The Hoarder
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.
Jess Kidd
Jess Kidd’s writing dances on the edges of the seen and unseen, where the world of the living collides with the spectral. With a flair for blending the supernatural with vivid, character-driven narratives, Jess invites readers into hauntingly beautiful worlds where the past never quite lets go and the dead aren’t always silent.
Born in London and raised in County Mayo, Ireland, Jess’s love for storytelling began early, nurtured by a family steeped in rich folklore and Irish myth. But it was her own fascination with the liminal—those in-between spaces of life and death—that truly shaped her voice as a writer. This enchantment with the ghostly and the mysterious can be felt in her debut novel, Himself, which received critical acclaim and earned her a place among the brightest voices in contemporary fiction.
More books by Jess Kidd
