Things in Jars: A Novel

In Victorian London, detective Bridie Devine—a flame-haired, pipe-smoking investigator—takes on her most challenging case yet: finding Christabel Berwick, the secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick. Christabel is a peculiar child whose reported supernatural powers have made her a target for collectors seeking rare specimens in this age of discovery. Bridie navigates the sooty streets of Victorian London in her search, determined to locate the girl despite the risk of uncovering buried secrets from her own past. Her investigation is supported by an unusual group of allies: a seven-foot-tall housemaid, a melancholic ghost covered in tattoos, and a kind apothecary. As Bridie moves through the foggy Victorian underworld, she discovers that nothing is as it appears, and secrets run deep among collectors and criminals alike. The novel weaves together elements of fantasy, folklore, and history while exploring what it means to be human during inhumane times.