Book Review: The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

Reviewing a mystery book is always tricky because you cannot reveal the ending, which usually justifies the book’s whole tone, as it was with this one. The book is about Ted, a possible serial killer, his cat named Olivia, and Dee, whose sister was murdered. All the points of views are narrated from a first-person perspective, even the cat’s, and little by little, they piece together what is going on in the book and what has happened to the Little Girl With Popsicle.

The enjoyment of the book depends wholly on the narration and whether you feel connected to it or compelled by it. The thing is, I didn’t. I didn’t find Ted, Olivia, or Dee relatable, nor did I find them interesting enough to follow to substitute the not caring for them part. Okay, there were times I felt for Olivia, who seemed innocent in all of it and who was mistreated in the book. But what kept me reading was the need to know the mystery behind the whole thing. The mystery was well made. The writer messed with the reader’s senses with unreliable narration and gave them as little as she could as the book went on. She kept the mystery alive until the end, which is seldom the case with thriller, horror, or mystery books. So I clung to every word written, seeking a revelation as I read on. But then I started to see plot holes, especially towards the end. So I got annoyed, mainly because the narration didn’t carry the book for me, so the mystery had to. The holes in the story felt like they were there because the writer wanted to mess with the reader so much that she was willing to sacrifice the coherence. I was willing to forgive that because I kept thinking how hard writing the book had to have been.

Then I arrived at the end, which was meant to make me feel compassion towards some of the characters and hate others. But I didn’t, mostly because the plot holes were left hanging in the air, making me question the whole moralistic, feel-good ending. Okay, it was a somewhat satisfying end, explaining the mystery. That part was well made. But the endings the characters got made me cringe, especially with Dee, Olivia, and Little Girl With Popsicle, and all the hurt animals and the women from the bars. One with Ted made sense, and the twist was somewhat good.

What can I say? I don’t regret buying and reading the book. The author has some mad skills at keeping the mystery alive, and I was in awe of that. It was just that with this sort of book, you have to find the ending somewhat satisfactory or at least feel compassion for the characters, and the book didn’t quite deliver that for me. Maybe I’m not a good mystery reader. I have yet to find an ending that satisfies me. Though, one thing has to be said: I think this book and its plot will haunt me. The dissatisfaction, the holes, and the unanswered questions will linger.

Thank you for reading the review! Have a wonderful weekend ❤