Little Eve is Catriona Ward’s first novel that has been republished after her success from The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial. The book showcases her ability to write different sub-genres of horror.

“What has happened here? A terrible thing.”

Little Eve takes place on an isolated isle in Scotland called Altnaharra in the 1920’s. While delivering meat, Jamie MacRaith finds five dead people with their right eyes removed. The story then unfolds by alternating between Evelyn and Dinah during different time periods.

“A great day is upon us. He is coming. The world will be washed away.”

Dinah and Evelyn are “sisters” who are a part of a family led by their “Uncle” where they are preparing for the coming of Adder, the end of the world. This family is actually a cult who performs strange ceremonies and rituals to prepare for the end of the world but also inherit special powers to survive. A lot of what they have to do is gruesome and disturbing but they will do what they must for honor.

"A screaming begins. The cacophony of a hundred thousand voices shouting instructions in an alien tongue. I have no choice; my blood and nerves have become the voices. If they told me to fly into an open fire I would do it. I am not one but many, feeding the great, combed entity of the hive."

Chief Inspector Black is sent to investigate the murders and the families life is turned upside down. The story is definitely atmospheric with a very dark, gothic and gloomy feel to it. Our characters feel hopeless and trapped but also rely on each other as they are all they have. You can feel the dread and horror within each page as the characters go through the events that take place. Catriona Ward excels in keeping the twists hidden and unraveling them slowly throughout the story. The twists will leave you surprised up until the very end.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

How does Catriona Ward continue to write such amazing dark twisted stories? This one was another winner. Set on a remote isle off of the coast of Scotland young Eve is willing to do anything her “uncle” asks of her. She and her sisters blindly follow his rules and strange beliefs. A brutal murder uncovers secrets and leads the reader on a journey full of twists and surprises that you will not expect.

Like her other books it is best to just dive in and hold on for an unforgettable story that you cannot put down. There are not many authors out there that can deliver a consistent stream of psychological horror like Catriona Ward can. I will read anything she writes!!


4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #LittleEve #CatrionaWard

I didn't really know what to expect going into this. I enjoy Gothic novels and this one was dark and atmospheric. The cult aspect was very interesting however I had a hard time getting into this story. It was very slow going and honestly difficult to follow at times.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a DNF for me. I could not get into the story and the narrator was very difficult to understand.

On Altnaharra off the coast of Scotland in 1917, a group is sure that the Adder is coming to end the world and restart it over again. One of the group will inherit his power, and Eve will do anything to ensure she's the one that does. A brutal murder interrupting their sacred ceremony leads to an investigation, so all of the island's secrets are being revealed.

This is the American reprint of this novel, so the style might be a bit different from what others are used. The language is very straightforward and lulling, and switches between perspectives and time periods, but still deals with family secrets. Eve is sure that she's meant to take care of the others. The "family" that stays on the isle is all she knows, and they follow Uncle's directions. Whether that's having very little to eat, shunning the one that disobeys or displeases Uncle in some way, or getting shut away in the dark as a punishment, his word is law. Police are involved as a welfare check, but Eve staunchly resists and tries to stay in control of the clairvoyance she's sure she received as a gift from the Adder, as well as the income keeping their group afloat. This family sticks together, but resentment and secrets still run deep between them, and the outside world wants to intrude on their way of life.

The lulling way it's written pulls me into the story, into Eve's or Dinah's POV. The surety they have in Uncle and the Adder is nothing short of a cult, and turn-of-the-century isolation ensures that the rules are rarely questioned. The question of identity and family, of hiding the past versus exploring it, and the nature of power are themes that have come up in other Catriona Ward novels. Here, it's a very Gothic atmosphere, haunting and ultimately sad when we learn what actually happened on that fateful day on the island. The legacy of the Adder had a long reach so that even the future had a shadow cast over it.

Little Eve is beautifully written and will linger long after the last page.

Gothic novel of everyones dreams! Not for the easily squeamish or frightened. This was pretty dark, had a touch of horror, and surprise, surprise: I loved it.

