Ahoy there me mateys!  This book won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel (2018) and the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel (2019).  It is being republished by Tor Nightfire.  I have to admit that I enjoyed this book at lot more than the last house on needless street.

The focus of this book is a small cult on the island of Altnaharra in Scotland.  The story begins with the discovery of the cult's demise with only one survivor and slowly works its way towards the hows and whys and whos.  The majority of the events take place from 1917 to 1921.  Though I guessed the twist early on, I was engrossed in finding out how it all went down.

I found Eve to be fascinating character.  She desperately wants Uncle, the cult leader's, attention.  She is both creepy and sympathetic.  The slow unfolding of the history of the cult and its practices were the highlight for me.  I actually enjoyed learning and reading about all the characters in this one.  The inspector ended up being a surprising favorite.  Ward's writing is evocative and compelling.  The non-linear timeline was fantastic in maintaining suspense and curiosity.  Highly recommended.  Arrr!