The Last House on Needless Street
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- Create Date：2021-03-06 03:19:46
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Catriona Ward
- ISBN：1788166167
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Summary
This is the story of a serial killer。 A stolen child。 Revenge。 Death。 And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street。
All these things are true。 And yet they are all lies。。。
You think you know what's inside the last house on Needless Street。 You think you've read this story before。 That's where you're wrong。
In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street， lies something buried。 But it's not what you think。。。
All these things are true。 And yet they are all lies。。。
You think you know what's inside the last house on Needless Street。 You think you've read this story before。 That's where you're wrong。
In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street， lies something buried。 But it's not what you think。。。
Reviews
Sarah
，
I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to say about this book。 Everyone has been raving about it and I feel like I'm missing something as I kind of struggled with it。 I have to say reading the afterward at the end of the book made things more clearer where the story is concerned but whatever you do， if you haven't read the book yet， DO NOT flick to the end to read it until you have finished the story。 Ted there is an almost innocence about him which I think is what confused me， that and the chapters I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to say about this book。 Everyone has been raving about it and I feel like I'm missing something as I kind of struggled with it。 I have to say reading the afterward at the end of the book made things more clearer where the story is concerned but whatever you do， if you haven't read the book yet， DO NOT flick to the end to read it until you have finished the story。 Ted there is an almost innocence about him which I think is what confused me， that and the chapters flicking to the point of view of his cat and then him。 I struggled to comprehend what was going on and to make sense of how everything fitted together。 It does all become clearer in the end。 It's hard to say too much about the actual story as feel like it would be a spoiler in delving too much into it。 It's a bit of a slow burn and you really do need to keep your wits about you to absorb everything that is happening in the hope of making sense of it all。This is a book I would like to go back to and re read over again now knowing what it's all about and think I would appreciate it more second time around。 Definitely in the minority with this one and think it's one that everyone needs to read for themselves。 Would certainly be interested in reading more by the author but sorry to say I didn't love it as much as other people seem to be doing。 。。。more
Claire
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Where to even begin？ This book is so unlike anything I have read before。 It's also going to be very hard to review without presenting spoilers and ruining future reading experiences for those who haven't read it yet The Last House on Needless Street is owned by main narrator， Ted。 As we read we realise that he views the world very uniquely。 He did make me feel quite uneasy， but I think we are meant to feel oddly about him。 Ted spends a lot of his time thinking about an incident that happened nea Where to even begin？ This book is so unlike anything I have read before。 It's also going to be very hard to review without presenting spoilers and ruining future reading experiences for those who haven't read it yet The Last House on Needless Street is owned by main narrator， Ted。 As we read we realise that he views the world very uniquely。 He did make me feel quite uneasy， but I think we are meant to feel oddly about him。 Ted spends a lot of his time thinking about an incident that happened near his home several years ago。 A little girl went missing。 Ted was the main suspect， although cleared。 It isn't hard to see why it was thought that he could be a suspect; loner， deteriorating house， odd behaviour。And so you begin to wonder how the two stories join。Other narrators are introduced over time。 Ted's cat Olivia， his daughter Lauren， the sister of the missing girl。 This is when I started to wonder where the book was leading， the narrators are unreliable so you can never figure out where things are heading。 Each character had a distinct voice of their own， the writing is brilliant and the structure of the book is so wonderfully creative。 The whole book was filled with atmosphere， mystery and detailed descriptions。 I also really enjoyed reading the authors not at the end， the research put in to this book was remarkable。I'd definitely recommend this for all those that would love a beautifully written psychological thriller where you suspend disbelief and go with the flow of the words before you。I feel privileged to have been able to read this book before it hits the shelves on 18th March。Thank you to @viper。books and @catward66 for the #gifted early proof in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Neil McRobert