This story is told in multiple viewpoints fluctuating between past & present, so be sure to take note at the chapter’s start so you’re not confused. There are many twists and turns in this book and you’re never quite sure who is telling the truth and who can actually be trusted.

Gear up for an incredible ride filled with atmosphere and tension. This was incredibly well written and I’d recommend to anyone especially with spooky season upon us

Little Eve is a spine-chilling, dark story about two girls, Eve and Dinah, living with a group of other children and their ‘Uncle’ in a remote castle on a bleak isle off the coast of Scotland. The novel opens with a horrible scene of a mass murder that looks very much like some terrifying ritual, and things only get more haunting and creepy from there.

This book was exactly what I wanted to read in October - a spooky, gothic tale that wasn’t too scary, but was so fascinating and mesmerizing that it kept me up reading nonetheless. I loved the creepy atmosphere and I loved the final plot twist - it wasn’t groundbreaking, but it fit perfectly and was so well executed that that didn’t matter. It’s a slow burn story and I did feel that some parts dragged a bit, but that’s honestly the only thing that I can criticize. If you like stories about cults, frightening events, and atmospheric locations, this one’s for you!

I really struggled with Little Eve by Catriona Ward. I loved The Last House On Needless Street and Sundial was a solid story even though the subject matter with puppies was a bit disturbing.

Little Eve follows a family/group of individuals that are in a cult in remote Scotland. This book did the opposite of cover flap blurbs. If the description of the book hadn't elaborated enough the actual plot would've left me completely and utterly confused.

Relationships were confusing. Who is young? Who is an adult? Who has John fathered? What is an Adder? The opening sequence was incredibly creepy. Bodies on the shore? I was so up for this. But lack of character clarity left me reading without being fully engaged.

Due to my low review I did not post a review on GoodReads. I'm assuming the publisher would prefer that I refrain.

If you like Catriona Ward and you are looking for a cult book, good news is she wrote one. Bad news is it’s Sundial - NOT Little Eve. While I wasn’t blown away like everyone else when it came to The Last House on Needless Street (I still stand behind the fact that a bunch of readers who typically don’t pick up dark material listened to their pals and went in to that one blind as the reasoning behind the crazy high ratings), I really dug Sundial and snatched this from NetGalley lickity split. Now that I’m finished all I have to say is if I were a DNF’er I would definitely have DNF’d this one.

BORING!

I’m not a fan of these previously released books getting a second printing without disclosing the fact that they are old material. Generally there’s a reason why they weren’t big hits the first time around and Little Eve is certainly no exception to the rule.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

As a follower of the Shirley Jackson Awards, I was always frustrated with my inability to find a copy of this book after it won back in 2019. Now that I've got my hands on it, I can see why it won -- it is suitably twisty and dark and does a great job of unfolding its story via flashbacks and unreliable narration (whose unreliability is revealed at a tantalizing pace). Certain parts of the plot I don't know if they totally stand up to retrospective scrutiny, but it's a very good read and I'm keeping my eyes peeled for Ward's subsequent work.

The nitty-gritty: A beautiful, horrible tale of inescapable family ties.

Catriona Ward has a gift for creating characters who are bound together in awful ways, but who love each other fiercely despite the horrible things they do to each other. In Little Eve, that family is a group of six people who live in seclusion in a decrepit mansion in Scotland. Uncle believes that a great sea snake will arise from the ocean and change the world, and in typical cult leader fashion, he’s grooming his “family” members to go along with him, do his bidding, and most of all, suffer for the cause. This is a chilling story with some nice twists, beautifully constructed and executed, and it’s my second favorite Ward story after The Last House on Needless Street (that one is going to be hard to top, IMO)

The story alternates between the past and present, beginning with an event that occurred in January of 1921. A young man named Jamie MacRaith is delivering a side of beef to Altnaharra, the castle where Uncle and his family members live. But the gate to the castle, usually locked, hangs open, so Jamie decides to investigate. On an altar near an abandoned church, Jamie discovers a horrific site: five bodies are laid out on the stone, arranged in a star shape. Each one has its right eye gouged out, and upon further inspection, Jamie discovers that one of the people is still alive. The girl is Dinah, and the four other bodies are Nora, Elizabeth, John and Sarah. Dinah is in great pain but tells Jamie that her sister Eve killed them and escaped.

