What that actual fuck just happened?
Right, book. We need to have a talk because I’ve never been more blindsided in my entire life and I am shook. My poor brain has melted into a puddle of sadness and despair yet I loved every second of it.
I’m going to be honest – I don’t do horror. Well, at least I never used to. I can’t watch scary films or play jump scare-infused games because my heart just cannot deal with it and I’ll be a nervous wreck forever. And I thought the same would apply to books, yet I have a little more control over the pages. I can choose to remove myself from that world and it’s my brain that sets the scene.

This may have been the book that’s woo’d me over the genre. TL;DR incoming:

✨ A missing 6-year old (every parent’s nightmare).
✨ A revenge-driven sister hell-bent on finding her.
✨ A chap called Ted who happens to live in the last house on Needless Street who isn’t your average neighbour.
✨ A cat’s perspective. Yes, you read that right.

So who are these people? Glad you asked. Ted is an outcast whose humble abode is a run-down house at the edge of the forest complete with plywood over the window. Alongside Ted, you’ll find his daughter, Lauren, and their cat, Olivia. Except for the creepy house, it seems like any normal situation.

Except Dee is convinced that Ted is behind the disappearance of her little sister, Lulu, and goes all detective on our asses by moving in next door armed with a claw hammer and a bag full of suspicions. You’ll switch from all of their perspectives (yes Olivia is included in that) and you’ll be thrown into their own uniquely tantalising and despair-ridden worlds.

And that’s all I can honestly say because I’ll end up giving away too much. And I’m not all about that. This is absolutely something people need to experience for themselves.

That being said, this probably isn’t a book for everyone. I half expected to not finish it when a religious cat strolls into the picture and if you’re teetering on that edge too, try to keep going. It will all make sense – promise. I did, however, find myself losing the plot a little bit trying to figure out what was happening but that’s probably down to my poor brain struggling with the pace.

Once I was done, the characters wouldn’t leave my head. My Kindle thumped to the floor and I had to take a moment to just stare at the ceiling. I’d been captured by the twist (got me good with that one, you creative little scamp) and I had no idea to process all of these emotions.

There are a few aspects I NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT but only click/read if you’re happy with having VERY IMPORTANT bits spoiled for you.

SPOILERS ------------

This book isn’t horror – this is a book about trauma, survival and severe mental health issues that have been treated with the wrong things for the gain of others. Both parties have life-altering manifestations that have dictated their lives.

It is incredibly clever how it’s done, extremely fucked up and, whilst I always judge a book by its cover (I love a pretty book), it’s a stark reminder to not automatically label someone because they don’t fit the mould.

END SPOILERS ---------

Be kind to each other and don’t get too cocky if you think you’ve killed the snake. The Last House on Needless Street is out on 18th March 2021.

★★★★½ rounded up

Lulu went missing from her family during a summer trip to the lake. Although questioned at the time and subjected to a house search, Ted was dropped as a suspect by the police.

Lulu's disappearance tore her family apart and, 11 years on, big sister Dee is willing to take the law into her own hands to ensure whoever was responsible is brought to justice, as she follows up old leads.

I was slow to pick this up, as I'd seen the book billed as "horror" and, well, I'm a bit of a wuzz. I'm really glad I did though.

The story dives in and out of the past and present day, told from multiple perspectives; Dee, Ted, even some chapters from Ted's cat Olivia (what's all that about?). It can be a little bewildering at first. As a reader, you get glimpses into Ted's childhood and I found myself simultaneously feeling sympathy and revulsion towards Ted.

This book is impossibly hard to review without giving spoilers but was such compulsive reading that I rattled through it in just two nights. I would heartily recommend this book.

This has to be one of the most original, most intriguing, most imaginative thrillers I have read in a long time.
‘The last house on Needless street’ is a story told through three narrators; Dee, a woman whose on the hunt for the truth surrounding her sister’s disappearance, Ted, a reclusive man and Olivia, Ted’s cat. I was instantly drawn into this book and although the chapters from a cat’s point of view threw me off initially it drew me in further because it was a whole new perspective style that hyper-focuses on aspects of Ted and his surroundings.
Ward writes her characters so vividly that I simultaneously felt suspicion but empathy for Ted who is a bit of an enigma on the street; he struggles socially and is haunted by his own childhood. I really did think I knew these characters and where their stories would collide but I was so wrong; the twists and clues to the truth are expertly scattered through the book.
I don’t want to reveal too much but highly recommend it to anyone who wants a truly original page-turner of a mystery.

This is definitely not your typical horror story. As I started reading, there were so many little details that didn't make sense, things that didn't add up or weren't explained. I had heard so many fantastic reviews, so I decided to just go with it and see where the story took me. By the end of the book, every single detail made sense. All of the random comments, unique characters and misplaced pieces of information slotted into place, which I can imagine was an almost impossible task for the author.

