Book Review-Started Early, Took my Dog

Titles to books often pique my interest, and one by an author I like really makes me want to read.  One such title is Started Early, Took my Dog, and it is by one of my favorite authors, Kate Atkinson.  Her novels are always interesting. This story follows Jackson Brodie, a detective looking for information on an adoptee in Australia; Tracy Waterhouse, a former police officer now head of Mall security; and Tilly, an aging actress battling the onset of dementia.  Their paths criss cross throughout the book, both physically and metaphorically.  Jackson saves a dog from an abusive relationship, and Tracy saves a child from neglect, but not without unintended consequences. The writing is superb, and the plotting is brilliant.  I would definitely recommend this book!

Started Early, Took My Dog By Atkinson, Kate 2011-03 - Reagan Arthur Books 9780316066730 Check Our Catalog Awards: L.A. Times Book Prize (2011) Retired police detective Tracy Waterhouse leads a quiet, ordered life--until she cares for a young child. Meanwhile, Jackson Brodie, the beloved detective from "Case Histories," rescues an abused dog. Jackson is about to learn, along with Tracy, that no good deed goes unpunished. …More

Other books by the same author.

A God in Ruins By Atkinson, Kate 2015-05 - Little Brown and Company 9780316176538 Check Our Catalog Awards: Costa Book Awards (2015) HPL patron: Kate Atkinson's 10th book A God in Ruins is her best work by far. The characters are well developed. The historical perspective is clear and meaningful and provided an understanding of world events related to WWII. I highly recommned this book to anyone looking for an engaging summer read. …More

Life After Life By Atkinson, Kate 2014-01 - Back Bay Books 9780316176491 Check Our Catalog In 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, and embarks upon a life that will be unusual. Does Ursula's infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? …More

Case Histories By Atkinson, Kate 2004-10 - Doubleday UK 9780385607995 Check Our Catalog A BookPage Notable Title This new novel from award-winner Kate Atkinson is a breathtaking story of families divided, love lost and found and the mysteries of fate. As Private Detective Jackson Brodie investigates three cases, startling connections and discoveries emerge. …More

Complimentary Reads

The Goldfinch By Tartt, Donna 2013-10 - Little Brown and Company 9780316055437 Check Our Catalog Awards: ALA Notable Books (2014) Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence (2014) Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction (2014) National Book Critics Circle Award (2013) Pulitzer Prize (2014) "The author of the classic bestsellers The Secret History and The Little Friend returns with a brilliant, highly anticipated new novel. A young boy in New York City, Theo Decker, miraculously survives an accident that takes the life of his mother. Alone and abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by a friend's family and struggles to make sense of his new life. In the years that follow, he …More

The Hand That First Held Mine By O'Farrell, Maggie 2010-04 - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) 9780547330792 Check Our Catalog Awards: Costa Book Awards (2010) A stunning portrait of motherhood and the artist's life in all their terror and glory, O'Farrell's newest novel is a gorgeous inquiry into the ways in which even the most accidental legacies often connect people. …More