Next we jump back to the year 1917, where Eve narrates the story and explains the events leading up to the murders in 1921. Eve lives with her family Dinah, Abel, Elizabeth, Alice, Nora and Uncle. Uncle overseas a ritual called the seeing, where members of the family are given the opportunity to “see” through the eyes of Hercules, the snake he keeps for this purpose. Uncle controls his family by doling out scant bits of food and a horrific punishment called Wane, where the offender is locked in the cellar for days with no food, water or light. The youngest members of the family dread these punishments, but Nora, who has been there the longest, believes in Uncle’s teachings and everything he asks them to do. Uncle warns them of the “Impure,” those who aren’t blessed with his knowledge of what’s to come. The younger ones attend school in the nearby village—Uncle insists on it so their family appears normal to outsiders—but it’s a series of encounters with these townspeople that sends things spiraling out of control.

Ward’s writing drips with atmosphere and Gothic sensibility. The reclusive, crumbling castle, Uncle’s cruel punishments, the sense of gloom and darkness that hangs over the characters’ lives—all of it adds to the creepy feeling that things just aren’t right in Altnaharra. There are several mysteries within the story as well. Dinah and Jamie both give statements at the inquest after the murders are discovered, but are they telling the truth? Some of what they say just doesn’t add up. Ward’s fragmented way of telling her story adds to the confusion and keeps the reader guessing until the end.

There are so many heartbreaking moments in this story, I found it to be sad and depressing more than hopeful, although there are glimpses of happiness. Many sections were hard for me to read, especially the parts where Uncle refuses to feed his children because they’ve broken a rule (often a rule they didn’t even know about). Eve counts each bite of food—they are allowed a certain number of bites each day—enough food just to survive, never flourish. Sometimes they are “shunned,” which means the others must ignore the shunned person until Uncle says it’s over. There are even darker elements that could be triggers for some readers, like miscarriage, suicide and rape, so do be aware. But the characters, especially Eve, Dinah, Elizabeth and Abel, tugged at my heartstrings, and I wanted to jump into the story and save them.

Ward introduces a few “outside” characters who play pivotal roles in the story. One is Chief Inspector Christopher Black, who is part of the murder investigation in 1921, but who also appears earlier in the story when he suspects that John Bearings, the man also known as “Uncle,” is abusing his family members. I liked the way Black is used as a witness of sorts, a man who sees things through a completely different lens, and his observations make you question what’s true and what isn’t.

I especially loved one sequence of events that reminded me of Atonement. If you’ve read the book (or seen the movie), you might know what I’m talking about, but something happens where a seemingly innocent act causes a ripple effect that ends up ruining a bunch of lives. I know that sounds depressing, but it was so cleverly done!

Most of all, I loved the way the story changes as each character takes the stage to give their narrative. There are a couple of good twists at the end and some unexpected connections between characters. Nothing is quite as it first seems, which isn’t surprising because there are so many unreliable characters in this story. Little Eve won the Shirley Jackson award when it was first published in 2018, and I can see why. Highly recommended for fans of Catriona Ward and readers who love dark, atmospheric mysteries.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

I was hoping it would be a little more horror and a lot less HF. As a US reader, I found the atmosphere and locations to be kind of confusing. I obviously don’t know a lot about that area in that time frame, but I found myself so focused on the locations I missed a lot of the story.

I loved the cult setting though. I am really surprised she wrote this first! And in 2018! The authors note at the beginning was such a special touch. Knowing her side of the publishing story for this book was really cool!

This is my first book by this author, and it definitely won’t be my last!

Catriona Ward continues to prove what an amazing storyteller she is. This book pulls you in, and doesn't let go. Little Eve is a highly addictive story with amazing characters that brings the book so much depth, and engrossing plots.

