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Mr. Flood's Last Resort
The spellbinding tale of a lonely caregiver and a cranky hoarder with a house full of secrets.
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.
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.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2018
About the author
Jess Kidd
15 books2,153 followersJess 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.’
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,465 reviews
January 14, 2018
Jess Kidd returns with The Hoarder after her sublime and outstanding debut, Himself. There is much that echoes Himself in this story, its Irish background, the writing style with its themes of the supernatural and fantastical, its quirkiness, eccentric elements along with a dark gothic tale. It features rabid, volatile, relcalcitrant and cadaverous geriatric pensioner, Cathal Flood, who resides in the huge house, Bridlemere, heaving with the detritus of the Flood family history, spirits, ghosts, cats, a fox, macabre curiosities and so much more. Cathal has seen off all those sent to sort out the house and care for him, including Sam Hebden by assaulting him with a hurley stick. Psychic Maud Drennan, his latest carer, is made of much sterner stuff as she battles to clean and access the main parts of the house, impeded by Cathal and the Great Wall of National Geographics. Maud is caught by the Flood family drama, like the accident that killed Mary, but her nosiness is not appreciated by Cathal. Little by little, Cathal and Maud begin to connect as Cathal paints her portrait and tells her stories.
Maud is often in the company of a coterie of saints only she can see, such as St Dymphna, who on occasion offer valuable advice, warnings and insights at critical times. Maud's colourful agoraphobic, transgender landlady, Renata, is certain murder has been done in Bridlemere, and whilst Maud is unconvinced, soon a board is set up charting the progress of their investigation. Maud meets Cathal's estranged son, and finds herself getting involved with Sam Hebdon. Maud is surrounded by a web of deceit, betrayal, loss and the increasing presence of danger swirling all around her, where not everyone is as they appear. Bridlemere is a home overflowing with grief, loss and pain. Running parallel in the narrative is the dark and haunting past of Maud in Ireland, when as a 7 year old child, her sister, Deirdre, disappeared.
This was a great read, but it fails to climb the heights of the magical brilliance that is Himself. There are similar themes, characters and style present here, but it somehow lacks the same alchemy of Kidd's debut. There were occasions when the writing felt a little more laboured and perhaps there was an absence of greater creativity. Don't get me wrong, I still loved it enough to give it 5 stars, and Jess Kidd is undoubtedly imaginative, I just hope she either has something more to offer or she takes on something significantly more different in her next book. In any case, I will be wanting to read her next book as soon as it becomes available! I did absolutely adore the characters of Cathal and Renata. A wonderful read that I recommend highly! Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC.
Maud is often in the company of a coterie of saints only she can see, such as St Dymphna, who on occasion offer valuable advice, warnings and insights at critical times. Maud's colourful agoraphobic, transgender landlady, Renata, is certain murder has been done in Bridlemere, and whilst Maud is unconvinced, soon a board is set up charting the progress of their investigation. Maud meets Cathal's estranged son, and finds herself getting involved with Sam Hebdon. Maud is surrounded by a web of deceit, betrayal, loss and the increasing presence of danger swirling all around her, where not everyone is as they appear. Bridlemere is a home overflowing with grief, loss and pain. Running parallel in the narrative is the dark and haunting past of Maud in Ireland, when as a 7 year old child, her sister, Deirdre, disappeared.
This was a great read, but it fails to climb the heights of the magical brilliance that is Himself. There are similar themes, characters and style present here, but it somehow lacks the same alchemy of Kidd's debut. There were occasions when the writing felt a little more laboured and perhaps there was an absence of greater creativity. Don't get me wrong, I still loved it enough to give it 5 stars, and Jess Kidd is undoubtedly imaginative, I just hope she either has something more to offer or she takes on something significantly more different in her next book. In any case, I will be wanting to read her next book as soon as it becomes available! I did absolutely adore the characters of Cathal and Renata. A wonderful read that I recommend highly! Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC.
March 11, 2024
"You don’t know what you're dealing with."
—Sam Hebden (a character in the book).
Mr Cathal Flood, the aforementioned hoarder, is a long thin, raw-boned, gimlet-eyed, foul-mouthed, unwashed old Irishman.
Dutiful care worker, Maud Drennan, is assigned to clean and declutter his squalid, cat-filled house.
Dark whispers about the irascible Mr Flood abound, not least the mysterious death of his wife and the disappearance of a schoolgirl.
Maud, as well as cleaning his toilets and providing him with nutritious meals, bravely turns amateur sleuth in a bid to unearth the truth. The bitter old man stands 6'9" and would have been a fearsome unit in his prime. His sprawling townhouse is alive with opening doors and voiceless messages from beyond the grave. Is he the spider, we wonder, and she the fly?
The fractious interaction between a spirited care worker and her curmudgeonly charge is a delight to behold and I heartily applaud Jess Kidd for possessing the creative genius to conjure up such a memorable character in Mr Flood.
This Irish author has a flair for characterisation and imagery not seen in any number of humdrum books these days and I will gladly read anything she has to offer. Magical realism is my most cherished genre (she does it so well) and Kidd's debut novel, Himself, was my favourite of 2017. This isn't far behind.
Maud has dark secrets of her own and, as a result of a childhood tragedy, is accompanied in life by any number of ghostly saints, some wearing their halos like sombreros. When it comes to dispensing advice, the saints are noncommittal (it's against the rules), and merely warn their adopted human to tread carefully.
I'm a big fan of Jess Kidd and this was another dark, savagely funny, magical page-turner with themes of deviousness and betrayal.
Loved it!
Just loved it!
Sold in the U.S.A. as 'Mr Flood's Last Resort'.
—Sam Hebden (a character in the book).
Mr Cathal Flood, the aforementioned hoarder, is a long thin, raw-boned, gimlet-eyed, foul-mouthed, unwashed old Irishman.
Dutiful care worker, Maud Drennan, is assigned to clean and declutter his squalid, cat-filled house.
Dark whispers about the irascible Mr Flood abound, not least the mysterious death of his wife and the disappearance of a schoolgirl.
Maud, as well as cleaning his toilets and providing him with nutritious meals, bravely turns amateur sleuth in a bid to unearth the truth. The bitter old man stands 6'9" and would have been a fearsome unit in his prime. His sprawling townhouse is alive with opening doors and voiceless messages from beyond the grave. Is he the spider, we wonder, and she the fly?
The fractious interaction between a spirited care worker and her curmudgeonly charge is a delight to behold and I heartily applaud Jess Kidd for possessing the creative genius to conjure up such a memorable character in Mr Flood.
This Irish author has a flair for characterisation and imagery not seen in any number of humdrum books these days and I will gladly read anything she has to offer. Magical realism is my most cherished genre (she does it so well) and Kidd's debut novel, Himself, was my favourite of 2017. This isn't far behind.
Maud has dark secrets of her own and, as a result of a childhood tragedy, is accompanied in life by any number of ghostly saints, some wearing their halos like sombreros. When it comes to dispensing advice, the saints are noncommittal (it's against the rules), and merely warn their adopted human to tread carefully.
I'm a big fan of Jess Kidd and this was another dark, savagely funny, magical page-turner with themes of deviousness and betrayal.
Loved it!
Just loved it!
Sold in the U.S.A. as 'Mr Flood's Last Resort'.
March 21, 2019
Once again, Jess Kidd blends several genres in a story that is absorbing and fascinating. An elderly man is living in his own home but is now under care. The services are cleaning and at least one cooked meal each day. The cleaning part is difficult due to the fact that the lower floors of the house are stacked with old newspapers, garbage, and magazines. In fact, there is a wall of National Geographic magazines blocking access to the furthest reaches of this large home, including the upper floors.
The stacks of magazines appear to have some elasticity, however, and at certain times all that lies beyond are available to the curious. Maud Drennan is definitely curious. She also sees and communicates with Saints, some of them very obscure, and their conversations are sometimes wise, sometimes funny, and sometimes sad.
Despite the irascibility of her ‘charge’, Maud grows fond of him and they reach certain compromises and understandings between them over time.
However, there are other forces active that do not have good intentions. These are not supernatural forces, but very real and somewhat ominous.
Although outside of my preferred reading genres, I enjoyed this story. Jess Kidd writes this as a mystery with a psychological and spiritual crisis at its core. I was led on a very intriguing dance with many different tones and steps and felt completely engaged through every move.
The stacks of magazines appear to have some elasticity, however, and at certain times all that lies beyond are available to the curious. Maud Drennan is definitely curious. She also sees and communicates with Saints, some of them very obscure, and their conversations are sometimes wise, sometimes funny, and sometimes sad.
Despite the irascibility of her ‘charge’, Maud grows fond of him and they reach certain compromises and understandings between them over time.
However, there are other forces active that do not have good intentions. These are not supernatural forces, but very real and somewhat ominous.
Although outside of my preferred reading genres, I enjoyed this story. Jess Kidd writes this as a mystery with a psychological and spiritual crisis at its core. I was led on a very intriguing dance with many different tones and steps and felt completely engaged through every move.
November 9, 2021
Be sure to visit Bantering Books to read all my latest reviews.
4.5 stars
Jess Kidd and I, we just click. She’s my writer, and I’m her reader.
Don’t we all, as readers, have one or two authors who are ours? Whose every story is our kind of story? Whose every word nears literary perfection?
This is how I feel about Jess Kidd. To me, her stories are pure magic, and her words are enchanting and beautiful. It’s as if she writes perfectly for who I am as a reader.
And because she is my writer, Kidd’s second novel, Mr. Flood’s Last Resort, is my kind of story: a charming, quirky, otherworldly mystery starring a grumpy hoarder and his gentle caretaker.
If you’ve never read Kidd, you should know that her novels cross genres. Her mysteries are rooted in magical realism and the supernatural, and they are cleverly written with more than a touch of whimsy. But don’t be fooled by their warm aura – Kidd’s stories are always edged sharply with a morbid and twisted darkness.
Such is the way of Mr. Flood. As much as it is a big-hearted, amusing tale of unlikely friendship, it’s also one of unsettling mystery and gruesome horror. But it’s this mix of the light with the dark, once again blended so deftly by Kidd, that makes the novel special.
I loved every enchanting, beautiful word of Mr. Flood’s Last Resort. And as Ms. Kidd’s reader, I look forward to all her magical stories to come.
Bantering Books
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4.5 stars
Jess Kidd and I, we just click. She’s my writer, and I’m her reader.
Don’t we all, as readers, have one or two authors who are ours? Whose every story is our kind of story? Whose every word nears literary perfection?
This is how I feel about Jess Kidd. To me, her stories are pure magic, and her words are enchanting and beautiful. It’s as if she writes perfectly for who I am as a reader.
And because she is my writer, Kidd’s second novel, Mr. Flood’s Last Resort, is my kind of story: a charming, quirky, otherworldly mystery starring a grumpy hoarder and his gentle caretaker.
