Intense, twisty, and OH so addictive. If you like a dark and disturbing read that balances right on the line between psychological thriller and horror, this book is an absolute *must.*

Right from the beginning, this ominous and unsettling story grabbed ahold of me. Many books are entertaining. This book is spellbinding. @catward66 found a way to unnerve me and keep me invested! From the unique plot to the adept characterization to the cinematic atmosphere, this is Ward at her very best. (And yes, I did love this one more than The Last House on Needless Street!)

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

Rob knows that her daughter, Callie, has always been a difficult child. But the collection of dead animal bones she just found indicates a much more troubling picture. And Rob knows it’s time to intervene. This is very reminiscent of the past, and Rob has to do something.

Callie is watching her mom closely these days. Something’s off. Her mom is giving her weird looks. She’s acting impulsively and oddly. She’s never been her mom’s favorite. But would her mom actually hurt her?

Both Rob and Callie are on high alert as they embark on a dark, desert journey to the past in hopes of redeeming their future.

I could NOT put this book down. It pulled me in and took hold of me. And even when I everything in me told me to look away, I just plugged along with all the more zeal.

And the heart pounding conclusion did not disappoint.

*While phenomenally executed, this book is quite graphic. Head trigger warnings if this bothers you.

Thank you to Catriona Ward, Tor Nightfire, and Storygram Tours for the #gifted copy of this book to read and review.

Ward offers such an amazing deep glance into childhood, patenting, and possibilities. I cannot wait to obsess over her next release.
Rob knows something is off with her oldest daughter. Her husband, Irving, slings abuse - threats of exposure some dark secret. Rob takes Callie back to the desert - where it began.
Rob and Jack, fraternal twins - live at Sundial; homeschooling and lack of other children, at 17 they are desperate to leave. A normal life. School. College.
A college student assiting with research offers Jack a ride. Only to be tracked down, Jack brought back.
This chilling dual narrative. Alternating human nature. Family.
Loved it.

Sundial by Catriona Ward is a horror novel about Rob and her fears for her daughter Callie. She worries that Callie has a darkness in her, so she takes her daughter back to her childhood home Sundial in the Mojave Desert. While there, both Rob and Callie learn a lot about themselves, about the creatures that are out in the desert, and about their family. This book was pretty spooky, and it was an enjoyable read. It needs a content warning for the animal abuse though. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Sundial was a mind blowing read from the author of Needless Street.

Twisty, psychological thriller revolving around a woman, Rob, and her two children. When she begins to believe all is not right, she takes her eldest daughter Callie to her childhood home of Sundial

The story explores both Rob in the past as Rob tells Callie the stories of her youth and the strange upbringing and experiments happening at Sundial.

This is a book where it is better to say very little and just dive in and experience the twists and turns of the story. Catriona Ward is an imaginative storyteller who manages to blow my mind with each book I’ve read. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

Jacks and Robs and Callies and Annies and dogs and maggots... oh my!
Ward is 2 for 2! If you haven't read The Last House on Needless Street - or you tried and gave up, try try again!! Now I know not every book is for every reader but Ward is DEFINITELY the author for me! Like with Needless Street, Ward dishes up a lively concoction of suspense and craziness that had me confused for the majority of the read. Then WHAM, BAM, femur over the head - yesssssssss - bloody goodness!
I did get confused a little bit on who was who with the dolls and what not but not gonna lie, once my brain kicked in, I kinda wish there was a doll of me somewhere.. (no, no I don't). The sisterly love, competitiveness, twin awareness, secret languages... it's all here and dangggggg these characters are all a bit wonky. I only cleverly (pats back) figured out one part of the book but I was NOT expecting it to go in the direction that it did. I felt like I was on the best acid trip of my life - even if the subject matter was a bit solemn and WTF-y. But damn do I love Ward's mind. I especially looooooooove books that touch on nature vs nurture. I can read about this ALL THE TIME. And the way the author brings this to light is quite interesting for sure.
This is another one where you'll need to stick with it to the end to really get a full grasp on the storyline and feel for all the confusion you might encounter along the way. But damn, the journey is quite worth it in my opinion.
Every time Cielo was mentioned I kept thinking it was referring to the night club I got kicked out of once... but that's a whole different story. READ THIS BOOK.
Happy, smiling face. 😀

3.5 - and I couldn't round up because I think I'm scarred for life. This was disturbing and strange and creepy, and I really detest any kind of animal cruelty, torture on page or even just hinted at. There's just so much to unpack here, and yet I've got nothing. I'm not sure how I feel, other than unsettled!

I really enjoyed this book and was thrilled to get an advanced copy. Catriona Ward is a new auto-buy author for me!

