Started Early, Took My Dog - spoiler alert

[Hassled]

I know there's been a thread already but it didn't have spoiler in the title and I need to offload.

So - I loved it. And I've worked out that the comment at the end by Jackson - re the birthmark in the shape of Africa ringing a bell but he couldn't remember what - relates to Courtney; Tracey spots it on her arm early on, and then midway through when Jackson is thinking about Mitch, the South African who has a website of missing children, one of the children he lists has a birthmark in the shape of Africa.

So Courtney is one of Mitch's missing children - someone else is out there looking for her. I'm finding this bizarrely upsetting. And Tracey must realise this - she knew she wasn't Kelly's daughter - but carried on regardless. And who killed Kelly? Were there clues to that I missed?

And what was the point of Tillie? I realise she keeps the whole Lost Child thing going, but apart from that she was just an annoying diversion with a few tenuous links to the rest of the narrative - or am I missing something?

I read it a few months ago, and am shite at remembering the minutae of the plot, but I absolutely loved it, as I have loved everything kate Atkinson has written.

I remember being delighted at the Courtney birthmark thing, as it sets things up for a sequel. There are related themes throughout all of the Jackson (can't remember his surname) stories, and that's partly why I enjoy them so much. This has been my favourite yet though.

Yes, I struggle to hold a plot in my head for long, which I see as a good thing because I see a Kate Atkinson-fest looming; I'm going to reread all the JB ones now :o.

I read it when it came out and can remember precisely nothing about it other than that it irritated me a lot. The cover was very pretty and I do like JB as a character but I just think that she relies far too much on coincidences and isn't a terribly good writer. I don't think I'll bother with any more of hers, which is a shame as I do like JB - I'd just like somebody else to write about him!

I am currently rereading all the JB ones as love Kate Atkinson writing. I read Started early...beforen Xmas in the fog of flu and missed lots of the finer details of the plot, so after 'When will there be good news' which reading now, will reread it.