**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** “WORKS BEAUTIFULLY… If you like being terrified, The Whisper Man has your name on it.” –The New York Times, Editor’s Pick “SUPERB” –Publisher’s Weekly, Starred Review “BRILLIANT… will satisfy readers of Thomas Harris and Stephen King.” –Booklist, Starred Review “POIGNANT AND TERRIFYING” –Entertainment Weekly In this dark, suspenseful … Starred Review
“POIGNANT AND TERRIFYING”
—Entertainment Weekly
In this dark, suspenseful thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of a father and son caught in the crosshairs of an investigation to catch a serial killer preying on a small town.
After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank.
But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.
Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter’s crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man.
And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window…
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A lights-on thriller you won’t soon forget!
After the sudden death of his wife, author Tom Kennedy decides he and his son need a fresh start. An internet search turns up a strange, quirky-looking house that young Jake insists they should buy. Soon, the two are ensconced in their new home in a new town, but they don’t realise until it’s too late, there’s a predator on the loose- a serial killer.
When a six-year-old boy goes missing on his way home, the Featherbank police have their hands full- because this isn’t the first time. Detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis are determined to find the missing child and catch the monster haunting their streets- even if Pete has to face his past, and The Whisper Man.
This book had me so freaked out, but I couldn’t stop reading!
There’s an eerie poem Jake learns from his ‘make-believe friend’ that plays a large part in the story.
“If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken.
If you play outside alone, soon you won’t be going home.
If your windows left unlatched, you’ll hear him tapping at the glass.
If you’re lonely, sad, and blue the Whisper Man will come for you.”
I don’t want to give too much away other than to say this is a haunting, terrifying, creepy psychological thriller but it’s the poignant, family first underlying plotline that kept me reading.
I give The Whisper Man 5+ lovely kisses- A story you won’t forget!
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Celadon books for giving me the opportunity to read this story.
The Whisper Man is the most unsettling thriller I have read since Jo Nesbø’s The Snowman. Much more than the sum of its parts, it is nightmarish and disturbing and, at the same time, a moving and life-affirming novel about fathers and sons, and grief, loss, and recovery.
I’m a huge fan of the thriller genre, and the description of this book really made it stand out. I couldn’t wait to read it, and it lived up to my expectations.
This multiple-POV novel gives us a look into the minds of cop and killer, victim and family. The crime of today is oddly similar to a serial killing spree twenty years earlier by the Whisper Man. The psychological games between him and the detective who brought him to justice are just the beginning of this deliciously twisted tale. The way the author takes seemingly discrete characters and events and ties them together is clever and makes for a compelling read.
The characters are well developed, pace is well balanced. In addition to the crime elements, there are several interpersonal relationships and family dynamics that are brilliantly explored and got me right in the heart. This is so much more than a game of cat-and-mouse. I couldn’t put it down; read the book in one sitting.
Thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.
Chalk this up to one of my favorite reads of the year! After his wife dies unexpectedly, Tom Kennedy moves with his young son, Jake, to the tiny village of Featherbank in an effort to start fresh. Jake is a sensitive child, prone to talking to an imaginary friend. At first things appear to be moving in the right direction, then Tom learns that he and his son have moved into the neighborhood “scary house.” Worse, Featherbank is also the site of several child abductions and murders decades in the past. The serial killer responsible was known as the Whisper Man due to a habit of whispering to his victims outside their bedroom windows. Just before Tom and Jake settle into their new house, a young boy goes missing. Then Tom overhears Jake reciting part of a rhyme: “If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken…”
Where to begin? This is a highly suspenseful, creepy read with intricate layers. Not only do we have Tom and Jake—with Tom struggling on so many levels to be the father Jake needs—but two detective inspectors are also front and center. DI Pete Willis is the man responsible for bringing the Whisper Man to justice decades ago, and DI Amanda Beck is the lead on the current abduction case. A case that bears eerie similarities to the Whisper Man’s crimes.
Twists and turns? Oh, yes! I smugly thought I had part of the story figured out early on, only to have the proverbial rug wrenched from under me. Plus, there are HUGE surprises in store. WOW moments that induce goosebumps. I’m in awe by how expertly the author wove everything together.
