Renowned for their sharp wit and inventive narratives, Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie series captivates readers with its clever storytelling and rich characterizations. Set in Britain, each book blends intricate suspense and gritty realism with humour and delightful observations, delivering thoughtful stories that readers describe as unexpected and fun.

At the heart of the series is Jackson Brodie, a private investigator who is a former police officer and war veteran with a tough-guy exterior but a soft heart and a bit of a “saviour” complex.

Kate Atkinson has said that the books centre around the themes of truth and morality. “It’s about truth, but it’s also about morality, so it’s like do you make your own morality or do you abide by other people’s rules? Do you break the law in order to do a good thing and be a good person or not? Jackson’s always making those choices.”

Fans of the series describe Kate Atkinson as “an amazing writer” and frequently praise her standalone novels too, adding that they will read anything she writes and “know they will love it.”

To fully enjoy Jackson’s personal story and to avoid spoilers that appear in later books, fans recommend reading the books in order.