Book Review | The Last House on Needless Street

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is a truly dark and unnerving psychological thriller told from three main perspectives.

- Ted: a man who lives in a boarded-up house with his cat and his daughter who occasionally visits.

- Olivia: a highly intelligent cat who loves the bible.

- Dee: the sister of a missing girl who's convinced that Ted kidnapped her sister, so she moves into the house next door to spy on him.

Now, story’s pacing might not be everyone’s copy of tea. This book is a true slowburn. The story goes from mundane everyday tasks like eating and house repairs to jarringly messed up. On one hand, I found this juxtaposition created a sense of uncanniness and unease throughout the novel. On the other hand, I also found the story boring in parts.

I think it’s also important to note that a lot of information is withheld from the reader upfront, but half the fun is trying to unravel what’s going on. The story is filled with twists and turns. Some reveals I saw coming, others stunned me.

My biggest issue with the book though I felt that the story should have wrapped up earlier. The climax happens around two-thirds of the way through, and yet the ending just drags on.

All in all, I have mixed feelings about the story’s pacing, but I do ultimately have to give kudos to the author since I don’t think I’ve been this shocked and disturbed from reading a book in a long time.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Nightfire, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : September 28, 2021

Publisher : Tor Nightfire

ISBN : 1250812623

Pages : 352

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