On the outside Rob looks like she is living an idyllic life. She is a teacher and a mother to two daughters named Cassie and Annie. However appearances are often deceiving.
Rob’s marriage is toxic. She and her husband Irving fight constantly and the arguments get quite nasty. Also Rob fears that her eldest daughter Cassie could potentially harm her younger sister.
In an effort to deal with her daughter’s problems Rob takes Cassie back to the desert where Rob still owns Sundial her childhood home.
The story goes back and forth in time. Rob’s strange upbringing at Sundial is revealed. She grew up with her father and her twin sister as well her father’s companion.
Catriona Ward’s description of the desert landscape was vivid. I could feel the heat and isolation of Sundial. I found SUNDIAL to be somewhat disturbing and unsettling. However that is to be expected with a psychological horror story.
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced digital edition of this book.

SUNDIAL by Catriona Ward
Publication: 3/1/22 by Macmillan Tor-Forge / Nightfire

A beautifully crafted gothic horror story that transitions to a psychological thriller. In a seemingly perfect suburban setting an extremely dysfunctional family arrives at the boiling point. Rob has tried to be the perfect wife and mother, but the situation is increasingly untenable, Her husband Irving is both physically and emotionally abusive culminating in
horrific fights, stemming from his unbridled anger issues. She knows he is having multiple affairs …. even with her only friend, the next store neighbor. Infidelity is the least of Rob’s problems. The older daughter, Callie, has a collection of treasured animal bones and converses with an imaginary friend. Although not observed , she suspects these animals have been killed by her daughter. When her younger daughter, Annie, almost overdoses on pill, the suspicion falls on Callie as the culprit. These acts resonate with Rob, drawing similarities with her own fraternal sister, Jack …. and harken back to their unusual childhood, cloaked with secrets while growing up at “Sundial” in the Mojave Desert. Rob flees from her home, taking Callie with her to ancestral home in the desert. She hopes this will allow her to converse and bond with Callie … away from the toxic environment created by Irving. Meanwhile, Callie is extremely wary of her mother, with ideas planted in her head by Irving. She feels she is not loved by her “unstable” mother. Irving was a master at playing psychological games with both his wife and daughters. At the Sundial desert setting, the bizarre story of her mother’s upbringing is unfolded to Callie ….this proves to be tense and intriguing. Their childhood was far from conventional and disturbing, resulting in emotional scars. Their upbringing was as much an experiment, as those imposed upon the guinea pigs, dogs and coyotes that were kept on the farm by her “hippie” scientist “parents”. Many secrets are hinted at, revealing her own extremely dysfunctional family unit. Has Rob’s heritage been genetically passed down to Callie?
Ward crafts a masterful twisted tale, woven in a convoluted tapestry of secrets and insinuations that incrementally ratchet up the tension that explodes in an unexpected thrilling denouement. This tale is permeated by an atmosphere of dread and impending doom, that is maintained to the last page. Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished this book and wow was it good. I loved the story and the pacing was impeccable, the slow build to the climax was so masterfully done. It had a building of dread and doom that pulled you in and didn’t let you go. I recorded this book for free on NetGalley and recommend it to anyone who likes a good story that will keep you in suspense. I’m now a huge fan Catronia Ward.

3.5
I have to say I was a little bit disappointed by this one.
As someone who absolutely LOVED The Last House on Needless Street (it was on of my favorite books of 2021), this just didn’t live up to the expectations that I had.
Catriona Ward’s writing is very engaging and mesmerizing, but I just didn’t get sucked into the story as much as I wanted to.
The animal cruelty in this is just not for me, it’s a pretty big part of the story too, so it’s not something I could just skip and avoid.
I liked the creepy kid vibes that I was getting, but in the end it didn’t quite reach the potential that I thought it had.
I did enjoy most of the story, which was slightly confusing and weird, but it just didn’t live up to her previous story for me.

Sundial is a violent and graphic thriller with plenty of twists but not much substance.

I thoroughly enjoyed Catriona Ward's previous novel The Last House on Needless Street. While both books rely on dark themes and multiple perspectives, Sundial fails to replicate the delicate peeling back of layers that made TLHoNS's revelations rewarding. Sundial also suffers from my biggest complaint about TLHoNS: slow and convoluted narration in the early chapters.

Sundial follows Rob and her young daughter, Callie, as they journey to Rob's childhood home in the Mojave desert. Callie has been demonstrating some disturbing behaviors and Rob is worried that her dark family history may be repeating. The mother/ daughter dynamic is one of the most interesting elements as we get their dueling perspectives careening towards bloody conflict. Yet the isolated, derelict setting, with its abandoned runs and mysterious labs squanders its potential to be the third character in the narrative. The lurking ghosts of the past and hinted at horrors never truly emerge to threaten or disrupt the action. The story eventually stumbles upon the question of hereditary violence, but doesn't create any meaningful discussion or insights Instead the narrative relies on graphic depictions of violence and tired genre cliches to power its final act.