Essentially this is a story, within a story, within a story - but not in the way you would normally expect. The ending was made up of several layers of horrific revelations, each leaving me feeling even more staggered. Suffice to say, this is a book that I won't be able to stop thinking about for a while - I am still trying to process different elements - but I honestly think that this book has captured the true essence of horror, despite its unusual format and ambitious style.

I’ve only read a couple of books by the author and didn’t know what to expect. The Last House on Needless Street is a corker of a book. I loved the way the author blends horror, gothic fiction and a touch of literary fiction, all which work well together. This is a strange book and I haven’t read anything quite like it for some time, a beautiful yet horrific read. This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. I was yanked into the book from the intense and intriguing opening lines and I couldn’t put it down until I’d reached the end. This is a complex, beauty of a book the felt like reading three or four amazing books at the same time. I cannot recommend it enough.

This is a far more complex story than it first appears. It’s hard to elaborate on that without major spoilers, but suffice it to say no one is quite who they first appear.

As a result this isn’t an easy read. Even before the complexities of the plot start to emerge I was finding it a challenge to keep on top of the different parts of the story. The final chapters have to do a lot of the heavy lifting in explaining what’s been happening which makes the book feel a bit lopsided.

I’d describe this as a psychological mystery. It’s not a horror or a thriller, although there are certainly elements of both. But, the main thing which kept me reading to the end was the need to figure out what was really going on.

If you like mysteries and stories about the complexities of the human mind I think this will appeal.

The Last House on Needless Street is one of those novels that’s experienced a huge buzz before its release, helped in no small part by praise from Stephen King. I’d been intrigued by the descriptions I’d read of this book and now, having read it, I can say that it’s both a stunning novel and something of a challenge to review. While I was reading, it embedded itself in my consciousness to such an extent that I was always either reading it or thinking about it; I have no idea what it must have been like to be writing it.

The central characters here are Ted, who lives in the house in question at the edge of a forest, his daughter, Lauren, who spends part of her time with Ted, and his cat, Olivia. Ted has an unusual lifestyle to say the least; the house has boarded-up windows with spyholes cut into the boards for daylight, and there are many references to the dilapidated state of the house. There’s also the story of Lulu, a young girl who went missing some years ago at the lake close to Ted’s house, and her sister, Dee, who has dedicated her life to trying to solve the mystery of Lulu’s fate.

Although the novel has been described as a gothic mystery or horror, it is other things besides. The profound social isolation of the characters brought to mind Elmet by Fiona Mozley, and I think The Last House on Needless Street should also be considered as literary fiction. It’s also an extremely emotional read.

There are many, many unusual things going on in this novel. There are inconsistencies in the descriptions of Ted’s environment, and at first not much seems to make sense. There are chapters written from the point of view of Olivia, the cat. It is crucial to review this book without giving much away, except to say that everything is there for a reason, and attentive reading is rewarded. My advice to anyone interested in this novel would be to get hold of a copy as soon as it’s published (18th March) and immerse yourself in it without looking for too much information online. This is a book that people will be talking about.

A uniquely different and somewhat weird and wonderful read but sadly not for me. I couldn’t take to this at all for the want of trying, Ted is clearly a troubled man and his relationship with his daughter I found odd, who is the parent. The cat stuff again just a bit baffling for my liking,

Thanks to Viper and NetGalley for the review copy

Every so often I'll pick up a book of short stories; they can be a great place to discover new authors, and I'll generally find at least one I like. Having recently read Cursed, among the stories by authors I already knew and loved, was one from Catriona Ward - At That Age. That story got me to looking for more from this author, which led me to this book, the blurb for which just made me want to read it as soon as possible.

The story follows several characters as we unravel the mystery of what happened to 6-year-old Lulu when she goes missing during a family day trip to a lake. The main character, Ted, takes on roles as both the main suspect and misjudged man with mental health issues. Lulu's sister Dee is certain Ted is the man responsible, even more so when he mentions he has a "daughter", Lauren.

Every character is voiced to perfection in this book, right down to bible-loving Olivia the cat and her alter-ego, Night-Time, the hunter. If you've got cats, these two will be instantly recognisable (apart from perhaps the bible reading part).

There were so many twists and turns in this book that I found every page to be better than the last, I wanted the book to end so I could finally understand what happened and by who, but I so desperately wanted it to never end, so I could keep reading something that brought every emotion to the surface, at every sentence I read.

Through most of the book, I thought I completely understood the connections between Olivia and Lauren, and then Ted and The Bug Man, and then and then and then. Nope, not even close. Okay, I was on the right lines, but if I've ever read anything in this genre done so well as this one, then I don't recall. What should have been the final twist and reveal, isn't even close.

