Thrillers & Suspense
![Catriona Ward - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B015CNZSLK.jpg)
Looking Glass Sound
"If you love the novels of Shirley Jackson, Patricia Highsmith, and Tana French, here's your next obsession."―Kelly Link, author of Pulitzer Prize finalist Get In Trouble
An Indie Next Pick • A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick • A Most Anticipated Book by Paste, GoodReads, Polygon, BookRiot, and more!
From Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street, comes a masterful story about friendship and betrayal, dark obsessions, and the impossibility of escaping your own story.
In a cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow has begun the last book he will ever write.
It is the story about the sun-drenched summer days of his youth in Whistler Bay, and the blood-stained path of the killer that stalked his small vacation town. About the terrible secret he and his companions, Nat and Harper, discovered entombed in the coves off the bay. And how the pact they swore that day echoed down the decades, forever shaping their lives.
But the more Wilder writes, the less he trusts himself and his memory. He starts to see things that can't be real – notes hidden in the cabin, from an old friend now dead; a woman with dark hair drowning in the icy waters below, calling for help; entire chapters he doesn't recall typing, appearing overnight. Who, or what, is haunting Wilder?
No longer able to trust his own eyes, Wilder begins to fear that this will not only be his last book, but the last thing he ever does.
"An origami puzzle of a book, the mystery so beautifully crafted you don't see the folds, with edges sharp as a paper cut."―Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls
An Indie Next Pick • A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick • A Most Anticipated Book by Paste, GoodReads, Polygon, BookRiot, and more!
From Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street, comes a masterful story about friendship and betrayal, dark obsessions, and the impossibility of escaping your own story.
In a cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow has begun the last book he will ever write.
It is the story about the sun-drenched summer days of his youth in Whistler Bay, and the blood-stained path of the killer that stalked his small vacation town. About the terrible secret he and his companions, Nat and Harper, discovered entombed in the coves off the bay. And how the pact they swore that day echoed down the decades, forever shaping their lives.
But the more Wilder writes, the less he trusts himself and his memory. He starts to see things that can't be real – notes hidden in the cabin, from an old friend now dead; a woman with dark hair drowning in the icy waters below, calling for help; entire chapters he doesn't recall typing, appearing overnight. Who, or what, is haunting Wilder?
No longer able to trust his own eyes, Wilder begins to fear that this will not only be his last book, but the last thing he ever does.
"An origami puzzle of a book, the mystery so beautifully crafted you don't see the folds, with edges sharp as a paper cut."―Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls
Editorial Reviews
A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick!
"Looking Glass Sound is my favorite Catriona Ward novel yet, which is saying something. There are twists and turns here that even the most jaded reader will find hard to predict. If you love the novels of Shirley Jackson, Patricia Highsmith, and Tana French, here's your next obsession." ―Kelly Link, author of White Cat, Black Dog
"An evocative, bone-chilling read, exploring grief, storytelling, and the dark forces of obsession. Ward's writing is complex, challenging, and beautiful in equal measure. A tale to savor." ―Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium
"I loved every word...an irresistible, beautifully written story powered by dread and fascination with the unknown." ―A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
"Ward's latest may be her scariest yet." ―Booklist, STARRED review
"The prose is lyrically metaphorical, taking readers into the story as if they're shadows of the characters. This is a book about a book, inside a book―an intricate plot with changing perspectives. Reading it is like walking through a maze of wrong turns and misdirection." ―Library Journal, STARRED review
"Nearly every sentence is faultless, gutting and precise. Come for the family secrets but stay for the humanity, tenderness, and empathy that are so central to Ward's storytelling. This book will truly haunt you long after you read it."―Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six
"In the right hands, narrative can be a kaleidoscope, fracturing into more and more wondrous configurations. I think maybe Catriona Ward spilled a little blood into her kaleidoscope with this one."―Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times
"Looking Glass Sound is my favorite Catriona Ward novel yet, which is saying something. There are twists and turns here that even the most jaded reader will find hard to predict. If you love the novels of Shirley Jackson, Patricia Highsmith, and Tana French, here's your next obsession." ―Kelly Link, author of White Cat, Black Dog
"An evocative, bone-chilling read, exploring grief, storytelling, and the dark forces of obsession. Ward's writing is complex, challenging, and beautiful in equal measure. A tale to savor." ―Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium
"I loved every word...an irresistible, beautifully written story powered by dread and fascination with the unknown." ―A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
"Ward's latest may be her scariest yet." ―Booklist, STARRED review
"The prose is lyrically metaphorical, taking readers into the story as if they're shadows of the characters. This is a book about a book, inside a book―an intricate plot with changing perspectives. Reading it is like walking through a maze of wrong turns and misdirection." ―Library Journal, STARRED review
"Nearly every sentence is faultless, gutting and precise. Come for the family secrets but stay for the humanity, tenderness, and empathy that are so central to Ward's storytelling. This book will truly haunt you long after you read it."―Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six
"In the right hands, narrative can be a kaleidoscope, fracturing into more and more wondrous configurations. I think maybe Catriona Ward spilled a little blood into her kaleidoscope with this one."―Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times
Readers Top Reviews
boobooColin Thompson
I really enjoyed the first part of this book. It was engaging and I was immersed into the world of Wilder, Harper and Nat The second part started off well and then for me gradually became a little too confusing. The third and final part was way out there ! It’s not good when you have to go back into the book to try and work out if you missed a whole section! I must say I was disappointed with the ending and the book in general 🙁
Ali .C
This author has done it to me again , my mind is 🤯 After reading The last House On Needless street and Sundial last year and loving how strange they were . I had buy this book and read immediately ! I found the Formatting a bit weird with this I have to say . It doesn’t really have chapters as such . What you are reading is a book that’s about a book , that is then about another book , it’s the best way I can describe this tbh . Be prepared to brace yourself , because some parts are like 50-60 ish pages long and there is no break between . I found the first half of this story really engaging (this is a memoir and the 1st book )I loved the plot , this is like a coming of age drama in this part , 3 teenage friends , 2 summers spent together and all the while The Dagger Man is Stalking their community and by the end of the 2nd summer he is captured and everything unravels between the friends . I’m not going to say much cos I don’t want to spoil it , but it did all make sense during this half . Now the second half (which is the 2nd book) is where things start to really freaky , the story gets much darker ,I thought it incredibly creepy , strange and extremely confusing at times . I found myself questioning everything I’d read prior , that had previously made sense , my thoughts were constantly changing . I liked the witchcraft element of this story. I also think this had some strong horror vibes going on too. I did love the ending , it did all make sense eventually 😅 I think this was very cleverly written, I absolutely loved it and would definitely recommend it 🤩
