Thank you Netgalley and Atria for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! A female sleuth that isn’t being marketed as somehow related to Sherlock is a great way to get my attention. Victorian Gothic? Ghosts? Sign me up! Content warning for dog death.

Rants, raves, and Reviews
I’ll be honest, I didn’t love this book like I thought I would. This book is marketed as a Gothic mystery that has folklore and fairy tales and GHOST. And occasionally it made me laugh too! But overall this book fell flat for me.
WE are introduced to Bridie as she’s in her thirties. She’s a well known detective, who recently had a case where she failed to find a child. This might be part of my disconnect with the book — while we do get some of Bridie’s background, this book reads a bit like it’s in the middle of a series rather than a stand alone novel. I’m not saying I need a book to be an introduction/or a book about their first case or how they became a detective, but usually when they aren’t, there is a surrogate for the audience to come along for the ride. Sherlock was already known for being a detective; Watson was our surrogate as we stepped into the world. Without that character, I felt frequently like I was trying to catch up rather than enjoy the ride. And really, this should be a straight forward ride. We figure out fairly quickly who kidnapped the kid; in fact Bridie basically knows who has the kid almost immediately after she’s presented the case. The question for Bridie most of the book is where is the child, and who are these other dead bodies that are starting to pile up?
There is also something about the way this book tries to blend in the supernatural and folklore that just doesn’t work for me. I like Ruby the ghost and the mystery surrounding who is he, though the resolution left me wanting more. I think that’s just my take away from this book — I constantly wanted more. It didn’t quite reach the atmospheric, Gothic feel that was promised. It didn’t lean enough into the supernatural or lean towards the fact that the supernatural was a hoax.
That being said, I was strangely compelled to finish the book. I liked Bridie, and I really liked the flashbacks and learning about her childhood and how she, as a woman, became so medically inclined and brilliant. And while I don’t mesh with Kidd’s book, I like and appreciate her writing.

Final Thoughts
Honestly, I think I’m more an outlier when it comes to this book. It’s leaving me scratching my head a good bit as to why I didn’t love it, even though I did enjoy it. So this is one of those cases where I’m going to say if anything about Gothic, Victorian mermaids sounds interesting to you then give this book a shot, even if you tend to agree with me on books!

I have been sitting in front of my computer for almost a hour trying to figure out how to start this review. My brain can't come up with anything except, "holy sh*t, how does Jess Kidd's brain work?" I have never read anything quite like Things In Jars. A mixture of historical fantasy, mystery and fantasy, Things in Jars is a unique piece of fiction with witty, multidimensional characters that will keep you reading. This read is definitely a slow burn, but my is likely one of the best slow burns of 2020.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgally for an ARC of this novel in return for my honest opinion.

A dark, Gothic mystery set in 1860's London, Things in Jars by Jess Kidd takes us on a tale of kidnapping, murder, science, fairy tale and perhaps a little romance. Bridie is a very likable character and I enjoyed her tale being told both in her past and in her present. Her sidekicks on this journey were enjoyable as well. A wonderful historical mystery!

This wildly weird book set amidst the strange creatures of Victorian England’s imagination is delightfully creepy. Bridie Devine is resurrectionist girl, an investigator, and a woman whose affections are shared with a ghost and a policeman. She has seen many of the stranger sights of this world and the next, and faces them unafraid. Jess Kidd takes a strange theme and runs with it through the haunted streets of London, mixing fairy tale with pseudo-science.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Victorians are enchanted by Things in Jars. As you will be, after reading this spellbinding mystery.

Mrs. Bridie Devine, widow and consulting detective in Victorian London, has a personal problem. She can see dead people. Well, at least one, recently dead boxer Ruby Doyle.

Bridie also has a case. Sir Edmund, a baronet, is a widower. He has one secret daughter, six-year-old Christabel. She, and her nurse, Mrs. Bibby, are missing—presumed kidnapped. However, Sir Edward is convinced no one but his doctor, his doctor’s young daughter, his butler, his housekeeper, and the missing nurse knew of Christabel relationship to him. So how would an outsider know to kidnap her? And why was she kept hidden from the world?