My brain is still in overdrive from this book, and right now I just feel like I need to read it again. I'm certain if I do I'll pick out even more to enjoy.

There are so many books I find myself loving at the moment, but this one, this one is the one I'll be shouting from the rooftops about for a long time to come.

Superbly sinister, and quite uncomfortable reading. When I first started reading this book, I wasn’t sure where it was taking me, but I am so glad that I persisted. Ted’s story of his monstrous and cruel tendencies is brilliantly uncomfortable, and it really kept me guessing right until the end. If you like a horrific twist, then this is a must-read. This book convinces you that you’re reading one genre, whilst taking you down a dark and twisted path to another. It kept me awake at night, and I cannot recommend highly enough.

(SPOILER - It also offers an incredible exploration into disassociated personality disorders, and psychopathy.)

I tried twice to read this book, especially after seeing so many positive reviews. It's just not for me unfortunately.

It's well written and ambitious in how it deals with a certain state of being (no spoilers). I can appreciate this.

I just felt incredibly uncomfortable throughout reading and unable to keep up with the narratives. This could be my problem but I'm an avid reader and writer. I understand why the structure was used but it was just too odd for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy. I'm sure this book will be successful.

I feel like I’ve been hearing about this book for nearly a year and have been so so so excited to read it so I was thrilled to get an ARC of it.

This book is so so so so hard to review as it is so twisty and turny and unexpected.

It begins with a few different narratives. Ted, a strange, lonely, dark character who is accused of taking a child, Lulu, who disappeared from the beach several years before. Ted’s daughter, Lauren, visits occasionally, but there’s something strange about their relationship and it’s not clear if he is really her daughter. And then there’s Olivia, Ted’s cat. Bear with me when I say yes there are chapters from the perspective of the cat and they somehow completely work and are my favourite chapters. And then there is Dee, the sister of missing Lulu, trying to find her sister’s abductor.

It’s hard to say much at all without giving this away, but I absolutely devoured it in a couple of days and ended up reading solidly for 2 hours on a Friday night because I had to know what was happening!

This book was not what I expected but I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

Came to this one with high expectations and didn't disappoint. The hype is justified. A beautifully constructed tale, with layer upon later of suspense and slow-release, as to keep my guess-meter on high alert all the way through. The quality fo the writing shines through, with more moments and turns of phrase that make you marvel at the prose. As for the end - wow - that is all! :-)

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is a story about missing children, cats, revenge, and medical malpractice. On paper it seems like a book that would be right up my street, pun intended, but overall the story just fell flat.

I found this a really hard book to read, not because of the content, but because of the writing style. I found it extremely difficult to figure out what was happening, especially as there were constant reveals to the reader. Also my Kindle copy of the ARC had random giant D’s in the middle of paragraphs, which didn’t add to the reading experience!

Ward is definitely writing Ted as a very sympathetic and also pathetic character, so that when he’s drinking in bars staring at women, you feel sorry for him, but you also want to give him a good thump. It’s extremely hard to be in his POV chapters however as he sees the world in a very confusing way, and I had to re-read his parts several times to understand what was happening, especially the ending. “Mommy went to the house with a suitcase....” Can Mommy directly tell me what the hell is going on because Ted can’t retell a story to save his life?

I can’t review Last House without major spoilers, but I felt like the first major twist featuring Olivia worked so well, that everything afterwards was a let down. The body horror invoked from the first twist was so good, I was really looking forward to how it played out, and then the reveal afterwards was just... meh? And then the neighbour Dee was so boring, I feel like she didn’t actually need to be included at all, as she technically didn’t need to be in the plot, it could have just been Mommy.

Overall, an interesting twist on the psycho trope (trying to not spoil here!), but the prose just wasn’t for me. I think if you enjoyed My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent you would definitely enjoy Last House on Needless Street.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me review this ARC.

A riveting read that takes you to the far reaches of psyche and makes you realise how fragile we all can be. Well written with a good eye for detail, engrossing and wanting you to not put it down.

Switching between POVs, Needless Street is the tale of Ted- a reclusive drunk, his cat Olivia, daughter Lauren and Dee- a woman in search of her missing sister Lulu.

There's something weird going on in this book. You know from the outset there's a lot more to this than the characters are showing you, but it's so carefully written you can't quite figure out what they're hiding.

Both Ted and Dee are an absolute wreckage. They take no pride or care in themselves, just forcing their way through each day furthering their own agenda. This adds to the atmosphere of desperation and the knife edge feeling that something explosive could occur at any moment.

When we then switch into kitten Olivia's viewpoint it's a jarring change. I loved the tone of voice Ward created for her, it's exactly the kind of aloof, narcissistic and skittish attitude you'd expect from a cat if it could talk!
Olivia is the fly on the wall but an unreliable spy at best, since she talks only of her own interests. Subtle hints are dropped to keep us trying to guess what Olivia knows but doesn't care enough to mention- a fun, unique aspect of Needless Street.

