The Last House on Needless Street is one of those extraordinary books that tell a compelling story in the constant haze of uncertainty, with a gripping dark psychological intensity and fascinating characters that are cleverly blended with beautiful writing.

From the start, there is a dark and menacing atmosphere to the story, but you are not sure if you can automatically jump to the obvious conclusion. As the story continues, you wonder, is this a bluff, a double bluff, a triple bluff, a quadruple bluff? – I’m completely bluffed out – my head hurts. The psychologically damaged characters provide their perspective, including Ted, his visiting daughter Lauren and his religious cat Olivia. The other main character is Dee, the sister of a young girl Lulu, who went missing 11 years previously and whom she believes Ted was the abductor and possible murderer. She intends to prove his guilt and moves into Needless Street to follow his every move. Each character is an unreliable narrator, which adds brilliantly to the ambiguous levels of suspicion and deception.

Ted is a loner, living in the last house on Needless Street, beside a forest, with windows boarded up and minimal contact with his neighbours. He is a big guy, not to be messed with, and he is left well alone with an air of danger. Ted was a suspect at the time of Lulu’s disappearance, but having a solid alibi couldn’t be charged; however, Dee is convinced that he was the kidnapper. Olivia is an interesting character with a disassociative personality disorder when she becomes aggressive or needs to hunt for food. Her alternate personality of ‘Night-time’ deals with the more unpleasant aspects of hunting and killing.

The twisted psychological uncertainty of Ted takes us on an uneasy journey from horror to pity and back again. How well reality compares to Ted’s version of reality is the mystery. He affectionately refers to his daughter as ‘Kitten’, yet the forest is full of dead kittens. Never sure what the truth is, and constantly wondering where the guilt lies in this dark, mysterious, and menacing story is what distinguishes it. A lot can be said about this book, but too much detail risks giving away the twists and surprises that await.

The Last House on Needless Street will be one of the standout books of 2021, and I would highly recommend it. I was provided both the book and audiobook and had the great fortune of enjoying each as I progressed through the story. I want to thank Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Nightfire and the author for the digital ARC!

The Last House on Needless Street kept me guessing the whole way through. Things I thought were happening were not, and people who I thought I knew, I did not. I found the story very original, the characters unique, and the whole idea of the story a unique fresh take on a psychological thriller.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘭.”

The story’s foundation resides in the deep dark depths in the Last House on Needless Street, and is entwined in death, revenge and most of all lies.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴. “𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘛𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

I give The Last House on Needless Street ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Last House on Needless Street is an extremely dark book about a crime from long ago that has never been resolved. The characters are realistic and damaged, it took me a bit to connect everyone, but in the second half things came together a bit more. Hard to tell much more about book w/o giving away spoilers, but overall a good book if you like psychological thrillers with a little horror thrown in.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A long ago crime is solved with a shocking ending.

This was an odd book. The author did a really good job of leading you down a rabbit hole that wasn't immediately apparent. The abuse depicted in the novel is both heartbreaking and very realistic.

I couldn't put this down. Read it all in one sitting. Pleasantly, horrifically captivated me. I don't think I have ever read a book that creeped me out until now.

SPOILER FREE

Ted lives on needless Street, a dead end with many stories to tell. He lives there with his cat Olivia who believes she has been sent by the Lord himself to be with Ted. Then there is Lauren, his teenage daughter that doesn't like to follow rules and never leaves the house. To keep the three company are some unique neighbors.

Dee moves in right next door to Ted. Years after her sister went missing. Talk of the town her sister Lulu is. Some how she ends up on Needless Street. The same place where posters are hung of a missing girl with a popsicle. Dee is what you would call paranoid and wants nothing more than to find the person responsible for taking her beloved sister.

She begins to follow Ted. He is weird, reserved and dangerous. How? Dee cannot figure it out. Not until she finds the tape. It has all the answers but she can't tell anyone because all of a sudden none of it is real!

I don't want to say more because I will spoil the story. It blew me away and this was truly a horror story. I honestly couldn't figure out what was up with Ted until the end. I put a few pieces together but most of them didn't fit correctly. I feel you are either going to guess right away or be left with more questions answers.