If you’ve never read Kidd, you should know that her novels cross genres. Her mysteries are rooted in magical realism and the supernatural, and they are cleverly written with more than a touch of whimsy. But don’t be fooled by their warm aura – Kidd’s stories are always edged sharply with a morbid and twisted darkness.
Such is the way of Mr. Flood. As much as it is a big-hearted, amusing tale of unlikely friendship, it’s also one of unsettling mystery and gruesome horror. But it’s this mix of the light with the dark, once again blended so deftly by Kidd, that makes the novel special.
I loved every enchanting, beautiful word of Mr. Flood’s Last Resort. And as Ms. Kidd’s reader, I look forward to all her magical stories to come.
Bantering Books
February 15, 2018
I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars.
Some authors know just how to tell stories. Jess Kidd is one of those. Fresh on the heels of her magnificent, magical book Himself (see my original review), which made my list of the best books I read last year, she dazzles with her storytelling ability again in her new book, Mr. Flood's Last Resort .
Maud Drennan is a caregiver whose seemingly unflappable attitude hints at a world-weariness you wouldn't expect of someone her age. But Maud isn't sunny and naive—a childhood tragedy left her slightly traumatized, and it somehow left behind a crowd of saints who appear to Maud at random times each day, befitting of the situation she's in. These aren't always welcome saints, mind you, but they do provide a sort of companionship.
Maud has been assigned to the irascible Cathal Flood, a cantankerous old man who has taken pleasure in running off his previous caregivers any way he can—through fear, intimidation, even threats of physical violence. Mr. Flood lives in a dilapidated old mansion, filled to the brim with collector's items, decaying trash, and what seems like hundreds of cats who roam through the house. Maud is Mr. Flood's last resort, because if he doesn't let her get the house in order, his son has threatened to put him in an old-age home, something the old man will never let happen.
At first, Mr. Flood torments Maud, changing moods so quickly her head spins, and trying the tricks that scared his previous caregivers away. But Maud doesn't scare too easily, and after a while, he realizes she has respect for some of the items he's been keeping all these years, and the two form a tentative bond. (It doesn't hurt that neither trusts his son.)
But strange things do happen in the house. Maud hears noises when there's no one around, and even the cats react to invisible stimuli which startle and upset them. And how can she explain the photos which keep appearing mysteriously, photos which hint at secrets held deep within the house? Do these photos point to long-forgotten crimes, crimes which only she can help solve?
Do people of a certain age have the right to live their last years however they want, or must they adhere to others' wishes? If you sense a mystery, is it your responsibility to try and solve it, even if it means betraying the trust of someone you've started to care for? Can you help someone pull their life together if you don't have yours fully together?
Along with a cast of remarkable characters, Kidd addresses these questions in Mr. Flood's Last Resort , and shows that the special environments she created in her first book weren't a fluke. This is a story about how important it is to come to terms with what happens in our lives, and that sometimes we must forgive ourselves as well as forgive others. It also is a story which demonstrates that our eccentricities don't make us less of a person, or less worthy of happiness.
Although I felt the book moved a little slowly at the start, and lost steam a time or two, this was such an enjoyable read. Kidd drew me in to this world she created, and it felt so true—when Maud was combing through the piles and piles of junk, trash, oddities, and neglected collectibles, I felt as if I were in the mansion with her, smelling the dust and decay. There's certainly some predictability to this book, but that didn't detract from its immense charm.
This type of book won't be for everyone. Those who like more realistic fiction and can't let themselves loosen the bounds of belief may find this odd or bizarre. But Kidd is such a marvelous storyteller, you should let yourself experience her books—if not this one, definitely Himself .
NetGalley and Atria Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
Some authors know just how to tell stories. Jess Kidd is one of those. Fresh on the heels of her magnificent, magical book Himself (see my original review), which made my list of the best books I read last year, she dazzles with her storytelling ability again in her new book, Mr. Flood's Last Resort .
Maud Drennan is a caregiver whose seemingly unflappable attitude hints at a world-weariness you wouldn't expect of someone her age. But Maud isn't sunny and naive—a childhood tragedy left her slightly traumatized, and it somehow left behind a crowd of saints who appear to Maud at random times each day, befitting of the situation she's in. These aren't always welcome saints, mind you, but they do provide a sort of companionship.
Maud has been assigned to the irascible Cathal Flood, a cantankerous old man who has taken pleasure in running off his previous caregivers any way he can—through fear, intimidation, even threats of physical violence. Mr. Flood lives in a dilapidated old mansion, filled to the brim with collector's items, decaying trash, and what seems like hundreds of cats who roam through the house. Maud is Mr. Flood's last resort, because if he doesn't let her get the house in order, his son has threatened to put him in an old-age home, something the old man will never let happen.
At first, Mr. Flood torments Maud, changing moods so quickly her head spins, and trying the tricks that scared his previous caregivers away. But Maud doesn't scare too easily, and after a while, he realizes she has respect for some of the items he's been keeping all these years, and the two form a tentative bond. (It doesn't hurt that neither trusts his son.)
But strange things do happen in the house. Maud hears noises when there's no one around, and even the cats react to invisible stimuli which startle and upset them. And how can she explain the photos which keep appearing mysteriously, photos which hint at secrets held deep within the house? Do these photos point to long-forgotten crimes, crimes which only she can help solve?
Do people of a certain age have the right to live their last years however they want, or must they adhere to others' wishes? If you sense a mystery, is it your responsibility to try and solve it, even if it means betraying the trust of someone you've started to care for? Can you help someone pull their life together if you don't have yours fully together?
Along with a cast of remarkable characters, Kidd addresses these questions in Mr. Flood's Last Resort , and shows that the special environments she created in her first book weren't a fluke. This is a story about how important it is to come to terms with what happens in our lives, and that sometimes we must forgive ourselves as well as forgive others. It also is a story which demonstrates that our eccentricities don't make us less of a person, or less worthy of happiness.
Although I felt the book moved a little slowly at the start, and lost steam a time or two, this was such an enjoyable read. Kidd drew me in to this world she created, and it felt so true—when Maud was combing through the piles and piles of junk, trash, oddities, and neglected collectibles, I felt as if I were in the mansion with her, smelling the dust and decay. There's certainly some predictability to this book, but that didn't detract from its immense charm.
This type of book won't be for everyone. Those who like more realistic fiction and can't let themselves loosen the bounds of belief may find this odd or bizarre. But Kidd is such a marvelous storyteller, you should let yourself experience her books—if not this one, definitely Himself .
NetGalley and Atria Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
March 18, 2020
Magical realism can be so good when done by the right author. Jess Kidd is definitely one of those authors.
Like her brilliant debut novel, Himself, The Hoarder features a number of quirky Irish people and quite a few ghostly spirits. In this book the ghosts are mostly saints who communicate or not with our main character Maud. They also supply a lot of the humorous touches throughout the story.
Maud is a Care Worker who finds herself looking after the outrageous Cathal Flood. His home appears to be a classic case of hoarding with rubbish dating back to 1990 piled in every direction. Eventually Maud discovers much more is going on and her investigations eventually lead to a grand climax.
There is so much to love in this book - delightful characters, ghosts who speak, mysterious deaths, tame foxes, many, many cats and more. I loved it and am adding Jess Kidd to my list of favourite authors.
Like her brilliant debut novel, Himself, The Hoarder features a number of quirky Irish people and quite a few ghostly spirits. In this book the ghosts are mostly saints who communicate or not with our main character Maud. They also supply a lot of the humorous touches throughout the story.
Maud is a Care Worker who finds herself looking after the outrageous Cathal Flood. His home appears to be a classic case of hoarding with rubbish dating back to 1990 piled in every direction. Eventually Maud discovers much more is going on and her investigations eventually lead to a grand climax.
There is so much to love in this book - delightful characters, ghosts who speak, mysterious deaths, tame foxes, many, many cats and more. I loved it and am adding Jess Kidd to my list of favourite authors.
March 15, 2018
4.25. Clever and imaginative. When I read this authors first book I was blown away by her clever mixing of the worldly with the unworldly. She does the same thing here, in a different way. Maud, who after a devastating incident in her childhood has a special connection with some who have passed. She is sent by her agency to the home of Mr. Cathal Flood, a hoarder, an elderly gentleman who has an irascible personality. The house if full of meaningful and meaningless stuff of all sorts. It is also over until with cats. Maud herself is accompanied often by a cortege of saints, among them Saint Valentine, Saint Rita,Saint Monica, Saint George and Saint Dymphya. They often provide comic relief.
This is a mystery of sorts, the house seems to want Maud to know certain things, and provides her with unexpected items. From these things she becomes fixated on a missing girl, and finding out the secrets she is sure Cathal is hiding. Could he be dangerous? As Maud takes up the Hu for answers, the readers are introduced to her past and as secrets are exposed, clues found, the story is put together in a very entertaining and I unexpected way.
This author has such a brilliant imagination. Her characters are different, a little strange but poignant and delightful all at the same time. There is darkness and light in her fiction, help from beyond, and somehow, at least for me it all works. She has become an author whose books I eagerly await. Can't imagine what she will come up with next.
ARC from Edelweiss.
This is a mystery of sorts, the house seems to want Maud to know certain things, and provides her with unexpected items. From these things she becomes fixated on a missing girl, and finding out the secrets she is sure Cathal is hiding. Could he be dangerous? As Maud takes up the Hu for answers, the readers are introduced to her past and as secrets are exposed, clues found, the story is put together in a very entertaining and I unexpected way.
This author has such a brilliant imagination. Her characters are different, a little strange but poignant and delightful all at the same time. There is darkness and light in her fiction, help from beyond, and somehow, at least for me it all works. She has become an author whose books I eagerly await. Can't imagine what she will come up with next.
ARC from Edelweiss.
June 15, 2024
"There are more things in Heaven and Earth."
— William Shakespeare
"He has a curious way of moving through his rubbish. He leans into it, skimming down the corridors like a fearless biker on a hairpin bend."
The 'he' in the above quote would be Cathal Flood. His name fits, as he is a cantankerous Irish disaster and hoarding is his specialty. At six feet nine inches, Mr. Flood, though frail with age, is still a force to be reckoned with. He has run off every home carer sent his way, and rumor has it that some had barely escaped Bridlemere (the neglected mansion Flood calls home) with their lives.
Enter Maud Dennen, who is not your average carer. She brings with her a retinue of saints and has a backbone made of steel. Good luck to Cathal Flood in dispatching her so easily…
"I look back at Bridlemere from the gate. From the street it’s a wall of dark green, a forest of leylandii grown up around Sleeping Beauty’s castle."
As Maud peels back chaotic layers of rubbish and navigates Cathal’s clowder of cats, she uncovers more than his no-wax flooring. Curious clues begin to pop out of a sink and fly at her from a pantry, and she begins to ask herself: What sinister forces are at work in this house?
"A pearl is an everlasting tear," he whispers. "A swaddled hurt."
