Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Whisper Man by Alex North. This is much more than a police procedural novel - this is outright scary.
Tom is a haunted man. His wife died abruptly and he is the sole caretaker for his young son Jake. But Tom struggles with fatherhood, misses his wife, and can't seem to connect with the world.
Pete is a haunted man. His wife and child left him over twenty years ago. He is an alcoholic who dreams of taking a sip and giving up.
In a small village a young boy disappears and the police are doing all they can to find him. This disappearance is a reminder of serial kiliings that happened over twenty years ago. The killer is in jail; but this recent disappearance resembles quite closely his M.O. That killer was known as "the whisper man".
Pete was the lead investigator 20 years ago and beats himself up for not getting the killer sooner.
Tom watches as Jake seems to be talking to imaginary friends. And Jake seems to know alot about the serial killings. Jake knows about the whisper man..
And then the young boy is found and things start to really get spooky because someone else is whispering and no child is safe.
Excellent plot and narrative. From the first page to the last you will hold your breath - 5 stars RECOMMEND.

Whispers outside a child’s bedroom window. What could be more frightening? Rhymes that remind you to lock your doors so the Whisper Man doesn’t get you. This is the stuff of children’s nightmares. This isn’t just a nightmare though, this is real for the residents of Featherbank. 15 years ago a serial killer terrorized the families in Featherbank, abducting children. Now it’s happening again, but the serial killer is behind bars.

Neil Spencer is 6 years old and on a journey from his father’s house to his mother’s. A six year old shouldn’t have to make this journey alone. At six, a little boy should have a hand to hold. But Neil doesn’t. Neil is easy prey. And prey he becomes. It can’t be the Whisper Man, even though his mother recalls Neil telling her he was hearing whispers at night from a monster outside his bedroom window. No, the real Whisper Man is locked away forever. Yet Neil heard the whispers and now Neil is missing. Who is responsible?

This story strikes fear in parent’s hearts. When you have a child, one of your worst fears is child abduction. Even though Neil’s parents were less than perfect, they shouldn’t have to go through losing a child this way. So when Tom Kennedy and his son Jake move to Featherbank to escape the memories from the death of mother and wife Rebecca, they believe they are starting over. Starting over clear across the country in a charming little town and a strange little house. They don’t know the story of the Whisper Man.

The characters have their flaws. Tom tends to stay distant from Jake, feeling he isn’t the father he should be. Jake is worried that his father doesn’t want him now that his mother is gone. Detectives Beck and Willis each have their own issues. Beck is trying to climb the ladder, and Willis still harbors demons from the original Whisper Man case. These are real people who simply want to find their way.

The Whisper Man was frightening. The kind of story that sent chills down my spine and kept me up half the night to find out how it was going to end. A mystery is well-written when the guilty party is unexpected. A mystery strikes a chord when it is something that you fear yourself. This mystery has all those elements. It also has a few surprises along the way. It also wasn’t just about the mystery of the Whisper Man, it was a book about real people trying to make the best of bad situations. It was a very well rounded story that I enjoyed immensely (while chewing on my fingernails!)

This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com close to publication date.

The Whisper Man features seven-year-old boy and his widowed father who are both grieving the loss of Rebecca, beloved mother and wife. Jake is an imaginative, solitary child. Tom Kennedy, his father, is a writer who struggles to do the right thing as a single dad. He loves his son dearly, as he reminds him, “even when we argue.” Tom wants the best for his child, so he worries that Jake talks to himself, or rather, to a friend who isn’t there. He is concerned that Jake makes few friends at school. Tom is also a troubled that Jake would rather draw than spend time talking with him, and that sometimes, although he hates to admit it, he prefers it that way himself. And he is angry at Rebecca for dying and leaving him alone with their son to raise.

