Rating: 3.5 / 5
I received a giveaway copy of THINGS IN JARS by Jess Kidd through Goodreads from the publisher. Thank you to Atria Books for this gorgeous complimentary copy!
THINGS IN JARS follows female detective Brodie Devine in Victorian Londonwho is presented with an interesting case, the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick. Christabel is the daughter almost no one knew Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick had and Brodie is intrigued about why she was kept a secret. Those who knew of Christabel share rumors that she had special powers that meant she was best kept hidden away.
As she investigates, we learn more about Brodie and why she is uniquely qualified with this case. Brodie was raised in a world of the unique and peculiar and the people she meets in pursuing this case definitely fall into that category as well.
I really didn’t know what to expect going into this novel, and I’m still struggling a bit to explain it. The story here is so unique, combining different genres and elements. This definitely has a dark and Gothic mystery at its core, but it also blends in historical fiction and supernatural elements. Brodie’s sometimes sidekick is a ghost, among other interesting characters.
The narrative at times seemed to wander a bit into tangents, exploring the lore of mermaids in one instance, but I did find that the author tied this information back into the story later on. This is one that requires some focus to keep track of the information being presented.
I did really enjoy this unique story. I wound up listening to quite a bit of it on audio which I thought was well done, though I did find I had to pause and rewind a few times due to recent distractions. Jess Kidd did an amazing job of building the atmospheric setting of her story and I will be looking to read more from her in the future!
Reading challenges:
#AroundTheYearin52Books – a history or historical fiction
DG Reads 