Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
Nowhere Burning
by Catriona Ward
Horror | Mystery | Thriller
297 Pages
Released February 2026
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings
I’ve immensely enjoyed Catriona Ward’s previous books so when I heard about Nowhere Burning it immediately jumped to the top of my want-to-read list.
This book follows fourteen-year-old Riley and her brother Oliver. Trapped at their abusive and religious Cousin’s home after the untimely death of their mother, they both feel caged. So when a mysterious young stranger tells Riley of a sanctuary for lost children tucked away in the mountains, Riley plans their escape to the fabled Nowhere. But Nowhere Ranch isn’t just a place for lost children, it has a dark, terrible history, and sanctuary comes at a price.
Admittedly I was a little nervous going into this one. Reading the book description, I immediately got Peter Pan/Neverland Ranch vibes which aren’t topics that particularly…interest me. But this is Catriona Ward we’re talking about and if anyone can pull off a dark twisted story from those subjects, it’s her.
Just like the rest of her books, I fell headlong into this one. This story is told from a couple different perspectives (two of which I am omitting because this is one of those books that you should really go into blind). I love how Ward can take seemingly unrelated characters and slowly weave them together in a way that makes you wonder how you didn’t see the connection before.
As always, the pacing is great and I enjoyed the gradual buildup of tension as the more sinister aspects of Nowhere Ranch are revealed. However, I also found this book difficult to read. Stories hit different I think, when it’s children experiencing trauma and I found some parts quite emotional because of that.
All in all, it was another fantastic, if not heart wrenching book that gripped me from start to finish. If you enjoy any of Catriona Ward’s other books, or if you’re looking for a unique take on a Peter Pan-esque horror, I highly recommend picking this one up!