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The Last House on Needless Street - Sneak Peek
Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street is a shocking and immersive read perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Haunting of Hill House. Download a FREE sneak peek today!
“The new face of literary dark fiction.” —Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes
"The buzz...is real. I've read it and was blown away. It's a true nerve-shredder that keeps its mind-blowing secrets to the very end." —Stephen King
In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three.
A teenage girl who isn’t allowed outside, not after last time.
A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory.
And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible.
An unspeakable secret binds them together, but when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
“The new face of literary dark fiction.” —Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes
"The buzz...is real. I've read it and was blown away. It's a true nerve-shredder that keeps its mind-blowing secrets to the very end." —Stephen King
In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three.
A teenage girl who isn’t allowed outside, not after last time.
A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory.
And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible.
An unspeakable secret binds them together, but when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
49 pages, ebook
Published July 20, 2021
320 people are currently reading
8417 people want to read
About the author
Catriona Ward
29 books5,364 followersCATRIONA WARD was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the United States, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen, and Morocco. She read English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford and is a graduate of the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia. Her forthcoming novel, Nowhere Burning, will be published by Tor Nightfire in the US and Viper Books in the UK this year. `Her last book, Looking Glass Sound, was a USA Today bestseller. Her fourth novel, the gothic thriller Sundial (2022 - Viper, Tor Nightfire) was Observer Thriller of the Month and a USA Today, CNN and Apple Books selection for best new fiction. Stephen King called Sundial ‘Authentically terrifying…. Do not miss this book.’
Ward’s third breakout novel The Last House on Needless Street (2021 - Viper, Tor Nightfire) won the August Derleth Prize and has been shortlisted for the Kitschies, the British Book Awards, the South Bank Award, and the World Fantasy Award. Esquire magazine listed it as one of the top 25 best horror novels of all time. Rights have been sold in twenty-nine territories, it was a Richard and Judy Book Club selection, a Times Book of the Month, Observer Book of the Month, March Editor’s Pick on Radio 4’s Open Book, a Between the Covers BBC2 book club selection and a Sunday Times bestseller. The Last House on Needless Street is being developed for film by Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish’s production company, The Imaginarium. Stephen King said of The Last House on Needless Street, ‘I was blown away. It's a true nerve-shredder that keeps its mind-blowing secrets to the very end. Haven't read anything this exciting since GONE GIRL.’
Ward’s second novel Little Eve (2018 - W&N, Tor Nightfire) won the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award, the August Derleth Prize at the British Fantasy Awards and was a Guardian best book of 2018. Nightfire published Little Eve for the first time in the US in 2022. Ward’s debut Rawblood (2015 - W&N, Sourcebooks) also won the 2016 August Derleth, making her the only woman to have won the prize three times. Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and have been shortlisted for various prizes. She lives in London and Devon.
Her short story, The African Painted Dog, is part of The End of The World as We Know It, Tales from The Stand. Introduced by Stephen King, this anthology is the first time authors have been permitted to write in Stephen King;'s universe.
Ward’s third breakout novel The Last House on Needless Street (2021 - Viper, Tor Nightfire) won the August Derleth Prize and has been shortlisted for the Kitschies, the British Book Awards, the South Bank Award, and the World Fantasy Award. Esquire magazine listed it as one of the top 25 best horror novels of all time. Rights have been sold in twenty-nine territories, it was a Richard and Judy Book Club selection, a Times Book of the Month, Observer Book of the Month, March Editor’s Pick on Radio 4’s Open Book, a Between the Covers BBC2 book club selection and a Sunday Times bestseller. The Last House on Needless Street is being developed for film by Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish’s production company, The Imaginarium. Stephen King said of The Last House on Needless Street, ‘I was blown away. It's a true nerve-shredder that keeps its mind-blowing secrets to the very end. Haven't read anything this exciting since GONE GIRL.’
