An ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. What lies beneath is always dark and murky you will not see a clear picture. Has murder been committed the obvious suspect has so many layers you will be twisting and turning to keep up. What is buried in the forest is another red herring. Ultimately this is a story of the strength of the human sprit to overcome unimaginable hurt when only love was reached for. You will be still trying to peel back the layers long after you finish this book but it’s well worth your time.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I did not like this. Tiresome, laboured, uninspiring. Not interesting. Some things that come to mind. Plus this has been wrongly marketed - horror genre this is not! It is a book about real things, happening to people. It is not about horror, but about survival and hope, and how some of us cope, as the author herself puts it. And yet, there are better works of fiction about the subject. "Masterclass in horror" it is absolutely not and I feel let down by all the blurs advertising it here on Amazon!

After I passed 50% mark of the book I started to Google what other people thought of "The Last House on Needless Street" - I was feeling let down. It then transpired that Catriona Ward wrote another book which I didn’t like - "Rawblood". Avoid that one too.

Great cover though! An extra star for the designer to capture the unravelling of the story.

Catriona Ward, The Last House on Needless Street

Catriona Ward’s The Last House on Needless Street is a surreal and fascinating novel. In the opening chapters, it would seem to be about a serial killer, Ted Bannerman, hunted by Dee, a young woman who is convinced he killed her sister when she was six. Ted has locked himself away in a run down, sinister place on the edge of a forest, where memories “lie around the house, in drifts as deep as snow.” Ward’s novel very skilfully creates a dark mixture of child murder and gothic horror, drawing us into a world that is haunted, disturbing and disorienting.

Ted’s mind often returns to the twisted, threatening world of his own childhood:

“Mommy took me to the forest three times. The last time she sent me back alone. Yes, I still feel her under the dark canopy of leaves. She is in the scatter of light across the forest floor. And yes sometimes she’s in the cupboard under the sink. But really, I have been on my own since that day.”

The narrative moves between different narrators, including Dee, whose search for her sister’s murderer leads her to move into the house next door to Ted’s. She waits and watches, hearing mysterious voices and fearing that her own grip on reality has become increasingly tenuous:

“Through it, Dee hears a high, clear voice saying, ‘I don’t want to do algebra.’ There is the low rumble of a male voice. It could be Ted. Dee strains. Her head aches with effort. The stretch of summer air that lies between the houses now seems thick and impenetrable as dough. A young girl begins to sing a song about woodlice. In all her days of watching, Dee has seen no one but Ted come and go.”

Distinctions are blurred between long past crimes and present horrors. As readers, we see things from perspectives that only gradually become comprehensible. Repressed guilts and inner torments are slowly revealed to characters and readers alike, and we share a distressing sense of the sheer strangeness of the world Ted inhabits. Ward’s wonderful, dextrous prose takes us to places so unexpected that we repeatedly pause to re-examine our understanding, and in the process find hidden realities that are both terrifying and touching.

In her ‘Afterward’, Ward says, ”I came to write a book about survival, disguised as a book about horror.” The gothic atmosphere of fear and suspense impels us to read on, but one of the unexpected pleasures of the novel lies in finding its depth of human understanding and compassion.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is one of the books selected by the BBC 2 programme Between The Covers, which is why I wanted to read this book. Unfortunately I did not realise it was an atmospheric gothic horror book and as much as I tried I couldn’t follow the story. So I am sorry to say I did not finish the book.
Reading other reviews it does appeal to gothic horror fans and has many positive reviews, sadly I should never have chosen to read this book, as it is not my normal reading material.
I have rated it a four star read because of other reviews I have read about the book.

DNF’d couldn’t get past the cats point of view. I will try again another time as others have loved it but I just cannot get into this at all!

Okay, so this is one of the weirdest and creepiest books I’ve ever read 😂 I mean one of the narrators is a cat???!!!

Saying that it’s also one of my favourite books I’ve ever read too, so it’s a winner!

