Catriona Ward is the mistress of the twist. Once I thought I figured something out, it turned out that my reading path zigged when I thought it zagged. Few of the characters are who they seem to be, except for one who starts out awful and stays that way. Who to root for? Who to condemn? There's enough twists to keep the reader guessing through the book.

Be aware that there is physical and psychological (but not sexual) abuse of children, a spouse, and animals. It's almost overwhelming for me to read, but Ms. Ward is just so very good with words. An excellent writer.

She does it again ya'll! She does it again!

I'm a HUGE fan of The last house on needless street and when I saw this pop up I knew it was a must for me.

Like The last house on needless street I can't really say too much about the plot. I could potentially give everything away and I will do no such thing. Sundial is much more straightforward than The last house on needless street but it is FULL of physiological horror, FULL of twists even I didn't see coming, and FULL of triggers- some were even a little hard for me to get through and I'm not usually "triggered".

Ward has a way of making intricately designed knots and untangling the, slowly to the point where you forget to breathe. She also has a way of totally fucking with your mind. I love her. I do. I honestly love her.

The onlyyyyy reason I'm knocking this down a half star is because there are chapters where we read 'a book within a book' and I honestly just wasn't feeling it. I found myself skimming those chapters (thankfully there weren't many of them).

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sundial by Catriona ward is one of the most unsettling books I've ever read, I am shook! What I can say about this novel is limited due to spoilers but this will not be for everyone. With that being said, I totally could have read this in 1 sitting had the content not been so disturbing. This is definitely a combination of genres, but I would characterize it mostly as psychological HORROR!

Rob, wife and mother of 2 daughters, begins noticing a darkness in her oldest daughter that reminds her of her past life at Sundial, her family home. She decides to take her daughter there to try and save her from herself and her dark tendencies. This decision did not come easy for Rob, Sundial is nothing short of a nightmare of a place that Rob wishes to forget. This is the most I can say about the plot to avoid spoiling this for anyone. Nothing is as it appears to be and it's pretty brilliant of the author!

This would have been a 5 star book for me had it not been for some of the chapters not being relevant and dragging it out. There's also A LOT of animal cruelty that just made me cringe (to be fair, it was necessary for this book). That said, I highly recommend for for horror/thriller lovers looking for a twist or 3 or 10!

A finely-crafted follow up to Last House, Sundial has a great atmosphere, horrifying premise, and a satisfying twist.

Though I didn't enjoy this as much as the author's prior work, I still had a great time with it. Catriona Ward is amazing at creating an unsettling feeling without the reader entirely knowing why most of hthe time. My biggest gripe is that the pacing felt very slow in the middle, I wish some of the flashback chapters had been edited down. Otherwise, I think this is a great novel and it'll surely be one I recommend to those who are looking for a twisting, psychological thriller.

I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting this. What a horrific and creepy story.
And yet, it was hard to put down.
This is the story of Rob, her husband Irving and their daughters Callie and Annie. Rob has started to notice some very disturbing things about her daughter, Callie. They remind her of her past, and where it all began. She has to help Callie before it's too late!
She takes her back to Sundial, where Rob grew up and where all the horror began and ended, or so she thought.
This is their story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read Catriona Ward'ss new book, Sundial. It definitely was a page turner! I give it 4.5 out of 5.

I'm quickly realizing that I am never going to know what Catriona Ward is going to serve up to her readers. It didn't really work for me with Last House on Needless Street, but Sundial was unsettling and unexpected, twisty and thrilling, in all the best ways. I'm not going to say anything about the plot because, quite frankly, I don't know what I could say to sum it up. It just has to be experienced.

I have no idea what goes on inside author, Catriona Ward's head. In theory these storylines shouldn't work - first there was The Last House on Needless Street where one of the narrators was a cat, and now we have Sundial, a literary horror set in the Mojave Desert with a story based around scientific experiments on stray dogs - but somehow everything that comes out is pure genius!

Sundial is a story about Rob, her husband Irving, and their two children Callie and Annie. Callie has always been difficult but when her behavior really starts to concern Rob, she decides to take her back to 'Sundial' (the compound where she grew up) in an attempt to put an end to it once and for all. True to form, there are plenty of twists, and if you think you know where the story is going, you are most certainly wrong!

