This was a heck of a ride. After reading The Last House on Needless Street I was expecting the book to mess with my head and it certainly did that.

Reading this was like a series of BOOMS:

- think you know what's going on - BOOM - think again
- think you know who to trust - BOOM - think again
- think you know what the past held - BOOM - think again

I loved some of the more minor details included in this rollercoaster of a book. In particular Callie's way of verbally expressing her emotions and what was happening by the use of emojis, the story set in the school which Rob is writing as a way of accessing her past, how Rob and Jack came to have those names.

I galloped through this one, but it might not be for everyone. If I had to sum it up in a few words, it would be dark and disturbing.

Sundial| having read Catriona’s last two books, expectations were high for Sundial. What I expected was a thrilling story with gothic chills and a twisting plot, and complex characters. I definitely had all those and more!
The book focuses on Rob, a teacher, married to an emotionally manipulative and unfaithful husband with two young daughters Callie and Annie. Callie is acting in disturbing ways, talking to imaginary friends and drawing pictures of dead animals. Rob’s childhood is shrouded in mystery, growing up in a secluded house called Sundial in the Mojave desert. When Callie’s behaviour threatens her sister, Rob decides to take Callie back to Sundial for an intervention where she will not only have to face her daughter’s emotional disturbance but her own childhood.
Much like Catriona’s previous novel Rawblood, this novel focuses on the women in the story and their relationships with each other. The bond between mother and daughter is a central theme of the book, Rob is desperate to help her daughter but can she ever understand her daughter’s problem? Rob is a complicated woman, understanding her as a mother means understanding her own childhood experiences of family and sibling relationships. One of the themes I felt ran through the story was the concept of nature versus nurture. How much do each influence a child’s early development and emotional resilience? Continuing with behaviour, is Callie really talking to imaginary friends as a coping mechanism for something more sinister or is this a ghostly presence? Callie’s character is intriguing as she is quite hard to like and her behaviour is so bizarre but having Read The Last House I knew there would be an explanation and it certainly paid off and provides one of the best twists in the book. Catriona writes so cleverly that I was swept along by the story and read the book within two days. The claustrophobic atmosphere of Sundial and the gradual unveiling of Rob’s childhood is beautifully handled. Sundial itself is a central character, much like the houses in The Last House and Rawblood. It’s isolation, design and history give it an air of menace and mystery. A story of so many layers and I can’t wait to get my physical copy as I read this on @netgalley

I was a massive fan of Last House on Needless Street, and was so excited to find Sundial on Netgalley. I really loved it, probably more than Needless Street! Highly recommend.

Title - Sundial
Author - Catriona Ward
Release Date - 10th March 2022
Page Count - 338
Read Time - 10hrs
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

Any form or art is subjective, what one person likes another will not and vice versa. I really don’t enjoy giving bad reviews but my role here in receiving an advance copy of this book is to provide an honest and objective personal view; emphasis on personal. So here goes…

I’ll start out by saying I was really looking forward to Sundial as Catriona Wards previous book, Last House on Needless Street in 2021 was absolutely amazing; I had high hopes for this one. Sundial starts so well, as we are introduced to the main characters, there is major tension between our main protagonist, Rob, and her husband Irving, there are hints of abuse, physical and mental. We are also introduced to the the children; Callie and Annie. Both have major issues - are these because of the issues the mum and dad are going though or is there a more historical insidious reason at play here.

In an attempt to help with Callie’s increasing psychological issues Rob takes her to the old family home of Sundial located in a remote desert location. From here we pass between present and past timelines. In Robs childhood the ranch was used to perform experiments on dogs. There is a terrible history here, something happened that Rob has blocked out but memories have a habit of fighting their way out.

The stories flashbacks to Robs childhood severely slow down the book and we seem to lose almost half the book to long periods where almost nothing happens. In addition to this we have a bazaar mini story arc where Rob is writing a Harry Potteresque book that includes her family as characters - this is just a distraction and, in my opinion, could have been removed from the book completely.

