Rating: 2.2/5

Catriona Ward's previous novel, "The Last House on Needless Street", received overwhelmingly positive reviews and came in for some high praise from Stephen King. I missed out on that, so I was keen to make sure that this one didn't pass me by too. Unfortunately, "Sundial" did not prove to be the enjoyable and rewarding reading experience that I hoped it would be.

Before I go on, I feel obliged to warn potential readers that this novel contains subject matter that some people may prefer not to expose themselves to, including animal abuse (especially of dogs), child abuse, domestic violence and drug abuse.

Given the subject matter, I would say that "Sundial" not only has the potential to make for uncomfortable reading, but that it is actually intended to make the reader feel ill at ease. That aspect didn't come as any great surprise to me and nor was it the reason for me finding this novel so disappointing. I don't know how similar the style of this is to Catriona Ward's previous book, but "Sundial" repeatedly struck me as an attempt to emulate the work of Stephen King. That is a worthy enough aim, but it falls well short of the mark. Catriona Ward can certainly write - there are times when her prose and descriptive writing provide ample evidence of her talent for wordsmithery - but she doesn't display the same captivating storytelling abilities of Mr King. There were extended periods when the pace was far too pedestrian and I found myself feeling quite bored. At around 350 pages, "Sundial" is not an unusually lengthy novel, but it felt considerably longer.

A number of other early reviewers have rated this highly, so my opinion may be a bit of an outlier. However, for me, this may well turn out to be a memorable read ... but not necessarily for all the right reasons.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

DNF @37%. The flowery prose wasn't really my thing and there was some clunky writing in here, especially in the metaphors. (''There is something sticky in his voice''). I assume it was done to add to the gritty, dark tone of the book, but it fell really flat for me. I also found the narrator's voice(s) almost robotic, none of the sentences were strung together in a conversational tone

But what truly made me DNF this book were the gratuitous depictions of animal abuse, spousal abuse and child abuse. I am fine with stories that include these things, but felt needlessly graphic without adding much to the story at all - the violence is nothing but a device to disgust the reader, and that's what made it feel unwarranted to me.

Every novel by Catriona Ward is unsettling: each is different to the others. Sundial is no exception. Rob is locked in a toxic relationship with her unfaithful husband, Irving. After a crisis involving their daughters Annie and Callie, Rob decides that it's time she and Callie did some serious mother-daughter bonding. They'll have 'the best time ever' at Sundial, the isolated desert house where Rob and her sister Jack grew up. Callie is uneasy about the trip: she's worried about what Annie will get up to in her absence, and her friend Pale Callie is full of theories about Rob's true agenda. But Pale Callie isn't ... well, she's not entirely reliable. And nobody else can see her.

Slowly we learn the history of Rob and Jack, growing up home-schooled by Falcon and Mia, more or less oblivious to the endless parade of graduate students who come to Sundial to work with Mia on her experiments with dogs. (Some of the scenes with the dogs are viscerally unpleasant, others deeply upsetting.) Rob and Jack are twins, very close: but Jack is changing in ways that Rob isn't. That change holds the key to Callie's oddities -- but there are aspects of it, and of her own past, that Rob only gradually comes to understand over the course of the novel.

The two narratives, Rob and Callie, kept me guessing almost to the end of the book. I didn't find them especially likeable characters to start with, but they are extraordinarily vivid, plain-spoken without being straightforward, and their claustrophobic relationship is brilliantly observed. Nothing in this novel is what it seems: the rosebush over the grave, the hole that Rob digs, the buried secret, Mia's research... There are just enough inconsistencies to keep the reader engaged, to indicate that there's more beneath the surface. (Actually I think there might be some red herrings too. Contact lens solution?) And the resolution, though spectacular, doesn't attempt to tidy away every thread.

Sundial is unsettling and sometimes upsetting, truly tragic and often lyrical. Ward's eye for detail heightens the sense of claustrophobia, and the feeling of something unseen, out of focus, apprehended in glimpses. I keep thinking about aspects of the characterisation: Callie's relationship with food, and Rob's (neither of which involve judgement or commentary); Rob's boarding-school stories, written out by hand; Irving's gaslighting.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance review copy, in exchange for which I have written this honest review. UK publication date 10 MAR 22.

This review will go live at the first link below on 10 March:

Well… You never know where you might end up with a Catriona Ward novel, do you. I’m rather fond of dark literature but honestly, Sundial kinda made me feel like I’d been living in a cold, dank cellar and would never see sunlight again.

On the surface, Rob has it all: two beautiful daughters, a loving husband, a fulfilling job. It doesn’t take much digging, or much reading, to scratch that veneer: Rob’s husband is a cheating and gaslighting so-and-so and her eldest daughter Callie appears to have a rather unorthodox hobby. Rob herself doesn’t exactly come across as very stable either. Guys, I think we’ve found our dysfunctional family of 2022!

