A good read and an original storyline. My only criticism would be that Stina was a little gullible and naïve and this was quite frustrating. After all the spooky 👻 going's on , Pagan dolls and chanting that she saw in Mrs Barleys house she allowed her to look after her newborn daughter ! Besides that the book had a good ending that you didn’t see coming! Ideal book for Halloween 🎃

This book was very good . It drew me in from the start . I enjoyed the guessing with the twists and the turns.
If you like a slightly creepy mystery, with a few clever twists, then I am recommending Whisper Cottage. I loved it, and will be looking for more to read from this author.

Stina and Jack are newlyweds and now expecting a baby. Stina feels uneasy about a stranger spotted in her elderly neighbour’s garden but is more disturbed by the unkind attitude of the local community towards old Mrs Barley…
Whisper Cottage is a sinister psychological thriller which deals with the occult but also the secrets we hide to protect ourselves.
The main protagonist is Stina and the book is written from her first person narrative. She has had a difficult upbringing which overshadows her own pregnancy and early days of motherhood. She develops a strong friendship with elderly Mrs Barley next door but something feels off and she is worried about the mysterious stranger in her neighbour’s garden.
There is a mystical element to Mrs Barley’s nature with her knowledge of crystals and plants as well as her adherence to the pagan calendar. This has alienated her from the local community but Stina is sure that her behaviour is harmless. However, mysterious illnesses and injuries, even deaths, have been attributed to the seemingly benign Mrs Barley…
Stina is full of doubts about whether she can trust her own instincts. The tension grows throughout the book before coming to a satisfying conclusion with all the strands tied up. I felt a little disappointed as the paranormal element slips away in the final chapter: I wanted to stay spooked!
Whisper Cottage is an enjoyably tense and atmospheric thriller that combines spookiness with psychological components.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

Stina and Jack leave the city behind and move to a more rural area when they find out they are expecting their first child together. The lady next door is mysterious and strange. The area they have moved to is creepy and quiet, especially while Stina is alone. All the makings of a creepy thriller. But, I tried really hard to get into this book, I found it dreadfully slow and not much of a thriller. The first few chapters made it seem like there would be a slow burn but it really just fizzled for me.

Whisper Cottage is a slow, creeping story packed full of suspense. With twists and turns a-plenty, there's something unexpected around every corner.

The main character is Stina - a young woman who has just moved to a picturesque village with her partner Jack. But from malicious gossip to things that go bump in the night, it isn't long before Stina begins to wonder if her new home is really all it first seemed. Amongst a sea of unfamiliar faces, her neighbour Mrs Barley quickly becomes a good and dependable friend. Of course, though, there is always that little voice niggling in the back of her mind...

This novel is defined by its sense of place. The vast majority of the story is set in just two homes - Stina and Jack's, and Mrs Barley's. This lends it an almost claustrophobic feel. Like its characters, the plot quickly begins to seem stifled and confined. It's excellently written and this really adds to the atmosphere of the book.

At points spine-tingling, at others desperately sad, this is a novel that turns the emotion up to 11. With shocking twists and dramatic revelations, Whisper Cottage will keep you guessing right until the very end.

Stina and Jack move to the country.. to the perfect cottage.. as they settle in things get weird.. I love a good thriller & Whisper Cottage was pretty creepy.. in a good way.. The couple are so happy for a slower paced town and a fresh start and their neighbor Mrs Bailey, seems like a godsend. Their cottage needs a lot of work and they are short in funds and time. As they get to know the town and their neighbor, things get very weird. There are so many twists and turns. What do the villagers know that they don’t know? Will this be a safe place to raise their baby?
While Jack works, as a Vet, Stina is working at home and starting to hear and see things.. Is her imagination getting the better of her? What’s going on with her? So many twists and turns to the very end. I can honestly say I didn’t know how it would end.. I think this is a very good book with an interesting storyline. It was a quick read and I really enjoyed it..

