Wild Houses continues Barrett’s exploration of small-town life in rural Ireland. It focuses on Dev Hendrick whose life takes a sharp turn when two cousins, Gabe and Sketch Ferdia, drag him into their criminal dealings. Barrett’s insight into the psychology of his characters makes it a captivating story of moral dilemmas, isolation, and the consequences of inaction.
The narrative kicks off with Dev who is a withdrawn man living in his late mother’s house in rural County Mayo. His cousins are involved in local drug dealing and show up at his house with Donal "Doll" English—a teenage boy they have kidnapped to leverage a debt owed by his older brother, Cillian, to their boss. Reluctantly, Dev becomes complicit in holding Doll captive. The story is structured around the tense events of the next few days. It is told from multiple perspectives: Dev, who struggles with the moral implications of his involvement; Nicky, Doll’s girlfriend, who is unaware of his predicament and assumes Doll has abandoned her after a drunken argument. There are occasional flashbacks or shifts into the mindset of Doll himself revealing his panic and confusion.
As the Ferdias ramp up the pressure on Cillian to pay back what he owes, Doll attempts to reason with Dev. Meanwhile, Nicky begins to grow concerned about Doll’s sudden disappearance. Tension escalates as Ferdias’ methods become more aggressive and Dev’s inner turmoil deepens, which pushes him to confront his passivity and the path his life has taken. The novel reaches its climax with a series of confrontations that test the loyalties and moral limits of each character. Eventually, Dev finds himself grappling with feelings of anxiety, depression, and deep self-reflection. Despite seeking therapy and attempting to engage in counseling, Dev retreats from it. Simultaneously, the story of Doll and Cillian English concludes with Doll being rescued and returned to his family.
Barrett's novel is a tightly constructed novel that balances tension with introspection. Structurally, the novel alternates between multiple perspectives to offer readers a psychological dive into the characters' motivations. The kidnapping at the heart of the plot is less a driver of fast-paced action and more a vehicle for exploring the characters’ inner lives. Dev's moral dilemma serves as the emotional core of the novel toward questioning the limits of personal responsibility and the consequences of doing nothing. In essence, Barrett seems to criticize the inertia of small-town life, where escape seems impossible and change is unthinkable.