Rob, fearing for her youngest daughter’s safety, decides to take her eldest to Sundial, her family home in the Mojave Desert. There’s more than just secrets buried at Sundial and Rob reckons that the answer in saving herself and her family is there.

Going back and forth between Callie and Rob’s present and past, we slowly learn more about this family, the dysfunctionality of it clearly goes back to when Rob was a kid herself, but the more I found out, the more questions I had, and Sundial made me wait until the final pages for the full picture, although I did figure out a few things along the way.

Sundial was a pageturner for me – give me secrets and I want to unravel them – but it was definitely not the easiest read. Literally all of these people are so messed up, I could barely wrap my head around it. This story evoked a feeling of claustrophobia and unease in me, and it was also very disturbing. Domestic violence and various degrees of abuse, both animal and child, both on and off page, are rife, so beware.

Like its predecessor, The Last House on Needless Street, Sundial is an original, unique horror story and essentially a game of smoke and mirrors. If you’re feeling a little bit jaded about thrillers and psychological horror, Sundial will snap you right out of it.

Massive thanks to Viper Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Catriona Ward set her standards very high after The last house on Needless Street, and maybe for this reason I was expecting a bit more from this book. However, I really enjoyed it and loved the writing style, as cryptic and dark as ever.

The storyline travels back and forth in time, so that what's happening in the present can find an explanation in what happened in the past. The characters were all very odd and initially I found it hard to warm to any of them, but by the end I really liked Rob, Callie, and Jack.

I did not expect the ending, it was a good twist at a time when I thought the book was finished.

Recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Viper for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my second Catriona Ward book (the first was The Last House on Needless Street) and it’s safe to say I love her writing! She has a way of keeping the reader pretty confused and definitely on the edge of their seat throughout the whole book.

So far, of the 2 books I’ve read of hers, they’ve been pretty dark which I love. Nothing particularly graphic or gorey or scary or anything, but just very dark plotlines that are written about in a way that makes them seem not quite so dark, if that makes any sense!

The story was very creepy and similarly to The Last House on Needless Street, we were drip-fed bits of information and tiny hints as to what was actually going on throughout, until it was all explained in the end!

The only downside I found was that some of the chapters were very long and it was a very slow burn in the beginning, although I think that is just the author’s style!

I definitely think her writing isn’t for everyone, but I personally really enjoy it and cannot wait to read Little Eve and Rawblood!!

I was excited to read this book after enjoying Wards very cleverly written "The Last House On Needless Street". This was another tale that was dark and gory and horrifying. It's very well written and I found that I was really engaged. As with Needless St, it's hard to say too much without giving the plot away. The story is told over two timelines and alongside this there is a story within the story ,written by Rob. I must admit I wasn't sure the latter was a necessary part for the book other than being a sort of self help for Rob.
There is a lot to chew over with this story and it brought up many theories and questions. I was drawn in, I was horrified but the twists for me were lacking a little compared to that of Needless Street. I'm still keen to read another from Catriona Ward. If you like weird and dark tales I'd recommend this horror. Be warned - It's not for the faint hearted! *Mind blown emoji*

⚠️ This book comes with some trigger warnings , animal abuse child abuse , drug use. ⚠️

Firstly I would like to thank @netgalley, @serpenttrail, @viperbooks & @profile.books for sending me a free copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

It's difficult to review this book as I have mixed feelings. I absolutely loved The Last House on Needless Street and was excited to start this one. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me. Although I love Ward's unique writing style, the story lost me on several occasions.

It is the story of two twin sisters raised in an unconventional environment on a desert farm. The story begins with one of the sisters, Rob, now married with two daughters, Callie and Annie. Rob has noticed some strange behaviour in Callie, and it's not just to do with the imaginary friend she calls Pale Callie. As if that wasn't enough, her husband Irving is having one of his many relationships with her best friend and neighbour. That's about as normal as this story gets.

When Rob makes a gruesome discovery about Callie, she makes an irrational decision and whisks the child off to Sundial, the farm where she grew up on and which now lies abandoned in the desert. The reason she makes this decision and what she wants to do with her daughter there is anyone’s best guess.

I really wanted to love this, but Ward took the weirdness a step too far until the whole story felt surreal. To make matters worse, there is a story within the story that Rob writes in her diary. I suppose it wanted to somehow relate to what was happening in the real world, but I failed to grasp the significance. The story behind this book is quite unique and certainly held my interest, so please don't let my opinion sway you. I have seen some glowing reviews for this book.

As a final comment. I would have loved a final chapter in this book to wrap everything up.

