Jess Kidd

Maud Drennan - underpaid carer and unintentional psychic - is the latest in a long line of dogsbodies for the ancient, belligerent Cathal Flood. Yet despite her best efforts, Maud is drawn into the mysteries concealed in his filthy, once-grand home. She realises that something is changing: Cathal, and the junk-filled rooms, are opening up to her.With only her agoraphobic landlady and a troop of sarcastic ghostly saints to help, Maud must uncover what lies beneath Cathal's decades-old hostility, and the strange activities of the house itself. And if someone has hidden a secret there, how far will they go to ensure it remains buried?

The Hoarder

Aine Meehan

A great read. very enjoyable, with fun interesting characters that you actually could identify with. I really enjoyed this.

Note to readers: In the UK, this book is published under the title The Hoarder. From the award-winning author of Himself, the spellbinding tale of a lonely caregiver and a cranky hoarder with a house full of secrets. “A magically entertaining read…Jess Kidd has a gift for creating characters you’ll love with a few cleverly chosen words.” —Good Housekeeping (UK), Book of the Month “A rare delight.” —Cosmopolitan (UK) Maud Drennan is a dedicated caregiver whose sunny disposition masks a deep sadness. A tragic childhood event left her haunted, in the company of a cast of prattling saints who pop in and out of her life like tourists. Other than visiting her agoraphobic neighbor, Maud keeps to herself, finding solace in her work and in her humble existence–until she meets Mr. Flood. Cathal Flood is a menace by all accounts. The lone occupant of a Gothic mansion crawling with feral cats, he has been waging war against his son’s attempts to put him into an old-age home and sent his last caretaker running for the madhouse. But Maud is this impossible man’s last chance: if she can help him get the house in order, he just might be able to stay. So the unlikely pair begins to cooperate, bonding over their shared love of Irish folktales and mutual dislike of Mr. Flood’s overbearing son. Still, shadows are growing in the cluttered corners of the mansion, hinting at buried family secrets, and reminding Maud that she doesn’t really know this man at all. When the forgotten case of a missing schoolgirl comes to light, she starts poking around, and a full-steam search for answers begins. Packed with eccentric charms, twisted comedy, and a whole lot of heart, Mr. Flood’s Last Resort is a mesmerizing tale that examines the space between sin and sainthood, reminding us that often the most meaningful forgiveness that we can offer is to ourselves.

A Novel

Mr. Flood's Last Resort

I absolutely loved this book. A brilliant mixture of whimsical, gothic, funny, and dark. It brought me joy, made me sad, and was wholly wonderful!

Kerry McHugh West

Note to readers: In the UK, this book is published under the title The Hoarder. Indie Next Pick From the award-winning author of Himself comes a spellbinding and “magically entertaining read” (Good Housekeeping, UK) about a lonely caregiver and a cranky hoarder with a house full of secrets that “will appeal to fans of Tana French and Sophie Hannah, as it charms and unsettles in equal measure” (BookPage). Maud Drennan is a dedicated caregiver whose sunny disposition masks a deep sadness. A tragic childhood event left her haunted, in the company of a cast of prattling saints who pop in and out of her life like tourists. Other than visiting her agoraphobic neighbor, Maud keeps to herself, finding solace in her work and in her humble existence—until she meets Mr. Flood. Cathal Flood is a menace by all accounts. The lone occupant of a Gothic mansion crawling with feral cats, he has been waging war against his son’s attempts to put him into an old-age home and sent his last caretaker running for the madhouse. But Maud is this impossible man’s last chance: if she can help him get the house in order, he just might be able to stay. So the unlikely pair begins to cooperate, bonding over their shared love of Irish folktales and mutual dislike of Mr. Flood’s overbearing son. Mr. Flood’s Last Resort is “a rare delight” (Cosmopolitan, UK) examining the space between sin and sainthood, a novel that “perfectly balances tragedy with dark comedy” in which “the dialogue crackles and every detail enchants” (Shelf Awareness).

Stephanie Leeson

3.5 Stars. This book is very unique. As far as creativity for characters and storylines, I haven’t read a novel with this much mystery in awhile. There were some unnecessary parts of the book I felt were never explained, however, the story kept pulling me in. I’d read another book by this author. Moderate profanity. Mild sexual content.

Liz Carpenter

Not quite your stereotypical Grumpy Old Man story - this one's got ghosts, irreverent Catholic saints, feral cats (and one fox), things that go bump in the middle of the day, missing girls, and so many people who are Not What They Seem. Weird and atmospheric, but oddly compelling.

