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A review by helen
Things in Jars by Jess Kidd
4.0
A gothic fantasy set in Victorian London with an Irish pipe-smoking female detective, lush descriptions and a fantastic cast of characters, including a half-naked moustachioed pugilist ghost sidekick. I laughed and I cried.
The descriptions were very cinematic and I could see it adapted for the screen. I haven't read much in this genre, so my comparisons are narrow, but I couldn't help thinking that it had the same sense of place as Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series with the humour and humanity of T. Kingfisher.
It had a bit more violence and gore then I usually like, but the mystery and the characters were so engaging that I didn't mind. The only thing I really didn't like (and I knocked off a star for this) is the implied sexual assault that happens at 73%. The only reason I could fathom why it was there was to underline how much danger Bridie was in - but all the other violence in the book had shown me that. It felt unnecessary and really soured the last part of the book because it wasn't addressed in a satisfactory way.
The descriptions were very cinematic and I could see it adapted for the screen. I haven't read much in this genre, so my comparisons are narrow, but I couldn't help thinking that it had the same sense of place as Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series with the humour and humanity of T. Kingfisher.
It had a bit more violence and gore then I usually like, but the mystery and the characters were so engaging that I didn't mind. The only thing I really didn't like (and I knocked off a star for this) is the implied sexual assault that happens at 73%. The only reason I could fathom why it was there was to underline how much danger Bridie was in - but all the other violence in the book had shown me that. It felt unnecessary and really soured the last part of the book because it wasn't addressed in a satisfactory way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty and Sexual assault