Another wonderful book from one of my most favorite authors and this time it appears she is starting a cosy mystery series called Nora Breen Investigates. Being an inveterate reader of series this is my idea of heaven!

Nora Breen is an ex nun who is searching for her friend Frieda, whose regular correspondence has suddenly ceased. Nora goes to live at the last place she heard from Frieda, Gull's Nest - a hotel near the sea in Kent, where we find a curious mix of long term residents. She begins her very purposeful search but then people start dying and her investigations extend to include murder.

There are lots of unusual characters to enjoy, heaps of red herrings and a very amusing relationship between Nora and the local Detective. All this written in Jess Kidd's wonderful style. She really has a magic way with words and it puts this "cosy" into a class of its own. I cannot wait for the next book.

A new Jess Kidd novel is always a treat and Murder at Gulls Nest is no exception! Subtitled as Nora Breen Investigates #1 I was delighted to see that this is the first book in a new cosy mystery series, set in the 1950s. Murder mystery in a seaside setting is like catnip to me, so I knew I would love this even before I started.

Nora, known for the previous thirty years as nun, Sister Agnes, is a classic Jess Kidd character, albeit minus any supernatural goings on (elements of which have been signatures in previous Jess Kidd novels). She’s a blend of charming, fragile and hugely-likeable characteristics.

We meet her as she arrives at Gulls Nest, a slightly run-down boarding house in the seaside village of Gore-on-Sea, Kent. Nora is following in the footsteps of fellow nun and friend, Frieda who, following an illness, was prescribed fresh sea air, so left the convent to get just that.

Frieda wrote to Nora weekly, so when the letters stopped, Nora began to worry and made the decision to also leave the convent and make sure her friend was OK.

At Gulls Nest she discovers her gut instinct was right. Frieda has gone missing. While trying to discover why, Nora acquaints herself with the other boarders in the house – a mixed bag to say the least. From glamorous owner, Helena and her daughter, Dinah, to newlyweds, Stella and Teddy, chef Bill Carter and Professor Poppy, a older gentleman, plus the mysterious Karel Jezek.

While Nora is trying to get to the bottom of Freida’s disappearance, murder strikes at Gulls Nest. The police don’t initially think foul play is involved, but Nora looks a little deeper and makes it her business to get close to Inspector Rideout, local detective leading the case, and show him what he’s missed. This doesn’t go down amazingly well, but it does spark in Nora a love for detection. And the initial shoots of a delightful friendship between Nora and Rideout.

Murder at Gulls Nest was a wonderful read. From the many layers of all the character’s back-stories (including Nora’s) that are seamlessly woven together, to the simmering sexual tension between Inspector Rideout and Nora, to the lovely way Nora is rediscovering who she is and how to enjoy life. I can’t wait for the next instalment in the series!

Kidd’s novels are always a pleasure to read because each one is so different from the last. However this one, set in a southern seaside town in the 1950s, is the first in a series and introduces amateur sleuth Nora Breen. Breen, formerly Sister Agnes, has left the convent where she has resided for thirty years in order to look for her friend Frieda. A young former nun, Frieda has written letters regularly to her since she went out into the world but Nora has become concerned as she hasn’t received one for some time.
She takes a room at Gulls Nest boarding house, Freida’s last address, and when one of her fellow boarders is found dead Nora finds herself with two mysteries to solve. She sets about acquainting herself with the lives of the other lodgers whilst also consulting the local constabulary and building a rapport with the detective there.

Kidd enriches the novel with her humour and well- drawn characters, some of whom have quite quirky personalities. Nora is a delightful creation - wise, nosey and kind- and I’m looking forward already to reading about her next adventure.

Thank you very much to the publishers for the ARC.

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd. To be published on 13th March.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Faber and Faber for the ARC.
This is the first foray into cosy crime and looks like it will be a series starring a former nun Nora Breen and DI Roehide. I liked it but wasn't blown away. I'm a big fan of her earlier books which have been quirky and different. This book just feels like yet another cosy crime story. Jess Kidd writes beautifully and her characters are always interesting, it just fell a bit short of 5⭐️.