Ward’s second novel Little Eve (2018 - W&N, Tor Nightfire) won the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award, the August Derleth Prize at the British Fantasy Awards and was a Guardian best book of 2018. Nightfire published Little Eve for the first time in the US in 2022. Ward’s debut Rawblood (2015 - W&N, Sourcebooks) also won the 2016 August Derleth, making her the only woman to have won the prize three times. Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and have been shortlisted for various prizes. She lives in London and Devon.
Her short story, The African Painted Dog, is part of The End of The World as We Know It, Tales from The Stand. Introduced by Stephen King, this anthology is the first time authors have been permitted to write in Stephen King;'s universe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 786 reviews
November 17, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this book.
This is quite an ambitious work but unfortunately I did not find it remarkable.
I enjoyed the writing but I did not like the development of the storyline.
The beginning was quite confusing and I had no idea what I was reading. I almost quit it.
Also, I did not feel the eerie or creepy atmosphere that everyone was talking about.
As the story progresses I was able to finally understand where it was going.
I think that my main frustration is that I hate being misled with several unreliable narrators. It is as if the author personally lied to me.
I confess that I was angry the way mental health was presented here, but after reading the author’s afterword I was able to understand and accept it. And she did a good research about dissociative identity disorder.
Perhaps this book would have worked better for me if I had listened to the audiobook.
I know that I’m in the minority, so please, don’t mind me.
Because of all the hype my expectations were too high.
PS: somehow my original review was deleted from this one or the problem is that somehow this edition is separated from the others. I read this book last October.
This is quite an ambitious work but unfortunately I did not find it remarkable.
I enjoyed the writing but I did not like the development of the storyline.
The beginning was quite confusing and I had no idea what I was reading. I almost quit it.
Also, I did not feel the eerie or creepy atmosphere that everyone was talking about.
As the story progresses I was able to finally understand where it was going.
I think that my main frustration is that I hate being misled with several unreliable narrators. It is as if the author personally lied to me.
I confess that I was angry the way mental health was presented here, but after reading the author’s afterword I was able to understand and accept it. And she did a good research about dissociative identity disorder.
Perhaps this book would have worked better for me if I had listened to the audiobook.
I know that I’m in the minority, so please, don’t mind me.
Because of all the hype my expectations were too high.
PS: somehow my original review was deleted from this one or the problem is that somehow this edition is separated from the others. I read this book last October.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2021
The Last House On Needless Street is one of the best mind-boggling books I have ever read. I had no clue what was happening until the very end. Several times I thought maybe I was losing my mind.
This book is written in such a way that it’s almost like a puzzle with 1,000 pieces. 50 pieces are missing, 12 have been gnawed on by a cat and the rest are just scattered everywhere.
Holy smokes this was a good book!
This book is written in such a way that it’s almost like a puzzle with 1,000 pieces. 50 pieces are missing, 12 have been gnawed on by a cat and the rest are just scattered everywhere.
Holy smokes this was a good book!
September 17, 2022
Wow. This book was pure genius.
4.5 Stars
When I picked up this book I thought it was going to be a creepy house mixed with a murder mystery…but boy was I wrong.
You need to go into this book completely blind for it to be impactful. There’s 3 twists that made me audibly gasp. My husband was sitting beside me as I was reading and he kept having to say, “WHAT HAPPENED?”
If you decide to read this, PLEASE read the whole thing even if it frustrates you at first, or seems extremely confusing and hard to follow. It was purposely written that way. It all comes together in the end.
I have to keep this review brief because I quite literally can’t go into any detail of the book, because it would be impossible not to spoil. All you should know, is that it’s so worth it.
4.5 Stars
When I picked up this book I thought it was going to be a creepy house mixed with a murder mystery…but boy was I wrong.
You need to go into this book completely blind for it to be impactful. There’s 3 twists that made me audibly gasp. My husband was sitting beside me as I was reading and he kept having to say, “WHAT HAPPENED?”
