Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "catriona-ward"

Rawblood by Catriona Ward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A creeping tale gothic horror and a haunting family legacy.

Rawblood stands isolated and aloof on the Devonshire moors; home to the Villarca family, only two of whom remain – Iris and her father.

Iris has been warned of the Villarca affliction, either a disease or a curse which strikes when one feels powerful emotion. Iris’ health is threatened by her bond with Tom, a young man from a neighbouring family estate.

Through a history steeped in shadows, the secrets of Rawblood emerge, a prison from which no Villarca can escape.

'Rawblood' is the debut novel by Catriona Ward, a gothic tale stretching across decades, telling the history of the Villarca family and those in their close orbit. A concoction of perhaps the foremost three of the gothic sub-genres – horror, family saga and romance, it is a beautifully written and richly descriptive novel, employing a non-linear narrative to detail events through the Victorian era, Edwardian era, and the First World War and its immediate aftermath, exploring multiple character perspectives and how their stories intertwine. Against the backdrop of vivid settings, including the mansion lost in the midst of the wilderness of Dartmoor, into the heart of an asylum, and travelling to Siena, is an intricately plotted and deftly-paced saga, with an escalating psychological claustrophobia throughout.

At the centre of the story is Iris, who as a child first learns of the family malady that may have its origins in something physical, psychological or supernatural. Rebelling against the fears her father instils in her, she cannot foresee the horrors that will be unleashed. Three decades earlier, Charles Danforth travels to Rawblood to reunite with an old friend, recording his stay in diary form. These slow-burning narratives coalesce with menace and suspense, featuring forbidden relationships, scientific experimentation, and the lingering spectres of guilt and trauma. Adjacent to their narration, supporting characters’ perspectives flesh out this history, providing clues to the truth behind the mystery. While balancing these many elements, revelations withheld and insinuated, only to fully emerge as the final chapters come to fruition, between the lines is oppression and abuse – physical and psychological; familial, institutional and societal.

Oozing atmosphere and entwining a treasure trove of gothic themes, Ward has woven a work of art. Reminiscent of classics such as 'Frankenstein', 'Rebecca' and ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, with touches of 'The Woman in Black', 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' and even ‘Dracula’, whilst nevertheless being its own unique story, it contains so much which I love about the genre in one novel and is a superlative portrayal of a haunting - balancing the supernatural with the psychological, origins swathed in horror and mystery. The journal entries of 1881, the chapters within the asylum during and after the war, and the tale of traveling companions Miss Hopewell and Miss Brigstocke in 1839-50 all stick in my mind as perfectly evoking their characters and place. Also inspirational for me as a writer, this book features many elements that I strive for in my own fiction and find deeply fascinating. This is the first of Ward's novels that I've read and already places her as a new favourite of mine.

Tragic and evocative, ‘Rawblood’ is a haunting horror story and family saga, one you wish to both devour and savour in equal measure.



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The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights by Bridget Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An atmospheric collection of terror and tragedy.

'The Winter Spirits' is a collection of twelve short stories of the gothic and the ghostly, following the previous volume 'The Haunting Season', written by twelve masters of the craft, each tale a vividly realised and chillingly immersive piece of sublime storytelling.

With messages through the veil and malign creatures haunting the living, to the cold hand of vengeance from beyond the grave and a feared visit from Krampus himself, we bear witness to supernatural phenomena, hauntings of the mind and the home, lashings of guilt and hope for mercy, all the while each of the authors developing a sense of creeping paranoia and burgeoning dread.

To be savoured for its fine prose, gothic imagery, rich character development and intricate plotting, the collection is the perfect companion for frosty mornings, peaceful afternoons and cold, blustery evenings, when you want nothing more than to snuggle up with a ghost story to celebrate the festive season.



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Little Eve by Catriona Ward

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A dark gothic tale of abuse and moral corruption.

With the dawning of a new year, a horrific discovery is made on a remote Scottish island - an entire family mutilated and murdered.

There is a sole survivor of the massacre - Dinah - who is able to testify to the atrocity committed by her sister, Eve.

