Table Of Content
- Jessica Lange Says Some Of The Best Recent Films Were Not From The U.S.: "We're Living In A Corporate World"
- Ghost Rig Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Amazon Prime Video
- Historical Nonfiction: Research-Based Writing With Hadley Meares
- Book Corner
- Life Without Light: Creatures in the Dark With Sarah McAnulty
- John K. King Used & Rare Books

Despite the fact that thousands of people were at the lake that day, he walked up to each woman while they were with friends and introduced himself using his real name. Wearing a cast on his arm, Bundy asked the women for help. Each one walked away with him and was never seen again.
Jessica Lange Says Some Of The Best Recent Films Were Not From The U.S.: "We're Living In A Corporate World"
Ward skillfully weaves red herrings throughout the narrative, leading readers down various paths of speculation and further heightening the suspense. The inclusion of Olivia, the cat, adds an intriguing layer to the story, blurring the boundaries between the supernatural and the psychological. Ward’s exploration of Ted’s character challenges readers’ perceptions of morality, evoking empathy for a troubled individual whose actions may be difficult to comprehend. The chapters alternate between Ted, Olivia, Lauren, and Dee, and none of them can be trusted.
Ghost Rig Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Amazon Prime Video
Their remains were found on a neighboring hillside two months later, in such a state of decay that the local forensics team were driven to test the feces of local animals to help identify them. The book is Ward’s third novel, following her 2015 gothic horror debut Rawblood and 2018’s Little Eve, both of which won the August Derleth Prize at the British Fantasy Awards. That makes her the only woman to win the prize twice, and Little Eve‘s selection for the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award establishes Ward as a new face of literary dark fiction. We follow the two college girls as they move to their new house and meet their gorgeous new neighbors, Derek and Chad.
Historical Nonfiction: Research-Based Writing With Hadley Meares
Cover Reveal: Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street - Den of Geek
Cover Reveal: Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street.
Posted: Fri, 19 Feb 2021 08:00:00 GMT [source]
However, they have neighbors—two hot boys, Derek and Chad, who seem to be hiding sinister secrets. Every mission in California is said to be haunted, but only one has ghost cats! The lore goes that Father Francisco Uria kept four pet cats whom he loved so much that when he died, the “four cats solemnly marched to the chapel. Leaping to the rope of the chapel bell, they swung it back and forth, tolling out the mournful message that the padre was dead. Sometimes, you can still hear their cries and footsteps. Peg Entwistle is probably the most famous failed actress in Los Angeles history.
Book Corner
In fact, Ward admits cheerfully that “I’m terrified of everything – very afraid of the dark, hyper-vigilant, easily startled. People think that because I write horror, I’m inured, but that would make me a terrible writer. “I started having fun with it when I realised that what a cat would really like to do is watch a television show of itself, describing different types of naps. Ted is lonely, and he wants a female friend to help out with Lauren and Olivia. He goes on a series of failed dates with women he meets online. Dee uses one of these occasions to break into Ted’s house.
Knickerbocker Hotel
Without revealing any major spoilers, the ending unveils Ted’s dark past and the reasons behind his secluded lifestyle. The revelations shed light on the traumatic events that shaped his life and led him to construct an intricate facade within the last house on Needless Street. As readers uncover the truth, they are left with a profound sense of unease and a chilling understanding of the characters’ motivations. “The Last House On Needless Street,” a psychological thriller novel written by Catriona Ward, has captivated readers with its intricate plot and suspenseful storytelling.
Life Without Light: Creatures in the Dark With Sarah McAnulty
Entwined with Ted and spurring the main plot onward is Dee, the woman who moves in next door in the early part of the novel. Dee’s life is in shambles, though not nearly to the extent of her neighbor’s, as she carries a single-minded devotion to the location and identification of the person who kidnapped her little sister, Lulu, during a family vacation years before. With and without reason, Dee’s suspicions settle on Ted, and the novel beds into a tense season of mutual surveillance.
Ted nearly dies, but Olivia integrates with Night-time (Ted’s most basic survival instinct), and their combined force of will keeps Ted’s heart beating. The Last House on Needless Street begins on the 11th anniversary of the disappearance of Lulu Walters, a six-year-old girl, who vanished on vacation at a lake in Washington. The anniversary hits Ted Bannerman hard; he had been a suspect, interviewed by the police and reporters.
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Fortunately, Ward does many other things exceptionally, and this proves more than adequate to balance the novel's quality. Catriona Ward’s latest novel, The Last House on Needless Street, is the sort of book that defies easy description and categorization. The ending of “The Last House On Needless Street” is a culmination of shocking revelations and unexpected connections. Throughout the novel, readers are introduced to Ted, a reclusive man living in the house, his daughter Lauren, and Olivia, a cat with a prominent role in the story.