Hey all! I finished #thelasthouseonneedlessstreet by @catward66 while on vacation. I’m glad I finished the book, as I needed some encouragement from my fellow bookstapals after some brief animal neglect that was sitting poorly with me.
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This book was so cool! It surrounded topics of mental illness, trauma, and coping, particularly dissociative identity disorder (previously called “split personality” disorder). I won’t really add to that so as not to ruin the book, but I really appreciate the amount of research and awareness Ward provided the reader regarding this interesting but disabling condition.
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Otherwise, reading this book gave me a feeling of unease, confusion, and dread leading up to the climax, as it goes it felt more bleak and hopeless of an outcome lol. This was part horror, part psychological thriller, and I ate it up just needing to understand what was going on. The multiple POV’s helps put the full picture together so I enjoyed that, as I normally do. Also, lovely speculative prose throughout that helps the reader understand the introspection the characters experience.
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If you want a book to put you in the October/spooky mood, I’d highly recommend! Thanks so much @netgalley and @tornightfire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Last House on Needless Street is out 9/28/21 !
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Rating: 4.5/5
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Catriona Ward takes an unsettling angle on horror in her upcoming book, The Last House on Needless Street. (Expected publication date is September 28, 2021.) Ted is a loner to the extreme. He’s got partial custody of his daughter Lauren and enjoys the company of his cat, Olivia. Sounds like a typical dysfunctional family book, until the cat starts to talk. Ted also spends time in the woods with his “gods.” And it certainly gets weirder from there.

Early on, we also learn that police once suspected Ted of abducting a young girl from a nearby lake. The girl’s sister attempts to solve the case since police detectives closed it years ago. Ward writes short chapters from these various characters’ points of view, although Ted gets the majority of the time.

Ward keeps the atmosphere creepy, whether it’s the woods, the house, the neighborhood, or the few external locales. In its own way, the house is a character as well. Ward imbues it with pictures and knick-knacks that might possibly have lives of their own. Plus, Ted put plywood over all the windows to keep nosy journalists out. Now, all these years later, it’s still there. This means that, like most good horror books, we never know what hides in the dark corners.

This is a tough book to review without spoilers. But I will say one thing—all of the characters are clearly damaged in their own ways. Still, the author plays most underlying explanations close to the vest, so be prepared for some upfront confusion.

My conclusions
It took me half the book to fully connect with the characters. I think this is mostly due to Ward’s tendency to leave readers in the dark. However, more details appear in the second half. And then, when I thought I understood everything, Ward threw a couple of strong curveballs.

On the whole, Needless Street demands trigger warnings. It’s indubitably dark. The crux of the story is disturbing and quite sad. Like a good Stephen King book, the monsters here aren’t supernatural creatures. They’re humans with terrible tendencies. Ward draws readers along while concealing which humans are the worst.

My favorite character is definitely Olivia the cat. Including her gives the book a unique layer, and honestly, saved it for me. Olivia adds some humor, her feline way with language, and oh yes, that crush on the beautiful neighborhood female tabby. The other characters aren’t as warm and fuzzy, but ultimately Ward explains why.

In the meantime, this is a strong entry in the genre from a relatively new author. I recommend it for horror lovers who don’t mind a slow burn.

Acknowledgments
Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire, and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review.

Short Review: Wow. Wow, Wow, Wow. Holy creeptastic mind trip!

Long Review: You know that feeling that you get on the on the back of your neck when you feel someone is watching you? When the hairs prickle on your arms and won't go down? That's this book.

Wow. Yeah, I know I already said that, but I just can't explain how freakin' awesome this book is without giving spoilers away. I'll just say nothing is what it seems. You just need to read it for yourself.

Oh but leave the lights on when you do. Pro tip.

A fantastic story that creeps into darker and more psychological paths as it goes. Told from several strong characters points of view, and I couldn't tell you who I enjoyed more. Reminiscent of Stephen King, Joe Hill, and the best horror built on great characters and delicious twists.

