The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
A young girl disappears at the lake with her family. Years later, her parents are dead but her older sister is still looking for her.
A man lives in a boarded-up house on a dead-end street with a young girl who never goes outside and a cat. He spends his days watching birds through the holes he cut in the plywood that covers his windows. He had to cover his windows because he was suspected of murdering the young girl and locals threw rocks through his windows. No one was able to prove he was involved.
His neighbors are aware he has a daughter they have never seen. The man wants a friend desperately. He resorts to dating apps where he screens the women. He usually finds them unsuitable and leaves without meeting them. He drinks too much and has frequent visits with his therapist. He also spends time in the woods, usually at night.
This is an interesting psychological thriller. The reader is led to believe that someone is a serial killer of children and possibly adults. We know something is going on but not sure who is doing it.
The story is told from four points of view.
Ted Bannerman – the adult who was abused by his mother as a child.
Lauren – Ted’s daughter who we assume is a young girl.
Olivia – Ted’s cat.
Dee – the missing girl’s older sister.
The story is well written. The author feeds you a little bit of information with each chapter until the end when the puzzle finally is pieced together. It is also told in two timeframes. When Ted is younger and the little girl with the purple popsicle, Lulu, disappeared and sometime in the early 2020’s.
This is a horror novel but not the gory kind. I had purchased this book several years ago and tried reading it a couple times but never got into it until I picked it up again recently. This time it sucked me in. Once I was introduced to the characters, I had to find out who did what and why. I often thought I had figured it out and then the next chapter would prove me wrong.
The book has an eerie feel, but it wasn’t so scary that I couldn’t read it at night and yes, I have read books like that. If you like psychological horror and haven’t read this book yet, now might be a good time to check it out. It’s 341 pages and it has lots of horror authors praising it – A.J. Finn, Joe Hill, Stephen King, T Kingfisher, Paul Tremblay, and more. I can’t believe I took so long to read it.
First published March 18, 2021, by Nightfire
I include links to purchase. I earn from qualified purchases. Thanks to all my readers who have supported me by purchasing books in the past.
Books by Catriona Ward:
The Last House on Needless Street
Nowhere Burning
Little Eve
What I am currently reading:
How to Live with a Ghost by Melinda Wichmann – an author I met recently.
The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown – a NetGalley read.
If you are looking for bargain books please check out my bookshop at Pango Books. https://pangobooks.com/bookstore/virginia468417
Happy reading!
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