After a concerning line in one of her friend’s weekly letters, “I believe every one of us at Gulls Nest is concealing some kind of secret,” Nora stops receiving them all together. She leaves the monastery where she has been a nun for 30 years to investigate the boarding house her friend was living. 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.

Although I tend to gravitate toward books that are dark and heavy, sometimes it is nice to take a break and try something different. I enjoy a straight up cozy mystery from time to time. This book is the epitome of a British cozy mystery. I enjoyed this one overall. It was a fun idea, a woman leaves the life she has known for 30 years to solve the mystery of her friend’s disappearance. Nun turned amateur detective. The book also included a unique cast of characters such as any good cozy mystery. I enjoyed them all, except the MC unfortunately. She often comes off as nosy and overly pushy. I have a feeling that this was intentional but it was a bit much at times. Although admittedly she did grow on me by the end.

If you are looking for a cozy mystery will a fun plot, unique characters, a little historical fiction, and beautifully described setting this is the mystery for you!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Jess Kidd, and Atria Books for the chance to read this ARC copy.

Described as the first in a new cozy mystery series, The Murder at Gulls Nest is the story of former nun, Nora Breen, who decides to investigate why her former novice, Frieda, stops her regular correspondence - after stating that all of the residents of her boarding house are keeping secrets. Set in the mid 1950's in a seaside town in Kent, the novel is filled with atmosphere and suspicious characters. Nora decides to move to the boardinghouse where Frieda was living, to investigate what happened to her friend. Although I would not really call this a cozy mystery myself, I was interested in the motivation of Nora Breen - and her insistence of looking for her friend when no one else, even the police detective, seemed to care. You also find out what happened to Nora, why she joined a convent, and what makes her a melancholy figure with a desire to reinvent herself. When more suspicious deaths occur at the cursed boardinghouse, Nora is convinced that something terrible has happened to her friend. Nora develops a relationship with the inspector on the case, and convinces him with her observations and evidence that foul play is involved with the deaths at Gulls nest - not just post war depression and bad luck. The end of the book suggests a new series with Nora helping Inspector Rideout - with possibly a romantic interest down the road. Although this was not a true cozy in my eyes, I still enjoyed the mystery.

I discovered Jess Kidd many years ago, and enjoyed the dark stories told by Jess Kidd. This is a different (yet somehwat similar ) turn for Jess Kidd, but I enjoyed this book quite a lot! I can't wait for the next book in the series!

After decades in a convent, a sudden silence from her longtime friend and former novice, Frieda, is enough to jolt Nora Breen into motion. When the letters stop without warning, Nora does what no one expects: she leaves the only life she’s ever known as a nun, slips into her old name, and checks into the last place Frieda was seen — a fog-wrapped guesthouse called Gulls Nest, where the tea is bitter and the secrets go bone-deep.

What follows is Jess Kidd’s version of a cozy — which means it’s not really cozy. It’s atmospheric, unsettling, and emotionally loaded in the best possible way. "Murder at Gulls Nest" gives you post-war malaise, seaside melancholy, and a boarding house full of twitchy residents with secrets stuffed under the floorboards. There’s been a suspicious death. There’s whispering in the halls. And no one is even pretending to mind their own business.

Nora, of course, fits right in.

She’s the best kind of main character — unbothered, deeply observant, and still bleeding a little from everything she’s lost. She isn’t quirky. She’s quiet. She doesn’t solve crimes because she’s curious — she does it because someone she loves went missing, and no one else seems to care enough to find out why. And while she might not carry a badge, she’s got thirty years of experience keeping secrets, watching people, and reading between the lines. That’s more than enough.

The setting? Prime Kidd territory. 1950s Kent, all fog and suspicion and lemon drizzle cake with a side of passive-aggression. Gulls Nest feels like it’s rotting politely from the inside out. Every room hums with awkward tension. Every guest has something to hide. It’s the kind of place where you know the scones are dry and someone absolutely knows how to dispose of a body.