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This is， simply put， the best horror novel i've read in years。 It's also one of the best pieces of fiction in any genre that i've read in years。The Last House on Needless Street is， as the author says in the afterward， a novel about survival disguised as horror。 The best thing you can do is go into it blind， not knowing anything more about it than that。 You will be disoriented， disturbed and quite possibly repelled by the storytelling and it's elliptical， opaque style， but keep reading and the c This is， simply put， the best horror novel i've read in years。 It's also one of the best pieces of fiction in any genre that i've read in years。The Last House on Needless Street is， as the author says in the afterward， a novel about survival disguised as horror。 The best thing you can do is go into it blind， not knowing anything more about it than that。 You will be disoriented， disturbed and quite possibly repelled by the storytelling and it's elliptical， opaque style， but keep reading and the characters will draw you in。 Nothing here is what you think， everything is open to interpretation （and then bleak， tragic resolution）， but there is beauty amongst the murk， and hope。I have no idea how Catriona Ward managed to balance the clues， double-meanings and red herrings in the way she does。 The reader is continually wrong-footed， but it's never a cheat。 Every detail means something and comes into sharp relief， usually with a vinegar-like sting。It's a book that will soil your soul and then break your heart。 Read it; it's an unforgettable piece of fiction。 。。。more
Elliott
，
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 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。 。。。more
Cathryn Northfield
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A horror like no other！ A sensational read from start to finish！Wow！ Where do I start with telling you how amazing this story is？ It is probably the most incredible book that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read！ I just hope I can do it justice in my review。When young LuLu goes missing on a family day out at the lake， her sister Dee makes it her life’s mission to find out what happened to her。 Eleven years on， she thinks she may have finally found who took her！Ted Bannerman lives on Needless Stree A horror like no other！ A sensational read from start to finish！Wow！ Where do I start with telling you how amazing this story is？ It is probably the most incredible book that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read！ I just hope I can do it justice in my review。When young LuLu goes missing on a family day out at the lake， her sister Dee makes it her life’s mission to find out what happened to her。 Eleven years on， she thinks she may have finally found who took her！Ted Bannerman lives on Needless Street with his cat Olivia and daughter Lauren。 He remembers the day the little girl went missing by the lake， but why？When a new neighbour moves into the old， abandoned house at the end of Needless Street， Ted is very upset。 He is a private man， and this neighbour seems nosy， this is definitely something he could do without！This is a dark and chilling story that will confuse you to hell， to begin with， but have you gripped tightly in its claws as you face the mind-blowing and eye-popping twists and turns。 The whole thing is an absolute masterpiece， it is in no way an easy predictable read and each chapter， sentence and word， deserves the reader’s undivided attention。Many books are cleverly written but this is in another league。 I would be very surprised if anybody read this and guessed what was going on or what the ending would be。 I cannot say very much for fear of giving away spoilers， but what I will say is that this is not your standard psychological thriller/horror， it is so much more！From reading the afterword， I can tell you that the research that went into this book is second to none。 It actually made me tearful reading it and made me appreciate the story even more than I already did！ （Note: Do not read the afterword before the story as it is full of spoilers）。I cannot recommend this book enough！ If you read it make sure that you go in with an open mind。 It is not what you’d expect but it is bloody brilliant， and Catriona deserves so much recognition for what she has created here。 Stephen King watch out！Needless to say， this gets a whopping 5 stars from me！Amazing， astonishing and extraordinary！ A story that will stay with me for a very long time。Thank you so much to Catriona Ward and Miranda Jewess at Viper Books for my advanced copy of this incredible book。 。。。more
Helen
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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
Jenny Keefe
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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 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。 。。。more
Bookoholic。me
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I finished reading ‘The last house on Needless Street’ last night and I’m still overwhelmed by its brilliance。 It’s hard to find right words to describe how fantastic this book is。 You can expect something very dark， very painful and very twisty。 You might think you figured out what’s going on， only to be surprised by the next pages。 You will be a bit confused at first， and then you’ll be holding your breath while reading。This book is focused on an extremely important topic （which is really pain I finished reading ‘The last house on Needless Street’ last night and I’m still overwhelmed by its brilliance。 It’s hard to find right words to describe how fantastic this book is。 You can expect something very dark， very painful and very twisty。 You might think you figured out what’s going on， only to be surprised by the next pages。 You will be a bit confused at first， and then you’ll be holding your breath while reading。This book is focused on an extremely important topic （which is really painful when you read more about it）。 I’ve been researching it for over a year so I might’ve guessed sooner what the story is about than people who never heard of it。 I’ve seen several books on the market which tried to tackle this sensitive subject and all of them failed。 Catriona did a proper research， made sure that she’s following real life experiences and true emotions， and she didn’t fall for the easy （but hurtful） stereotypes as others authors did。 I’m grateful for that！ At the end of the book you’ll find lots of resources to learn more about what is happening with the characters and I recommend you do that！ It’s a fast-paced story， creepy and properly gothic。 It’s scary in parts and fascinating in others。 I can’t recommend it enough。 Everyone should read it， so if you see my review， pre-order the book。 Now。***Thank you NetGalley and Viper Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mary Picken
