With her first novels, Jess Kidd established a distinctive and playful gothic tone that won over a host of Waterstones’ booksellers. There’s equal enjoyment to be found in her latest offering. A Victorian mystery, generously laced with uncanny twists and sideways glances, Things in Jars moves at a lick, and with surprises and vaudeville treats aplenty, it’s a treat.
London, 1863. Bridie Devine, the finest female detective of her age, is taking on her toughest case yet. Reeling from her last job and with her reputation in tatters, a remarkable puzzle has come her way. Christabel Berwick has been kidnapped. But Christabel is no ordinary child. She is not supposed to exist. As Bridie fights to recover the stolen child she enters a world of fanatical anatomists, crooked surgeons and mercenary showmen. Anomalies are in fashion, curiosities are the thing, and fortunes are won and lost in the name of entertainment. The public love a spectacle and Christabel may well prove the most remarkable spectacle London has ever seen.
Things in Jars is an enchanting Victorian detective novel that explores what it is to be human in inhumane times.
London, 1863. Bridie Devine, the finest female detective of her age, is taking on her toughest case yet. Reeling from her last job and with her reputation in tatters, a remarkable puzzle has come her way. Christabel Berwick has been kidnapped. But Christabel is no ordinary child. She is not supposed to exist. As Bridie fights to recover the stolen child she enters a world of fanatical anatomists, crooked surgeons and mercenary showmen. Anomalies are in fashion, curiosities are the thing, and fortunes are won and lost in the name of entertainment. The public love a spectacle and Christabel may well prove the most remarkable spectacle London has ever seen. Things in Jars is an enchanting Victorian detective novel that explores what it is to be human in inhumane times.
Publisher: Canongate Books
ISBN: 9781786893772
Number of pages: 416
Weight: 277 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 25 mm
Edition: Main
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
Utterly mesmerising . . . A triumph. Kidd's imagination - her ability to imagine a world more magical, darker, richer than our own - is a thing of wonder. She rummages through the layers of Victorian society as if through an old steamer trunk, pulling up all variety of treasures, like pythons and heads in hatboxes - New York Times Book Review
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
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
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
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
If there was an Oscar ceremony for books, then Kidd's Victorian mystery Things in Jars would surely sweep the board . . . Timeless . . . Knife-sharp - Irish Times
I must say that 2019 will be the year of gothic literature. I’ve read so many wonderful books since January and this one particularly stands out.
Atmospheric gloomy London, 1863, Bridie Devine the finest detective,...
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I don’t know why it took me so long to discover this author, but I’m so glad that I did. There is much to admire.
The stage is set for an elegant and gothic thriller. With realistic characters Jess Kidd draws you...
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I love this book! There, a review in four words. But I am compelled to say so much more. You can’t help gushing when a book comes out that you love can you? I miss Bridie already.
Bridie is of course the star of the...
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