The descriptions of the Victorian world are extensive and immersive. You feel like you are seeing Sherlock Holmes’ environment with new eyes. This book whole-heartedly embraces the dark, criminal, and poverty-stricken underbelly of London rarely seen in other Victorian detective novels. The touch of paranormal adds interest to the story. It fits in well with the era’s fascination with séances and the occult.

However, my favorite part is how the author gets you to believe in things you left behind in fairy tales. It is just amazing! Alas, I don’t want to rob you of the surprising reveal in the book.

I highly recommend Things in Jars. It is an absolutely unique story. I guarantee you have never read a story like this before. While it is a historical detective tale, it is so much more. 5 stars and one of my favorites that I won’t soon forget!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another melodic masterpiece from Jess Kidd. After devouring Kidds "himself" I immediately sought more from this talented author. Kidd puts word to paper in a way I've never experienced before. Going back to reread sentences purely to enjoy their poetry kept me immersed in this book longer than it took to read. An enjoyable twisting and turning story made even more pleasurable by its word mastery.

Huge thank you to Atria Books for the ARC! Opinions are all my own.

Things in Jars is a fantastical mystery novel filled with exquisite prose and Victorian Gothic charm. We follow headstrong and eccentric Bridie Devine, a middle-aged detective who works on the most unusual of cases. Alongside a charming and unforthcoming ghost named Ruby from her past that she cannot remember, and giant ex-circus member Cora, Bridie investigates the systematic abduction of Christabel, a young girl whose peculiar traits are just as much a mystery as her disappearance.

What stood out immediately to me was the four-dimensional imagery brought to life in the writing. For example, literally in the prologue:

“The cook snores fruity, unpeeled, and well soaked under warm sheets, as solid and brandy scented as plum pudding. She dreams of matchless soufflés; she hunts them down as she sails in a saucepan over a gravy sea.”

Jess Kidd has some of the best descriptive writing I’ve ever seen and it was by far my favorite element!

I would say most criticisms of this novel center around the lyrical writing, which for me was not a major issue, but I can definitely see how it could be for others. I did occasionally find myself a little lost within the wordage, and know that if you really value fast-paced plot this might prove annoying.
I also would’ve loved to learn more about the folklore surrounding merrows! We’ve all heard of mermaids and sirens, but not their Irish relative, the merrow. From what we’re told they seem extremely interesting, so I wanted a little bit more!

Things in Jars was such a happy marriage of the things I personally love in a story: mythology and folklore, a puzzle-like plot and romance. I think you’d like Things in Jars if you’re looking for all the above, and/or need a palette cleanse. The story is so fresh and unique and is sure to leave a lasting impact on anyone who reads it!

This is not the book for me. I do not have the time to devote to this story right now. It’s definitely a book that needs the readers full, undivided attention. I will hopefully one day come back to it and be able to let myself get immersed in this story.

This isn't a good-bye forever, but a good-bye for now. Things in Jars should be a book written for me: a Victorian mystery, the kidnapping of a child with supernatural powers and a venomous bite, a female detective who teams up with a 7-foot-tall bearded housekeeper and the ghost of a boxer covered in tattoos that move. While each one of those aspects intrigues me, I think all together they just didn't work as I had hoped.

Another review mentioned she wasn't able to give this book the time and attention it so rightly deserves. This book is NOT one to meander through while really watching The Bachelor. Instead, this tale is one that requires 100% from the reader and even when I was devoted to the story, I found myself not quite understanding what was going on.

That said, I never wanted to completely set it aside and still don't. I'm still incredible intrigued by the plot and would love to see where it goes...but further down the road when I do have the time to give.

