"The Whispering House" by Elizabeth Brooks beckons readers into the atmospheric setting of Byrne Hall, an enchanting yet haunting mansion by the English seaside. Narrated via audiobook, the story follows twenty-three-year-old Freya as she becomes entangled in the mysteries of Byrne Hall, haunted by the memories of her late sister, Stella.

The gothic atmosphere woven by Brooks is undeniably one of the novel's strengths. The ornate descriptions of Byrne Hall and its surroundings create a rich tapestry that immerses the listener in a world tinged with nostalgia and longing. The sense of shadowy communication with the late sister adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, promising a blend of art, sisterhood, and all-consuming love.

However, the enchanting backdrop is not enough to compensate for the shortcomings in character development. Despite the allure of the gothic atmosphere, the characters within the story lack the depth and complexity needed to fully engage the reader. Freya's exploration of Byrne Hall and her interactions with the enigmatic mother-and-son pair fail to evoke the emotional resonance needed to make their relationships compelling.

The narrator's performance is a highlight, bringing the lush prose to life with skill and nuance. The audiobook format enhances the atmospheric quality of the story, making it a suitable medium for experiencing the gothic ambiance crafted by Brooks.

In the end, "The Whispering House" falls short of expectations, primarily due to its underdeveloped characters. While the gothic setting is a strong point, the lackluster portrayal of relationships and a somewhat predictable plot detract from the overall impact of the novel. I gave it a rating of 3 out of 5 stars, acknowledging its atmospheric strengths while expressing disappointment in its narrative execution and character dynamics.

The Whispering House was a wicked interesting read! It was one of those books that kept me captivated from start to finish and was really fast paced. I’m also a sucker for a good gothic vibe.

Freya Lyell is struggling to move on from her sister Stella’s suicide five years ago. Visiting the bewitching Byrne Hall, only a few miles from the scene of the tragedy, she discovers a portrait of Stella – a portrait she had no idea existed, in a house Stella never set foot in. Or so she thought.

Driven to find out more about her sister’s secrets, Freya is drawn into the world of Byrne Hall and its owners: charismatic artist Cory and his sinister, watchful mother. But as Freya’s relationship with Cory crosses the line into obsession, the darkness behind the locked doors of Byrne Hall threatens to spill out.

I'm not sure why I finished this as it was a desperate attempt at a ghost story that fell flat. It sounded intriguing enough and it was on audio so I thought it would add some suspense. All in all, it was some crazy people ending up in a crazy house with no depth or creepiness to it. I'm still not sure what happened. I either lost interest or it lost me; I believe it was the latter.

Thank you Netgalley, Tin House, High Bridge audio and Blackstone publishing, and the author for this ARC (I posted this quite some time ago and it didn't save for some reason).

Freya Lyell is struggling to move on from her sister Stella’s suicide five years ago. Visiting the bewitching Byrne Hall, only a few miles from the scene of the tragedy, she discovers a portrait of Stella – a portrait she had no idea existed, in a house Stella never set foot in. Or so she thought.

Driven to find out more about her sister’s secrets, Freya is drawn into the world of Byrne Hall and its owners: charismatic artist Cory and his sinister, watchful mother. But as Freya’s relationship with Cory crosses the line into obsession, the darkness behind the locked doors of Byrne Hall threatens to spill out.

This was a very gothic atmospheric themed story. I felt it dragged a bit, but was still entertaining. The characters were well developed but I didn't always agree with Freya's decisions. The narrator added a lot to the story.

I was given a copy to review by the publisher and my opinion is my own.

Gothic is usually a hit or miss for me, and I struggled with this one. It may just be the timing that I chose to read it. I will have to try to pick this one up again at a later date - maybe in October.

This book had me a bit confused as to how the title related to the storyline at all. While the writing was pretty good, I just couldn't seem to get into the book. It just seemed like a long drawn out story. It did nothing to grab my attention. I tried and muddled my way through it, but it just wasn't a book for me.

I'm sorry, I was not able to get into this book. The story did not pull me in and I had a hard time liking the MC.

I've been on a suspense/thriller kick and thought this might be a good next addition but...sadly this one fell flat for me. The writing was good and I think at times I could totally see what the author was getting at - gothic, atmospheric, eery - but it all came a little too late for me personally.

