Actual rating: A strong 4.5

Thanks very much to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and the author for providing me with this eARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Finally, another great thriller! I’m extremely picky, and admittedly über critical when it comes to this genre, but this one really surprised me!

I very much liked the fact that it was a slow burn. Each little plot development and twist was teased along well, and nothing was given away too early. I find it refreshing when a mystery/thriller plays its cards close to the chest— it builds much needed suspense, and gives time to permit layers of story and an overall foreboding atmosphere.

While I had a main, running theory, it didn’t pan out (which I’m actually happy about), but one of my smaller theories did turn out to be true (Although, nearing the end, I had almost forgotten all about my suspicions). So, the twists and turns still had the desired effect on me.

I liked Jake as a character. To be honest, I usually find the children in these types of stories annoying as all hell, but Jake was a breath of fresh air— quietly intelligent, not overly-emotional, and pragmatic (except, maybe he sounded at times a bit too wise for his years). I shockingly enjoyed all the characters, in fact! DI Beck was fairly standard; she lacked the depth provided for the other POV’s, but was still a quality character. Tom’s type is the kind I find grating in most cases, but his position as a single father—a broken man, struggling with raising a child amidst all this trauma— was so well done. Karen, for her part, was pretty groovy. And Pete, though he had many of the familiar trappings of a detective in a crime story, managed to come off as super redeeming and interesting.

I was a little thrown off by the switching between third person and first person in the different POV’s. Even though I managed to get over it fairly quickly, I wish the author had stuck with one or the other, but for stylistic reasons, I can understand.

Some other various observations:
•Even though I knew 100% what was coming, the end of Part One still gave me chills (and that doesn’t really ever happen!). And while the chill factor dissipated a bit as the book went on, I still appreciated the building of an eerie tone.
•I was hoping for just a liiiiiiitle more action/developments halfway through.
•There was a particular description used to describe this feeling of unease that worked so well: “...like a bird that didn’t have anywhere to land.”

Police Detective Pete Willis had investigated and solved the case of the abduction and murders of five young boys twenty years ago. But now, another young boy is missing and the circumstances are similar to the old case.

The victims had all heard whisperings from the killer who was dubbed The Whisper Man. Now the police begin to wonder if there had been an accomplice.

A race against time begins before the gruesome case repeats itself and Pete Willis finds that this time his investigation is personal.

Alex North’s novel is a first rate thriller that that is impossible to put down! It’s disturbing, scary, and it will keep you guessing until the very end. Well written with characters that you care about, it is also a story about loss, grief, reconciliation, and the bonds between fathers and sons. If you enjoy suspense don’t pass this book up!

Thank you to author Alex North, Celadon Books, and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this outstanding thriller!

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I did find I the plot predictable and the characters shallow and often just irritating. The use of “cuddle” just made me cringe every time I read it. Overall a solid three star rating. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read for a fair review.

This is a well-crafted thriller with a gorgeous cover (the handprint version).

Strangely the best part of this book is buried in the acknowledgement, which are seemingly written from the perspective of the father in the book, passing along these words to his son: "It's not going to be easy and I need to start with an apology. Because over the years I've told you many times that there's no such things as monsters. I'm sorry I lied."

Damn, that's good. I so wish that had been the opening lines to this book.

At the time I read this book, I liked it a lot, but wasn't in love with it. (There are hints of the paranormal in the book and I almost wished the author had leaned into that a bit more. I also didn't feel like Amanda's sections were as strong as the others.) However, I'm now a week out from completing the book and and a number of indelible images are still planted in my mind from it (the closing scene in prison, the girl in the bedroom), which is probably a more accurate sign of how good it is.

Overall this book certainly hit the creepy notes well. It had a memorable killer. It had nice complexity that made it hard to figure out the bad guy's identity. It had some believable characters, particularly the father/son relationship(s). For a debut, this book certainly is a big success on many fronts.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tom Kennedy is desperate to get him and his son Jake's life back on track after the sudden death of his wife. Tom feels he is losing his son as Jake withdrawals into a seemingly fantasy world where he speaks to imaginary friends and is most content drawing alone...images that Tom feels are somewhat disturbing. Tom and Jake decide to move to a new town, Featherbank, where they attempt to settle into their new house for a fresh start. They soon discover that the town has a dark history involving the abduction and murder of five young boys by Frank Carter, a serial killer dubbed The Whisper Man. When another boy goes missing, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis can’t help but notice that his case bears disturbingly similar evidence linking him to Frank Carter's crimes. Tom and Jake soon find themselves closer to the murders than they could have ever imagined and Jake might just be the killer’s next target.