This was my first book by Ward, and I can’t wait to read my next. A mysterious historical fiction, steeped with a gothic atmosphere. Eerie and suspenseful, at times a bit gruesome. The characters were interesting, some like-able and others intentionally not.
I didn’t see the twists coming, and the horror threaded through the story was perfect for Halloween (or whenever you want a dark, spooky read).
Note: the story, at its core, is unsettling and maybe not for those with some specific triggers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 stars. This was a Gothic, period, alternating pov story. Certainly a mystery, of sorts, more than anything spooky or horror adjacent. The premise of a man alone in a castle with 5 women and girls who he locks in, controls, starves, and subjects to poisonous snakes, in the name of a weird cultist snake worshipping group us as bad as it sounds. We are taken through events that lead to tragedy revealed at the start, through the eyes of several of the girls. Troubling on many levels, but intriguing enough to take me through fairly quickly.

"Little Eve" won the Shirley Jackson Award in 2018 but is only now reaching US readers, but story was well worth the wait! Readers familiar with "The Last House on Needless Street" and "Sundial" will find this a different type of story. Gothic and historical in nature, this book will appeal to fans of "We Have Always Lived in This Castle", early Simone St. James works, and the stunning and foreboding settings of Victoria Holt... as well as the twistiness of M. Night Shyamalan's films. Catriona Ward is masterful in her depiction of post-WWI Scotland, the pain and sadness of the time woven within the story such that one sees the suffering of history alongside the context of Eve's own horror. Tongue is a remote Scottish village with one foot in modern times and the other mucked in the old ways and secrets of Altnaharra. The castle Altnaharra is a character in and of itself, lending doom and gloom, and the intersecting beauty and ugliness of nature. The feeling of hunger and suffocation is pervasive as the story unravels. How much is true, how much is supernatural, and how much is manipulated is for the reader to unravel. Like her later works, Ward's "Little Eve" examines the horror of the human psyche and examines the construct of faith. When they intersect, what could possibly go wrong?

4.5 enthusiastic stars, and an absolutely gorgeous cover!

Thank you to #NetGalley and @TorNightfire for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I absolutely loved The Last House on Needless Street. It was one of my top books of 2021. So, this review is a huge case of it's me and not the book. I think I was expecting more of Last House going into this one. That's on me. I will definitely recommend it to others to check out.

Historical fiction is not my usual genre so I had a rather hard time getting through this book. At times the story felt longer than it was. This is the first Catriona Ward book I have read and though it was tough to get through it, I did have moments of enjoyment which make me eager to read more from the author.

Read this if you like: Gothic vibes, cult stories, atmospheric

This is the story of a cult led by a man, consisting of two women and four children. They are in a remote Scottish castle two hours from any village. Young Eve is one of the children in this cult that is preparing for the end of the world. The Adder is coming and someone will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction.

A reckoning beyond Eve’s imagination begins when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a brutal murder and their sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong. Soon all the secrets of Altnaharra will be uncovered.

Wow. I have never read a historical thriller before. I love the creepy gothic vibes of this book. It's so perfectly weird and original. I'm just in shock. This is my first by this author and won't be my last. Highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and MacMillan/Tor/Forge for the gifted e-book! ❤️

Off the windy coast of Scotland a clan prepares the end of the world. They believe the prophet the Adder would come and one lucky person of the cult will inherit his powers. They all want that kind of power, especially Eve. But when Inspector Black comes the ceremony starts to go wrong and this set Eve in motion. This cult clan has been practicing this ritual waiting for this immense power.

It sort of reminded me of The Exorcist in way of power and rituals. We learn the story of the family and how all these rituals came about and how bizarre they are.. It’s a very creepy, psychological gothic read, and Catriona has a way of getting under your skin with her stories. I try not to bite my nails, but every time I read her stories, I realize I sit there devouring it as well as the side of my thumb nail.

Power and the end of the world are two things that make a great wild story and that’s definitely not lacking in this story. The pacing builds the creepiness and the feelings of isolation can be felt, really just makes the story much more.