Nowhere Burning is a harrowing tale of survival that places the dark fairy tale of Peter Pan and the ruthless dangers of Lord of the Flies into the unforgiving maw of the Colorado Rockies.

"Gripping and beautiful, haunting and virtuously crafted…you won’t be able to stop reading."—Virginia Feito, author of Victorian Psycho

Secrets in the flames. Answers in the ashes.

Riley and her brother Oliver set off in the pitch-black night, fleeing their troubled home. They are heading for Nowhere—an abandoned ranch, once the playground of its former eccentric movie-star owner, now a haven for runaways.

What awaits could be the freedom they crave.

But this mysterious clan guards dark secrets, and the scorched grounds hold the ghosts of the past. Riley quickly realizes that while she and Oliver may have escaped the devil they knew, something darker lurks in the burnt shell of Nowhere.

Something which asks a terrible price for sanctuary…

Also by Catriona Ward:

Looking Glass Sound

Sundial

Little Eve

The Last House on Needless Street

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.



Praise for this book

Praise for Nowhere Burning:



“So sharp and beautiful it draws blood and leaves scars.”

—Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

"Gripping and beautiful and haunting and virtuously crafted… you won’t be able to stop reading."

—Virginia Feito, author of Victorian Psycho

"Catriona Ward is a sorceress of the highest order and Nowhere Burning is nothing short of spellbinding. The scale of both tenderness and terror is a marvel. Ward's storytelling has reached such heights that I can only adequately compare her to herself: it's as eerily atmospheric as Little Eve, as twisty and complex as Looking Glass Sound, and as emotionally compelling as Sundial. I will follow Ward anywhere, holding my breath as I go."

—Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of Girl Dinner

"One part fairy tale and one part horror story, Nowhere Burning is seductive and incendiary....The world of make-believe has never been so deadly."

—M.L. Rio, author of If We Were Villains

"Catriona Ward's instant classic Nowhere Burning is gorgeous, dangerous, mythic and horrific. Here the embers of long-ago fires still smolder, and a girl and her brother lead readers into an abandoned ranch unlike anyplace you've ever visited in a book. This unforgettable novel evokes Stephen King and fairy tales, but it's very much an original—a story for anyone who likes to marvel at a remarkable storyteller in full flower."

—A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

“Anyone who has reached a hand toward the night sky will understand the beautifully incurable ache for belonging at the heart of Nowhere Burning, the latest unsettling fairytale from Catriona Ward.”

—Christopher Buehlman, USA Today bestselling author of Between Two Fires

“Fiercely original, full of malice and wild empathy. Ward is so damn good and always, always surprising. Every sentence is a barbed and glittering thread weaving through pop culture obsessions; the glamorous movie star recluse, the feral kid cult, the wounded true crime documentary makers, to reveal the dread secrets that lie hidden in the mountains and human hearts.”

—Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls

"Exceptional. So painful and heartbreakingly human. Lost and broken people are the key to a great horror novel, and nobody does them better than Catriona Ward."

—Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Birds

“An amazing mix of intricate storytelling, edge-of-your-seat plotting, incredible worldbuilding and characters who will find a place in your heart. A bit Stranger Things, a bit Spielberg, a bit Stephen King, while also being completely original.”

—Araminta Hall, author of Imperfect Women

“Bestseller Ward showcases her talent for twisty plotting, genuine scares, and unreliable narrators in this brilliant and brutal riff on Peter Pan. … Ward ably captures the slipperiness of reality through the eyes of a child and masterfully pulls off a devastating final reveal. This is sure to haunt readers long after the last page is turned.”

—Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

“Thrilling…A deviously delightful puzzle box of a novel. In typical Ward fashion, the book’s twists and turns startle and stun repeatedly.”

—Library Journal

"Ward explores love, family, and the cost of keeping secrets…Those who loved Ward's previous novels will welcome this book, and be captivated by the legend of Nowhere, as will fans of chilling fairy tale retellings."

—Booklist

"Most of Ward’s published novels occupy a tantalizing genre gray area somewhere between horror, thriller, mystery, and psychological drama, and her newest, Nowhere Burning, is no different....it feature[s] Ward at her best, nimbly skipping between different timelines and character POVs. I have never once regretted letting one of Ward’s books jump the line in my TBR, and you won’t either."

—Emily Hughes, Reactor




About the AuthorCATRIONA WARD is the USA Today bestselling author of Looking Glass Sound. She was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in the United States, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen, and Morocco. She studied English at the University of Oxford and later earned her master’s degree in creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Ward is a three-time winner of the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel: for The Girl from Rawblood, her debut; Little Eve; and The Last House on Needless Street. Little Eve also won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel. Sundial won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Novel.
Title: Nowhere Burning
Author(s): Catriona Ward
ISBN: 9781250860064
Copyright 2026
Release Date: February 24, 2026
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: ePub | Learn More about our supported formats
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