What a brilliant and unique book this is, very dark and creepy but also totally addictive, I couldn’t put it down. It’s full of twists and turns and had me guessing through like what is actually going on here???

Sheer genius!

Cant say too much without giving it away but honestly buy the books it’s brilliant; a rare little gem that I would never have picked up usually but by god am I glad I did, fantastic, I seriously loved it and would read it all over again in an instant!!!

10 stars ⭐️

EXCERPT: A long gallery stretches before her, running the length of the house. The gallery has no windows. The air is cool, controlled to a fraction of a degree. Display cases and framed photographs line the walls, each lit by a single low spotlight. This is his collection; the museum, he calls it. She has heard of it. It is well known, if your interests lie in that direction. The man obtains things that most people can't. Things that no one should see. He collects artifacts of death. Photographs, vials of blood stolen from evidence, letters in spiky Victorian copperplate, pieces of the unclaimed dead, the pieces the killer did not have time to eat before he was caught.

ABOUT 'THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET': This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street.

All these things are true. And yet they are all lies...

You think you know what's inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you've read this story before. That's where you're wrong.

In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. But it's not what you think...

MY THOUGHTS: The Last House on Needless Street is one of, if not THE strangest book I have ever read, and loved.

It is told from three points of view: Ted, overweight, a recluse with a disabled daughter, who has episodes where he loses time; Olivia, the cat he rescued as a kitten and who is never allowed outdoors; and Dee, whose little sister Lulu (Little Girl with Popsicle) disappeared at the lake eleven years ago, and who has a pathological fear of snakes. Or, maybe it's not.

The Last House on Needless Street is weirdly compelling. Twelve hours after finishing it (another one sitting read!) I am still unsure what I read. I am buzzing. It is mind-bending. Unsettling. Almost alive. It twisted and slithered and changed shape as I read. A hall of mirrors with an uneven floor, one that suddenly drops away into a void, one that moves as you walk.

Alice in Wonderland for adults with darker tastes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#TheLastHouseonNeedlessStreet #NetGalley

I: @catward66 @serpentstail @viperbooks

T: @Catrionaward @serpentstail @ViperBooks

#contemporaryfiction #crime #horror #mentalhealth #mystery #suspense

THE AUTHOR: CATRIONA WARD was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the United States, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen, and Morocco. She read English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford and is a graduate of the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Serpent's Tail, Viper Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARe-copy in exchange for this honest review.
This is an amazing story which is hard to review without giving too much away. What appears to be on the surface a horror story surrounding the disappearance of a young girl reveals itself to be so much more. Following the alternating narratives of Ted, the missing girl's sister, the missing girl herself and Ted's cat, this book is truly unique. I love the way that you are expertly led to switch between sympathy and antipathy for Ted until the truth is finally revealed about his involvement in the mystery. This book is a clever page-turner which is enjoyable in its gothic mystery but is do much more than meets the eye.

My first read of a thriller written by Catriona Ward was a huge success. The Last House On Needless Street is a deeply disturbing, atmospheric gothic novel. Right from the start, I was gripped by this enthralling mystery and there was nothing disappointing in this horror tale. Well written, poignant and chock full of twists and turns it will keep even the most exacting of readers entertained. Its unique structure kept me guessing at every turn and the brilliantly orchestrated ending is unforgettable. I highly recommend The Last House On Needless Street, a riveting, magnificent story, so grab yourself a copy.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Serpent's Tail / Profile Books / Viper via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

3 1/2 stars. Wow, I found this incredibly disturbing. I also couldn't put it down. It's a clever book, ideal for fans of <i>Gone Girl.</i> It also reminded me of Robert Cormier, whose books I loved in high school. Seriously, though. There's some really sick, twisted imagery in this. I feel dumb for not guessing some of the twists earlier. But you know what? They are fun to read. Fun in like a dark way.