Although a relatively average page count I just felt that this took me an absolute age to read, I wanted to give up so often. Perseverance did reward me with an increase in pace and action in the latter third only to leave me utterly furious with a fade to black type ending leaving it up to the reader to imagine where the storyline might go. For this reason I really wish I had given up and moved on. I’m afraid this wasn’t for me and I am being generous in my 3 star award. Hopefully you will view the book differently and enjoy and this will not stop me from picking up Catriona’s future works.

Very hard to review this, as more or less any description of the setup, let alone the plot, is going to be heading towards spoiler territory. But rest assured if you relish the dread of approaching disclosure and the stomach dropping clunk of understanding as it becomes clear, and hey I know you do because you’re a good horror fan, you’re going to lap this up. It’s intense, claustrophobic and genuinely monstrous in places. Like all the best gothic fiction the setting is as much a character as any of the actors in the novel, and long after you’ve finished you will feel the sunbaked desolate expanses of the desert and the cool dark spaces of the house on your skin - at least on the bits of it that aren’t still tingling from the hammer blows of revelation and twist that build the climax.

I was excited to receive an advanced digital review copy (thank you NetGalley and the publisher!!) as I had read Last House on Needless Street last year and loved it. However, while I mostly found Sundial gripping, I didn't feel it drew me in quite as much as LHONS. Too much of the book was told through long flashbacks and not much time in the present. Lots of twists though, and I didn't see most of them coming, which is always a bonus.

Oh. My. God. This was absolutely bloody brilliant. And creepy as. And unsettling as. And so addictive. And so clever. And kept me guessing. And I absolutely had no idea how this was going to play out.

The characters in this story are just so…. so…. so full on! They’re unreliable, they have you conflicted and question whose viewpoint you believe. I even shed a tear at one point! The settings are claustrophobic and sparse all at the same time.

And the plotting - I really don’t know where Ward came up with the plot for this story, but it’s a doozy. I loved how you think it’s going to play out one way, it plays out another way. And it totally came out of the blue.

This was my first Ward read and it definitely won’t me my last. Just brilliant. I’m so bumping Last House and Rawblood.

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Viper Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy. Everyone - this is out on 10th March - you will need to get it!!

Ward has quickly become one of my favourite authors, and she has not disappointed me yet. This novel transports you to a dark world that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end, with turns you won't see coming. This will keep you up all night !

Holy crap… what did I just read!! 🤯

Synopsis - You can’t escape what’s in your blood …
All Rob wanted was a normal life. She almost got it too : a husband, two kids, a nice house in the suburbs. But Rob fears for her oldest daughter, Callie. Rob sees a darkness in Callie, one that reminds her too much of the family she left behind.
She decides to take Callie back to her childhood home, to Sundial, deep in the Mojave Desert. And there she will have to make a terrible choice.

Review - This is another tough one to review. It’s wild and unlike anything I’ve read. This is my first read by this author and I’m looking forward to reading The House on Needless street. Brilliant premise, prose, character development, clever plot and so much more.

It’s a creepy, horror, psychological thriller. I enjoyed most of the twists and turns. Wards writing is rich, addictive and atmospheric. The last quarter and ending was mind blowing. So many twists all wrapped up. I was left with many questions, and that was probably the intention of the author.

My two biggest dislikes with this book, is there’s a story within the story that I personally felt could have been left out. I didn’t feel it added value to the overall narrative.
The second is certain scenes with graphic dog descriptions. (Note trigger warnings below) I got major Cujo vibes towards the end!

I was part of a wonderful BR group for this, and I’m so glad, as there where many “what just happened” moments that we all tried to pick apart.

Many thanks to @netgalley @serpentail @viper.books @profile.books for this ad/pr #gifted copy.

TW - animal cruelty

I loved Ward’s writing in The Last House on Needless Street, but felt let down by the ending. Still, the bones of it had me intrigued by her 2022 release, Sundial.

Set in the Mojave desert and concerned with the intersecting themes of time, family, and place, this book has absolutely justified my interest. It’s eerie and confusing, just like Last House, and builds throughout to something chilling – this one sticks the landing! I've read a lot of books about sisters over the past couple of years and this is truly one of the best.

It is also a very interesting meditation on science and control, and interweaves these concerns with seemingly formulaic threads of death and abuse in a way I did not expect and very much enjoyed. I was uncertain about the treatment of memory at times, but the reveal which prompted my uncertainty was deployed in a far less flashy and final way than the comparable reveal which left such a sour taste at the end of Last House.