And then there’s Detective Inspector Rideout — the local cop who doesn’t quite know what to do with Nora but can’t stop circling her either. Their dynamic is not romantic (yet), but it simmers. It’s all subtext, shared glances, and mutual recognition that "you’re not like the others, are you?" energy. It’s subtle, slow, and genuinely lovely — the emotional equivalent of making eye contact across a cold cup of tea and knowing exactly what the other person is thinking.

The plot builds slowly, and yes, the pacing drags in places — especially in the second act, where mood takes priority over momentum. But Kidd’s writing is so textured, so rich with character and tension, that it’s hard to mind. You don’t rush a book like this. You let it soak.

And underneath the murder mystery, this is really a book about reinvention. About what happens when the world you gave your life to stops fitting and you have to build something else from scratch. About women who are tired of being quiet. About grief and grit and the radical act of refusing to let the past be buried. It's also a bit about perfecting your aim.

Four stars. It’s smart, strange, and gorgeously written — and if Jess Kidd wants to give Nora Breen more mysteries to solve and more detectives to quietly fluster, I’m absolutely showing up for round two. Let her interrogate. Let her crack the case with nothing but a notebook and that withering stare.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

3.75/5. This was a solid beginning of a cozy mystery series. I really liked our small town setting, and the characters that were there. It was interesting following Nora as a main character. She felt s a bit like a younger Ms. Marple to me, which was a fun time. It was a bit of a slow beginning, since we had to set everything out. However, I think future installments will be a fun time. I want to see more interactions between these characters and what goes on at Gulls Nest.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a review.

I adore Jess Kidd's writing and this book is not a disappointment! It is a seamless blend of mystery, intrigue, and richly drawn characters that keeps readers on the edge of their seats and elevates the label "cozy mystery". Set in a quaint coastal village, the novel opens with the discovery of a body at Gull's Nest, a local landmark shrouded in legend and superstition. Kidd's storytelling shines through her vivid descriptions and atmospheric setting, immersing readers in the eerie charm of the village. Nora is a determined and sharp-witted detective, whose background never detracts from the story.

What sets "Murder at Gull's Nest" apart as a cozy mystery is Kidd's quirky characters and easy to read story. It is never overcomplicated but also not boring! Despite the large number of characters, I thought their backstories were revealed in a way that never left me confused.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of MURDER AT GULLS NEST (Book 1 of the Nora Breen Investigates series) by Jess Kidd in exchange for an honest review. Nora Breen always knew her calling was one of poverty and service; she always expected to become a nun, and she did. During her time with the sisters, Nora and the other sisters became fond of a novice named Frieda, who was the embodiment of joy and mischief and completely unsuited to the life of a nun. Nora remains in contact with Frieda even after she leaves the cloistered life and becomes concerned when Frieda’s correspondence suddenly ends after her last letter indicated that she believed everyone at her boarding house had secrets and that she intended to discover them all. When Nora cannot get anyone to check in on Frieda, Nora makes the decision to leave the nuns. As a new civilian with limited funds, Nora makes her way to Gulls Nest, the boarding house of Frieda’s last address, at Gore-on-Sea. Truly, it seems like the boarders do have secrets, and a series mysterious deaths after Nora arrives confirm Nora’s suspicion that Frieda also met with a nasty end. Can Nora find out what happened to Frieda, identify the killer, and stop the murderer before Gulls Nest only houses the memories of murders?

This was an interesting book. I recommend it to readers interested in historical murder mysteries featuring late in life new beginnings in bad circumstances.

I was a bit split on this one. I loved the characters and the setting, but guessed the murderer pretty early on and found Nora's backstory a bit unbelievable. I'm chalking that up to it being the first book in a new series, and am guessing we'll learn more as the series goes on that will help it make sense.

I really enjoyed all of the supporting characters and hope they feature in future books as I'd love to learn more about each of their stories.

Jess Kidd’s latest novel, Murder at Gull’s Nest, is a delightful cozy mystery. This book is a departure from her usual magical realism. I enjoyed Ms. Kidd's usual writing style in a different genre.

