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

The theme of The Theatrical Nature of Everyday Life is developed in these chapters as the individual characters’ storylines finally converge. All the main characters assemble at Burton Makepeace House, along with the killer, Carl Carter, and the novel takes on a deliberately farcical tone as the chaotic nature of the murder mystery performance is echoed in the cases of coincidence and mistaken identity that occur outside the production. This theme is also emphasized in this section as the metafictional nature of the narrative intensifies through frequent allusions to Golden Age detective fiction tropes. For example, Ben tries to navigate the labyrinthine layout of the country house by recalling “the rooms on a Cluedo board” (226). At the same time, Titus North reflects that if he loses any more theatre company members, he will be performing “A monologue. Then There Was One” (241). The characters’ sense that the “entire house [is] just one big theatrical set” (224) highlights the blurred boundaries between theater and real life. Confusion abounds as real-life detectives Jackson and Reggie are invited to join their “fellow sleuths,” Ben mistakes Nanny’s dead body for a staged scenario, and Lady Milton confuses events in the play with the recent suspicious deaths of Lord Milton and Nanny. In an example of dramatic irony, only the reader retains a clear sense of what is “real.” In addition, uncertainty about reality also extends to the characters’ insecure sense of identity. For example, after introducing herself to the guests, Lady Milton questions, “Was she really Honoria Milton?” (227). Meanwhile, Ben experiences freedom from his usual persona as he performs the dual role of butler and Lord Milton.

The novel’s exploration of class dynamics and Change in British Society continues through the depiction of Nanny’s death. Nanny’s presence at Burton Makepeace House long after her charges have grown up reflects the aristocracy’s continuation of outmoded traditions. Lady Milton’s declaration that the dead body is “only Nanny” encapsulates the gentry’s historical treatment of the lower classes as inferior and inconsequential. Furthermore, her expectation that Ben will slot into the butler’s role demonstrates how she has become accustomed to viewing everyone as “staff.” Ben’s mental recitation of apparently random scraps of poetry when he enters Burton Makepeace House is also significant to this theme. The lines he recalls are taken from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land (“Your shadow at evening rising to meet you”), William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 19 (“Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws”), and Philip Larkin’s Going, Going (“That will be England gone”) (223). The common subject matter of these poems is the irrevocable march of time and the death of an era, underlining the notion that aristocratic families like the Miltons are becoming an obsolete part of British society.

Vehicles are presented as symbolic of character throughout these chapters. Mark Smithson’s “canary-yellow Ferrari” indicates his desire to signpost his wealth to others (212). The “bombastic car swaggering up the driveway” (209) echoes his conceited demeanor, while its “ugly roar” hints at the violence he inflicts on his wife. Meanwhile, Jackson’s Land Rover Defender reflects his instinctive desire to rescue women in need. Although Alice declines his assistance, the Defender allows him to rescue Reggie when she is stranded. The Defender “pushe[s] through the weather as sturdy as a snow-plough” (218), echoing Jackson’s reliability and determination.