Mr. Flood's Last Resort

March 26, 2018
The gothic plot of this murder mystery (following Himself) about an Irish caregiver and her client, a cantankerous, widowed hoarder, boasts Kidd’s darkly comic sensibility, atmospheric writing, and colorful characters. Maud Drennan has lasted longer than the “geriatric whisperer brought in at great expense from a better agency” to assist Cathal Flood, whose historic West London house is bursting at the seams. If she can’t make both presentable, Cathal’s estranged son will move him into a home. Maud also begins investigating Cathal’s wife Mary’s death: did Mary actually tumble down the stairs, or is Cathal a modern Bluebeard, hiding bodies behind the Great Wall of National Geographics? What Maud uncovers in the course of her increasingly dangerous efforts may prove that true. Suspicious, agoraphobic landlady Renata injects a nice dose of absurdity to the tale. Less successful is a subplot about Maud’s childhood. Still, there are plenty of twists and perilous turns to keep the narrative moving. Kidd’s novel features a winning combination of descriptive writing, black humor, and biting dialogue.

Narrator Aoife McMahon brings her Irish soul and voice to this quirky mystery. Cathal Flood is a curmudgeonly hoarder whose large home hides secrets. Maud Drennan is the latest in a long line of caregivers tasked with caring for Mr. Flood. McMahon gives the story's large cast unique vocal characterizations, starting with Mr. Flood's gruffness and Maud's calm, unruffled responses. As Maud uncovers unsolved mysteries, her dreams reawaken a mysterious trauma from her own childhood, and McMahon brings to life a troop of saints who goad and guide her efforts to find answers. The character of Renata, Maud's transgender landlady and only friend, is especially alive as a wise and caring advocate. N.E.M. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine