Himself: A Novel

Having been abandoned on the steps of an orphanage as an infant, lovable car thief and Dublin charmer Mahony assumed all his life that his mother had simply given him up. But when he receives an anonymous note suggesting that foul play may have led to his mother's disappearance, he sees only one option: to return to the rural Irish village where he was born and find out what really happened twenty-six years ago. From the moment he sets foot in Mulderrig, Mahony's presence turns the village upside down. His uncannily familiar face and outsider ways cause a stir among the locals, who receive him with a mixture of excitement (the women), curiosity (the men), and suspicion (the pious). Determined to uncover the truth about what happened to his mother, Mahony solicits the help of brash anarchist and retired theater actress Mrs. Cauley. This improbable duo concocts an ingenious plan to get the town talking about the day Mahony's mother disappeared and are aided and abetted by a cast of eccentric characters, both living and dead. Himself is a simmering mixture--a blend of the natural everyday and the supernatural, folklore and mystery, and a healthy dose of quintessentially Irish humor. The result is a darkly comic crime story in the tradition of a classic Irish trickster tale, complete with a twisting and turning plot, a small-town rife with secrets, and an infectious love of language and storytelling that is a hallmark of the finest Irish writers.

Review :
-A highly unusual tale set in a highly unusual Irish village full of dark secrets and engaging characters (not all of them still alive). Lushly imagined, delightfully original and very, very funny, it hurtles along from the very first page. A hugely enjoyable read. I can't wait for more from Jess Kidd.---M.L. Stedman, bestselling author of The Light Between Oceans -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.---Louis de Bernieres, bestselling author of Corelli's Mandolin -Jess Kidd is a genius. Her prose sparkles with wit, savagery and startling originality. I loved it.---Tasha Kavanagh, author of Things We Have In Common "A highly unusual tale set in a highly unusual Irish village full of dark secrets and engaging characters (not all of them still alive). Lushly imagined, delightfully original and very, very funny, it hurtles along from the very first page. A hugely enjoyable read. I can't wait for more from Jess Kidd."--M.L. Stedman, bestselling author of The Light Between Oceans "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."--Louis de Bernieres, bestselling author of Corelli's Mandolin "Jess Kidd is a genius. Her prose sparkles with wit, savagery and startling originality. I loved it."--Tasha Kavanagh, author of Things We Have In Common "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."--Louis de Bernieres, bestselling author of Corelli s Mandolin"