Murder at Gulls Nest

Nora Breen Investigates #1

by Jess Kidd

A cozy mystery series about a former nun who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal mysteriously disappears

1954: When her former novice’s dependable letters stop, Nora Breen asks to be released from her vows. Haunted by a line in Frieda’s letter, Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent. A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests—but when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it’s time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Cozy, Audiobook

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 11, 2025

About the author

Jess Kidd was brought up in London as part of a large family from county Mayo and has been praised for her unique fictional voice. Her debut, Himself, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards in 2016. She won the Costa Short Story Award the same year. Her second novel, The Hoarder, published as Mr. Flood's Last Resort in the U.S. and Canada was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2019. Both books were BBC Radio 2 Book Club Picks. Her latest book, the Victorian detective tale Things in Jars, has been released to critical acclaim. Jess’s work has been described as ‘Gabriel García Márquez meets The Pogues.’

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been an admirer of Ms Kiid's talent since I read her first book, and was delighted to receive a copy of her later offering, so different from her previous works but engaging and enjoyable thoroughly.
A mystery surrounds silence from a young former nun, despite promises to write, and the mystery is powerful enough for Sister Agnes, a nun of thirty years, to leave the convent and travel south to track down her young friend. Ms Kidd is famous for imagining characters that you become attached to almost immediately, and Nora Breen, former Sister Agnes, is another wonderful addition to the group. The plot is intriguing, but Nora won my heart instantly. She had been through a lot, however, her experience did not make her bitter and she learns how to gradually step into the new world, and find bits of happiness daily.
There is the atmosphere of a small seaside town in the early 1950s, and a plethora of characters who have their own secrets and regrets.
If this going to be a series, I will be happy to continue with it.
*A big thank-you to Jess Kidd, Faber and Faber, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Holly B ( slowly catching up) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 Stars

I do enjoy a good cozy mystery and this one checked a lot of boxes!

A seaside town is rattled when someone mysteriously dies at Gull's Nest Hotel.

Nora Breen is a prior nun/nurse. She comes to investigate why her close friend has stopped writing to her. She is a big fan of detective novels and wants to put her knowledge to work!

She quickly makes herself at home and wants to learn "all the gossip" .

The story is set in 1954 and the hotel was full of secrets. Nora was a fun character and the mystery had a lot of finger pointing going on. There are quite a few characters and the conclusion felt a bit rushed, but I would definitely try the next in this series!

Thanks to EW for my ARC . Comes out April 8,2025

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fourth book that I have read by this author.. they all are very different.
This book takes us to a coastal boardinghouse in an English seaside town.
A nun who has left the order…goes undercover to find out what happened to her younger novice..Frieda, who had left the convent by orders of her doctor to go to the seaside for her ill health.
The younger nun who promised to write often.. stopped writing and Nora..the older nun, is very worried.
This was quite an entertaining and fun read.. in spite of some murders that are happening at the run down inn that Frieda stayed at and that Nora takes up residence in… along with a hand full of other residents with different ages and history’s.
Nora plays amateur detective… and it is quite amusing..

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Melissa ~ Bantering Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be the only Jess Kidd fan who feels this way, but I’m a little disappointed she’s now shifted to writing a cozy mystery series. I’ve followed her since she debuted back in 2017 with Himself – which is still my favorite book of hers to date – and loved all that she’s written since. I like how no two books of hers are identical (though most do have a thread of mystery to them) and how her novels have a comforting and whimsical feel.

But most appealing to me is how – up until Murder at Gulls Nest – she’s melded the light with the dark. Her writing is warm and charming, humorous and clever, yet her stories have always had a streak of the supernatural, the gothic, and the macabre.

So in some ways it makes sense for her to write cozies. She for sure knows how to write a good mystery, and she excels at building a warm atmosphere on the page. But to lose that twist of darkness, that edge I so love … it feels like a huge part of what makes Kidd such a unique and gifted writer is missing.

I will say, though, that Murder at Gulls Nest is quite good. It’s far better than your average cozy – it’s very entertaining, smart in its plotting, and former nun Nora Breen is an amusing amateur sleuth. And because it’s Jess Kidd, the book has an emotional depth and beauty to the writing that isn’t common in the genre.

There is one short scene that hints she may be adding in a touch of magical realism as the books progress, but we’ll have to wait and see whether she runs with it.

I sure hope she does. I know we’re only one book into the series, but I already can’t wait for Kidd to get back to the good stuff. Straight-up mysteries are too blah for her singular talent.


My sincerest appreciation to Jess Kidd, Atria Books, and Edelweiss+ for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4★
“ ‘Miss Breen.’ Rideout looks exasperated. ‘Really, must I say this until I’m blue in the face: leave this investigation to me!’

‘So,’ says Nora. ‘It is an investigation.’ ”

Detective Inspector Rideout is exasperated indeed. He first meets Nora Breen when she comes to the station to report her friend missing. Because the officer at the desk keeps ignoring her presence an continues writing something, she takes finds a unique way to get his attention – and eventually get Rideout’s as well.

