I enjoyed this mystery about a former nun investigating a murder in 1954 England.

Nora Breen is not your typical amateur sleuth. She first arrives at Gulls Nest, a small hotel in Gore-on-Sea, Kent. She left the order behind to track down her friend and fellow former nun after receiving a mysterious letter. What she finds is a residence full of quirky characters with an undercurrent of unhappiness. When one of them is found poisoned, Nora decides she wants to investigate because the police have got the whole case wrong!

Nora is a delightful lead. She doesn't do or say what people might expect. She's not above throwing a shoe if it gets her in to see the inspector. And the inspector's reaction might surprise you. The fellow residents are also interesting and unusual. I also love the setting.

The author does a good job of describing Nora adjusting to her new life. It's fun watching her because you really don't know what she'll do. What you do know is that she's determined to get to the truth.

The story has a dark thread that makes this not quite a cozy read but leaves potential for another storyline. I suspected a couple different people but I never guessed the motive. The showdown with the killer is pretty scary.

Gulls Nest might not be a place just anyone wants to live but it is a place mystery lovers will enjoy reading about. I can't wait to see what Nora will be up to next. I'm sure she doesn't even know!

Jess Kidd does it again and writes another winsome, cozy mystery. Great for fans of BBC and PBS detective shows. The novel brims over with rich and interesting characters and deals with tough subjects while enveloping the reader like a warm, weighted blanketed. Looking forward to the next installment.

Murder at Gulls Nest is the first book in the Nora Breen Investigates series and I can not wait to read the second one in this series. This one follows a former nun who ends up going to a small seaside town to search for answers after her pen pal disappears. Every character in this was good and I liked the setting in the book. The author wrote this well and I look forward to reading more books from this author. I enjoyed this cozy mystery and could not stop turning the pages. Any reader who likes cozy mysteries or mysteries should read this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this cozy read in exchange of my honest review of Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd.

This cover pulled me in, I think it’s perfect for this kind of book. I enjoyed the quaint seaside setting and the quirky cast of characters, but found the plot to move a little slowly. I think if you like character driven plots this would be a great cozy book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good cozy mystery and this one was a fun one! Nora was such a character and had me laughing out loud at some of the things she did. I loved that she took no crap and took matters into her own hands. This was definitely a band of characters and a fun time trying to figure out who the killer was. The writing style just wasn’t really my thing and felt like some plots didn’t really come together.

Overall, this was a simple, cozy mystery and although it wasn’t my favorite, I’m still intrigued to see what other adventures Nora gets into.

Jess Kidd's newest character is Nora Breen.
A former nun who left the convent life behind when her friend's routine letters stopped with no warning. Nora has been living in the convent for over 30 years and things have changed dramatically. Her reactions to the changes are sometimes entertaining and sometimes concerning.
Her friend Freida had left the convent life for her health. But she and Nora are close friends and Nora's concern is real, Freida has disappeared. So Nora moves into the same boarding house Freida had lived in, where she finds herself keeping company with a unique cast of characters. It's 1954 and single women living by themselves are rare. Nora introduces herself as a retired nurse who is just looking for a little peace and quiet. Nora contacts the police looking for help to locate her friend. Her interactions with the police, especially Inspector Rideout, are memorable.
This is an excellent cozy mystery, not Kidd's usual genre but she produced another winner in Nora Breen. Let's hope we will see more of her in the future.

I loved this book, flying through it in one day. This was my first book by this author, and I'm so glad that I tried this book. I will be sure to read others by her. I particularly look forward to future books about the main character, Nora Breen. Kidd does a wonderful job bringing to life the unique cast of characters, especially Nora, adjusting to life as a former nun. Her personal history made the book more than just your usual mystery, and I hope more will be revealed about her life in future books. The author made me feel like I was in post-war England, from the damaged soldiers to the privy behind the creepy boarding house. I enjoyed the dynamics of the boarders suffering under the management of the boarding house, although it was hard to imagine why anyone stayed with its bad food and many restrictive rules. As Norma takes it on herself to investigate what happened to her missing friend, she is confronted with several "accidental" deaths. The mood is lightened by the humor in her interactions with the police. I highly recommend this atmospheric book, and I hope it becomes a series.