An unspeakable secret binds them together, and when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees behind their house will come back to haunt them all. At the opening of this head game of a novel, Ted Bannerman, a thirty- or forty-something solitudinarian is living at the end of a cul-de-sac. Occasionally, he uses an online dating site (and fake profile pictures) to lure women into meeting him, but the outcome of these dates isn’t something the reader gets to see firsthand. The book’s starting point was the relationship between serial killers and their pets, the disarmingly upbeat Ward explains by Zoom from Dartmoor. What happens when those without empathy connect with another living being?
The bookstore actually specializes in reasonably priced used books, and takes great pride in offering a selection of well-kept vintage books as well. Anyone who’s ever loved a vintage book will know exactly what that means for the musty, decadent smell that hangs in the air in this seemingly sacred place. The marble pillars and mile-high ceiling remain from the old bank, but in place of patrons and guarded stacks of cash, bookshelves line the walls and artful displays of books abound. There have been reports of ghosts in several areas of City Hall; the most famous is a nattily-dressed, old-fashioned gentleman who likes to disrupt City Council meetings and bother officials in the bathrooms. Through her vivid descriptions, careful pacing, and attention to detail, Ward builds an atmosphere of tension and unease that lingers throughout the story. Ward’s skillful use of foreshadowing and subtle hints throughout the novel provides readers with a breadcrumb trail to uncover the truth, encouraging active engagement and speculation.

Ted asks the bug man circuitous and hypothetical questions. The bug man gives Ted pills and tries to get Ted to open up more. Around the same time, Olivia begins seeing a psychologist on a daytime television program. This psychologist appears preoccupied with the effects of childhood trauma on the psyche.
John Hampton opened the theater in 1942 and dedicated his life to preserving silent films… using toxic chemicals that eventually gave him cancer. Lawrence Austin reopened the theater after Hampton’s death in the early nineties; in 1997, he was fatally shot in the lobby in a plot concocted by his lover/projectionist. Hampton is said to haunt the upstairs lounge while Austin covers the lobby. The Last House on Needless Street follows Ted, who lives with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. Read allThe Last House on Needless Street follows Ted, who lives with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. An unspeakable secret binds them together, and when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch tr...
'Every monster has a story': Catriona Ward on her chilling gothic novel - The Guardian
'Every monster has a story': Catriona Ward on her chilling gothic novel.
Posted: Sat, 13 Mar 2021 08:00:00 GMT [source]
“Ward’s ability to blend elements of horror and psychological drama is unparalleled, resulting in a chilling narrative that will leave readers on edge.” – Renowned Psychological Thriller Author. The novel employs multiple perspectives, allowing readers to question the reliability of the characters’ accounts and enhancing the overall sense of mystery. The book’s chilling atmosphere and thought-provoking themes make it a compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers and dark mysteries. The prose in Last House is exceptional, with the style thick and the substance just strong enough to support it.
The choice of setting on Needless Street adds to the story’s intrigue, as it juxtaposes the seemingly ordinary with the extraordinary, emphasizing the hidden darkness behind closed doors. “The Last House On Needless Street” challenges readers’ understanding of morality by presenting flawed characters and exploring the complex motivations behind their actions. Olivia, the cat, acts as a symbolic presence throughout the story, representing the blurred line between imagination and reality. Her role is integral in unraveling the truth behind Ted’s actions. Exploring his background gradually reveals the reasons behind his reclusive nature and the darkness that resides within him.
And according to Ward, that unease is absolutely something she counted on her audience feeling. The book’s narrative counts on its readers to feel as though they know what’s happening, that they’ve already guessed the twists ahead of them. And, as the story progresses, certain moments reinforce those assumptions. We’re afraid of Ted, because context clues say we should be, because our own knowledge of the world has shown us it’s often right to be suspicious of loner men who live in shabby, boarded up houses at the end of the lane. The Silent Movie Theatre is said to be haunted by the ghosts of its first two owners.