I loved Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd, yet reading it was also like fingernails screeching down a blackboard. Let me explain…

Nora Breen used to be a nun. She cared for a sick nun (Frieda) who was advised to move to the coast – the seaside air might help. Frieda did this but ceased writing after a letter that said “I believe every one of us at Gulls Nest is concealing some kind of secret – I shall make it my business to find out [...]” Good grief! Dear naïve investigators and other disposable heroines, if you know whodunnit, just tell someone. Don’t send a message to the effect “I’ll tell you later”, just blurt it out to anyone nearby. Nora has left the convent and has come to Gore-on-Sea to find out what’s happened to Frieda.

This is a book that deserves to be read but… Dear Ms Kidd, I wish you wouldn’t write in the present tense. Some readers are pro- and some are anti-. I am definitely an anti-present tense reader. I find it a huge distraction. It does not make me feel present and involved; it makes me think, “What is this author doing? Why do they think that it adds suspense or realism? I, the reader, never feel any sense of jeopardy.” I think it creates a barrier between the reader and the text every time - no exceptions whatsoever. It never ever works for me. Others, of course, will have different, equally valid, views.

I have minor quibbles with a few details: the first couple of days seem to switch from early morning (there is a milkman making deliveries) to evening when the light is failing. No lunch? No mention of hunger in the absence of lunch? If Stella was worried about being late, was she likely to spend time skimming stones across the waves? The book is set in about 1953. Although refreshment trollies had been seen on trains then, they were staggeringly rare and it was unlikely that Nora and Irene watched one roll by. Similarly, it’s unlikely that Nora fastened a seat belt when she sat in a car. A good book creates a believable world; and engenders feelings in the reader of being there and being invested in the characters and their doings. Although those minor anomalies are of little importance, they chip away at that immersive feeling and the reader becomes more detached and less involved.

However, I loved the plot; I loved the characters; and I cried at one place. The denouement is very well done and I was spellbound by Nora’s unspoken attitude of “I have no time to mess about. If I need you to tell me something, I will make you tell me – and you may feel pain when I do so.” I was gripped by her interrogation of Percy – what a brilliant description of a bully getting his come-uppance! I really do recommend this book – if you can tolerate the present tense.

#MurderatGullsNest #NetGalley

I absolutely adore Jess Kidd's books, and this was no exception. 'Murder at Gulls Nest' is a bit different to her usual fare, though, but no less enjoyable for it. The story centres on Nora Breen, an ex-nun who goes in search of her missing friend, and washes up in Gore-on-Sea, in a crumbling guest house. All the characters were so well drawn, and the setting itself was almost a character on its own, lending a nostalgic air to the book. I was completely gripped by the mystery - more than one murder, and a missing person - and I thought that Kidd wove a tight and compelling tale all the way through. Great stuff!

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd is set in the early 1950s and England is still scarred from World War II. There’s still some rationing in place, there are widows, children without fathers, men who returned from the war who aren’t quite the same as they once were. It centres on a fictional Kent seaside town, Gore-on-Sea, and on the residents of the Gulls Nest boarding house.

One of the residents, Frieda, has gone missing. The residents believe that she did a moonlight flit and aren’t unduly concerned because seaside towns attract transient types.

Nora is a friend of Frieda’s and is so concerned about her disappearance that she travels to Gore-on-Sea and takes up residence (incognito) at Gulls Nest to investigate her friend’s disappearance.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. I loved the fish-out-water factor that Nora brings to investigating Frieda’s disappearance. Nora has been cloistered nun and nurse for thirty years, the world has changed a lot, and she’s trying not to draw attention to herself and is just trying to pass as a woman of a certain.age and not as a former nun. On top of that, she’s not disclosed her relationship with Frieda in an attempt to get more details about Frieda’s time in Gore-on-Sea.

All the residents are interesting characters with their own histories. Nora investigates whether one of them is responsible for Frieda’s disappearance. It’s not long before Nora is investigating more than Frieda’s disappearance and assisting the local police.

