Author: Catriona Ward
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback
Published: March 18, 2021
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
View on Goodreads
Date Completed: July 15, 2025
My rating: 
Thoughts
I’d heard a lot about this book before picking it up. It’s often billed as horror, and with that cover art and creepy house vibes, I expected to be spooked. But for me, this read far more like a mystery – dark, unsettling, and full of psychological suspense, yes – but not horror. That said, what it is turned out to be far more compelling.
The book is told through shifting points of view, including Ted, a reclusive and seemingly suspicious man; Dee, a woman searching for her missing sister; and Olivia, Ted’s cat, who provides a surprisingly grounded, if whimsical, voice. The structure was nonlinear and occasionally confusing, but it also gave me just enough clues to piece together part of the twist ahead of time. While this story uses a trope that’s becoming a little too common in the genre (no spoilers here), I think it was handled with more care and depth than most. It may have been a bit convoluted in places, but it was ultimately well-executed.
The novel tackles heavy themes – grief, trauma, redemption – but what stood out most to me was its quiet focus on healing. Ted is unquestionably the heart of the book, and my perception of him shifted dramatically from beginning to end. He starts as an unsettling figure and ends as a deeply nuanced, heartbreaking character. Even when the story shifted focus, I found myself thinking about Ted.
And yes, the cat narration works. Olivia’s voice was distinctive and surprisingly natural in the context of the story. It added to the off-kilter atmosphere without ever feeling gimmicky.
While a few sections dragged, and the nonlinear structure was occasionally more disorienting than necessary, this was still a hard book to put down. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars and would highly recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers, and maybe to horror fans too. I’m very glad I read it, and I’ll likely be checking out more from Catriona Ward in the future.
