Rob Cussen's perfect domestic life is shattered when she catches her preteen daughter, Callie, trying to murder her younger sister. Desperate to explain Callie's violent behavior Rob takes her to her childhood home, Sundial, a scientific research compound in the Mojave desert, and recalls her fraught childhood with her twin sister, Jack.

As a big fan of Ward's other novel, The Last House on Needless Street, I could not help but make comparisons as I read Sundial. The two have many of the same hallmarks: unreliable narrators (Rob's narrative is intercut with excerpts from her novel, Arrowood, and events from Callie's point of view, both of which paint Rob as, Callie says frequently, 'unstable'), small plot details that landslide into shocking twists, undercurrents of supernatural weirdness, trauma, and Ward's lush writing style. But while The Last House on Needless Street was a breakneck twister chock full of bizarreness, Sundial is a slower, more sinister burn. The core of the story is a family drama: Rob and Jack, then Rob and Callie, share trauma and inflict harm on each other even as they love each other deeply.

Give Sundial to fans of Zoje Stage's Baby Teeth and to readers of psychological thrillers who want less crime drama and more bite in their books. It is not for the faint-of-heart; it contains pretty much every kind of abuse imaginable, except (to Ward's credit) sexual abuse.

I was excited to find out Catriona Ward had a new book coming out. Her previous novel, Last House on Needless Street, was one of my top books of 2021. Readers who enjoyed her previous book will be in for more of the same (but even better) in Sundial.

The book starts with the narrow point-of-view perspectives of two characters. From the beginning, I was hooked and really could not put the book down, turning page after page to find out what happens next. Dark family secrets are slowly revealed, and the ending has a few surprise twists. I am a huge fan of the first-person perspective in horror as the reader doesn't always know what is true or what is just in the narrator's misguided view of the situation.

The book has excellent storytelling and complex characters. This novel is hard to read at times. Themes delve into generational trauma and abuse, very real-life concepts that hit close to home. The meaning of the content and themes could be debated depending on who is reading it. The reader is left to read into the meaning in their terms, which is the mark of an excellent storyteller.

My only complaint is that there are multiple words spelled in a British style, for instance: tyre, colour, wearing a pair of trainers, etc. The story is set in the Southwest United States so that did take me out of the story a bit. hopefully, this will be corrected before publishing. I would have liked a little more closure at the end but I do think the ending fits the story. I am curious if the title of this story is a nod to The Sundial by Shirley Jackson, a horror writer whose style likely inspired the author.

I’m already sure this is going to be one of my favorite books in 2022. Sundial is a fast-paced and superbly written piece of psychological horror. Horror is an effective genre to explore the dark side of human nature and Catriona Ward has masterfully done so in this tale.

If you liked The Last House on Needless Street (which I did) you'll definitely like this one, too. I don't think the twists worked AS well for me, particularly since I expected them and pretty much had them sussed out, but it didn't make this journey any less creepy and disturbing ride that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Catriona Ward has such a unique storytelling voice and gift for keeping the reader totally confused and off kilter while also hooked to the story to the point where we can't look away. I always enjoy her one-of-a-kind way of crafting a strange tale and slowly doling out the story in a way that keeps me on the edge of my seat. I go into one of Ward's books expecting, even anticipating, a convoluted, whiplash inducing plot, ever shifting characters, and a story that won't fully make sense until the very end. Ward is a skillful writer and often able to fit all the puzzle pieces together like a master.
Sundial didn't work for me quite as well as The House On Needless St for a few different reasons. In Sundial, I felt like some story threads weren't fully followed and resolved. The story within a story chapters felt unnecessary. The ending while twisty and anxiety inducing left me wanting more.
Ultimately, I loved far more about this book than I disliked. I didn't have the same sense of story completeness with Sundial as with prior books, but Catriona Ward always tells a captivating, entertaining story and I'll anxiously await her next book.

This is my first read by Catriona Ward, it was such a wild story and I absolutely loved it!

It's very dark and twisted psychological thriller/horror. Told in multi-timelines and perspectives, which I personally love, especially when kept between only a few people. This one took me by surprise.

for horror fans this would be a great novel. Not exactly my cup of tea though. I did finish it, but just to see who made it out alive.

Sundial by Catriona Ward was a wild ride from start to finish. At no point did I know where the story was going or what was going to happen next. I could not put it down!

I loved that the narration alternates between Rob present, Rob past, and Callie present. The multiple perspectives and timelines really helps build the unease that continually builds.

The atmosphere was amazing. There is something increasingly eerie and unsettling about a story told in the blazing sun.

As with The Last House on Needless Street, there were so many different layers to this story. Every time I felt like I had a grasp on what was happening, another layer was pulled back and I was shocked again.