If you decide to read this, PLEASE read the whole thing even if it frustrates you at first, or seems extremely confusing and hard to follow. It was purposely written that way. It all comes together in the end.
I have to keep this review brief because I quite literally can’t go into any detail of the book, because it would be impossible not to spoil. All you should know, is that it’s so worth it.
October 20, 2021
This book starts off beyond confusing and is honestly ALL over the place. As a reader, you have no idea what is going on. I repeat NO idea.
I honestly don't understand why this book is rated so high? maybe I am missing something but to me this book was straight-up awful. I don't want to " spoil" anything so I will end this review now.
I honestly don't understand why this book is rated so high? maybe I am missing something but to me this book was straight-up awful. I don't want to " spoil" anything so I will end this review now.
November 19, 2021
Well, Plop! Ahaha! Laughing so hard ! I wasn’t reading a sneak peak. That just shows you how confused I am at the moment. Why ? This book and allergy medication. Trying to get things shifted around… might as well laugh about it. Soon we get to pile on DST. Isn’t life beautiful 🤩!
5 sneezy stars 🤧
Jk.
My library hold came in 51%. Sigh.
5 sneezy stars 🤧
Jk.
My library hold came in 51%. Sigh.
November 22, 2025
You do not read this book. You experience this book. You survive this book. One deep breath, tilted head, i-need-a-break, heartbreak, giggle, hurt inner child, confusion, brain swallowing moment at a time. This boom felt like learning how to walk. This book has my ears ringing and my heart sobbing. I’ve been looking for a book that would leave me saying WTF! I wanted a book to completely psychologically ruin me.
If my heart were in tuned and perfectly aligned with my brain, then it would be a symbiotic break. Mind, body, spirit.
Every review I flipped through spoke of the “twist”. It wasn’t a twist. It was a realization. It was a build up so exaggerated, so that when it did come, my heart sank. It was not your typical fizz, waiting for the explosive to engage. It was a candle. Slowly burning alive so that when all of the wax melted away and the wick had nothing left to hold on to, that moment came like the bottom of a glass votive. The light went out, the room darkened and my body slumped.
This book solidified the fact that our lives are largely perspective based and driven. Every single person will always have a memory so different from anyone else. The veil between experience and abuse is so thin that it creates adults who are so vulnerable to life as a whole.
This book was monsters under the bed. It was hidden secrets in closets. It was the act of burying pain. It was coping and healing.
Psychologically thrilled? Absolutely. But also emotionally anxious and exhausted.
I have so much to say but nothing at all. I have tears I wish would spill but can’t. I have a belly drowning flames.
If my heart were in tuned and perfectly aligned with my brain, then it would be a symbiotic break. Mind, body, spirit.
Every review I flipped through spoke of the “twist”. It wasn’t a twist. It was a realization. It was a build up so exaggerated, so that when it did come, my heart sank. It was not your typical fizz, waiting for the explosive to engage. It was a candle. Slowly burning alive so that when all of the wax melted away and the wick had nothing left to hold on to, that moment came like the bottom of a glass votive. The light went out, the room darkened and my body slumped.
This book solidified the fact that our lives are largely perspective based and driven. Every single person will always have a memory so different from anyone else. The veil between experience and abuse is so thin that it creates adults who are so vulnerable to life as a whole.
This book was monsters under the bed. It was hidden secrets in closets. It was the act of burying pain. It was coping and healing.
Psychologically thrilled? Absolutely. But also emotionally anxious and exhausted.
I have so much to say but nothing at all. I have tears I wish would spill but can’t. I have a belly drowning flames.
February 8, 2025
This was an interesting book with slow development and rotating viewpoints. It had me on the edge of my seat. The choice to narrate from a cat's point of view had me skimming sometimes but was definitely unique.
