The Last House On Needless Street by Catriona Ward

 

Ted Bannerman lives in a run down house at the end of Needless Street, hiding from the world around him. Following the disappearance of a young girl years ago Ted became a suspect in the disappearance. Despite being questioned by the police and the house being searched, no trace of the girl was found. Ted retreated into his home, avoiding the outside world where possible. Things come to a head when Dee, the older sister of the missing girl, moves in next door. Dee is convinced that Ted is responsible for her sisters disappearance and is determined to find out the truth.

The opening chapters are very intriguing. They draw the reader in and keep you reading, determined to find out more. 

There are four distinct characters. Ted has had a difficult past and it's obvious he has mental health issues. Initially it's difficult to determine if his past has caused the mental health issues or has his mental health caused him to commit a crime. His story, and his behaviour, is extremely erratic and this makes the reader feel some of the confusion that Ted suffers.

Dee is the sister of the young girl that went missing. She has never been able to move on from her sisters disappearance, feeling responsible for what happened years ago. As the story develops we begin to understand that Dee also has mental health issues as a result of the past. Those issues mean that she doesn't always behave appropriately, however she justifies them by the determination to discover exactly what happened to her sister.

The third character is Lauren, Ted's daughter. Lauren visits Ted occasionally and her behaviour is extremely challenging for Ted to deal with.

The final character is Olivia, Ted's cat. Olivia's thoughts are expressed on the page as if she were a person. Olivia is very protective of Ted but doesn't get on well with Lauren.

As the story progresses and the characters begin to interact you realise that things aren't as straightforward as you first think. Slowly you begin to piece things together and draw conclusions, however even then not everything is as it seems. Each character is an unreliable narrator and it's only at the end that everything fits together like a jigsaw.