Since first reading her debut novel, Himself, I’ve been a huge fan of Jess Kidd. She has such a way with her characters. They come alive off the page in such a vibrant way. With her past books, she explored the mystery genre with touches of the fantastical. But in Murder at Gulls Nest, she’s diving into cozy mysteries. I couldn’t be more delighted.
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Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess KiddIt’s 1954, and Nora Breen has just left her life as a cloistered nun to go find her friend and former novice, Freida, who unexpectedly disappeared. Freida’s last known address was at Gulls Nest, a rundown boarding house in an English seaside town. Nora arrives at Gulls Nest and rents Freida’s old room. As she gets to know her fellow residents, she begins to ask questions to try to figure out what could have happened to her friend. From the novel’s first moments, I was engrossed in Nora’s story. Nora Breen is a new take on the older woman who solves mysteries. Nora has such a depth to her character. She has her own demons from before she joined the convent. On top of that, she’s experiencing a crisis of faith and has left the only life she’s known for the past 30 years. Now she’s in a post-WWII world that is incredibly different from the world she knew before she entered the convent. She views the world with such fresh eyes and appreciation for the small things other characters often miss. Nora has a playfulness to her, an unexpected freedom that comes from leaving the restrictions of her former order. |
If you’re an audiobook fan, this is definitely one that needs to be on your listening TBR. Siobhan McSweeney, of Derry Girls fame, performs the audiobook with such a sense of Nora’s character. I absolutely adored McSweeney’s narration, making this audiobook one of the highlights of the season for me. At moments, her performance as Nora is incredibly funny. In another moment, she’s intensely sad. Always, McSweeney captures Nora’s emotions with every twist and turn of the novel.
Murder at Gulls Nest is perfect for cozy mystery lovers who love a historical novel with complex themes that also possesses a great sense of humor.
You can find me over on my Substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected]. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
Source : It’s 1954 When a Cloistered Nun Starts Sleuthing in This New Cozy Mystery