This was an enjoyable book filled with all the cozy mystery vibes. The setting is dreary and costal and set in the 1950s. Kidd has you constantly trying to guess who the murderer is and keeps her readers on their toes. This is a short and sweet little mystery that I think some mystery readers may like!

Nora Breen is an armchair detective who visits the place where her friend, and pen pal, was last seen, Gulls Nest. She takes on the role of investigator when the local police force does not take her friend's disappearance seriously. As Green investigates, more residents at Gulls Nest begin to die mysteriously.

I did have an issue with pacing at the beginning. I felt like we were thrown into the story with too many characters at once with little to no explanation. It seemed like Murder at Gulls Nest was a book later on in a series, and we should know these people. Slowly, we start to gain more background information, but at first, I was not invested in the story due to this disconnect.

Nora Breen's background story was intriguing to me and I am looking forward to seeing where her investigations take us in the next book!

Thank you to Atria Books for the arc of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Y'all. Y'ALL!!!
This book was just so amazing. It is a mystery yes, but it is also so much more and I loved every minute of it [even the desperately sad parts; more ugly crying happened]. Nora Breen is both my new favorite character [surrounded by some very interesting and quirky side characters, and a good but flawed cop]*AND* my spirit animal [she is one of the best-written FMC I have read in a long time; so complex, human and V ER Y relatable], and I can only hope for a million more books with her in them.

I knew very little going into this book, and I am SO glad for that - discovering all as Nora does is the very best way to experience this book and I highly recommend everyone experiencing it the same way.

I loved this book. Plain and simple. Now please excuse me, as I still have massive book hangover, and I want to go sit in it for awhile. ;-)

**A NOTE: I would be remiss if I didn't also highly recommend the audiobook for this book. The narrator [Siobhan McSweeney] just jumped onto my ABFAB favorites and I cannot wait to listen to her again. She was just fantastic and really made the story AND Nora Breen come completely alive and really made this already awesome book just that much better [turn it up to eleven boys!]. You will not be sorry if you chose to go this route.

I was invited to read/review this book by the publisher [Atria], and I thank them, Jess Kidd, Siobhan McSweeney - Narrator, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much!

Nora is a totally original main character. She's quirky and fun to spend time with.

We go along with Nora as she investigates the tangled web of secrets, lies, and deception among a memorable cast of characters.

I can't wait for book 2!

*Thanks to Atria Books for the free eARC, provided via NetGalley.*

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. The pacing was quite good and kept me interested in the story. I wasn't sure how much trouble a former nun could get into, but she was savvy enough in dealing with people. I liked Nora and there was no shortage of other characters behaving suspiciously. I would read more by this author.

Murder at Gulls Nest follows Nora as she leaves her convent to search for a missing friend. The story takes place in the 1950s, set in a small coastal town in Kent. Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, the hotel her friend was last seen at, and begins to investigate the disappearance by talking to the other residents of the hotel. When the residents begin dying under mysterious circumstances, Nora fears the worst.

I enjoyed the atmosphere of the story, however I struggled to get through this book. I felt like there was a lot of descriptive filler content and I had a hard time trying not to skip over paragraphs. The ending had a nice twist! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the advance reader copy.

Jess Kidd’s Murder at Gull's Nest is an atmospheric and masterfully crafted mystery that plunges readers into a world of intrigue and secrets. Set against the rugged beauty of a remote coastal village, the story is alive with vivid descriptions and an eerie sense of place that will keep you hooked from the very first page.

Kidd’s characters shine, each brimming with quirks and complexities that bring them to life. From the enigmatic investigator to the tight-lipped locals, everyone feels like they’re hiding something. The intricate web of secrets unfolds with perfect pacing, blending suspense, wit, and just the right amount of humor to balance the darker undertones.

With its twisty plot, richly painted setting, and expertly woven threads, Murder at Gull's Nest is a standout for fans of atmospheric whodunits. Whether you’re here for the suspenseful turns, the eccentric cast, or Kidd’s razor-sharp prose, this mystery will not disappoint.

A must-read for anyone who loves their thrillers laced with charm and intrigue.