This is a story about family, trauma, genetics, psychological abuse, and is a reminder that sometimes the worst type of horrors come from the things closest to home. There's no doubt that Sundial will be another smash hit when it is released next year.

Catriona Ward's book "The Last House of Needless Street" left an irrevocable impact for me and immediately set an unparalleled standard for the horror genre. In some ways, "Sundial" was reminiscent of Ward's first novel: poignant, magnetic writing strewn with complex, deeply-intriguing characters in which a darkness simmers just below their surface. And yet, "Sundial" is a literary horror masterpiece all its own. Set in the Mojave Desert, it is atmospheric, chilling, and profound. Everything that Ward weaves into her pages is intentional and ingenious; slow fuses lit at the start of the novel that culminate explosively in the most unthinkable ways. This book is about roots, family, and identity, and will settle deep in your bones and stay with you long after you've finished it. Ward demonstrates yet again that she remains in a league all her own when it comes to horror; this story captivated me and terrified me all at once. An absolute must-read for 2022.

*Thank you to Tor-Nightfire and Netgalley for my ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.*

Catriona Ward is such a versatile writer. She does desert gothic SO well. This book is hair-raisingly creepy and I love the message that humans are the scariest monsters.

Rob has escaped her dysfunctional young life and become the mom she always wanted to be, with a husband, house in the suburbs and two beautiful daughters. When one daughter seems threatened by the other, Rob takes matters into her own hands and returns to her childhood home to try to connect with the daughter who collects animal bones and whispers to unseen forces. Creepy and atmospheric, Sundial is a great study in perspective.

Catriona Ward is now two for two! I fell in love with Catriona Ward's writing when I read her 2021 release, The Last House on Needless Street, so I knew that I needed to read her 2022 release, Sundial . Catriona, please keep the books coming because I think I found my new favorite horror author. Sundial will be very polarizing for readers, because it doesn't give the same vibe as her last book did, which goes to show you how finessed Ward's craft of storytelling is.

Sundial focuses on mother and wife Rob, her husband Irving, and their two children Callie and Annie. After witnessing some pretty gruesome and dangerous behavior by their daughter Callie, Rob decides to take Callie back to her childhood home—"Sundial", a compound in the Mojave Desert. Rob hopes that their time together in Sundial will help Callie reflect on her behavior, but Rob has a philandering and psychologically corrupt husband at home as well to worry about. Callie's behavior is just the tip of the iceberg for this extremely unstable family.

I don't want to give away too much, because as you expect, Sundial is best read when you know as little as possible. The story is way more straightforward than The Last House on Needless Street, so no need to worry about trying to catch the massive plot twist. However, this story is just as dark and captivating as its predecessor. I truly loved reading this book so much that I've began diving into Catriona's previous works. If you are unsure about reading horror, Catriona Ward expertly handles horror with care and interweaves it into other genres as well. This time, we get an extremely solid (yet chaotic and unstable) family drama, infused with horror and suspense. I read this book in two sittings and cannot wait to see what else this author has up her sleeve. Prioritize this one for 2022, readers!

Really enjoyed this one -- Catriona Ward continues to show a remarkable ability to write from the POV of children without being condescending or boring -- in fact those voices are often the most compelling in the book, and Sundial is no exception. I thought the twist was fairly guessable, but honestly I didn't mind it -- with Ward's books it's all about enjoying the journey for me. I loved how every character's POV gives you an incomplete view of the puzzle, and only at the end do all the threads come together to form a different picture from what you were expecting. The only thing that didn't quite work for me was Irving's character, who wasn't coherent or interesting to me, but apart from him, the female characters and their twisty, complicated relationships were very enjoyable to read.

Long ago something happened in the desert, at Sundial, that has remained with Rob through the rest of her adult life. Now in the present, stuck in a cruel and miserable marriage, something odd has started happening with her daughters, and Sundial might be the only place to hold answers. Caught between old traumas of the past and the love of a mom for her daughters, Rob must retrace memories back to Sundial, her childhood home, and face truths that have rested untouched in the desert for far too long.

