4.5 stars

“He looked at the envelope in his hand. ‘For when the child is grown’… Inside the envelope was a photograph of a girl with a half-smile holding a blurred bundle, high and awkwardly, like found treasure. Mahony turned it over and the good solid schoolteacherly hand dealt him a left hook. ‘Your name is Francis Sweeney. Your mammy was Orla Sweeney. You are from Mulderrig, Co. Mayo. This is a picture of yourself and her. For your information she was the curse of the town, so they took her from you. They all lie, so watch yourself, and know that your mammy loved you.’”

That’s a mystery hard to resist, so Mahony doesn’t. On his arrival, the village reserves its judgement, but Mahony’s charm and charisma soon work their magic on many; a few "the guilty ones"; do their best to dissuade his inquiries. Somebody definitely knows what happened to Orla Sweeney, and Mahony will learn the truth.

Mulderrig is peopled with quirky characters: the car-mad publican; the laconic guard; the prickly old actress; the reclusive landlord; the elusive hermit; the heartless former nurse; the reluctant housekeeper; and the obligatory priest. Some are harmless, benign, good; in some, the quirkiness conceals a malignant soul. And those are just the live ones. There’s also a chorus of the dead, whose commentary may or may not be helpful to Mahony’s quest.

Himself is the first novel by London-born author, Jess Kidd. It’s a debut that offers a generous helping of humour, a bit of romance and a good dose of magic. Kidd has a way with words: “Bridget exhales and waves her cigarette at him. ‘What you have to understand, Desmond, is that this is Mahony we’re talking about. He’s a Dublin orphan, which means that he could survive on an iceberg in just his socks. You, on the other hand, are as helpless as a fruit fly out there.’” This outstanding debut ensures that readers will look forward to more from this talented author.