A review by liseyp
Sundial by Catriona Ward

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to the author, publishers Viper and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.

 

Nature or nurture? Can dogs who’ve been mistreated learn to be obedient and peaceful. Can people?

 

Rob loves her daughters Callie and Annie, but does Rob’s own upbringing on the Sundial ranch impact on how she raises the girls?

 

Trust no one and always be prepared for the next twist. Sundial is as complex and unusual as anyone who has read a Catriona Ward book would expect. I did find it didn’t try as hard to deliver these twists as The Last House on Needless Street and as a result was a much more compelling story.

 

Told through a combination of flashback and different points of view in the present you do have to be paying attention to keep up with the plot, but it’s worth the extra effort. While the fact that there are secrets is obvious, what those secrets are remain shocking and the timing of their reveal kept me reading to the last page.