In which we realize that the sea air might not always be good for you
Murder at Gull’s Nest by Jess Kidd
Stars: 4.5
52 Book Club Challenger: #3 (Book whose title starts with an M)
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Nora Breen has been a nun at a monastery in northern England for over thirty years, since she left her home in County Mayo as a young woman. When Frieda, a former novice and her friend, seems to go missing, Nora decides it is time for her to rejoin the world and find herself taking lodging at Frieda’s last address: Gull’s Nest in the seaside town of Gore-on-Sea. When Nora arrives, she finds a slightly shabby establishment populated with a unique cast of characters. She decides to keep her connection to Frieda hidden as she searches about for clues to what happened but when one of the lodgers ends up dead (is it murder? Was it suicide), Nora decides she might just need to local constabulary to help her - whether they want to or not.
I love Jess Kidd’s novels and I was thrilled when I received this ARC. Kidd’s writing style immediately pulls you in, the stories have excellent plots but the characters bring the world around them to life. Nora is a character we don’t always see a lot of, but she is one that has so much to tell us. She is just finding herself again after thirty years behind the veil; she is still coming to terms with the events that happened in her late teens. Twice in her life she has had to leave home and establish herself in a new place and this time, at this juncture in her life, she wonders if it was the right call.
There has always been an element of mystery in Kidd’s books, but I am thrilled that it sounds like this might be the first of a few Nora Breen novels. When I finished, I was happy to think that there would be another chance to spend time with Nora and get into the backstories of some of the other characters; Gore-on-Sea definitely has a fair share of unique people and in Kidd’s hands, I know they can tell us some amazing tales.
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