48 pages • 1 hour read
Case Histories: A Novel
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Case Histories (2004) is the first novel in Kate Atkinson’s critically acclaimed Jackson Brodie series. It follows Brodie, a private investigator and retired police officer, as he attempts to solve three cold cases. As he delves deeper into the past, his messy personal life starts to implode. The city of Cambridge and its long history offer a rich backdrop for Atkinson’s novel, which was praised for its literary sensibilities and intricate plot. In total, Atkinson has written six Jackson Brodie novels. The BBC adapted the first four novels in a series for television in 2011; the limited series was also called Case Histories.
This guide refers to the e-book version of the 2007 Little, Brown and Company edition.
Content Warning: The source text depicts child sexual abuse, the death of a child, murder, violence, domestic violence, suicide, and rape.
Plot Summary
Case Histories follows Jackson Brodie, a middle-aged private investigator, as he is hired to work three cold cases. The novel is primarily set in Cambridge, England, and takes place in 2004.
The first case involves Olivia Land, a little girl who went missing from her family’s yard in 1970. In the present, Olivia’s two sisters Amelia and Julia return home to Cambridge to attend the deathbed of their father Victor, a retired math professor.
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By Kate Atkinson