I loved this book. It was atmospheric, unsettling, eerie, and absolutely thrilling!

Rob doesn’t know what she’s going to do when she learns one of her daughters is a killer. Between this revelation and the ordeals of co-parenting with her hostile, adulterous husband, Rob decides the best course of action is to go to Sundial, her childhood home, to get her daughter away from anyone else she might harm and set her straight. But going back to Sundial means reconciling with her own past while confronting the present dangers that threaten to tear apart her household. Is she ready to do everything she can to save her family?

This novel took everything I loved about Needless Street and exploded it into an entirely new and strange story. Sundial showcases Ward’s savvy in the things-are-not-what-they-seem narrative while furthering her interrogation of psychosis, multiple personalities and familial trauma. Her characters are extremely layered and developed brilliantly though rotating perspectives and movements in time that illuminate weird, sinister, and often dangerous behaviours in ways the reader will never see coming. At the heart is Sundial itself, a place so heavy with history that it takes on a life of its own. Ward does not waste a word in developing her characters and atmosphere.

With sharp and unwavering purpose, Ward’s novel guides you through the grotesque and indefensible to understanding motives and actions with perfect clarity.

My thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan-Tor/Forge for this incredibly intricate and evocative read.

I will start by saying there are many aspects of the story that I loved. It was dark, twisted and kept me intrigued as to what would happen next.

Unfortunately the story book pages were unnecessary to the story in my opinion and took away from the plot. I was also left with a far too many questions unanswered for this reason I have to rate the book a 3.5 star!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

A dark and twisty tale of sisters, mothers, and daughters where almost nothing is what it seems. This book is full of fascinating layers and frequent surprises. Catriona Ward is a new favorite, and I'm already eagerly awaiting whatever she dreams up next!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I really enjoyed this. The story starts a little strange and there is a surreal quality to what you are reading. Eventually all the pieces come together. I couldn't put this down and just kept wanting to figure out what was going on. I enjoyed the desert environment most of this story took place in as well.

Catriona Ward thrilled me with The Last House on Needless Street, so I was excited to pick up this ARC and see what she had next on offer. She came through, with another amazing psychological horror/thriller that I couldn't put down. It's a bizarre and captivating interpretation take on "nature vs. nuture" and I am 100% here for it.

Sundial tells the story of Rob, a tortured mother of two young daughters who is haunted by a past that exists in the shadows. Her relationships are all deeply dysfuntional, but as the novel progresses the source of those dysfunctions becomes less and less clear. Is it her unconventional childhood on a research facility/farm? Her intense connection with her sister? Her unhealthy dynamic with her husband and parents? Her own inner demons? Rob is in a constant battle with a darkness she has known since childhood and is torn between her love for, and fear of, her twin sister whose behaviour has become erractic and disturbed.

One of Ward's talents is her ability to capture an inner dialogue that is raw and uncomfortable. The thoughts of Rob and her daughter Callie took me on a terrifying ride into how far mothers will go for those they love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC.

This was enthralling! The storyline was something I didn’t expect and the plot genuinely surprised me multiple times.

I thought the way the past was explored was really cool! The past and present storylines worked well together. The setting was interesting. I love that this explored familial relationships - mother/daughter as well as sister/sister dynamics. The relationship between Rob and her husband INFURIATED me but the resolution in the end was very satisfying.

There was unnecessary description and detail in some parts, and I was NOT a fan of a few aspects of the story, but this was a solid read!

That ending?! Wild!

Rob (not short for Roberta like I initially assumed) is trapped in a loveless marriage and fears that her older daughter Callie is disturbed and wants to kill her and little sister Annie. (I was reminded of the old TV movie Don't Go to Sleep.) So Rob decides to take Callie to her childhood home called Sundial to see if they can work things out. Or maybe get rid of her,

So far so good. But things get even better when the pair arrive at Sundial and Rob tells her daughter about her upbringing in this rather bizarre home/research station in the Mojave desert. Rob had a twin sister Jack (not short for Jacqueline like I initially assumed), and their relationship was tortured and full of secrets that affect both Rob and Callie in the present day. And one big secret still awaits them at Sundial. Like Last House on Needless Street, there are characters who are not what they seem and plenty of mind-blowing twists.

This mother daughter horror thriller had me gripped for the 2 days I could not put it down. The relationships build an eerie past and each chapter gives you more secrets and horrific findings. Catriona Ward is s magnificent writer and uses every last dark detail to pull you under into the horrifying darkness of the book. Hands down, amazing !!!!!!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire for the arc of this book. It was the strangest book I think I have ever read! I had no idea where it was going, but kept reading because the writing was mesmerizing. I didn't like any of the characters, but they were all so good and had intriguing stories. When I finished reading, I realized how good the story was and how everything that happened really did lead up to the ending. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

There was a lot I really liked about this novel, but there were parts that definitely felt like it was trying really hard. Although, I finished it a couple of days ago and I've thought about it every day since. It definitely stuck with me. There was more I wish I knew about Sundial, but maybe that was part of the plan, causing me to think about it constantly. 3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4 Stars.

