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.
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.
With this book blurbed by heavy hitters Stephen King, Joe Hill, and Sarah Pinborough, I doubt many readers passed on requesting it from NetGalley. And what an eerie cover!
It’s difficult to review this without giving away spoilers, but let’s give it a shot. A layered story, a gradual reveal, a slow unraveling of the truth – all are apt descriptions of this novel. You’ll form and discard plenty of theories. Some of them may actually be half correct – or not. Told primarily from the viewpoints of Ted, his daughter Lauren, and Olivia the cat (as a servant to many feline overlords over the years, I can say the author totally nailed a cat’s internal thoughts), it’s clear early on something isn’t right in this house. Sometimes their viewpoints contradicted each other, and I questioned if they were even reliable narrators.
This is a dark, dark novel that may make you uncomfortable at times with its subject matter. You may not even like the story and characters, but it grabs you in a way that makes it nearly impossible to stop turning the pages so you can discover exactly what’s going on in this boarded up house.
Intriguing, disorienting, heart-breaking, and horrific at times, this isn’t a story for the faint of heart, but it’s one I’d highly recommend to fans of dark psychological suspense/thrillers bordering on horror. Make sure to read the author’s note at the end of the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Books and Such 
Eeesh, I’m still torn on this. It sounds pretty dark, and I’m not sure that’s for me. I do love your comment about being a servant to feline overlords, LOL. I like the idea of Olivia, the cat, getting a POV. On my maybe list.
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I know you’re a servant yourself, Mae, lol. Reviews have been mostly positive, but some readers didn’t care for the subject matter. Olivia definitely added some humor.
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That’s kind of a trigger warning for me
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Sounds a tad disturbing yet utterly intriguing. And, can I just say, the cover and that title–love it!
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Parts of it are definitely disturbing – this one comes with plenty of trigger warnings – but it’s so difficult to put down. I had a deep need to know what was going on.
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Ooh, I’ll have to check this book out. Great review. Thanks for sharing, Teri 🙂
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Grabbed a copy! 🙂
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Thanks, Harmony – hope you enjoy this one as much as I did! Perfect for this time of year.
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Thanks, Teri.
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I loved this book! I went into it blind, so I totally didn’t know what was going on and kept searching for clues. I think that was part of my enjoyment. You are right that people need to read the author’s notes at the end (AFTER they’re done reading the book). Good review! Olivia was fabulous.:-)
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Definitely after they read the book, lol. I just loved Olivia’s voice. The author clearly is familiar with cats. I also kept searching for clues – didn’t she just say… wasn’t that a few days ago… All sorts of things crossed my mine.
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This does sound very dark, Teri. An intriguing review.
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It’s a dark one, but so compelling, Robbie. Definitely packs some shocking surprises near the end.
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I think I’d be cowering under the covers for weeks! Thanks for your review, Teri.
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I think you’d survive just fine, Jill!
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This really sounds EXACTLY up my alley. Thanks for this review – I was pretty curious, but not ready to commit. Now I am.
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This would be perfect for you, Sue – hope you enjoy it!
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“You may not even like the story and characters, but it grabs you in a way that makes it nearly impossible to stop turning the pages…” the mark of a really good writer. Thanks for this mindful review, Teri. Hugs on the wing!
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You’re right about that, Teagan – and it’s a reason I’ll be keeping my eye on this writer. Hugs to you and Crystal!
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I think I was uncomfortable all the time not just sometimes. lol. Well, at least until the big secrets began being revealed and then I was able to reframe it and it was much less intense for me. But I recognize a good story when I read it and this is definitely an excellent one. Great review!
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I’d venture plenty of readers are uncomfortable when reading this one, but you’re right about reframing it after the reveals. Then you want to go back and re-read some sections. Thanks, Tessa!
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Sounds pretty dark, but also compelling.
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Check and check, lol.
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Wow, Teri, this sounds like a great Halloween read! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it.
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Absolutely perfect for this time of year – and so is that cover.
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I don’t know what to make of all that, but I’m definitely intrigued. I loved Hill House and I don’t think “love” is the right word for Gone Girl, but it did keep me turning the pages. I’m definitely interested in this one. Thanks, Teri.
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It’s dark and disturbing at times, but my hands were glued to the Kindle with this one, Staci.
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Sound like this had strong plot and perfect for thriller fans.
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