The last 15% of the book relies a lot on explanation - and believe me, there is a LOT to explain. I also felt like it was just one twist after another, like I kept getting punched in the face. It runs the risk of being like the ending of <i>The Sixth Sense</i> on a loop. Still, there was definitely a part of me that admired the author's bravado - the brazenness of it all. There are definitely bits that feel overcomplicated, but I also respect the author's ambition. And as disturbing as I found the book, I also majorly respect the author for going THAT dark. My God!

Overall though, I would definitely recommend this. Bravo to the author! Looking forward to the movie. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

The Last House On Needless Street is the book of the moment and it's no exaggeration when I say the hype is 100% on point for this one. It is an incredible book. Catriona Ward has taken the horror/thriller genre to the next level with this uniquely narrated, unflinching insight into trauma and identity.

Ted Bannerman lives in the last house on Needless Street with his cat, Olivia, and his Daughter Lauren. He struggles with social interactions, he plans everything out that he says or does....oh and he was suspected of being a serial killer!

I want to say right out the gate that this is not your usual run of the mill thriller. It is full of horrifying moments, not just physically but mentally. For those of us like Dee in the book who have a snake phobia, things also get VERY slithery in places, so beware!! 😩 You may unpick some of the threads early on, like I did, but this book is not about the supposed 'twist' it's about everything that happens afterwards and how we as a reader are lead fumbling around for answers in the dark just as much as the characters are. There were times where I felt like I was losing time and track of the story only to be thrown head first into sad, painful and shocking circumstances too. The story unravels at an exceptional pace with layer after layer peeling away to reveal more and more secrets. By the end I felt like I was in a labyrinth coming unstuck at dead ends and chasing down answers.

The characters are complex and captivating. Chapters told from the perspective of Olivia were my favourite, I was entranced by her, but Ted is amazingly intricate and may be one of my most loved fictional characters.
The last 40% had me tumbling over myself to read more rapidly. I couldn't get to the next page quick enough. I NEEDED to know more and slowly but surely all the pieces of the puzzle came together to make a whole that I was emotionally unprepared for. I was in equal parts desperately sad at the conclusion and overwhelmingly impressed at what the author had achieved.

This is a deliciously unusual and strange triumph of a book. I can't wait to buy a physical copy and reread it. I know each time I do I'll get more and more from it. I loved it so so much. This is the MUST read book of 2021.

A gorgeously written, atmospheric tale that may divide readers given it straddles a few different elements and (sub)genres. Ward draws us in wonderfully to the strange world of a strange man, with a creeping sense of unease and horror and what might happen, or have really happened. Something different, and very good.

It was 2017 when I first read Rawblood by Catriona Ward and had my mind blown. Beautifully Gothic, heartrendingly human, utterly horrific; Ward had won a fan in me. Naturally I was very excited when I saw she was coming into 2021 with another Gothic thriller, one that was getting a whole lotta hype as well. Thanks to Serpent's Tail, Profile Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Last House on Needless Street walks a fine line between telling a story of utter horror and telling a deeply human story. Whether this balance is always perfect I still can't quite say. It's only upon finishing the novel that you realize how it moves between genres, creates expectations and then changes them. As the reader you have to constantly re-assess what you've just read. Is Ted a lonely single dad who can never catch a break or could he be a stone-cold killer only play-acting at humanity? Are humans capable of both good and evil? Can they be irretrievably lost? And how much can a mind take? These are deeply human questions, which just goes to prove that Horror as a genre can address human fears in a way few others can. I think it is so important to have fiction that delves into the very darkest depths of human souls, that sees the horrible and brings it to light. I myself find reading thrillers and horror very cathartic as it lets me consider the worst and helps me step out of it again. Being confronted with your own worst fear can be the end of you but also be what sets you free. In the end, it is our fears that reveal a lot about us and fear runs rampant in The Last House on Needless Street.