The Whisper Man is Alex North’s debut novel, and it’s quite a page-turner. It didn’t grab me from the onset, however. The style seemed stilted, almost didactic in the first few pages, but then the story settled into more of a rhythm. Tom and Jake move to a new home in Featherbank, a strange, somewhat spooky looking old place that got Jake’s approval, and Jake starts attending a new school. Jake’s imaginary friend, a little girl, shows up too, and suddenly, legend of the “Whisper Man” is the stuff of bad dreams. There is a rhyme that the girl has told him; it tells of the past. Does it forebode the future as well?

The Whisper Man was not a figment of someone’s imagination. He was a real child murderer serving time in prison. We meet this man, Frank Carter, when the detective who worked the case goes to visit him in an attempt to get information to solve a new case of another missing boy. DI Pete Willis worked the case twenty years earlier when Carter’s victims were found – all but one. It still haunts him. Now another child is missing. Amanda Beck is in charge of this case, but Pete is very much involved. He is so tormented by his failures, personal and professional, that every night when he goes home to his lonely apartment, he stares at an unopened bottle and orchestrates an inner tug-of-war. The next day, he goes to the gym, then calmly returns to the job to do his best.

I wish we’d learned more of Amanda Beck. She seems quite capable and professional. If this turns into a series, I am sure we will.

Jake is superbly conceived and developed. I am not the first to say it, unfortunately, but all through the book, I kept thinking, “I see dead people.” Is Jake clairvoyant? Does he truly have a sixth sense? Or is he one of those extraordinarily sensitive human beings who notices things without necessarily being aware of their significance at the time? He is, after all, just a young boy. His relationship with his dad is warm, funny, sad, and heartwarming, while at the same time, distant. He obviously misses his mom, and at times, I wanted to pull him into a warm hug.

Tom. Bless him. He wants to be a good father. He’s really, really trying, but Rebecca, like so many moms, was the main parent until she fell ill. Now Tom feels lost. He misses his dear wife. He loves his son and above all else wants to keep him safe, but he is frustrated. Jake is seven!!! He lacks the tools to communicate his feelings. I wanted to alternately nudge and scream – Either go easy on the kid, or get yourself and your son into counseling! The dynamics of this relationship felt very realistic, especially with the outside threat of an unknown bogeyman who was snatching children.

The writing is taut with a gloomy cloud hanging over this little duo and over the police force and Featherbank. Frank Carter reminded me of Hannibal Lecter – he is so evil. He just enjoys watching Pete sweat and squirm as he teases him with non-answers. Who will have the last laugh?

There are some marvelous twists in this one, that, once they were revealed, I knew I should have seen coming. One final comment: the cover with the handprint really caught my eye. Upon closer examination, I saw that there are some images there that pick up on some symbol mentioned in the book.

This is a wonderful debut novel, and I hope we see more from Alex North. My thanks to him, NetGalley, and Celadon Books for this ARC copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

4.5 stars rounded to 5

The suspense, the horror, the thrill! I absolutely loved this book. It had me on the edge of my seat or laying in bed at night listening hoping not to hear any whispers. This book is gonna hit the shelves and be a huge success. It keeps you in suspense as you try to figure out who took the boy Neil if the Whisper Man is in jail. You will find your self with goosebumps and searching for the creepy crawlers in the dark of your own house. Absolutely amazing book to make your sense of fear and emotions go wild!

The story is about a killer called The Whisper Man who 20 years ago killed 5 young boys and finally got caught and put in prison. Except 20 years later another boy goes missing the same way the others did. All while Tom and his son Jake moving to this small town of Featherbank and all is going well until Jack starts to hear the whispers too. But how is that possible when the man who was the Whisper Man was put away 20 years before by Pete a local cop. Who has been searching for the last boy for 20 years.
Thanks to Net Galley and Celadon books for my ARC of the Whisper Man by Alex North coming out August 20, 2019! Make sure to grab it and have your big girl panties on cause it will give you the most amazing creeps.

If this book had a Tinder profile it would read something like this:

Cliché troubled detective haunted by previous case seeks unknown creepy boogeyman. Must have Daddy issues and enjoy torturing small children.