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I am very impressed by the canny choices that Viper Books are making。 They are quickly carving out a place in my library with a strong and varied range of must read books， characterised by strong and imaginative writing。The Last House on Needless Street is one such book。 A properly named psychological thriller， it is the very definition of layered。 Immaculate storytelling， interlaced with beautifully constructed plotting provides the base layers for an atmospheric， eerie tale that had me hanging I am very impressed by the canny choices that Viper Books are making。 They are quickly carving out a place in my library with a strong and varied range of must read books， characterised by strong and imaginative writing。The Last House on Needless Street is one such book。 A properly named psychological thriller， it is the very definition of layered。 Immaculate storytelling， interlaced with beautifully constructed plotting provides the base layers for an atmospheric， eerie tale that had me hanging on every word。This is an insidious book， it draws you in， letting you believe that it is a conventional tale， one perhaps that is not dissimilar to other crime novels you have read， but the deeper you read， the more you realise that there is nothing at all conventional about this story。Ward’s characters are convincing and very well drawn and her descriptive abilities are such that at least one of her characters makes your skin crawl and give you nightmares。 This story is told by multiple voices， at least one of them unconventional， which gave me pause for thought – but bear with it; it all makes sense in the long run。An expert at making the reader feel they are constantly walking through shifting sands， the dark woods at the end of the road that is Needless Street sit like a brooding dark mass， threatening to reveal everything， unsettling， yet giving nothing away until they are ready。Two characters are central to the story。 Ted is a maladjusted adult and single father to Lauren， a child who visits his ramshackle house occasionally。 Dee is the sister of a missing girl。 She feels the police have let her down in the hunt for her sister’s abductor and is on a quest to find her sister where they have failed。 Driven by guilt she seems to be the most obviously straightforward character， but her driven quest is obsessive and there is darkness around her that never lifts。Catriona Ward expertly leads us into chilling territory， keeping us off balance， showing us some real moments of terror yet never quite revealing the whole picture。I love the way she keeps the reader constantly out of kilter， never quite sure who and what to believe， constantly questioning what is going on。 There’s real skill and sharpness here and it shines through。Verdict: Dark， original and disturbing this is also a book with enormous poignancy， heart-breaking moments and real tragedy。 It’s ultimately very haunting and deeply thought –provoking and will sit in my brain for a long time to come。 Absolutely recommended。 。。。more
Michelle
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I thank you Viper books for a copy of The last house on Needless Street by Catriona Ward。 I have heard good reviews about this book， so I was looking forward to reading this。 The story is about Ted and his daughter Lauren。 They live in the last house on Needless street。 But you wouldn’t think that they are a normal family and live in a normal house as Ted acts strangely and is scared to the normal things a man does。 He also wears strange clothes and even eats strange things。 Lauren is not allowe I thank you Viper books for a copy of The last house on Needless Street by Catriona Ward。 I have heard good reviews about this book， so I was looking forward to reading this。 The story is about Ted and his daughter Lauren。 They live in the last house on Needless street。 But you wouldn’t think that they are a normal family and live in a normal house as Ted acts strangely and is scared to the normal things a man does。 He also wears strange clothes and even eats strange things。 Lauren is not allowed to do the normal things a kid her age does and wears strange clothes too。 She is not allowed out of their house which the windows are boarded up and they have a talking cat。There is also Dee who has just moved in next door。 Who is searching for her lost sister and thinks that Ted has something to do with her disappearance？ I can’t even tell you what type of book this is as I found it very surreal and weird and to be honest， I was actually going to DNF it。 But I continued on。 I also thought it was sad as the perpetrator was a victim himself when he was younger， so he didn’t know better。 The story is told in several points of view in the past and present that confused me throughout and the ending was very disappointing， and I didn’t really get the ending at all。 Three stars from me。 。。。more
Daren Kearl