Bridie Devine is an unlikely detective who has a talent for reading the bodies of the dead and determining their manner of passing. She was surprised to be offered a case to find a missing girl, the daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, who was an unusual child and so had been hidden away since birth. Knowing that people were fascinated by the different and strange, Bridie wonders if this unusual child was taken to be sold to a collector of oddities or possibly to a traveling show. Assisting Bridie in her endeavors is Ruby Doyle, a former prize fighter who is now a ghost, and Cora Butters, the seven foot tall housemaid Bridie rescued from an uncomfortable situation.

The writing is lovely, very descriptive, which made it quite easy to imagine the characters and scenery. I felt the book started slowly, and even with the flowery descriptions, my attention wandered. I had trouble getting through Things in Jars; it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

My thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher and author for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Things in Jars follows the divine Bridie Devine, lady detective, she of the flaming red hair, green eyes and "biblical temper," as she tries to solve the case of a stolen child. Navigating the dark underbelly of Victorian London, Bridie, her giantess ladies maid Cora (one of Bridie's many rescues and the reason she hasn't had a good dinner in years), and the ghost of a fighter by who goes by Ruby, fear the child has been sold to one of those curiosity carnivals that display unusual humans. Just like the one that once held Cora like a slave. When it becomes apparent that the child may also have been stolen by the man who hired Bridie, the mystery of the child deepens. When the abusive son of the man who once bought her for a guinea when she was a ten-year-old child reenters the picture in the middle of her investigation, Bridie is even further unsettled. But Bridie is an indomitable woman and you can count on her to try to have a better outcome than her last case, where a little boy was killed by his captors, who deemed him just as valuable a specimen dead as alive.

I also took the time to listen to the audiobook, narrated Jacqueline Milne, and can highly recommend it. In fact, it resulted in my bumping my review up to five stars. A dark story full of colorful characters that has the reader both appalled by how callous some people can be and how committed to justice others are.


I received a Digital Review Copy and a paper review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love dark gothic mysteries and I've seen a ton of positive reviews for Things In Jars, so I was very excited to read it. Unfortunately, it left me very disappointed. The writing was very wordy and pretentious, and it didn't hold my attention at all. I did not connect with any of the characters. I am not sure why so many people loved Things In Jars, I felt like I was reading a different book from everyone else. I don't think I will be reading anything else from this author.

DNF @50%
After several stops and starts, I finally just had to call it a day with this one. Or more like a month because I've been trying to forge ahead with this book for some time, and it just isn't happening. The blurb hooked me pretty quickly, but the story just didn't do it for me. I found it to be wordy and try as I might, I never got invested in the characters or the story. Everything about this one seems like it should've been right up my alley, and I've been hearing great things about the story, so I'm just going to chalk it up wrong time, wrong mood, wrong me - whichever it is, this one clearly wasn't for me, so it's time to let it go and move on.

Definitely closer to a 4.5 for me! Victorian/gothic novels are always my jam, and in Things in Jars Kidd creates a jaunty yet emotional tale that is addicting, heartwarming and bittersweet. The story begins with a seemingly simple mystery—find a missing girl—that only unravels to encompass the past of our main character, Bridie, uncovering what was long thought buried. This story is expansive, and Kidd weaves together many different threads, playing with the narrative structure as one chapter might follow a raven, acting as an omniscient narrator, while another follows closely with a secondary character as they observe a seemingly irrelevant moment. Yet these dalliances from the "main" action only serve to enhance the story and add greater detail and understanding to moments that come later on. It is clear that Kidd has honed her craft, and takes joy in letting her creativity out.

Kidd makes Victorian London come to life, filled with all the odd characters, and grime and grist that one might expect while balancing that with moments of small graces. Her scenes are intimate and really personify a place we can only know now through historical accounts and a healthy dose of imagination.

I found it quite interesting to go back and forth between past and present. We follow Bridie in the present, as she hunts for the missing girl, and also delve into her past and how she came to be what she is today. There is an interesting lack of clarity to Bridie's own past—a haziness in her memories that is distinctly realistic and understandable, especially when one's history is full of trauma. Even though this story is told in the third-person, Kidd is able to make us feel so close to Bridie and the other characters that the story revolves around.