4.5 stars
I selected this book on recommendation from a book group as I was looking for something a little different. I'm so glad I took a chance on this one. The was by far the best book I have read in a long time. The story was engaging, well written and had an incredibly creepy sense of foreboding and unease that I devoured page after page pretty much reading it in one sitting. I loved the dual POV and the flashbacks as you learn about the main characters childhood. The setting is the best part of this novel. Sundial is the most chilling and yet interesting setting for this unsettling and creepy story. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up. If you love psychological mysteries with a touch of horror then this one is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When you write a book like The Last House On Needless Street as your debut book, you set the bar very high. So I was very excited to read Catriona Ward's latest, but I now fear that it may have hindered my enjoyment of it.

Dark and unsettling, Sundial is a unique, creepy, and spine-tingling horror thriller that will have your head spinning from start to finish.

The gruesome details are fantastic as the constant descriptions of worms, maggots, and rotting flesh in all kinds of scenarios give the story a heavy feel of a gut-wrenching horror. And I love the character of Callie. Her darkness really piqued my interest and I was excited to see how her story would play out.

I also like the overall message of a mother's determination to do what it takes which finally breaks through at the end. But because of my high expectations, I was always expecting things to go to the darkest of places, and I feel like they were only really hinted at in this book, as the story doesn't quite arrive there, for me, as it did so well with TLHONS.

With a lot of time spent in the past, the answers took a long time coming and I didn't understand some of the chapters (titled 'Arrowood') so I was always eager to get back to the present. In the end, I feel like the final revelations answered all of my questions, while leaving a few things ambiguous to keep playing on your mind. But because TLHONS was full of so many twists and shocks, I was always waiting for something more.

There's a lot I really liked about this book and I will always be excited by what Catriona Ward writes. If I didn't love TLHONS so much, I think I could have appreciated this one a lot more, but I'd definitely still recommend giving it a read because it's certainly a thriller that will get your theories going.

Rob is trapped in an abusive unfaithful marriage. She is terrified that one of her children will hurt the other, and she has family trauma and secrets to reveal which may affect the future of everyone she loves. So she takes her eldest daughter on a pilgramage to her childhood home; Sundial, a strange commune/come science lab deep in the desert where secrets lie soaked in blood.
Sundial is a taught mystery/thriller saturated in horror. There is trauma here and trigger warnings galore, but also a complex, compelling story. I loved it. It will not be for everyone.

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC.

"Moms are like the desert too. Sometimes you can't stop them".

I'm all about stories told between the past and the present. I also love stories told from different perspectives. So i loved Sundial.
It's full of triggering subjects, so please research before reading, but if you decide to dive into it... prepare yourself for an emotional ride, i couldn't stop reading. Something happened to me with this book that i hadn't experienced in a while... i had nightmares. I dreamt about it. That's how invested i was in Rob's and Callie's story.
It's genuinely disturbing, as it was my first Ward i didn't know what to expect but now i know why some of my friends call her a "queen", that's what she is!

"Kids are mirrors, reflecting back everything that happens to them".

I'm not giving it 5 stars cause i found some of the violent content not really necessary for the plot, it felt a little bit forced, but i'll definitely keep on reading Catriona. The desert is unstoppable.

Similar as with The Last House on Needless Street, you cannot reveal to much of the plot if you don’t want to be a spoilsport.

But, just as the Street presented an incredible study of the cat’s mind, in Sundial, Catriona Ward again delved deep into the behavioural aspects, this time human and canine. And yet again, you get a creepy old household, completely unreliable narrators, and a tight cast of characters claustrophobically imprisoning you in the pathological family dynamics.

The plot revolves around the mother-daughter and twin sisters relationships, addressing the never-ending nature vs. nurture debate.

The story is grim, gripping and grotesque. I love how Catriona Ward’s narrators can express their quirky thoughts and delusions as if they were completely obvious and socially acceptable. Sundial is also true to its genre, at times I got positively horror-stricken.

All in all, highly recommended read.

I was offered this book as an ARC by NetGalley. I found it a difficult read especially for the early chapters. I am not fond of reading about domestic violence and struggle to empathise with characters who suggest bringing a child into the world to appease the aggression of an abusive partner. At times the book also seemed as though it was three different stories that had been shoehorned together to make one novel. Personally I didn't see the point of the 'Arrowood' sections beyond fulfilling the character's need to make believe but I didn't feel it was necessary.

I was a little confused by the MRI, 'click' and brain electrode situation. Having had an MRI metal implants usually cannot go into an MRI machine however the 'click' cure seemed to be a pure injection by the end of the book but maybe I missed the nuances of the development of this cure then.

I have given the book two stars as the middle section based at Sundial was far more compelling. I think the novel would have worked much better had the beginning been trimmed (even if the domestic violence was left in) and I found the ending very abrupt.

