Jess Kidd

Based on a true story, an epic historical novel from the award-winning author of Things in Jars that illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and, three hundred years later, a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island.1629: A newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia , one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age. Curious and mischievous, Mayken spends the long journey going on misadventures above and below the deck, searching for a mythical monster. But the true monsters might be closer than she thinks.1989: A lonely boy named Gil is sent to live off the coast of Western Australia among the seasonal fishing community where his late mother once resided. There, on the tiny reef-shrouded island, he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck…With her trademark “thrilling, mysterious, twisted, but more than anything, beautifully written” (Graham Norton, New York Times bestselling author) storytelling, Jess Kidd weaves “a true work of magic” (V.E. Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue ) about friendship, sacrifice, brutality, and forgiveness.

Bridie Devine, female detective extraordinaire, is confronted with the most baffling puzzle yet: the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick, secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, and a peculiar child whose reputed supernatural powers have captured the unwanted attention of collectors trading curiosities in this age of discovery.Winding her way through the labyrinthine, sooty streets of Victorian London, Bridie won’t rest until she finds the young girl, even if it means unearthing a past that she’d rather keep buried. Luckily, her search is aided by an enchanting cast of characters, including a seven-foot tall housemaid; a melancholic, tattoo-covered ghost; and an avuncular apothecary. But secrets abound in this foggy underworld where spectacle is king and nothing is quite what it seems.Blending darkness and light, history and folklore, Things in Jars is a spellbinding Gothic mystery that collapses the boundary between fact and fairy tale to stunning effect and explores what it means to be human in inhumane times.

Blending strange kindnesses, casual violence and buried secrets: an unforgettable debut from a dark new voice in Irish fictionWhen Mahony returns to Mulderrig, a speck of a place on Ireland’s west coast, he brings only a photograph of his long-lost mother and a determination to do battle with the village’s lies. His arrival causes cheeks to flush and arms to fold in disapproval. No one in the village - living or dead - will tell what happened to the teenage mother who abandoned him as a baby, despite Mahony's certainty that more than one of them has answers. Between Mulderrig’s sly priest, its pitiless nurse and the caustic elderly actress throwing herself into her final village play, this beautiful and darkly comic debut novel creates an unforgettable world of mystery, bloody violence and buried secrets.

From the award-winning author of Himself comes a spellbinding and “magically entertaining read” (Good Housekeeping, UK) about a lonely caregiver and a cranky hoarder with a house full of secrets that “will appeal to fans of Tana French and Sophie Hannah, as it charms and unsettles in equal measure” (BookPage). Maud Drennan is a dedicated caregiver whose sunny disposition masks a deep sadness. A tragic childhood event left her haunted, in the company of a cast of prattling saints who pop in and out of her life like tourists. Other than visiting her agoraphobic neighbor, Maud keeps to herself, finding solace in her work and in her humble existence—until she meets Mr. Flood. Cathal Flood is a menace by all accounts. The lone occupant of a Gothic mansion crawling with feral cats, he has been waging war against his son’s attempts to put him into an old-age home and sent his last caretaker running for the madhouse. But Maud is this impossible man’s last chance: if she can help him get the house in order, he just might be able to stay. So the unlikely pair begins to cooperate, bonding over their shared love of Irish folktales and mutual dislike of Mr. Flood’s overbearing son.Mr. Flood’s Last Resort is “a rare delight” (Cosmopolitan, UK) examining the space between sin and sainthood, a novel that “perfectly balances tragedy with dark comedy” in which “the dialogue crackles and every detail enchants” (Shelf Awareness).

A cozy mystery series about a former nun who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal mysteriously disappears1954: 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.

Welcome to Little Snoddington, where nothing is normal and every day is magic . . .'Alfie Blackstack wasn't surprised to find himself an orphan. His parents had always been careless.'Nine-year-old Alfie Blackstack's parents have met a very unfortunate end. Now he's living in the dark and cobwebby Switherbroom Hall with his mad-haired Aunt Gertie and warty Aunt Zita, who would really like to pickle him.Before long, Alfie realises his aunts aren't just the weird local chemists, they're witches! And they travel by flying vacuum cleaner!Soon the Fagan Family Circus arrives in town and Alfie makes his first friend, the fearless Calypso Fagan. But when her sister Nova disappears, they must face the Head Witch and her terrifying assistant in a race to find Nova and stop the next Witch War. Can Alfie save his new friends with a dash of magic and a big dose of bravery?

Himself and The Hoarder [hardcover] 2 books collection set. Description:- Himself:1950. A teenage girl is brutally murdered in a forest. But, somehow, her baby survives.1976. A mysterious and charming young man returns to the remote coastal village of Mulderrig, seeking answers about the mother who, it was said, had abandoned him on the steps of a Dublin orphanage. The Hoarder:Maud Drennan - underpaid carer and unintentional psychic - is the latest in a long line of dogsbodies for the ancient, belligerent Cathal Flood. Yet despite her best efforts, Maud is drawn into the mysteries concealed in his filthy, once-grand home. She realises that something is changing: Cathal, and the junk-filled rooms, are opening up to her.

The mesmerising new novel from the winner of the Costa Short Story Award, following her debut novel, Himself.Maud Drennan - underpaid carer and unintentional psychic - is the latest in a long line of dogsbodies for the ancient, belligerent Cathal Flood. Yet despite her best efforts, Maud is drawn into the mysteries concealed in his filthy, once-grand home. She realises that Cathal, and the junk-filled rooms, are opening up to her.With only her landlady and a troop of sarcastic ghostly saints to help, Maud must uncover what lies beneath Cathal's decades-old hostility and the strange activities of the house itself.

