London, 1863. Bridie Devine, the finest female detective of her age, is taking on her toughest case yet. Reeling from her last job and with her reputation in tatters a remarkable puzzle has come her way. Christabel Berwick has been kidnapped. But Christabel is no ordinary child. She is not supposed to exist.
As Bridie fights to recover the stolen child she enters a world of fanatical anatomists, crooked surgeons and mercenary showmen. Anomalies are in fashion, curiosities are the things, and fortunes are won and lost, in the name of entertainment. The public love a spectacle and Christabel may well prove the most remarkable spectacle London has ever seen.
Publisher: Canongate Books
4th April 2019
It is set in Victorian London, 1863 to be precise and we follow female detective Bridie Devine as she follows the case of a missing child. Christabel Berwick is not a normal child though and Bridie realised that she has not necessarily been kidnapped but instead 'collected' as a real, live curiosity. Bridie delves into London's murky backstreets to find this child and soon encounters many of life's less favourable characters, grave robbers, obsessive anatomists and a showman intent on owning the bizarre at any cost.
Bridie Devine is a truly wonderful character, Kidd's descriptions really do bring her to life. She has had it tough but she is determined and resilient and most importantly she cares deeply about others. She goes out of her way to protect several other characters in the book despite that placing her in danger. I loved the relationship with her maid Cora, she is more friend than maid and they are a real double act.
Despite Bridie's strength, Kidd does not hide the vulnerability of women at this time. There are many female characters in this book taking risks but their lives are still greatly affected by the decisions and behaviour of men. Bridie, out of all of them, pushes against these boundaries, she is fiercely independent and almost seems wary of becoming attached to a man as maybe she would lose some of her power?
The book is mainly set in London with some scenes set in the countryside too but throughout, Kidd's descriptions are exemplary. She conjures up sights, sounds and even smells and the scenes she created were one of my favourite parts of the book.
The book flits between 1863 and Bridie's childhood in 1843, this tied the book together perfectly as characters from Bridie's past appear with devastating consequences in her present.
The gradual romance between Bridie and Ruby Doyle is an absolute joy. Ruby is a ghost that only Bridie can see, he is very protective of her and a constant companion but unable to physically protect her. I felt like their relationship crept up on me as a reader and their feelings for each other make for a rather eccentric love story.
There are some real villains in this story and whilst unlikable they are also fantastic. Jess Kidd has created several characters who go out of their way to cause harm and menace to others and you are left questioning what led them to behave in such a way and have such disregard for others.
Things in Jars contain a magical, supernatural element and I loved it. There was a real curiosity at the time with the fantastical and Things in Jars is brimming with it. It added an extra element to the mystery in the book and it was so well done.
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. I do not have one negative comment to make about it!
Many thanks to Canongate Books for allowing me to read a review copy through Netgalley.
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