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After finishing this story I thought that the author had been very ambitious in their intentions。 If you have ever seen （view spoiler）[ the film Identity or read the William Faulkner book The Sound and the Fury （hide spoiler）]， you will develop some ideas as to what is going on with the bizarre narrative。 As the first person narrators move from Ted to Lauren and then to Olivia the cat， I can see that some readers might give up。。 it feels messy and like Alice in Wonderland on acid。 But to underst After finishing this story I thought that the author had been very ambitious in their intentions。 If you have ever seen （view spoiler）[ the film Identity or read the William Faulkner book The Sound and the Fury （hide spoiler）]， you will develop some ideas as to what is going on with the bizarre narrative。 As the first person narrators move from Ted to Lauren and then to Olivia the cat， I can see that some readers might give up。。 it feels messy and like Alice in Wonderland on acid。 But to understand it all， you need to persevere。Not just content with this， Ward also flips the whole crime investigation scenario on its head as well as， in the latter stages， providing some social and emotional background to the revelations。I admire the chutzpah of the attempt here but， reading the afterword， it is revealed that the story was， in its original form， a more straightforward scenario and this is perhaps why to me it doesn't quite work。。。 rather than start from scratch， the original was moulded to fit the new idea。 An intriguing and clever read。 。。。more
Linda
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I almost gave up on this book when the 2nd chapter was from the cats point of view， but I looked at all the reviews and everyone raves about it and gave it 5 stars。 Not for me， I found it muddled and so silly and far fetched however on reading the authors notes I found that the theme of the book is all very very real。 A little girl has gone missing， some years later her sister is still looking for her， she would be a teenager now and Dee， the sister， is sure she is still alive and out there some I almost gave up on this book when the 2nd chapter was from the cats point of view， but I looked at all the reviews and everyone raves about it and gave it 5 stars。 Not for me， I found it muddled and so silly and far fetched however on reading the authors notes I found that the theme of the book is all very very real。 A little girl has gone missing， some years later her sister is still looking for her， she would be a teenager now and Dee， the sister， is sure she is still alive and out there somewhere。 She is revisiting every man who was at the lake where her sister disappeared， the one she thinks is a certainty is Ted， he was interviewed at the time and although he had an alibi she is now sure it is him。 But Ted is not normal， and he has a “daughter” who visits him， and a cat called Olivia who narrates parts of the book and can do human things。 Of course everything is a red herring and as the book nears the end， the threads slowly unravel and it becomes apparent that all we thought wasn’t always the case。Not the best book I have read。#netgalley #lasthouseonneedlessst 。。。more
June Walters
，
This is a story with so many layers that it is difficult to know where to start a review without giving away too much。 Suffice to say it is a truly deep and dark story with a wonderful plot。 From page one it’s is a page turner and I couldn’t leave it alone。 Right to the end the story keeps unfolding and the twists are brilliantly thought out and totally believable。 Please ensure that you read the Afterword when you have finished the book， the insight into DID is just as fascinating as the book i This is a story with so many layers that it is difficult to know where to start a review without giving away too much。 Suffice to say it is a truly deep and dark story with a wonderful plot。 From page one it’s is a page turner and I couldn’t leave it alone。 Right to the end the story keeps unfolding and the twists are brilliantly thought out and totally believable。 Please ensure that you read the Afterword when you have finished the book， the insight into DID is just as fascinating as the book itself。 A brilliant book， so well written， an absolute joy to read。Thank you NetGalley 。。。more
Linda Hill
，
Good gracious me。 I have absolutely no idea how I’m going to review The Last House on Needless Street because I’m not quite sure what it is I’ve just read！ Part horror story， part thriller， part psychological exploration， this is a book that defies categorisation but that is utterly spellbinding。 I thought it was stunning。 Indeed， I found it such a mind blowing concept that reading it felt like being on some kind of fairground ride where you don’t quite know where you are or what perspective you Good gracious me。 I have absolutely no idea how I’m going to review The Last House on Needless Street because I’m not quite sure what it is I’ve just read！ Part horror story， part thriller， part psychological exploration， this is a book that defies categorisation but that is utterly spellbinding。 I thought it was stunning。 Indeed， I found it such a mind blowing concept that reading it felt like being on some kind of fairground ride where you don’t quite know where you are or what perspective you’re viewing。 I had to keep pausing so that my brain could catch up with my eyes as I read。 Catriona Ward’s writing is so brilliant that The Last House on Needless Street is a book that feels like a malevolent， sentient being in its own right and yet it has compassion and empathy threaded throughout it in a heady blend。The plot in The Last House on Needless Street is astonishing。 Akin to the Russian dolls on Ted’s mantlepiece that have many layers， in the narrative strata and meanings are complex and varied， adding layer upon layer of interest and captivating the reader completely。 There is a linear timeline， especially through Dee’s subplot as she searches for her sister， but it is interspersed with elements that make it kaleidoscopic， shifting perceptions and providing an absolutely mesmerising reading experience。 Much of the time I wasn’t quite sure what was going on， which meant I was compelled to continue reading to see if my theories were correct and to find out how the book might be resolved。 This illustrates real power in the writing and I have a feeling The Last House on Needless Street will resonate with me for a very long time。