The Last House on Needless Street

Starred review from May 3, 2021
Ward (Rawblood) keeps readers deliciously off-balance throughout this multifaceted tale of isolation, mental illness, and child abuse. Ted Bannerman still lives in the house he grew up in, and often spirals through upsetting thoughts about his childhood while obsessing over the things he’s buried in the nearby woods. His companions are Lauren, a teenage girl with anger issues who Ted refers to as his daughter and whom he does not allow to interact with anyone but himself, and Olivia, a devoted cat who feels she has a mission from God to protect Ted. His only confidant is the “bug man,” a therapist from whom he struggles to hide his true feelings. When Dee Walters becomes convinced that Ted kidnapped her little sister from the beach 11 years earlier, she moves in next door to investigate, throwing off Ted’s routines. Meanwhile, Lauren’s anger becomes increasingly difficult for Ted to manage. There’s a creeping sense of something off with every member of the cast, even as Ward immerses the reader in each of their hyperfocused points-of-view. Subtle clues scattered throughout make terrifying sense in retrospect as the bigger picture slowly comes into focus. This masterful horror novel packs an emotional wallop that lingers.

Starred review from August 1, 2021

A young girl has been missing since a fateful day at a local lake. The lives of her family and the people suspected of the crime continue to shatter little by little. A man living in a boarded-up house on Needless Street, a still-grieving sister, and even a wondrously intelligent cat strive to untangle the truth of what happened that day and the years before and since the tragic event. Told from several points of view, this story of regret, self-loathing, and abuse slowly unfolds to reveal the veracity and breadth of the horror that has taken place. Listeners may be surprised, enthused, or even confused by the seemingly quirky addition of a feline protagonist, but they will be rewarded for their patience as details are divulged. Ward (The Girl from Rawblood) delves into the brain's brilliance and psychological effects of nature and nurture, pulling listeners into the complicated worlds of those left to reassemble pieces of themselves in the wake of cruelty and neglect. Christopher Ragland provides a masterful narration, moving deftly from one voice into another. He uses subtle changes in inflection and timbre to build tension and hint at future enlightenment. VERDICT A perfect marriage of pacing from both the plot and the narrator gives listeners a thrilling experience that will shock them until the end.--Lisa Youngblood, Harker Heights P.L., TX

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