Originally, I was a little cat-shy about reading a story that involved child victims, but there is nothing graphic here. The past is only touched on in a sinister, but distant way. What makes this book so unforgettable is the atmosphere North conjures in most every scene—like a storm waiting to break. The creep-factor is subtle, but deliciously wrought, and the ending delivers another jaw-dropper. If you like well-written, tightly plotted, suspenseful reads with a hint of eeriness, don’t pass up The Whisper Man. I highly recommend this one!
Jaw-droppingly good, this is the best crime thriller I’ve read in years! At times spine-tinglingly tense and at others absolutely heart-breaking, there’s an element of haunting menace and supernatural about it that was reminiscent of The Sixth Sense. This is one of those rare books that effortlessly and perfectly blends character, setting and plot. Get this book. You won’t regret it!
Not many books keep me up at night–meaning, make me question every single noise I hear. This book is 100% creepy. I really enjoyed it and will definitely read more of Alex North’s books.
Tom Kennedy is looking for a fresh start for himself and his son Jake. His wife died the past year and they have been having a tough time adjusting to her being gone and grieving, both together and each on their own.
He finds a house that is affordable in a small town that looks as though it would be safe, with a country feel and a well respected school. As soon as they move in, however, Tom begins to have second feelings about his decision. His son starts talking to his “imaginary” friend even more and at one time he speaks in a man’s voice.
Because there is a missing child, the police department including detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis are working tirelessly to find the child. The abduction has an “unnerving resemblance” to serial killings 20 years ago by Frank Carter, who is now in prison.
Tom finds a strange man creeping around his garage but then the man comes to the door and introduces himself as someone who used to live there. Tom doesn’t believe it and starts to investigate the garage, what he finds will begin to entangle him in the current investigation into the missing boy.
I did enjoy this read although for some reason it really creeped me out right from the beginning, it’s probably because it had to do with children and I sometimes have problems with that.
However, this novel did not resort to continuous gruesome images, most of the details of what Frank and had done to the little boys had been left to our imagination. which is a good way to keep up the suspense, I think. The readers can probably conjure up wose imagines than the author could write.
I also liked that he had very short chapters, and different POV, I think this added to the tension. Just when you were getting to something important, switch, it was back to the other thread of the story.
The book flowed well, kept my interest and I finished it in two sittings. I thought the character development was great, Jake and Tom, Pete and Amanda, all of these characters were well developed and I found them interesting.
Frank Carter was one of the scariest, most vile characters that I have come across in literature! Towards the end we find out that though he has admitted to the killings he still has a secret that no one knows and he loves to gloat about it.
Francis is almost a split personality, not clinically but he did a good job at hiding behind his false face. He is able to disguise his true self so completely that no one thought about him. I will leave you to discover this character.
This is a good thriller, well written with great characters and lots of human emotion with particular attention to father-son relationships.
This was a Traveling Friends read and I was provided with a free ARC from the publisher.
I adore the suspense/horror genre and this book was twisty, thrilling, and so well written. Highly recommend!
Looking at the cover for The Whisper Man by Alex North, I anticipated a nail biting, spine tingling suspense thriller, and I was not disappointed.
As I get to know Jake, Tom Kennedy’s son, better, I can tell he will be a special child. And his dad… Jake and Tom’s relationship is realistic, their feelings and struggles as they try to put their life back together are sad, yet hopeful.
They both need a fresh start after the loss, a new town, a new house. The house called to Jake and I wondered why. It had personality, but is there more to the story? Alex North’s description of the house makes me feel as if it is alive, waiting for the right people to come home.
I am trying to figure out what is going on with Jake, but Alex North keeps me in the dark. When I find out, I love it. I wonder why I didn’t think of that. I love when, in hindsight, things are so obvious, yet an author strings me along, making me wonder.
The killer…The Whisper Man…is s creepy because of the ease with which he lures the children in.