Mr. Flood’s Last Resort is altogether a murder mystery, a haunting, and a fight to save what is left of a person once tragedy has taken its toll - all of it wrapped up in a magical realism enchilada. I laughed, cried, and gasped aloud as Maud and Cathal cagily maneuvered around each other while sorting out his mysterious manor. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with them both.
If you enjoy magical realism done well, this will be your cup of tea. What a fabulous read!
— William Shakespeare
"He has a curious way of moving through his rubbish. He leans into it, skimming down the corridors like a fearless biker on a hairpin bend."
The 'he' in the above quote would be Cathal Flood. His name fits, as he is a cantankerous Irish disaster and hoarding is his specialty. At six feet nine inches, Mr. Flood, though frail with age, is still a force to be reckoned with. He has run off every home carer sent his way, and rumor has it that some had barely escaped Bridlemere (the neglected mansion Flood calls home) with their lives.
Enter Maud Dennen, who is not your average carer. She brings with her a retinue of saints and has a backbone made of steel. Good luck to Cathal Flood in dispatching her so easily…
"I look back at Bridlemere from the gate. From the street it’s a wall of dark green, a forest of leylandii grown up around Sleeping Beauty’s castle."
As Maud peels back chaotic layers of rubbish and navigates Cathal’s clowder of cats, she uncovers more than his no-wax flooring. Curious clues begin to pop out of a sink and fly at her from a pantry, and she begins to ask herself: What sinister forces are at work in this house?
"A pearl is an everlasting tear," he whispers. "A swaddled hurt."
Mr. Flood’s Last Resort is altogether a murder mystery, a haunting, and a fight to save what is left of a person once tragedy has taken its toll - all of it wrapped up in a magical realism enchilada. I laughed, cried, and gasped aloud as Maud and Cathal cagily maneuvered around each other while sorting out his mysterious manor. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with them both.
If you enjoy magical realism done well, this will be your cup of tea. What a fabulous read!
March 16, 2018
“Memory is like a wayward dog. Sometimes it drops the ball and sometimes it brings it, and sometimes it doesn’t bring a ball at all; it brings a shoe.”
On May 30 2017 I finished reading Jess Kidd’s “ Himself ,” one of my favourite reads of 2017. Not quite a year later, I’ve closed the last page on her latest, “ Mr. Flood’s Last Resort: A Novel ” or “ The Hoarder ,” the title depending on where you purchase your book.
If you’ve read “ Himself ” then you know that Jess Kidd knows how to weave a magical tale, with a wonderful cast of characters, and “ Mr. Flood’s Last Resort: A Novel ” testifies that her debut novel was only the beginning of what she has to share. This one also pulled me in from the very beginning.
Maud Drennan’s life is infused with and interrupted by the visitations of saints, St. Valentine, St. Dymphna, and more, who come marching in and out of her life seemingly without an invitation, and who seem to have an opinion about everything and everyone that Maud has a connection with. They’re full of opinions and advice, if not information or advice that is particularly helpful. They are often amusing and help us learn more about Maud, her wishes and dreams for her life.
When she’s not busy shuffling saints, or pondering how useful their advice is, she is working as a caregiver for Cathal Flood, an older gentleman who is impressively tall with large gnarled hands, and a house filled nearly to the brim with… “stuff.” All of which he’s very fond of keeping, as is, thank you very much. But it’s now out of his hands, and part of Maud’s job involves “decluttering” the house, turning the untidiness into something one could imagine living in.
Once she has taken on the challenge of Mr. Cathal Flood, she finds herself standing inside his home, looking over the cloakroom, which she describes as a “straight-up, falling-down, Gothic crap heap…on a grand scale. Part-ballroom, part-cave…” Still, she is reluctant to part with her optimism of this venture.
”I would certainly have agreed that Mr. Flood and myself, both being Irish, share a love of fiddle music, warm firesides, and a staunch belief in the malevolence of fairies. Not to mention the innate racial capacity to drink any man alive under the table whilst we dwell, in soft melancholy on the lost and wild beauty of our homeland.”
And then there are the cats. Tabby cats, black cats, all kinds of cats seemingly everywhere, always a few keeping watch on the goings on of what has become their abode. I fell a little more in love with Maud’s quirky charm when she realized the cats had never been named, and so she set about naming them, all after famous writers.
None of the clutter, the cats, the antagonism she feels from Cathal himself seems to phase Maud much, she’s intent on removing the clutter she finds – although she doesn’t really have to search for it as it’s more or less everywhere, it’s more choosing where to start. Over time, even Maud begins to see that not everything is trash; there are some things of value that is more than just sentimentality, beyond the wall of National Geographic Magazines threatening to topple and kill someone. And who would think to look under the magazines for a body?
There’s more to this story, of course, a bit of mystery and intrigue. Photographs appear randomly that weren’t there before, and there always seems to be a new room or two to discover, new information about this family and how things became the way they are. In this sense, the house itself, an old house that has seen many better days and has also seen many things, becomes a presence almost as crucial to this story as the human characters (and feline, canine, the saints, and those whose presence is felt, if not seen or heard.)
Life can be wonderful, but it can also be damaging, and few people go through life unscathed from the betrayal of someone they loved, or losing someone they love. How can we begin to forgive others if we can’t even begin to forgive ourselves? How can we accept that others may be happy in circumstances in which we can’t imagine ourselves being happy?
It’s how these characters maneuver these murky waters, and how these unpredictable characters slowly reveal themselves to us, that made this such a charming read. It’s Jess Kidd’s brilliance that made this impossible for me to put down.
Hoarder - Pub Date: 1 Feb 2018
Mr. Flood’s Last Resort Pub Date: 1 May 2018
On May 30 2017 I finished reading Jess Kidd’s “ Himself ,” one of my favourite reads of 2017. Not quite a year later, I’ve closed the last page on her latest, “ Mr. Flood’s Last Resort: A Novel ” or “ The Hoarder ,” the title depending on where you purchase your book.
If you’ve read “ Himself ” then you know that Jess Kidd knows how to weave a magical tale, with a wonderful cast of characters, and “ Mr. Flood’s Last Resort: A Novel ” testifies that her debut novel was only the beginning of what she has to share. This one also pulled me in from the very beginning.
Maud Drennan’s life is infused with and interrupted by the visitations of saints, St. Valentine, St. Dymphna, and more, who come marching in and out of her life seemingly without an invitation, and who seem to have an opinion about everything and everyone that Maud has a connection with. They’re full of opinions and advice, if not information or advice that is particularly helpful. They are often amusing and help us learn more about Maud, her wishes and dreams for her life.
When she’s not busy shuffling saints, or pondering how useful their advice is, she is working as a caregiver for Cathal Flood, an older gentleman who is impressively tall with large gnarled hands, and a house filled nearly to the brim with… “stuff.” All of which he’s very fond of keeping, as is, thank you very much. But it’s now out of his hands, and part of Maud’s job involves “decluttering” the house, turning the untidiness into something one could imagine living in.
Once she has taken on the challenge of Mr. Cathal Flood, she finds herself standing inside his home, looking over the cloakroom, which she describes as a “straight-up, falling-down, Gothic crap heap…on a grand scale. Part-ballroom, part-cave…” Still, she is reluctant to part with her optimism of this venture.
”I would certainly have agreed that Mr. Flood and myself, both being Irish, share a love of fiddle music, warm firesides, and a staunch belief in the malevolence of fairies. Not to mention the innate racial capacity to drink any man alive under the table whilst we dwell, in soft melancholy on the lost and wild beauty of our homeland.”
And then there are the cats. Tabby cats, black cats, all kinds of cats seemingly everywhere, always a few keeping watch on the goings on of what has become their abode. I fell a little more in love with Maud’s quirky charm when she realized the cats had never been named, and so she set about naming them, all after famous writers.
None of the clutter, the cats, the antagonism she feels from Cathal himself seems to phase Maud much, she’s intent on removing the clutter she finds – although she doesn’t really have to search for it as it’s more or less everywhere, it’s more choosing where to start. Over time, even Maud begins to see that not everything is trash; there are some things of value that is more than just sentimentality, beyond the wall of National Geographic Magazines threatening to topple and kill someone. And who would think to look under the magazines for a body?
There’s more to this story, of course, a bit of mystery and intrigue. Photographs appear randomly that weren’t there before, and there always seems to be a new room or two to discover, new information about this family and how things became the way they are. In this sense, the house itself, an old house that has seen many better days and has also seen many things, becomes a presence almost as crucial to this story as the human characters (and feline, canine, the saints, and those whose presence is felt, if not seen or heard.)
Life can be wonderful, but it can also be damaging, and few people go through life unscathed from the betrayal of someone they loved, or losing someone they love. How can we begin to forgive others if we can’t even begin to forgive ourselves? How can we accept that others may be happy in circumstances in which we can’t imagine ourselves being happy?
It’s how these characters maneuver these murky waters, and how these unpredictable characters slowly reveal themselves to us, that made this such a charming read. It’s Jess Kidd’s brilliance that made this impossible for me to put down.
Hoarder - Pub Date: 1 Feb 2018
Mr. Flood’s Last Resort Pub Date: 1 May 2018
October 30, 2019
I know one thing: Jess Kidd has joined the Group of Authors I will always follow. My GR Friends have written some exquisite reviews, so let me just say that I loved everything about her novel: the characters, the saints included, the plot and the writing. I could not ask for anything more from any writer, maybe just an opportunity to take part in a literary soire and an authograph.
June 8, 2018
4.5 stars! This novel had the perfect mix of genres that I absolutely love to read!
MR. FLOOD’S LAST RESORT by JESS KIDD is a magical, clever, imaginative, and an absolutely wonderful novel that had me totally engaged, entertained, and interested throughout this entire book.
JESS KIDD delivers a well-written and creative story here with an absolutely wonderful gothic mansion setting, quirky characters and an extremely mesmerizing storyline. I really enjoyed the magical realism and the Irish folktales that was seamlessly blended into the storyline.
To sum it all up it was an interesting, charming, dark, comical, and an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending. Would recommend!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Atria Books and Jess Kidd for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.
MR. FLOOD’S LAST RESORT by JESS KIDD is a magical, clever, imaginative, and an absolutely wonderful novel that had me totally engaged, entertained, and interested throughout this entire book.
JESS KIDD delivers a well-written and creative story here with an absolutely wonderful gothic mansion setting, quirky characters and an extremely mesmerizing storyline. I really enjoyed the magical realism and the Irish folktales that was seamlessly blended into the storyline.
To sum it all up it was an interesting, charming, dark, comical, and an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending. Would recommend!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Atria Books and Jess Kidd for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.
