Murder at Gulls Nest
Nora Breen Investigates
by Jess Kidd
You must sign in to see if this title is available for request. Sign In or Register Now
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 13 Mar 2025 | Archive Date 15 Mar 2025
Faber and Faber Ltd | Faber & Faber
Talking about this book? Use #MurderatGullsNest #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
'I was wildly charmed by Murder at Gulls Nest. . . HIGHLY recommended' Marian Keyes
The first in a sparkling new 1950s seaside mystery series, featuring sharp-eyed former nun Nora Breen.
Somewhere in the north, a religious community meets for Vespers. Here on the southeast coast, Nora Breen prepares for braised liver and a dining room full of strangers.
After thirty years in a convent, Nora Breen has thrown off her habit and set her sights on the seaside town of Gore-on-Sea. Why there? Why now? Instinct tells her it's better not to reveal her reasons straight away. She takes a room at Gulls Nest guest house and settles in to watch and listen.
Over disappointing - and sometimes downright inedible - dinners, Nora realises that she was right to keep quiet: her fellow lodgers are hiding something. At long last, she has found an outlet for her powers of observation and, well, nosiness: there is a mystery to solve, and she is the only person for the job.
'Kidd has imagination to die for and a real command of plot and character.' Guardian
Advance Praise
Praise for Jess Kidd:
‘Kidd writes prose that is full to the brim with life, and overflowing.' Financial Times
'An arresting talent.' Daily Mail
'Her ability to imagine a world more magical, darker, richer than our own - is a thing of wonder.' New York Times Book Review
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780571378944 |
| PRICE | £16.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 336 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Beata B, Reviewer
*A big thank-you to Jess Kidd, Faber and Faber, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I have been an admirer of Ms Kiid's talent since I read her first book, and was delighted to receive a copy of her later offering, so different from her previous works but engaging and enjoyable thoroughly.
A mystery surrounds silence from a young former nun, despite promises to write, and the mystery is powerful enough for Sister Agnes, a nun of thirty years, to leave the convent and travel south to track down her young friend. Ms Kidd is famous for imagining characters that you become attached to almost immediately,and Nora Breen, former Sister Agnes, is another wonderful addition to the group. The plot is intriguing, but Nora won my heart instantly. She had been through a lot, however, her experience did not make her bitter and she learns how to gradually step into the new world, and find bits of happiness daily.
There is the atmosphere of a small seaside town in the early 1950s, and a plethora of characters who have their own secrets and regrets.
If this going to be a series, I will be happy to continue with it.
Carolyn f, Reviewer
With only the slightest nod to the supernatural, this is a very different novel to Jess Kidd's other books. What remains the same is her brilliant observations of character, witty dialogue and a story that hooks you in and races along. I loved it and hope that the hint of a sequel at the end of the book comes to fruition as I'd love to see how Nora's life pans out!
Many thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for this ARC
Janet M, Reviewer
I love Jess Kidd's previous books, she has a lovely, easy to read style of writing. This book is a departure from her usual book and is the first in a new cosy mystery series. Set in the 1950s in coastal Kent, Nora Breen has recently left her convent after thirty years as a nun. She is on a mission to find out what has happened to her young friend who has mysteriously stopped writing to her and has disappeared.
The character observations are wonderful and Nora is a truly entertaining character. The mystery is gentle but engrossing and there are plenty of surprises along the way.
I can't wait for the second book in the series. Highly recommended.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