But Eve's own account is a far less clear cut tale of good and evil. Through her story, the truth of what led to that brutal Hogmanay emerges.

'Little Eve' is the second novel by Catriona Ward. I've been excited about reading it since reading the fabulous 'Rawblood', and it proved to be another fantastic book! Ward immerses us in rich gothic prose, conjuring an atmospheric, slow-burning gothic horror. We meet two women - Dinah, the survivor, haunted by the ghosts of her trauma; and Eve, an innocent victim who becomes both liberator and murderer.

Beautifully written, with deeply evocative descriptions, the setting is vividly brought to life, the isle of Altnaharra almost a character in itself, with its rugged, dangerous beauty, the ocean wrapping it in its arms, either protection or imprisonment; the only signs of human habitation the crumbling ruins of an old church and the ancient castle the family have made their home. Despite the horrors that take place there, you cannot fail to feel its potential as a place of peace and sanctuary – a power Uncle abuses to his advantage.

Through Eve and Dinah's perspectives, with some input from a police detective, we discover their family is truly a cult. Eve learns how their “family” came to be and the past of the man they call Uncle, testing her faith in their deity, the Adder, and their entire belief system, as she begins to see the truth of what is happening on their island. We delve into the beliefs of the cult, a chilling subversion of Christian myth - particularly of Genesis and Revelation - how this "faith" allows an abuser to flourish unhindered, and, ultimately, as the mask crumbles, exploring what it truly means to be free when wounds remain in livid scars.

Intense and introspective, 'Little Eve' is a gripping gothic novel that reaches deep to touch your heart and soul.



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The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An extraordinary and powerful psychological horror thriller.

The last house on Needless Street hides much darkness, its residents entwined in a web of secrets, lies and trauma.

Ted has lived there for many years, taking care of his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia. But horror lurks in the shadows, waiting to emerge.

When someone moves into the house next door, someone who is convinced Ted is a murderer, the past begins to unravel, excavating ghosts that have lain buried but never quite forgotten.

‘The Last House on Needless Street’ is the third novel by Catriona Ward, a psychological horror thriller that tells the tale a missing child and the mystery surrounding what became of her, as we seek the mind of a murderer, excavating trauma woven in jagged scars through the minds of everyone in the periphery of such heinous crimes. A sublime concoction of psychological thriller, gothic horror and crime mystery, the novel takes the gothic setting of a haunted house and turns it on its head in a psychological, criminological study, told from the perspectives of multiple characters, ultimately piecing together the truth like narrative puzzle pieces.

Ted Bannerman has lived in Needless Street since he was a child, having been raised in the house by his sadistic mother. He now shares his home with his troubled young daughter, Lauren, and his intelligent and observant cat, Olivia. Through Ted’s memories, therapy sessions and domestic life, we gain an insight into his psyche and history, and particularly relating to one significant time, eleven years earlier – when Little Girl With Popsicle, Lulu, vanished, her disappearance lying at the shattered heart of the novel. Years later, Lulu’s sister, Dee, remains determined to uncover the truth after the police failed to find her, tracking down Ted through a newspaper report printed at the time, moving into the house next door in pursuit of the man she believes must be responsible.

Ward has crafted a masterpiece, cleverly written and expertly layered, its engrossing, atmospheric prose weaving a compelling character-driven narrative, often strange and disturbing, and consistently captivating, with spiralling twists and turns, misdirections and sleight of hand clues, subverting judgements and expectations. Rich in suspense, a sense of escalation and unraveling as the plot develops, the story is at times contemplative, philosophising on faith and perception; at other times vengeful and retributive, bursting with a thirst for justice; the truth leaking through the cracks, clues emerging and horrors unveiled in a journey through denial, delusion and faulty memory – an exploration of a fractured mind and tortured soul.

Engrossing and thrilling, ‘The Last House on Needless Street’ is a superb novel, both empathetic and provocative; an extremely well realised horror thriller, representing both genres at their finest and most riveting.



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