Death at the Sign of the Rook (Jackson Brodie #6)

by Kate Atkinson

“Dear God Almighty,” Jackson Brodie muttered. “If this goes on much longer I’ll kill them all myself.” “It hasn’t even begun properly yet,” Reggie said.

Classic Jackson. The audio is great on this.

love didn’t have much to do with it)

I love the way the author slips in lyrics.

He supposed that anarchy, like sex, was best left to the young, as they were blissfully blind to the consequences of both.

🥂🥂🥂

it was easier to believe in the devil than it was in God. The devil was everywhere, whereas God was, clearly, nowhere to be found.

Ouch

The most congregants he ever managed was for his annual service on St. Francis’s Day, when he held a service to bless people’s pets. It was always lovely. He wished the pets would just come on their own every Sunday.

This is the way to build a character.

“It’s you, not me,” she said.

Lolz!! These witticisms throughout kept me smiling and chuckling.

Later he could laugh about his younger self. (Later still, he would weep for him.)

Would most people say that? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️Such insight into Simon.

The animals were usually symbolic. A unicorn indicated a woman’s purity, apparently. No comment, Jackson thought, or he would be up before the Court of Women, Judge Julia, his ex, presiding. Dogs for fidelity, peacocks for immortality, rabbits for lust. No animal got to be just an animal.

No wonder Rosalind had been attracted to the Society of Friends. So much more egalitarian than expecting one man—or woman—to shoulder all the burden.

As with so many other aspects of his life, sex had been killed by religion.

🙌🙌🙌

Another little rent in his soul, so torn now that it was nothing but rags.

Women were a minefield that you had to pick your way through.

Painfully perfect for this wounded warrior.

“I’m so sorry,” Ben said. “I don’t have a leg to stand on in my defence.” He couldn’t help himself, he burst out laughing.

I loved this character. And Reggie. And Simon. And Lady Milton! And Mr. B of course!!