I loved this book-really different story and beautiful writing. The characters were so different and interesting. The main character is Bridie Devine-the author mentioned many times how attractive she was yet how ugly her hat was. That made me laugh. I loved the relationship that she had with the ghost of a boxer in his drawers (yes, a ghost in his underwear!)-it was funny and yet melancholy. The story itself is a gothic mystery set in Victorian London. Bridie is asked to search for a missing girl who appears to be a supernatural creature. I was sorry to end this book as the world was just so inventive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Set in the 1800s in London and alternating between two timelines twenty years apart. Bridie is an Irish waif taken in by a wealthy family when she is a young girl. She is quickly taken under Dr. Eames’ wing and he nurtures Bridie’s inquisitive mind.

As an adult, Bridie works as an investigator with her 7-foot tall housekeeper, Cora, and a dead ghost, Ruby, that only Bridie can see. Her current case involves a missing child who no one knows about. She quickly learns that the missing child may not be a child at all, but a mermaid or merrow (evil mermaid).

Unfortunately this book was not for me. Though I preferred the timeline with Bridie as a child, most of the novel just didn’t hold my interest. The writing was excellent, the characters quirky, and the storyline very unique.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd
⭐️⭐️⭐️
pub date: 2/4/20
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Bridie Devine is a rough around the edges female detective, solving cases in an equally rough around the edges Victorian London. Reeling from a failed case that resulted in the death of a child, Bridie reluctantly takes the case of another kidnapped child. Only, this kidnapped child is VERY unusual and highly sought-after by some seedy individuals. Bridie enlists the help of her giantess maid Cora and ghost Ruby to help track down the kidnappee in this fantasy slash detective novel.
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I really wanted to love this because the premise is so interesting. I love a good mystery, and this novel is undoubtedly very interesting. What I found challenging was the very ornate writing... I had to re-read paragraphs and pages to figure out what was actually going on. Not to say the writing was bad, but it just wasn’t my style. I also struggled with the non-linear sections of the novel. I enjoyed learning about Bridie’s backstory, but the switching between the past and narrative present felt jerky to me. I found the story to really pick up around the 3/4 mark and enjoyed the ending! If you are a fan of fantasy, mystery, or Dickinson vibes, I’d give this one a try! Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced readers copy. Things in Jars is a January Book of the Month selection, and will be released in the US on 2/4/20.

A creepy, skin crawling, afraid to read the next page novel about a girl and who she is. She bit the thief and she left the roo
But he did not.

The reviews of Things in Jars, by Jess Kidd, have been somewhat mixed. I have no idea why. I loved this highly imaginative, disturbing novel that is packed to the rafters with brilliant characters. I inhaled this book. What’s not to love about this novel of homicidal anatomical collectors, ghost boxers, giant maids, and a determined detective who is called in when people need their mysteries investigated discreetly?

In another century, Bridie Devine would have been a surgeon. Her old gaffer, a drunken ex-surgeon-turned-resurrection-man, inadvertently trained her to recognize causes and times of death as he procured bodies for anatomists. Bridie has two strikes against her in 1863. First, she’s a woman. Second, she’s Irish. Still, her powers of observation and knowledge of death stand her in good stead as a private detective. Even more than her experience, Bridie’s determination to do good and see justice done drives her to solve cases in spite of any danger to herself. We meet Bridie as she is still licking metaphorical wounds after a failed case—and also when she is met by a persistent ghost who insists that Bridie knows who he is. The ghost of the boxer who keeps popping up is just one of many mysteries that Bridie tackles in Things in Jars.

The ghost isn’t our first clue that there are supernatural goings on in Things in Jars. A creature (for lack of a better word) is stolen in the prologue, with fatal results for one of her kidnappers. This creature is first described to Bridie as the daughter of a country scientist, who is kept in seclusion because of her “differences.” But things don’t add up. Why hasn’t her client gone to the police to report his daughter’s kidnapping? Why does it appear that the child’s nanny was involved? What’s up with the strange mermaid-like specimen in her client’s house? All of these questions, the active plot, are laid over very interesting, deeper questions about liberty, the right to pursue happiness, and vigilante justice when society at large is oblivious and/or willing to turn a blind eye.