Ted’s character is so well drawn。 He exemplifies a horrifying potential in all of us。 It’s not possible to say too much about him as this would uncover too much of the heart of the book and spoil the read for others。 If I say I hated him， I loved him， I feared him， I wanted to protect him and rail against him you’ll perhaps get some idea of the complexity of human nature Catriona Ward builds into him。Similarly， it isn’t fair to other readers to articulate too much about theme， but identity， love， guilt， truth， loyalty， fear， control and so much more are woven by Catriona Ward into this complex， touching and enlightening story。 The Last House on Needless Street is not so much a book to read as one to experience。 It left me stunned。Aware that I have hardly scratched the surface of The Last House on Needless Street because I don’t want to give away too much， I must mention the overall quality of the writing。 It is beautiful。 Even at its most brutal or horrific it is exquisite。 The senses zing from the page so that the reader is transported into Ted’s world and particularly Olivia’s。 There’s a visual quality that is filmic too so that The Last House on Needless Street can be experienced by the reader in many ways。I thought The Last House on Needless Street was original， hypnotic and， for a story that is quite brutal， incredibly tender too。 I loved it and really recommend that you read it to discover its secrets for yourself！ 。。。more
Jan
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OMG， this book blew my mind。 At many points， especially in the first half I thought what the hell am I reading？ So many times I wondered if it was worth sticking with as it was so terribly confusing and strange。 There are inconsistencies and utterly bizarre， eerie things going on， yet believe me it does all fall into place， eventually。 It is eerie and creepy and worrying and absolutely wonderful。 Part who-dunnit mystery， we know right from the beginning about the popsicle girl， a little girl who OMG， this book blew my mind。 At many points， especially in the first half I thought what the hell am I reading？ So many times I wondered if it was worth sticking with as it was so terribly confusing and strange。 There are inconsistencies and utterly bizarre， eerie things going on， yet believe me it does all fall into place， eventually。 It is eerie and creepy and worrying and absolutely wonderful。 Part who-dunnit mystery， we know right from the beginning about the popsicle girl， a little girl who went missing years earlier， a horror story and a psychological tour de force。Yes， there is a strange boarded up house at the end of a dead end street which leads only to a deep forest and particularly the first part of the book has nuances of The Ocean at the end of the lane The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman。The main character， Ted， is the most enigmatic character I have read about in ages， his daughter Lauren is one of the strangest and angriest girls， Olivia the cat， well， I adored her and I'm not quite sure what it says about me when I say I wish I had an Olivia of my own。 She talks， by the way （and can read！） but please don't let the WTFness of this put you off， she is wonderful and pivotal to the whole story。 There's also Dee， sister of the missing girl， seeking revenge and desperate to discover someone's door to lay blame at。 Even the secondary characters are mysterious and strange， the orange haired man with his noisy brouhaha dog， the dachshund/chihuahua/terrier woman， and the green boys - who ARE they？ The story which eventually emerges is teeth grindingly gasp out loud horrific， yet ultimately immensely satisfying。The writing is wonderful， everything is off-kilter and menacing， and I found by the latter third through to the end I felt genuinely disturbed and very anguished。 I fell asleep crying and woke with tears still spilling from my eyes。 Don't be put off by any hype as this is sure to be a much talked about book even though you really can't say too much， for fear of giving anything away。 。。。more
Sara Woodcock
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I was desperate to read this book having seen all the buzz being generated on Instagram and Twitter。 The plot sounded so intriguing， a gothic horror story， just the sort of book I’m drawn to。 But oh！ This book is so much more than that！ Catriona Ward’s writing is so vivid， utterly mesmerising。 I couldn’t tear myself away， but also had to give myself little breaks as the story is so intense！ The main character， Ted， is really confusing and it’s hard to get your head around what is going on at fir I was desperate to read this book having seen all the buzz being generated on Instagram and Twitter。 The plot sounded so intriguing， a gothic horror story， just the sort of book I’m drawn to。 But oh！ This book is so much more than that！ Catriona Ward’s writing is so vivid， utterly mesmerising。 I couldn’t tear myself away， but also had to give myself little breaks as the story is so intense！ The main character， Ted， is really confusing and it’s hard to get your head around what is going on at first but then it clicked for me， aha 💡 and from that point on I was reading while holding my breath！ Some chapters are narrated by a cat， Olivia， which I thought was quite strange， but also totally brilliant。I found both Ted and Dee’s stories really heartbreaking， you definitely feel for both characters。 By the end of the book and having read the epilogue I was actually very emotional （there was a tear in my eye）。 As I shut my Kindle down to let this book sink in my final thought was。。。WOW。 。。。more
Kathleen
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I need this like I need air to breathe
Caron Mckinlay