October 26, 2023
Why I chose to read this book:
1. actually, it was this book's original title, The Hoarder, that drew me in. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have added it to my WTR list based on the title of the book that I own/read; and,
2. October 2023 is my "Month of Mystery"!
Praises:
1. although it might not be for everyone, I love author Jess Kidd's writing style! Her choice of vocabulary and creative sentence structure is so poetic. I would stop reading from time to time just to savor what I just read;
2. her metaphorical descriptiveness of the setting and various characters (even minor ones) was so vivid;
3. in-depth characterization! Kidd's portrayal of Cathal Flood gave me feels in all directions. And I had such empathy for MC Maud Drennan, wondering what traumatic event she experienced in her past. Maud's landlady, Renata, and her "saints" were quite entertaining;
4. the references to various literary works and Greek mythology made me feel "well-read". I appreciated the inclusion of the "Book of Saints" section which specifically highlighted Maud's "saints";
5. I enjoyed the touches of dark humor interspersed within the underlying suspense; and,
6. I learned some new vocabulary native to the UK:
- winkle-pickers: shoes with extremely long, pointed toes
- a UK cloakroom is a North American powder room.
Niggles:
I couldn't find any!
Overall Thoughts:
What did I just read? It felt like magical realism, suspense/thriller, paranormal, and mental health issues all skillfully rolled into one story! I looked forward to getting back to it whenever the real world called me away. It's the kind of book that you'd want to reread just to catch any clues you missed the first time.
I just might do that.
1. actually, it was this book's original title, The Hoarder, that drew me in. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have added it to my WTR list based on the title of the book that I own/read; and,
2. October 2023 is my "Month of Mystery"!
Praises:
1. although it might not be for everyone, I love author Jess Kidd's writing style! Her choice of vocabulary and creative sentence structure is so poetic. I would stop reading from time to time just to savor what I just read;
2. her metaphorical descriptiveness of the setting and various characters (even minor ones) was so vivid;
3. in-depth characterization! Kidd's portrayal of Cathal Flood gave me feels in all directions. And I had such empathy for MC Maud Drennan, wondering what traumatic event she experienced in her past. Maud's landlady, Renata, and her "saints" were quite entertaining;
4. the references to various literary works and Greek mythology made me feel "well-read". I appreciated the inclusion of the "Book of Saints" section which specifically highlighted Maud's "saints";
5. I enjoyed the touches of dark humor interspersed within the underlying suspense; and,
6. I learned some new vocabulary native to the UK:
- winkle-pickers: shoes with extremely long, pointed toes
- a UK cloakroom is a North American powder room.
Niggles:
I couldn't find any!
Overall Thoughts:
What did I just read? It felt like magical realism, suspense/thriller, paranormal, and mental health issues all skillfully rolled into one story! I looked forward to getting back to it whenever the real world called me away. It's the kind of book that you'd want to reread just to catch any clues you missed the first time.
I just might do that.
June 3, 2018
4 Stars.
Fantastical, Magical, Wondrous & Whimsical. It captures your heart and holds on tight.
Cathal Flood is an angry, cantankerous, difficult old man who lives alone in Bridlemere, a dirty, disgusting old mansion, which houses lots of secrets, perhaps a few ghosts and several quirky cats too. Maud Drennan has always lived a lonely sort of life. Having lost her sister at a young age, grief has always been with her. She is a special sort, seeing and hearing things that others don’t, including Saints, or Spirit Guides, as the case may be. Maud is the carer who is assigned to Cathal Flood. She is his last hope. If she can’t control Cathal, his son Gabriel is planning to send him off to a home. His less than sunny disposition is a more than bit scary for Maud - as are all of the noises and strange things she encounters at this old house, yet she can’t help but find Cathal and Bridlemere intriguing.
When photographs from the past start popping up at Bridlemere, Maud finds herself deeply enveloped in old mysteries.. ones she just can’t help but want to solve, even though she is not a detective. With the help of her friend Renata, Sam Hebden, Mr. Flood’s former carer and several spirit guides such as St. Dymphna and St. Valentine surrounding her, Maud takes off investigating. She must do this - it is her calling.
Magic ensues. Whimsy abounds. Psychic elements mystify. In “Mr. Flood’s Last Resort,” Hearts get broken along the way, mine included. Tears fell. More than once. Cathal Flood is a man whose oddities endeared me when perhaps they should have scared me, at least a little. Maud Drennan is quirky and surprisingly bold at times when you least expect. Renata is the dearest of friends - I wish she was one of mine.
This is Jess Kidd’s second novel and she proves that she has the ability to write magical supernatural fantastical stories with characters like no other. “Himself” Jess Kidd’s debut novel was one of my favorite reads of last year and while this one came close, it wasn’t quite as captivating. Though this seems to simply be a quirky novel involving fantastical supernatural elements, it also involves serious storylines about grief and loss and deals with both in an enchanting and lovely way. Having read both “Himself” and “Mr. Flood’s Last Resort,” I am now completely entranced by Jess Kidd and am eagerly awaiting her next novel.
This was a Traveling Sister read which made for an incredibly interesting and informative discussion. I loved reading this whimsical fantastical novel with my sisters. It made this read even more amazing! For full traveling sister group reviews, please see Norma and Brenda’s blog: https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Thank you to Atria, NetGalley and Jess Kidd for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley, Goodreads, Twitter and Amazon on 6.3.18.
Fantastical, Magical, Wondrous & Whimsical. It captures your heart and holds on tight.
Cathal Flood is an angry, cantankerous, difficult old man who lives alone in Bridlemere, a dirty, disgusting old mansion, which houses lots of secrets, perhaps a few ghosts and several quirky cats too. Maud Drennan has always lived a lonely sort of life. Having lost her sister at a young age, grief has always been with her. She is a special sort, seeing and hearing things that others don’t, including Saints, or Spirit Guides, as the case may be. Maud is the carer who is assigned to Cathal Flood. She is his last hope. If she can’t control Cathal, his son Gabriel is planning to send him off to a home. His less than sunny disposition is a more than bit scary for Maud - as are all of the noises and strange things she encounters at this old house, yet she can’t help but find Cathal and Bridlemere intriguing.
When photographs from the past start popping up at Bridlemere, Maud finds herself deeply enveloped in old mysteries.. ones she just can’t help but want to solve, even though she is not a detective. With the help of her friend Renata, Sam Hebden, Mr. Flood’s former carer and several spirit guides such as St. Dymphna and St. Valentine surrounding her, Maud takes off investigating. She must do this - it is her calling.
Magic ensues. Whimsy abounds. Psychic elements mystify. In “Mr. Flood’s Last Resort,” Hearts get broken along the way, mine included. Tears fell. More than once. Cathal Flood is a man whose oddities endeared me when perhaps they should have scared me, at least a little. Maud Drennan is quirky and surprisingly bold at times when you least expect. Renata is the dearest of friends - I wish she was one of mine.
This is Jess Kidd’s second novel and she proves that she has the ability to write magical supernatural fantastical stories with characters like no other. “Himself” Jess Kidd’s debut novel was one of my favorite reads of last year and while this one came close, it wasn’t quite as captivating. Though this seems to simply be a quirky novel involving fantastical supernatural elements, it also involves serious storylines about grief and loss and deals with both in an enchanting and lovely way. Having read both “Himself” and “Mr. Flood’s Last Resort,” I am now completely entranced by Jess Kidd and am eagerly awaiting her next novel.
This was a Traveling Sister read which made for an incredibly interesting and informative discussion. I loved reading this whimsical fantastical novel with my sisters. It made this read even more amazing! For full traveling sister group reviews, please see Norma and Brenda’s blog: https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Thank you to Atria, NetGalley and Jess Kidd for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley, Goodreads, Twitter and Amazon on 6.3.18.
May 28, 2018
This is the story of a lonely, Irish caregiver named Maud and a widowed old lonely hoarder that she is assigned to take care of named Mr. Flood.
Mr Flood lives in this rundown gothic mansion with feral cats and all sorts of strange things and is just trying to stay in his own home without his son putting him in a care facility. There is a mystery involved here to be solved.
Maud has her own story simultaneously throughout the book, her own mystery to deal with.
I had so many moments of laughter reading this involving Maud’s relationship with many Saints (since girlhood she wanted to be a nun and fiercely read about the saints). The saints make their appearances throughout the book...really funny stuff!
This author has such a fantastic imagination..and creates fantastic characters!! I really enjoyed this book, but her first book, HIMSELF, I enjoyed much more.
Mr Flood lives in this rundown gothic mansion with feral cats and all sorts of strange things and is just trying to stay in his own home without his son putting him in a care facility. There is a mystery involved here to be solved.
Maud has her own story simultaneously throughout the book, her own mystery to deal with.
I had so many moments of laughter reading this involving Maud’s relationship with many Saints (since girlhood she wanted to be a nun and fiercely read about the saints). The saints make their appearances throughout the book...really funny stuff!
This author has such a fantastic imagination..and creates fantastic characters!! I really enjoyed this book, but her first book, HIMSELF, I enjoyed much more.
May 1, 2018
Initially I rated this book a 4 because it was such a slow starter but as I continue to think about everything that is so wonderful, the story telling, the characters, the uniqueness of the plot, I have decided that it deserves a 5* rating.
It took me at least three starts to get into this book. It takes a while to get all of the characters straight and all that is going on with Maud and Cathal Flood. As you know from the very extensive blurb for the book, Maud is the caregiver that is hired as a last resort to get Cathal to clean out his once beautiful mansion. Maud is an amazing, unique and complicated character. She enjoys her job as a caregiver and cleaning lady and she usually handles things with a quite sunny disposition, a quote from her as she is in the office of the agency that hired her “Not for the first time I count myself lucky that I am free-range in my enterprises and not imprisoned in some administrative battery farm, breathing air heavy with regret and thwarted dreams. In my work I make a simple and constructive difference to people: to eat or not to eat, to have a clean arse or not to have a clean arse”. However she has had some trauma in her childhood. Perhaps as a result of this, we’re not sure why, she is constantly in the company of various saints. These appearances aren’t always welcome, sometimes the saints are helpful, sometimes they are annoying but they are always there as companions.
Cathal Flood is such a complicated old soul. He hides behind a cantankerous disposition and has run off all previous caregivers. After he has tried many of his tricks on Maud and she still remains, they begin to form an alliance. He will let her clean out a small area of the house at a time and she handles his treasures with respect and listens to his many stories. It takes quite a while before we understand what is behind some of his actions and eccentricities but in the end I enjoyed and felt sorry for him as his “son” tries to get him out of the house and into an old age home. We all soon wonder why his son Gabriel is so intent on moving his father and why his father hates him so much?? He even tries to pay off Maud to help him get into the house while the old man is away, tries to convince her to take him on an outing so he can search the house, what is he looking for?
Maud’s best friend and landlady, Renata, is a flamboyant transgender who is convinced that Mary Flood did not fall down the stairs on her own, she is certain that a crime has taken place. As Maud continues to work in the house she sees some strange signs of ghosts, hears unsettling noises and begins to share Renata’s belief that something is terribly wrong here.
