Jess Kidd | Writer

Things in Jars

“Here she comes, my favourite character to date, Bridie Devine

Victorian detective extraordinaire."

JESS KIDD

Things in Jars

“I loved Himself and The Hoarder but this book takes things to another level –

thrilling, mysterious, twisted but more than anything, beautifully written

and filled to bursting point with heart."

GRAHAM NORTON

Himself

"I love this book... its one of those books

that has you smiling as you read, and that

you plan to read again very soon"

Louis de Bernières

Mr Flood's Last Resort

"Kidd has an imagination to die for!"

The Guardian

The Hoarder

"Kidd writes brilliantly, her skill with language

John Boyne in The Irish Times

and particularly with atmosphere recalling some

of the great 19th-century writers of ghost stories..."

The Night Ship

A girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia
and, over three hundred years later, a boy finding a
home with his grandfather on the very same island....

Jess Kidd is the author of Murder at Gulls Nest, The Night Ship, Things in Jars, Himself and The Hoarder (also titled Mr. Flood’s Last Resort in the U.S.). She was the winner of the 2016 Costa Short Story Award. Jess’ debut novel, Himself, was published by Canongate in October 2016. The Hoarder, her second novel, hit the shelves in February 2018. Jess’s third novel Things in Jars came out 4 April 2019 and the fourth, The Night Ship is due out August 2022. Her children’s book Everyday Magic came out in 2020. She is also currently developing her own original TV projects with leading UK and international TV producers.

Books

Kidd’s latest novel is Murder at Gulls Nest,published by Faber & Faber, it is the first in a sparkling new 1950s seaside mystery series, featuring sharp-eyed former nun Nora Breen. Kidd’s previous work has embraced the supernatural and historical fiction (The Night Ship). Her third novel Things in Jars came out in the UK in 2019 and was published in the US in 2020. The story features Bridie Devine, Victorian detective extraordinaire. Her second novel, The Hoarder (Mr Flood’s Last Resort in the US), came out in 2018, click on the images for further details and information about Kidd’s other writing.

International Editions

Have a look at how inventive international publishers have been in designing covers for Himself and The Hoarder we’ll be posting more examples soon. You could support your local bookshop by ordering from them or order online via links at the Writing page:

Jess reading from Himself

Following the success of Himself Jess’s alma mater St Mary’s University invited her back to discuss her work and read from Himself. There is a longer version of the discussion available to view on You Tube. Here Jess is reading the prologue to Himself which contains the fuse which lights the whole story: