First off, thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read a pre-release copy of The Whisper man in exchange for an honest review.

This book had some real “creep factor“ to it. I found myself feeling afraid to read the next page, but excited to do so. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more by author Alex North!

I liked this one. I thought I’d love it after hearing all the hype and reviews, but I think this is a solid read, although it didn’t blow me away. I liked the multiple points of view throughout the story, from 7 year old Jake and his father Tom to Pete the lead detective.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, aside from an amazing read, but I think I expected more tension and suspense. There were some spooky parts but overall it reminded me of other crime novels I’ve read that were a bit more gritty. Based on the title I thought I’d get almost a slasher killer type of vibe, where he’s lurking and creeping around. There is a hint of that, but I wanted more.

The idea of The Whisper Man was very spooky and scary. I really liked how things were described and Jake’s character was very creepy in his own way. I think because of the other points of view, mainly the detectives and following the actual case, I lost some of that tension and creep factor.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes police procedurals and spooky or creepy reads, as this does deliver a bit of both. I would go into this one with a completely open mind and blank slate, as I think my expectations distracted me from getting to fully enjoy the story as it is.

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.

This story was eerie and creepy with a bit of supernatural. The plot moved slowly as North held things close to his chest. Lots of twists and turns would change my mind until the surprise ending. I liked Jake who was wise beyond his years and Tom, his father, struggled with being a single father. I felt sorry for Pete, the detective, who had trouble forgiving himself. This is definitely a not-to-miss book. I look forward to more from this author. I would highly recommend this book to those who love psychological mystery thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan publishers. In this dark, suspenseful thriller,

Synopsis
After the sudden death of Tom’s wife, he moves himself and his son, Jake, to the dreamy town of Featherbank to start over. Little does he know that a little boy was recently kidnapped and killed, in a way that is oddly reminiscent of the Whisper Man, a serial killer that haunted Featherbank twenty years earlier. A serial killer that is supposedly behind bars. Tom’s fresh start might be over before it begins, as the Whisper Man puts Jake in his cross hairs.

Plot
“If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken”.

Chills!

The Whisper Man is one of the spookier thrillers I’ve read in a while. Fast-paced and atmospheric, I finished this book in just a couple of sleepless nights.

The book itself has a relatively common premise – a serial killer from years ago may have had a partner who has struck again. But this book introduces unique elements–The Whisper Man with his nursery rhyme, the multiple perspectives, including one of the father of a potential future victim. The story is gripping, and Alex North has a phenomenal way of taking this trope and running with it.

There are quite a few good twists in the book, and the first one actually had me reeling. I did not see it coming. I had to reread that page of that reveal a few times, because the knowledge would not stick!

Characters
One of the highlights of this book is the touching relationship between Tom and his son, Jake. Even though they haven’t had an easy time since Tom’s wife died, they love each other dearly, and it comes across in the writing. They fight, as many fathers and sons do, but everything is laced with the pain of losing someone so close to them. There are fatherhood themes throughout the novel tie in together quite nicely to make this book more than just a thriller about a serial killer.

As mentioned earlier, the book is told in multiple perspectives. The protagonist, Tom, has chapters that are written in first person. We also get scenes from the points of view of Jake, as well as investigators Pete and Amanda, but these chapters are all in third person. Jake’s chapters were particularly engaging. They’re well-written, but you can easily tell they’re from the viewpoint of a child, with that wide-eyed innocence shining through in the author’s writing.

I recommend this book to those who want to read a serial killer thriller that is fast-paced, engaging, and not quite like the rest of them.

This review will be posted to www.powerlibrarian.wordpress.com on Tuesday, September 3

There has been a lot of hype about this book, and maybe I let that build up my expectations, maybe I've just read too many similar stories, or maybe it's just that this one wasn't for me, but The Whisper Man left me thoroughly underwhelmed. The premise is sufficiently creepy, but the story is dreadfully slow and repetitive. It does pick up a bit in the second half but all too soon, it slows back down. On top of the slow pace, it's also rather predictable. Again, that may be because I've read so many thrillers. There is an interesting touch of the supernatural that I would've liked to have seen explored, but we're just left with hints of that angle. I did finish the book but sat it aside several times, and it was a lot easier to set aside than to pick back up. In the end, I was bored more often than not and found this one severely lacking in the building tension of a good thriller. My opinion of this one is certainly far from the average, but it is what it is. I certainly liked the idea of this book much better than the reality of it. With all the hype and hoopla, it's darn near impossible to go into this one blind, but that would be my recommendation and hopefully you'll fall into the large number of readers who enjoyed The Whisper Man more than I did.