Jess Kidd is absolutely one of my favorite contemporary writers because I know that every thing she writes will be unusual, entertaining, and original. Things in Jars is such a good read—as are Kidd’s other novels—that I honestly couldn’t say which one I love best. What I can say is that, if you’re in the mood for something different, something that makes you question the reality you see around you, if you love books in which old, bloody secrets refuse to stay buried, definitely pick up Things in Jars and Kidd’s other novels, Mr. Flood’s Last Resort (also titled, The Hoarder) and Himself.

Set in Victorian London with the main protagonist Bridie Devine, a female detective, its a story of strange creatures, science and the supernatural.

Im just going to say straight up that this wasnt for me. I didnt enjoy it all. The writing style I found quite jarring and annoying. The over descriptive narrative was hugely annoying and persisted throughout the whole book. It ruined any sort of momentum in the story for me.

I found the whole thing a chore to read and honestly its the nearest Ive been to a dnf.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Jess Kidd and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd is a Gothic novel that takes place in 1800’s London. Bridie Devine, female detective, is called on to search for a missing child, Christabel Berwick; the missing child of the Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick. No one is supposedly aware of her existence and it is said she odd with possible mythical powers. Bridie finds she is quickly drawn into an underworld of London where such oddities are often traded and fortunes made. She is forced to confront her own past as she meets a wide array of unusual characters who may or may not be who they seem.
I didn’t care for this book. There was a lot of excitement and Bridie has a lot of energy to keep going through anything. I felt at that minute details that seemed to have no relation to the outcome bogged the story down and I felt I was being dragged along. The story goes back and forth between Bridie’s past and the present and sometimes I found this too abrupt. I assume there will be another book as the ending left questions unanswered. I give this book 4 of 5 stars. I think many will enjoy it.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A mystery set in Victorian England with a bizarre cast of characters and events- what more could you want? There are villains, a mer-creature, and of course, things in jars.

"London is awash with the freshly murdered...Bridie has a talent for the reading of corpses: the tale of life and death written on everybody." Bridie Devine, "a small, round, upright woman of around thirty...with ...vivid red hair tucked...inside her white widow's cap...might be called by Inspector Valentine Rose of Scotland Yard to determine the cause of a bizarre or inexplicable death. The "dark underbelly of Victorian London" in 1863 included kidnapping, a seemingly profitable venture. One could demand a ransom, provide a specimen to a private anatomist, or deliver a curiosity to a traveling circus.

Bridie Devine was devastated. Recently, she failed to find a lost child. She was hesitant to embark upon a quest to find another missing child, Christabel Berwick, the five year old daughter of Sir Edmund Berwick, a baronet. Christabel was anything but ordinary. She had been secreted away, her existence known only to a select few. "Christabel makes you 'remember'...memories you hardly knew you had...she also makes you think 'thoughts'...not entirely your own..."

Bridie enlisted help in her search for Christabel. Ever since she rescued seven foot Cora Butter from a bear cage in a traveling circus, Cora had been Bridie's devoted housemaid. Cora read Penny Dreadfuls and enjoyed singing hymns in "her glorious baritone". Mr. Ruby Doyle was a tattooed ghost, a former pugilist, who appeared to Bridie decked out in a top hat, boots and wearing only his draws. Rumold Fortitude Prudhoe, an experimental chemist and toxicologist, made sure Bridie's pipe was filled with Bronchial Balsam Blend, a "recreational creation".

"Things in Jars" by Jess Kidd provides the reader with entry into the world of collectors trading in curiosities, unethical medical practices, and newfangled methods of specimen preservation. Dark, macabre story elements are tempered with wicked humor. Riding in the Brighton +South Coast Railway Carriage, passengers express concern about a small woman [Bridie] sitting in second class "...whispering emphatically to the empty seat opposite her [Ruby Doyle]". Bridie exclaims, "I am forced to make my own entertainment, sir, which is talking to this...seat." Author Jess Kidd has written an amazing Victorian detective mystery replete with breathtaking prose.

