Shiny Linkiness – Kidd & Brown

I’ve had two reviews published at Shiny New Books in the past couple of week, so just highlighting them here.

Murder at Gull’s Nest by Jess Kidd

This is the first in a new series from the acclaimed Irish author.

Subtitled Nora Breen investigates, we travel to a 1950s Kentish seaside town out of season as Nora, a former nun, investigates the disappearance of her friend, another former nun. One of the residents at the Gull’s Nest boarding house must have been involved, taking on her missing friend’s room. I really liked Nora, who as you’d hope, as hidden depths!

Fabulous cosy crime with a great cast of characters, totally engaging. I can’t wait for the next one.

Read my review in full HERE

Jess Kidd, Murder at Gull’s Nest, Faber 2025, hardback, 331 pages. BUY at Blackwell’s via my affiliate link (free UK P&P)

Universality by Natasha Brown

Brown’s second book after the absolutely brilliant Assembly is another novella, but totally different in tone and style. Her first is a moving and beautifully written novella told in vignettes by a young black woman who works in finance in the city getting ready for a party with her white fiancé’s family and wrestling with some important life decisions. Universality is equally striking and very different, told in several sections, each with different voices or style – from Magazine feature article, to dinner party chat, to fall out, to a decisive interview.

It begins with a bludgeoning with a gold ingot – and each section drives the consequences on, exploring the hot topics of wokeism, capitalism, race, class and culture. The satire is spot on and the author has had great fun with it, managing simultaneously to be witty whilst scoring some serious points on freedom of speech and its language.

I managed to get a signed copy – and love her signature on the gold bar of the endpapers!

Read my review in full HERE

Natasha Brown, Universality, Faber hardback 2025, 141pages. BUY at Blackwell’s via my affiliate link (free UK P&P)