The storytelling in this book is phenomenal and the character development top notch, even the saints have personalities that are well defined. This book is a mystery and a wonderful literary accomplishment. The writing is so good I found myself feeling as though I were cleaning out the house with Maud, snooping through the upstairs rooms and encountering the odd things that happen with her. I know a novel is good when it elicits many feelings, sadness, joy, hope, forgiveness, even laugh out loud moments. I highly recommend this book but be sure to set aside a good stretch of time to get through the beginning, it will be worth it.
Addendum: For those of you who love animals you will enjoy Cathal's companion fox which he raised from a cub. I liked some of the interactions between them, how wonderful to have a wild animal trust you enough to keep coming back and allow him to touch his beautiful fur. There were also a huge number of kitties because of the state of the house, but in his own way he cared about them, leaving food out for them.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
It took me at least three starts to get into this book. It takes a while to get all of the characters straight and all that is going on with Maud and Cathal Flood. As you know from the very extensive blurb for the book, Maud is the caregiver that is hired as a last resort to get Cathal to clean out his once beautiful mansion. Maud is an amazing, unique and complicated character. She enjoys her job as a caregiver and cleaning lady and she usually handles things with a quite sunny disposition, a quote from her as she is in the office of the agency that hired her “Not for the first time I count myself lucky that I am free-range in my enterprises and not imprisoned in some administrative battery farm, breathing air heavy with regret and thwarted dreams. In my work I make a simple and constructive difference to people: to eat or not to eat, to have a clean arse or not to have a clean arse”. However she has had some trauma in her childhood. Perhaps as a result of this, we’re not sure why, she is constantly in the company of various saints. These appearances aren’t always welcome, sometimes the saints are helpful, sometimes they are annoying but they are always there as companions.
Cathal Flood is such a complicated old soul. He hides behind a cantankerous disposition and has run off all previous caregivers. After he has tried many of his tricks on Maud and she still remains, they begin to form an alliance. He will let her clean out a small area of the house at a time and she handles his treasures with respect and listens to his many stories. It takes quite a while before we understand what is behind some of his actions and eccentricities but in the end I enjoyed and felt sorry for him as his “son” tries to get him out of the house and into an old age home. We all soon wonder why his son Gabriel is so intent on moving his father and why his father hates him so much?? He even tries to pay off Maud to help him get into the house while the old man is away, tries to convince her to take him on an outing so he can search the house, what is he looking for?
Maud’s best friend and landlady, Renata, is a flamboyant transgender who is convinced that Mary Flood did not fall down the stairs on her own, she is certain that a crime has taken place. As Maud continues to work in the house she sees some strange signs of ghosts, hears unsettling noises and begins to share Renata’s belief that something is terribly wrong here.
The storytelling in this book is phenomenal and the character development top notch, even the saints have personalities that are well defined. This book is a mystery and a wonderful literary accomplishment. The writing is so good I found myself feeling as though I were cleaning out the house with Maud, snooping through the upstairs rooms and encountering the odd things that happen with her. I know a novel is good when it elicits many feelings, sadness, joy, hope, forgiveness, even laugh out loud moments. I highly recommend this book but be sure to set aside a good stretch of time to get through the beginning, it will be worth it.
Addendum: For those of you who love animals you will enjoy Cathal's companion fox which he raised from a cub. I liked some of the interactions between them, how wonderful to have a wild animal trust you enough to keep coming back and allow him to touch his beautiful fur. There were also a huge number of kitties because of the state of the house, but in his own way he cared about them, leaving food out for them.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
March 31, 2018
Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.
Old man Flood, slightly crazed and eccentric to a fault, he hoards, he roars, he gnashes his dentures. His home is full of cats that he doesn't bother to name, curiosities, secrets, and a fox that likes to be followed. Something untoward is afoot here.
Maud, a caring and capable caregiver, lives with visits from vestiges of uninvoked saints who hover and watch, and some who make themselves a general nuisance.
Renata is Maud's agoraphobic transgender landlady. She sports outrageous makeup and wardrobe, and has twin shrines to Jesus Christ and Johnny Cash. She has a nose for mystery.
I was hoping for a darker tale, but this ended up with more of a cozy feel to it. I much preferred the author's debut novel, Himself, and this is what my rating is based on. Still and yet, this one is fresh, original, and well worth the read.
Old man Flood, slightly crazed and eccentric to a fault, he hoards, he roars, he gnashes his dentures. His home is full of cats that he doesn't bother to name, curiosities, secrets, and a fox that likes to be followed. Something untoward is afoot here.
Maud, a caring and capable caregiver, lives with visits from vestiges of uninvoked saints who hover and watch, and some who make themselves a general nuisance.
Renata is Maud's agoraphobic transgender landlady. She sports outrageous makeup and wardrobe, and has twin shrines to Jesus Christ and Johnny Cash. She has a nose for mystery.
I was hoping for a darker tale, but this ended up with more of a cozy feel to it. I much preferred the author's debut novel, Himself, and this is what my rating is based on. Still and yet, this one is fresh, original, and well worth the read.
June 6, 2018
Norma and I were lost in the heavy dense wooded coulee reading Mr. Flood’s Last Resort with four of our Traveling Sisters and we were swept up in the mystery and magic of this story that explores grief and loss. Jess Kidd does a good job bringing out some emotions here for us with the emotional depth that touches on grief and loss.
Jess Kidd does a fantastic job creating well-developed enduring characters here with our main characters Cathal and Maud. We really loved the dynamics between these two very different characters that really added some contrast to the story. We loved the dynamics that the other colorful and eccentric characters brought to the story as well.
What really stood out for us was Jess Kidd’s ability to blend a murder mystery set in a gothic mansion full of secrets and chaos with some black humor that adds some comic relief to the story.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Atria Books, Simon & Schuster Canada and Jess Kidd for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is Traveling Sisters GR Reading Group Review and it can be found posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley
Jess Kidd does a fantastic job creating well-developed enduring characters here with our main characters Cathal and Maud. We really loved the dynamics between these two very different characters that really added some contrast to the story. We loved the dynamics that the other colorful and eccentric characters brought to the story as well.
What really stood out for us was Jess Kidd’s ability to blend a murder mystery set in a gothic mansion full of secrets and chaos with some black humor that adds some comic relief to the story.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Atria Books, Simon & Schuster Canada and Jess Kidd for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is Traveling Sisters GR Reading Group Review and it can be found posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley
June 14, 2018
4.25 stars
Quirky, fantastical, and phenomenal story-telling! Ms. Kidd has a unique style of writing that I love.
Funny, yet also poignant, this story features Maud, who has been hired as the caretaker of Mr. Cathal Flood, a lonely, cranky hoarder whose son wants to ship him off to the old-age home. Renata, Maud’s agoraphobic friend and landlady, is a transvestite (or maybe transgender…it wasn’t made clear which), and is hiding a personal tragedy under her flamboyant exterior. They were all wonderful characters.
Despite the quirkiness and humor, everyone here is complicated with important backstories to be discovered, many of which are heart-wrenching. As Maud gets caught up in investigating a possible murder and other mysteries, she is often accompanied by a host of somewhat irreverent saints, some welcomed, some not. They were very funny and provided much of the humor in the story.
Highly recommended!
I read this with the Traveling Sister group, which led to a fun and interesting discussion. For this and other reviews please visit the blog: https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Quirky, fantastical, and phenomenal story-telling! Ms. Kidd has a unique style of writing that I love.
Funny, yet also poignant, this story features Maud, who has been hired as the caretaker of Mr. Cathal Flood, a lonely, cranky hoarder whose son wants to ship him off to the old-age home. Renata, Maud’s agoraphobic friend and landlady, is a transvestite (or maybe transgender…it wasn’t made clear which), and is hiding a personal tragedy under her flamboyant exterior. They were all wonderful characters.
Despite the quirkiness and humor, everyone here is complicated with important backstories to be discovered, many of which are heart-wrenching. As Maud gets caught up in investigating a possible murder and other mysteries, she is often accompanied by a host of somewhat irreverent saints, some welcomed, some not. They were very funny and provided much of the humor in the story.
Highly recommended!
I read this with the Traveling Sister group, which led to a fun and interesting discussion. For this and other reviews please visit the blog: https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
May 29, 2018
4.5 stars to a fantastical book!
You can find my reviews here https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
Well this is a book for those of us who like a little bit of everything in their stories. Do you like magic, possible ghosts, a strange house, characters that are weird, loving, cantankerous, nasty, and dirty? Yes, they are in there. Do you like relationships that develop into friendships, saints, sinners, and everything in between? Well yes, again, they are in there. Do you like novels of loss, of eeriness, and things Irish? Well then you are in luck because that is in there too! I think of this book as the Prego sauce of books!
Through the writings of Jess Kidd, we meet some very interesting people such as the curmudgeon Mr Flood. He is dirty, intimidating, has a potty mouth, and might even have bumped off his wife. Then there is Maud, a young girl with a hard past sent to care for Mr Flood seeing that his needs are met. Initially they have a pull and tug relationship but as Mr Flood gets to know Maud and she him their relationship becomes one of care and concern. Maud herself is no stranger to weirdness. She carries around saints with her that converse with her and follow her into various situations. She has a great friend Renata, who is agoraphobic and a transvestite. ...and then there are the villains!
Not wanting to say much about this happenings but if you are a fan of the whimsical, the sad, and the value of friends, then this novel might be to your liking. It was to mine. This was a Traveling Sister read and one where we all seemed to get enjoyment from Mr Flood, Maud and the rest.
Thanks goes to my local library for coming through with this book. I can always count on them to provide this reader with lots of fun and happy hours of reading.
I think Jess Kidd should at some point write a book with Neil Gaiman. They both see our world through the lens of its differences and idiosyncrasies. Could you imagine the book they would write!
You can find my reviews here https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
Well this is a book for those of us who like a little bit of everything in their stories. Do you like magic, possible ghosts, a strange house, characters that are weird, loving, cantankerous, nasty, and dirty? Yes, they are in there. Do you like relationships that develop into friendships, saints, sinners, and everything in between? Well yes, again, they are in there. Do you like novels of loss, of eeriness, and things Irish? Well then you are in luck because that is in there too! I think of this book as the Prego sauce of books!
Through the writings of Jess Kidd, we meet some very interesting people such as the curmudgeon Mr Flood. He is dirty, intimidating, has a potty mouth, and might even have bumped off his wife. Then there is Maud, a young girl with a hard past sent to care for Mr Flood seeing that his needs are met. Initially they have a pull and tug relationship but as Mr Flood gets to know Maud and she him their relationship becomes one of care and concern. Maud herself is no stranger to weirdness. She carries around saints with her that converse with her and follow her into various situations. She has a great friend Renata, who is agoraphobic and a transvestite. ...and then there are the villains!
Not wanting to say much about this happenings but if you are a fan of the whimsical, the sad, and the value of friends, then this novel might be to your liking. It was to mine. This was a Traveling Sister read and one where we all seemed to get enjoyment from Mr Flood, Maud and the rest.