Her feet were sandy after walking on the beach, and she had taken her shoes off during her lengthy wait. The desk officer, who doesn’t seem to have noticed her, orders her to put her shoes back on. She refuses.

“Detective Inspector Rideout surveys Nora Breen across a tacky, cup-ringed table. The weapon of assault, a pair of ugly auld shoes, lies between them.

Rideout looks amused, Breen looks unrepentant.

The inspector leans forward, chin on his hand. Nora both likes and dislikes the way he’s looking at her. As if she’s the entertainment, or a puzzle he could solve. Either way she’ll be sure to disappoint.

‘I misunderstood what your officer was requesting of me.’

‘You threw a shoe and hit him in the eye. Did you think that’s what he was asking for?’

Nora can hardly answer that. ‘Actually, I threw both shoes but only one hit its target.’

Rideout raises his eyebrow.

But I’m getting ahead of the story. The promotional material lays the groundwork that Nora Breen is a nun who has left her convent to find her friend, a former nun who had to leave the convent for health reasons and wrote to Nora every week without fail to share her life ‘outside’. When the letters stopped, Nora left to investigate.

She books herself in at Gulls Nest, Gore-on-Sea, which is indeed where it is located just above a beach. It’s a strange boarding house with unusual residents, dreadful food, and a landlady who’s always resting with a headache while her young daughter runs around in costumes, causing mischief, hiding and not speaking.

“Outside, the sky is brightening, which is of no concern to the room, daylight being dissuaded by heavy velvet drapes and the sombre yews that crowd about the window. The drapes move. Nora notices. The movement increases to a gentle sway. The curtain twists apart to reveal a child cocooned in its folds.

Nora introduces herself as a retired nurse, there for a holiday. She nursed many soldiers during the war (WW2), and it makes sense that she has earned a break now. She has been instructed not to encourage the gulls, but being a newly independent woman, she tames one who comes to her windowsill to eat from her hand. She names him Father Conway for his steely expression.

She tries to be carefully inquisitive without letting anyone know that the missing woman whose room she is now renting was her best friend, Frieda Brogan. Residents include a troubled young couple whom she watches have an argument on the beach, and when the husband’s hat blows off, he just storms away. A young man following some distance behind the pair stamps violently on the hat. Nora is intrigued.

Occasionally, her mind harks back to the circumstances that led her to join the convent and how she learned to live a quiet, cloistered life without causing too much friction. But as we see her today, it’s hard to imagine her being at all submissive.

“Controlling her temper was her greatest trial in the convent. But this wasn’t the worst of her shortcomings. Her inquisitive nature was judged to be disrespectful. Her cleverness the sin of pride. These were traits that found her scrubbing a far greater share of bathtubs than any other postulant. Now, out in the world, she can exercise these unfavourable traits. This thought fills Nora with a strange mix of relief and alarm.”

She grows increasingly angry about her past and how much she has missed, and seems to want to make up a bit for lost time. She tries some whiskey at the pub and she accepts cigarettes from Rideout and others and learns to smoke companionably as they chat. It’s a bad habit but a good strategy for making comfortable conversation. She is adaptable and enjoying it.

“She notices that her prayers have a stiff formality now. Like the first inroads after a bad argument with someone. She doesn’t expect an answer.”

When someone dies at Gulls Nest, she tries to convince Rideout it’s a crime, not an accident. She pesters Rideout with ideas and clues and suggestions and asks that he call her by her surname, Breen, as the police do in detective novels.

When someone else dies, she really starts snooping. I enjoyed the variety of characters and the atmosphere of the big old house and the beach. I have to admit that I found nothing welcoming about the place. It was appropriately old and spooky.

It’s not what I expected from Jess Kidd, who often uses magical realism, but I enjoyed her venture into the cosy mystery genre. I think the ending leaves no doubt that there will be another one coming. Rideout and Breen? Breen and Rideout?

Thanks to #NetGalley and Faber and Faber for a copy of #MurderAtGullsNest for review

[Will Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a house that keeps her secrets well hidden. Her yew trees whisper together in their dour huddles and her windows reflect nothing more than the darkening sky.

--------------------------------------

Gulls Nest may be quiet but Nora does not feel at peace here. Who knows what dark thoughts are brewing, what chaos is being hatched? In her old life Nora was a ship anchored firmly to the bedrock. Tumultuous waves might come and go but she knew she had a lifeline. At Gulls Nest she feels like a frantically bobbing cork in an unfriendly ocean.

Nora Breen is late of a monastery, having spent the last thirty years as Sister Agnes. A young nun had left the sisterhood, but promised to write back regularly. The sudden absence of these letters is the prompt for Nora’s sudden travels. Frieda had been staying at a seaside hotel, Gulls Nest, in Gore-on-Sea, so that is where Nora begins her search. But what starts out as a missing person inquiry takes a turn when one of the guests catches a bad case of dead. And the game is afoot.

