Book Review: "When Will There Be Good News?" by Kate Atkinson

Title: When Will There Be Good News?

Author: Kate Atkinson

Publisher: Back Bay Books

ISBN, PUB Date: 978-0-316-154885-7, January 11, 2010

Reviewed by: Denien Robbins for Author Exposure

Joanna Mason is just 6 years old when she is a witness to an unimaginable crime. The offender is caught, charged, and locked up in prison for the next 30 years.

A spunky 16 year old named Reggie becomes a mother's helper to a doctor and her infant son. Reggie has been through far too many tragedies in her short time on earth. Mostly alone in the world, Reggie becomes quite attached to her employer. When the good Doctor goes missing, Reggie is the only one who seems concerned about it.

In When Will There Be Good News, events of the past intermingle with the present, creating a terrifying plot that you won’t see coming. Kate Atkinson weaves a sinister tale that is filled with twists. This book was fascinating and held my attention quite easily. The confusion of interwoven lives and trying to figure out how they were all tied together kept me guessing until the end.

I really enjoyed Atkinson's novel and read it in one day. The book draws you in and is impossible to put down. The characters are believable and the plot is well-thought-out.

I would recommend this to adults who enjoy murder, mystery, and edge of your seat suspense. A perfect novel to curl up with on a winter day!