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laureltree13's review against another edition
3.0
Great writing. Enjoyed the story. But the ending left me ultimately dissatisfied.
allysonwbrunette's review against another edition
2.0
This audio book was a perfect spooky listen for a long car ride (driving 5 hours each way from Nashville to my parents’ house in Kentucky, plus a plane ride to Nashville). It follows female detective Birdie Devine as she investigates the kidnapping of Christabel, a secret child of a wealthy estate owner, in Victorian England. The child allegedly has supernatural powers (hence the secrecy) and the father is willing to provide scarce details to Birdie to aide her in solving the mystery. Birdie has the ability to see and speak with a spirit and is accompanied by her 7′ housemaid (they are sort of an uncanny duo). Through Birdie’s innate ability to build trust in relationships and gain information from others, she gains insight into the possible kidnappers and whereabouts of Christabel. This book was dark, a bit spooky, and had excellent narration on the audio version.
rcrikkit's review against another edition
4.0
This wasn't my usual style, but I really enjoyed it. It was very descriptive. The ending caught me by surprise, and I did actually tear up.
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
5.0
So, I'm sniffing around Netgalley for something juicy to read, and I see a book called "Things in Jars." Who wouldn't want to know more? And although I'm usually not a fan of magic realism, author Jess Kidd may just convert me.
Bridie Devine is a little woman in a widow's cap and ugly bonnet who helps find people and things in 1860s London. She's hired to find an aristocrat's missing daughter Christabel, who has been kidnapped from the estate. She's accompanied by the ghost of a boxer named Ruby whose many tattoos shiver and travel around his nearly-transparent self. Bridie does not know him and has no idea why he's tagging along. However, he is useful, since he can pass through walls and gather intel for her and, if necessary, her seven-foot-tall lightly-bearded maid, Cora.
Jess Kidd takes us into Bridie's mottled past, including her connection to Valentine Rose, the police inspector who occasionally hires her and may have a thing for Bridie. Her connection to Ireland means that she has can comprehend the mysterious creatures that may come from there, including the sought-after Christabel, who she realizes may be other than human.
"Things in Jars" is frisky and bright, and Bridie and her cohorts are people you want to meet again. The end leaves the possibility of a sequel, and I'm all in if there is one.
Kidd writes like no one else, but the kind of delightful surprises this novel offers reminded me of Judith Merkle Riley's works. There! Lots of new authors to discover, my fellow greedy readers.
~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader
Bridie Devine is a little woman in a widow's cap and ugly bonnet who helps find people and things in 1860s London. She's hired to find an aristocrat's missing daughter Christabel, who has been kidnapped from the estate. She's accompanied by the ghost of a boxer named Ruby whose many tattoos shiver and travel around his nearly-transparent self. Bridie does not know him and has no idea why he's tagging along. However, he is useful, since he can pass through walls and gather intel for her and, if necessary, her seven-foot-tall lightly-bearded maid, Cora.
Jess Kidd takes us into Bridie's mottled past, including her connection to Valentine Rose, the police inspector who occasionally hires her and may have a thing for Bridie. Her connection to Ireland means that she has can comprehend the mysterious creatures that may come from there, including the sought-after Christabel, who she realizes may be other than human.
"Things in Jars" is frisky and bright, and Bridie and her cohorts are people you want to meet again. The end leaves the possibility of a sequel, and I'm all in if there is one.
Kidd writes like no one else, but the kind of delightful surprises this novel offers reminded me of Judith Merkle Riley's works. There! Lots of new authors to discover, my fellow greedy readers.
~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader
ella210800's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
lizzzeb's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
sanfordc11's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lilibookworm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
meemzter's review against another edition
3.0
Things in Jars is beautiful, innovative prose paired with vivid descriptions of Victorian London and a large helping of the 19th century Frankenstein Aesthetic™ and of course, some timeless fantasy/mythology. This novel is also a smart mystery, with more than a few exciting reveals.
I struggled with this book at first, and I think it was honestly because the prose was too well-crafted and I am sometimes a lazy reader. The second half of the book was really engaging and made me regret that I hadn't given the first half the attention it deserved. There are a rich cast of characters here, but I admit I had a hard time keeping up with them all. However, the main 4 or 5 are all vibrant and memorable.
Bridie Devine is a wonderful heroine - a smart, compassionate, tough detective with a penchant for smoking pipes and donning disguises, and when I turned the last page of this book I found myself already missing her.
I can say with confidence that this is a good, beautifully written novel that is well worthy of praise. If you, like me, are a lazy reader and struggle to get into this one, I would say slow down, take your time and soak up every richly rendered paragraph. It's worth it.
I struggled with this book at first, and I think it was honestly because the prose was too well-crafted and I am sometimes a lazy reader. The second half of the book was really engaging and made me regret that I hadn't given the first half the attention it deserved. There are a rich cast of characters here, but I admit I had a hard time keeping up with them all. However, the main 4 or 5 are all vibrant and memorable.
Bridie Devine is a wonderful heroine - a smart, compassionate, tough detective with a penchant for smoking pipes and donning disguises, and when I turned the last page of this book I found myself already missing her.
I can say with confidence that this is a good, beautifully written novel that is well worthy of praise. If you, like me, are a lazy reader and struggle to get into this one, I would say slow down, take your time and soak up every richly rendered paragraph. It's worth it.