The Whisper Man is a suspense driven mystery/thriller in which a missing boy is linked to a serial killer who is serving time in prison for his crimes. Tom and Jake find themselves entangled in the town’s dark past and the potential targets of what appears to be a copycat killer. I had really high expectations for this novel going in and although I enjoyed it I didn't love it. Two parallel stories, The Whisper Man killings, and Tom and Jakes story begin to intertwine when they move to a new town in a creepy house. There are a lot of side stories and characters that end up playing an important role as well. Detective Pete Willis, was the lead detective on the Whisper Man case, and has a kind of Agent Starling/Hannibal Lector thing going with Frank Carter. He uses this to try and get help with the new murder. Jake appears to have the ability to speak with ghosts and his drawings and secretive "special things folder" hold important clues to both the past and present. Tom, traumatized by his childhood and recent death of his wife is finding it difficult to be a good father to Jake, a characteristic the killer uses to his advantage. All secrets will be revealed and mysteries will be solved with a couple of nice twists and turns along the way. Overall an enjoyable read with an interesting plot.

This book was an enjoyable read. Not a lot of suspense but some fun outcomes. A book which I would recommend to others.

This should be a movie. It is a terrific book, filled with great characters and twists and turns. Cant't wait to see what Alex writes next! A lot of great visuals in this book, as well.

What a well written book...Alex North leaves a trail of breadcrumbs that has you following a story that has so many angles...The relationships between fathers and sons...how children are treated that carries over into adulthood...when children are ignored and predators pounce...The character of Jake is so well portrayed...The Whisper Man is scary good...

My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC..looking forward to more great books from this author.

My husband will be the first to tell you that I can be difficult to surprise when it comes to plot twists. I think it's because I've been involved in theater for most of my life and I'm ALWAYS looking for the plot twist. Alex North intrigues me. It's as though he anticipates that some readers will get the connections between seemingly disconnected characters and then throws in some extra surprises that you weren't looking for because you thought had all the surprises figured out!

Writer Tom Kennedy, in an effort to deal with his grief over his wife's death, buys a new house in the hope that he and his son Jake can begin to heal and find some new sense of "normal". Tom is especially worried because Jake's imagination seems to be running away with him; the boy can occasionally be heard whispering to a little girl who just isn't there.

Detective Inspector Pete Willis, fighting demons from his own past, is pulled in to help fellow DI Amanda Beck on a missing child case. When the boy's body is found, the circumstances surrounding his death and disappearance are eerily similar to five cases from twenty years earlier. The only problem is Willis already arrested Frank Carter for those crimes. Carter confessed and is already doing time for those murders even though the body of the fifth boy was never found. The press had dubbed Carter "The Whisper Man" due to the fact that each boy, in the days before he was abducted, reported a man whispering to him from outside his bedroom window. The mother of the most recent victim tells a similar story to DI Willis. This new case rekindles the speculation that Carter might not have been working alone all those years ago. Is this his accomplice striking again after a 20-year hiatus? Or has a copycat somehow gotten ahold of crime scene details that were never made public?

Unbeknownst to Tom, he and Jake have just moved into a house that is at the center of "The Whisper Man" case and it isn't long before Tom realizes that his desire for a place to start over may have placed his own son right in the killer's sights.

When an author tries to tell a story from two seemingly disparate viewpoints, there is a danger that he or she will wait too long to bring the two pieces together, making the story almost annoying to read. Then again, bringing them together too soon could leave characters underdeveloped and might give all the surprises away too early in the book. North seems to have struck the perfect balance in this novel. I was genuinely invested in both parts of the story and felt that they merged rather effortlessly at just the right time. I was fully invested in both Tom's grief and Pete's daily struggle not to fall back into destructive behaviors from his past. And where some authors would have been tempted to add a subplot by having the two Detectives struggle for control of the case, North wisely does just the opposite. Beck and Willis are colleagues who respect one another and find a working rhythm rather quickly. When Beck learns about a critical piece of personal information that Willis has kept hidden, she simply makes a note of it and moves on, realizing that he must have had his reasons.

