**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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Can we talk about this roller coaster? My heart was jumping out of my chest throughout most of this book. Anything that involves children getting hurt already makes me tear up but tie that in with the thrills of police work, supernatural experiences, and love that knows no bounds and I’m weeping. I’m usually able to figure out who did it, or why things are happening however, every time I thought I figured this story out I was wrong. Made it way more interesting.
Do you ever feel like thrillers end up being the same? I know this book received a lot of good reviews and I can see why. It’s a fast read, climatic, heartfelt and has some imaginary friends that may not really be imaginary. However, I was more intrigued and captivated by Jake than any of the other characters. I realized by the end of the novel that if it wasn’t for his character I would’ve rated this book a 2 and listed it among predictable thrillers. Don’t get me wrong I was thoroughly creeped at the creaks my home made while reading his portions in bed at night; I just wasn’t as thrilled for the other characters like I was for Jake’s.
Fantastic thriller with a bit of paranormal that adds to the storyline perfectly. The book follows Tom and his young son Jake as they make a fresh start after the sudden death of his wife. Tom is concerned by Jake’s imaginary friend a young girl and the man he hears whispering outside his window. Tom knows he must involve the police when Jake sleepwalks and almost opens the door for a man calling his name. Tom’s own past with his estranged father a detective is put aside to deal with the mystery behind the whisperman. I couldn’t put it down!
SHORT REVIEW for The Whisper Man by Alex North.
Holy smokes, this was a thrill ride.
A father and young son seek a fresh start in a small town, but instead are swept up in the town‘s dark past—a past scarred by a serial killer.
I love scary stories.
I do not scare easily.
This book scared me.
What an absolute blast. While reading, keep the lights on–and make sure the doors are locked. This twisted tale gets 5/5 butterflies.
The Whisper Man tells the story of a young father named Tom Kennedy, his son Jake, and how their life is changed after moving to a new small town called Featherbank, infamous for a string of previous murders by a man referred to as The Whisper Man. Appearing innocent at first, this town has its own secrets to share, and has more in common with Tom than he may think…
I had such a hard time putting this book down! I was constantly trying to figure out where it would lead me next, and trying to decipher any hints that the author may have dropped along the way. I really didn’t expect any of the twists, and thought they all played a big role in making the book even more enticing! Overall, this book exceeded the expectations that I had prior to reading it.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
I couldn’t quit listening to this book! There are so many twists and turns and involvement between all the characters. I love Jake’s character and his relationship with his mom thru the little girl. I wish that Tom and Pete had been able to have more time together, thoroughly tear jerking moments. The fact that the book came full circle gives a huge sense of fulfillment and happiness.
Truly a shocking page turner. One of my favorite thrillers to date! Will have you looking over your shoulder until the very end.
Really enjoyed this book. 5 stars
I reverted to my original reading genre of many years ago and read a crime story needing a change and to mix it up a bit. Whilst I enjoyed the story I felt like there were quite a few avenues that weren’t explained or explored enough. For that reason I felt this story could’ve been a whole lot more.
I was expecting more of a psychological thriller and I was looking for connections / relations where there simply weren’t any and that was a shame.
I’m just left with too many questions.
This was an engaging, scary story by Alex North. I loved the fraught relationship between Tom Kennedy and his autistic son, Jake, and also the clarity and economy of the writing. The chilling shadow of the Whisper Man looms large in the narrative and the world that North created left me eager for a sequel.
A page-turner that scared the living’ crap out of me!
A gripping, eerie thriller that you can’t put down or read in the dark. It taps into the primal fears of children with stunning tension while also studying father and son relationships of unlimited dysfunction. The main character, Tom, tries to find his way out of grief after losing his wife but his struggle to connect and communicate with his son, Jake, is not only endearing… it’s a terrifying absence when the child is most vulnerable and needs him most. This book analyzed the meaning of fatherhood and role models in various degrees that dig deeper than the average thriller. That relationship aspect also made the book scarier. I can understand why everyone raved about it and the ending was brilliant.
A gripping, eerie thriller that you can’t put down or read in the dark. It taps into the primal fears of children with stunning tension while also studying father and son relationships of unlimited dysfunction. The main character, Tom, tries to find his way out of grief after losing his wife but his struggle to connect and communicate with his son, Jake, is not only endearing… it’s a terrifying absence when the child is most vulnerable and needs him most. This book analyzed the meaning of fatherhood and role models in various degrees that dig deeper than the average thriller. That relationship aspect also made the book scarier. I can understand why everyone raved about it and the ending was brilliant.
“Some investigations stay with you…”
This complex thriller certainly will! A child is abducted, and the m.o. closely resembles a case from years before. However, the original perpetrator is behind bars. Investigators interpret between-the-lines clues from his cryptic communications. In the meanwhile, a newly widowed man and his imaginative son move into “the scary house.” As the boy converses with imaginary friends and hides from whispers outside his window at night, a malignant force grooms its next victim.
Raising a child is the most difficult and important thing in the entire world. At its heart, “The Whisper Man” explores this truth while dealing in thrills and horrors.
This book made me want to read whatever i find this author’s name on. It was so good that I read it in a couple hours, I felt he was leading me in one direction and suddenly I was veered into another; phenomenal writing.
Amazing! I was pulled in quickly, and the book never let go—what a brilliant story. I loved the authors writing style. The plot is gripping from start to finish and has an ending you won’t see coming.
Have just finished The Whisper Man, and really enjoyed the creepy opening (who is the boy in the floor?). The story is told from several view points, which took a couple of chapters to understand, but I was soon hooked, and searching for clues that would unravel who snatched Neil Spencer and was terrorising Jake Kennedy.
Great standalone thriller with plenty of gasp out loud moments.
It’s been awhile since I read a book that made me want to shut my eyes to not see what was coming next.
What an amazing debut! Rushing out to buy his next, The Shadows!
Well I finally did it, I finally got The Whisper Man by Alex North off my unread shelf! And what a better way to do that than by listening to the audiobook. I think the audio could have been creepier, but either way it was extremely well done and the narrator, Christopher Eccleston, did an amazing job. There is one part especially where he changes his voice that made me almost jump out of my skin. I think the book is a tiny bit confusing on audio, so for once I think this might be a good one to either read, or at least have a physical copy to look at.
I do have to say that I was very impressed with how creepy and engrossing this book is. It didn’t blow me away, but it was a solid read that was very chilling without being super gory. I liked the different viewpoints and I thought North did a great job of building suspense throughout the novel. There are definitely a few surprises in here, and even though the end didn’t feel crazy shocking, it was satisfying, and I enjoyed it.
The Whisper Man is a slower burn but it has a good pace, and I loved the mix of the supernatural elements with the police procedural feel, plus the focus on the bonds between a father and son. There were so many things to keep me interested, and I think crime fiction lovers will really enjoy it. This was something a little different from my norm and I found it to be very fresh and absorbing. Plus, if you are a fan of supernatural elements like I am, The Whisper Man has those and more!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.