Do I have books to read that publish before Sundial? Why yes, I do. I tried so hard to put this one on my February to be read list, but no matter what I did, it kept calling my name. What do I have to say about my behavior? I am glad, glad I tell you that I started this on the last day of 2021 and finished it on the first day of 2022 because it was amazing.
Rob is married to Irving, and right from their first interaction, I felt like she must have reiterated at least one of her wedding vows, till death do us part, at least a million times. He is a serial cheater and an odious man, and how Rob wound up with him and why she continues to stay with him was a real puzzle. It isn't until the behavior of her older daughter, Callie, starts to alarm her, that she makes a quick and potentially life-altering decision. She leaves her younger daughter Annie with Irving and heads to Sundial, her childhood home. She needs to connect with Callie if she has any hope of saving her, and that means exposing her past.
There is a lot and I mean an awful lot going on in the present and the past. Unlike Needless Street, this book doesn't have one specific what moment, but rather every chapter exposes more and more secrets. It builds dark layer upon even darker layer until I wasn't sure who were the monsters and who were the heroes of this tale. Disturbing at every imaginable level, I forgot to breathe more than once and especially when the author dropped her final bombshell revelation.
I am not going to say any more for fear of spoilers. Just let the words take you to Sundial and see who you are if you find your way out. I will gladly devour anything Catriona Ward writes.

I had to stop reading this due to animal cruelty-especially dogs. What I did read really stuck with Me -if I think about a book while away from it then I usually rate it high.
This book was too disturbing for me but maybe if I finished it, things wouldn't be as disturbing.

Catriona Ward appears to be one of those unicorn authors who actually made a turn from thrillers to the dark side. It’s admirable; most go the other way, from the more niche horrific territory to the all-too popular mystery thrillers. Jennifer McMahon being the only exception I can think off, who started off with conventional thrillers, veered into the supernatural territory and now appears to be coming back around. And, of course, there are myriad things that constitute what is scary to a reader, from creature features to psychopaths and tons in-between. But…
But when I selected this book to be my first book of the year, I was expecting something from the realm of conventionally horrific. The way it looks, the cover, the category the publisher had it under on Netgalley…kind of steer you that way. Alas, it wasn’t the case. Or wasn’t quite the case. There’s plenty to horrify you within the pages of Sundial. Plenty to horrify you about Sundial, the place the main protagonist is raised in, a remote desert compound dedicated to psychological manipulation of animals. MK Ultra for puppies. Nightmarish, really. Certainly, not suitable for weak stomachs and puppy lovers. But…
But if I had to classify or categorize this book, I’d label it a thriller, specifically a mommy thriller, a subgenre of all these ubiquitous female-authored female-centric thrillers that are powered by mother’s milk. Granted, it is much, much darker than most, but still very, very recognizable as such.
The protagonist is a woman who by all rights should have never reproduced and yet she ends up being a mother of two, one of whom she suspects of latent psychopathy. So, she takes that one back to Sundial for some mother/daughter time and there amid the decrepitude of the place and the graves and all the terrible memories, they have a reckoning of sorts.
This is a book that heavily exists in the past, a past so messed-up, so tragic, that it seemingly had no choice but to shape the protagonist the way it did. But then again…her spectacularly terrible marriage might have been avoided. Instead of taking up so much of her life and the book’s time. You make a lot of excuses for the character because of all she’d been through and the dramatic unconventionality of her upbringing, but still…she was raised smarter than that. Literally, homeschooled to be smart.
Anyway, if the mother/daughter thing isn’t enough to flood you with a warm river of estrogen, there’s also a strong sisterhood theme going on, both in the past and in the present. It’s nearly every version of girl power you can think of and every relationship in this book is completely and profoundly f*cked up.
The fact that the protagonist survives her past only to find herself in this future/present is… just lamentable. Good for drama, but lamentable. You do want her to succeed, presumably, but she isn’t an easy sell. No one in this book is, arguably, except maybe for Callie.
That’s one of the most interesting things about this book, actually. It’s populated with thoroughly to mildly unlikeable and unsympathetic characters and yet makes for a surprisingly compelling narrative. I suppose that says a lot about Ward’s skills as an author.
Dark and disturbing as this book in, it drags you in, quicksand style. Makes for a strangely engaging reading experience. Once I’d still class as a dark (stygian, pitch black) psychological thriller above all, but opinions may vary. Difficult to recommend this one. Read at your own discretion. Thanks Netgalley.