Pete, the lead investigator, has a history with The Whisper Man. I quickly came to care for this flawed character. He’s not a young hunk, but he does go to the gym and works hard at keeping himself in shape. He keeps his mind and his body occupied. He can also whip up a delicious meal.
At 70%…Hmmm… Got my imagination going with the dialogue and Jake’s thoughts. There has been a subtle threat of danger lurking on every page and I am waiting…sometimes the waiting and the ideas of what is to come is worse than what really happens. Will that be the case?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Whisper Man by Alex North.
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I added this book to my hold request list almost two months ago on the recommendation of a friend. It finally became available in audiobook and let me tell you, if you have a chance to listen to it do not pass it up. The narration is perfect. The voice is just the right combination of lovely and haunted and I could go on and on about the star chosen to narrate but I’ll try to focus on the book.
This book is both hair-raisingly creepy, thrillingly unexpected and quietly poignant all at the same time. I started reading and could not stop; often staying up late for just another chapter or two, even if it meant doing so with the lights on. I loved each and every character, all of whom were well developed and fully realistic. From the sensitive child with “imaginary friends” to the heartbroken father just trying his best to the haggard detective with demons and secrets of his own; I felt like I knew these people and was invested in their lives from the very first chapter.
I won’t supply spoilers but honestly you don’t need any. You just need to to pick this book up. Now. If you enjoy thrillers with suspense, heart and a little supernatural thrown in, this is must read.
In a small British town called Featherbank, Tom and his son Jake are trying to start over. They are grieving the loss of Jake’s mom, Rebecca and move into a creepy sort of home.
Jake has an imaginary friend, a Dad he on some level thinks he is failing and a rhyme in his head.
Remember the old nursery rhymes? They were based sometimes on old and scary incidents….”ashes, ashes, we all fall down”.
Tom is a writer, and lives quietly with emotions in check at all times. Memories are tricky, Tom remembers in detail an event from his childhood….is it real? Jake talks to a little girl in his head and she is concerned with Jake remembering that a whisper means run and hide
Frank Carter killed little boys, warning if sensitive, but no graphic details in the book. Scary thing is Frank is in jail yet a new murder of a child has taken place…..in Jake’s new hometown. Meet Amanda in charge of the case and Pete, a career cop close to retirement that worked on the old murders.
The school Jake goes to is not warm and fuzzy.
Their house creeps the father out as a man wants to see inside the house and a young boy has been found dead. Atmosphere surrounds them. Old wounds are being relived by the police and the town. And now Jake is hearing a voice whisper to him.
Plot is solid, the reasons for the old house appealing to Jake become clear and sweet near the end. Action speeds up toward the end and the solution is realistic if a bit creepy as justice is delivered. 4.5 stars
Took a bit if time to warm up to the book as the dad just didn’t seem to do enough about his son’s grief. Characters are memorable, especially Pete and Jake. Norman is just the kind of man to make the hairs stand up on your neck.
Twenty years ago the town of a serial killer in the town of Featherbank abducted four children and kept their corpses stored in his spare room. Two decades later, the killer is still in prison, but someone new has begun kidnapping children. Detective Pete Willis, racked with guilt for failing to save the children years ago, vows to find the perpetrator this time. Meanwhile, newly widowed Tom Kennedy has just moved to town with his son, Jake, who is traumatized by the recent death of his mother. When Jake begins talking to imaginary friends and hearing whispers at the door, Tom doesn’t know where to turn to help his child. The characters stories intertwine in unexpected ways, a new and haunting twist around every corner. A deliciously creepy read, this is a perfect book to read on a chilly autumn night. But make sure to leave the lights on!
This is a gripping book right from the start! From the time of the first introduction to the last, and I mean last page, this tale captures your attention and doesn’t let it go to take a breath.
Author Alex North’s flowing writing style carries the reader through the broken lives of the characters and the mind of a menacing psycho.
This is a great book that if your into scary movies you’ll love this book better than any flick! You will be left with the urge to lock all doors and keep your children inside so they don’t hear the whispers of the Whisper Man!
If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken.
If you play outside alone, soon you won’t be going home.
If your window’s left unlatched, you’ll hear him tapping at the glass.
