3.5 stars, rounding up. Took me a long while to review this one after reading.

Jess Kidd is a great writer with an impressively weird-in-a-good-way brain, whose previous novels I’ve enjoyed, who here turns her considerable talents towards a Victorian mystery story. Where her other books have had more than a touch of magical realism, this one goes way more in on its preternatural elements, and because of its period nature it has a much sootier vibe.

I thought I would love this immensely, and I did like it, though not as much as I expected to. Bridie Devine, detective, is a fun main character and I enjoyed the piecing together of her personal history along with her piecing together of the case she’s employed to solve. Interesting coincidences abound, and often prove to be something more.

But I did find the pacing a bit slow at times, and — this may just be me, but I found that Kidd’s describing of characters as “something of something,” e.g., a woman being “plump of body and red of lip” rather than just being a plump woman with red lips (I am making that particular example up, but you get the idea), was overdone to the point where it started to kick me out of the story.

VIctorian London. When I think of this place I've never been, I think of mystic air, large Victorian houses that loom over the streets, and vines creepy up those very same houses. I think of women who wear long, black skirts and have a black umbrella overhead, blocking the drops of rain falling from the cloudy sky.

Best of all, Things in Jars gave us a heroine to root for! Bride is a detective with strongwill, determination, and independent. Though confusing at first, it's worth sticking it out because this novel gives the patient reader a huge reward for finishing!

I'm intrigued and want to read more Jess Kidd!

What a delightful book to fall into during this challenging time we're living through! Bridie is Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and the best of herself all rolled into one engaging character. And then there is Ruby. Ahh, had a wee crush on him myself, dead or not!

The plot is dark and mystical, hideous and facinating and the collection of oddities is revealed in all its sad historical horror. The mysteries that unfold slowly and teasingly only add to the overall. Cora is wonderful and the blending of these main characters' pasts is brought together with the best author's touch. I loved it!

Thank you to Jess Kidd, Simon and Schuster and Netgalley.com for the utter pleasure of reading and reviewing this novel.

When I read Himself by Jess Kidd last year, I was absolutely intrigued by an author that can weave such an unusual fantastical tale. She has that natural Irish flare for telling a story in a way that is utterly beautiful and equally captivating. When I saw Things in Jars up for review, I knew I just had to grab it and I was not disappointed! My one challenge with Himself, is while I loved the writing and the story, I wasn't particularly connected with any of the characters. But the heroine of Things in Jars, Bridie Divine is absolutely perfect!

Set in 1860's London, Bridie is a former Irish street rat who bounced around as an orphan and has an eclectic set of skills and tough constitution for a woman of her time. She makes her way as a private investigator who takes on unusual cases especially those that remind her of her own journey, namely lost (and in this case peculiar) children. When she is asked to help find a stolen child who has been hidden due to her otherworldly nature, the journey she finds herself on is spellbinding. The story flips back and forth between her current case and her childhood and unveils the dark underbelly of London society, fascinated with oddities and uncovering more about the innerworkings of humanity. She is surrounded by an immense and enchanting cast of characters including a ghostly suitor who valiantly courts her even though she has no recollection of why he might be so enamored with her (Ruby is by far my favorite part of the story!).

Like Himself, the writing is at times equally breathtaking and confusing but I promise you will be so invested in solving the mystery. If you trust the author and the journey she is taking you on, all the unusual ribbons will lead towards a very satisfying bow of a conclusion. This one gets 4.5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

After reading the synopsis, I was very much looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, the pacing of the book was far to slow. It did not hold my attention and became a chore to read, sadly.

I did not share my opinions in a review outside of NetGalley on this title.

I kept postponing reading this book but ultimately decided to go ahead. It's a book situated in a Victorian era, with some magical elements to it. It's an investigation on a disappearance of a girl, but then some other odd things happen. And they find some weird specimens kept in jars (hence the name). It's not the type of book I would read, but if the description sounds appealing to you, go ahead and have fun.

I was completely enthralled by this book. I hope it continues on as a series! The ending made me think it might...

Bridie Devine is one of the most engaging, enjoyable investigators I've ever read about. The writing was wonderful - I love Jess Kidd's style.

This should have been a book that was made for me, but I really didn't enjoy the story. By the end, I felt very lukewarm.

I have tried many times to get into this book and never succeed. Giving up on this one, in spite of all the glowing reviews I see on Goodreads.

By the end of the prologue, I knew I was starting a very special novel. This author's skill in diction, creating vivid imagery, and ability to render characters is exceptional. The book's supernatural elements manage to escape the pitfalls of their tropes and lend a lot of atmosphere to the novel. I sincerely hope the author pursues a series with Bridie as she is one of my favorite characters I have run across in a very long time.

This was such a pleasure to read. I finished it within a day. Creepy and filled with humor. Mystery and mythology entwined. I hope there is a second book because I fell in love with Bridie and the boxer.

I finished this back in December and forgot to review on here, my apologies.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster (Atria Books) and to Jess Kidd for the opportunity.

