Things in Jars

A Novel

By: Jess Kidd

Narrated by: Jacqueline Milne

In this “miraculous and thrilling” (Diane Setterfield, #1 New York Times bestselling author) mystery for fans of The Essex Serpent and The Book of Speculation, Victorian London comes to life as an intrepid female sleuth wades through a murky world of collectors and criminals to recover a remarkable child.

Bridie Devine—flame-haired, pipe-smoking 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 in this age of discovery.

Winding her way through the sooty streets of Victorian London, Bridie won’t rest until she finds the young girl, even if it means unearthing secrets about her 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 nothing is quite what it seems.

Blending darkness and light, Things in Jars is a stunning, “richly woven tapestry of fantasy, folklore, and history” (Booklist, starred review) that explores what it means to be human in inhumane times.

Critic reviews

"Jacqueline Milne's supple, suggestive voice sets a gothic mood as she delivers this dark exploration of the weird in Victorian London. Bridie Divine works for the police as an unofficial medical examiner. When Christabel Berwick goes missing, her father insists that his daughter, no ordinary child, must be found. Bridie reluctantly accepts the case, even though she is currently being haunted by Ruby Dolan, a genial ghost. Milne treats listeners to chilling descriptions of the muck and slime of the London streets and raises goosebumps as she recounts Christabel's freakish abilities. She also excels at detailing the depth of evil found within the human villains—listeners won't soon forget the nightmarish Mrs. Bibby. This strangely compelling audiobook is a must-listen."

Possibly Favorite Novel of All Time

I was enamored of this from the first sentence to the last. The combination of the narrator's beautiful depiction and the author's rolling prose made this a feast for the ears. I've rarely fell in love with characters as deeply as Kidds' and I'm sad to leave them at the end. Highly recommend!

Gardener

I understand the confusion in characters as other reviewers have attested to. This book is not light reading. Sometimes I had to repeat many passages. Don’t read it when you are sick or too busy. But in the right mood and at the right time it is so worth it

Magical but not for the faint of heart

Delightful characters, calls up the dark obsessions of the Victorians. But if you’re squeamish and are looking for a Disney take, best left alone.

Enjoying the series

Probably my favourite out of the series,

Again, Audible, I want to give props to the authors but being forced to write reviews (with a minimum of 15 words) in order to do so is preventing me from rating entirely.

Wonderful tale, superb narration

I listen at 1.3x and the pacing was perfect. Compelling story with a bit of everything — don’t even want to hint at anything that could be construed as a spoiler… so just give it a go!