Content warnings: I might have avoided this novel if I knew the extent of animal cruelty depictions. Also: graphic violence, domestic abuse, forced miscarriage and cheating.

Sundial reminds me of a horror version of The Thirteenth Tale. I recommend that as a more nuanced story of creepy twins.

This was an amazing introduction to this author, the twists and turns will surely engross you. For the majority of the book I swore I knew what was happening, but the it was all laid out and unfolded so gracefully.

Okay Catriona Ward, your mind is unmatched! What a story Sundial was! With so many twists and turns, I loved every second. It was fast paced, enthralling, and atmospheric with a setting out in the desert. I also loved that we got alternating points of view and alternating timelines between the past and present.

If you haven't read a book by Ward yet, you're missing out! I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.

This is an excellent author. You feel drawn in immediately. The book is told in a way that it just feels so real. I had a LOVE/HATE relationship with the book, it scared me! Which is the point, right?! I loved that it scared me but also hated that at the same time!

An unusual novel that tells the story of two abandoned twins Rob and Jack in cages that are rescued and adopted by a couple. They live in the desert. The twins have been adopted by them. The couple is involved with experiments on dogs. They use implants to control the dogs. Jack and Rob are able to communicate secretly with bites of an apple. The couple have student assistants that help with the dogs training. One day a student leaves the complex with Jack. She ends up coming back. Rob is so glad to see her again. Rob goes to college, gets pregnant and has a miscarriage. Jack has a baby which Rob takes to raise her.

I have left out a lot that I just summarize of the book as .I don’t want to keep anyone from reading it. This story is creepy from the book with horror the book. It’s a compelling story to read. I never wanted to stop reading it, I’ tell myself one more chapter. This story is not blood and gore type of horror. It’s a story that tells about relationships between twins and family. It is about wanting “something” that always seem out of reach for every character in the book. It’s an amazing but unusual story — it’s not what you think as you read it.

"Sundial" started out as a typical thriller for me- marital problems, teenage issues, and a host of family secrets. That was until I realized this was just the beginning. That was until I actually arrived, escorted by Ms. Catriona Ward, at SUNDIAL.

When it rains, it pours and the characters of Sundial are DRENCHED as the story takes turn after disturbing turn, a tale woven with demented thread.

A revelation of betrayal padded by micro incidents, eventually leads to a shocking discovery. A woman is desperate to keep her children safe. The plot thickens.

A vacation meant to reunite mother and daughter, to end the animosity, TO KEEP THEM SAFE. The plot twists.

A deplorable urban legend. Science. Behavior modification. The secrets start to unravel.

A replica, one only seen by a daughter. Mom must never find out. Instructions. A daughter's plan.

A mother's plan. TO KEEP THEM SAFE.

A deranged father & husband's plan. The plot boils.

A chilling past revealed, true colors on full display, and fatal resolutions claim victim after victim....but who's left breathing?

One more twist snakes its way into the ending invoking profound literary whiplash that leaves its readers reeling, held hostage to their own imaginations, attempting to piece together possible outcomes of a plot left beautifully open-ended. Just remember, whatever happens, we'll always have SUNDIAL.

Forever a Catriona ward fan! I love the weird. I know it’s not for everyone and I’ll be picky about who I recommend this to, but atmosphere was spot on for me, slow build was perfectly tense! Loved.

I read Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street last year and lost a lot of brain cells trying to take in what I read, and man she delivered it again with Sundial!

I do not want to dive in too much on the details of the synopsis because I personally prefer going in blind and I also don't want to spoil any surprises for this crazy ride of a book.

I like Sundial a bit more than Needless, I think this book paced better and gripped me more than Needless. I'm usually not one who likes to see TV/Movie adaptations but I really wish this book has a chance to be adapted.

This is a great thriller if you like mysteries slowly unfurled rather than one big twist at the end. Highly recommend, and I can't wait to see what twisted stories Ward will come up with next!

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the free e-copy!

This book has such a sinister feel to it.
I really wasn't sure what to expect, the blurb didn't really give anything away.
This book is a psychological thriller and horror all rolled into one.
It all centers around a mother (Rob) and her young daughter (Callie) taking a trip out to Sundial because Rob is afraid Callie is doing some very troubling things which could also put her youngest daughter Annie at risk.
The entire book is troubling.
Rob's relationship with her husband Irving is tumultuous and at times abusive. I never felt any type of comfort whenever Irving is mentioned.
Sundial itself is a house smack dab in the desert where Rob grew up and also where she met Irving. Sundial and Rob's past is full of secrets and unimaginable horror, some of which may have bled through to how Callie behaves.
I didn't see any of what happened in this book coming. You kind of get the feeling thing's weren't quite right but I just wasn't ready.
I was very much surprised by the book, but I wasn't wowed and I also wanted a cleaner ending. There was unfinished business I wished was seen through all the way.