Kate Atkinson - Started Early Took My Dog

review by Malcolm
From the Back Cover
A day like any other for security chief Tracy Waterhouse, until she makes a shocking impulse purchase. That one moment of madness is all it takes for Tracy's humdrum world to be turned upside down, the tedium of everyday life replaced by fear and danger at every turn... etc.

My Review

This detective novel is the 4th in the career of ex cop private detective Jackson Brodie – in a previous novel Case Histories which was dramatised recently on BBC Brodie’s house is blown up which explains why in this novel he is living in his old Saab. He was left a fortune by an eccentric cat owner, Binky Rain, whose animals he was always being asked to locate (for a moment I thought I was reading Dirk Gently Holistic Detective again). And on top of that Brodie’s second “fake” wife has run off with the lot leaving him bitter and penniless – but I haven’t read that novel yet.

Jackson Brodie first appears in this book when he sees a dog in a Leeds park being really badly treated by its flag of St. George tattooed meathead owner, to the great consternation of many onlookers. The dog is being kicked and hung up by its lead and has been thrown into the boot of his car when Brodie intervenes with a swift punch in the diaphragm – the super hero – testosterone man folds to the ground and Brodie warns him never to treat anyone or anything like that again or he’ll kill him. He gets the dog from the car boot and walks off with the hound – its collar identifying it as The Ambassador. Throughout the rest of the book they get on famously and Ambassador even saves Brodie’s life by raising the alarm when he gets beaten up and thrown into a wheelie bin.

We are also introduced in a flashback to 1975 to WPC Tracy Waterhouse “a big graceless girl only just off probation”. She accompanies her boss to a block of flats after a neighbours’ complaint of “a right stink” it turns out to be the murdered body of a prostitute but they also find an emaciated little boy. Back in the present Tracy is retired but still large and graceless and addicted to cakes and chocolates. She has become a shopping centre security guard. She is still single having missed the boat in all respects. She is just passing Greggs when she sees a young mum, Kelly Cross, badly treating a little girl. Tracy has just been to the bank to get 3 thousand pounds to pay a builder for work on her home and on an impulse she offers the money to Kelly in exchange for the child. Kelly grabs the money and lets go of the child’s hand telling Tracy her name is Courtney! A little later Kelly is found murdered too.

Jackson Brodie meantime is trying to find the true identity of an adopted woman living in New Zealand. And there is another subplot involving an elderly and dotty actress. In a cheerful if sometimes violent romp across rural Yorkshire the ex policeman and woman separately manage to get social workers, bent former police, some gangsters and another private detective called Brian Jackson just to confuse everyone all chasing each other about before the murders and identity of the adopted woman are solved and al the loose ends tied up.

I found it quite slow going to begin but as the pace built up I did enjoy the book. In fact I went on to read the previous novel Case Histories. Definitely one detective I’ll watch out for again.

Review by Malcolm Martland – broadcast on Radio Scilly 107.9 FM 14 July 2011