Thank you Atria Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Things in Jars".

Things in Jars has a unique and highly entertaining style - highly atmospheric, hilarious but also a little bit creepy. This book has a lot of fun with the gothic genre and also enjoys turning some of the social conventions of 19th century London on their head.

Unfortunately the writing didn’t quite make up for the weak plot at times. The mystery was revealed early in the story, which meant we spent a lot of time watching Bridie slowly piece together clues to solve a puzzle we already knew the answer to. The supernatural elements aren’t particularly engaging either, as there’s not a lot of explanation about how the unique children at the centre of the plot fit into the broader world beyond the specific case of Christabel’s kidnapping.

A fun read, though not as gripping as I had originally hoped.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

4.5
A Victorian detective novel set in London, 1863..
This cast of characters is something g else.. Bridie, a red haired Irish woman..pipe smoking, a small and tough broad and her sidekick, a ghost named Ruby Doyle (especially loved these two)
Bridie is on a case to solve the kidnapping of six year old Cristabel Berwick, an “oddity of nature” who has pike like teeth, who smells of the sea and draws people’s memories out of them.

Jess Kidd is an amazing writer!
Here is a link where she talks about this book.

https://youtu.be/h6XLYHGDlyw

Thank you so much to Atria through Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A dark, gothic tale set in Victorian London starring Bridie Devine as a detective. Bridie also has a medical background as she was brought up in Dr. Eames' home and acted as an assistant to him. Bridie becomes involved in a case of a missing child. The child has some disturbing characteristics and is sought as a "collector's item" by several.

During this period in London much experimentation took place in the medical field with body organs, surgery, and medical procedures. There were collectors of esoteric anomalies, thus the title "Things in Jars". There are definitely some gruesome descriptions in the book.

There are supernatural elements to the story - a ghost named Ruby; supernatural powers attributed to the child; and other elements. Definitely imaginative and interesting. This one kept my attention. I did have to look up some language I wasn't familiar with, so I even learned a thing or two.

This is my first Jess Kidd novel, but I will be looking for more by her. I would like to see a sequel to this one with more of Bridie's advantures.

Thanks to Jess Kidd and Atria Books through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this Victorian London set mystery. Bridie was a fresh take on the detective and the story was filled with humor amongst the kidnapping plot, gore and seediness of London. The writing was wonderful but did take a bit to get into. Overall a great book to end 2019!

his book was incredibly written by a talented writer. Jess Kidd, you are amazing. I could not get over how lyrical, mysterious, and perfectly crafted this novel was. It took me quite some time to read it, but I enjoyed slowing down and taking in each word. It’s my assumption that the vast majority of readers will agree with me.

The novel takes place in the mid-1800’s and follows our main protagonist, Bridie, as she seeks to uncover the mystery of a stolen child with unnatural characteristics. I loved getting to know Bridie and her path to being this superb fact finder, and all of the interesting and unique characters she met along the way.

I especially loved her relationship with Ruby, who we meet at the beginning of the novel and whose friendly ghost follows Bridie throughout the story. It was a subtle romance that I latched onto, and my only qualm with the novel is that I am still not entirely sure that I know how the two were connected in real life. I have an assumption, but I am conflicted in my understanding was different perhaps than what Jess Kidd intended. I wish that had been a bit more clear; however, perhaps it is, and I just misinterpreted something.

All in all, I felt this was a fabulous book that fantasy and fiction lovers alike will enjoy!

