Quite brilliant

I started it once, couldn't get the gist of it or pick up on the the momentum so I said Id start again, give it one more try and stick with it. It was so well worth it.
You become so interested in the complexity of all the characters and how they intertwine, especially toward the end. fascinating..to me anyway,
I had NO objections at all to the reader. She really helped place me in the land of the characters. I'm not all that critical about the accents & dialects. I loved her voice and the way she read the story.
Now Im going to seek out more by this author.

13 people found this helpful

Mystery Series With Complexity & Depth

I recently stumbled upon Kate Atkinson's writing when I read and loved Life After Life. Next I came upon and devoured her mystery series which, so far, has four books. Book one--Case Histories, book two--One Good Turn and then this third book--When Will There Be Good News. I am reviewing the first three books in the series as a group here--viewing them as a unit.

As with all of Atkinson's writing the stories are complicated and she bends time to suit her whim. Once you get the hang of the "two steps forward three steps backwards" approach and understand the author's take on time--the storytelling takes on a life of its own. Characters weave in and out of each novel and their lives grow and change. Facts are revealed from multiple angles and in gradual degrees. To me, this captivates and keeps things really interesting.

I love the Jackson Brody character. I particularly enjoy seeing how his life plays out with the outlandish troop of extras that Atkinson deftly captures. These are not neat and tidy books. Good guys blend with bad guys and at times nothing is as it seems. All the makings necessary for excellent mystery/crime writing are present here. To me, Atkinson does not disappoint.

Highly recommended--but do read the series in order--as one book builds on the next. Oh, and yes, you need to pay attention to small details and give the stories time to play themselves out. I think it's worth it in the end.

44 people found this helpful

My favorite Kate Atkinson yet

I've loved all of her books, but I've never fallen in love with her characters like I did in this one, especially Reggie. The ending was especially satisfying. As to the narrator's accent, I can appreciate those who are natives of the British Isles finding her accents irritating (I'm from New Orleans and readers who commit brutalities against those accents are maddening.) Non-Brits will surely enjoy Archer's narration, as I definitely did.

9 people found this helpful

Please use British narrators

Story was fantastic but the reader is an American trying to do various British accents—and she’s terrible. Her Scottish one is particularly ridiculous. It just can’t be this hard to find British readers.

8 people found this helpful

Totally ruined by awful narrator

The totally false British accent by this reader is extremely irritating. Changes constantly No idea how to pronounce the letter "a" in a word. Why on earth would any competent producer choose to use a reader like this.

8 people found this helpful

TRAGICALLY miscast narrator!

Especially tragic, because it sounds to me as if this narrator would be very good with the right material, but a variety pack of UK accents ain't it! The story is very good, and I didn't want to miss another book in the series (had to skip the last one because it was ABRIDGED! I KNOW!) but the wandering, indistinct accents had me on the edge of bailing throughout. Honestly, without the place names I'm not sure I'd be able to pinpoint where these people were from. If such things bother you, spare yourself.

7 people found this helpful

Kate Atkinson pleases again.

If you've read (or listened to) Case Histories and One Good Turn, then When Will There Be Good News? is just what you'd expect from Kate Atkinson. If this is your first experience with this author, be prepared. Her characters and their predicaments will draw you in to the point where you'll find yourself sitting in the driveway or tuning out your family to find out what happens next. Jackson Brodie is back along with the string of misfortunes that have been plaguing him since Case Histories. In addition, we get better acquainted with DCI Louise Monroe and meet the ineffably persistent Reggie Chase. The mysteries in this book are compelling and, as always with Kate Atkinson, twisted together in ways that do not all become apparent until the very end of the book. When Will There Be Good News?, along with Atkinson's other Jackson Brodie books, are mystery thrillers for people who don't like mystery thrillers. The characters are as intricately developed as the plot line. The dialogue is natural, never forced. The endings are like good chocolate--satisfying, but leaving you wanting just a little more. The reader does a creditable job of managing a variety of British accents and both male and female voices.

35 people found this helpful

The Narrator has butchered this story

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A different narrator

Would you be willing to try another book from Kate Atkinson? Why or why not?

Yes but not with the same narrator

How could the performance have been better?

She had a bizarre pronunciation and killed the book for me - the woman who reads Case Histories was fabulous and should have read this book instead

What character would you cut from When Will There Be Good News??

Narrator

Any additional comments?

Please do not listen to anything this woman narrates

6 people found this helpful

Surprising, moving, enthralling

Kate Atkinson is a gifted and completely original writer, and her work lends itself particularly well to being read aloud.

The beginning of this novel is both shocking and heartbreaking, and it's hard to imagine where the story will go from there. But don't let that deter you from continuing to listen. The story quickly moves into several complex, intertwining layers, all featuring characters who are instantly memorable and worth getting to know. Reggie, the teenage girl who is more or less at the center of the various plots, is smart, unexpectedly funny, endearing, and completely captivating, and the other characters (including ex-detective Jackson Brodie, who appears in other books by this author) are just as distinctive.

Ellen Archer is an effortlessly talented narrator, and I would not have enjoyed the book as much without her. She makes a valiant attempt to capture the various Scots, Irish, and regional English accents used in the book, and though she doesn't always succeed, her attempts add to the book's appeal. She is particularly good at conveying the attitude and spirit of Reggie, who might not be quite as vivid a character without the narrator's voice.

I've ignored people's recommendations of Kate Atkinson's work in the past, but now that I know what I was missing, I plan to read and/or listen to all of her other books.

27 people found this helpful

That voice!

As a Brit, listening to an American attempting a British accent for 11 hours is beyond annoying. Why not ask an actor who can actually speak the required way for the content? Examples: nahvel (novel), hauss (house), ah (air), cah (cow). Sometimes Audible drives me to distraction. It cannot be hard to find the right reader. There are literally 1000's of unemployed actors out there of every variety longing to make a little more income. Do your bloody homework.

5 people found this helpful