Ted's infrequent trips to the 'bug doctor' give us a little extra insight into his personality and a few ideas of important events. Again with Ted blanking for unknown time periods and trying to garner advice from his doctor only by describing TV shows, we are piecing together truth from fiction.

I really can't say a lot more without giving away major plot secrets, you've got to just enjoy the ride for The Last House On Needless Street, the intrigue is blinding in this one and the ending is nothing short of incredible.

Four stars
It’s fantastic ,different and clever
I wasn’t sure cd get into it at first then just appreciated the imagination and then really got it .
Great well done and your feelings shift change for characters and it’s nothing is straightforward
Sad ,moving wonderfull ,endearing and ty for the novel to netgalley and publishers

This gothic tale takes us inside a creepy, dilapidated house on the street in the title. It’s home to reclusive Ted, his daughter, Lauren, and cat, Olivia. Meanwhile, Dee’s trying to figure out what happened to her missing sister. That’s about all I can say about the plot while refraining from spoilers. The novel’s engrossing, macabre and left me feeling a bit mangled by the end. The ending doesn’t just pull the rug from under us, but burns the place down. Stephen King mentions this in the same sentence as Gone Girl (he’s not saying they’re exactly the same), but this turns the darkness dial up much higher than GG. Definitely one for horror fans. Thank you to Serpent’s Tale for the free review copy in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

One way or another, Catriona Ward has been present for almost every big thing in my Professional Book Nerd career. The day I quit my job to become a full time editor, I went to an author event where she was speaking. She was the guest author at our first writing retreat, The Writing Haunt. And I plan to research her first book, Rawblood, as part of my PhD. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I love Catriona Ward’s work, and there was a lot of pressure riding on this book to be mind-blowing. I have been dying to get my hands on it for a year. And it’s finally here, absorbed into my brain, warping it in the process.

I first heard about Needless Street at The Writing Haunt, when Catriona told us the book was inspired by serial killer Des Nilsen and his relationship with his dog, Bleep, the only thing he truly loved. She said she wanted to write a story about a cat in a similar situation. Well, I love cats, I love true crime, I love a serial killer book. I was well on board!

The reason I’m relating this story is two-fold. The first reason is because I think this framing is an interesting way to enter the book. It sets you up with certain expectations which are met … and are also not met. The way the book is written, certainly in the first third or so, put me strongly in mind of Thomas Harris on a good day. I felt like I was really getting into the skin of someone dark and twisted in a way that was both satisfying and uncomfortable.

The second reason for this anecdote is that The Last House on Needless Street is an amazing book, really quite astounding in terms of what it achieves … but it’s very difficult to tell you why without giving the game away. Part of the joy of reading it was how much it boggled my mind. My husband has been hugely entertained over the last three days by my increasingly frantic and apparently nonsensical theories about what was happening (including a sudden outburst in bed when I simply exclaimed, “Wait! Am I the cat?”). Those of you who follow me on Twitter will be aware of my love for the video game Outer Wilds, a beautiful, stunning, complex game but one where you can’t really tell anyone what makes it amazing because that would spoil so much of the joy. The Last House on Needless Street suffers from similar problems. You’re just going to have to trust me and read it!

It’s not often I blanket recommend a book to everyone, but I honestly think, if you don’t mind some of the horror elements, there is something in this book for everyone to love. It’s almost a pity to put it into a genre category. There is so much that is heartfelt and so much that is fascinating within this book — all delivered with Catriona’s trademark creeping dread and twisty, dark characters. My strongest recommendation is to book a holiday for release day, clear your calendar, put on your cosiest pyjamas and strap in!

I’ve been desperate to read this novel ever since I read about it as being one to watch for 2021 - a book like no other. The premise sounded great: creepy, mysterious, disturbing. And it is all of these in different ways.

This is probably the hardest book I have had to review. It has multiple narrators; it is fantastical; it is about abuse; it’s about a missing child, and investigations that end on dead-end streets, metaphorically and physically. There’s Ted. There’s Lauren. Olivia the cat. Dee, the snooping neighbour. And a lot more.

I’ll be honest - I didn’t love it. I can see how Ward has written a multi-layered, complex novel, one that pretends to be something it isn’t. It is very clever and well-researched and the Afterword does provide necessary background information to fill in gaps.

I’m left realising that The Last House on Needless Street is likely to be one of the most unusual books I have ever read. My review might read as being quite ambiguous and vague - I guess this sums up my feelings, when reading, but also since finishing. My rating is for its ingenuity and complexity - not for my own personal enjoyment, which I would rate lower.