Review by Alan S.
Big Sky is the fifth novel featuring Jackson Brodie. Brodie retires to a small coastal town, and sometimes cares for his teenage son, while working as a private investigator. Brodie will soon discover that small towns can hold big secrets after a chance meeting on the beach draws him into a criminal conspiracy.
Big Sky starts with two sisters interviewing via Skype for jobs in London. It is clear that there is something sinister afoot even before it is revealed after the call that the agency is not on the up and up. The story then careens from character to character, generally among the country club set in the town. Brodie, it seems, is on the outskirts of the action and you are left wondering when and how he intertwines with the main story. An unexpected encounter on the beach with one of the characters and his hiring by another eventually brings him into the circle. Even then, the action is not propelled by Brodie and he doesn’t really do much detecting. Even when the police become involved in the form of Brodie’s protégé (introduced in an earlier book I did not read), the story and its conclusion tend to stem from coincidence more than detective and police work.
Big Sky is an interesting story of the evil that lurks in unlikely places. Go into it knowing that you are entering a detective story without much detecting and a main character who, while appealing, is generally on the outer edges of the main story. I didn’t, and it took me a while to get past that and enjoy the compelling characters and storyline.
Big Sky is available in ebook and eaudio format through Libby.
Alan has worked for HCLS for just under 25 years, currently at the Savage Branch. He enjoys reading, television and most sports.
CHAPTER CHATS 
I love the Jackson Brody books and am looking forward to reading this one. I think I’ve read them all.
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