Review of "The Last House on Needless Street: A Gothic Novel of Suspense" by Catriona Ward

For some time poor and orphaned children have been disappearing from the area around Needless Street. The abductions didn't get much publicity until a child from a good home vanished. This happened 11 years ago, when a six-year-old girl named Lulu disappeared during a family outing to the beach.

A man called Ted Bannerman - who had a troubled history - was questioned but had a solid alibi.



There were no arrests, and the public took to throwing rocks through Ted's windows, which are now covered with plywood.



As for Lulu's family, they couldn't cope with the loss. Lulu's mother left and her father died soon after the abduction, and Lulu's older sister Dee was left with unassuageable grief. Now Dee is determined to find the person who took her sister.



The story revolves around Ted Bannerman, who lives in the last house on Needless Street. In addition to himself, Ted's household includes his adolescent daughter Lauren who - during her weekend visits - zooms around the house on her pink bike and balks at doing schoolwork;



and Ted's cat Olivia, who consults the Bible for philosophical insights.



Ted drinks too much, is sloppy and overweight, and has a patchy scalp and long beard.



Ted sometimes makes dates with women on dating sites, but then only watches them and doesn't go over and speak. Most of Ted's outside interactions are with a neighbor he calls the chihuahua lady and a therapist he calls the bug man.



Ted dearly loved his (now) deceased mother, and frequently recollects her gauzy blue dress and their times together.



One day Ted finds he has an intrusive new neighbor who doesn't wish him well.

That's about all I can say without spoilers. Billed as gothic horror, this is a tricky story with layers of secrets. Some parts of the book are slow and overcomplicated, but it's a fascinating novel. Highly recommended.

I listened to the audiobook version and Christopher Ragland is an excellent narrator.

Thanks to Netgalley, Catriona Ward, and Tor Nighfire for a copy of the book.

Rating: 4 stars