From the start to the finish I was invested in this story. I loved the main character, Nora Breen. The former nun and nurse is interesting, complex, and unexpected.

While searching for her missing friend, Frieda, Nora introduces readers to all the quirky and mysterious characters in the small seaside town. Most interesting is the devilish Inspector Rideout. Nora and Rideout’s banter is fun. Watching their relationship turn from adversarial to respectful to potentially more was very fun.

As the story moves along, more residents at Gulls Nest meet their end, and Nora and Rideout disagree repeatedly as to whether the deaths are accidental or plotted.

“Frieda was inquisitive, Nora asks questions, what’s the difference? In a house like Gulls Nest, curiosity might prove fatal.”

Ms. Kidd’s writing is delightful. There are plenty of delicious, descriptive details and red herrings. The plot arc is good and the tension build and pacing are excellent. I’m looking forward to a future book featuring Breen and Rideout!

This book, unfortunately, was such a let down for me. I went into it expecting this fun, light-hearted cozy mystery, but that is not what I got. I usually love the characters in a cozy mystery, but this book started so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to connect to these characters at all. I kept checking Google to make sure I didn’t start in the middle of the series because this book skipped a lot of build up and background in the beginning. I really struggled to keep the characters separate from each other which hindered my enjoyment of the book. The mystery was okay and held my attention. I do think there were some areas where suspense could have been built a little better, especially the ending. I also was not expecting some of the heavier themes in the book to be present in a cozy mystery (i.e. rape, infidelity). While okay to include in the book, I would have liked a more fleshed out discussion in the book as opposed to just glossing over it. Overall, it was a quick read but I don’t think I will be continuing in the series.

Murder at Gulls Nest is set in a small village in post-WW2 Kent. Nora Breen leaves her convent after she stops hearing from her former novice, Freida, and travels to the small village where she had been staying. The boardinghouse is filled with an interesting cast of characters and shortly after her arrival there are a series of murders. This cozy mystery was so much fun. I loved the setting, characters, and the time period. The mystery itself was fine but will definitely read more in this series to be back at Gore-on-Sea with Nora. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy. 4 stars

Nora Breen receives letters from a former novitiate regularly. When they stop, she asks to be released from her vows to investigate. Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent that had been mentioned in the letters. For many, the town is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides who she is and pries into the lives of those at the hotel. When the murders start, it soon feels like the past can't be escaped after all.

Nora has a strong connection with Frieda, the novitiate who wrote to her weekly since leaving. The hotel residents have their secrets and seem somewhat amiable enough at first. There's the married couple Stella and Theo, Professor Poppy who has ailing health, photographer Karel, and the former naval cook Bill who is romancing the hotel's owner while disdaining her wild and mute daughter Dinah. The town itself has its characters, in the form of the Ladd family who owns the carnival and a lot of property, the neighboring pastor who likes rabbits more than people, the photographer, and the police officers. Nora asks her questions like the detective novels she favored, barreling through to discover more about others without revealing much about herself. Her sheer proximity to the hotel means that she's present when the body is found, and she is sure that the death is linked to Frieda going missing.

While there is murder and the threat of danger hanging over the residents in the hotel, it feels more cozy of a mystery. It's not high tension and the death by poisoning means there isn't the intense death that bloody attacks leave in their wake. Nora asks a lot of her fellow residents, the owner, the housekeeper and maid, and even Dinah through drawings and notes. She looks for clues not just for Frieda's disappearance, but for the murderer, sure that they're linked. Along the way, she recalls her own early history, and we see the traumas that occurred in her life prior to becoming a nun. While the first half started off slowly as we got to know Nora and her fellow tenants, the second half picked up speed and really drew me in. The postwar era is full of people recovering from various kinds of trauma, trying to connect and find their place in the world. As much as Nora isn't sure she belongs in Kent, this would be the great start of a series of novels investigating the countryside.