Ok. Wow! I did think I had it figured out, but there were still some surprises. And even more questions.
This book is tense. Really tense.The constant feeling of dread was palpable. I recommend reading it, as so many others have said, with as little knowledge of it as possible. Just prepare for a wild ride.
Well written, and I can't wait for what's next by thsi author.
Thank you to #netgalley for this #arc in exchange for an honest review

A child disappears during a lakeside day trip and the repercussions reverberate through several lives like the ripples radiating on the water's surface long after the stone has sunk to the bottom. Multiple perspectives will leave you guessing until the very last page. Great for fans of cerebral horror.

This is a riveting, standout and utterly unforgettable read that grabs you by the throat and never lets go until the final pages, a tale of terror, trauma, mental health issues, survival and hope. I have absolutely no doubt that this is going to be a book that will do amazingly well, a wonderful must read.

Oh my! This story is something else! I spent the first half of the book worrying I wasn’t going to be able go any further because of possible triggers and the second half hanging onto every word.

Very much worth sticking it out through the rough spots. Nothing is as it seems and could very nearly drive you mad.

This story is not for the feint of heart but is for the strongest of readers.

This was very interesting but I’m not sure I would classify it as horror but perhaps psychological drama. I had a hard time with it in the beginning and was more than half way through before I felt engaged with the characters and confident in the story line. By the end it had smoothed out and many things became clearer but I wasn’t thrilled with this. Thank you #netgalley and the publisher for this ebook of #thelasthouseonneedlessstreet to read and review

I'm not usually a big horror fan, and I struggled with this book at first. It started off in a disjointed, hard to follow manner, but as the story went on and the pieces dropped into place, the horror of the book became more and more apparent. There's not a bunch of supernatural (no ghosts, really, or monsters or the like) here - it's just all-to-human activities building into a story that will chill you. The book goes from (in my experience at least) confusing to horrifying to being at least slightly redemptive at the end. For a horror story, it has a reasonably happy ending, I thought! It's a great story and is well laid out, with twisty little bits of misdirection that make it an interesting read for anyone who likes horror and most who enjoy psychological thrillers or books like that.

The Last House on Needless Street
by Catroina Ward
Published Sept. 28 2021

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.
I loved this book! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it and share my opinions.
5 star

So when the King of Suspense, Stephen King, highly recommends (and raves) about a novel, you buy it, correct? Yes! Yes! Yes!

The Last House On Needless Street has all key components of a blockbuster novel. This book is made for the big screen!

This is the first time I have read a book by Catriona Ward but I can promise you, it will not be my last.

I had been looking for a haunting novel to kick off the month of September, when I stumbled upon The Last House on Needless Street. I had seen many people raving and excitedly sharing their anticipation for this novel and right then, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy!

A missing girl? A mentally ill man? and wait for it...... A cat that reads the bible!!!!

If you are anything like me, this might have made you think of either Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but I promise you this is not a YA type of book.

I absolutely loved and adored every bit of this book and I know this is one I will continue to reread every year around the Fall/Spooky season .

Gothic horror is having a moment in the sun right now, much to my delight. There have been some gorgeous modern takes on the genre from many excellent writers, but this one just took my breath away. It’s dazzling and dark and achingly beautiful- everything my goth heart longs for.
Ted Bannerman is a strange recluse living in a dilapidated house that is haunted by alcoholism and fractured memories. Though those may not be the only things Ted has been keeping secret. Dee is a woman on a mission to find out who kidnapped her little sister more than a decade ago- eventually deciding that Ted Bannerman is the one who took her, and in the process ripped Dee’s life into nothing but loss and obsession. These two sad, broken lives erupt when Dee moves next door, hoping to find proof.
This story is a twisting nest of ghosts and gut-wrenching revelations. The writing is sparse and poetic, with an ethereal quality that fits the gothic nature of the book perfectly. I am already tracking down Ward’s other novels with glee.

When I read the blurb about the book, I thought I was getting into a spooky horror story which is completely up my alley (think haunted house). While it was both of those things, I did not realize it dealt with kidnapped children and serial killers which is not my thing. So just a disclaimer for others like me but no spoilers of course. I guessed a small bit of the twist but certainly not even close to all of it! It was pretty slow for me for at least half the book though knowing the twist I look at it differently. The ending was definitely refreshing and completely different! I don’t know that it was one of the best of this genre that I’ve read but it was definitely different and that is hard to do!