The story is set in 1954 in a hotel called the Gulls Nest, on the seaside.
Our protagonist is Nora. She has left behind her life as a nun. Why? Well, she has not heard from Frieda, her friend and pen pal, for a long time. Nora is determined to find where she has gone. This was a novel idea I thought. I wondered how she would fare in her search, after being behind cloistered walls for so many years.
The setting gives Nora a place to start, as many of the residents are long term. There's a mixed bunch, and she decides to hold back her own life story. Except that Inspector Rideout, the local constabulary, has already sussed that out. I like the banter between them.
It is so much fun as a reader to try and solve the case before the last pages are turned. I didn't- which was great! Kidd has given us a wonderful cosy mystery - all the bits are there - with a little more. I am looking forward to the second book in this new series.
I've often said that some stories are better for me when I listen them. That was the case for me with Murder at Gulls Nest. The narrator was Siobhan McSweeney. She has a wonderful voice and easily captures the tone and tenor of Kidd's plot. She provides believable voices for all the characters. She is easy to understand, but was a bit too quick for me. I just turned the play speed down to 9.0 and things were great. Hear for yourselves - listen to an audio excerpt.