There were several sources of inspiration. The idea of writing a former religious sister came from my childhood. I was taught by a former nun as a child. I was intrigued by her story, in terms of why she joined a religious order and then why she left, but I was never brave enough to ask her about it. The main setting of the first book, Gulls Nest boarding house, was inspired by a disastrous romantic weekend. We booked into an unnamed hotel in Kent, and it was marvellous but not perhaps in the way you’d hope for. There was a formidable landlady, haunted plumbing and eccentric guests. The house would have been beautiful in its day but was shabbily strange when we came to it. But I loved it for its character. - from The Nerd Daily interview

Kidd has planned out a series of eight Nora Breen novels. In the first we are introduced not only to Nora, but to several characters who will be returning. In the Dabble interview, Kidd talks about having a detective who is seeing the world with fresh eyes, after having been shut away for thirty years. Her age, and complete absence of ego also make her seem unthreatening. They do not, however, make her ineffective. While she had to stifle her curiosity and willfulness in the community, she is patient and very deliberate. That said, she remains very much a stranger in a strange world.


Jess Kidd - Image from Faber & Faber

1953 England is indeed a strange, gritty place. Still recovering from the war, impacted by the massive loss of men, and the damage done to many of the returning soldiers, and their families. Survival is all. Making things pretty takes a back seat. Gulls Nest is down at the heels, well past its prime. There is a non-zero concern about the safety of the less-than-palatable meals being served at the hotel (very reminiscent of a memorable personal hospital stay). But it is not short on quirky characters. The supporting cast in this one is quite robust. “But Gulls Nest is that sort of a place, isn’t it? Where the dreamers and schemers wash up.”

The hotel residents include Professor Poppy, a Punch and Judy showman, looking the worse for wear, with his own studio and a collection of puppets, Teddy, a well-liked caretaker at the local amusement park, his wife Stella, who clerks at the town hall, Bill Carter, a retired navy chief who works as a bartender at another hotel, Mr. Karel Ježek, a small photographer with a difficult-to-place accent, Irene Rawlings, a resentful housekeeper, the hotel owner, Helena Wells, who sports a posh accent, suggesting a reduction in her circumstances, and then there is Dinah, her daughter, a seemingly feral child who has the run of the hotel and grounds, appears in surprising places, and does not speak. A few locals, including a non-human one, flesh out the roster. Everyone in Gore-on-Sea has secrets, including Nora. Part of the fun of this novel is getting to each one.

Every cozy amateur detective requires a police contact, and DI Rideout serves that role here. We can assume that they will form an alliance. He has the added benefit of rugged good looks, and sundry characteristics that Nora cannot help but observe. But, as in most cozies, there is not much actual flesh on display, of either the steamy or cold variety. Per the genre, bodies are discovered, not actively deprived of their life forces on the page. That said, there are some scary bits.

Nora goes about her detecting business, follows clues, talks to people in the hotel and in town. She keeps her eyes peeled, pokes her nose in places beyond her remit, makes a few friends and develops a very useful local informant. Nora growing parallels Nora finding things out.

While this is a pretty-straight-ahead crime story, Kidd drops in at least one dollop of magical realism, a major feature of her prior work. Personally, I would have liked more of this, fan as I am of Kidd's magical realism writing, but that's just me. The 1950s setting is rich with possibility, beautifully achieved here. Kidd is a wonderful writer, and offers not only well-realized characters, but an intriguing mystery or two, and evocative atmospherics.

While it may not hold the same appeal as more exotic vacation spots, if you appreciate a little time away, with quiet days in which to read, walk the beach, enjoy a cuppa, and maybe stumble across the odd body, Gore-on-Sea might be just the place. Jess Kidd will save you a room. You will find yourself eager to return.

Nora tells herself that the world may seem confusing but it is just the sum of its parts. Take it piece by piece until you can work out the whole.

Review posted - 5/9/25

Publication date – 4/8/25

I received an ARE of Murder at Gull’s Nest from Atria in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.



This review will soon be cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!

=============================EXTRA STUFF

Links to Kidd’s personal, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram and FB pages

Profile - from Calgary Women’s Literary Club

Kidd holds a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, she has earned numerous literary awards from England and Ireland, and—in addition to her novels, short stories, and children’s books—she is currently developing her own original television project.

Kidd has already written #2 in the series, Murder at the Spirit Lounge. It centers on a famous medium who arrives in Gore-on-Sea and starts taking seances. When one séance goes terribly and mysteriously wrong it seems that Nora might have a supernatural serial killer on her hands.

Interviews
-----The Nerd Daily - Q&A: Jess Kidd, Author of ‘Murder At Gulls Nest’ by Elise Dumpleton
-----Dabble - Writing Historical Cozy Mysteries With Jess Kidd by Hank Garner – video – 56:26

Items of interest – author
-----Writing.ie - Changing Genre by Jess Kidd
-----The Guardian - Jess Kidd: ‘My older sister taught me to read with Mills & Boon’

Item of Interest
----- Death in Paris - this review offers a walk-through on elements in the cozy mystery genre

My reviews of other books by Jess Kidd
-----2020 - Things in Jars
-----2022 - The Night Ship

[Dee (Hiatus through mid-Sept.!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Overall this is a fairly okay series start. I liked the post-war English seaside setting and the former nun & amateur detective, MC Nora, quite a bit and the mystery itself was actually decent. Pretty atmospheric too with the decrepit boarding house & village. My biggest issue was that it was just felt too long & overly wordy with unneeded backstory and details, also some triggers here too. Not sure if I would do another.

[Marialyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe every town needs a least one or perhaps a dozen Nora Beens.
Nora, a former nun, leaves her convent in search of a former friend and nun, Freida, in a village entitled Gore-on-Sea. (appropriately named)

Hoping for the best, Nora undertakes finding her friend an in the meantime gets embroiled in seaside resort of sorts, a bevy of interesting boarders, and an extremely strange young girl. As things heat up (ie perhaps murder of a few), Nora places herself in harm's way and becomes a wannabe detective with perseverance, stubbornness, and staying the course. She becomes the side kick to the local detective and dogs both him and those Nora suspects are not telling the truth.

I so enjoyed her spirit, her sense of adventure, and she did provide a number of smiles from this reader. Happy to know that Nora will once again strut her stuff in the next book of the series.

[Kevin Ansbro · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎵Whodunit?
Everyone in the room looks shady.
Whodunit?
It's a bedside mystery-yeahh.🎵
—Tavares


Jess Kidd, eschewing her preferred genre of magical realism, has moored in the safe harbour of the cosy mystery/murder world (more on this later).

1954: Gore-on-Sea, Southeast England
Nora Breen, an amateur sleuth and former nun, leaves her religious order to investigate the disappearance of a dear friend (Frieda) who promised to keep in touch and last resided at Gulls Nest, a shabby guest house offering cheerless meals and the occasional murder.
An ensemble of suspects presents itself, and Breen finds that each day delivers more questions than answers.

I must confess to a groan of disappointment upon learning that Jess Kidd had abandoned her dark, surreal stories for something less enchanting, but was relieved to see that her writing still had the comportment of magical realism, if only in short bursts.
"The villas set their faces to the weather as best they can, some more senile than others, with pitted stone facades, blank windows, dark gardens and roof tiles like bockety old teeth."

Beautiful!
That's the Jess Kidd I admire!

The irrepressible Miss Breen is a very likeable character: In my estimation, she embodies the shrewdness of Miss Marple as well as the impishness of Melissa McCarthy — a winning combo.
So I have mixed feelings about Jess Kidd's first foray into the cosy murder mystery genre.
Fans of her previous work might find it a bit tame, and the plot does plod along at a slumberous pace. The local detective inspector, for some fanciful reason, allows Miss Breen more wiggle room than you'd find at a national hula hoop competition. Even so, I did enjoy their convivial relationship, and the storyline is not intended to be taken too seriously.

I don't think enough was made of the fact that Breen was a nun for thirty years, until recently. Her societal naivety should have forced her to make some hilarious gaffes, thus delighting those readers who are up for a bit of fun.
I took no pleasure in spotting the 'mystery' killer a mile off and assumed this to be a lucky guess until my wife read the book and also identified the killer without needing to set up an evidence board.

So, despite this cosy mystery being too cosy for my liking (those trigger warnings aren't typed with me in mind), Jess Kidd's writing and characterisation are still a joy to behold.
I can see Nora Breen capturing the hearts of many a reader as her nonconformist brand of sleuthery continues in future instalments.

***** Five sparkling stars for Kidd's resplendent writing
*** Three stars for the slow-moving plot and a lack of subterfuge

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nora Breen, a former nun and nurse, goes to a small town to find out what happened to her friend Frieda, who suddenly stopped corresponding with Nora. Frieda’s recent letters hinted at something amiss at Gulls Nest. Nora finds that everyone at Gulls Nest has secrets, and when some of the residents wind up dead Nora investigates and has to ferret out the hidden connections of the residents (typical cozy mystery stuff).

I am not a huge fan of cozy mysteries, but I was attracted to this one because of the author. I previously enjoyed “Things in Jars” and, especially, “Himself” and I appreciated the fact that the author did not repeat herself. It’s a little disappointing that she seems to be shifting to writing a series. However, I will probably try the next book in the series because I liked Nora’s exploration of life outside the holy order. There is nothing particularly novel about this book, but it held my interest. 3.5 stars

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess Kidd is one of those writers who can do anything. And she does it very well. I've read several of Ms Kidd's work and Murder at Gull's Nest doesn't resemble any of them. What she gives us this time is a pure murder mystery with a nosey and likeable amateur detective, a group of suspects as long as your arm and a murder or two thrown in for good measure.

Nora Breen has left the convent she has resided at for decades and headed to Gore on Sea because she is on a mission to find out what happened to Frieda Brogan, another sister who has left the order. But as Nora begins to ruffle feathers in her investigations a death occurs. Nora now has to convince local inspector, Rideout, that there's more to the death of Teddy Atkins and the disappearance of Frieda than he thinks.

