Atkinson, Kate. Case Histories.

This beautifully crafted story opens with Atkinson introducing the reader to three seemingly unrelated crimes: a missing child from thirty years ago, a murderous office rampage, and a new mother who kills her husband after a mental breakdown. Private investigator Jackson Brodie has been hired to solve the cases by the loved ones left behind who desperately need closure. While the investigations have been cold for years, Brodie slowly begins to weave together the details of each one until all three have startling revelations.

While the book contains a good mystery, Atkinson also delves into the lives of the family members who hired Brodie, touching upon the deep emotional impact of the missing and the murdered along with the power of suspicion and doubt. In all three cases, the resolution was closer than any wished to see. Readers will enjoy both Brodie's struggle to unearth long-forgotten evidence, connect with his clients as well as his attempts to resolve his own disappointments, both past and present. Those looking for a refreshing and different mystery will enjoy Atkinson. Make sure to check out the rest of the Jackson Brodie mysteries, including the latest, Started Early, Took My Dog.