Ted, Lauren and Olivia live a complicated life in which many things are odd and some things are good. Ted is a quiet, restrained, deeply sad human being, who is clearly haunted by his own childhood but to disconnected to really know what is wrong. We flash between Ted and Olivia's narration (yes, the cat narrates!), as well as the voice of their new neighbour, Dee, whose young sister went missing one summer day. Dee has never stopped looking and to say she is obsessed with finding her sister would be downplaying it. It is hard to explain the plot of this novel, even at the surface level, since it is rather complex, so I'm going to borrow a simile from the novel itself: it is like a Russian doll. There are stories within stories, moments that have something hidden inside of them, people who aren't who they appear to be. What there is in The Last House on Needless Street is a constant thread of unease, of looking over your shoulder, not recognizing yourself, not knowing how to get out. I found myself majorly drawn in by Ward's three main characters, Ted, Lauren and Olivia. Dee was less fleshed out for me, but as an outsider it made sense that we weren't quite as close to her. This is an incredibly suspenseful read that I couldn't put down and pretty much raced through within a day. In the end, like I said above, this is a much more human story than you might expect and the horrific twists and turns only emphasize the tragedy and beauty that is a human life.

Catriona Ward is a brilliant writer. She gives each of her characters a distinct voice and she has a knack for ramping up the tension so gently that the pot is boiling before you know it. There are some truly stunning and truly horrifying sequences in The Last House on Needless Street that will stay with me for quite a while. There is so much internal lore, there are themes that keep building on each other, and imagery that echoes throughout the different narratives. The Last House on Needless Street completely sucked me in and I just couldn't put it down. I read this book in a day. I didn't feel quite as strongly about it, however, as I did with Rawblood back in 2017, but then I did utterly adore that book. The praise The Last House on Needless Street has been receiving is utterly deserved though. While trying to avoid spoilers, I do want to mention that the Acknowledgments at the end of the novel are very illuminating in regards to Ward's intentions and inspiration and are definitely worth reading after you've finished the novel. The horror genre has often exploited and sensationalized physical disabilities and mental health issues and Ward does her best to write a Gothic horror that doesn't do so. It is a fine line, but I do believe Ward walks it excellently.

The Last House on Needless Street is a beautiful book, a book that tells a story of human suffering, loss, and fear but never forgets about hope.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to get my hands on this book, especially with all the hype surrounding it and I was extremely disappointed. It was labelled as a Gothic Masterpiece, and I wouldn’t say it was either to be honest. I kept reading in the hope that it would get better, and start to make a bit of sense, but sadly it didn’t.

This took me a little while to get into, but when I did, boy I was hooked - mysterious disappearances and strange neighbourhoods. Believe the hype, its going to be huge

I learnt a very valuable lesson whilst reading this- NEVER skip through to the end of a book again. I tripped over the afterword section and imeediately knew I had spoilt the twist. That did spoil my enjoyment of this a little but otherwise Catriona Ward does deliver a very strong and often very stomch-wrenching readi which i suspect could alienate a number of readers once they see where this is going. The one weakness of the book as far as I was concerned was the balance of character viewpoints which left Dee a little underdeveloped as a character for me. Otherwise, This is an absolutely excellent book.

WOW!

I don't really have the words to do this story justice. It was a dark, gothic, chilling tale of one I have never read anything like.

Brilliant. I don't want to talk too much about the story as I don't want to spoil it for others, but this is a must read for anyone who loves twists and tales and something a little different but as gripping as they come.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Catriona Ward for allowing me to read and review this masterpiece.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so unique and like nothing I've read before.

It was gripping, too I didn't want to put it down, and when I did I found myself thinking about it and trying to work out what was going to happen.

The characters and plot are complex but at the same time it's not the kind of book where you need to keep referencing back.

As with other reviews I've read, I'm not going to go into the story as this would spoil it, just read it!

A genuinely fantastic read that has you hooked from the very beginning.
Plenty of twists to keep you guessing and an ending that will surprise!
Great book and highly recommended

From reading other reviews, it really seems that The Last House on Needless Street is a hit or miss. Unfortunately for me, it was the latter. I liked the twist but felt it coming from an early part of the book and whilst it was a dark read, it didn't hit the mark for me.