The Hoarder by Jess Kidd
About the Book
Maud Drennan, an underpaid care worker and unintentional psychic, is the last hope that the ancient, belligerent Cathal Flood has of remaining in his once-grand home. Years of neglect have left this sprawling mansion filthy and overflowing, and Flood bitter, best known for terrorising care workers. Despite this, Maud and Flood strike up an unlikely friendship over their shared love of stories – and hatred of Flood’s son Gabriel – allowing Maud to delve into the endless stuff of Flood’s home: the outdated National Geographics, musty trinkets, taxidermy artefacts.
As Maud unsettles the rubbish and delves deeper into the house, she begins to discern whispers of a secret – the forgotten case of a missing school girl. Things grow increasingly strange – absent children laugh in the hall, photographs appear with burned out faces, secrets multiply – and with only the help of sarcastic ghostly saints and her agoraphobic landlady, Maud must piece together what happened before the past is lost forever.
About the Author
Jess Kidd returns to the Radio 2 Book Club for a second time!
She completed her first degree in Literature with The Open University, and has since taught creative writing and gained a PhD in Creative Writing Studies. Jess is now developing her own original TV projects with leading UK and International TV producers.
She has also worked as a support worker specialising in acquired brain injury. In 2016, Jess won the Costa Short Story Award for ‘Dirty Little Fishes’ and her debut novel Himself was selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club and shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards.
In 2017, Himself was shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and longlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger.