Some parts warrant a reread; there are sections throughout which make the fictionalisation of identity explicit in misleading ways I don't think I appreciated first time. This, for me, is a mark of formal experiment done well.

So glad I gave Ward another chance, I will definitely be picking her up again.

I received a digital review copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Having read other titles by Catriona Ward, I was keen to read her latest. This begins with Rob, who lives her husband, Irving, and daughters Callie and Annie in suburbia. Irving is a professor, who has a tendency to be unfaithful and, when we meet the family, he is currently having an affair with neighbour Hannah. Rob is closer to daughter Annie, while Irving is ‘best buds’ with the silent, watchful Callie.

This is a disturbing book, with the couple’s antagonism often erupting into violent and spiteful behaviour. When something happens that worries Rob enough to take action, she decides to take a trip to Sundial – the desert home of her own, dysfunctional childhood. For Rob’s desire to live a ‘normal’ life and give that normality and tranquillity to her own children is not working and she needs to explore her own demons in order to understand her difficult relationship with her eldest daughter.

I had mixed emotions about this book. I found some of it upsetting and it is extremely difficult to read at times. That said, Ward explores the darker themes sensitively and her characters are intriguing and believable. This would be an excellent choice for book groups, with so much to explore. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

SUNDIAL was an atmospheric, always-keeps-you-guessing thriller with an intriguing supernatural element - and a fantastic hook. Rob's daughter, Callie, is unusual and shows all the apparent signs of a serial killer in the making: she speaks to dead things (including her constant companion, the mysterious Pale Callie), collects animal bones, and might have poisoned Rob's youngest daughter, the angelic Annie, out of sheer spite. Rob's husband Irving is deeply and troublingly controlling. Her journey to take Callie back to Sundial - the desert compound where she had a strange upbringing - is an attempt to start again as much as it is to 'rescue' Callie from whatever dark influences are acting on her.

The novel really kicks up a notch when we start seeing - in carefully interlaced chapters - the experiences of younger Rob, growing up at Sundial with a strange cast of characters (including her sister Jack) and a pack of feral dogs who have undergone stomach-churning, deeply unethical experiments to try to eliminate their aggression. Ward lays her groundwork exquisitely, and by the end of the book everything comes into a shocking focus, with real gasp-out-loud moments occasioned by things which were almost mentioned in passing earlier. This is a deeply disturbing story about aggression, parental influence, childhood innocence, and the nature of memory, given a supernatural or preternatural twist by the presence of Callie's dead friends. The descriptions of violence against and by animals are absolutely horrible but never unnecessary, and the book offers some of the best panicked descriptions of dog attacks I've ever read. It also goes to very dark places with the slow reveal of where Jack and Rob come from - at some stages I was almost literally reading through my fingers. A masterful look at the origins of female aggression, generational trauma and control. The only parts which didn't work so well for me were the glimpses of Rob's creative writing project (a school story offering a twisted mirror to the main characters and narrative): while thematically sound, and ambitious, I ultimately felt it could have been removed with no great loss to the whole. Still, that's a very small quibble about a book which I otherwise loved - and could read again right this second.

Sundial, by Catriona Ward
Publication Date: 2nd March 2022
Review: 4/5
I am a huge fan of Catriona Ward, and have been obsessed with her work since the Last House on Needless Street. I was so excited to get my hands on Sundial, and I was not disappointed. You never truly know what is going on. We are introduced to a family where cruelty and treachery linger beneath the surface, and you think you know where things are going…until the twist. Ward is a master of twists and turns, and Sundial had me on the edge of my seat throughout. I loved following Rob on her journey, and love how she looks back at her own past to try and make sense of what is going on in her world. Her daughters, Callie, and Annie, are also complex, and Irving is positively awful, but they all come together to create a fantastically disturbing story. I read this novel in two days. Really brilliant stuff!

If I had to sum Sundial up in two words, it would be dark and disturbing. But thankfully I don't, so I can waffle on.

After such incredible success with The Last House on Needless Street (which was not, contrary to other reviews, Ward's debut), I had high hopes for Sundial, and it delivered. There are some disturbing topics - domestic violence, animal abuse - so this isn't for the fainthearted, but I didn't find any of the darker scenes gratuitous or over the top.

