Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd – Book review – Books on the 7:47

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.

Opening sentence: Wait for your eyes to adjust.

The wonderful Nora Breen

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.

That insidious thought needles her again: what kind of fool throws up thirty years of dedication to solve a puzzle, albeit a troubling one?

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.

An amateur detective

‘So, you came to find Frieda and then another mystery presented itself to you?’ Helena glances at Nora with some interest.

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.

In a house like Gulls Nest, curiosity might prove fatal.

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!

The other Jess Kidd novels I have loved and implore you to read immediately are Himself, The Hoarder and Things in Jars.