What I Loved:
- Catriona Ward has become one of my absolute favorite horror authors. She writes psychological horror unlike anyone else, and I love how she always leads the reader up to a moment when, all of a sudden, the twisted up storylines start unraveling and the bigger picture starts to come into full focus. When that left foot drops (in the best way), I just can’t ever stop reading, and this book didn’t leave me disappointed in that way.
- Of the stories I’ve read by Ward, she always incorporates multiple perspectives. Sometimes these are from the past and into the present, sometimes they’re from the point of view of animals, and sometimes they’re in a different format, like chapters in a book. Sundial also incorporates multiple perspectives, and it really helps to continue moving the plot forward and keeping the reader guessing what’s next, who’s telling the truth, and asking “What’s REALLY happening?”

What I Didn’t Love:
- The only aspect I had a little bit of a harder time with involved some scenes of animal death and just some general sort of tough situations involving animals. That said, it was all so purposeful and intentional in regard to the storyline, and there were some sweet moments as well.

Overall:
Overall, I feel like this is a “Catriona Ward has done it again” moment. When I initially read the description of the book to decide if I wanted to request it to read or not, I hesitated. It didn’t sound quite as pulse-racing as The Last House on Needless Street or as eerie and cultish as Little Eve; it felt like it’d be an entirely different story altogether. And it was, but it was just as good. Her stories all stand so unique from one another but all have a similar thread: you’re guaranteed to not know anything from the start, and you’re guaranteed some reveals toward the back half of the book that will have your mind constantly turning to put pieces together and to get to the truth of the story and what happened. If you enjoyed any of her most recent books, love psychological horror novels, enjoy multiple perspectives, and love a good reveal, definitely read this one next!!

Content Warnings:
Child neglect and abuse, domestic abuse, animal experimentation, animal death, miscarriage/loss of pregnancy

You can’t escape what’s in your blood...

Rob has always wanted a normal life, a normal husband and family, and a nice house in the suburbs... so close yet so far. Rob wanted to get as far away from her childhood Sundial as possible... a mysterious hidden place in the wild Mojave Desert. Yet the “normal” life comes with a price and hidden beneath the illusion of it is the dark reality. Rob’s marriage is a mess, her handsome philandering husband is abusive, both physically and emotionally. Her two daughters... despite her best efforts Rob definitely favors one of her daughters over the other.. and her oldest daughter Callie has a darkest inside her. Callie collects tiny bones and talks to imaginary friends, and the more time Callie spends around Irving (Rob’s husband) the more her dark traits grow. After a particularly bad incident Rob has had enough and decides to separate Callie from her sister and take her back to Sundial in hopes of curing her. When she steps back into Sundial her past reawakens and the dark secrets and horrors of Sundial will change both Rob and Callie forever. Yet Rob will have to brave it all if she wants to protect her daughters and her future. This was a great read, the constant horrors of both Rob’s marriage and her life keep you on edge throughout the book. At every turn you’re asking yourself “what more could go wrong?” I really enjoyed reading this and the ending was definitely satisfying. The mystery of Rob’s past was interesting and the perspective of Callie was an interesting one to read from.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I have been reading horror since I was allowed to choose my own books and no book has delightfully traumatized nearly as much as Sundial has. The characters’ willingness to do ANYTHING (and I mean anything) for their sisters and children broke me wide opening. Ward has the fascinating ability to show us both how entirely broken a person can be and their ability to transform that pain and suffering to enormous, gruesome strength. I will read EVERYTHING Catrina Ward has to offer after this and will recommend this book to anyone who will listen. (TW abuse).

Wow. This really shook me! In the best way. I finished reading this a week ago and still am having a difficult time pulling my thoughts together for a review!

First, I am going to avoid going into any detail of the synopsis. I think that the less you know, going in, is better!

Catriona Ward’s beautifully brutal writing managed to literally transport my brain out of my head and into the world she has created in ‘Sundial’. I still don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, considering how nightmarish and creepy this book is! I was just completely immersed and intrigued by what in the h*ll what going on here!? I was confused, shocked, horrified, interested, etc.! You name it, I probably felt it while reading this!

