Death at the Sign of the Rook: A Jackson Brodie Book

Tension builds in this section as the novel implies that Ben’s life may be in danger. Fran’s warning that the Miltons are “a trigger-happy lot” resonates with readers as he encounters an armed and disoriented Lady Milton in the deer park (171). The atmosphere of jeopardy is intensified by introducing a new storyline: the escape of dangerous criminal Carl Carter. Simon’s acquisition of Carter’s Heckler & Koch handgun creates further suspense, suggesting that the weapon will be used later in the narrative, which is complicated by the fact that there is also a fake prop gun in the house.

These chapters are marked by an increasingly blurred distinction between the novel’s events and the play Death Comes to Rook Hall, developing The Theatrical Nature of Everyday Life. The blizzard on the evening of the murder mystery performance echoes the play’s setting while a real body (Nanny) lies at the bottom of the stairs. Furthermore, Ben’s recollection of Nancy Styles’ play, The Body Walks, foreshadows the later discovery that Nanny’s body has disappeared. The fragile boundaries between reality and fiction are also underscored by the performative aspect of the Miltons’ country house weekend packages. Lady Milton reflects that when Piers introduces her to guests as “the Dowager Marchioness Lady Milton, […] they all expected her to behave as if she were a member of the cast of Downton Abbey and to say pithy things” (158). Atkinson emphasizes that, like other characters who feel forced to adopt a persona, Lady Milton feels pressured to conform to a fictional ideal of aristocratic life.

A focus on the relationship between the Milton family and their staff speaks to the theme of Change in British Society. The revelation that Piers has hired agency staff for the evening due to a revolt by the hotel’s workers hints at the Miltons’ exploitative nature as employers. Lady Milton also laments the absence of reliable staff, reflecting, “Despite [her] expectation that [Cook] would die in harness, [she] had in fact left them in the lurch to go and live in Thirsk with her daughter” (154). The Miltons’ expectation of a lifetime of dedicated service from their staff is outdated and unrealistic, and their complete reliance on staff is emphasized when Lady Milton realizes that no one is available to move Nanny’s body. Rather than attempting to deal with the crisis herself, she abandons the scene, hoping someone will move the body in her absence. Through her actions, Atkinson suggests that aristocratic power has paradoxically rendered Lady Milton ineffectual and impotent.

The symbolism of animals and nature also comes to the fore in this narrative section. Ben and Simon’s inner monologues emphasize how their past trauma has sensitized them toward the welfare of all living creatures. Ben’s impulse to protect Holly, “a small, cold dog” (174), becomes as important as his former obligation to the men in his Army unit. Meanwhile, Simon’s belief that “nature is sentient” leads to an increasing aversion to the human exploitation of the natural world (194). He feels guilty about eating the bees’ honey and berates himself for killing a bird as a boy. Simon’s sermon about “the tricky subject of dominion” highlights the narrative’s exploration of the ethics of ownership and domination (197). His desire to avoid harming other living beings contrasts with the Miltons’ ideology, which involves hunting for sport. Piers’ use of tame deer as easy targets for inexperienced hotel guests underlines his sense of entitlement. The estate owner feels he has the right to determine the life or death of everything on his land.