Started Early, Took My Dog

Started Early, Took My Dog is the fourth novel in Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie series, blending crime fiction with literary depth. Set in contemporary Leeds with flashbacks to 1975, it follows retired police officer Tracy Waterhouse, who impulsively buys a mistreated child from a neglectful prostitute, echoing a haunting case from her past involving a murdered woman and an abandoned boy. Private investigator Jackson Brodie, grappling with personal losses, rescues an abused dog and traces an adoptee’s biological parents, uncovering police corruption and hidden connections. An elderly actress with dementia, Tilly, adds layers of memory and regret as their stories intertwine, exploring themes of protection, loss, and moral ambiguity in Atkinson’s signature style.