Narrated by Christopher Ragland, The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward delivered a fantastically twisted tale that kept me guessing and left me stunned. This was perhaps my favorite listen in October.
by Catriona Ward
Narrator: Christopher Ragland
Length: 12 hours
Genres: Horror
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.4x
In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the end 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.
Author Catriona Ward invites us into a boarded up home on Needless Street, situated along the edge of the woods. Here we meet Ted, an awkward man who drinks too much . He lives there with his teenage daughter Lauren, who is never permitted outside and Olivia, their bible touting cat.
I recommend listeners and readers go into this blind, therefore my review will be deliberately vague.
“A true nerve-shredder that keeps its mind-blowing secrets to the very end.” ― Stephen King
Years ago, Ted was a suspect in the disappearance of a little girl who was never found. Others have disappeared, but Ted’s new neighbor Dee is particularly interested in what Ted might know about her little sister.
Unreliable narrators that are as unique as they are peculiar, made for a spine-tingling tale that kept me guessing. Told from the point of views of Ted, Lauren and Olivia, the cat, I found myself pulled in as I tried to determine what was really happening. All the characters were well developed, including Dee, their neighbor who does some snooping that will have your heart racing.
Olivia, the cat, was interesting from her behavior to her observations. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the author took me by surprise. As you might expect, Ted isn’t a very likeable character. His behavior and odd dates sent chills down my spine as my mind jumped to all sorts of conclusions.
Of course I recommend you listen! Christopher Ragland’s narration was absolutely brilliant. He captured each voice and helped set the tone of the story. Through inflection and pacing he brought Ward’s intentions and words to life, making for a riveting and unsettling tale.
Whether you listen or read, The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward lived up to the hype. Perfect for fans of Joe Hill, Chuck Wendig, and Stephen King. I am looking forward to listening. Grab a comfy blanket and a flashlight for this one!
Narrated by Christopher Ragland, The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is the perfect suspenseful tale for Fall. #audiobook #review #horror #mystery Share on XAbout Catriona Ward
CATRIONA WARD was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the United States, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen, and Morocco. She read English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford and is a graduate of the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia.'The Last House on Needless Street' (Viper Books, Tor Nightfire) was a Times Book of the Month, Observer Book of the Month, March Editor’s Pick on Open Book, a Between the Covers BBC2 book club selection, a Times bestseller, and is being developed for film by Andy Serkis’s production company, The Imaginarium.
About Christopher Ragland
Christopher Ragland, a Tennessee native, is a UK based voiceover artist and actor, with a home recording studio. His animation work includes Percy in Thomas and Friends, Wilfried the White in My Knight and Me, and Rhino in Incredible Ant, among others and he can be heard in countless video games, including Lego Marvel Superheroes 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, Lego The Incredibles, Terminator:Resistance, and Star Wars Battlefront. He has also narrated scores of audiobooks, both fiction and non-fiction, including the Iron Druid Chronicles, I am Pilgrim, and World War Z. On the West End, Christopher has been seen in Inherit the Wind (The Old Vic), Gone With the Wind (New London Theatre) as well as in many shows at the Menier Chocolate Factory and national tours of Little Shop of Horrors and Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Mareli @ Elza Reads
I really want to read this one and after reading your review now, I’ve decided to go with the Audible version. Yea! Can’t wait to get started.
Great review Kimberly!
Katherine
Oh this looks fascinating! And definitely one I’d love to listen too. I had to laugh when I saw the narrator voiced Percy from Thomas and Friends. I wonder if I would recognize his voice.
Carole @ Carole's Random Life
I listened to this one last month and really enjoyed it. I loved the twists and the narration was fantastic!
Nadene
I need to read this. You have me curious about the whole set up for this story. Great review.
Carla
Great review Kimberly. I agree, Christopher Ragland’s narration made it feel even creepier and I loved it.
Wendy Williams
I was so curious about this book, I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Sophia Rose
I was curious when I saw this one on your list. Looks like it was a smash hit. 🙂
Debbie Haupt
Holy Moly Kim that is some wicked tale and I have to admit I’m intrigued. Fantastic review even keeping it vague. But then you never reveal spoilers so I can always count on being able to read your reviews and not being told more than i should