Wild Houses
by Colin Barrett
Cillian English is a twenty-something drug dealer in Mayo. When he loses a stash of coke in a farcical manner that could only happen in Ireland, he becomes indebted to his bosses to the tune of eighteen grand. And when months pass without him paying his dues, the would-be gangster Ferdia brothers – Gabe and Sketch – are tasked with abducting Cillian’s brother, “Doll” English, and keeping him locked up at the house of their cousin Dev until Cillian coughs up the money. The plan seems to be going smoothly. However, with Dev increasingly uncomfortable in his role as kidnapper, and Doll’s girlfriend Nicky intent on bringing Doll back home, things may well go awry.
This Booker-longlisted novel, Colin Barrett's debut, is a comedic thriller
with some sparklingly funny dialogue. Indeed, I found myself hooked not
particularly by the plot, but rather by the witty, rapid-fire exchanges. Some
of the characters (such as the Ferdia brothers) are painted with a broad brush.
Others, however, are given more time to develop and are portrayed more
poignantly. I particularly liked Dev and the plucky Nicky, both of whom, in
their own way, yearn to escape the small-town community in which they find
themselves trapped. I highly recommend this well-written crime caper.
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