have spoken to him. Everything that readers love about the novels of Kate Atkinson is here--the inventiveness, the verbal felicity, the sharp observations on human nature, and the deeply satisfying emotional wallop. Witty and wise, with subtle connections between the stories, Normal Rules Don't Apply is a startling and funny feast for the imagination, stories with the depth and bite to create their own fully-formed worlds.

A dazzling collection of eleven interconnected stories from the bestselling, award-winning author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life, with everything that readers love about her novels--the inventiveness, the verbal felicity, the sharp observations on human nature, and the deeply satisfying emotional wallop. Nothing is quite as it seems in this collection of eleven dazzling stories. We meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a man who bets on a horse that may--or may not--have spoken to him. Everything that readers love about the novels of Kate Atkinson is here--the inventiveness, the verbal felicity, the sharp observations on human nature, and the deeply satisfying emotional wallop. A startling and funny feast for the imagination, these stories conjure a multiverse of subtly connected worlds while illuminating the webs of chance and connection among us all.

Kate Atkinson, one of the world's great storytellers conjures a captivating new book of short stories; a gift for Kate Atkinson fans. In this first full collection since Not the End of the World, we meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; and a man whose luck changes when a horse speaks to him. Witty and wise, with subtle connections between the stories, Normal Rules Don't Apply is a startling , and funny feast for the imagination. In Kate Atkinson's world nothing is over until ' the talking dog speaks.'____________Praise for Kate Atkinson:'Inexhaustibly ingenious' HILARY MANTEL'Simply one of the best writers working today, anywhere in the world' GILLIAN FLYNN'A brilliant and profoundly original writer' RACHEL CUSK'Atkinson is a novelist of unrivalled immediacy, authority, and skill' FINANCIAL TIMES'Atkinson has a plotter's mind: intricate, clever, satisfying' THE SUNDAY TIMES'One of our finest novelists' SUNDAY EXPRES'Kate Atkinson is an international treasure: She creates characters with the ease of Agatha Christie, makes narratives out of mysteries and mystery out of narrative, and has written some of the most memorable scenes and dialogue I've encountered in the past decade' VANITY FAIR'I can think of few writers who can make the ordinary collide with the extraordinary to such beguiling effect' OBSERVER'One of the country's most innovative, exciting and intelligent authors.' SCOTSMAN

The first story collection from Kate Atkinson in twenty years, Normal Rules Don't Apply is a dazzling array of eleven interconnected tales from the bestselling author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After LifeIn this first full collection since Not the End of the World, we meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a man whose luck changes when a horse speaks to him. With clockwork intricacy, inventiveness and sharp social observation, Kate Atkinson conjures a feast for the imagination, a constantly changing multiverse in which nothing is quite as it seems.‘What really binds these stories is their underlying theme, which has perhaps always been Atkinson’s true subject: the nature of storytelling itself’ Times Literary Supplement‘Life in all of its surreal, tragic and comic glory is perfectly captured within these pages’ Red‘Sublime’ Good Housekeeping‘Dazzling’ Reader's Digest____________Praise for Kate Atkinson:'Inexhaustibly ingenious' HILARY MANTEL'Simply one of the best writers working today, anywhere in the world' GILLIAN FLYNN'A brilliant and profoundly original writer' RACHEL CUSK'Atkinson is a novelist of unrivalled immediacy, authority, and skill' FINANCIAL TIMES'One of the country's most innovative, exciting and intelligent authors.' SCOTSMANSunday Times bestseller, August 2023

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The award-winning author of Life after Life transports us to a restless London in the wake of the Great War--a city bursting with money, glamour, and corruption--in this spellbinding tale of seduction and betrayal. A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: WASHINGTON POST, TIME, THE GUARDIAN, BOOKLIST "Set during Jazz Age London, in all its fizzy madness and desperation.... As dark as Atkinson's] stories can get, within them always shines a beacon of humanity." --Gillian Flynn, bestselling author of Dark Places 1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time. The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven, whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie's empire faces threats from without and within. For beneath the dazzle of Soho's gaiety, there is a dark underbelly, a world in which it is all too easy to become lost. With her unique Dickensian flair, Kate Atkinson gives us a window in a vanished world. Slyly funny, brilliantly observant, and ingeniously plotted, Shrines of Gaiety showcases the myriad talents that have made Atkinson one of the most lauded writers of our time.