This was definitely an unusual book! An investigative main character with a 7-foot-tall housemaid and a dead boxer as sidekicks are not something you find on your bookshelf every day! I really enjoyed the paranormal twists throughout the story, and I felt that the mystery was extremely compelling. There were parts of the book that had me a bit bored, but on the whole, this was an interesting book!

I would recommend this for readers that enjoy a paranormal mystery!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately, I did not download this in time to read and review. I will pay attention next time and not let it happen again. Thank you.

Things In Jars by Jess Kidd is what I can only describe as a playful gothic. Kidd’s language, story, characters, and creature feature embedded against a backdrop of a dark, dirty, moody London plunges the reader into a strange story.

Unfortunately, it did not pull me in completely. I loved the first half of the novel and expected to get used to the flowery language and overuse of adjectives but it really took away from the storyline for me. Each chapter began with a page and a half vignette of the setting or a lengthy character description, then maybe a page of plot and an abrupt end to each chapter. The following chapter would start in a completely different location with a different character. It took me out of the story in a big way. I love descriptive writing but it needs a strong and consistent plot to pull it together.

As with the background of Himself, the idea of the merrow in Things in Jars by Jess Kidd is found in Irish folklore. However, it is the background for the book but not the story. Although the book starts with the missing child, this is ultimately Birdie's story. Ultimately, this story set in folklore, darkness, oddities, and disturbing images turns into a much more prosaic one of the scars of childhood. I wish it had been more.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/01/things-in-jars.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

Jess Kidd's Things in Jars is a fantastical novel that explores the darker, gothic aspects of Victorian London. It's magical and mysterious as detective and minor surgeon Birdie Devine puts her sleuthing talents to work to find Christabel, the secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick.

With a quirky and wondrous ensemble cast of characters, Kidd creates a compulisvely readable tale.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd is such a unique story. I don't think I have ever read anything quite like it before. Such a quirky cast of characters. I loved Birdie Devine. This book has a little bit of everything: romance, mystery, and magic. If you are looking for something completely different I recommend Things in Jars!

I found this story quite confusing at first.

Our detective Bridie is an interesting character - it takes tiny snippets through the whole book before learning significant details of her childhood and earlier life. I admired her independence, cunning, and ability to use disguises in her detective work.

The part of the story I wished had more focus was with the former boxer, current ghost, Rudy. Bridie spends all her energy maintaining an aloofness to Rudy and it’s only in the last pages we learn of their earlier connection.

Overall entertaining story that will be enjoyed by readers of historical fiction with an unusual lean towards the paranormal.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Stories featuring supernatural occurrences and characters are not usually my thing but Things in Jars was written so lyrically that I was pretty much mesmerised by the whole book, despite my cynical disbelieving brain.

Kidd’s descriptive way of writing is captivating. I must admit it took a bit to get used to but a few chapters in I was truly enchanted with her intricate plot and her quirky characters and their peculiarities.

Our heroine is Bridie who I would describe as a woman born into the wrong time. Intelligent and empathetic, Bridie would most likely be a forensic pathologist if born in modern times. In London in the mid 1800s, she is forced to dress up as a man to view the latest advances in medicine and sell her skills as a private detective of sorts to solve mysteries. Her current case is that of a kidnapping of a child with rumoured unnatural powers, likened by all that have encountered her to a mermaid.

The plot has a lot more to it; the book is very multilayered and the impressive thing is how Kidd links everything together, including a series of flashbacks featuring Bridie's tumultuous past.

Actually, to be honest, the reader doesn’t really have to solve the mystery of whodunnit in Things in Jars. The villains of the piece are revealed very early on. It is more about how all these baddies are connected to each other and connected to Bridie’s past that will keep you engrossed.

All the minor characters are great. The aforementioned villains were all repulsive but none were two dimensional. There’s a lot of humorous scenes featuring the supporting characters in Bridie's corner including her seven foot ex circus act maid and Ruby, a ghost she picks up at the cemetery. The way Bridie talks to Ruby constantly creates a lot of comic scenes. Just checking a few reviews, I’d say I’m probably in the minority when it comes to Ruby. At times I didn’t really get the point of him and kept expecting some major climactic scene featuring him which didn’t really eventuate. Bridie also has a bit of a romance with him which was supposed to be poignant and sad but just didn’t work for me. I much preferred her other suitor, the quiet but competent Detective Rose.

London is a character in itself. Its squalor and poverty of the time are perfectly captured in Kidd’s impressive prose. It is the ideal gothic setting to give the supernatural aspects of the story some believability. And the atrocities carried out in the name of science, medicine and entertainment of the era are by equal measure heartbreaking and horrifying.

Although we get a resolution at the end of the book, Kidd also teases us that Bridie might become the heroine in a series of books. Sign me up if this is the case.

4 ½ out of 5

I opted not to post this review to sites because I didn't want my rating to impact other's choice to read it. This book was not for me; however I'm positive this book will work for SO many others. In fact, I've recommended it to a few of my friends that I knew would enjoy it.