I defy anyone not to warm to Nora with her no-nonsense approach to life, her great sense of humour and her tremendous empathy. This is a great book and I can’t wait to read more books where Nora investigates with the assistance of the police officer Rideout!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Faber & Faber, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Murder at Gull’s Nest is the first book in the Nora Breen series. The book is set in the 1950s in England. Nora has spent the last 30 years as a nun and has just asked to be released from her vows to help investigate the disappearance of her young friend Frieda. I really enjoyed the plot and I look forward to reading more books in the series.

For more than thirty years, Nora Breen has resided at a convent. She leaves the order and decides to find out what occurred when Frieda, a novice who eventually leaves the order, stops writing to Nora. Frieda's final residence was a Gulls Nest boarding house. Taking her empty room, Nora begins to delve into the pasts of the other guests. The murders of the house's residents begin gradually. After building a rapport with the local police officer, Nora assists in the investigation of the killings and hopes to find the information she needs regarding Frieda. Jess Kidd is a great writer in any genre. This book has the right amount of mystery and twists to keep the reader riveted.

Nora Breen is a most unlikely heroine - a fiftysomething ex-nun from Ireland with a no-nonsense attitude - but this story works wonderfully. With a quirky cast of characters, a missing person, a couple of murders and several red herrings, this novel will lead you through a twisty maze until its satisfying conclusion. More please!

Murder at Gull’s Rock by Jess Kidd
Having read and enjoyed The Night Ship, Things in Jars and Himself I was very much looking forward to reading this latest Jess Kidd novel which is a departure from her usual writing. This could be termed “Cosy Crime” but it is so much more than that. Her characters are interesting and nuanced and the plot is intriguing.
A mystery surrounds the whereabouts of a young novice stops who writing to Agnes, a nun of 30 years, she decides to set off to discover what has happened to Frieda. She renounces her calling and leaves the convent. She arrives at Gull’s Nest and finds a strange collection of people. None of them seem to have any idea what has befallen Frieda.
Agnes becomes Nora Breen and begins to investigate what happened to Frieda. Nora is a character who you immediately warm to and as she recounts what happened to her before she went to the convent you feel her pain. The author beautifully evokes the seaside town of the 1950’s and the seedier side of the type of boarding house in which Nora finds herself. As Frieda said to Nora in her last letter “everyone here is hiding a secret.
Through Nora’s quiet observation, honed through years of silence and contemplation, we gradual uncover the secrets but not before a grisly murder is committed. There was a strong hint at the end of the novel that this could be the first in a new series and I will be looking about for book 2 to see how Agnes’ life unfolds. Many thanks to Jess Kidd, Faber and Faber, and Net Galley for a copy of the novel in return for my honest review.

I'm definitely not a murder mystery type of gal but Jess Kidd is an instant read author for me so I made an exception.

Murder at Gull’s Nest is a well-executed period mystery set in a 1950s seaside guest house where appearances and intentions are seldom what they seem. At the centre is Nora Breen, a former nun who has stepped away from decades of cloistered life and into the uneasy social dynamic of Gore-on-Sea’s Gulls Nest. This shift in environment provides her with an unusual vantage point: as both an outsider and a woman of quiet determination, Nora is uniquely positioned to observe subtle tensions and unspoken alliances.

Jess Kidd’s careful attention to historical detail results in a setting that feels authentic without becoming overwhelming. The atmosphere captures the quieter side of postwar Britain, with its muted optimism and lingering shadows. Within this context, the tensions of daily life at the guest house, including disappointing dinners and politely guarded conversation, gain an underlying significance.

The narrative unfolds at a measured pace, offering insight into the habits, histories, and guarded personalities of the residents. Kidd keeps the mystery carefully layered, ensuring that revelations never feel forced. Instead, they arise through Nora’s patient observation and the gradual surfacing of long-held secrets. The result is a sense of continuity and coherence that respects the intelligence of the reader.

Nora’s character is handled with restraint; the story acknowledges the complexities of her transition from convent life to civilian existence without relying on melodrama. Her skills—honed in silence, reflection, and humility—prove unexpectedly valuable in a world where subtlety and patience are more effective than force. The supporting cast is distinct, providing a range of plausible suspects and motives that build toward a resolution both satisfying and credible.

