Reviews - Murder at Gulls Nest

51 reviews for:

Taking place shortly after WWII, Nora requests to leave her sisterhood and goes undercover to try and find out what happened to her missing novitiate. What follows is a cozy with so many twists and reveals that it seems like hard boiled thriller! Everyone has something to hide. Adding to the feel of the book is Nora herself who not only has to figure out her place outside the nunnery but also has to face her own past and secrets. the character development needed for a new series did not overshadow the mystery and plot of the book and I am looking forward to future books in this series. While the murder at Gulls Nest was solved, the mystery of Nora Breen continues!

Thanks to Atria Books for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.

natattack_11's review against another edition

3.0

mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kathijo63's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

With "Murder at Gulls Nest," Jess Kidd has created a spellbinding mystery that showcases her talent for blending atmospheric settings, and eccentric characters into an irresistible narrative.

Set in a remote coastal village, the novel introduces us to Nora, a former nun, whose sharp wit and haunted past makes her an unlikely detective. She travels in search of a lost friend, but hen a body is discovered at the run-down Gulls Nest board house, her investigation peels back layers of the town's secrets with delicious precision.

Kidd's ability to infuse even the darkest scenes with flashes of humor creates a reading experience that's both unsettling and oddly comforting. The dialogue crackles with authenticity, and her descriptions of the windswept seaside setting are so vivid you can almost taste the salt in the air.

mohogany225's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This book was a pleasant surprise! I didn't know what to expect with this book, so I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun this murder mystery story was!

This book follows Nora Breen, a former nun/nurse who has arrived in Gore-on-Sea in Kent to search for her friend, Frieda, when her letters stop arriving. Nora books a room in the same boarding house that Frieda had been staying in and starts to search the town for her friend, not disclosing their friendship to the other people in the boarding house. She quickly discovers that her housemates all seem to be hiding their own secrets, and enlists the local detective to help her find her friend.

This was an enjoyable, cozy mystery in the same vein as 'Murder She Wrote'. Nora is a feisty character, and has to deal with her own history as well as her attempts to find her friend. The 1950s setting adds to the sense of nostalgia, and allows for a slower pace to the mystery that makes it incredibly enjoyable to read. While I had my suspicions to the ending, this story wrapped up in a satisfying way and left me wanting more with these characters! Nora's interactions with Inspector Rideout were funny and enjoyable, showing how spunky Nora can be.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the advanced e-book copy of this book. All opinions are my own.