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You'll have to look hard to find a character as creepy and weird as Ted。 He made my skin crawl。 I hated him。 I knew everything there was to know about him。 I was wrong。 Things are far worse。 Believe the hype this is a must read。 Storytelling at its most powerful。 You'll have to look hard to find a character as creepy and weird as Ted。 He made my skin crawl。 I hated him。 I knew everything there was to know about him。 I was wrong。 Things are far worse。 Believe the hype this is a must read。 Storytelling at its most powerful。 。。。more
A。J。 Sefton
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Anything billed as 'gothic' always piques my interest。 But for this perturbing tale I had to spend some time thinking about what I had read。 And， actually， whether I liked it。The story is set in a house on 'Needless Street' where a man lives with his daughter and a cat。 From the outset， we know that this isn't a 'normal' man in that he behaves oddly， he has strange injuries and wears old and strange clothes。 Plus the house is run down with boarded up windows。 But that is only the beginning。 The Anything billed as 'gothic' always piques my interest。 But for this perturbing tale I had to spend some time thinking about what I had read。 And， actually， whether I liked it。The story is set in a house on 'Needless Street' where a man lives with his daughter and a cat。 From the outset， we know that this isn't a 'normal' man in that he behaves oddly， he has strange injuries and wears old and strange clothes。 Plus the house is run down with boarded up windows。 But that is only the beginning。 The chapters alternate between the man， daughter and cat， plus a woman whose little sister disappeared many years ago。 She believes that this strange and solitary man has her sister。In the truest sense of the word， this is a psychological thriller that invaded my dreams on a regular basis。 There is horror and dread， and when I thought I knew what was going on I was shaken to find that I didn't have a clue。 Challenging， chilling and totally absorbing， this is an unusual story - or perhaps it isn't。 It is a tale of survival and how people deal with horror in their lives。 Original and well worth a read。 。。。more
Sadhbh O'Sullivan
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I thought I knew what to expect and I thought I could guess what was going on - I both could and couldn’t and it literally had me holding my breath until the last few pages。 SO good。 Best horror and most tender thriller I’ve read in a very long time。 Fuck ！！
Hayley
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I'm going to try and review this without giving too much away as this book is best enjoyed with as little info as possible。 11 years ago， Dee's little sister Lulu was abducted at the age of 6。 Dee's whole life has now become dedicated to finding out what happened to her sister and will not stop at any cost。 Ted Bannerman is a different sort of man。 He does not view the world the way that most folk do and as such he's treated with trepidation by those he encounters。 Dee's investigations have led I'm going to try and review this without giving too much away as this book is best enjoyed with as little info as possible。 11 years ago， Dee's little sister Lulu was abducted at the age of 6。 Dee's whole life has now become dedicated to finding out what happened to her sister and will not stop at any cost。 Ted Bannerman is a different sort of man。 He does not view the world the way that most folk do and as such he's treated with trepidation by those he encounters。 Dee's investigations have led her to Ted's house。 She goes to the extreme by moving in opposite him and is determined to find out what he has done。。。The woods behind Needless Street run dark and deep。 Ward is an absolutely superb writer。 She tackles tough issues with sensitivity and aplomb。 The complex tapestry she's woven in this story is unsettling， rich and absolutely enthralling to read。 The chapters alternate between points of view: Ted's， Dee's and Ted's cat Olivia。 The Olivia chapters were brilliant and added an extra layer of depth to Ted。 The story builds up to a crescendo in which I couldn't turn the pages fast enough。 I truly thought I had the ending figured out， but Ward pulled the rug from under me and I was left breathless with the reveal。 This is a book that will stay with me for a long time after finishing it。 It is haunting， brilliant and blinding。 An astounding 5 star read for me。 I would like to thank Viper Books for a copy of this book in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Indieflower
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I didn't so much as read this book as become entangled in it， creepy， gothic， dark， disturbing， twisty and heartbreaking， every time I thought I'd figured it out， another element came along to derail my theory。 It's a hard one to review without spoilers but is told by 3 narrators， Ted， a very odd man who takes care of his young daughter and his cat， Dee， a young woman who is convinced that Ted kidnapped her little sister years before， and last but not least， Olivia the cat。 I was totally intrigu I didn't so much as read this book as become entangled in it， creepy， gothic， dark， disturbing， twisty and heartbreaking， every time I thought I'd figured it out， another element came along to derail my theory。 It's a hard one to review without spoilers but is told by 3 narrators， Ted， a very odd man who takes care of his young daughter and his cat， Dee， a young woman who is convinced that Ted kidnapped her little sister years before， and last but not least， Olivia the cat。 I was totally intrigued throughout， I loved trying to puzzle it out through the distinct voices of the characters and was gripped by the sense of mystery and weirdness。 All in all， an unusual， very different kind of story and very much worth reading。 。。。more
Jo
