Jess Kidd, the bestselling author of THINGS IN JARS and THE NIGHT SHIP, launches a new cozy mystery series with MURDER AT GULLS NEST, which is about a smart, perceptive nun with an eye for intrigue.

Having spent 30 years as a nun at Carmelite Monastery in High Dallow, Sister Agnes --- formerly Nora Breen --- knows a thing or two about quiet study, meaningful observation, and, of course, the power of diligence. For decades, her life has been a muted palette of prayers and hymns, nursing, and, lately, a close friendship with Frieda. Only a young woman, Frieda is a star in the convent, where cut roses suddenly start to appear in egg cups, needles are pre-threaded for ease, and unpopular chores are mysteriously completed.

Like her sisters, Nora knows that Frieda --- bright, sunny and popular --- is not cut out for marriage to the Lord. So it is no real surprise when Frieda departs the convent, heading to the seacoast for her health and a more symbolic breath of fresh air. What is a surprise, though, is when her regular letters to Nora come to an abrupt halt only months later. An even bigger surprise comes next: Nora leaves the order in search of her friend. But what kind of fool throws up 30 years of dedication to solve a puzzle --- especially such an unsettling one?

"A delightful mix of murder and mystery, humor and the quaint, MURDER AT GULLS NEST announces the start of a fresh, original series with a knockout author behind it."

When Nora arrives in Gore-on-Sea, she finds the small seaside town a little worse for the wear than its busy season might indicate. Gone are the stalls selling seashell creations and the hawkers with their hot dogs and ice creams. In their place is merely Gulls Nest, the not-so-esteemed boarding house that Frieda called home before she disappeared. “Please don’t mind the stories,” whispers the landlady, Helena, as she welcomes Nora into the strange, mismatched home, introducing her to her fellow boarders along the way.

Up first is the charwoman, unyielding and strict Irene, who runs the house like the military. Next is Professor Poppy, a rumored lord who fled his family’s riches for a life in the spotlight performing Punch and Judy bits. Just upstairs live Teddy and Stella Atkins, a young married couple who work in town. The impeccably dressed --- and rumored black-market smuggler --- Bill Carter is right across from them. And above them all lives Karel Ježek, a quiet man who acts as a sort of haint in the house’s storied mythology. Finally, there’s Helena’s daughter, Dinah, a precocious and mischievous nonverbal child whose antics keep the house from ever running too smoothly.

Like her housemates, Nora makes no mention of Frieda, whose room she now occupies. She may not know a ton about investigation or discovery, but she is aware that revealing one’s hand too soon is never good. Unfortunately, it seems like her housemates agree. None of them will speak about their departed mate, saying only that “she went away suddenly.” When a visit to the local constabulary confirms that neither the boarders of Gulls Nest nor the police are looking for Frieda, Nora feels certain that she has done the right thing in coming to Gore-on-Sea and searching for her friend. In addition to her disappearance, there is one other detail that makes Nora worry that Frieda is in trouble. In her last letter, she noted, “I believe every one of us at Gulls Nest is concealing some kind of secret --- I shall make it my business to find out.”

Frieda’s note turns out to be true, at least as far as Nora can surmise. You see, Nora’s decades in the convent did not prepare her for social awareness or police procedure, but it did present her with a muted, bland lifestyle that makes the outside world all the more interesting and worthy of attention. Unlike her neighbors, who have grown so accustomed to the world and people around them that they no longer notice them, Nora has a keen eye for differences, tells and clues. So when Teddy turns up dead in Professor Poppy’s workshop, followed soon after by Poppy himself (and even his little performance dog!), Nora alone is positioned to solve the crime. At least she thinks so.

With the mysterious, dark Karel Ježek suspiciously absent, rumors of infidelity swirling about town, and the town dandy, Percy Ladd, breathing down their necks, the residents of Gulls Nest know that they’ll need to solve all three crimes if they want their lives to go back to normal. Each of them seems keen on getting Nora to help. But as Frieda said, everyone at Gulls Nest is hiding something, right down to Nora herself, who has a secret, heartfelt reason for wanting to protect her friend.

Known for her unique fictional voice and penchant for the wacky and weird, Jess Kidd makes a natural, seamless transition to the cozy mystery. While the genre is known for being lighthearted, humorous and nonviolent, Kidd makes her home tidily within its constraints while still delivering her trademark taste for the macabre and supernatural. As a heroine, Nora is a delight: whip-smart, funny and curious, but she also has a unique skill set --- namely her brand-new perspective on the real world --- and approach that makes her not only a perfect investigator, but also a sheer delight to read.

Kidd already sets up the next installment --- with Gore-on-Sea’s own investigator, Detective Rideout, inviting Nora to help him with a new, baffling case --- and readers are sure to clamor to return to the quiet (but never boring) seaside community.

A delightful mix of murder and mystery, humor and the quaint, MURDER AT GULLS NEST announces the start of a fresh, original series with a knockout author behind it.