A Mysteriously Good Novel

Loved Book of the Day: Case Histories
Author: Kate Atkinson
Genre: Mystery; Hard to classify*
Content: Adult; sex; violence; murder
Length: 310 pages

One day, I looked over at my bookcase and saw a book I'd never noticed before. I don't know how Case Histories ended up in my room, but I assume it had something to do with my aunt Leslie, an avid reader whose impeccable book choices seem to travel from house to house throughout the family. Whatever the mysterious reason this book landed in my lap, I'm just glad it did. Case Histories is essentially a story about stories: the stories that make us who we are, shape our families and our children's lives, and haunt our consciences from one life-changing moment onward. As the book's title implies, Atkinson's fourth novel delves into histories - in particular, three dark, puzzling histories that plague three separate families and alternately shock, disturb and intrigue the reader.

The novel begins at full force with three unrelated but equally horrifying tragedies: the disappearance of a 3-year-old girl from her own backyard during the oppressive heat of summer; the brutal, seemingly senseless stabbing death of a doting father's adored daughter; and an overwhelmed new mother's crazed axe attack that leaves her defenseless husband dead at the foot of her baby's crib.


It's clear from the outset that these histories are indeed all cases of the same thing: family tragedy. What's so striking about Case Histories is that the tragedies themselves don't overwhelm the book. Instead, they seem to help the story along its way to revealing the even more powerful elements of truth and healing that will bring closure, if not reclaimed happiness, to those families left struggling with the intractable aftermath of unsolved crimes against their loved ones. Perhaps that's why this book, notwithstanding its admittedly depressing premise, is an entertaining, often fast-paced read that will literally give you goosebumps and tug at your heart strings at the same time.


Atkinson paints such vibrant, lovable pictures of the dead (and missing) that you are left wondering what happened to them with an intensity that rivals and at times exceeds the curiosity displayed by their own loved ones in the novel. By the same token, the characters searching for answers are given such memorable personalities and tangible demons that they seem to transcend pen and paper. I would venture to say that it's impossible not to become completely engrossed in their triumphs, disappointments and fears as the story unfolds. Questions race through the reader's head, and each chapter about one family only amplifies questions about another. Will the eccentric and strange Amelia and Julia Land ever discover what became of their baby sister? Will Theo Wyre find his daughter Laura's killer - and would he have it in him to take revenge? Will the families' private investigator, Jackson, ever find the answers his clients want, and he now needs? Was Laura's murder random? Why is Michelle free? Who snatched little Olivia Land from her backyard tent? What did they do to her?

Atkinson's world is not one that begs pleasant answers to questions like these - a reality that makes you at once dread and anxiously await the answers to each mystery. Her world is also one riddled with sexual violence, abuse, and unpleasant family secrets; thus, an ominous cloud of distrust hovers over every character. Anyone could be the culprit. But each character is so well-crafted and believably, endearingly human that you'll find yourself silently rooting for each to somehow shake off the intrusive gloom of their life's particular depression or sorrow and break through to the clear, happy world that is theirs if they only choose to move on from the past.

In Case Histories it's what's not said that matters most, and what's lurking beneath the surface that's driving every story. Atkinson's biting, black humor makes you laugh when you feel you shouldn't; her surprises make you wonder out loud why you hadn't thought of it that way before; and her novel is a must-read for anyone thirsting for a page-turning mystery filled with family drama, beautifully descriptive prose, and colorful characters you'll live with for days after you read the 310th page.

*Note: If you're not usually a mystery fan, I would still give this book a shot. Think of it as less of a detective novel and more of a captivating read about long-kept secrets, hidden motivations, and a cast of great characters to sink your teeth into.

Other books by Kate Atkinson:
Behind the Scenes at the Museum
Human Croquet
Emotionally Weird
One Good Turn
When Will There Be Good News?
Started Early, Took My Dog


Buy Case Histories now at Amazon.com by clicking here.


Or, to learn more about Kate Atkinson, click here to visit her official website.