Absolutely loved this book, fast paced and full of mystery. Had me reading well into the night, and I look forward to future books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for sending me an ARC of The Whisper Man in exchange for an honest review.

The Whsiper Man is a bit of a slow burn. A child named Neil disappears and is later found dead in a crime reminiscent of a series of child abductions and murders from 20 years earlier. Is the new crime related? The new detective and the original detective work to find out. Meanwhile, a father moves to the town following the death of his wife and inadvertently makes his young son a target.

It sounds like a standard thriller, and on one level it is. It’s well-written and well-paced. It hits many of the beats one would expect, and the final pages fly. But where the book excels is in the depiction of the father/son relationship, specifically a damaged one. Tom barely felt he could relate to Jake before Rebecca died. And now that he’s alone, there’s real tension between father and son. It’s a type of fraught relationship rarely explored in this type of novel.

A very effective thriller with a real, emotional core. Recommended.

Lately I seem to be "reading a theme." Though not consciously intentional, much of what I've read lately has dealt with crimes against children. So too, THE WHISPER MAN, with its foundation of murders of children occurring two decades ago, resulting in the killer's capture and imprisonment; and now, a new child abduction, clearly not by the incarcerated earlier killer. Is it in honor of his exploits, or opposed?


This novel also carries a strong foundational theme of Fathers and Sons, exemplified in several instances, and I think that perhaps this is the stronger and more powerful of these two foci, even overshadowing the theme of child murder.

Frank Carter, the Whisper Man, has been in prison twenty years for kidnapping and murdering five young boys in rural Featherbank. His m.o. was whispering through each child’s window before luring them to their death. And now the whispering has begun again...

Did Frank have an accomplice all those years ago? What happened to the last child’s body? Is the nightmare reoccurring?

The less you know going into the Whisper Man, the more terrifying and disturbing it will be. The atmospheric plot seems like a cross between a hazy dream barely remembered and a horror movie. If you enjoy horror movies, I think you will like this thriller. 4 stars!

Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Whisper Man is the kind of book that you read but wish you hadn't. It's definitely got a major creep factor about it. The psychological suspense is excellent and right on point. The characters are well developed and sympathetic. I always have problems reading anything involving children and scary stuff like this. I get over emotional then I over think and freak myself out. That's what happened here. The story is great. The problem is me lol! If you like a good scare, you must read this book. If you're like me then maybe not. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

After Tom’s wife Rebbaca’s death he decides to move, so he and his son Jake relocate to the small town of Featherbank for a fresh start. But in Featherbank a young boy has gone missing and the case seems to be a replica of an older one where a series of kidnappings and murders were committed by The Whisper Man. The police caught The Whisper Man, Frank Carter, and he has been in jail for the last twenty years but now Jake is hearing the same whispers that those kids heard years ago . Is it a copycat or did the cops have the wrong guy in the first place?

The Whisper Man is a creepy ,fast moving, psychological thriller.Along with the suspense it is a well written emotionally packed story of a young boy and his father who are grieving and how they cope with their loss while trying to be there for each other. This book is full of suspense ,intrigue and an emotional rollercoaster for which you will want to stay up until finished.

I would like to thank Celadon Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

4.5 stars

This was like Sixth Sense meets Stephen King. All the hype around this book is completely legit. It definitely has the makings of a great horror flick.

This book had such an incredible creep factor! From the description of the scary looking house, to Jake's drawing of the little girl. It was all so eerie.

Both Detective Willis and Tom have personal issues they are dealing with, which made for a slower read at times, but it was never boring.

Even though I had figured out the whodunit part halfway through, there were a few twists and elements of surprise that were unexpected.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and think it makes a great one to add to your Halloween list of reads.

The Whisper Man by Alex North (narrated by Christopher Eccleston) was both darkly creepy and paced really well. There were no slow parts and the story moved along at the perfect speed.

Try as I might I couldn’t work out who the killer was until the end and I enjoyed both the story and the writing. I will say that if you have young children (as I do) you might find this book a bit much to read. The thought of someone luring away my own daughter is a thought too terrifying to contemplate and this book certainly puts that front and center in your mind.

I read part of the physical book and then listened to the rest on audiobook during a long drive. As much as I love Christopher Eccleston as an actor I didn’t enjoy his reading of this book. It felt very monotone and like he was reading rather than narrating (if that makes sense) without injecting any personality into the characters.