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I went into The Last House on Needless Street blind。 I didn’t know much about the story other than it had a talking cat and was being pitched as the ‘Must-Read Gothic Thriller of 2021‘ with a snappy quote from Stephen King no less。What’s it about？ It’s about Ted who lives in The Last House on Needless Street。 And it’s about Dee who is searching for her sister Lulu who went missing while on a family day trip to a lake near Needless Street。 It’s about Ted’s cat Olivia who acts as a narrator for so I went into The Last House on Needless Street blind。 I didn’t know much about the story other than it had a talking cat and was being pitched as the ‘Must-Read Gothic Thriller of 2021‘ with a snappy quote from Stephen King no less。What’s it about？ It’s about Ted who lives in The Last House on Needless Street。 And it’s about Dee who is searching for her sister Lulu who went missing while on a family day trip to a lake near Needless Street。 It’s about Ted’s cat Olivia who acts as a narrator for some of the chapters。Ted is an odd-ball。 Friendless and living in his childhood home alone， he keeps the windows boarded up and very seldom ventures out with his daughter Lauren when she visits。 Even Olivia is a house cat and doesn’t get out。 The story is told from the point of view of Dee， Ted， Olivia and Lauren and slowly they weave together a timeline of Lulu’s disappearance and of Ted’s life。The writing is sharp， succinct and left me completely baffled as to what was happening at points BUT this is key to the story and to the storytelling。 The writing is so cleverly done。 As I reached the conclusion of the story and everything was explained the writing style becomes so clear and I really felt like I was IN the story experiencing first-hand what was happening。The Last House on Needless Street is chilling。 I’d absolutely class this as a horror story rather than a mystery/ thriller。 I’ve not read a book that has scared me this much for a long， long time。 There was a point where I considered not finishing it as I did NOT like the way it was going。 （It involved the cat…） However I couldn’t have given up as the story had hooked me by this point and I was powerless to resist。Think Rachel having to keep The Shining in the freezer in Friends – that’s almost the level I was reaching。It’s the one to beat for Book of 2021 so far for me… just do yourself a favour and read it with the lights on。The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is published on March 18th 2021。I received an advance copy of The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward through Netgalley。 My thanks to the publisher Serpent’s Tail/ Viper for approving my request for the book。 。。。more
preoccupiedbybooks
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A horrifying， atmospheric and unexpected book， which will challenge what you think， and make you question everything the entire time！Ted lives in the last house on Needless street， right next to the woods， with his cat and his daughter。 Next door， a woman moves in， looking for her missing sister。You might think you see where this story about a serial killer， a stolen child and revenge is going， but you have no idea。。Ok， I finished this late last night， and didn't know what to think， or how to fe A horrifying， atmospheric and unexpected book， which will challenge what you think， and make you question everything the entire time！Ted lives in the last house on Needless street， right next to the woods， with his cat and his daughter。 Next door， a woman moves in， looking for her missing sister。You might think you see where this story about a serial killer， a stolen child and revenge is going， but you have no idea。。Ok， I finished this late last night， and didn't know what to think， or how to feel， I needed to process。 I lay in bed after with a sour， unsettled feeling in my stomach because this book was not AT ALL what I thought it was going to be！ Even with the cryptic synopsis！ This wont be a book for everyone， at times it was one of the strangest things I've ever read！ I would say， if you're finding it too weird， and I've seen a lot of DNFs at a certain point when a cat is introduced， then persevere。 I can see why people give up there， I almost did， but at that point you're not even scraping the surface of this story！This is a very difficult review to write， because I can't really say anything about any of the characters without giving spoilers！ Just know that there are multiple POVs from very unreliable narrators， and that the POV is constantly shifting。 I felt lost and confused at times reading The Last House on Needless Street， but that style is important to the book， you are not meant to know。 I would love to discuss this with others who have read the book！At times， I thought to myself do I even like this book？ I wasn't sure！ But was I absorbed by the chilling and unusual story？ Definitely！ It was a complicated， layered look at trauma and survival。 It was heart-breaking and tragic， intense and creepy。 I hated Ted， and thought I had everything figured out， but was repeatedly wrong！ Every time I thought that I had a handle on the plot， the ground would shift。 Catriona Ward was always one step ahead of me， and her excellently constructed book， with it's beautiful and powerful writing kept me off balance， feeding me tiny clues at just the right time！ I had a sense that there was something that I wasn't quite grasping， and had to find out what it was， I felt blind！ This book had me murmuring to myself， commenting out loud， and even discussing theories with my husband。 The further I got， the darker， more twisted and crazy it seemed！ I just couldn't stop thinking about it。 I'm not even sure what genre to put this in， is it dark gothic horror， fantasy， a psychological thriller？ All of the above？ I have no idea！ But whatever you think is going on， you are wrong🤷♀️ As things began to unfold， I thought my head would explode！ And as I got even further， my emotions felt raw。 When it came to the conclusion， I was truly shocked， like speechless， sat downstairs on my own。 Looking back I could slap myself， as there were clues， but then again， I don't think many will really see until they get to the end？！ Everything was just so cleverly disguised in the writing！ Pay attention to everything！ I kind of feel like I would like to read it again， now knowing what I know。。。Overall， I would recommend this if you like gothic horror with a psychological element， if you like books that are a little bit different， because this was definitely original， I've not read anything like it！ 🐱🐱🐱🐱Many thanks to NetGalley UK and Serpents Tail/Profile books for the ARC， in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Laura （Bookie_mama_bear）