The question is, can Nora solve the mysteries before more residents of Gull's Nest are hurt?

I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery. Nora is a truly engaging character and I hope that we see her again in another adventure. Even though this story wasn't gory I wouldn't call it cosy either. Jess Kidd treads a fine line that reminds me more of Christie than newer authors. That's probably the highest praise I can give it. There were lots of un-Christie-like touches though. It's impossible to say that the style was entirely Jess Kidd because her novels are so diverse I couldn't possibly put her in any genre.

Excellent. Highly recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars — Set in the early 1950s, MURDER AT GULLS NEST is a charming historical cozy mystery with a layer of darkness simmering below the surface. Nora Breen is a clever main character whom I liked right away. She's a former nun who asked to be released from her vows in order to find a dear friend who's gone missing. Her last known location was Gulls Nest, a hotel on the English coast, so Nora heads there to investigate.

I enjoyed the quirky characters living at Gulls Nest, their intriguing backstories, and the secrets they could be hiding. The atmospheric seaside town was an equally compelling character. This was a solid mystery with some surprising twists along the way. I believe this is the first in a new series, and I'll definitely be picking up the next book!

Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me a digital review copy of this book. Thoughts are my own.

[Constantine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Cozy Mystery

This is the first installment in this cozy mystery series that takes place in 1954 England. The story follows Nora, a former nun who has been in the convent for thirty years. What makes Nora leave the convent is the sudden disappearance of her friend, Freida. She decides to investigate why her friend disappeared and to find out the truth about it.

Nora’s search leads her to Gulls Nest, a guest house where she believes Freida was last known to reside. There she meets all the different residents, who she can trust will be a challenging thing, because every one of them has his own secrets to hide. With the help of the local detective, Nora’s mission becomes somewhat easier.

I think the author did a fantastic job with the cozy setting and the atmosphere of the story. The 1950s vibes of England were truly vivid throughout the book. The protagonist was quite interesting. A former nun getting in the shoes of a detective is something I believe will appeal to many readers.

While the book excels in some storytelling aspects, some portions didn’t resonate with me. It was generally a slow reading experience. The story features several subplots, which can make everything feel overwhelming at times. I believe the author focused more on character development and gradual mystery reveals rather than a fast-paced cozy mystery. There's nothing wrong with that, but I personally prefer cozy mysteries to maintain a quicker pace with a lighter theme.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a house like Gull's Nest, curiosity might prove fatal.

Former nun Nora Breen has picked a rather odd spot for her spell of rest and relaxation, but like the other residents of Gull's Nest, she's got a hidden agenda.

"I believe every one of us at Gull's Nest is concealing some kind of secret . . ."

And, someone is wiling to kill to keep that secret buried forever.

I've yet to be disappointed by anything Kidd writes. This one proves to be another winner, and a great start to a promising new series.


Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the fun read.

[Colleen Chi-Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 + SOLID 🌟 for Murder at Gull's Nest (Nora Breen Investigates, #1): SEQUEL COMING!!!

Jess Kidd’s success is not only due to her art of perfecting a compelling story, but it's in her written word, which is powerful, poetic, heartfelt, no-nonsense, interesting, humorous, and it flows so well that you forget you’re reading and not living the story. The narrator was a perfect choice for the sassy, smart, FMC. Bravo Siobhan McSweeney.

Set in 1954, in a seaside town in England featuring a middle age, recently former-nun, Nora Breen, as the main character. Nora is a hoot of a gutsy character and we learn so much about her and the other characters, that you fall in love with some and are highly interested in the rest, which is IMO another Jess Kidd trademark.

Nora leaves the convent because her pen-pal and good friend, Frieda, who she knows from the convent, goes missing. I also feel Nora was done with the quiet, life and ready to live again. Nora goes straight to Frieda’s boarding house to do some sleuthing, but without letting any of the guests, employees, or owner know of her true purpose.

It's one of those books you don't want to put down and is so full of humor. It’s a clever thriller where bodies are starting to pile up and you’d think they’d have gotten help from Scotland Yard.

Note: I began reading this as a Kindle Arc and bought the Audible audiobook as well, so I could savor it. Thank you to Jess Kidd, NetGalley, and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. Sheer joy.

Publisher Blurb:
"I believe every one of us at Gulls Nest is concealing some kind of secret.
A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests. But when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it’s time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind."

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at Gulls Nest is the first instalment in a tantalising new cosy(ish) mystery series planned by author Jess Kidd.

It's 1953 and former cloistered nun Nora Breen emerges from decades in a northern-English convent following the disappearance of her friend Frieda, a younger woman who had previously abandoned her noviciate, from a seaside town in Kent, England. Fortuitously, Nora is able to move into Frieda's old room at Gulls Nest, a rather bleak guesthouse overlooking the beach at Gore-on-Sea. Having chosen to hide her connection to Frieda, she sets about getting to know each of the other residents, the acerbic housekeeper, enigmatic landlady Helena Wells and her curiously off-beat daughter Dinah. She's barely scratched the surface of Frieda's disappearance when a shocking event occurs - one of her fellow lodgers is poisoned with a cyanide-laced cup of coffee!