In the story, Jake seems to occasionally have visions or talk to people that no one else can see. There are hints of similar experiences in Tom's past as well. It would have been nice to see the author spend a bit more time with this connection between father and son. Jake's strange comments, unusual pictures, and conversations with imaginary friends are the reason Tom moves the pair to a new house. He believes that these behaviors are a part of Jake's grief. But Tom himself had imaginary friends that gave very real hugs and remembers seeing things that he couldn't possibly have seen. But frankly, the lack of development in this small piece really doesn't detract from the overall impact of the story. North has a hit on his hands with this one.

**I generously received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

As soon as I read the publisher’s blurb for Alex North’s novel, The Whisper Man, I was hoping I would be granted my request for an ARC. The premise of the novel immediately captured my attention.

20 years ago, a detective named Pete Willis oversaw a case involving a serial killer who targeted very young boys. He was dubbed “The Whisper Man” because there were reports he would creep outside of his future victims’ houses at night and whisper things to them through their windows before ultimately kidnapping and murdering them. The Whisper Man was eventually captured, caught, and imprisoned for his crimes. However, he never revealed the location of the final missing victim, a fact that has continued to haunt Pete Willis all these years.

A writer, Tom Kennedy, and his young son Jake have recently been through a lot. Tom lost his beloved wife suddenly and unexpectedly, and he is struggling to cope as a father in his new role of primary caregiver to young Jake. Jake, meanwhile, is also struggling. He’s withdrawn and quiet, and still traumatized by his mom’s death. He spends a lot of time in his head with his imaginary friend, or lost in drawing.

Tom and Jake try for a fresh start in a new house, a new school, a new town. Tom hopes he’ll be able to start writing again and that his son Jake will come out of his shell. But things take a turn for the worse when another young boy is kidnapped. And then Jake begins to hear the whispering....

This book was not what I expected. The author, Alex North, threw me for a loop several times with unexpected twists. What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the atmosphere of dread and tension the author so deftly conjured. I also grew to care for both Tom and, in particular, his son Jake. There were a lot of questions raised by the author, and while I don’t want to give away any spoilers, I will say I wondered many times if there was a supernatural element to the story.

I am a veteran reader of mystery and thriller novels. It takes a lot to make my skin crawl, but one particular character was so well done that this was seemingly effortlessly accomplished by the author. The ending truly sent chills up my spine. I also enjoyed how so many loose threads were tied up in the pulse pounding final moments of the book.

Overall, I was quite impressed by this novel. I will definitely look forward to future novels by Alex North. And at least one of the characters from this book may well appear in my nightmares.

5 stars

This book is more than a little creepy – but fascinating at the same time.

Twenty years ago Frank Carter, nicknamed “The Whisper Man” was arrested and convicted of the murder of several young boys. Detective Inspector Pete Willis was the man who arrested him and is forced to go see him in prison once a year to try to convince him to give up the location of the body of his final victim. But Carter (who will only talk to Pete), likes playing games and isn't about to give up the site.

Now a young boy, just seven years old named Neil Sanders has gone missing. Carter knows something about it, but he isn't talking. It is agony for Pete to talk to Carter and he has to fight his urge to drink again. In fact, the whole Neil Sanders thing has him contemplating the bottle on a daily basis. Of course, he gets sucked into the case to assist DI Amanda Beck.

Interspersed throughout the story are little vignettes from the killer's point of view.

People are reporting their children are hearing whispers. Tom Kennedy who is a writer knows this, for he has heard it too. His son Jake is a strange boy, and has been since the death of his wife a year earlier. He talks to himself – or is he talking to himself? He doesn't make friends. When they move to a new house (creepy house), the problems get worse. Jake shouts out that he hates his father. Jake is six years old.

Then Jake goes missing.

As Tom's feelings of rage and helplessness increase, the police investigation moves on. Pete and Amanda come to the same conclusion about the identity of the kidnapper/killer, as does Tom at nearly the same time.

The identity of the ne'er-do-well comes as a surprise in many ways. But also, he makes a great suspect.

This is a very well written and plotted novel. I thought Tom tried very hard to get along with his son Jake and Jake is very hard to get to know. His strangeness is explained later in the book and it is a very good reason for Jake's behavior. I really liked the idea of the reason for it all. This is my first Alex North book, but it won't be my last. He is a very fine writer. His character development is very good and the people in his book are very lifelike and behaved true to form.

I want to thank NetGalley and Celadon Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very fine book for me to read, enjoy and review.

The Whisper Man is a worthy read in the likes of Stephen King. A definite engrossing read with a strong plot and characters.

Tom has recently lost his wife and he and his son Jake need a fresh start. He's a good dad but not without his faults. Sometimes his temper is short, especially when he's trying to get his son to give up his imaginary friend. This new house is their chance to start over, only his son's imaginary friend has followed him.

