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Published Feb 2020
384 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
In the dark underbelly of Victorian London, a formidable female sleuth is pulled into the macabre world of fanatical anatomists and crooked surgeons while investigating the kidnapping of an extraordinary child in this gothic mystery - perfect for fans of The Essex Serpent and The Book of Speculation.
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.
Blending darkness and light, history and folklore, Things in Jars is a spellbinding Gothic mystery that collapses the boundary between fact and fairy tale to stunning effect and explores what it means to be human in inhumane times.
"Kidd is an expert at setting a supernatural mood perfect for ghosts and merrows, but her human villains make them seem mundane by comparison. With so much detail and so many clever, Dickensian characters, readers might petition Kidd to give Bridie her own series. Creepy, violent, and propulsive; a standout gothic mystery." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Kidd has created a captivating cast of characters and delivers a richly woven tapestry of fantasy, folklore, and history...Recommend to fans of Ruth Hogan's The Keeper of Lost Things (2017) and Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent (2017)." - Booklist (starred review)
"This pacy piece of Victorian crime fiction delivers chills galore." - The Guardian
"This unusual Victorian detective tale is hugely satisfying and beautifully written." - The Times (UK)
"Miraculous and thrilling...A few pages in and I was determined to read every word Jess Kidd has ever written. " - Diane Setterfield, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Tale and Once Upon a River
"A perfect mix of hilarity, the macabre, and a touch of romance, Things in Jars is ridiculously entertaining, all as it sneaks up and makes you feel things. Would that more books had such daring. The language is perfection. Simply: Jess Kidd is so good it isn't fair." - Erika Swyler, bestselling author of The Book of Speculation and Light from Other Stars
"Things in Jars is an extraordinary tale full of dark magic, wicked humour, and hugely entertaining characters all of whom are beautifully drawn. An absolute treat!." - Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things
This information about Things in Jars was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jess Kidd is an award-winning author with a PhD in creative writing from St. Mary's University in London. She grew up as part of a large family from Ireland's County Mayo and now lives in London with her daughter. Her first book, Himself, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards.
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