This month’s book for discussion:
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

The fourth novel by Whitbread winner, Kate Atkinson - has received amazing reviews both internationally and within Australia.

Description of book
'Investigating other people's tragedies and cock-ups and misfortunes was all he knew. He was used to being a voyeur, the outsider looking in, and nothing, but nothing, that anyone did surprised him any more. Yet despite everything he'd seen and done, inside Jackson there remained a belief - a small, battered and bruised belief - that his job was to help people be good rather than punish them for being bad.'
Cambridge is sweltering, during an unusually hot summer. To Jackson Brodie, former police inspector turned private investigator, the world consists of one accounting sheet - Lost on the left, Found on the right - and the two never seem to balance. His days are full of people clamouring for answers and explanations. A jealous husband suspects his wife. Two spinster sisters make a shocking find. A solicitor investigates an old murder. A nurse has lost her niece; a widow, her cats.
Jackson has never felt at home in Cambridge, and has a failed marriage to prove it. He is forty-five but feels much, much older. He is at that dangerous age when men suddenly notice that they're going to die eventually, inevitably, and there isn't a damn thing they can do about it. Surrounded by death, intrigue and misfortune, his own life is brought sharply into focus.
Ingeniously plotted, full of suspense and heartbreak, CASE HISTORIES is a feat of bravura storytelling that conveys the mysteries of life, its inanities and its hilarities. It is a life-affirming work of profound insight and intelligence.

Cheryl's Review of Case Histories:
I so loved this book, it’s got to be one of my favourites for this year, I loved the characters so much that when I stopped reading I missed them. Now that I’ve finished the book I’m missing them even more! Although it reads like a detective novel it’s about so much more than that; it’s about life, family and love. 

Viewer reviews for Case Histories:

Review 1
Name: Mary
Loved the book, very intriguing the way the lives of all intertwine. I was kept interested until the very end, and a sign of a good read for me is the sense of disappointment that it is over and the desire to know more about the future of the characters. Yes I’d highly recommend it, it is a good holiday read.  You need to have the time to keep reading as it only gives a little bit away at a time!!

Review 2
Name: Megan
I absolutely loved this book. From page one, I was hooked, so much so that I read it in a day. I could not put it down. The characters were so real and fragile and believable, their strengths and weaknesses made me laugh and cry and even blush a little. Each one was a delight to get to know as the story unfolded... the characters didn't 'feel' like fiction. They were easy to relate to, even the most strange of them. I would absolutely recommend this book. Even to folk who wouldn't usually go for the genre. A really clever story. (However, I really would have liked to know if a certain character did sit in the passenger seat of that shiny new car. I hope so. Can't help smiling at the thought.)
I will be looking for more from this author. I really loved it.

Review 3
Name: Sue
Wow - this is one of those books where the housework doesn’t get done (sorry honey). Kate Atkinson give the reader the background then you are taken into the tangled web of the lives, love and murder of the families involved. It is left to retired police inspector Jackson Brodie to untangle the web whilst himself being a potential murder victim.
Congratulations ladies this book was the perfect way to start the book club and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good exciting read - just make sure there’s enough socks in his drawer and the slow cooker is on before you start reading.
Thanks for the opportunity to be part of the Book Circle Club
P.S I will now be reading Kate Atkinsons other books.

Review 4
Name: Debby   
I really enjoyed the book. I read it in less than a day. I thought the actual 'case histories' that began the book were very intriguing & I really wanted to know 'who did it'. I don't usually read mysteries but loved this. It was interesting that two of the mothers featured Rosemary & Michelle resented motherhood so much. I related to Michelle in regards to being a control freak & not realising babies have their own schedule that doesn't necessarily fit into yours. The common thread, to me, about the murders was that each killer thought they were helping their victim from threats perceived by them rightly or wrongly - Sylvia saving Olivia from their Father's abuse, Shirley saving Michelle from what her husband Keith might do & Stuart saving Laura from her Father preventing them seeing each other, (or so he thought in his delusion). My first clue about Michelle/Caroline was when she mentioned the gravestone otherwise I had no clue. I was wary of Theo, Laura's Dad, at the beginning then quite liked him by the end. I enjoyed the character detective Jackson Brodie, his flawed personal life & his relationship with his client Binky Rain storyline. The part in the story where Binky left him her estate & his reaction was very touching. I liked the humour, the sadness & the mystery. I would love to see this made into a BBC TV show!
The only thing I didn't like was that the Michelle/Caroline/Shirley/Tanya/Lily-Rose was never solved. I would have loved to read about Tanya/Lily-Rose's life after the murder. I suppose I would've liked closure on all cases, did Stuart go to jail for killing Laura etc?
Looking forward to the next The Circle Book Club book.

Review 5
Name: Jane
Great story, really got me hooked right from the start and it was hard to put down. The 4 different stories all going at once kept me interested right till the end (and also kept the brain working trying to remember which characters went with which story). I found myself looking forward to putting my 3 kids to bed each night so I could snuggle up in bed with this book.
The main character, Jackson Brodie, was a really “likeable” guy as were most of the other characters. A good mix of humorous (Amelia and Julia) and serious personalities
(Caroline) and at times I really felt for the characters (especially Theo who lost his daughter Laura) – I felt like I could just give him a big cuddle!
The ending, for me, was a bit of a let down. All through the book I was thinking that all the cases were somehow going to be connected in some big dramatic discovery but in the end they weren’t. It wasn’t a bad ending but I guess I was just expecting something a bit more – and there were a couple of questions that were left unanswered.I would definitely recommend it as all in all it was a good (and quick) read. There were no parts of the story that become tiresome or boring which is definitely what I look for in a book. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Kate Atkinson’s writing.

Review 6
Name: Tiffany  
Within the first 50 pages I had laughed out loud and shed a tear.
It was like reading a novel written by different people about the same thing.
I loved the main Character Jackson Brodie and his dysfunctional family life.
I was waiting for a huge discovery at the end when it all really came down to human flaws.I’d definitely recommend it and have in fact passed it on to one of my Mother’s Group friends. Hope they enjoy it as much as I did.
Can’t wait for the next Circle Club Book …

Also recommended by Cheryl this month:
Ethan Grout by Matt Howard.

AND

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

Next month's book for review:
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Lee Harper (50th Anniversary edition)

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