My Thoughts
Did you read that synopsis? This book checks so many boxes for things I love in novels:  Victorian London, female sleuth, anatomists, gothic mystery, peculiar kid, supernatural powers, apothecaries! What is not to love, right? Unfortunately, it turns out there is quite a bit. Here are my pros and cons for Things in Jars:

Pros

1. The premise is outstanding.
2. Bridie is a very unique character.
3. Cora is a very unique character.
4. Ruby is a very unique character.
5. Christabel is a very unique character.
6. Some of the writing was exquisite. There were some instances where the words were crisp and descriptive and oh so very Victorian. While I do have complaints about some of the excessively descriptive writing in the book (see cons), there are times when the scene setting was so well done that I felt like I could feel and smell and see exactly where the story was taking place.
7. There was a Dickensian quality to the book that I appreciated, particularly with regard to some of the odd characters Bridie encounters during her investigations. Mr. Scudder and Mr. Hoy (guards at Newgate Prison) are good examples of these whimsical side characters.

Cons

1. The premise was outstanding… but a bit flawed in my opinion. The story felt a bit erratic. Throughout the entire book I felt like there wasn’t a solid focus on what the story was supposed to be. It almost seems like there were too many things going on at once and none of them got the real attention they needed to make this book great.
2. Bridie is a very unique character… but, I didn’t feel like I knew her. We even get some of her background story and I still didn’t feel like I knew her. There was so much potential to make her a truly outstanding character, but she was just too one-dimensional.
3. Cora is a very unique character… but she was really pointless to the story. If you are going to introduce a seven-foot tall housemaid into the story then give her a bigger part in the story. I felt like she needed to have more purpose and was essentially a wasted opportunity.
4. Ruby is a very unique character… but what the heck was he even in the story for? Honestly, I don’t get it. Ruby is a tattoo-covered ghost that follows Bridie around and helps her with things from time to time. To me, the whole Ruby plot line took this book from an interesting Victorian period fantasy/mystery story about a mythical creature, and turned it into a pseudo-paranormal farce. Ruby is interesting, don’t get me wrong, but he didn’t belong in this book. [And if I am supposed to believe that Ruby only existed to Bridie because of what she was smoking in her pipe, then his presence is even more useless and odd.]
5. Christabel is a very unique character… but I never got to know her either. Bridie could have been searching for a wooden box in the story, rather than a child, and it probably wouldn’t have made a difference to me. The fantasy surrounding Christabel wasn’t developed enough in my opinion.
6. Some of the writing was exquisite… but some of it was downright odd. There was one thing the author did so much that I started noting it. Every time a new character was introduced we’d be inundated with pages of background information about the person. Way too much background information in my opinion. We would get details about clothes they liked to wear, physical appearance, facial expressions, level of education, and even their philosophies on life. Most of this was unnecessary and pointless – even for the main characters! Plus, there was one type of phrase the author used over and over in these descriptions. Here are some examples:

“Slight of stature and large of head.”

“Sharp of nose and thin of lip.”

“Unremarkable of head, slim of shoulder.”

“Long of limb and thin of hair.”

“His face is steep of forehead, straight of nose, firm of chin, and trim of whiskers.”

This is just a small sampling of the instances of this phrasing in the book. Yes, it is very formal and very Victorian; however, it was so overused as new characters were introduced that I started having a Pavlovian reaction in anticipation of a new version of this phrase and I was never disappointed. It happens so frequently you could turn it into a drinking game while you are reading the book!

7. Some chapters started off strangely. For example, you will finish one chapter and start another and the beginning of the next chapter will randomly start talking about something completely different - like a bird flying around town and you will read about what the bird sees. There appears to be no link between this bird and what you were just reading! That is until you are several paragraphs – or even several pages – into this new, meandering interlude when the original storyline reappears. I found this to be quite distracting and for me it increased my inability to stay interested in the story.

Summary
I found some parts of this book to be long-winded, but other parts were beautifully written. The formal language used in this novel was either exquisite or verbose. It was honestly an either/or situation for me throughout– there was never a point where it was just good, it was either great or bad. Because of this, I felt myself frequently slipping in and out of interest in the story.

However, it if was just the writing style that impacted my enjoyment of the book, I’d have probably given it 3-stars. Alas, I really felt like the story had no focus and the characters were too one-dimensional. I can’t even categorize the book well! Is it mystery, paranormal, fantasy, magical realism, historical fiction, gothic horror? Interestingly, it is currently categorized as simply General Fiction by the publisher.