The rest of the book follows Nora's enthusiastic and remarkably insightful investigation of the crime, carried out in parallel with the official police investigation of what's at first deemed to be either an accidental death or suicide. Her relationship with Detective Inspector Rideout develops from antipathy to an uneasy mutual respect to a fondness by the end of the novel that bodes well for future series instalments. Humour is brought into the story via Nora's occasionally abrasive and impetuous behaviour towards those who underestimate her, the antics of Dinah, the landlady's mute but precocious 8-year-old daughter, and her bond with a friendly seagull, whom she names Father Conway.

Nora Breen is an engaging protagonist, for whom the reader develops empathy over the course of the story, as details of her past gradually emerge and she adapts to the challenges of life in the secular world. Her evolving relationship with D.I. Rideout is well-developed and charming, raising the expectation that both lonely characters might find some mid-life comfort together in future instalments. The setting in time and place is also very well executed, post-war privations still affecting the population of the shabby beachside town where the story is set. I've previously enjoyed Jess Kidd's writing in the literary fiction genre, and find her new venture into crime writing very exciting!

I'd enthusiastically recommend Murder at Gulls Nest to any reader who enjoys high-quality mysteries, historical settings and quirky characters.

My thanks to the author Jess Kidd, publisher Faber and Faber Ltd. and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this title in advance of its publication on 13 March 2025.

[Ellery Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I love Jess Kidd's writing and was delighted to get my hands on this mystery. Nora, the former nun, is a fantastic character. She's gritty, witty, and empathetic and I hope she has many adventures ahead of her. This is a character-driven mystery set in a very atmospheric boarding house. Kidd excels at atmosphere and Gull's Next came complete with a dour housekeeper, revolving food, and hidden secrets.

Thanks to @librofm for the gifted audiobook. The narration was spot on.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nora travels to a seaside hotel to investigate the disappearance of her friend. The story features a cast of intriguing characters such as an enigmatic owner, an unfriendly housekeeper, an elderly puppeteer, a mysterious girl who doesn’t speak…

As promised, it’s a cozy mystery—no gore, dark themes, or bloody scenes. I realized I prefer more shocking, darker, or unexpected stories, but I’d still recommend this to anyone looking for a breezy, charming, quirky read.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the 1950s. Nora Breen arrives at the Gulls Nest boarding house in Gore-on-Sea intent on finding out why her young friend, Frieda Brogan, has stopped writing to her. Nora, a former Carmelite nun, knows that Frieda is no longer there, because the only vacancy at the boarding house is Frieda's old room. Nora takes it. Quickly she is enmeshed in the day-to-day routines of the establishment, its other inhabitants, and the staff who work there. More of an instinct than an overt decision, Nora chooses not to reveal her true identity or her relationship with Frieda, thinking this may help her get to the bottom of the mystery more easily. She doesn't seem to be getting very far with the investigation when one of the other guests is found dead in what seems to Nora to be suspicious circumstances, and this reignites the fire of Nora's determination to find Frieda.

This was just as delightful and quirky as I've come to expect from Kidd, and I'm excited to think it will turn into a series. Narration by Siobhán McSweeney was flawless and perfectly suited, to the point where I actually imagined the character of Nora resembling McSweeney to a degree. Looking forward to meeting Nora Breen again in the future.

[Keri Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was off to a rough start for me. Our main character, Nora Breen, was a nun for many years. She asked to leave after she stops getting her weekly letters from a young friend. Frieda was a novice who had to leave and move to the seaside for health reasons, she promised to keep in touch, so Nora just knows something is wrong. She is off to Gore-on -Sea, staying at the same Gulls Nest hotel where Frieda had lived.

Nora is down to earth, used to living a plain life. She meets an assortment of odd characters living at Gulls Nest. It took a while for me to feel much connection to any of the characters, especially our MC. But slowly we see more of her personality, we learn more of her history, and we see her sharp, inquisitive mind. Likewise, we start seeing more facets of the other characters, especially as relationships form. By the end I felt quite fond of Nora, and happy she was able to find answers.

I’d give this 3-1/2 stars, but rounding up because it got stronger as it continued.

[Sophie Breese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not entirely sure why this is being described as a cosy mystery. What does that phrase even mean? Murder where we don’t see too much blood and gore? I find it a little patronising as a term as I do ‘chick lit’. It’s a useful marketing label to attract people who don’t won’t serial killers and prefer an Agatha Christie-style mystery?

I would describe this as a literary detective story. Our heroine is far from the average detective, although often detectives in literary novels are rather off-beat. She is an ex-nun and along with a mystery she sets out to solve, she is dealing with her past and her reappearance in the every day world. I loved it: the portrayal of the various misfits in her boarding house and her own journey towards acceptance of herself. The prose is stunning as one would expect from Jess Kidd.

