And since I wouldn’t ever spoil anything, I’ll only vaguely say that previous books' personal things are resolved while new things are left open because of course, you need to keep reading the books. Ten years since we left him, now living back in his native Yorkshire, Brodie’s solitary existence has been interrupted by the arrival of his 13-year-old son, Nathan, for the summer holidays. In the intervening years, Jason Isaacs has brought him to brooding life on screen in the BBC series Case Histories, named after the first Brodie book, and his creator has produced her most acclaimed historical novels, including Life After Life and its sequel, A God in Ruins, both of which won the Costa Novel award.

Jackson is settled in North Yorkshire in the final novel Big Sky, divorced again but in a routine seeing his teenage son Nathan and their shared Labrador when his ex-wife Julia allows. Each character is on a trajectory that crashes into that of the other characters and eventually Brodie rouses himself from his hospital bed to save the day in his own unconventional way. Story three seems to be quite separate, and we read of the life history of Kitty, a plain jobbing actress now nearing retirement, and currently playing the mother of a detective in a TV soap.Jackson had never felt at home in Cambridge, never felt at home in the south of England if it came to that. After a good start, I thought the story went off the rails and sort of rambled about, with stories about the 1970's girls Amelia, Julia, and Sylvia. He is unable to resist coming to the rescue and is a magnet for the bereaved, the lost and the dysfunctional. This technique is played out to heartbreaking effect in the character of Tilly Squires, who plays Collier’s mum in Collier. I was hoping for DI Louise Munro because I know she and Jackson have unfinished business and lots of chemistry.

Running parallel to this story is that of Vince, left by his wife and recently made redundant, but still keeping up appearances on the golf course with sort-of friends, Tommy, who owns a transport company, a gorgeous home and trophy wife, Crystal; and Andy, a smooth and savvy BandB owner and Tommy’s partner in crime.Big Sky is laced with Atkinson’s sharp, dry humour, and one of the joys of the Brodie novels has always been that they are so funny, even when the themes are as dark as child abuse and sex trafficking.

Tilly is an old woman who could have been a legendary actress, and she’s haunted by a lost child, a lost love, and old betrayals – and as cognitive decline sets in, her waking life is swamped by these intrusive scenes of the past.

He has two children, Candy (3) from his marriage to Crystal, and 16 year old Harry, who may be gay but isn't sure.