After thirty years as a nun, Nora Breen is now facing the secular world and there is so much to experience. She had become close friends with Frieda, a young nun who was forced to leave due to health issues. They continued their friendship through regular letters until Frieda suddenly stopped writing. From the contents of her last letter, Nora sensed that she was in trouble and decided to leave the order to find her. Dressed in cast off clothes and with a small stipend she arrives at Gulls Nest, Frieda’s last known location. With an owner who keeps to her rooms, her non-verbal daughter who observes everything, and a housekeeper who keeps strict rules and serves inedible food, Nora keeps her own past a secret as she gets to know the other boarders. A photographer, a retired puppeteer, a salesman and a young couple, they all have secrets. They all liked Frieda but no one knows what happened to her. The young husband is soon found dead. It is considered a suicide, but Nora worked as a nurse over the years and she is sure that it was murder. Could it be tied to Frieda’s disappearance?

Nora first met Inspector Rideout when she filed a missing person report for her friend. When he is called to Gulls Nest for the death Nora quickly becomes a thorn in his side. His annoyance gradually grows to respect and a developing friendship. Nora is a wonderful character. She is curious about the world around her, determined to find answers and sympathetic to the people at Gulls Nest. Jess Kidd’s mystery is filled with twists and it is an absolute delight to read. It ends with a hint at Nora’s return and I can not wait to see her again. I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this book.

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.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy.

I really enjoyed this book! Nora's voice was so strong and interesting and I loved following her POV. She is looking for a missing friend, which gets rolled into more investigating and I was so impressed by how she handled everything and everyone in the house; careful to get the facts and also stay safe, but also making her opinions heard. I was shocked by so many of the twists and LOVED when she stood up to the bullies. I also love how she stood up for the little girl that people treated so badly because she didn't want to talk. The small town setting was so well portrayed and there was just a comforting vibe. I guess this is a cozy mystery, though it certainly felt on the darker side of that (which I do love).

I listened to the audio version narrated by the delightful Siobhan McSweeney and that made a 3-star book a 4-star book for me. Hopefully the beginning of a series!

Nora comes to Gulls Nest to find her friend, Frieda. They were in the convent together, until Frieda left. When her letters stop, Nora knows that she must find her. Gulls Nest is a boarding house with a varied cast of characters. Soon after Nora's arrival, one of the tenants is found dead. Nora inserts herself into the police investigation, believing that the tenant was poisoned.
This is an entertaining novel which will keep you guessing as to why the person was killed and who did it. I look forward to reading more in this series.

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. This book is the start of a new series, featuring an unlikely amateur sleuth, Nora Breen, who is a former Nun. Her 30 yrs spent in the cloister have prepared her well to be able to observe others in a unique way. Nora finds herself in a rundown seaside town, looking for her friend, a fellow former Nun, who left the convent for health reasons. She lands among a group of tenants living in a boarding house who all seem to be carrying their own set of secrets. She starts asking a lot of questions, and he other boarders are very reluctant to give any answers. She explores the town and tries to retrace the steps of her friend, but along the way, murder comes calling at the boarding house, and she finds herself in the middle of a much bigger mystery. The Inspector in the worn very reluctantly allows her to participate in the investigation, and a solid friendship begin to form. We also learn more of Nora’s back story and what lead her to give up her vocation to search or her friend. If you enjoy sleuth novels, murder mysteries and post-War time periods, this is an enjoyable read. I look forward to the next installment in the series.

I love when I finish a book I enjoyed and see that is number 1 of a series. That means that there will be more! Murder at Gulls Nest is Nora Breen Investigates #1. I look forward to Nora Breen Investigates #2!

Gulls Nest is a small hotel in a small seaside town. It’s home to a somewhat eclectic group of inhabitants.

Nora Breen finds herself at Gulls Nest because it is the last known place of her friend, Frieda. When Frieda stopped writing her letters, Nora knew something was wrong.

When she arrives at Gulls Nest, she keeps her identity and friendship with Frieda a secret. She sets about to gather clues and find out what happened to Frieda.

A cozy mystery with an interesting twist. You see, Nora is a former nun. She left the convent in order to find her friend. This adds another dimension to the story, with Nora experiencing things for the first in years and years. Not only is she finding clues, she is finding the new version of herself! I look forward to more books in this series with Nora.