January 9, 2022
This book promised to blow your mind. Numerous authors sang its praises, telling potential readers to wait until the major twists at the end. However, before the "twists" it was utterly confusing and I had no idea what I was reading. I ordinarily don't mind books that are puzzles. In fact, if they are done well, I enjoy them as the story spools out and becomes more clear. This didn't really happen at any point. I guess one could say that clarity showed up around page 222. For me, that is just too much reading and being utterly confused to make any twist worth it. The payoff just wasn't worth the confusion. In addition, I guessed part of the payoff so it was even less worth it for me. I would have gone with 1 star except that the author clearly researched her subject matter and can write well. Her goal was to put us into the mind(s) of the character(s) and she succeeded. I just found that I didn't enjoy being there.
September 25, 2024
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward was selected as Horror or Haven’s book for November. Overall, I found the book decent, and I especially enjoyed Olivia's perspective. However, around the 60% mark, the story started to lose me. The concept of switching consciousness was intriguing, but it felt random, and I struggled to understand its purpose. Personally, the last 15% of the book felt overdrawn. Just in case I missed something, I plan to reread it at a later date.
October 23, 2021
This is the kind of book that I can appreciate for the author's art. The voice, prose, and pacing are an achievement of enviable skill. No matter how repulsed I was, I continued to read, and that is a testament to the Ward's mastery of storytelling.
However, this isn't the kind of horror that I enjoy reading. It rolled a little too close to torture porn in places, although Ward never descended into using gore for shock value. Even though it's not the kind of book I'd normally pick up due to the subject matter, I still think it's an excellent novel.
Other readers will find their mileage will vary extensively. I have an idea that this will be one of those novels that people either LOVE or HATE. If you love books with psychological twists, definitely stick with it, you'll be rewarded immensely in the end.
However, this isn't the kind of horror that I enjoy reading. It rolled a little too close to torture porn in places, although Ward never descended into using gore for shock value. Even though it's not the kind of book I'd normally pick up due to the subject matter, I still think it's an excellent novel.
Other readers will find their mileage will vary extensively. I have an idea that this will be one of those novels that people either LOVE or HATE. If you love books with psychological twists, definitely stick with it, you'll be rewarded immensely in the end.
December 26, 2021
I think this is literally my favorite book of the year in my reading! It has everything I like in a book. I switched between paper copy and audio and the audio reader was absolutely astounding!
July 28, 2024
I've always wanted to know what cats were thinking, but I think I'm good after reading this book
October 23, 2021
I realize this is an unpopular review but for anyone who is able to follow this one, kudos to you! For me, this was utterly confusing and left me questioning my own sanity at the end. One of those novels that I finish and say to myself ‘wait a second….WHAT?!’ I enjoyed the characters, especially the whimsical and funny cat, and the subject matter was intriguing although disturbing. I just couldn’t stay focused and in the end, I still had unanswered questions.
February 1, 2022
4.5 stars... I wasn’t sure what was happening and what I thought might be happening about a third of the way in wasn’t then about 2/3’s in I thought something else was happening then pieces of it started to come out and at the end I was left with my mouth open thinking you really don’t know people, do you?!
January 24, 2022
There were like 4 unreliable narrators and one of them was ..a cat. Not for me.
September 27, 2025
Hmmmmm. What to say…
Would you like to read a really long book that disguises itself as scary but is in fact just sad and disturbing? Because this is the book for you. I just feel depressed now after reading it.
Would you like to read a really long book that disguises itself as scary but is in fact just sad and disturbing? Because this is the book for you. I just feel depressed now after reading it.
December 7, 2021
Eleven years ago, Lulu, a six year old girl, went missing on a day trip to a lakeside beach.
Nobody seems to know what happened to Lulu but it is presumed that she was abducted.
Her life destroyed by Lulu's disappearance, her sister, Dee, has made it her mission to find Lulu. Or, failing that, to find the abductor.
Dee's suspicions fall on a peculiar man who lives near the lake, Ted.
Ted a reclusive man whose home has its windows boarded up and three locks on his door.