Overall I really enjoyed it, it was a charming read and I'll most likely read the next book too (where Nora better give Rideout a big old smooch)

Wow what a different genre for this author. I didn’t know if I would and I loved it. A thoughtful whodunnit and a few twists and turns. Enjoyable. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This was a very enjoyable read. It's a well written cosy crime with very good characters and a an interesting plot. The main character is an ex-nun turned detective and keeps the readers entertained with her witty comments. It looks like this may be the beginning of a series. I would definitely read more of the same.

We meet Nora Breen, originally from County Mayo in the west of Ireland, as she's making her way to a boarding house, Gull's Nest, at Gore-on-Sea. She's quite apprehensive about what she'll find, but also about what she's doing. Nora has just left the convent where she lived as Sister Agnes for 30 years and is unsure about life in the wider world. However, she has her reasons for this plan of action, so she moves forward in spite of her doubts and fears. She quickly discovers that there are some weird things going on at Gull's Nest. People behave in strange ways and secrets abound. She is more convinced that she's on the right track as she learns more about the people who live there. As the narrative unfolds, we learn why Nora has taken this huge step as well as how and why she ended up in the convent in the first place.

This is a wonderful book! I fell in love with Nora from the moment I met her. She's feisty, no nonsense, going with her gut, and in the process of self-reflection and discovery. I wouldn't quite characterize this book as a cozy mystery because I think it's slightly deeper and less 'light reading' than I expect a cozy to be. This is not to disparage this book or cozy mysteries--I love a good cozy and enjoy reading them. It's just that while this has some similarities, like the small town that's past its glory days, the cast of quirky characters, the amateur sleuth going toe-to-toe with the police detective, the treatment of these things has a different tone than I find in the cozy mysteries I read. There are serious issues underlying all of these things and the quirky people are sometimes hiding painful secrets. There is also a good deal of humor in this book and I laughed out loud more than once. There is one scene, which I won't describe due to spoilers, that was particularly hilarious and highlighted the reasons why I love Nora. In the description of this book, I read that it's the first in a seaside mystery series by this author. I am thrilled! I can't wait to see what Nora gets up to next. She is fabulous and I hope that I get to read much more about her in future as she continues to adjust to her new life and learns more about herself.

After more than 30 years as a nun, Nora Breen has walked away from the convent and checked in to the Gulls Nest Guesthouse, to investigate the disappearance of her friend (and also a former nun) Frieda. Within days, tragedy has struck at Gulls Nest and Nora - despite her best efforts, which include throwing a shoe at a disinterested police office - cannot get Inspector Rideout to take her seriously when she suggests that something is afoot.

Despite the title and the cover suggesting that Murder at Gulls Nest is your average cosy crime, this is actually a typical Jess Kidd novel - which, to clarify, is a huge positive. Elements from her previous books - including religion, psychics, and mysterious children - are all present and correct here, and while it will absolutely appeal to fans of cosy crime, it will also not alienate her current readers. So-called cosy crime always has a hard balance to strike between keeping the narrative light and amusing, while being about something as dark as murder, and Kidd does this admirably.

This is just such a beautifully written book. Yes, it is about murder and investigating and finding out what happened however the book is more than this. The description of life those living in a guest house and not sure where their next paycheck might be coming and eating in company every evening is so well told. Nora has left the convent trying to find out what has happened to her friend. This care and this love are detailed throughout the book and contrast with the other friendships and allegiances that ring hollow. The life of those living in the guest house is explored and it feels like it is exposed to be looked at under microscope and found wanting. The descriptions of the landscapes and the sea are fabulous and really position the book in the seaside town in a slightly faded place.

This is such a sweet, cosy mystery and I can’t wait for the rest of the series to come! Nora is a real spitfire, and the mystery was cleverly constructed - I am always surprised by the result in a story like this but I did think this one was particularly well done. I love Jess Kidd’s writing and am excited for what she does next!

After being in a convent for the last 30 years, Nora Breen is experiencing life on the outside.

She's living at Gulls Nest guest house.

And her fellow lodgers have something to hide

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.