This book has a lot of potential, but sadly it just didn’t rise to it in my opinion and it wasn’t an enjoyable read for me overall. This appears to be an unpopular opinion regarding this book, but it is my honest one. I'm happy others were able to find more to like about it than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a free electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Page turning female detective novel set in Victorian times. Jess Kidd is extremely talented at setting the stage in Victorian England. Kidd's novels often feel as if they were written in the time in which they represent. The unpredicatable detailed plot will leave the reader satisfied.

What's not to love about historical fiction that brings together a special investigator of the unusual with a seven foot tall maid, a ghost, and a mythological creature that may or may not be real? Bridie Devine is tasked with finding the missing daughter of Sir Edmund Berwick, a very special girl of interest to many collectors of the odd or abnormal, obsessive collecting being all the rage in England in 1863. Bridie, aided by her maid Cora Butter and the ghost of Ruby Doyle, an Irish boxer, must find the missing girl before she comes to harm.

Kidd has crafted an intriguing mix of Gothic, mythology, mystery, and history. She is very skilled at creating the grimy, foggy, evil-smelling reality of Victorian London, inhabited by the poor and the rich, by villains and heroines. Fans of atmospheric Victorian novels with a touch of the supernatural will love Kidd's novel and, most of all, the character of Bridie who struggles to make a difference in a world where wickedness and brutality runs rampant.

#ThingsInJars #NetGalley

*Many thanks to Jess Kidd, Atria Books and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Meeting Birdie Devine, a female investigator, who in 1863 receives an offer from a baronet to find hs kidnapped daughter, was a pleasure. More than that, I was delighted to get acquainted with her and follow her efforts to uncover the truth behind the abduction. She is observant, intelligent, has no fear of the dead or alive, with one exception, perhaps, and she has been through a lot in life. And she is accompanied by a former boxer who, though dead, gives some advice, occasionally.
I loved everything about this mixture of HF, fantasy and gothic elements. The narration is exquisite, and the things we learn about Birdie's past definitely add to the atmosphere in the novel. All characters are vividly described, each with the characteristics that make them peculiar and particular. There is no character which is unnecessary, and the way Ms Kidd conncects them is brilliant. Birdie is a survivor, created by what she experienced and by whom she met in the past. I love Birdie!
When I saw the title of this book months ago, I immediately thought of the macabre the Victorians were so interested in, and it turned out, I was right. This novel has Victorian touch of the highest quality, and I truly recommend it to anyone eager to dive into a terrific read.

I just couldn't get into this book despite repeated attempts. I was lost from the beginning and never seemed to understand what was going on. Must not me my genre.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Jess Kidd introduces readers to a fascinating new fictional heroine, Bridie Devine, her primary character in her latest offering Things in Jars. This novel, by the author of Himself and Mr. Flood’s Last Resort, is a chimera of historical mystery and fantasy, with a pinch of romance added as well. Bridie Devine is a figure regarded with suspicious respect in Victorian England in her role as a female detective with an odd choice of interests and expertise. Her natural intellect and powers of deduction have become enhanced by an independent spirit and steely hardiness developed as a byproduct of her untraditional Irish background. When Bridie is brought in to help recover the kidnapped child of a Baronet, she wonders why she was selected for the assignment in lieu of the traditional authorities. It becomes clear, however, that the nature of this case involves some unsavory and fantastical elements that require a unique approach. A mystery regarding Bridie’s own past is interwoven with a main storyline that encompasses ghosts, mermaids, Resurrection Men, exploited circus “freaks,” and genetic oddities that attract the interest of unethical medical experimenters. There is a lot going on in this novel, and the stylized language and brief forays into the second person perspective exacerbate a sense of disorientation. Kidd does a fairly good job of keeping the narrative on track, however, with a steady pace and chapter/section breaks that help prevent the reader from getting too lost along the way. Although Things in Jars concludes in a satisfying way, the author leaves open the possibility of a sequel or series featuring Bridie Devine- a character that is compelling enough pique a reader’s interest in revisiting her world.
Thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.