People often refer to the images that form in your brain while you read as ‘brain movies’. Well, prepare for one of the most memorable, unique, uncomfortable yet amazing brain movies ever! Thanks, again, to the flawless and vivid writing, you will not fall short on visuals to accompany you as consume this novel (probably in one sitting).

I am psychological thriller/horror fan through and though and Catriona Ward has got my attention 100%! Her striking and descriptive writing, character development, and her way of exploring human nature via disturbing dark fiction have made me a fan for life!

Thanks to Macmillan Tor Forge, NetGalley and the author for this excellent arc.

The Last House on Needless Street was creepy and atmospheric. It's one of the few books I've read in recent times that has stuck with me long after turning the last page.
Then, Sundial was announced. That blurb sounded amazing, right? Could Catriona Ward do it again? Could she live up to the hype of The Last House on Needless Street? That's some big book shoes to fill.
Well, people. Gather round. Let. Me. Tell. You.
Yes!! Sundial is also engrossing and creepy and so damn amazing. I loved Callie and Rob and their complex mother and daughter relationship. There are secrets and history and the past leads firmly to the circumstances of the present and everything ties together with a grim kind of book magic.
After The Last House on Needless Street, and now Sundial, I feel like I have a front row seat for the birth of literary greatness. Catriona Ward is a name you will be hearing a lot more of, I'm sure of it. And rightfully so. Her books cut right to the core of what it means to be human, and how humans are the worst of monsters of all.
I'm rushing off now to order her first two books, Rawblood (also called The Girl from Rawblood) and Little Eve.
I'll also be busy marking off my calendar until 2023, when her next great novel, Looking Glass Sound will be released.
I already know I'm going to love it.
In the meantime though, if you haven't read The Last House on Needless Street, go and buy it! It's out now. Then, add Sundial to your TBR, you won't regret it.

I read The Last House on Needless Street, Catriona Ward’s last novel, just a little while back, and was suitably gobsmacked. It’s equal parts, audacious, heartbreaking, and creepy, a tour de force that finds Ward juggling five or six different narrators (one of whom is a cat…seriously), each more unreliable than the last. It’s a thrilling, flawless high wire act.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but holy fuck, Sundial is even better. Ward burrows her way beneath your skin, sets her barbed hooks deep, then spends 272 pages dragging those hooks out of your flesh slowly but inexorably. Sundial is part psychological horror, part desert-set gothic, and part extremely dysfunctional family drama, with a little Island of Dr. Moreau thrown in for good measure.

Rob has a curdled marriage to a sometimes abusive husband, and two daughters. The oldest, Callie, has a darkness inside her that’s beginning to manifest in horrifying ways. Ways that remind Rob all too well of secrets buried in her own troubled past.

And…that’s all you’re getting. Much like she did with Last House on Needless Street, Ward has concealed twists and shocks throughout Sundial. They explode like land mines, psychic shrapnel, constantly reshaping the novel, never letting you catch your breath. To give away any more than I have would be criminal.

Sundial release March 1st, 2022, but is available for pre-order now. This is a must-read. In fact, anything Ward writes from now on will be a must-read for me.

Puppies, Pink Star Lamps, and Nightmares

Sundial is a new, twisty psychological horror novel from Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street. This one is even darker than that and it keeps you guessing until the end. Catriona Ward has mastered the concept that horror can come from all species,in all shapes, sizes, and ages.

There are many triggers in this novel, so I don't recommend it for the sensitive. This is no mindless slasher novel, though, it's an intricately designed knot. As each convolution was untangled, the suspense grew so intense that I didn't realize I was holding my breath and had to remind myself to breathe.

Though the elements in the plot are not entirely unique, some are even plucked from headlines, I've never read a book that brought them together in this way before. The author slowly, painstakingly added layer upon layer to her characters until Rob, Jack, Callie, and Annie became real to me. As chilling as the revelations were, I cared very much about their outcomes.

I was honored to be given a free advanced review copy of Sundial courtesy of the author, publisher, and NetGalley. It's my privilege to share my enthusiasm for this excellent, hair-raising book.