Stina and her partner Jack move to an idyllic little town in the rural English countryside to a beautiful little cottage. Escaping the rat race of Birmingham they are looking a fresh start and this just the perfect setting for Jack to start his vet practice. Stina is pregnant and her elderly neighbour Mrs Barley takes a shine to her, but Stina finds her a little odd and when she hears rumours of witchcraft, spells and the supernatural relating to Mrs Barley she gets a little caught up in the small mindedness of the villages view on her and starts to discover that she is beginning to think like the village does about her neighbour.

The story had everything I was looking for - quaint rural village, mysterious going on, and whilst I really enjoyed the story I felt it was just needing that little bit more gothic, spooky, scare to it to just tip this to 5 stars, it was just missing that for me.

Whisper Cottage by Anne Wyn Clarke is a psychological thriller that is a debut novel. I loved the cover and synopsis and hoper the book kept the promise it seemed to hold.
We meet Jack and Stina, a couple who have moved to Wisteria Cottage in a sleepy village near Stratford-upon-Avon. They are expecting a baby and want a quieter life than what they have moved from. The Cottage is a 'fixer upper' but the couple are certain it will be their perfect home when it's finished. Their next door neighbour, Mrs Barley seems to be the perfect neighbour for them. Stina starts hearing weird noises in the night and sees a strange man in Mrs barleys garden. Then there are rumours Stina has heard in the village about their neighbour. Stina begins to think that Mrs Barley may be hiding something and she may not be what she appears.
A twisty and creepy story that had me feeling uneasy at times. Mrs Barley herself seemed an enigma, with her quirky behaviour and all the things we see Stina experiencing really had me questioning what she was about. I found myself thinking I had it all worked out only to be proved wrong time after time. The tension slowly ramps up as the story slowly unfolds.Jack's logical explanation of any weird things just normalises these happenings but they are there in the background just adding the edge to the story.
A tale of secrets and rumours which had me intrigued from the start. A dark and creepy story that kept me guessing and turning the pages until I had all the answers. A great debut that I would recommend if you enjoy creepy tales that keep you on edge.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Avon Books for my gifted copy of the book.

When Stina and Jack move into a new house, in a new town strange things start happening. They have moved in next door to the local witch that no one in town likes. First, Stina sees a man in her neighbor's yard that no one else seems to see and then she hears noises in the attic that the two houses share. Everyone in town feels the need to tell Stina all the rumors about her neighbor which makes her start to question everything she believes.

This is a book of twists, some are easy to guess and others are big surprises. While one of them makes sense the big one at the end seems a little far fetched but kind of works. Whisper Cottage was enjoyable and a good debut novel.

This was a book that I could not put down. I loved the characters and especially the descriptions of village life with its whispers of magic and witches. It was a creepy story with a very unexpected ending.

Why do the other villagers whisper about her neighbor Ms. Barley? Why is she so eager to help the couple? And what is she hiding in her picture-perfect home? Anne Wyn Clark plays off our fears of homeownership and meeting new neighbors with a dark and sinister twist because in this neighborhood, nothing is as it seems...

Whisper Cottage by Anne WYN Clark

Beware of your neighbors. You don’t know their secrets.

This was a dark, sinister and intriguing novel. Very creepy. I was waiting for a more dramatic ending. Good character buildup.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

Finally a tasteful story line with authentic chills and scares. Every page oozes emotion with a bunch of characters so frail and fickle you can see them in yourself. This is perhaps the greatest strength of this book, as every character is completely unique with strong and subtle thoughts, feelings and actions.

It’s smart, tasteful and classically chilling with genuine scares done right. Time, patience and an excellent sense of building up to the right moments to deliver a rich, satisfying and creepy experience.

Woah! This book gave me whiplash, just when I think I had it figured out we twisty again. This was fantastic, creepy, stalkerish, gothic. Ugh so good!! All the feelings. This book was my first fall read and it was incredible. It really ran at a fast pace and the author was descriptive.
But can we mention the cover! Look at that it’s sucks you right in. I wanted to read this book the minute I saw the cover.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Stina and Jack purchase a rural cottage. Their neighbor, elderly woman named Mrs Barley, seems nice enough...but why do the villagers whisper terrible things about her?

