When Will There Be Good News? By Kate Atkinson – Book Review

When Will There Be Good News? is the third instalment in the Jackson Brody series by Kate Atkinson. This is a series you do need to read in order to get the most out of it, so make sure to read Case Histories and One Good Turn first. I really enjoyed When Will There Be Good News?, I love Kate Atkinson’s effortless and enchanting storytelling.

Opening sentence: The heat rising up from the tarmac seemed to get trapped between the thick hedges that towered above their heads like battlements.

A cast of characters

What Kate Atkinson has proved with her Jackson Brody series, and what makes it so appealing to me, is that she is an expert at weaving the threads of character’s lives together. We get the continuation of Jackson’s tale and wonderful new characters to spark interest. By the time you finish the book, you’re always in awe of how Kate Atkinson seamlessly brings all the plot points together.

So, in When Will There Be Good News?, set in and around Edinburgh, Jackson finds himself in a train crash, the consequences of which affect many lives. Alongside Jackson, our other lead characters are Dr. Hunter, a woman with a very tragic past and high-drama present, it turns out, and teenage Regina, known as Reggie, who saves Jackson from the train crash and is Dr. Hunter’s nanny.

‘When everything else has gone, love still remains,’ Dr Hunter said.
‘Totally’, Reggie said. But what good did it do you? None at all.

Reggie a really endearing character and the star of the book. Born into poverty, she had a hard childhood but is studying the classics with Ms MacDonald to try and make a make a better life for herself.

The other character who makes a reappearance is DCI Louise Monroe, she of the sexual tension with Jackson in One Good Turn. Here, we find out a little more about her life and son and her developing relationship with Jackson is a treat to read. It’s far from simple though, which is what makes it so interesting.

Throw us a curve ball

As with any good book in a series, you’ve got to hook the reader in towards the end and in a somewhat random way – as in there is nothing to indicate this huge life change for Jackson prior – you’re left with your jaw dropping and 100% invested in reading the next book in the series. I won’t actually say what it is here, as I like spoiler-free reviews but trust me, you’ll be surprised.

So yes, safe to say I will be reading four four – Started Early, Took My Dog and finding out what’s next for Jackson.