A magical read? This is the second Novel of Jess Kidd’s that I have loved. However, I always find them quite intimidating to review as she has such a distinctive style. I do not have the language skills to communicate what this book is like. How does one give a sense of the Magical Realism employed? A world where a Saint will butt in and give their own onion’s on your love life and where house will provide an essential clue to a mystery by more or less throwing it into the amateur sleuths face.

“a jar of pickled beetroot edges forward diffidently. Its neighbour, a box of savoury crackers, follows suit with more conviction…..sliding boldly out of their places as if they are offering themselves up for a dangerous mission”


As always Jess populates her world with larger than life characters. The cantankerous Cathal, the House (Bridlemere ), a small cast of medieval saints, Maud’s landlady Renata, “emerging like a New Age butterfly from her ground floor cocoon” and of course Maud herself. I even love to hate the antagonist.

There is a wicked sense of humour through out the Novel. “Like David turning up at Goliath’s with rubber gloves and a risk assessment and wondering where the hell to aim”

As for cozy mysteries let me just say that Maud Drennan and her sidekick Renata - are probably my favourite amateur detectives ever.

So let’s just sum up that after reading Jess Kidd's second novel that she is still an auto buy author for me.

Recommended to those who like cozy mysteries with humour and magic and those who have also read and loved Jess’s first novel Himself.