Catriona Ward, the bestselling author of LOOKING GLASS SOUND and THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET, makes a triumphant return with NOWHERE BURNING, her most terrifying, shocking work yet.

Set in the Rocky Mountain town of Ault, Colorado, Nowhere is the legendary former home of Leaf Winham, an A-list actor whose work of embodying characters turned him reclusive and strange, his remote home becoming something of a sanctuary for him. But Nowhere --- already in possession of its own murky history as a former apple farm and the site of a brutal murder-suicide --- also became a place where Winham could act out his most devious, evil interests…namely, serial killing. Discovered when a victim escaped and Nowhere was burned to a crisp, Winham’s crimes were brought to light, and Nowhere was abandoned. Or so people think.

In Ault, these crimes are legendary enough on their own, with tourists and reporters wanting to see for themselves where it all happened. But an even more interesting and unbelievable urban legend has formed. There are rumors that Nowhere has been taken over by a group of feral children who live in its mountain hideaway and come to town only to pilfer expired food and baby formula. Darker corners and lower whispers will even mention that adults occasionally have been kidnapped by them, tied up and bled before being returned to their homes. It seems like the stuff of fantasy, or the world’s darkest Peter Pan reimagining, but it’s nothing compared to the lives the children were born into before they took off for Nowhere.

"Both a terrific addition to her immersive, spooky backlist and a fantastic entry point for newcomers, NOWHERE BURNING cements Ward’s place in the horror genre. It presents one of the freshest, most creative takes on a beloved classic that I have ever read."

One of these kids is Riley, whose father died when she was young, leaving her grieving mother to descend into madness. Riley has one anchor to her neglected life: her little brother, Oliver. When their mother dies, they are sent to a group home before being “rescued” by a distant relative known only as Cousin. But Cousin’s home is not one of family bonds and snuggles, but rather overzealous religious teachings, starvation, and the constant refrain that the children have been taken over by demons and only Cousin’s punishments can save them. Riley is allowed to attend school, but poor Oliver is homeschooled, leaving him susceptible to more and more of Cousin’s wild, unhinged abuses. Riley knows she has to protect Oliver and get them out of Cousin’s hands. But then what?

Enter Noon. Impish and pixie-like, the young androgynous girl follows Riley home one day and tells her that she can offer her a new home. It’s a place where she will truly belong and there are no adults or fears --- only the mountains, sun and stars, and the decision to devote yourself to something bigger. Noon means Nowhere, of course, and although Riley fears the site of Winham’s devious crimes, she also cannot allow Oliver to suffer under Cousin’s control anymore. A dash of rat poison, a packed bag and one set of handwritten directions later, Riley and Oliver are headed to Nowhere.

The allure of the feral children’s empire is clear. But in their secret codes and signs, how they speak of their history, and the children who came before them, Riley senses something diabolical, and it all seems to hinge on the mysticism of Nowhere’s grounds. Nowhere feels like a person rather than a place. While Noon is quick to assure Riley that this feeling has nothing to do with Winham’s legacy, she can’t deny the reverence and worshipful tone the children take when referring to the man who unintentionally gifted them their land. And then comes a bad season: dry crops, sickness and meager supplies. The bloodletting begins.

As Riley comes to terms with her new home and Oliver’s immersion into the group, documentarians Marc and Kimble visit Nowhere. They’ve produced the definitive telling of Leaf Winham’s crimes and the feral children who have taken over his land and barred adults from entering it. They’re not the first, but as it becomes immediately clear, they’re probably the only ones who will be able to do it successfully. After all, Marc has ties to Nowhere that he is not ready to reveal. In an alternate timeline, readers also meet Winham’s last victim, Adam, the man who put an end to Nowhere and lost his life in the process.

Three protagonists, three people drawn to Nowhere for various reasons, each of them harboring their own dark secrets. As Riley, Marc and Adam reveal their histories with Nowhere, Catriona Ward employs the story of Peter Pan and Neverland as scaffolding. She plays on the allure of an adult-free world and the end of growing up, but infuses it with her own gauzy mysticism and the sense that the answers are just out of reach. The result is cerebral and nimble, full of dark impulses and unchecked mayhem. As it races to its stunning conclusion --- I seriously had to put the book down and take a walk --- Ward forces her readers to reckon with the cost of sanctuary and the things we lose to survive.

The worldbuilding is lush and vivid, but Ward wastes no time on lengthy exposition, choosing instead to drop readers into the book’s world --- the abandoned mansion, but also the hidden abuses plaguing the children --- and crafting something that actually lives and breathes. Paired with her damaged, yearning characters, whose motives and backgrounds are exposed not through linear storytelling but through flashbacks, quiet moments of introspection and their relationships with Nowhere, Ward’s Neverland-esque world feels wild and ageless, much like its leader and the many children who call it home. She plays heavily with reality while still exploring themes of abuse, neglect and survival.

Both a terrific addition to her immersive, spooky backlist and a fantastic entry point for newcomers, NOWHERE BURNING cements Ward’s place in the horror genre. It presents one of the freshest, most creative takes on a beloved classic that I have ever read.