Wild Houses by Colin Barrett

A Superb Irish Tale

As Ballina gears up for its biggest weekend of the year, introspective loner Dev’s quiet Friday night is shattered when he opens his door to find Doll English, bruised and in the grip of Gabe and Sketch Ferdia—Dev’s cousins and County Mayo’s notorious enforcers. Doll, the younger brother of small-time dealer Cillian English, has unwittingly dragged Dev into the Ferdias’ chaotic revenge plot against Cillian.

Meanwhile, Doll’s seventeen-year-old girlfriend, Nicky, is reeling from a tumultuous Friday and haunted by her own past tragedies. Determined to rescue Doll, she embarks on a feverish quest, all while grappling with doubts about her future in Ballina.

Set against Barrett’s evocative portrayal of small-town Irish life, Wild Houses is a gripping narrative of two outsiders fighting to find themselves amid the chaos and violence that threaten to engulf their world.