I had hoped that there would be a reveal at one point or that the main character would understand that she was putting herself in a VERY terrible situation...and yet she acted both naive and cunning. How that's possible I'm not sure.

While this wasn't for me, it might be the perfect read for others! I just wasn't convinced.

My rating: 2.5*
---
Thanks to NetGalley for an audio version of this. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this!

This book instantly drew me in, It gave me what I expected! I really enjoyed this book and the plot. This author did amazing. I loved the writing style. I highly recommend picking this up!

I was not able to listen to the audiobook of The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks in the NetGalley app as it would not download properly.

Creepy, atmospheric, gothic romance set on the cliffs of an English countryside. Narrator Klett does an excellent job of differenciating voices. Whether male or female the listener can easlily follow who's speaking.

This book was great! Not only did the narrator keep me entertained throughout the story, but the story itself was interesting and intriguing.

The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks is a gothic thriller. Creepy and atmospheric setting helps to keep the reader on edge. The characters were well developed and added much to the story. I really liked the narrator, Elizabeth Klett, very engaging and perfect to tell this tale.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

CREEEEEPY! But in the best way lol. I really enjoyed this one. I didn’t think I would but I was pleasantly surprised. Highly recommend

This book moved to slowly for me. The author did a good job creating a gothic atmosphere but I just didn't connect with the main character of Freya. I was glad I was listening to the audiobook because I felt if I was reading it I would have skipped ahead chapters.

This is the type of book that I always look for but don’t often find. A Gothic thriller. Edge of your seat listen all night. A young woman haunted by the death of her sister comes upon a portrait of her in a house unfamiliar to her. That instantly hooked me I had to find out why The portrait is in the strange house. The house is such a presence it’s like the main character in the book. Absolutely love this I hope the author writes more like it. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to listen to this book

I wanted to love this book but unfortunately I didn’t. Found parts to be long and drawn out. Kept picturing it set in the past not the present.

This story started well. The descriptions of Byrne Hall made it sound haunting and beautiful. The gardens sounded lovely as did the wedding. And then Freya got weird. I spent a majority of the book wanting to smack her. She made one bad choice after another after another. I understand she was looking for answers, but she went to some pretty bizarre lengths to try to find them. The house is made to seem like it's haunted, but I didn't think anything really backed that up.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. I thought the narrator did a great job!

I had very high hopes for this one, but I found myself being more than a little disappointed. I like a good gothic novel but this story was full of too little story and too much description. I also struggled with the fact that none of the characters were like able (except perhaps Maggie). The “twists” weren’t surprising at all and I really had hoped for more mystery or intrigue. It was a very descriptive book and the atmosphere of the decrepit hall was clear in my mind and I loved the descriptions of the beach and the town of Bly. This book wasn’t bad I just couldn’t stop myself from thinking it could have been better than “not bad”. Freya wanders away from a wedding and goes into forbidden territory. Fueled by too much alcohol she thinks she sees a painting of her sister who had committed suicide nearby years before but falls asleep and wakes to find it gone. The whole thing intrigues her and she goes back to talk to the family in the home to try to learn about her sister Stella. Instead Freya meets a man and thinks she’s discovered her own dream of being an artist and leaves her old life completely behind to move into Byrne Hall. Freya continues to make poor choices and I felt a little like I do watching slasher films when the characters are walking into their doom as you cry out to tv in vain.

Lush, gothic and atmospheric writing. The whispering house, which is actually called Byrne
Hall, is a real presence in this story, a character in it
In this story, there’s a young woman named Freya. She’s in her 20s and she is
haunted by the death of her sister. She died five years prior, she died by suicide, and
she died near this house where Freya’s cousin had the nerve to host his wedding
reception. So when the story opens, Freya says I never would have seen the house, she
never would have revisited the place, except her cousin got married here, so she and
her dad are dealing with all their ghosts. This story takes Freya into very terrifying places that she may or may not be able to extricate herself from. And while I was reading, I really wasn’t sure how it was going to
go down. But the descriptions of the house itself are wonderful and they may give you the
goosebumps. It really is like a character in the story. Slowly Freya feels compelled to
return. It’s clear to her that the house has secrets. It’s a very eerie,
unsettling atmospheric mystery and contemporary British literary fiction.