Thanks goes to my local library for coming through with this book. I can always count on them to provide this reader with lots of fun and happy hours of reading.
I think Jess Kidd should at some point write a book with Neil Gaiman. They both see our world through the lens of its differences and idiosyncrasies. Could you imagine the book they would write!
August 18, 2019
“Mr. Flood’s Last Resort” is not your ordinary mystery story. The main character, Maud Drennan sees and talks to dead saints, and is a staunch believer in Irish superstitions and folklore.
The cast of eccentric characters is what makes this novel. Her landlord, Renata, is an agoraphobic who lives vicariously through Maud. Renata gives Johnny Cash and Jesus Christ equal reverence. She dons three wigs and many kitten heels, most fluffy.
Mr. Flood is a hoarder featuring a great wall of National Geographic magazines. Maud is hired to clean out his home and provide elderly care. Mr. Flood does take time to become accustom to. He is crass and a bit mean. There is a mystery surrounding the death of his wife and the disappearance of his daughter.
Maud has a mystery of her own. Her sister disappeared when Maud was young, and it haunts her.
Working for Mr. Flood is trying. The man hardly showers, he shouts obscenities, and he loves his messes. With every large black trash bag that leaves the premise, Mr. Flood fights Maud, as he may need those empty sardine tins! And the cats…all hoarders must have a slew of cats! Author Jess Kidd writes with perfection the drudgery of cleaning out a hoarders den.
Jess Kidd does have an imagination. This is a quirky novel that is fun to read.
The cast of eccentric characters is what makes this novel. Her landlord, Renata, is an agoraphobic who lives vicariously through Maud. Renata gives Johnny Cash and Jesus Christ equal reverence. She dons three wigs and many kitten heels, most fluffy.
Mr. Flood is a hoarder featuring a great wall of National Geographic magazines. Maud is hired to clean out his home and provide elderly care. Mr. Flood does take time to become accustom to. He is crass and a bit mean. There is a mystery surrounding the death of his wife and the disappearance of his daughter.
Maud has a mystery of her own. Her sister disappeared when Maud was young, and it haunts her.
Working for Mr. Flood is trying. The man hardly showers, he shouts obscenities, and he loves his messes. With every large black trash bag that leaves the premise, Mr. Flood fights Maud, as he may need those empty sardine tins! And the cats…all hoarders must have a slew of cats! Author Jess Kidd writes with perfection the drudgery of cleaning out a hoarders den.
Jess Kidd does have an imagination. This is a quirky novel that is fun to read.
October 11, 2019
I’m guessing, no, surmising, that readers who are going to read this book know what hoarding is, and the horrible, debilitating grip it has on those it afflicts, literally imprisoning them in a prison of their own creation.
Mr Cathal Flood is a hoarder. He may be able to move efficiently, swiftly, through his house, having intimate knowledge of negotiating the passageways and tunnels amidst the mess. However. it is a different story for Maud Drennan. She, who has been working on cleaning up Flood’s house the past week, struggles with moving through the myriad of rubbish that fills the house from floor to ceiling, wall to wall.
Drennan is a social-care worker who has been assigned to Flood, tasked with, if not Sisyphean, than the Herculean task of cleaning the mess up and looking after Flood’s welfare. Her first impressions of Flood are that he is a cantankerous old man, this view only strengthened by her predecessor leaving after only three days, unable to put up with Flood’s antics and abuse.
As I have come to expect, Kidd’s writing is amazingly descriptive and the first chapter in which she describes the conditions, had me feeling claustrophobic, the walls closing in around me. There is more however, than just claustrophobia, a hint of foreboding envelopes the house,
“But for all this, the quiet house is not at peace, for there is a watched and watchful feeling, a shifting shiftless feeling. As if more than cats track your moves, as if nameless eyes follow you about your business. At Bridlemere objects disappear and reappear somewhere else at will. Put your wristwatch on the windowsill, you’ll find it hanging from a hook on the dresser. Turn your back and the teapot you left on the table is now on a shelf in the pantry.”
The first day we meet Drennan on the job, one of these mysterious happenings takes place. The door to the room she is working in slams shut and the sink fills up with water and overflows. Along with the overflow of water comes a milk bottle with a photograph furled up inside. When Drennan removes the photograph, she finds it is a photo of two young children a boy and a girl, standing next to the fountain that is out in the yard somewhere. The girl’s face has been burnt out completely, seemingly with a cigarette.
The next day Drennan finds another photograph, this time mysteriously stuck on a window. It is of a woman holding a little boy by the hand.
This time it is the woman’s face that has been burned out. Drannan realises that the photo must be of Flood’s son, Gabriel, and his wife who was killed in a “mysterious” fall.
Drannan’s friend Renata, thinks that Flood has killed his wife and loves to continually tell her that. The photographs are irrefutable proof that something nefarious is going on at the house full of junk. Renata has a newspaper clipping she believes has been sent to her from Mary Flood, the dead wife. It is an article about a young fifteen-year old girl going missing in 1985. Renata assumes immediately that Flood has had something to do with it. Maybe he has her imprisoned in the house and is using her as a sex slave. Renata’s words not mine. She also assumes that the photographs were sent by Mary. Renata, who is agoraphobic, is determined to use Drannan vicariously to help her solve the mystery, and expose the murderer.
It would not be a Kidd novel if there were no ghosts involved. This time around they take the form of saints. Yes, saints. Maybe not all the saints, but a hell of a lot of them. Drannan can see the saints. They do not sit back and take a passive role in the narrative either, no, they help Drannan with her crusade to find the truth, talking to her, warning her of trouble, and it must be said, many times, annoying the hell out of her.
There is also a secondary narrative which just about steals the show from the main one, and this smaller narrative adds so much to the overall novel, improving the story with its inclusion.
Again, there is humour and darkness, but for me, this novel did not feel as dark as “Himself” and “Things in Jars”. Also, "The Hoarder" contains a poignancy and pathos not found in the other novels.
In my view this is the weakest of the three Kidd novels I have read, and I was going to give it four stars but the wonderful ending has enough strength to push it up to another five. 5 Stars.
Mr Cathal Flood is a hoarder. He may be able to move efficiently, swiftly, through his house, having intimate knowledge of negotiating the passageways and tunnels amidst the mess. However. it is a different story for Maud Drennan. She, who has been working on cleaning up Flood’s house the past week, struggles with moving through the myriad of rubbish that fills the house from floor to ceiling, wall to wall.
Drennan is a social-care worker who has been assigned to Flood, tasked with, if not Sisyphean, than the Herculean task of cleaning the mess up and looking after Flood’s welfare. Her first impressions of Flood are that he is a cantankerous old man, this view only strengthened by her predecessor leaving after only three days, unable to put up with Flood’s antics and abuse.
As I have come to expect, Kidd’s writing is amazingly descriptive and the first chapter in which she describes the conditions, had me feeling claustrophobic, the walls closing in around me. There is more however, than just claustrophobia, a hint of foreboding envelopes the house,
“But for all this, the quiet house is not at peace, for there is a watched and watchful feeling, a shifting shiftless feeling. As if more than cats track your moves, as if nameless eyes follow you about your business. At Bridlemere objects disappear and reappear somewhere else at will. Put your wristwatch on the windowsill, you’ll find it hanging from a hook on the dresser. Turn your back and the teapot you left on the table is now on a shelf in the pantry.”
The first day we meet Drennan on the job, one of these mysterious happenings takes place. The door to the room she is working in slams shut and the sink fills up with water and overflows. Along with the overflow of water comes a milk bottle with a photograph furled up inside. When Drennan removes the photograph, she finds it is a photo of two young children a boy and a girl, standing next to the fountain that is out in the yard somewhere. The girl’s face has been burnt out completely, seemingly with a cigarette.
The next day Drennan finds another photograph, this time mysteriously stuck on a window. It is of a woman holding a little boy by the hand.
This time it is the woman’s face that has been burned out. Drannan realises that the photo must be of Flood’s son, Gabriel, and his wife who was killed in a “mysterious” fall.
Drannan’s friend Renata, thinks that Flood has killed his wife and loves to continually tell her that. The photographs are irrefutable proof that something nefarious is going on at the house full of junk. Renata has a newspaper clipping she believes has been sent to her from Mary Flood, the dead wife. It is an article about a young fifteen-year old girl going missing in 1985. Renata assumes immediately that Flood has had something to do with it. Maybe he has her imprisoned in the house and is using her as a sex slave. Renata’s words not mine. She also assumes that the photographs were sent by Mary. Renata, who is agoraphobic, is determined to use Drannan vicariously to help her solve the mystery, and expose the murderer.
It would not be a Kidd novel if there were no ghosts involved. This time around they take the form of saints. Yes, saints. Maybe not all the saints, but a hell of a lot of them. Drannan can see the saints. They do not sit back and take a passive role in the narrative either, no, they help Drannan with her crusade to find the truth, talking to her, warning her of trouble, and it must be said, many times, annoying the hell out of her.
There is also a secondary narrative which just about steals the show from the main one, and this smaller narrative adds so much to the overall novel, improving the story with its inclusion.
Again, there is humour and darkness, but for me, this novel did not feel as dark as “Himself” and “Things in Jars”. Also, "The Hoarder" contains a poignancy and pathos not found in the other novels.
In my view this is the weakest of the three Kidd novels I have read, and I was going to give it four stars but the wonderful ending has enough strength to push it up to another five. 5 Stars.
December 11, 2019
Take one cranky old man that has been hoarding for the past twenty-five years. Add one caregiver with a sunny disposition tasked with putting some order to the huge Victorian home. Have that caregiver find clues in the house that relate to a young girl’s disappearance. Have Maud Drennan’s magical realism dreams point to more clues. And before long, she is taking advice from talking saints, tarot card readings, and even a séance of sorts. Kidd demonstrates that there is more than one way to solve a murder! All this investigating has alarmed the bad guys. Not good! Enjoy this bizarre melancholy tale.
May 19, 2018
I love it when I come across a book that is brilliantly bizarre and incredibly creative. It only took a few paragraphs for me to get completely engrossed in this story. I couldn't stop reading.
Cathal Flood is 80+ years old and lives in a large, horrific house, Bridlemere. He's a hoarder....like the ones you see on reality television shows where people come in wearing protective clothing and face masks to shovel out years of junk, animal poop, and moldy horrors straight from hell. Maud Drennan is his latest caregiver. The last one ran out of the house, driven half mad by the place. Maud just does her job clearing a bit of the mess at a time, never caring about things like why there is a mug tree in the toilet or what brings someone to collect a 12-foot wall of National Geographic magazines. She tries hard to ignore Mr. Flood's curmudgeonly fits and rants. He's mean, but Maud and her assistance is his last chance. If she fails to clean up his house and help him live independently, his son Gabriel is going to put him in a care home. But there's something more going on. Maud isn't quite sure what it is....or if she cares. She starts finding strange things while cleaning....a photos with faces burnt off with a cigar that just seem to appear in random places, an abandoned caravan with the windows boarded up amid the junk in the yard, information in the old man's care plan about his dead wife. Weird, unusual things. But she really can't speak to the old man's madness....she sees saints. They appear everywhere, speak to her, follow her, and are a strange comfort for her. Her agoraphobic transsexual neighbor urges her to investigate, but Maud just wants to mind her own business. A crazy old man living among cat turds and piles of garbage is not something she wants to dig into too deeply. Or is she afraid she might learn something horrible? About him? About herself?