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Although I enjoyed this quick read, there's really nothing novel going on here. It's pretty tame compared to similar books in this genre. I was left wanting more. More darkness, more tension, more backstory.


I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What an incredibly good mystery/thriller. This was one good read.

Great characters, great storyline, and oh that little twist a third in. Damn, this man knows how to write a book. Its been a while since a book scared me or creeped me out. This did. And then some.

My only disapointment is that this appears to be Alex North's first published book. I'm hoping to see some of the chracters again. Hoping for a series, because I need more from Mr. North. So much more.

This book was really good, a super creepy serial killer murder mystery spanning 20 years. Tom and his young son Jake move into a new house, an odd sort of mysterious place in a new town about a year after his wife dies. Jake is clearly affected by the loss of his mother, a quiet somber kid who talks to himself and has imaginary friends. A child his age has recently been kidnapped and the police force is looking for the boy, including a seasoned detective who seems to think the disappearance might compare to many kidnappings twenty years ago by a man who currently imprisoned dubbed & The Whisper Man by the press. The writing, characters and plot in this story are all wonderful and have an amazing depth to them. The only problem I had was I thought that then end was a little rushed, how the current kidnapper was found and apprehended, but in general, I loved the entire book. Thanks so much to NG for the ARC! Definitely will look for more from this author!!! Awesome thriller!!!

This isn't your normal missing child procedural novel. It's also a story about family, it's a mystery within a mystery. There is surprise after surprise.

This checks all my boxes of a good book.
Was I drawn into the story? Check
Did I love the characters? Check
Did I find surprises within the book? Check
Could I visualize the story, the characters and the setting? Check

Will I look for other books by this author? Check, check, check..

Thank you to net galley for an advanced copy. This didn't affect my review.

#thewhisperman

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...

OMG!! This one wild, creepy brilliant book. I have not read anything that has given me goosebumps like this. I even looked over my shoulder a few times. WELL DONE Mr.North.

"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."


Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

A very good thriller with plenty of creepiness. Some of the incidents and actions of certain characters early in the book seem disjointed, which adds to the creepiness factor, but the author does a good job of tying everything together. The idea of the "Whisper Man", this mysterious figure that will harm you or kill you if you do not take certain precautions, can be found in other books (or movies) under different names, but the author has included enough twists and surprises, and has crafted the creepy elements quite well, so the idea feels fresh. The ending is particularly good.

If you like thrillers or suspense novels or tv shows like Criminal Minds with a good creepiness factor, The Whisper Man is a good choice.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley.

Now that’s a great title for a serial killer novel. It’s a great moniker for a serial killer, although such things tend to make them memorable and in the quiet village of Featherbank everyone would probably prefer to forget the fact that two decades ago an evil man stole and killed their young children. And it would have remained mostly forgotten, except by the detective who found the bodies and the killer, now quietly haunted by the events, except that young boys are going missing once again. If this was a movie trailer, you’d hear something along the lines of…and this time it’s personal. But in a way it’s always been personal for this is very much the story of fathers and sons, the ways sins of fathers color the lives of sons and so on. In fact, there are three intersecting father/son stories within these pages and they are so well rendered, they manage to elevate the book right above the prototypical serial killer procedural into something genuinely emotionally engaging and therefore darkly thrilling. Because, obviously this is very much a dark psychological thriller. There is also plenty of suspense, but structurally it’s a procedural, wherein the reader goes along for the ride, discovering clues and eventually solving crimes along with the characters. That’s one way to guarantee you won’t figure out the ending early on, but then again I sort of like puzzling those things out. In fact, procedurals are far from my preferred sort of thrillers, but this one just worked so well. It draws you right in with its cast of flawed compelling characters, chief amongst them a recent widower and a father of a (just the right side of precocious) 7 year old boy, who moves to Featherbank for a fresh start, following a sudden death of his wife. His struggles with fatherhood (and writing for that matter) make him all the easier to care about as he finds himself in a sort of every parent’s nightmare. The book staying in theme with its title delivers the creepy elements very nicely. In mood and tone both it whispers until it screams. It’s dark, moody, sad, but also exciting and exhilarating. It twists and turns and challenges and scares and surprises. Basically…it does what it’s supposed to. Most auspicious debut indeed. Very entertaining read, a proper character driven suspense thriller. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon books for providing the ARC of this mystery/thriller title. I enjoyed the book and basically didn’t put it down once I started it had a few coincidences that I found a little too convenient, but the plot kept moving along at a good pace. I enjoyed the examination of the father-son relationship between the two main characters. Overall I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Alex North, Celadon Books, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of The Whisper Man. This is an excellent thriller — a multi-generational story of a small town trying to catch a serial killer, but also a study of father-son relationships and the ways in which those relationships dictate the future of both the parents and the children. Well done, engaging read. Highly recommend!

