Murder at Gulls Nest

‘Murder At Gulls Nest’ was a delightful surprise, skillfully written, and beautifully narrated by Siobhán McSweeney, It was a joy to listen to. The story is too realistic to be Cozy Mystery but it's neither melodramatic nor overly focussed on the mystery. It's really a story about a woman taking back her life.

Set on the coast of Kent in 1954, it kicks off a murder mystery series around an unusual and engaging amateur sleuth. Nora Breen is an Irishwoman who took holy orders in her teens and has spent the last thirty years in the mostly silent, prayerful seclusion of a Carmelite order in rural Yorkshire. The book opens with Nora leaving her life as Sister Agnes behind and making her way in the world. She starts by taking up show more residence at Gulls Nest, a slightly run-down boarding house in a seaside town on the Kent coat. She is there to find out what happened to another former sister whose regular letters to Nora ceased unexpectedly and without explanation.

One of the things I liked about the book is that, although Nora is looking for her friend, who she believes has disappeared, she has also chosen to leave her order and won't be going back. Seeing Nora, a woman no longer young but still strong and capable, pursuing her goal to enter the world was a pleasure.

Nora is a wonderfully rounded character. Her personality dominates the book. Her insatiable curiosity nosiness, her quick temper, her refusal to accept constraints imposed on her and her empathy for and insight into the people around her.

Nora does not share the reason for her stay at Gulls Nest with the other guests. She is just getting to know them when one of them is found dead. Nora believes the guest was murdered and sets about finding out by whom.

I loved how real the people in the book felt. The dialogue was spot on, especially the exchanges between Nora and the formidable housekeeper. The people were eccentric but not unbelievably so. Nora was magnificent. I loved her fierce rage at the mistreatment of others and her refusal to be bullied by the men she meets. I also loved the kindness and empathy she showed when dealing with the strange, voluntarily mute, little girl who wanders through the guest house, seeing everything and saying nothing.

The period setting was well drawn The plot was engaging and I completely failed to work out who the killer was.

I recommend the audiobook version of 'Murder At Gulls Nest'. Siobhán McSweeney's narration perfectly captured the mood of the novel and the voices of the characters.

I’m hooked on this series now. I’ll pre-order the second book 'Murder At The Spirit Lounge', scheduled for 2026, as soon as it becomes available. show less

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series by Jess Kidd, an author whose books have all been so different from one another that one never knows what to expect, except that the book with involve unusual characters, an entertaining plot, and a touch of Ireland in some form or another.

Thirty years earlier as a teenager, Nora Breen joined the High Dallow Carmelite Monastery and became Sister Agnes of Christ. Her closest friend there, novice Frieda Brogan, left eight months ago to repair to the seaside for her health, and had been writing Nora weekly. Then without warning, Frieda’s letters stopped, and Nora had a sense of unease she couldn’t ignore. Nora “acted quickly and perhaps even rashly, driven more by intuition than show more logic.” She requested dispensation to be released from her vows so she could find out what happened to Frieda.

Thus becoming Nora Breen again, and with little else but borrowed clothes, she traveled to the Kent coast in the southeastern corner of England and got a room at Gulls Nest, the shabby boarding house where she knew Frieda had stayed. Nora was even given Frieda’s former room, finding to her dismay that no one in the house was forthcoming about where Frieda had gone or why.

Nora decided to investigate herself, but first, she had to learn how to order and fill her days without the structure of prayer. This turned out to be easier than she expected when a series of strange mishaps and even deaths started occurring at Gulls Nest.

Police Detective Inspector Rideout (whom Nora found handsome and “rakish” looking) tried to encourage Nora to stay out of it, but to no avail. And Nora wouldn’t give up; the more she dug, the more secrets she uncovered, as well as clues to what really was going on with the quirky group of residents at Gulls Nest. Reluctantly, DI Rideout came to appreciate Nora’s contributions.

In the end, Nora did get to the bottom of what happened to Frieda as well as the other dead bodies, and in addition, thought perhaps she had found a new vocation.

Evaluation: Kidd excels at drawing vivid portraits of unpredictable and unconventional characters who somehow seem perfectly normal denizens of her fictional worlds. Like other readers, I am sure, I look forward to finding out what Nora gets up to next. show less

Boy oh boy, I do love a Jess Kidd novel! I believe I have read them all and I know that I have thoroughly enjoyed every one that I have read, and that includes this one. A cozy mystery, as the sleuth is a former nun, but quite intricate in the plotting and pacing. Twice I thought I was on to the killer, but twice I was wrong. What I really love about Jess Kidd books is her ability to write casually and conversationally so that I am immediately comfortable and ready to settle in for a long read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy and provide my honest opinion.

I enjoyed the premise of this book and its protagonist, Nora Breen, a nun who has left her order to find a missing friend. I enjoyed the slow paced search and discovery and the tete a tete with the local police. Imagine throwing a shoe at a copper’s head ?! The tongue in cheek comments and humor was just so perfect. The setting was beautifully described which added immeasurably to the sleuthing. This was a wonderful cozy mystery full of interesting characters and a few well placed twists.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy and to the reviewers who mentioned previous books by Jess Kidd which are now on my “want to read list”.

I've enjoyed Jess Kidd's previous books and knew I was in for a treat with this latest - Murder at Gulls Nest.
The story is set in 1954 in an imaged hotel called the Gulls Nest, on the seaside.

Our protagonist is Nora. She has left behind her life as a nun. Why? Well, she has not heard from Frieda, her friend and pen pal, for a long time. Nora is determined to find where she has gone. This was a novel idea I thought. I wondered how she would fare in her search, after being behind cloistered walls for so many years.

The setting gives Nora a place to start, as many of the residents are long term. There's a mixed bunch, and she decides to hold back her own life story. Except that Inspector Rideout, the local constabulary, has already sussed show more that out. I like the banter between them.

It is so much fun as a reader to try and solve the case before the last pages are turned. I didn't- which was great! Kidd has given us a wonderful cosy mystery - all the bits are there - with a little more. I am looking forward to the second book in this new series.

I've often said that some stories are better for me when I listen them. That was the case for me with Murder at Gulls Nest. The narrator was Siobhan McSweeney. She has a wonderful voice and easily captures the tone and tenor of Kidd's plot. She provides believable voices for all the characters. She is easy to understand, but was a bit too quick for me. I just turned the play speed down to 9.0 and things were great. show less

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 show more definitely be picking up the next book.

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

I couldn’t put this one down – a murder mystery with suspicious characters, an abundance of clues, distracting red herrings, multiple motives and a surplus of secrets, brilliantly told against a backdrop of an eccentric boarding house in a British seaside town in 1954.

What makes this a standout is the main character, Nora Breen. A former nun, nurse, and avid mystery reader, her powers of observation contribute to her skillful ability to assist Chief Inspector Rideout in his investigation. Their relationship contributes to the novel’s charming readability.

Can’t wait for the second installment of this new series. Going to check out a few of Kidd’s earlier novels while I wait.