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Well, this is one seriously addictive and fabulous read. Now that I have finished I feel bereft, exhilarated, and have one humdinger of a book hangover. Set in London, it is 1863 and private detective Bridie Devine is on the case of a stolen child. The prologue hooked me as surely as a fish on a line, I gaped, wondered, and leaned in for more. Descriptions opened with vivid intensity in my mind, creating the most glorious views. There is something about Jess Kidd’s writing that speaks directly to my soul, she knows how to lull, tickle, burn. She created a stinging tension, on a number of occasions leaving me hanging while popping into the past. I have to say that Bridie Devine is one of the most fabulous characters I’ve come across. She has taken up a somewhat boisterous lodging in my mind and she’s more than welcome! Information swirled around, making my thoughts whirl, adding to the torrent that I knew was surely coming. And oh, that ending! Things in Jars is a Victorian detective story with a difference, it crosses genres and set light to my imagination. It has been added to my list of favourite books. Bridie Devine to my list of favourite detectives. Jess Kidd has been confirmed on my list of favourite authors. Things in Jars is LoveReading Star Book, Book of the Month, and Liz Robinson Pick of the Month… Need I say more?
The case of the extraordinary child . . .
London, 1863. A strange puzzle has reached Bridie Devine, the finest female detective of her age. To recover a stolen child, Bridie must enter the dark world of medical curiosities. The public love a spectacle and this child may well prove the most remarkable spectacle London has ever seen.
Things in Jars is a Victorian novel unlike any other, one that explores what it is to be human in inhumane times.
Closing date: 10/03/2020
I loved Himself and The Hoarder but this book takes things to another level - thrilling, mysterious, twisted but more than anything, beautifully written and filled to bursting point with heart -- GRAHAM NORTON
This unusual Victorian detective tale is hugely satisfying and beautifully written . . . Kidd gives the world what is instantly one of fiction's great spectral double acts -The Times
This pacy piece of Victorian crime fiction delivers chills galore . . . done with panache . . . Her imagination runs wild, in tightly controlled prose. Her concision makes the book feel like a high-pressure jar - Guardian
Jess Kidd writes gorgeously Gothic novels in the kind of prose that makes you sigh with its loveliness, as a cast of charismatic characters venture into extraordinary situations . . . A terrifically imaginative writer . . . There's danger aplenty, wistful love and longing, unstinting friendship and the kind of writing that offers something to cherish on every page. Utterly unique, entirely beguiling - Sunday Express
Jess Kidd's stories are so magical, she should be a genre all to herself . . . Things in Jars is exquisite. Perfect storytelling -- JOANNA CANNON, author of THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP A twisting, precis-defying plot . . . Arresting, funny and well-written - Sunday Times
An extraordinary tale full of dark magic, wicked humour and hugely entertaining characters. An absolute treat! -- RUTH HOGAN, author of THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS
Kidd writes prose that is full to the brim with life, and overflowing. Victorian London is rendered lavishly in all its stench and glory . . . Features the most endearing of heroines . . . Kidd excels at atmospheric description . . . Kidd's sentences contain so much delight in the language, whether conveying brutality or rescue and repair, that there are frequent jolts of pleasure for the reader . . . Revel in the rich, wild text - Financial Times
A masterclass in storytelling. One of those books that truly does make you laugh out loud, that shakes and remakes what you think a story can be. It's rare to find a book so satisfying -- KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE
Written with humour, verve and total originality, Costa-winning Kidd is a storyteller to be cherished - Stylist
ISBN: 9781786893772
Publication date: 02/01/2020
Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd
Format: Paperback
| ISBN: | 9781786893772 |
| Publication date: | 2nd January 2020 |
| Author: | Jess Kidd |
| Publisher: | Canongate Books Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 416 pages |
| Genres: | Books of the Month, Crime / Mystery, Historical Fiction, Liz Robinson's Picks of the Month, Literary Fiction, Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Star Books, |
| Categories: | Historical mysteries, Historical fiction, |
Jess Kidd completed her first degree in Literature with The Open University, and has since taught creative writing and gained a PhD in Creative Writing Studies. She has also worked as a support worker specialising in acquired brain injury. Jess was brought up in London as part of a large family from Mayo, and plans to settle somewhere along the west coast of Ireland in the next few years. Until then, she lives in London with her daughter. author photo © Travis McBride
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