Extremely impressive debut novel. Interesting, enjoyable, and creepy characters. A frightening storyline and a small town make for a fast (anxiety-ridden) read. A great time!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41940236

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.



Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book

"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."

This is an excellent book with some creepy moments that will give you chills and the fact that this is a debut makes this even more impressive.

The Whisper Man struck 20 years ago in the quaint town of Featherbank when boys began going missing only to be found mutilated within the home of Frank Carter. DI Pete Willis helped to put him away all those years ago but the fact that one child was never found has haunted Pete since.

Now another boy has gone missing having heard whispers in the night.....

DI Amanda Beck is in charge of the investigation and calls on Pete for his help and assistance. For Pete this case is redemption for the guilt he has felt all these years. They are determined to find this boy and capture his kidnapper before it's too late.

Recently widowed, Tom Kennedy, and his adorable yet quirky 6 year old son, Jake, have just moved to Featherbank to make a fresh start for themselves. Tom has been struggling with the death of his wife, Rebecca, and can't seem to connect with his son the way his wife once used to. When Jake begins struggling at school, talking to himself, and claiming to hear whispers in the night Tom is at a loss as to what to do.

Then the unthinkable happens....but you'll have to read it to find out what!

This book is going to be a huge success for this author and it will be well deserved. Keep an eye out for this one come August. I promise you won't be disappointed! 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley & Celadon Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This electric, atmospheric tale of a shattered family haunted by the legacy of a serial killer straddles the line between thriller and horror and is destined to be a breakout hit in 2019. A widowed father and young son move into a small community, looking for a fresh start. However, their house was once occupied by a local called the Whisper Man, who would stand outside windows and patiently groom young children into his web. Even though he is currently in prison, the legend persists, and soon the young boy is talking to imaginary friends and hearing whispers outside his own window, and the investigation reopens and tears at the community. Writer Alex North excels at the interior lives of the characters, making the reader feel the trauma of the father and the isolation of the child, and his almost intimate writing style elevates this to one of the better and more inventive thrillers of the year. This one will stick with you.

Dark, creepy, disturbing, and so so good!

Everything worked perfectly in this novel: atmosphere, plot, pacing, characters. It's a great combination of urban myth and true crime, as well as an emotional look into the father/son relationship and people's various reactions to grief. I am so impressed with this debut and can't wait to see what Alex North writes next!

Unsettling and creepy at times, this is a story told from multiple points of view about the search for a missing child and his kidnapper. A father and son move to a new town after the kidnapping and the young son knows things he shouldn't. How does Jake know these things? Who is he talking to and is their house haunted?

If you leave a door half open soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken.

That's all it took to send my stomach dropping and chills running down my spine. Partially open doors are my biggest phobia. I can't sleep in a room with a partially open closet or bathroom door. That one line scared the crap out of me and I did stop stop reading THE WHISPER MAN until the last page was turned.

This was an amazing debut thriller. The plotting is superb. The story both shocking and sad. I envy you who haven't read this yet, this book can be the next one you will read.

Coming in August from Celadon Books.  You can preorder it from your favorite bookseller.  Here's a link to Amazon.com.