This story is about a young Irish girl in London who accompanies her mother on visits to a dying woman – with curious consequences.

Außenseiter, Geister und Heilige bevölkern die spannenden Romane von Jess Kidd, gespickt mit einer Brise Humor und Figuren, die durch nichts aus der Fassung zu bringen sind. Dieser Band vereint drei Romane dieser außergewöhnlichen Autorin!»Der Freund der Toten«Ein kleines Dorf, sein dunkles Geheimnis und eine gefährliche Begegnung mit der Vergangenheit ...Der charmante Gelegenheitsdieb Mahony glaubte immer, seine Mutter habe ihn aus Desinteresse 1950 in einem Waisenhaus in Dublin abgegeben. Sechsundzwanzig Jahre später erhält er einen Brief, der ein ganz anderes, ein brutales Licht auf die Geschichte seiner Mutter wirft. Mahony reist in seinen Geburtsort, um herauszufinden, was damals wirklich geschah. Einige Dorfbewohner setzen alles daran, dass er die Wahrheit nicht herausfindet. Doch im Ort trifft Mahony auch auf die eine oder andere exzentrische Person, die ihm hilft. Dass es sich dabei manchmal um einen Toten handelt, scheint ihn nicht weiter zu stören …»Heilige und andere Tote«Bridlemere – ein herrschaftliches Anwesen im Westen Londons, das seine besten Tage bereits gesehen hat. Hier haust Cathal Flood, einst Antiquitäten- und Kuriositätenhändler, inzwischen zu einem Messie verkommen. Die Neueste in der endlosen Reihe erfolgloser Sozialarbeiter, die Cathal zur Räson bringen soll, ist Maud Drennan. Unter den wüsten Beschimpfungen des Alten zieht sie beherzt gegen Dreck und Müll zu Felde. Doch überall im Haus scheinen verschlüsselte Botschaften zu warten. Wie das Foto von zwei Kindern, auf dem das Gesicht des Mädchens weggebrannt ist. Hat Flood eine heimliche Tochter? Und warum hasst er seinen Sohn so sehr? Auch der Tod seiner Frau gibt Fragen über Fragen auf. Maud würde am liebsten alle bedrückenden Hinweise ignorieren. Doch ihre Vermieterin Renata, die für ihr Leben gern Detektivin spielt, und eine Horde marodierender Heiliger, die nur Maud sehen kann, wittern längst ein Verbrechen.»Die Ewigkeit in einem Glas«London 1863. Bridie Devine, Privatdetektivin und Expertin für kleinere chirurgische Eingriffe, erhält den Auftrag, die entführte Tochter eines Adligen zurückzubringen. Alles an dem Fall ist beängstigend der nervöse Vater, die feindselige Dienerschaft, der windige Hausarzt. Allen voran aber die verschwundene Christabel, die kaum je einer gesehen hat. Doch zunächst ist die energische Bridie ganz in ihrem Element, denn sie liebt vertrackte Fälle. Zudem fühlt sie sich beschützt von ihrem neuen Begleiter, Ruby – der ist zwar tot, aber wen stört das schon? Als sich Bridie Zugang zu Christabels Räumen verschafft, begreift sie, was das Besondere an dem Mädchen ist und dass sie in großer Gefahr schwebt. »Man möchte sich verneigen vor Jess Kidd.« Die Zeit

1954: Nach dreißig Jahren im Kloster kehrt Schwester Agnes, nunmehr wieder Miss Nora Breen, ihrem Konvent den Rücken zu. Ihr Weg führt sie nach Kent in das pittoreske Küstenstädtchen Gore-on-Sea, wo ihre einstige Novizin Frieda Brogan vor einem Monat spurlos verschwunden ist. Ihre wöchentlichen Briefe haben einfach aufgehört – und das kurz nachdem Frieda angekündigt hatte, die Geheimnisse der sonderbaren Bewohner der Pension Möwennest zu lüften. Ist sie dabei auf unliebsame Wahrheiten gestoßen, die sie von der Küste vertrieben haben, oder ist ihr gar Schlimmeres widerfahren? Nora geht undercover und nistet sich nicht nur im Möwennest ein, sondern bezieht auch Friedas einstiges Zimmer. Ihr Verdacht, dass es in der Pension nicht mit rechten Dingen zugehen kann, bestätigt sich, als einer der Gäste tot aufgefunden wird. Teddy Atkins Kaffee wurde vergiftet. Da Detective Inspector Rideout den Tod des jungen traumatisierten Mannes jedoch als Suizid abtut, nimmt Nora kurz entschlossen die Ermittlungen selbst in die Hand – und alle Gäste des Möwennests aufs Korn.

In the second installment of the Nora Breen Investigates series—“perfect for cozy mystery lovers” (Book Riot)—beloved former nun Nora Breen returns, this time to track down a ghostly killer before it’s too late.When Dolores Chimes, a famous medium, arrives in Gore-on-Sea, even surly Detective Inspector Rideout is lured in by her promises of messages for the afterlife. But after a reading goes disastrously wrong, Dolores loses her life—and the six sitters at the séance with her fall victim to supernatural deaths themselves in the days following the nightmare of a reading. Determined to unveil the truth, Nora finds herself chasing a ghostly serial killer she believes to be responsible, before the sixth victim—Detective Rideout himself—perishes along with the others.