If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.
This Mystery/Suspense/Thriller creeped me out, had me on the edge of my seat, and i was gasping at all the shock and surprises!! I haven’t read too many good books in this genre for a while, so it was thoroughly enjoyable to read this!!
From the very beginning this book had me hooked! I needed to know who the whisper Man is, who young Jake kept talking too and if the original Whisper Man had been caught then what was going on? The story had a nice even pace that kept me intrigued, and as it progressed things got more intense and creepy!! Tom, although still dealing with the grief of the loss of his wife, was trying to connect with Jake. But he couldn’t understand why Jake was acting the way he was. Jake was a very antisocial child, and Tom worried about that. There were a lot of characters in this book, but it was written so well that I didn’t have any problem keeping tract.
I am so impressed with this book that I’ll be watching for more from this author! I highly recommend this book, if this genre is one that you enjoy!
The best crime novel of the decade.
After Tom’s wife passes he decides that a new start for his son is the right direction to take in order for them to start to heal. What Tom doesn’t realize is that the town of Featherbank has a past filled with murder. You see twenty years ago a serial killer was among the residents, he kidnapped young boys and murdered them keeping them in his basement. He became known as The Whisper Man, and was finally captured after the death of his fifth victim although that young boy was never found. When a young boy disappears on his way home the police worry that he was taken when he wasn’t immediately found. Several days later the body of the boy is found, staged the same way The Whisper Man played out his victims. This clue was never released to the public so how can it be a copy cat? At the time of his capture the police thought he might have had an accomplice but no one was ever arrested. When Tom’s son becomes the next target Tom knows he’ll do anything to keep his son safe. Follow along as Detectives Beck and Willis go on a hint for a killer, hoping to catch him before he kidnaps and kills another child. This was a thrilling read that definitely gets the imagination into high hear. There were so many twists and turns that I couldn’t put the book down until all my questions were answered and I knew just how everything ended. I look forward to reading more books from this author!!!
Beautifully written. Beautifully plotted.
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! “The Whisper Man” by Alex North is brilliantly creepy as hell, makes the hair on my skin rise and forces me to close all the ajar doors in my house (no joke!). Like the fear I have of taking a shower when I’m home alone (Thanks to Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock), I am now quite afraid of ever hearing my name whispered at night (Thanks to The Whisper Man by Alex North). As I read, this thriller serial killer crime novel reminded me of such masters of suspense as Alfred Hitchcock, Stephen King, and Agatha Christie. The atmosphere and build-up in this book was tantalizing and heart-racing. How North expressed evil, despair, longing, hope and love through his characters was exceptional. This book is about the relationships between fathers and their sons; about the damage of abuse and the lifetime consequences thereof. And it’s about love and redemption. I was captivated and intrigued by not only the protagonists and antagonists, but the secondary characters as well. I especially loved how the plot unfolded through the various characters’ points of view. What could have been a distraction worked so well in this book, and in my opinion, made the narrative all the stronger for it. The twists and turns were perfectly timed and executed, giving so many eyebrow raising “whoa” moments. “The Whisper Man” was a true page-turner for me, compelling me to read until my eyes were so bleary I couldn’t go on. And…. the surprise supernatural element in this book was the icing on this delicious cake for my fantasy loving heart. Love edge-of-your-seat suspense? Hooked on crime novels? Enjoying solving a good mystery? Looking for thrills and chills in your next read? If you want it all, then “The Whisper Man” is definitely the book for you.
****Thank you to the author, Celedon Books and NetGalley for this ARC which was received in exchange for my honest review****
I liked this book. Very intriguing.
/ 4 stars
Okay, so while this didn’t give me the spooky/scare factor I was looking for and expecting (.5 star deduction), it was definitely thrilling.
I loved the father/son dynamics and while it was mostly predictable I still found myself plowing through the audio.
The audio was well done but I would have enjoyed it more with multiple narrators for the multiple POVs (the other .5 star reduction).
“If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken.
If you play outside alone, soon you won’t be going home.
If your window’s left unlatched, you’ll hear him tapping at the glass.
If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.”