Lots of whispers, rumors, gossip, secrets in this awesome suspense novel. The story sucked me in immediately. I read the first part of this book in digital arc format....then started the story over when I got a copy of the audio book. I couldn't stop listening to this story -- I had to know what was going on in the cottage and in the nearby village! I grew up in a little town....and whispers, secrets, rumors...it really brought me back to weird, secretive (or just downright mean) stuff that went on in my little hometown.

I didn't expect the last third of the book....but the story worked. It's enjoyable when a story goes in an unexpected direction, especially when it's better than what I thought was going to happen!

The audio is about 9.5 hours long and narrated by Lauren Moakes. Moakes does a great job of voice acting. She reads at a nice pace and brings the characters to life. Very enjoyable listening experience!

I enjoyed this book. Curious what this author will come up with for her next book!

**I voluntarily read a review copy (and listened to the audio book after release day) of this book from Avon Books. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This was another one that I felt focused too hard on one person. I wouldn't even call this a thriller or a suspense style book. Also that ending also came out of nowhere. Nice little surprise I suppose.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for granting me early access in exchange for an honest review.

There was something about the title of this book that just drew me in. I don't know what it was, but I knew I had to read it. Reading the blurb just confirmed it for me and here we are a few weeks later with the review. It was a great book, a slow burn, but great. It was well worth the slow burn as we got to know each of the characters and this helped create the atmosphere for a chilling thriller.

All the characters were well written and we got some insight into the day-to-day lives of the villagers. I quite liked this as it was a little different. It seemed every character hid a dark past that they didn't want anyone else to know about. I think the character that holds this book together is Mrs. Barley, is she a witch or is she just a quirky neighbour? She really had me hooked as I found myself wanting to find out more about her.

Overall, this is a very good psychological thriller, with loads of suspense, and you really never know what is going to come next. I'm not about to go giving anything away, but I suggest if you want to read it, then definitely go and get it. It's a brilliant debut!

When I first started reading this novel, I thought to myself "this is going to be the perfect novel for the start of fall". Mysterious with a slight touch of the supernatural. However, what I found? Was a tedious mess that tried to set a slightly sinister tone, but ended up ultimately falling flat.

Part of the problem is that none of the characters are likable in the least. Mrs. Barley runs hot and cold throughout the entire novel (even with Jack and Stina). Sometimes she's open and warm, and other times she's glaring and being openly hostile for no apparent reason. Jack seems a good man, however when his wife desperately needs him to believe her, he pushes her concerns off. But then again, Stina herself is an interesting mix. At one point, she breaks into her neighbor's house in the middle of the night.

Another problem I had with this one is that there were pages and pages of things that added nothing to the overall plot; such as the whole story-line regarding her friend Reggie and the secret reason why Reggie disliked Jack. It accomplished nothing by way of moving the plot along, as it seemed for the most part Reggie was forgotten nearly as quickly as she arrived.

The final nail in the coffin for this one, is the flippant way the truth is handed once it finally comes to light. There is no disgust, really there was no reaction at all from either Stina or Jack. I felt like they were just kind of like oh okay, so this happened and it was very sad, but now we are going to benefit from this so whatever.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I decided to read this book based on the cover as it seemed rather creepy and atmospheric and it ended up really generic. It was very slow to the point where I almost didn't want to continue as it was getting to be rather dull and then about 30 pages from the end it was all rather rushed and as if they had no clue what the ending was going to be and just plucked it out of the air. There were parts that never added up and didn't make any sense with no reaction from the characters (I felt Stina's reaction to the "twist" was more or less nothing); I also felt that there wasn't really an explanation whose perspective the prologue was from. I didn't care about any of the characters or what was happening to them as it just dragged on so long. Was set up to be a supernatural storyline and it ended up just really pointless and dull.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Anne Wyn Clark for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

What a ride! This book has more twists than a pretzel. What I enjoyed most is the fact that this story is creepy but at the same time it's believable. I also don't believe anyone will be able to figure out the ending. What a SHOCK! This author is a great writer with an even better imagination. I read daily but I won't forget this one for a while. I highly recommend.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this incredible ARC for my honest opinion.