I do wish there was more resolution regarding Bridie's relationship to Ruby, which I thought was quite unexpected in the end. But even as I type that, there is so much emotion in said scene that I also feel a bit satisfied? Even so... I wish there was a bit more direct explaining-of-secrets regarding their relationship, as it was only hinted at in the end.

This is a lovely gothic story, and if you're looking for an engaging, fun and thoughtful historical read, I definitely recommend this!

Truly wondrous. After finishing this novel yesterday, I knew I needed at least 24 hours to come back to myself because it was such an incredible experience I couldn't figure out how to write about it. I greatly enjoyed Jess Kidd's last novel, Himself, to the point where I'd call it one of my top 5 reads of that year so I was thrilled to start Things in Jars. And guess what? Somehow, Kidd's newest story is even better!

There is this permeating feeling of otherworldliness throughout the story, like it exists within the veil between this world and the fantastic. It's slightly creepy, kinda dark, and yet intoxicating and beautiful, you just can't look away (or in this case stop reading). There's a great mystery to Kidd's prose. I love the cadence of it and the word choice is absolutely spectacular. You can soak into her words and it's an incredible feeling. It's also enhanced by the strange folklore that runs alongside the mystery itself.

The characters of this book really shine. It's impossible not to adore Bridie who somehow manages to be super tough, wicked smart, and fearfully vulnerable all at the same time. Her maid Cora, and all the others, each add something unique to the story without distracting from the well-paced plot. The main villain is truly scary but you'll find that there's more to many of those who appear to be villains at the beginning as the story continues. My favorite character though was Ruby. I couldn't get enough of him and his sweet unconventional romance with Bridie truly broke my heart (which was another reason I had to wait to review, I was a mess!) but it was worth the pain for how lovely it was.

Really, I can't find a single fault with this book. It was true perfection and I part of me wishes I could completely forget it so I could read it again with that first time magic. I totally recommend this captivating book for any reader but those who enjoy 19th century London, detective-ish mysteries, and strong female leads will appreciate it even more so.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Atria Books, and the author Jess Kidd for the opportunity to do so.

I enjoyed the character development and the integration of historical novel and gothic thriller work incredibly well. I found this book intriguing from the start, and the descriptive language was delightful and made this book so much more than what its premise can seem.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

3.5/5
This was a different type of read for me, a gothic mystery, set in Victorian London. It was a little creepy and dark but also had some humorous moments, and the characters were quite interesting, characters that included a ghost of a tattooed boxer. I did find it to be a bit slow for me in some parts but thought the writing was very well done. Jess Kidd is certainly a great storyteller. This was the first of her books I have read and do plan on reading some of her previous books.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

Nobody writes better than Jess Kidd.

Bridget Devine—you may call her Bridie—is an investigator for hire. She’s small of stature, with green eyes and a mane of auburn hair. She smokes a pipe, keeps a dagger strapped to her ankle and poison darts in her boot heels, and wears “the ugliest bonnet in Christendom.” The year is 1863; the place is Britain. Bridie has been hired to find a kidnapped child. A dead pugilist named Ruby has volunteered his assistance; he had a soft spot for her while he lived, and now that he’s deceased, his affection for her lives on.

My thanks go to Net Galley and Atria Books for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

The subject of her inquiries is an extraordinary girl named Christabel. Christabel has unusual qualities; it is said that she is a merrow, a mermaid-like being that loves snails and salamanders can tell what others are thinking, has teeth like a pike that she uses freely against those that displease her, and can drown humans on dry land. Bridie is having none of it. “Christabel is a child. She is not a merrow because they are legendary beasts that do not exist in real life, only in fables.” So what if hundreds of snails appear everywhere the child has turned up?

The search for Christabel takes Bridie and her assistants all over Victorian London. Kidd is a champ with regard to time and place, taking us deep into the past. In particular, we visit the charlatans that collect and sometimes experiment with people born with disabilities or distinctions, as a form of sordid entertainment for those with prurient interests. There are some passages here that won’t work well for the squeamish.