Ted lives with his daughter, Lauren, and his cat, Olivia. But all is not as it seems...
It is impossible to review The Last House on Needless Street justifiably without giving away the plot. But I'll try my best.
From the start of the book you form ideas about what is going on but you are aware that something "isn't right". Trying to figure out what is really happening is confusing at first but little clues are continually dropped throughout and I figured it out (mostly) by the middle of the book.
Even when you think you know what is going on, you may be wrong. There are twists upon twists which are where the story comes into its own.
The final portion of the story explains everything, just in case you haven't figured it out.
I won't say what these twists are. Suffice to say that I went from hating Ted at first, to pitying him by the end.
Nobody seems to know what happened to Lulu but it is presumed that she was abducted.
Her life destroyed by Lulu's disappearance, her sister, Dee, has made it her mission to find Lulu. Or, failing that, to find the abductor.
Dee's suspicions fall on a peculiar man who lives near the lake, Ted.
Ted a reclusive man whose home has its windows boarded up and three locks on his door.
Ted lives with his daughter, Lauren, and his cat, Olivia. But all is not as it seems...
It is impossible to review The Last House on Needless Street justifiably without giving away the plot. But I'll try my best.
From the start of the book you form ideas about what is going on but you are aware that something "isn't right". Trying to figure out what is really happening is confusing at first but little clues are continually dropped throughout and I figured it out (mostly) by the middle of the book.
Even when you think you know what is going on, you may be wrong. There are twists upon twists which are where the story comes into its own.
The final portion of the story explains everything, just in case you haven't figured it out.
I won't say what these twists are. Suffice to say that I went from hating Ted at first, to pitying him by the end.
October 20, 2021
What just happened to my brain? I thought I knew where this story was going about seven times and every time what I thought got turned upside down on it's head. So good in the way that my mind might never be put right again, but wow on story telling and character building and yeesh. That was a wild ride.
February 5, 2022
4.5
What a heartbreaking read about the effects of abuse and how DID can develop! Excellent book that actually ties up loose ends satisfactorily. Many times, the explanation of the weird that's going on is disappointing but this was realistic and even more sad when you think about what the mind has to do to cope with traumatic experiences.
What a heartbreaking read about the effects of abuse and how DID can develop! Excellent book that actually ties up loose ends satisfactorily. Many times, the explanation of the weird that's going on is disappointing but this was realistic and even more sad when you think about what the mind has to do to cope with traumatic experiences.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2024
I don’t even know where to start on this book. It is so confusing from beginning to end. Even when you figure out what is really happening your confused. It jumps around way too much and there are unnecessary elements. Needless (no pun intended) to say it was not my favorite.
September 27, 2025
I started reading this and very quickly realized that I had already read it years ago 😂
April 1, 2024
I’d give this a 3.8. I figured out the ending a bit too quickly- but still a good read.
March 20, 2024
3.5 stars. Took me a while to really get into this book. Was pretty confused for a good amount of this book I would find myself rereading pages to make sure I wasn’t missing things. Everything will make sense eventually just takes a while to get there.
November 16, 2025
I did not love this book. It was weird, the writing was honestly confusing. There was so much change and skipping around in just one chapter. I understand there was a point why but there was too much. The story line wasn’t bad but in some aspects you could see the twist 10 chapters before it happened. It was stereotypical. It wasn’t all bad though just not my favorite.
December 16, 2021
It is hard to know where to begin with this book. Let us start with our main characters; Ted and Olivia. Ted is a single man who lives alone in his boarded up house with his cat, Olivia. Occasionally Ted's daughter, Lauren, comes to visit. When Lauren visits, Olivia is put away because they apparently do not get along. Ted was wrapped up in a police case years ago when a young girl goes missing. The police searched his house but did not find anything that worked against him. Since that day, he often though about the girl, who he nicknamed "girl with popsicle." The child going missing was a tragedy. Just as big of a tragedy was Ted's life. Ever since his picture was printed in the newspaper after the child went missing, people would throw rocks through his windows as fast as he could replace them before he gave up and boarded up his house.
