Himself

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Have you got the right man, Father? Sister Veronica wasn’t exactly head of me fan club now, was she? Why would she be leaving me anything? God rest her pure and caring soul.” Mahony’s story is told in tandem with Orla’s, the teenage girl destined to meet a messy end in the forest. There’s a good deal of wit and some sparkling dialogue as Kidd sketches in the village’s inhabitants. She hops nimbly between timelines and has imagination to spare. The forest feels alive at times. There is magic in the air. But the story becomes rather baggy and tangled in its middle section. There’s simply too much going on and focus is lost. Mahony wiped his eyes and glanced around the bar; the drinkers were sculling through their own thoughts and the barman had gone to change a barrel. He was safe. And the characters were delightful! I absolutely loved the scene where books saved a character’s life - it may just be my favorite scene in the entire book, and you will just have to read it to find out how and who 😊

Himself review: He sees dead people in Mayo – The Irish Times Himself review: He sees dead people in Mayo – The Irish Times

Kidd utilizes the spectral cast of characters to add depth to the story and moments of comic relief. But the paranormal element also brings a certain creepiness along with it. Tadhg takes a thorough glance at Mahony. He’ll admit that he has a sort of bearing about him. He’s not a bad height and he’s strong looking, handy even. He’s been into his twenties and he’ll come out again the other side none the worse for it; he has the kind of face that will stay young. But he could do with a wash; he has the stubble of days on his chin. And his trousers are ridiculous: tight around the crotch and wide enough at the bottom to mop the main road.The characters, alive and dead, are real and unforgettable. Mahony goes to visit Mrs. Cauley , who knew his mother well. She is a frail, elderly actress, who appears to be at death’s door but can still command attention. For Mulderrig is a place like no other. Here the colours are a little bit brighter and the sky is a little bit wider. Here the trees are as old as the mountains and a clear river runs into the sea ” Tadhg stakes a smile. “You’ll need to watch the other guest who lives up there, Mrs. Cauley. The woman’s titanic.” This is an ambitious and enjoyable debut by Jess Kidd. I applaud her for bringing her musical prose to the mystery genre and look forward to seeing what she writes next. Kidd hasn’t quite found a method of knitting all these different things together in a satisfying way, but the novel fizzes with potential.

Himself by Jess Kidd review – a dark and rollicking debut

Born in the year 1973 in West London, Jess Kidd had to leave her studies while she was studying for her A levels education. After completing an access course, Jess Kidd joined St. Mary’s University, where she attained a degree in English. However, she had to drop once again from school when she discovered that she was pregnant. Jess Kidd had no other option other than to look after her child while working in a number of office jobs and social care as well. This, in turn, meant that it was going to take her long to complete her degree through the Open University. In the year 2009, Kidd was able to secure a bursary for her Masters at the well-established St. Mary’s University. I love this book. It’s a magic realist murder mystery set in rural Ireland, in which the dead play as important a part as the living. It’s one of those books that has you smiling as you read, and that you plan to read again very soon." There is the sense throughout that these connections are forced upon the story. Little happens organically or without the guiding hand of the author. Mrs Cauley’s idea to put Mahony centre stage in the lead role of the production is introduced and then largely forgotten after the auditions. The production is shunted to the wings as other subplots take over. Mahony rents a room in the same house as the retired actress Mrs. Merle Cauley. Mahony and Cauley conclude that his mother must have been murdered and begin to investigate, starting with the interviewing everyone who shows up for auditions for the annual amateur play. The two have a similar way of cutting through bullshit and pretension and make an entertaining team.

Kidd's brilliantly bold debut mixes up murder and mayhem with the eerily supernatural. It's a tender, violent and funny story told in prose that is lyrical, lush and hugely imaginative. Utterly unputdownable." - Sunday Express Magazine (UK) Which is what he does, beguiles many of the villagers. His appearance is remarked upon, coming from Dublin, as he does (in 1976, remember). Magical realism, humor, the paranormal all combine in this enchanting story. Mahoney has an unforeseen talent, like his mother before him, he can see and talk to ghosts, and his return stirs all the town's residents, living and dead. So much humor, I laughed continuously, smiled often. Mrs. Cauley owes a debt of gratitude to Jane Austen's Collected Works, War and Peace and a few other large tomes, after all books do save lives. There is one part of only a few paragraphs that is quite unsavory, concerning a dog and some violence because as I said there is a murderer about and he is bent at not having his secret uncovered. When investigating what happened to his mother, Orla, Mahoney also gets help from some pretty incredible friends: Ms. Cauley, the quirky theatre performer who is wildly entertaining and full of ideas as to how to help Mahoney; Bridget Doosey, a woman who knew his mother and has gifts of her own; and Shauna, Mahoney’s, landlady who will do anything to protect him. These women are instrumental in his finding the truth.