I feel like I’ve been on a rollercoaster after reading this book. No one does pace, tension or horror like this author. Every new book that comes out makes me worry her standards will slip, but they NEVER do.
It begins like a domestic thriller. Rob is worried about her eldest daughter’s behaviour and her husband is quickly established as a subtle and accomplished abuser. She seems powerless, but we learn she has inherited her father’s property out in the desert and that is the only place she can go to. Bit by bit, we find out that her life growing up wasn’t exactly conventional and she still holds on to the bond she had with her twin sister, Jack. As an escape, Rob writes stories about a school whose pupils have Powers - these sections might seem a bit bland but the clues are there in them all along.
There are some strong horror scenes throughout the book, with sly nods to the protagonists in The Shining and We Need To Talk About Kevin, amongst others. The psychological terrors are also well drawn. I almost didn’t want to find out about one plot thread, only hinted at until the end section and when it is revealed it is far, far worse than you could dream of..
Catriona Ward writes about siblings and families, particularly female members, incredibly well. This book will stay with me for a long time.

Catriona Ward has created a new spellbinding place where enchantment and horror are close neighbors. From the very first chapter, she gripped me by the nape of the neck and swung me around and I didn't know where, how or when I was going to land. Even after "The End", I remained hanging in the air, stomach lurching and heart fluttering.

I remembered when I was a pre-teen, I would sneak in a Stephen King book - probably Carrie or Cujo - into my bedroom and read it under the covers with a flashlight, only to be so scared I couldn't sleep anymore. That is exactly how I felt again with Sundial. The author touches that very same nerve of terror that lies within us, made raw by either nurture or nature: you choose.

It's a story about sibling rivalry and how it can be the base of unconditional love; the bonds between parents and children and how far parents will go to protect their little ones. It is a tour de force where the author manages to wipe away the most horrific events with a swipe of love and tenderness. A story that will linger for a long time after reading, not only for the very clear depiction of the setting of Sundial in the middle of the desert, nor for the characters whose psyches are dissected with scalpel precision, but mainly for its core message that spans the whole of the human condition from birth to death.

That said, it comes with a warning: almost all triggers one can imagine are here: mainly child abuse, domestic abuse, animal cruelty and suicide. Nevertheless a solid 5 star rating !

A sincere thanks to NetGalley, Viper and the author for an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review. It is greatly appreciated !

2/5 stars ⭐️⭐️

This novel was most definitely not for me. I understand why people like Catriona Ward's style. But SUNDIAL was too much of a slow burn, and I found it very difficult to become invested in the story.

I have to give it to the author, though: she surely knows how to write exceedingly creepy, claustrophobic stories. This novel is full of ambiguous characters and unique, chilling atmospheres.
I find this would be the perfect read for fans of Nick Cutter and Stephen Graham Jones.

Unfortunately I don't think Catriona Ward is for me, although I do think she has a knack for unique storylines and is a great writer. I struggled with 'The Last House on Needless Street' and now 'Sundial', both for the same reasons: I found both stories convoluted and annoying. I'm clearly in the minority though so it's her work is definitely worth a shot if the storylines are appealing.

I haven’t read Catriona’s previous book - The Last House on Needless Street - so didn’t have any expectations from this book, other than that she’s a voice to be reckoned with.

Sundial is tantalising and eery and creepy right from the off. No-one is quite who you think they are and you start to question the trustworthiness of the narrators. It’s full of twists and turns at neck-breaking speed.

It makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up as you want to know what happens, but you want to cover your eyes. It’s not comfortable, it keeps you on edge, and you’re keeping one eye over your shoulder, waiting for someone to appear.

It’s mainly set in one or two settings with only 2-4 characters, but instead of it being static or repetitive, it’s claustrophobic and haunting.

I do believe Catriona will be a go-to author in the not-so-distant future; as Laura Purcell is my go-to for gothic fiction, J.K Rowling for intellectual children’s books, and Hilary Mantel for historical stories, Catriona will be the one for mind-bending thrillers.

I feel like I need to give this a bit of a content warning - I really wouldn’t recommend this if you’re a dog lover. As someone who loves their dog, who is also a rescue dog with some issues!, I found this a hard read.

I really enjoyed Catriona Ward’s Little Eve and Last House on Needless Street and this was definitely the kind of dark, twisty story I expected of her.

The book is instantly gripping - you’re introduced to Rob who is concerned about her daughter, Callie, who is behaving strangely and has a fixation on dead things, and has an abusive relationship with her husband, Irving. Rob doesn’t trust Callie, who is loyal to her father, and wants to protect her other daughter, Annie, from both her daughter and their father.

I don’t want to go into too much detail with giving much away, but after a horrific incident, Rob takes Callie away to her childhood home, Sundial, a mysterious place where Rob had a strange childhood with dozens of dogs.

There was a lot I liked about this, and i enjoyed all the twists and reveals towards the end, but as there became more stories about the dogs at Sundial I started to want it to be over!

A lot to like, but for me a bit too much as a dog lover.

3.5 stars