This book was SO good! I absolutely love a great story that's totally something new. I have never read a book that was in any way like this one. So weird.....and so mesmerizing at the same time. I loved Mr. Flood's stories, and the little bits of Maud's life revealed here and there. The suspense was wicked cool. Just an entertaining, strange little book....I was sorry when I reached the end and it was over! The characters are quirky and unusual. The pace was perfect. The suspense and wondering WTF was going on kept building until the end.
No spoilers from me -- read the book! :)
Just lovely! This book is my favorite of 2018 so far.
This book was also published under the title The Hoarder. Jess Kidd is the author of one other book, Himself. After enjoying this book so much, I will definitely be reading her other book and any future ones!
**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Cathal Flood is 80+ years old and lives in a large, horrific house, Bridlemere. He's a hoarder....like the ones you see on reality television shows where people come in wearing protective clothing and face masks to shovel out years of junk, animal poop, and moldy horrors straight from hell. Maud Drennan is his latest caregiver. The last one ran out of the house, driven half mad by the place. Maud just does her job clearing a bit of the mess at a time, never caring about things like why there is a mug tree in the toilet or what brings someone to collect a 12-foot wall of National Geographic magazines. She tries hard to ignore Mr. Flood's curmudgeonly fits and rants. He's mean, but Maud and her assistance is his last chance. If she fails to clean up his house and help him live independently, his son Gabriel is going to put him in a care home. But there's something more going on. Maud isn't quite sure what it is....or if she cares. She starts finding strange things while cleaning....a photos with faces burnt off with a cigar that just seem to appear in random places, an abandoned caravan with the windows boarded up amid the junk in the yard, information in the old man's care plan about his dead wife. Weird, unusual things. But she really can't speak to the old man's madness....she sees saints. They appear everywhere, speak to her, follow her, and are a strange comfort for her. Her agoraphobic transsexual neighbor urges her to investigate, but Maud just wants to mind her own business. A crazy old man living among cat turds and piles of garbage is not something she wants to dig into too deeply. Or is she afraid she might learn something horrible? About him? About herself?
This book was SO good! I absolutely love a great story that's totally something new. I have never read a book that was in any way like this one. So weird.....and so mesmerizing at the same time. I loved Mr. Flood's stories, and the little bits of Maud's life revealed here and there. The suspense was wicked cool. Just an entertaining, strange little book....I was sorry when I reached the end and it was over! The characters are quirky and unusual. The pace was perfect. The suspense and wondering WTF was going on kept building until the end.
No spoilers from me -- read the book! :)
Just lovely! This book is my favorite of 2018 so far.
This book was also published under the title The Hoarder. Jess Kidd is the author of one other book, Himself. After enjoying this book so much, I will definitely be reading her other book and any future ones!
**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
May 27, 2018
Mr. Flood’s Last Resort is the first book I’ve read by Jess Kidd. She has a great imagination and lots of talent. The plot feels a bit like a rollicking romp with a bit of a mystery at its core. Maud is assigned to provide home assistance to a raging aging hoarder, Cathal Flood. Flood has some complicated family secrets that Maud unearths as she goes through his house. Maud has her own childhood secrets. Despite the topic, the tone of this book is not sad, but rather has a dark humorous edge. Top amongst my favourite aspect of the book are a couple of pesky angels who surface every now and then to debate what course Maud should follow. I also liked her agoraphobic neighbour who also offers Maud a steady supply of advice. Smart and original is my final verdict. I’ve heard good things about Kidd’s Himself, which I will definitely read some time soon. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
June 17, 2018
I had really high expectations for this book, maybe that is why I am giving it a slightly lower rating than it maybe deserves, though it is a fitting rating for the way I feel about it. The concept really intrigued me and the characters of Maud is so likable, but the pace is so, so slow and by the time the real mystery started to push into the foreground, I was kind of checking out. I am not saying this puts me off Jess Kidd's other books, because she can write and I am a character-driven reader, so she has that going for her, but I am on holiday and wanted to be entertained, and sadly, this just wasn't delivering what I wanted it to, which isn't necessarily the fault of the book. Maybe in other circumstances, I would have enjoyed it more, but as it stands, it was just an okay read for me.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
March 26, 2024
I was entranced by the author’s rich imagination and wonderful way with words. This is a magical, mystical gothic mystery with elements of the supernatural. There is some vulgar, ribald language particularly from the irascible Mr. Flood. I am usually put off by crude language and swearing in a book but his expletives made me laugh out loud. There are ghosts, saints who wander through scenes, a possible love story, and themes of loneliness, family tragedy, forgiveness, secrets, lies and deceit.
The story times funny, sad and poignant. The characters are compelling. It Iincludes Irish folklore and religious beliefs. Mr. Flood lives in a Gothic Mansion filled with rubbish, mementos from the past, valuable collectibles and bizarre curiosities, numerous cats and a wall of National Geographics.. His son has threatened to move him to a home for the elderly and infirm if the home and yard is not cleared of the hoard. As a fan of the TV shows Hoarders and Hoarders Buried Alive I have seen a couple shows where wealthy hoarders lived in similar mansions with mountains of trash and valuables. Many of the hoarders were cranky but not nearly as entertaining as Mr. Flood.
Maud has been sent by an employment agency to clear up the hoard. There are rumours about how frightening working as a caregiver for Mr. Flood can be. In fact it is said that his last caregiver, Sam Hebdon was chased out of the home by Mr. Flood and his experiences there resulted in his stay in a mental institution. Maud is more steadfast and determined to help Mr.Flood. She once experienced a family tragedy and is no accompanied by visions of saints who often voice approval or disapproval of her actions. She meets Flood’s son Gabriel and Sam Hebdon. There is grief, loss and family secrets in the home and much tragedy, including the death of Flood’s wife, a missing daughter and his hatred and denial of son, Gabriel. Not everyone is reliable and there is much deception in word and deed.
Maud has an agoraphobic,transgendered friend, Renata,who loves a mystery. She convinces the reluctant Maud that perhaps Flood’s wife, the missing daughter and another girl who vanished after visiting the mansion were victims of criminal acts. She is urged to investigate. Sam, who has also listened to Renata’s wild theories seems unconvinced. He warns Maud to be careful and he wants to protect her.
Maud, after been initially sworn at and threatened by Mr Flood forms a bond with him and a friendship while he paints her portrait and tells folktales. She comes to care for the old man but is beset by danger, angry poltergeists and mountains of junk which means finding anything (to confirm Renata’s suspicions) in the decaying mansion next to impossible.
I thought most of the book was a 5 star read for me. The mystery plot was well constructed and compelling, but I felt was slowed down by the inclusion of Maud’s dreams and backstory. With all the wandering saints, I felt the addition of her dreams to be distraction and that Maud’s backstory would work better in a separate book. The descriptive passages were lovely and I now want to read the previous book Him. The ending was quite sad but left room for hope. An entertaining example of magic realism.
The story times funny, sad and poignant. The characters are compelling. It Iincludes Irish folklore and religious beliefs. Mr. Flood lives in a Gothic Mansion filled with rubbish, mementos from the past, valuable collectibles and bizarre curiosities, numerous cats and a wall of National Geographics.. His son has threatened to move him to a home for the elderly and infirm if the home and yard is not cleared of the hoard. As a fan of the TV shows Hoarders and Hoarders Buried Alive I have seen a couple shows where wealthy hoarders lived in similar mansions with mountains of trash and valuables. Many of the hoarders were cranky but not nearly as entertaining as Mr. Flood.
Maud has been sent by an employment agency to clear up the hoard. There are rumours about how frightening working as a caregiver for Mr. Flood can be. In fact it is said that his last caregiver, Sam Hebdon was chased out of the home by Mr. Flood and his experiences there resulted in his stay in a mental institution. Maud is more steadfast and determined to help Mr.Flood. She once experienced a family tragedy and is no accompanied by visions of saints who often voice approval or disapproval of her actions. She meets Flood’s son Gabriel and Sam Hebdon. There is grief, loss and family secrets in the home and much tragedy, including the death of Flood’s wife, a missing daughter and his hatred and denial of son, Gabriel. Not everyone is reliable and there is much deception in word and deed.
Maud has an agoraphobic,transgendered friend, Renata,who loves a mystery. She convinces the reluctant Maud that perhaps Flood’s wife, the missing daughter and another girl who vanished after visiting the mansion were victims of criminal acts. She is urged to investigate. Sam, who has also listened to Renata’s wild theories seems unconvinced. He warns Maud to be careful and he wants to protect her.
Maud, after been initially sworn at and threatened by Mr Flood forms a bond with him and a friendship while he paints her portrait and tells folktales. She comes to care for the old man but is beset by danger, angry poltergeists and mountains of junk which means finding anything (to confirm Renata’s suspicions) in the decaying mansion next to impossible.
I thought most of the book was a 5 star read for me. The mystery plot was well constructed and compelling, but I felt was slowed down by the inclusion of Maud’s dreams and backstory. With all the wandering saints, I felt the addition of her dreams to be distraction and that Maud’s backstory would work better in a separate book. The descriptive passages were lovely and I now want to read the previous book Him. The ending was quite sad but left room for hope. An entertaining example of magic realism.
August 8, 2018
This book was okay, but also somewhat messy. Granted, this is magical realism combined with mystery and crime, and the plot is arranged as a jigsaw puzzle in which you get bits and pieces as you go along. But the magical realism part put too much of a twist on things for my part, so while I was intrigued enough to continue reading, I wasn't absolutely loving the story.
However, one thing I strongly disliked about this novel was the humorous take on things. I rarely find humour in books (or movies) attractive, and I certainly found the humour in "The Hoarder" to be on the silly side. Granted, some of the humour was on point - for instance when our main character, Maud, is cleaning a toilet while listening to a story, and she was "at the edge of her toilet seat" while listening - but for the most part, I found the humorous parts to be silly and not worthy of the otherwise intriguing plot. I'm not saying that including humour in this novel wasn't a good idea, though, because I found it reassuring compared to the intense and somewhat uncanny story we get.
Having now finished the book, I'm left somewhat perplexed as to whether I understood everything correctly - I think I did, but the messy storyline and the quick unravelling of things in the end left me confused. All in all, I will say that I did enjoy this book, but unfortunately not enough to read other stories from this author.
