The following edition of the text was used in the creation of this study guide: Barrett, Colin. Wild Houses. Penguin Random House, 2024. Kindle AZW file.

In Chapter 1, Dev Hendricks, who lived alone in the countryside near Ballina, Ireland, was visited by Gabe and Sketch Ferdia, who forcefully brought in seventeen-year-old Doll English. Doll, the younger brother of Cillian English, was held against his will because Cillian owed money to a man named Mulrooney. Despite Doll’s protests, they locked him in the basement, leaving Dev uneasy about the situation. Chapter 2 jumps back in time and shifts perspective to Doll's girlfriend, Nicky, who picked up Doll and his mother Sheila for a meeting. Sheila had attended support groups for relatives of alcoholics for years, despite her husband having left the family. Outside, a man named Martin Hendrick recognized Doll and asked him to place a bet, recalling a story involving Doll's father. Chapter 3 followed Doll and Nicky as they visited Doll’s depressed brother Cillian, who had quit drug dealing. Cillian gave Doll a bag of weed to take to a party, and they left. In Chapter 4, Nicky and Doll attended a party where Nicky spoke with Marina, a university student, about her plans to study in Dublin. Nicky became frustrated with Doll, accusing him of taking her for granted. After an argument, Doll stormed off, and Nicky was unable to find him. After the party, she walked to Doll’s house, climbed through his bedroom window, and was surprised to find he wasn’t there. In Chapter 5, Dev woke up after Doll’s kidnapping. The Ferdia brothers were still at his house, and Doll remained locked in the basement. Dev reflected on his past, including his mother’s death and how the Ferdias had gradually become part of his life after her funeral. They had begun using his house to stash drugs for Mulrooney and had eventually kidnapped Doll, which Dev had never expected. Sitting in his father's chair, Dev recalled his father’s mental health struggles and realized how much his peaceful life had been disrupted since the Ferdias took over. In Chapter 6, Dev had a panic attack after Gabe returned to his house, recalling his traumatic past of bullying and a suicide attempt in his youth. He had dropped out of school and found solace working in a factory. Back in the present, Dev asked Gabe about his near-death experiences, but Gabe couldn’t remember anything about them. In Chapter 7, Nicky woke up hungover at Doll’s house and realized Doll had never come home. Sheila was upset, and both assumed Doll was at Cillian’s. Later at her pub job, Nicky had an uncomfortable encounter with a mysterious man who blocked her in a room. He told her to deliver a message to Cillian: they had Doll, and Cillian had until Monday to pay up. In Chapter 8, Dev discovered Doll tied to a bed and in poor condition. Dev cleaned him up, but Doll confronted him, accusing Dev of being complicit in the kidnapping. This caused Dev to have a panic attack. Gabe, furious, began drowning Doll in the bathtub, but Dev intervened, saving Doll and injuring Sketch in the process. Sketch surprisingly praised Dev for standing up to them. In Chapter 9, Nicky, after being threatened, visited Sheila to discuss the situation. They confronted Cillian, who revealed he had lost thirty thousand euros worth of drugs belonging to Mulrooney. Mulrooney and the Ferdias believed Cillian sold the drugs and demanded payment. Sheila was furious with Cillian. Later, Sheila called Nicky at work during a busy festival and inquired about the pub’s cash handling arrangements. Nicky provided details about the manager Flynn, who took the money to the bank. Nicky, anxious, followed Flynn the next day and witnessed a him being robbed in the parking lot while she hid inside. In Chapter 10, Dev and Doll cleaned up the aftermath of the confrontation. Gabe told Doll to respect Dev for saving him. The next morning, Dev brought Doll up from the basement and learned about his kidnapping. Doll recounted being grabbed by Sketch and driven away by Gabe. Dev watched as Gabe and Sketch left with Doll. In Chapter 11, Nicky visited Cillian, who revealed that Sheila had planned the robbery, not him. Cillian instructed Nicky to accompany him to a meeting with the Ferdias, claiming the Ferdias had insisted she be present in order to ensure a peaceful exchange. Cillian and Nicky arrived at the meeting spot, where Sketch revealed that Cillian had misled Nicky and it was Cillian’s idea that she should accompany him. Cillian admitted he was short by three grand and was attacked by Gabe. Gabe warned Nicky to stay away from the English brothers. In Chapter 12, the Ferdias gave Dev a bag of coins from the Pearl’s stolen money and informed him that Mulrooney was pausing operations in Ballina. Dev reflected on his past counseling sessions and decided he needed to make changes in his life, starting with overcoming his panic attacks. He struggled with the notion that he needed to shower before making any significant changes. In Chapter 13, Nicky drove Cillian and Doll to Sheila’s house. Sheila warmly greeted them, and she and Cillian joked about escaping the Ferdias and finding Cillian’s father in Canada. Nicky reflected on her conversations with Marina and Cillian, realizing her relationship with Doll was temporary. She helped Doll into the house, feeling uncertain about the future.