Between his son's imaginary friend and unsettling events in the new, creepy house, things aren't going all that well. The house was already unsettling, to begin with, and all the new events make it that much more so. It makes for the perfect atmosphere when weird things start to happen.

In addition to Tom and Alex, we also have the inspector, Pete, who has been trying to solve crimes that happened decades before. If he can just catch his man, he can rest. Perhaps the man responsible all those years previous is at it again? We also have the current inspector, Amanda, and being her first major case, she wants it solved, and fast.

The Whisper Man walked a fine line of having you wonder if there was something paranormal at play, it was very well-crafted. It's told in alternating viewpoints of our main characters and it gives you more of the whole story. It was near impossible to put down because you're desperate to find out who is behind everything and what is really going on. A great read.

Haunting and Suspenseful

This captivating story of a newly widowed man, Tom Kennedy, and his 6 year old son Jake trying to adjust to their new lives, in a new house, in a new town, will capture your imagination in a way that will leave you breathless. The characters are so real you want to help them, hold Jake in your arms and comfort him, and cry for the heartache they feel.

The town of Featherbank is its own mystery. A serial killer stalked young boys there 20 years ago, leaving 5 dead and one missing. Detective Pete Willis has never stopped looking for the missing boy, and visits the killer, known as the whisper man, occasionally with the hope that he will one day reveal the fate of the missing boy. Now another boy has disappeared, dredging up old memories and dread that it is happening all over again when the mother of the missing boy reveals that her son said he heard whispers at his window in the night. And now Jake is hearing them, too.

There is so much emotion written into the storyline that there is no way to describe it in a short review. Suffice to say this psychological thriller will draw you in and keep you in suspense until the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Celadon Books for offering me an advance copy in return for an honest review.

This was wonderfully done. Read the book in one day and is my second book from Celadon that I've thoroughly enjoyed. Sharing with all of my social media contacts now. Looking forward to more books from the author.

Also shared my goodreads review on Facebook and in the FB group Between the Chapters.

Now that was an enjoyable crime fiction/thriller book. The writing style is smooth and captivating; it's not easy to tell a story that relies on events to from 20 years earlier to colour in details but doesn't use those events as key pieces of the modern day storyline. Somehow it works here. And the title is well used .. sort of a haunting and menacing theme to the plot. The book also does a good job of exploring fatherhood and redemption without getting too sappy or stupid. Overall, this is a very good book and worthy of jumping in .. though once you do, it will be hard to jump off.

Do not read this book unless you want to be tethered to it! Well written, very suspenseful, well defined characters, heart throbbing throughout. One of the best novels I have read and reviewed. Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I highly recommend it!

5 eerie, outstanding stars to a novel that I absolutely cannot believe is a debut.

The Whisper Man, otherwise known as Frank Carter, is a notorious serial killer who murdered and abducted five children before being caught and jailed, he lured his victims by whispering outside their windows at night, earning him his title of The Whisper Man. Twenty years later, a boy is missing and there are startling similarities - but Carter is locked away in his jail cell - could there possibly be an accomplice as was thought many years ago, or is there a copycat? Tom Kennedy and his lonely son Jake have just moved to the town of Featherbrook (home of current missing child, Neil) when Jake starts to hear whispers from a monster outside his window.

Told in alternating perspectives from Tom, Jake & our police officer, Pete, the man responsible for capturing Carter twenty years prior, we are taken on a taught, tension filled ride through this journey. As the chapters progressed, I was on the absolute edge of my seat, arms filled with goosebumps.

For any thriller fans, The Whisper Man is a must, without a doubt.

Thank you to Celadon Books for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Omg don’t read this book at night! It was scary on the beginning, but it was so good I couldn’t stop reading it. What a page turner till the last paragraph. Missing boys, frightening house, good detectives’ job and concerned father. Just really, really good crime debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Thrillers are not my number one genre and especially those with gratuitous thrills. That is not this book. The plot was inventive and extremely engaging with one hell of a reveal mid-book that had me yelling, “WHAT!?!? WHAT!?!? WHAT!?!?” There are parts I would recommend NOT reading at night. Ultimately a book about fathers and sons, it is an excellent murder mystery involving a serial killer, children, a small town, an empathetic boy, his widowed, haunted father, and reconciliation. Do not miss this one!! #TheWhisperMan #NetGalley #CeladonBooks