Ted lives a lonely life. He loves his cat Olivia and his mischievous daughter Lauren. Making friends was not his forte and he drank too much. Once every couple weeks he went to see his psychiatrist whom he called "the bug man" based on his appearance. Ted was not good at names. From the beginning of this book, I could pretty much tell where this story was going. I was a bit upset about how certain mental health disorders were handled and described. There was not a real "twist" at the end, since I figured it out long before hand. After many psychology classes over the years, it simply was not a surprise. It did upset me a bit at times with how a certain disorder was described at almost the worst it could get. Overall it was a decent read and I would be willing to try books by this author in the future.
Ted lives a lonely life. He loves his cat Olivia and his mischievous daughter Lauren. Making friends was not his forte and he drank too much. Once every couple weeks he went to see his psychiatrist whom he called "the bug man" based on his appearance. Ted was not good at names. From the beginning of this book, I could pretty much tell where this story was going. I was a bit upset about how certain mental health disorders were handled and described. There was not a real "twist" at the end, since I figured it out long before hand. After many psychology classes over the years, it simply was not a surprise. It did upset me a bit at times with how a certain disorder was described at almost the worst it could get. Overall it was a decent read and I would be willing to try books by this author in the future.
January 11, 2022
Well that was fun... I have no clue what to say hahaha. Firstly, it took me a little bit to get into the groove of the writing. It may be different for others, but once I understood that there were different perspectives and the author would go back and forth from them, I was okay. Also, I listened to this as an audiobook, so it may read differently than listening to it. There’s a part of me that thinks that won’t be the case, lol. It took me a bit… I should point out that I’m not keen on the author’s writing. However, I liked the plot that they manifested and the many twists and turns. The psychological affects were interesting and the ending I didn’t expect. At all. So, I’d go into this book with an open mind. You’re going to like it or not like it. There’s no grey with this book.
March 29, 2022
The author's literary expertise shines in The Last House on Needless Street. Previous reviews have mentioned reader confusion. Ms.Ward uses writing style to foreshadow plot. The reader must be open to noticing more than character development and obvious story building to minimize confusion. The author is elusive with story building and confusion is inevitable if the reader doesn't have any knowledge of psychology. I will limit my recommendation of this book to specific people. It's heavy and quite possibly triggering.
The book draws the reader into the story. I read 160 pages before putting it down and finished the book within 24 hours. The subject matter is horrific and psychologically difficult for the reader, but it's not a scary story.
I am giving this book 4 Stars
The book draws the reader into the story. I read 160 pages before putting it down and finished the book within 24 hours. The subject matter is horrific and psychologically difficult for the reader, but it's not a scary story.
I am giving this book 4 Stars
March 2, 2024
So took me a while to finish… I actually was reading too many books at one time so had to put it aside.
Today I finally finished it… I was half way done the book and pulled through the rest of it today! I was having such anxiety and wonderment through the book trying to figure out what and who was real or not!! Damn it was good! At times my mind was spinning wondering if I was the one going crazy reading the book
Today I finally finished it… I was half way done the book and pulled through the rest of it today! I was having such anxiety and wonderment through the book trying to figure out what and who was real or not!! Damn it was good! At times my mind was spinning wondering if I was the one going crazy reading the book
March 30, 2024
This is a no for me. 100% no.
I would not recommend it at all. And I can't even explain why. It was comparable to a fever dream. I was confused about all 328 pages. The afterword at least explained what the author was trying to do, but again, it was a big miss for me. And I hate that cause I love the cover.
I would not recommend it at all. And I can't even explain why. It was comparable to a fever dream. I was confused about all 328 pages. The afterword at least explained what the author was trying to do, but again, it was a big miss for me. And I hate that cause I love the cover.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 786 reviews