The Hoarder by 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?
My Review
So this was my second audiobook book by Jess Kidd, with the same Irish narrator. This time I listened on Borrowbox. There is something about the strangeness of her work that draws me in. Her books and her writing are totally unique. There is once again more than a hint of the supernatural, but this time Maud sees the ghosts of dead saints. They are not quite what you would expect saints to be though – advising, warning and spewing sarcasm.
Irish comedian Dave Allen was my father’s favourite, but because of his irreverent pope jokes and sketches, he received death threats from offended Catholics in Ireland. I’m wondering if Jess has ever been criticised for being disrespectful towards the Church.
Maud Drennan is really quite a simple soul, working as a carer of sorts for Cathal Flood, though what she is really doing is clearing the old house, Bridlemere. There are other characters who are more eccentric and/or flamboyant. Cathal himself is ancient, about 6ft 8ins tall, and has hoarded junk and curiosities over many years. He has numerous semi-feral cats and there is a fox who Maud calls Larkin, who lives in the grounds and sees too much. Cathal’s wife Mary died when she fell down the stairs, but was it an accident? Then there is Renata, Maud’s colourful, agoraphobic, transgender landlady, who Jess describes better than I can. Renata is sure there has been foul play at Bridlemere.
Every now and again, we visit Maud’s childhood, at the time when her own sister went missing and was never found.
The Hoarder is probably no weirder than Things in Jars, maybe slightly less so, and next I am going back to Audible to delve into Jess’s first novel Himself. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. I just hope someone sees ghosts.
There is something about Jess’s books that makes the journey more important than the destination, if that makes sense.
About the Author
Jess Kidd was brought up in London as part of a large family from county Mayo and has been praised for her unique fictional voice. Her debut, Himself, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards in 2016. She won the Costa Short Story Award the same year. Her second novel, The Hoarder, published as Mr. Flood’s Last Resort in the U.S. and Canada was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2019. Both books were BBC Radio 2 Book Club Picks. Her latest book, the Victorian detective tale Things in Jars, has been released to critical acclaim. Jess’s work has been described as ‘Gabriel García Márquez meets The Pogues.’