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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁A missing girl， an eerie wood， a sister hellbent on solving a decades old mystery and one man who loses time and harbours lots of dark secrets。This was a wild read！ It’s deeply dark & disturbing at times。 It twists whiplash fast。 It’s addictive， it’s brilliantly weird， completely unbelievable but wholly believable too。 I couldn’t put it down！ If you like psychological， intense & pacy reads - you’ll love it！！Thank you @viper。books for my #gifted copy in return for 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁A missing girl， an eerie wood， a sister hellbent on solving a decades old mystery and one man who loses time and harbours lots of dark secrets。This was a wild read！ It’s deeply dark & disturbing at times。 It twists whiplash fast。 It’s addictive， it’s brilliantly weird， completely unbelievable but wholly believable too。 I couldn’t put it down！ If you like psychological， intense & pacy reads - you’ll love it！！Thank you @viper。books for my #gifted copy in return for my honest review。 。。。more
Maureen
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Hands up， when I started reading this， I thought it wasn’t going to be for me， but it turns out I was wrong， and I was duly rewarded with a strange， dark， but unique reading experience。Ted is something of a recluse， he lives in a tumbledown house right beside a spooky forest on Needless Street， he has his cat Olivia for company， and occasional visits from his daughter Lauren。 Lauren’s visits are a whirlwind of torment for Ted， （and Olivia） she’s noisy， aggressive， and defiant， but he does his be Hands up， when I started reading this， I thought it wasn’t going to be for me， but it turns out I was wrong， and I was duly rewarded with a strange， dark， but unique reading experience。Ted is something of a recluse， he lives in a tumbledown house right beside a spooky forest on Needless Street， he has his cat Olivia for company， and occasional visits from his daughter Lauren。 Lauren’s visits are a whirlwind of torment for Ted， （and Olivia） she’s noisy， aggressive， and defiant， but he does his best to instil some sort of discipline， or Lauren has to pay the price for her behaviour！ I don’t want to give anything away， so I’ll leave it at that， except to say that this is a tense， creepy but compelling and original storyline， that reads more like gothic horror at times！* Thank you to Netgalley and Serpent’s Tail/ Profile Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review * 。。。more
Kat
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This a completely compelling read that shook me to the core and a book that is almost impossible to describe without spoiling it for other readers so I’m not even going to try， just pick it up and read it for yourself I can assure you you won’t be disappointed。Told from multiple points of view it’s a read that slowly gives snippets of information about what is happening but then twists it round and I was never quite sure of anything， the narrator’s were all odd to say the least but there hidden This a completely compelling read that shook me to the core and a book that is almost impossible to describe without spoiling it for other readers so I’m not even going to try， just pick it up and read it for yourself I can assure you you won’t be disappointed。Told from multiple points of view it’s a read that slowly gives snippets of information about what is happening but then twists it round and I was never quite sure of anything， the narrator’s were all odd to say the least but there hidden in the story there were clues and it was a pretty amazing read。All the way through reading this book is this underlying sense of menace and at times made for some pretty uncomfortable reading but it was so compulsive I found myself desperate to try and fit it all together。The twists were very very clever， the writing was perfection and it was a book that shocked me many times。 I can highly recommend this this to all lovers of thrillers with a difference and I’m sure this will be a big hit。 My thanks to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail/Profile Books， Viper for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Tess Lloyd
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Wow what a book！ This was not at all what I was expecting， it was better。 I devoured it。 There were so many twists and what twists they were。 This is a must read！
Hannah
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What a wild ride。 There’s a lot happening in this story， and whilst I found some of the perspectives a little jarring， I was hooked throughout。 Despite being a dark tale， it was a fun and fast-paced read which I enjoyed。I can’t really say too much more without giving it away but if you like twisty， non-linear thrillers， and want to read a different take on the genre then you’ll enjoy this too。 Thanks to Viper for the proof copy。
Danni Linton
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