The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

 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.

Paperback, 333 pages

Published September 28, 2021

by Nightfire

3.5/5 stars

This is my first time reading a Catriona Ward novel.  It was through the world of Instagram that I saw this creepy cover and purchased for my Halloween read - I kinda missed it by a few months.  But better late than never, right?

It was a addicting read in the sense of trying to figure things out.  I'm not the only reader that wants to solve the ending before the author reveals it right?  Didn't happen here.

Told from a number of POV (including the cat) the author clearly showed a messed up individual and those surrounding him.  I did a combo read and audio book, the audio changed voices for the different POV which gave it that creep factor the cover evolves. Between the man, the girl and cat I felt like a deer in the headlights and could not turn away.

The ending was not what I expected at all, so hats off the author for catching me totally off guard. This ending was satisfying and actually authentic. I learned a lot and loved the author notes at the end.

The Last House on Needless Street is a disturbing and at times confusing story (though the confusing part made sense with the ending).  There is tension, abuse (both people and animals) heartache and suspense.  Definitely should come with trigger warnings.  

This book was part of my 2022 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge for the new year and book #1.