Irish magical realism saturates this double mystery with saints, mistaken identities, and a hoarder's creepy house. Maud Drennan is assigned to attend an elderly man, Cathal Flood, listed as challenging, having chased away the last caregiver sent to his house. Behind the piles of abandoned objects and dirt, past a solid wall of National Geographic magazines, is an uncluttered space filled instead with mostly grotesque curiosities and automata that are lavishly described. As the tale unfolds, saints make appearances and converse, people are not whom they claim to be, and clues to disappearances show up in unlikely ways. The peculiar nature of the Flood family is gradually exposed but in a distorted and disjointed manner that is very much like reality. The tragic disappearance of Maud's sister is less fully resolved, with the book concluding with Maud setting off to find her. Verdict The author of Himself has prepared a fine Irish feast for the literary crowd; she simultaneously delights and appalls with her odd and troubled characters, never resorting to formula.-Mary K. Bird-Guilliams, Chicago © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A young woman sensitive to spirits becomes a caretaker for a cantankerous hoarder and his haunted house in Kidd's (Himself, 2016) latest novel.For much of her life, Maud Drennan has been able to see saints, a talent that has predisposed her to loneliness, especially after the mysterious disappearance of her older sister. But even these heavenly figures cannot protect her from the convoluted mystery at the heart of Cathal Flood's house. At first, most of Maud's horror is directed at the dirt and detritusa kitchen that's hardly ever been cleaned; a stack of National Geographic magazines that serves to wall off parts of the housebut soon she realizes there are much more malevolent memories lurking behind the mess. She begins to have strange dreams about Mr. Flood's dead wife, and she finds a photo of an unknown girl, her face burned away, and a series of clippings about a different missing girl. Maud begins to wonder whether Mr. Floodor someone related to himmight not actually be a killer. Her investigations bring her face to face with Mr. Flood's unpleasant son; a nasty busybody church secretary; a mostly bald cat; and a handsome man who isn't who he says he is. The eccentric characters are a bit hard to acclimate to in the beginning, but after a few chapters, the oddness becomes fascinating rather than off-putting. Maud is intrepid and clever and winningly awkward with her phantom saints, and Mr. Flood, despite his awful hygiene, is endearingly irascible. The mystery itself becomes less of a focus, second to Maud's hijinks in seeking to solve it, but answers are given, and they satisfy the creepy sense of unease instilled by Maud's early encounters in the house.It won't be like any other novel you've read this yearor maybe everbut it's worth it. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The gothic plot of this murder mystery (following Himself) about an Irish caregiver and her client, a cantankerous, widowed hoarder, boasts Kidd's darkly comic sensibility, atmospheric writing, and colorful characters. Maud Drennan has lasted longer than the "geriatric whisperer brought in at great expense from a better agency" to assist Cathal Flood, whose historic West London house is bursting at the seams. If she can't make both presentable, Cathal's estranged son will move him into a home. Maud also begins investigating Cathal's wife Mary's death: did Mary actually tumble down the stairs, or is Cathal a modern Bluebeard, hiding bodies behind the Great Wall of National Geographics? What Maud uncovers in the course of her increasingly dangerous efforts may prove that true. Suspicious, agoraphobic landlady Renata injects a nice dose of absurdity to the tale. Less successful is a subplot about Maud's childhood. Still, there are plenty of twists and perilous turns to keep the narrative moving. Kidd's novel features a winning combination of descriptive writing, black humor, and biting dialogue. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Bridlemere, in West London, is a house filled with secrets, lost souls, mountains of hoarded rubbish, dozens of cats, and one cantankerous old man. No government caseworker has been able to prevail over the eccentric Cathal Flood and his haunted estate; even the agency's geriatric whisperer lasted only three days. That is, until his case is assigned to Maud Drennan. Undaunted by Flood's harsh peculiarities, Maud arms herself with bleach and traverses Flood's wall of National Geographic magazines in search of clues. Bridlemere holds the secrets of Flood's lost family, with treasures and ghostly spirits standing on guard. Surrounded by filth and the supernatural, Maud forges a bond with Flood that's very real. When their friendship comes to a tragic end, Maud realizes she must return to reality and finally confront the secrets of her own past. Kidd's (Himself, 2017) compelling second novel weaves love, betrayal, and forgiveness with humor, mystery, and a bit of magic. This absorbing mix of paranormal tragedy and heartfelt triumph will appeal to a broad swath of readers.--Norstedt, Melissa Copyright 2018 Booklist