Ward writes with a steady hand, her prose flowing like a river, completely immersing the reader. I loved the juxtaposition of the hot days and cold nights in the desert, both equally deadly, increases the feeling of danger all around. There is so much in this book, but the story is told well and leaves a lasting impression.

Catriona Ward cements her position as The Queen of Unease with her new offering, Sundial. A tale of toxic motherhood and long held secrets.

Rob is a wife and mother who escaping her difficult childhood has set up home in suburbia with her husband Irving. But not all is as it seems! Behind the veneer of domesticity, Rob is a serial philanderer, and her eldest daughter is showing worrying tendencies that point to something being wrong! Very wrong!

After an inexplicable incident involving pills, and her two daughters, Rob decides it is time to return to her home of Sundial to set things right and attempt to revisit the events that have led to her current situation.

Full of intrigue and suspense, Sundial is a masterpiece of disquiet and unease, and from the very first page, the feeling of wrongness permeates from the page to give you a sense that nothing is what it seems.
The book itself took me two days to devour and I could not put it down, could not stop thinking about it until the story had revealed its secrets and showed me how the tale would evolve into its true nightmarish form.
Catriona Ward’s previous book had me similarly gripped and I spent hours trying to puzzle the labyrinthine plot, and Sundial is much the same. However, I have quickly learnt to just follow the story without obsessing about what secrets lie below and let the tale unfold at its own pace to reveal the core of the story as its layers are peeled off, one by one.

There are so many things happening in the story. You have the story of Rob and her husband whose marriage is built on petty cruelties, each adding to something that is painful to watch, as he carefully manipulates everyone around him to join in his cruel games of misdirection and hate, and Rob responding to him. Irving is truly one of the most loathsome characters that I have met in fiction. He is never outright nasty, but you can feel it pulsing in every venomous act that he does.

Rob on the other hand can be equally as poisonous at times, and there is an underlying feeling of cruelty about her, and whilst she loves her daughters, she has a creeping sense of mistrust to her older daughter who speaks is emojis at the end of every sentence and collects the bones of dead animals.

The story is told from the point of view of Rob who imparts all her insecurities and scorn to the reader, but carefully hides them from her family, afraid they may be mistook for signs of weakness, particularly when Rob is playing his cruel mind games with her and currying favour with his eldest daughter to continue the miasma of vitriol that he surrounds himself in. However, there are times where we get the view of Callie, Rob’s eldest daughter, who may seem to be sweetness and light, yet holds darkly disturbing thoughts, especially to her younger sister, Annie.

With Sundial, Catriona Ward has carved out of the desert rock her place as a master of the disturbed as not a word is wasted. She will wrongfoot you at every juncture and just when you think you have the pieces in the right place, she will change the dimensions of the puzzle so that it doesn’t fit.
Her prose is amazing, and it is not since I started reading Shirley Jackson novels many years ago that I have read anyone that has the same level of making all her characters seem to be so utterly awful yet utterly beguiling.

The narrative itself is cloying and claustrophobic yet gives the characters time to develop and explore their unusual circumstances whilst never once missing a beat and letting up its grip. Sundial is one of this years must read books that will have you gripped to the end of the story until its secrets are revealed.

That has to be, hands down, one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read! It was not gory, or violent or bloody. Actually there was a bit of violence and blood towards the end. It wasn’t creepy or scary. The children were treated with kindness and respect. There was some experimentation on dogs but it wasn’t torturous . No, it was just utterly disturbing. I had to put it aside one night and finish it in daylight. This story is about a very dysfunctional family.

The book starts with Rob, wife of Irving and their two children Callie (12 years old) and Annie (9 years old). Rob and Irving hate each other but neither is willing to leave without the children. Irving has one affair after another but Rob no longer cares. Slowly you start to be concerned about the children. Callie seems to be a budding little psychopath and Rob is concerned for Annie’s safety. She decides it’s time she had it out with Callie so she bundles her into the car and they head off to Sundial - the compound in the Mojave desert where Rob grew up.

When they arrive you start to learn about Rob’s childhood, her twin sister Jack and how they grew up. And that’s when it starts to get really weird. Nothing is as it seems. Every time you think “aha” it’s not aha. This story dips and weaves until your head is spinning and you feel sick. The ground is constantly shifting and your perceptions are constantly being challenged. Trust me when I say it isn’t over until the very last page.

Kudos to the author! This was a brilliant piece of work. To write such a profoundly disturbing work without any obvious thing to point at is very clever indeed. Clearly this one is all about the characters and they are dissected at great and very uncomfortable length. But as soon as you think you know them … you don’t. It’s best I leave it there - read it if you dare! I can’t say that I absolutely enjoyed it because it was, you know, disturbing but it is an impressive piece of work and will stay with me for a very long time. Many thanks to Netgalley and Serpent’s Tale/Viper/Profile Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

4.5 stars rounded down.

After 4o-odd pages of this, I almost kicked it to the kerb, but Netgalley have been so good to me, I felt obliged to finish it. I approached it with less than the enthusiasm I would show for painting walls though. I suppose it had the advantage of being so sparsely written that it was a relatively quick read. Still, several hours of my life that I won't get back again.
Sundial was very much a paint-by-numbers kind of novel: the author reached in the "psychological suspense" bag and pulled out a wide swathe of ingredients - marital infidelity and abuse, childhood trauma, serial killer potential, evil imaginary friends, animal cruelty, untold horrific backstory, creepy allegorical boarding school story etc. Any of which might have made for a decent thriller, if the writing was any good. Sadly, it wasn't. The characters were two-dimensional yet still incredibly unsympathetic, the action lacked any sort of logic, and the writing itself failed to deliver any sort of depth or convincing emotion. Without giving spoilers, it is safe to say that what the reader had originally been led to believe was completely false, but the twist was very unconvincing, and the supposedly cliffhanger ending had me wishing that they had all just died, tbh.
My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Catriona Ward - Queen of What The F*ck Is Happening!

A few months ago I fell in love with The Last House on Needless Street because I’d never read a book that left me so completely unable to fathom what on earth was going on. I had my suspicions, sure, but that feeling of being genuinely hooked & unsure is hard to come by (for me at least!)
.
And guess what? She’s done it again! I had no clue what was about to go down or what the story was about but I DID know that it was the breath of fresh air I needed - and I was right. There’s just something about the writing style that gives me a little worm of uncertainty in the pit of my stomach, like I’m waiting for the rollercoaster swoop - AND I LOVE THAT FEELING!

The writing is stark & delicious & the plot is a perfect puzzle, sliding slowly into place. Catriona Ward is an auto buy author for me now - would recommend if you like your fiction dark, your protagonists even darker & a side order of mind scramble!

Rob was brought up at Sundial in the Mojave desert with her sister Jack. Now grown up with two daughters she needs to face her past to understand her future and keep the children safe.
A dark novel that grips your attention. Do we make the right choice in a partner or is the choice a means to escape. But at what price. Read to find out and enjoy.

I plan to read Catriona's debut book soon, especially after reading this book, I just know she can create a story that builds tension until the very end. Though at the beginning I felt this book lacked some pace, this book as it turns up pulls you in and really grips until the very last page.

Though I wasn't a fan of the story in the story so much and there was alot of throwbacks, this book really builds into an incredible narrative that puts yourself in the story and makes you feel like you're observing everything that is going on which by the end of this book feels like alot. The plot doesn't neccesarily twist and turn, but it sure does pull you in and keeps you holding your breath and making realisations that keep this book firmly in your hands especially in those final chapters.

The characters are unique, Callie's chapters are weird and creepy and her conversations within the book allow the story to be fleshed out and Rob's chapters are dark and brooding and chapters that never give you an idea what you could be in for. Irving as a character is one of the worst men I've read, and maybe it's because we know people like that exist and maybe that's what makes this book even more frightening in a way.

The scene setting and characterisation in Sundial is hard to forget, and certainly will stay with me for a long time to come and certainly intrigues me to read so much more from this author.

TW: (If you like animals, this might not be the book for you and I would definitely check any triggers before going into this as there's violence against women, children, animals, suicide and infidelity, self harm and graphic depictions throughout).