The side characters are magnificent. We have Cora Butters, the housemaid that accompanies Bridie. Cora is seven feet tall and has muttonchop whiskers. Her huge hands make her a formidable defender when the going gets rough. There are others, but some of the most entertaining are the critters: a sarcastic parrot and a sage python are among them.

Those that have read Kidd’s first novel, Himself and her second, Mr. Flood’s Last Resort (in UK it was titled The Hoarder) will be delighted once again to find Kidd’s distinctive voice and brilliant word smithery in full flower once more. There are differences as well; there’s more of a story arc, and along with that we see the best figurative language and the wickedest humor after about the sixty percent mark. At the heart of it all is the same disdain for pretense, and the same deep respect for the working class.

My records show that I’ve reviewed over 1,300 titles over the past few years, and of the review copies I’ve received, I’ve chosen to read fewer than 10 of them a second time. This book will be one of them.

Aren’t we done here? Get a copy of this book and read it soon so that you can buy another copy to wrap up for Valentine’s Day. Because Jess Kidd’s books are peerless, and you should only give the very best.

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd
Available now from Atria Books

Part historical mystery, part paranormal thriller, Things in Jars by Jess Kid is a magical and breathtaking journey through the dark corners of Victorian London. Following Bridie Devine as she works the disturbing case of a missing child, the story unfolds in flashbacks of Bridie’s troubled childhood and the unusual life of the missing daughter of a wealthy and eccentric man.
Told the girl has lived in secret in her nursery, cared for by a limited number of servants, Bridie is convinced that the girl is extraordinary and not the biological child of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick. With the help of her lady’s maid, a ghost, and her apothecary, Bridie investigates the child’s nurse and fellow servants but the sudden and violent deaths of local residents provide ties to a broadening array of suspects.
This book is wonderfully dark and magical. The first chapter nearly threw me off but I quickly got into the rhythm of Jess Kidd’s storytelling and fell in love with the character of Bridie. She’s incredibly intelligent and independent and chooses to live her life on her own terms. Her lady’s maid Cora is described as being seven foot tall and very protective of Bridie. The two of them work closely together and sometimes seem as though they read each other’s minds. With the help of Prudhoe’s Bronchial Balsam Blend in her pipe, Bridie is able to see ghosts and becomes haunted by Ruby Doyle, a famous boxer. Following along on her investigations, Ruby provides insight and uses his ghostly abilities to assist Bridie, but keeps the secret of his identity from her. He tells her repeatedly that they know each other and he’ll haunt her until she remembers. Reader friends, when she remembers...so good.
Christable, our missing daughter is a mystery. She has the ability to draw water and snails to her and has a disturbing fascination with newts. Christable never speaks and her bite is said to be poisonous. What is she? I have no idea. I don’t think I’ve ever entered so many notes into my Kindle as I did over what in the world Christabel is.
This book reminded me strongly of Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield in tone and wonderfully weird storyline. Things in Jars, like Once Upon a River is an incredibly dark and drenched story. Water is so important to the story that you can feel the dampness on the pages.
With an intriguing cast of characters, Things in Jars is perfect for those who love odd and wonderfully weird stories. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this story. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

This is the story of Bridget Devine, who is hired to find the missing daughter of a baronet in 1800’s London. The little girl goes missing from her home, along with her nurse. Bridget. (Bridie) comes to find out that the little girl has some “special” features. These features make the little girl very attractive to anatomists and circus owners.

Bridie gets help on her case from her 7 foot tall housekeeper and a ghost, who follows her around. The author has created some very unique characters that I really liked; and some others that I really disliked. The author uses a lot of descriptive prose to describe London in the 1800’s and makes it seem very dark and grimy. However, it took me quite awhile to finish this book due to all the descriptive language. Although it’s great to describe locations in detail, this went on for too long. Even Chapter 13 starts with pages and pages of descriptive text. All in all it was a good story, but I just wish it was a little shorter.

My thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.