I read it slowly because I got interrupted by various things but that’s not significant in terms of the enjoyment I had.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

30 Books in 30 Days, Vol. 5
Book 22/30

This is absolutely NOT a cozy mystery, but it is extremely good, and I can't wait for book two. It has so many things in it that I like in addition to being a really good whudunit: nuns, ex-nuns (and all that entails, I really can't go into it rn, it's fraught okay), queer people living their lives in a historical time period, a protagonist who is GOOD AT SHIT and MEANS BUSINESS, serious explorations of human emotion, darker themes handled with aplomb, and I don't even know what else. The audiobook narrator is delightful, very much recommend reading the book that way. This was just so well done in every aspect. For that reason, and because it tickled my fancy, I'm rounding up to five stars.

[4.5 stars, rounded up]

[Manon (mysterymanon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection. No notes. Characters, setting, writing, mystery. Chef’s kiss.

[Barbara K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have consistently enjoyed the writing of Jess Kidd, and this book was no exception. She does a fine job of creating a Golden Age type village mystery.

The setting is some years after WWII. Nora Breen has had a crisis of faith after 30 years as a nun and decides to leave her order. The trigger for her departure is the abrupt end to communications she’s been receiving from a young woman, Frieda, who is “out in the world”, having been forced to give up her vows for health reasons. Nora is determined to find out what happened to her.

Frieda had been living in a rooming house, Gull’s Nest, in a small town on the Essex Coast populated primarily by transients who are drawn to the holiday cabins and amusement park along the beach. Nora takes a room at Gull’s Nest without sharing her background or relationship to Frieda, who has reported that everyone at who lives there is hiding something.

As Nora conducts her investigation into Frieda’s disappearance, much to the consternation of Inspector Rideout of the local police, the bodies begin to pile up at Gull’s Nest. The other inhabitants truly do all have secrets, many of which are intertwined, and Nora is determined that only by uncovering them can she discover what happened to Frieda - and who is responsible for the other deaths.

The characters, Nora especially, are interesting and the pace is crisp. At a few points I found the writing a bit sloppy, as when Kidd uses the same phrases repeatedly. This wasn’t enough to detract from my overall pleasure in the book, though. Lately I’ve read a few first entries in crime fiction series that were OK, but didn’t tempt me to continue. Not so with this one. I think I will probably pick up any further adventures of Nora Breen.

[Terence M - [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!] · Rating 2 out of 5]

2-Stars DNF @ 69% -
"I really Tried To Finish This"😐
"Nora Breen #1, Murder at Gulls Nest" by Jess Kidd
Audible Direct - Narrator: Siobhán McSweeney
I purchased "Murder At Gulls Nest" mainly because of enthusiastic 5-Stars and 4-Stars reviews by GR Friends and Following. This is despite my knowing that the book was listed as the first of "A cozy mystery series" about a former nun, Nora Breen, who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal Frieda, also a former nun, mysteriously disappears.

Wikipedia defines Cozy Mysteries as... "... a sub-genre of crime fiction in which sex and violence occur offstage, the detective is an amateur sleuth, and the crime and detection take place in a small socially-intimate community."
I have no experience with Cozies, but I think "Murder At Gulls Nest" fits the Wikipedia definition admirably.

Kidd's usual magical realism was not featured in this book and she has relied on a group of fairly ordinary characters, in a mundane seaside boarding house setting, to establish this new direction in her writing.

Nora Breen's attitude towards, and her interactions with Detective Inspector Rideout, were almost farcical in their ingenuousness and Rideout's equanimity towards Breen was unlikely, even if it was in a cozy mystery. The nonsense with the desk sergeant keeping Breen waiting, resulting in her throwing her shoes at him without any recriminations, was risible, as were Breen's continual references to 'how they do it in detective novels'.

On a positive note, the narration by Siobhán McSweeney was both interesting and pleasant.

As my 'Extracts' below reveal, I persevered well beyond my more common DNF limits because I wanted to like this book, the author was "Jess Kidd" after all, but to no avail.

Extracts from My Listening Activity:
May 6, 2025 @ 1.0%: "A new Cozy Mystery path chosen by Magical Realism writer, Jess Kidd, and it should be an interesting listen :))".

May 11, 2025 @ 29.0%: "I listened to this "Cozy Mystery" for 02:40 hours last night. My verdict: Hmmm, just so-so so far🙂".

May 12, 2025 @ 48.0%: "Should I have known better than to hear a "Cozy Mystery" when it is not a genre I would normally read? Sigh... My DNF instincts are on high alert but Jess Kidd intrigued me once (The Hoarder 4-Stars) and Kevin Ansbro would not forgive a DNF!"

May 14, 2025 @ 58.0%: "Actually, I don't think I have ever read, or heard, "A Cozy Mystery" before. In fact, I am unsure what a Cozy Mystery is precisely, other than a crime story with corny title and cartoon-like cover. I am struggling to enjoy/finish this book."

May 17, 2025 @ 69.0%: "At the moment I really don't know, or care, who was murdered by whom, or where, or when. I assume this Cozy Mystery is not representative of CMs in general, because it is not entertaining, nor is it mysterious enough that one must finish it!"