Yikes!! This book is one heck of a thriller!! The writing is excellent, the characters are vivid, and the descriptions of surroundings place the reader right in the middle of the action. The story goes every which way. Is it supernatural? Is it a straight mystery? The answers don't come until the end and the ending is definitely worth waiting for. I felt so sad about one of the characters and yet it was a realistic outcome.

This was a book that kept me at rapt attention throughout to a satisfying conclusion. A great thriller!!

Ever since first glimpsing this cover and title of this debut thriller from North, I have been dying to get my hands on a copy! Unfortunately, all too often, that amount of anticipation can lead to disappointment, but I am happy to say that this is not the case here at all! I quite thoroughly enjoyed this! It genuinely gave me the creeps on numerous occasions - and I can hardly remember the last time that has happened! There were literal goosebumps raised by the specter of the titular Whisper Man. Not to mention a few scenes that I sincerely hope don't haunt my nightmares!

The plot took me by surprise and though some pieces fell more neatly into place than others, I really loved reading this! There is a supernatural element, but the real horror is from the characters themselves and the horrific murders of young children. It's a dark and thrilling novel that I had a hard time pulling myself away from - but a few times, I had to because I was actually frightened. And I am not sure if I have ever needed to pause a book like that before for being too scary! My ankles were tingling, that's for sure! I expected to enjoy this, but I can't stress enough how blown away I was with how much I enjoyed this. I am thrilled that this was chosen as one of the Book of the Month Club's August picks. And I absolutely can't wait to see what North follows this one up with!

Interesting...I really expected this one to be 5 stars for me based on all the hype, especially considering this is my favorite genre. Maybe I expected way too much based on the hype. I enjoyed it but I wasn't creeped out at all-maybe there's something wrong with me or I've read too many books in the genre. The overall plot is excellent and I enjoyed the characters although I found the "whisper man" killer to be a bit cliched and had some eye-rolling moments. I'd still recommend it and will definitely read Alex North's next book. With all the 5 star ratings out there, I'm definitely a very unexpected outlier for this one.

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.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon books for the review copy of The Whisper Man! I had high expectations for this book, and it did not disappoint! I loved the creepiness and suspense - it was so hard to put down! I ended up reading most of this book at night, while I was home alone and had to take breaks so I didn't get too freaked out!

The Whisper Man focuses on Tom Kennedy and his son Jake, and I loved that it centered on a father and son relationship, which is pretty uncommon in the thriller realm. We concurrently learn of a messed up relationship between a killer coined "The Whisper Man" aka Frank Carter and his son, Francis. The interwoven storylines among fathers and sons, as well as Jake's late mother were so well done! What made this book so compelling and so terrifying was that none of it seemed out of the realm of possibility; a lot of it was seriously chilling, but not so over the top that it was unbelievable.

Pick up this book immediately (or wait until daylight) - you won't regret it!

3.5 stars! This book is about Tom Kennedy and his son, Jake who are reeling from the loss of wife and mother Rebecca. They move to a new town for a fresh start, but find more than they bargained for. Tom is already concerned about Jake's imaginary friend and now it seems as if their new home may have more of a history than most. And, the town also has a history that isn't one to boast about. A serial killer killed several children decades earlier. How does this all tie in? Well, I won't spoil anything, but it does.

The first part of the book dragged for me and then about 20 percent in, I think it took off like a juggernaut. I finally found myself looking forward to getting back to it. There's so much more to it than just Tom and Jake's story. It involves not only the past of the town, but also the story of one of the police officers who can't let the the case of the murdered children go. . When new crimes start happening, that same detective comes aboard to assist.

Once the book took off, I really enjoyed it and it gave me some definite heebie jeebies! The only thing I didn't like was the end. I really did NOT like the last page. I thought it was too much over the top. All in all, though a great read and one I think will do well.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advance copy. All opinions are my own and no review was required.

The scariest monsters are human beings and what we will do to each other. - Jared Harris

This chilling book takes place in Great Britain, the village of Featherbank.

DI Pete Willis was the one who caught the Whisper Man twenty years ago, a human monster who kidnapped and killed children. He never found his last victim and still obsesses over finding him or his remains.

Author Tom Kennedy and his son Jake buy an odd house in Featherbank. They are both still recovering from the death of their wife/mother. Tom is finding it difficult to write and unusual happenings occur around Jake.

Then children start disappearing again even though the Whisper Man is in prison.

This is one creepy book. There was a hint of the supernatural and some seriously sick human monsters.

There were a few surprises and I enjoyed this atmospheric story.

I received this book from MacMillan USA through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.