I’d heard a lot of good things about Jess Kidd’s Things in Jars on Goodreads despite not hearing much outside of it. And I don’t know why I haven’t, the book is absolutely amazing and a must-read for fans of mystery with a dash of supernatural.Less than confidant after failing to find a missing child, Bridie Devine has just been given another case. Sir Edmund Berwick’s daughter Christabel is missing and Bridie is the only one he trusts to solve the case. Why? Bridie deals with unusual cases and Christabel is no ordinary child. For one thing few people even knew she existed combine that with her pale skin, eyes that changed from pale to black and with a row of sharp teeth and a penchant for water, snails, and newts, Christabel has attracted the attention of collectors interested in her supernatural abilities. As Bridie investigates the case from past and present she is accompanied by her seven-foot tall housemaid Cora and a ghost boxer with animated tattoos, the world of the supernatural and natural become intertwined in a way that will change Bridie’s life.
This book was so charming and a much needed read after too much quarantine. It felt just like reading a Victorian mystery, Bridie is very much a female Sherlock Holmes (or more appropriately a Loveday Brooke) and I adored her as a character. She was unique, clever, and I adored seeing how she would solve the mystery, what steps she would take. I also loved Cora and Ruby, they were such a great cast of characters who complimented Bridie perfectly.
The mystery was unpredictable, I kept trying to guess what was going to happen next but Kidd kept me for a loop. It’s the first time I’ve really enjoyed and gotten sucked into a mystery novel, and I hope to God Kidd continues writing about Bridie Devine, I need more of her and I need to know what mystery she will solve next!
Publication: April 4th 2019
Publisher: Canongate Books
Pages: 416 pages
Source: Bookmobile
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤
Summary:
“Bridie Devine—female detective extraordinaire—is confronted with the most baffling puzzle yet: the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick, secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, and a peculiar child whose reputed supernatural powers have captured the unwanted attention of collectors trading curiosities in this age of discovery.
Winding her way through the labyrinthine, sooty streets of Victorian London, Bridie won’t rest until she finds the young girl, even if it means unearthing a past that she’d rather keep buried. Luckily, her search is aided by an enchanting cast of characters, including a seven-foot tall housemaid; a melancholic, tattoo-covered ghost; and an avuncular apothecary. But secrets abound in this foggy underworld where spectacle is king and nothing is quite what it seems.”
Sarah O'Connor 