A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB CHOICESHORTLISTED FOR THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARDLONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARDUnintentional psychic Maud Drennan arrives to look after Cathal Flood, a belligerent man hiding in his filthy, cat-filled home.Her job is simple: clear the rubbish, take care of the patient. But the once-grand house has more to reveal than simply its rooms. There is a secret here, and whether she likes it or not, Maud may be the one to finally uncover what has previously been kept hidden . . .* In the US, this book is published under the title Mr Flood's Last Resort

Kirsty

I really enjoyed this one. Jess Kidd's books are always so beautifully written leading to such an atmospheric and creepy reading experience. I just love Cathal as a character; surface level he's just a grumpy old man but you can tell there's an incredible person in there.. just beat down by the years and the experiences.

Moray Lyle McIntosh

The Hoarder is a gothic detective story that runs along similar lines to Himself, mixing mystery and the supernatural with great flair, humour and brilliant darkness in a modern reinvention of horror themes that is highly original and thoroughly enjoyable.

Maud Drennan is assigned to care for irascible Cathal Flood whose impressive townhouse has descended through faded grandeur to outright squalor, filled to bursting with accumulated junk, dirt and chaos. She also has visions of saints and they are hilarious.

Amongst Cathal’s decaying possessions she discovers photographs of his family; his son, his wife and an unmentioned daughter. Disturbingly, the faces of the two females have been burnt out and with Cathal’s violent reputation and the death of his wife (from that typically suspicious cause, falling down the stairs) Maud suspects even darker secrets hidden amongst her client’s hoards.
Kidd’s writing is a delight. Her agile prose skips lightly from comic scenes to wonderfully grotesque descriptions without missing a beat. The mouldering edifice of Cathal’s chaotic home recalls the traditions of literature’s best haunted houses but repackaged in a thoroughly fresh and modern form. There’s a lush quality to her descriptions, with a dark undercurrent of decay both in the people and the settings. Though it often made me laugh out loud there’s the same creeping dread and growing tension in the best horror novels. The contrast is judged to perfection, offset by the towering piles of Cathal’s belongings and the uncertainty about what lies within them, and their owner.

Her characters are particularly memorable but for all their wild eccentricity they manage to be both complex and human and she describes them with the colourful, comic flair of a modern-day Dickens. Cathal is not the twee curmudgeon with the heart of gold that so often contaminates literary characterisation of the elderly and that is a breath of fresh air. There is some sharply-observed social commentary about modern treatment of the elderly and Kidd allows them to be fully-fledged humans, selfish, violent, and unpleasant but still worthy of consideration.

Bianca

Bridlemere – ein herrschaftliches Anwesen im Westen Londons, das seine besten Tage bereits gesehen hat. Hier haust mutterseelenallein Cathal Flood. Einst Antiquitäten- und Kuriositätenhändler, ist er längst zu einem Messie verkommen. Sein Sohn hofft, ihn auf Dauer in ein Altenheim verfrachten zu können. Die Neueste in der endlosen Reihe erfolgloser und unterbezahlter Sozialarbeiter, die Cathal nun zur Räson bringen soll, ist Maud Drennan. Unter den wüsten Beschimpfungen des Alten zieht sie beherzt gegen Dreck und Müll zu Felde. Doch trotz aller Unerschrockenheit ist ihr Bridlemere unheimlich. Überall im Haus scheinen verschlüsselte Botschaften zu warten. Wie das Foto von zwei Kindern, auf dem das Gesicht des Mädchens weggebrannt ist. Hat Flood eine Tochter? Wieso weiß niemand von ihr? Und warum hasst er seinen Sohn so sehr? Auch der Tod seiner Frau gibt Fragen über Fragen auf. Maud würde am liebsten alle bedrückenden Hinweise ignorieren. Doch ihre leicht bizarre Vermieterin Renata, die für ihr Leben gern Detektivin spielt, und eine Horde marodierender Heiliger, die nur Maud sehen kann, wittern längst ein Verbrechen.

Roman

Heilige und andere Tote

Sonja H

FEATURED ON SIMON MAYO'S BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUBUnintentional psychic Maud Drennan arrives to look after Cathal Flood, a belligerent man hiding in his filthy, cat-filled home.Her job is simple: clear the rubbish, take care of the patient. But the once-grand house has more to reveal than simply its rooms. There is a secret here, and whether she likes it or not, Maud may be the one to finally uncover what has previously been kept hidden . . .

The Hoarder

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