[Sonja Arlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t enjoy cozy mysteries but come on! Its Jess Kidd!

The story follows Nora, a devout nun for over 30 years who decides to leave the order to find out what happened to her missing friend and former novice, Frieda. Her quest takes her to Gulls Nest a boarding house filled with characters who all have something to hide.

This is one of my most beloved authors, but not all her books are always 5 stars for me. This one was just ok and although the characters are drawn with care, I don’t think they will stay with me for very long.

For anyone who does not know this author I can highly recommend Things in Jars, Himself or The Hoarder

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at Gulls Nest is the first book in the Nora Breen Investigates series by award-winning London-born author, Jess Kidd. Nora Breen is at Gulls Nest Boarding House in Gore-on-Sea, Kent, out of season, in October, sort of under false pretences. Mere weeks earlier, she was Sister Agnes at the Carmelite convent in Dollegau, but the regular letters from her friend, ex-novitiate Freida Brogan stopped arriving in August, and her last known address was Gulls Nest.

Freida’s letters convey her intrigue in the lives of her fellow guests, hinting that they all have secrets she intends to discover: did this put her in danger? Nora means to make subtle enquiries of the residents and staff at Gulls Nest and the people of Gore-on-Sea to find out what has happened to her friend. Initial enquiries of the priest, the hospital and doctors yield only that Freida seemed settled in the town.

When, at the police station, Nora manages to breach the barrier of a rude desk sergeant to speak to DI Rideout, he accepts her photo of Freida but tells her: “What you have to understand is that Gore-on-Sea is a place for roll-ins, roll-outs. Like the tide, yes? People come and people go.”

Before Nora has even been there a full day, one of the guests at Gulls Nest is found dead, poisoned by cyanide. What isn’t clear is whether the death is suicide, murder or an accidental ingestion intended for another. An item on the victim’s person suggests a connection to Freida, thus giving Nora the perfect excuse to investigate further, even when she is warned off by a dismissive Rideout. She carefully examines the scenes, and meticulously writes down her observations in a notebook.

Before the truth of the situation is finally revealed, Nora has to uncover the secrets that other guests, the proprietress, and her staff hold close, to rule out those less guilty. Another guest dies, a serious assault occurs, a séance is held, and a dog expires. Nora gets to drive a fancy car, poses as a nurse, and manages to survive two attempts on her life.

Kidd treats the reader to some gorgeous prose: “In the convent she had learnt to make her thoughts deep and slow. To consider her mind as a calm and receptive pond. Then every thought could be a carefully shied stone with a gentle answering ripple. Out in the world her mind is a bucketful of tadpoles; thoughts rush by, squirm away, grow legs— She was unprepared for the way that the world has set her thoughts swirling” and “…keeping custody of her eyes. This way she can take in a snippet of this and that, small details, so as not to get drunk on the world” are examples.

Kidd easily evokes her era and setting, and throws in plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing and the pages turning. More of Nora Breen is most definitely welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Faber & Faber Ltd.

[Sarah Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jess Kidd’s writing. Her characters are complex. Her settings always gorgeous and hauntingly atmospheric. Clearly she loves old houses and she knows how to write of their charms and secrets. These are things I have adored about her other books and looked for it this one.
Murder at Gull’s Nest did not disappoint!
The time is the early 1950’s. Nora has spent three decades as a nun. Cloistered away from the world. It is only when a close friend of hers goes missing that she leaves the order. Nora knows that Frieda would not have just stopped writing. Something must have happened to her, and Nora journeys to the last place that Frieda was seen - a mansion by the sea named Gull’s Nest. It is now a boarding house with an eclectic bunch of boarders.
Nora hasn’t been at Gull’s Nest for long before a murder is discovered.
Will Nora solve this mystery as well as where her missing friend has gone? With the help of a local detective who often looks like a leading man I bet our feisty sleuth will get to the bottom of things!
I love cozy mysteries and I am thrilled that Kidd has taken her hand to one. It seems that she has left the door open to a sequel (or maybe even a series!). I can only hope.

[Haly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though Murder at Gulls Nest is categorized as a cozy mystery it reads like a book somewhere between cozy mystery and a typical murder mystery. It has a little more depth than a cozy.

Murder at Gulls Nest teams up a former nun with a tough on the outside, softie on the inside Inspector to solve the murder cases in this first in a series novel. I was given an Advance Readers Copy and I am giving my best thoughts about the novel.

I became very fond of protagonist, Nora Breen, or as she was known prior to landing at Gulls Nest, Sister Agnes. She is well into middle age, possibly too curious for her own safety, tenacious and has a secret from before she took her vows. Every character is defined with great care as to backstories and what lead each to Gulls Nest. The only prominent character who does not live at Gulls Nest is Inspector Rideout, who also is well developed and has his own story.

Every character has a possible reason to commit murder, including a little girl named Dinah.
Dinah, with her bizarre behavior and inability to speak, is by far the most frightening character.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I am anxious to know where Breen and Rideout's relationship heads.