Himself

Starred review from January 30, 2017
In her exceptional debut novel, Kidd explores the dark corners of the human mind in small-town 1970s Ireland, creating a haunting story that moves between the supernatural and the mundane. A murder mystery on the surface, the story digs past the traditional whodunit structure to paint a rich portrait of village life. Mahony, a charming young man who can communicate with the dead, returns to Mulderrig, Ireland, his birthplace, in search of the truth about his mother’s mysterious disappearance. As he dredges up the town’s best-kept secrets, the line between past and present blurs, ghosts of the departed shadowing the footsteps of those still living. Mahony’s quest is, at its core, a journey of self-discovery, yet his presence, much like his mother’s, creates a ripple that churns into a tempest, ultimately threatening the stability of the town as a whole. The lavishly populated cast of characters boasts unique quirks, hidden motivations, and a dangerous instinct for self-preservation. In Mulderrig, Mahony learns, all is not as it seems; the departed prove to be the least of his worries. While the plot hurtles along at a rapid pace, leading inexorably to the heart-pounding final conflict, Kidd injects ample doses of macabre humor and lyrical description in this memorable story from a strange, bold new voice.

January 1, 2017
Lovable car thief and Dublin charmer Mahony had always been told he was left on the steps of an orphanage as a baby. But a deathbed confession reveals that there might be more to the story.Debut novelist Kidd paints a darkly magical tale of a man who revisits his birthplace of Mulderrig, a small coastal town in Ireland, to investigate the mysterious circumstances of his mother's death 26 years earlier. Mahony's mother, Orla, was a ragtag single mum with supernatural powers that townspeople found unsettling. But was that cause for her to be murdered? Or was there more to it? And what forces were at work when Mahony was spared the same fate as his mother the night she disappeared in the woods? Joining Mahony on his quest for answers are three women who add even more color to this richly drawn mystery about a town with more than its share of secrets. There's Mrs. Cauley, a feisty elderly actress with mystical powers of her own. Shauna is one of Mahony's many female admirers. And Orla's old friend Bridget joins the investigative team. When Mrs. Cauley stages a play with Mahony as the lead, she hopes it will lead to answers but instead unleashes a hell storm upon Mulderrig. The Irish hero finally gets the answers he has been searching for but not in the way he expects. Told in a unique voice with complex characters, the paranormal mystery will keep readers guessing whodunit until the very end--all while falling in love with the quirky cast. A darkly comic tale that is skillfully and lyrically told.

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December 1, 2017

Mahony spent most of his life believing that his mother abandoned him at an orphanage. In his mid-20s, he learns that she was murdered, so he returns to the town of his birth to uncover the truth. Aided by the wealthy and wily Mrs. Cauley, her sidekick Bridget Doosey, and his ability to see ghosts, Mahony shakes things up and slowly unravels the dark secrets of a small Irish town. Set mostly in the 1970s, the novel also moves to the 1940s and 1950s to focus on the events of the protagonist's birth and his mother's murder. Superstition and magical realism permeate the book, and nature lends a hand in hiding and revealing secrets. Rich in characterization, setting, and salty dialogue, this mystery and journey of self-discovery features some sex and violence but nothing too extreme. Teens will find the quaint town of Mulderrig and its inhabitants fascinating and fearsome. VERDICT A charming addition for strong readers who enjoy well-drawn characters and stories with a hint of magic.-Tamara Saarinen, Gig Harbor Library, WA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2017
In 1976, handsome, charismatic Mahony returns to Mulderrig, a village like no other, searching for clues about his mother, Orla Sweeney. Did she run away after abandoning him at an orphanage in 1950, or did she meet a worse fate? Mahony fears the latter and finds an ally in Mrs. Cauley, a twisted old woman who rises to any challenge. Not unlike Hamlet, the two stage a play in hopes of flushing out Orla's murderer. Every page of Kidd's who-done-it novel is filled with magic, spirit, peppery characters, and ghosts of the village dead, including their pets, who are visible only to some. A wellspring emerges in a priest's house, ushering in a chorus of frogs. Sandwiches curl up and die, trees hold their own counsel, and a swarm of bullet-headed bees makes an appearance. Yet there is murder, too. Kidd mixes the darkest capacities of these villagers with carefully observed whimsy and fantasy. Readers who enjoy a dollop of whiskey in their tea will feel right at home in Mulderrig.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)