I wanted to love this book. The set up of a former nun solving a mystery delighted me. And initially it is intriguing and heartfelt and funny, particularly in the interactions between our former nun and the actual investigator. But the mystery gets dragged out and the pace becomes uneven. Then there’s a rush to the finish that feels very sudden. I think a lot of the problem for me was pacing, not so much the plot. I finished the book and thought “OK. That’s fine.“ Meh.

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.

I liked the characters, the details, and the sense of place, but the mystery was just ok, I think. I’ve usually write reviews right after I finish something, but in this case I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say. I really like Jess Kidd’s writing, and I will definitely read more in the series, but there were things unresolved here that I would like to have seen resolved. Some of the arcs I can see continuing into further books in the series, but some of them seem as though they are unlikely to be revisited. I a, definitely writing myself into my true opinion here! I think some of how I feel about this book will depend on what happens in the next, and I don’t love that as a reader. 3.75 stars

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Atria Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller
Spice Level: No spice on the page
Language: Minimal swearing
Representation: Gay side characters

MURDER AT GULLS NEST instantly caught me with the middle-aged, former nun as the amateur sleuth.

This is set post WWII, and I feel like this is a time where Europe dramatically changed, and is great for a mystery setting.

Nora is so nuanced, and I loved how she's figuring out life again. As the story progresses we learn more about her past and what brought her to this moment to investigate what happened to her friend, a younger postulate.

The detective made me laugh—everything from the detail of his jacket, his conversations with Nora, and how he changes. All the other characters living at Gulls Nest house are intriguing and harbor secrets. And the puppets are automatically creepy! Add the odd child to the mix, and you're in for a socially awkward adventure.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, and think other mystery readers will love it too.

Happy reading!

PS—There might be a slow burn romance starting.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when your penpal stops writing you back, then this book is for you! A nun shows up in a 1950s British seaside town full of oddball characters looking for her lost friend, and before you can count to 10 she has her nose in everyone’s business.

Nora is a delightful main character—adroit, observant, warm, and patient, with a wry sense of humor. I loved how she was able to find a way to connect with just about anyone. It felt really sweet amidst the multiple murders darkening the rest of the plot 🙈 Getting to know everyone and their backstories was a delight. Kidd certainly populated this town with lots of kooky characters, and I adored it.

Now, I’m definitely the WORST at figuring out mysteries, so take this as you will. I found the mystery quite fun, and only had some vague suspicions around the last quarter of the book. I’m not sure I completely buy the motive, but hey, I’m always down for a bit of chaos! If you’re looking for a sweet but page-turning read to distract you in these harrowing times, look no further.

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd--A well-plotted mystery that feels like a classic Agatha Christie mystery to me. Former nun Nora has left her monastery after 30 years of service to try to find out what happened to a former novice & friend. She arrives at the Gulls Nest boarding house where her friend had been living in Kent by the sea and sets to unraveling the secrets of the other residents. I liked the post-WWII setting and Nora's personality. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Murder at Gulls Nest is the beginning of a new series by Jess Kidd.

"A former nun, Frieda, stops writing so Nora asked to be released from her vows to find out what's happened. She arrives at Gulls Nest, a hotel in Gore-on-Sea where Frieda had been staying. Nora pries into the lives of the other guests. When a series of bizarre murders happens at the hotel, she wonders if the past can ever be left behind."

This is an interesting character from Kidd - Nora, who's been a nun for 30 years - who sets out to solve a disappearance. Nora has her own dark secret. She's determined to find out what happened to her friend and uses her years as a nun to her advantage. No one see her coming. There are some funny moments with the desk sergeant. The story is set right after WW II - no technology to solve a crime and just basic forensics.
This is a slow-burn mystery and the reveal is not until the end. There's a setup for future books and even a moment when Nora sort of breaks the Fourth Wall.

Good for fans of slow-burn mysteries.

MURDER AT GULLS NEST (NORA BREEN INVESTIGATES #1)
BY: JESS KIDD

About 4.5 Stars!

I absolutely love Author Jess Kidd's novels of which I can say I've read every single one, thus far. Anybody that's familiar with Jess Kidd would probably agree with me that she's not capable of writing anything less than stellar. I did love this but found it to be quite a change in style which is wide ranging and unique. My two favorites are "THINGS IN JARS," and, "THE NIGHT SHIP." This newest offering by her called, "MURDER AT GULL'S NEST," looks like it's going to be a series. Which I'm quite taken by surprise to be honest. It's not that this wasn't a compelling and riveting reading experience, because I enjoyed every minute reading this, as with her back list. It's not that this didn't have closure since it absolutely did. Nora Breen is a naturally inquisitive, eccentric or quirky character that I enjoyed. She's been a nun for the past thirty years who was trained as a nurse who was released from her vows at the Monastery to look into another former Nun's who stayed at Gull's Nest boardinghouse, before her. Her name was Frieda, who stopped writing to Nora which Nora thought was out of character for her to stop keeping in touch with writing letters to Nora. Somehow Nora was right to be concerned as she almost seemed to have a sixth sense that something was very unusual for Frieda to stop writing to Nora. She had made an agreement when she left the Monastery that she would be writing to Nora on a regular basis and her letters stopped.

Frieda had a heart and Lung condition which she was under Doctor's orders to take a rest cure at Gull's Nest which is a seacoast area that is practically a character itself. When Nora arrives there she is given Frieda's Sea view room to stay in. Nora doesn't disclose that she's there to find her friend who some of the other members of the boardinghouse say that Frieda left late at night and was stepping out with a married man. Once Nora arrives at Gulf's Nest she is given a long list of rules, and She meets the owner named Helena Wells, and the cook Irene Rawlings. Helena Wells has an eight year old daughter named, Dinah who is non verbal but intelligent which Nora finds a way to communicate with her by getting Dinah a notebook and colored pencils. Nora learns about the connection between Mrs. Rawlings and Mrs. Wells. Mrs. Rawlings is a horrible cook who serves dinner for all of the boarders out of a tureen. I have to admit that the food would be something that I would definitely not eat if it was me staying there.

The night during dinnertime Nora tries to find out as much as she can about the other boarders by interrogating them. She also asks them all questions about Frieda. The next day she goes straight to the Police Station to put in a missing person's report about Frieda. At first she runs into a conflict with the Detective Inspector in charge, but soon they become friends which I think sets this up nicely for a series. I can see them working well together in future installments in this series. This being the first one obviously can be read as a standalone. There are a few murders that take place in this one, but I won't say anymore than that since it would be a spoiler to say too much, but believe me I have left out the majority of this cozy mystery which I think will be a huge success with those who like that genre. You'll love the area, and I really enjoyed this, and will definitely look forward to the next one of these in the series. You'll love the character Nora Breen who is a likable character. To be fully honest I'm a huge Jess Kidd fan, and part of me feels like one of the greatest thing I loved about her is that she has written distinctly different & Original novels which part of me is going to miss, quite a bit. "THINGS IN JARS," was my Introduction to her, which I didn't think Id like, but it blew me away with its uniqueness. As I said I loved "THE NIGHT SHIP," which I loved because by then I had read her entire back list, but as much as this is well written, I admire her for surprising me with something unlike any of her novels, and I hope that she continues to do so. That's not to say I'm already looking forward to her next novel in this series because I absolutely am. I'm just being honest that I feel disappointed that she is going to write more predictably which is her choice, but I would prefer her to go back to her innovative, talented standalone novels. I can even understand her reasons for writing series. I can't help but feel that this was fantastic, but I guess I'll have to wait and see. Maybe I'm being too unreasonable by feeling like I'm less excited since I feel this one was enough.

Publication Date: April 8, 2025! AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE NOW! A COZY MURDER MYSTERY WHICH THIS IS THE FIRST IN THE SERIES!

Thank you to Net Galley, Jess Kidd and Atria Books for generously providing me with my wonderful ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own, as always

#MurderatGullsNext #JessKidd #AtriaBooks #NetGalley