However, one thing I strongly disliked about this novel was the humorous take on things. I rarely find humour in books (or movies) attractive, and I certainly found the humour in "The Hoarder" to be on the silly side. Granted, some of the humour was on point - for instance when our main character, Maud, is cleaning a toilet while listening to a story, and she was "at the edge of her toilet seat" while listening - but for the most part, I found the humorous parts to be silly and not worthy of the otherwise intriguing plot. I'm not saying that including humour in this novel wasn't a good idea, though, because I found it reassuring compared to the intense and somewhat uncanny story we get.
Having now finished the book, I'm left somewhat perplexed as to whether I understood everything correctly - I think I did, but the messy storyline and the quick unravelling of things in the end left me confused. All in all, I will say that I did enjoy this book, but unfortunately not enough to read other stories from this author.
April 28, 2020
" . . . the loveliest eyes are found in the heads of women who have suffered."
When Maud is hired as the caregiver for cantankerous Mr. Flood, she discovers that the old bird is not nearly as off-his-rocker as he pretends to be . . . indeed he may be something even worse, as she soon begins to suspect him in the long-ago disappearance of a young girl.
This is the third book I've read by Jess Kidd, so I've come to expect some otherworldly goings-on. And, there were the requisite ghosts, yes, but this time around there are saints, as well - a snarky, sassy Greek chorus of saints, hanging around, offering unsolicited advice and commentary. I was so enamored of them, I dug out my thrift store copy of the Picture Book of Saints: Illustrated Lives of the Saints for Young and Old, but was dismayed to learn it is so heavily-sanitized-for-children, there are no decapitations, or eye-gougings. I much preferred the author's brief saintly bios at the back of the book.
Now, here's the part where I would say that I can't wait for Kidd's next book, but dang it - I've already read her next book - Things in Jars - so I have to wait even longer for her latest tale of struggling, damaged souls, told in a humorous, but touching manner. Write faster, woman. Write like the wind.
When Maud is hired as the caregiver for cantankerous Mr. Flood, she discovers that the old bird is not nearly as off-his-rocker as he pretends to be . . . indeed he may be something even worse, as she soon begins to suspect him in the long-ago disappearance of a young girl.
This is the third book I've read by Jess Kidd, so I've come to expect some otherworldly goings-on. And, there were the requisite ghosts, yes, but this time around there are saints, as well - a snarky, sassy Greek chorus of saints, hanging around, offering unsolicited advice and commentary. I was so enamored of them, I dug out my thrift store copy of the Picture Book of Saints: Illustrated Lives of the Saints for Young and Old, but was dismayed to learn it is so heavily-sanitized-for-children, there are no decapitations, or eye-gougings. I much preferred the author's brief saintly bios at the back of the book.
Now, here's the part where I would say that I can't wait for Kidd's next book, but dang it - I've already read her next book - Things in Jars - so I have to wait even longer for her latest tale of struggling, damaged souls, told in a humorous, but touching manner. Write faster, woman. Write like the wind.
June 9, 2018
4 stars - This was a very unusual book involving an elderly hoarder named Cathal Flood, a caregiver, Maud (with abilities), a host of Catholic saints (yes, that’s right, saints! Holy Smokes! Who are dressed in their traditional holy garb of robes, haloes and armor) that come in and out of the story and only Maud is able to see and communicate with. This was eerie at the beginning of the book when they first appeared but became comical because they would roll their eyes or make snarky (not saintly) comments or St. Valentine (the romantic saint) would make sexual remarks. Getting further into the story, their presence and activity gave meaning why they were selective to her. They had nonverbal (I.e, eye roll with disinterest - does a saint do that? Not one that I know of!) and verbal conversations and acted as her guardians/mentors from above. At the end of the book was a Prologue about those holy Saints with detail of who they were and what they stood for and why those were selected for Maud based on her challenges. There are some pencil drawings and notes added, I assume, done by Maud.
Add to the mix, Renata, a plucky, nosy, tarot card reading, cross dressing landlord with a colorful past and I would also say, a colorful present. Renata and Maud fall into a close relationship discussing Mauds’ unusual job cleaning up at the large Flood Estate so that Cathal can continue to independently live there and not be force installed in a facility by his son. The place is filled with a myriad of cats and various bibs and bobs, empty sardine cans, assorted rubbish piles with things that always don’t make much sense to us.
She takes her job very seriously and with aplomb; attacks at it and is fiercely determined and makes steady progress not only with the house but with her relationship with Cathal and his self care and of eating properly. Maud does not back down to Cathal’s insults or rudeness or gruffness. She is like a duck where water runs off her feathers. Yet, she suffers from a childhood tragedy of her own and keeps it tucked deep down inside. And that story is told alternately in between chapters of the current daily events.
Cathal is an odd, eccentric old man, with lots inside his head that he vehemently insists he knows or doesn’t know - or claims not to know. Does he have hallucinations? Is he senile? He does have a friendly relationship with a wild red fox that comes around and he throws sandwiches at. The house is a hoarders paradise but in a room beyond the “Great Wall” of magazines is orderliness and cleanliness. Is this madness? Does he have some abilities himself? He is socially lacking. But Cathal and Maud develop a very unique and interesting relationship, which at times is quite comical in their bantering back and forth.
The Flood family has a tragedy/tragedies of its own which Maud and Renata try to figure it out, much to the dismay of Cathal and other family members who are either trying to keep things quiet or others who are trying to slyly benefit from the Flood inheritance. He does not want to be put into a facility and angrily claims his hotshot son Gabriel is really not his son. So through the story, the reader is in a mode of asking themselves, what’s real and what is not? What is the truth and what is a lie?
Through the book, the house in and of itself, definitely tries to “speak” to Maud by shifting itself, food flying out of the pantry, shadows in the window, photos showing up to her with peoples faces burnt out of the picture, giving her clues. Other caregivers have been spooked off by such activity and are long gone. She is not; with her abilities and profound work ethic (and the backing of her saints) and now her close partner in crime friendship with Renata, she ultimately wants the best for Cathal, is determined not to leave her post and instead help uncover not only the homes and Flood secrets, but her own family’s secrets as well. She is, and will be, as the title says, “Mr. Flood’s Last Resort.”
This is a complex story with family secrets, history, betrayals, disappearances, murder, mental illness, fantasy and magic, mistaken identities, ghostly appearances/movements and regular every day life all mixed up in one book.
The writing is evocative and mysterious and at times bizarre. We go from reading about Maud scrubbing the loo with bleach and hauling out bags of rubbish to Maud sneaking past a huge barrier wall (The Great Wall) of National Geographics where there’s a four headed animal at the foot of the stairs, a pair of glass eyes that move and blink in a case, an oddity of a half monkey, half salmon curiousity and so much more. The wall of those Nat Geo magazines changes height and shapeshifts throughout the book. It takes an amazing mind and imagination of the author to come up with this stuff! I enjoyed its weirdness!
Without divulging more and spoiling the unfurling of this story, I liked this book a lot because it was so very unusual and I managed to read it within the day. The threads all eventually intersected together at the end and it was a satisfying, if somewhat sad, ending, for me. However, this book, may or may not be to every readers liking but I would definitely urge you to at least try it.
I must now bring up my reader pet peeve of not liking having characters with the same letter/similar/interchangeable names in one story. It is just too confusing to the reader especially when you’ve got other characters, back and forth timeline chapters, and the oddities of the book to figure out and contend with as well. For Example: Mary, Maud, Marguerite, Maire.
Add to the mix, Renata, a plucky, nosy, tarot card reading, cross dressing landlord with a colorful past and I would also say, a colorful present. Renata and Maud fall into a close relationship discussing Mauds’ unusual job cleaning up at the large Flood Estate so that Cathal can continue to independently live there and not be force installed in a facility by his son. The place is filled with a myriad of cats and various bibs and bobs, empty sardine cans, assorted rubbish piles with things that always don’t make much sense to us.
She takes her job very seriously and with aplomb; attacks at it and is fiercely determined and makes steady progress not only with the house but with her relationship with Cathal and his self care and of eating properly. Maud does not back down to Cathal’s insults or rudeness or gruffness. She is like a duck where water runs off her feathers. Yet, she suffers from a childhood tragedy of her own and keeps it tucked deep down inside. And that story is told alternately in between chapters of the current daily events.
Cathal is an odd, eccentric old man, with lots inside his head that he vehemently insists he knows or doesn’t know - or claims not to know. Does he have hallucinations? Is he senile? He does have a friendly relationship with a wild red fox that comes around and he throws sandwiches at. The house is a hoarders paradise but in a room beyond the “Great Wall” of magazines is orderliness and cleanliness. Is this madness? Does he have some abilities himself? He is socially lacking. But Cathal and Maud develop a very unique and interesting relationship, which at times is quite comical in their bantering back and forth.
The Flood family has a tragedy/tragedies of its own which Maud and Renata try to figure it out, much to the dismay of Cathal and other family members who are either trying to keep things quiet or others who are trying to slyly benefit from the Flood inheritance. He does not want to be put into a facility and angrily claims his hotshot son Gabriel is really not his son. So through the story, the reader is in a mode of asking themselves, what’s real and what is not? What is the truth and what is a lie?
Through the book, the house in and of itself, definitely tries to “speak” to Maud by shifting itself, food flying out of the pantry, shadows in the window, photos showing up to her with peoples faces burnt out of the picture, giving her clues. Other caregivers have been spooked off by such activity and are long gone. She is not; with her abilities and profound work ethic (and the backing of her saints) and now her close partner in crime friendship with Renata, she ultimately wants the best for Cathal, is determined not to leave her post and instead help uncover not only the homes and Flood secrets, but her own family’s secrets as well. She is, and will be, as the title says, “Mr. Flood’s Last Resort.”
This is a complex story with family secrets, history, betrayals, disappearances, murder, mental illness, fantasy and magic, mistaken identities, ghostly appearances/movements and regular every day life all mixed up in one book.
The writing is evocative and mysterious and at times bizarre. We go from reading about Maud scrubbing the loo with bleach and hauling out bags of rubbish to Maud sneaking past a huge barrier wall (The Great Wall) of National Geographics where there’s a four headed animal at the foot of the stairs, a pair of glass eyes that move and blink in a case, an oddity of a half monkey, half salmon curiousity and so much more. The wall of those Nat Geo magazines changes height and shapeshifts throughout the book. It takes an amazing mind and imagination of the author to come up with this stuff! I enjoyed its weirdness!
Without divulging more and spoiling the unfurling of this story, I liked this book a lot because it was so very unusual and I managed to read it within the day. The threads all eventually intersected together at the end and it was a satisfying, if somewhat sad, ending, for me. However, this book, may or may not be to every readers liking but I would definitely urge you to at least try it.
I must now bring up my reader pet peeve of not liking having characters with the same letter/similar/interchangeable names in one story. It is just too confusing to the reader especially when you’ve got other characters, back and forth timeline chapters, and the oddities of the book to figure out and contend with as well. For Example: Mary, Maud, Marguerite, Maire.
June 13, 2018
A fantastic blend of magic and mystery.
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