Unfortunately, I hate not finishing a book, the summary of Whisper Cottage fascinated me when I first came across it, however, if I can’t get past the first couple chapters without stoping and doing other things, then I know this book isn’t for me. I appreciate the opportunity to read it, and it’s not fair that I have to rate it on here as I feel others may actually enjoy it.

Newly married, pregnant, and slightly neurotic, Stina moves into a rural cottage with her husband, where they plan to raise their child. In case you are confused that this cottage shares a wall and an attic with their elderly neighbor it's what would be a duplex in America, but a semi detached cottage in England. Stina is home alone most of the time while her husband is working as a veterinarian. She strikes up a friendship with her neighbor Mrs. Barley, an elderly widow who seems to be disliked by most of the other people in town. At first Jack and Stina can't believe anyone could be hateful towards such a sweet old lady, but after hearing some rumors that she might be a witch and seeing how quickly her moods can change Stina starts to wonder if perhaps people have good reason to avoid her. That along with some strange night time noises and a visitor only Stina seems to see, put her on edge and make her question whether this is a safe place to bring up a new baby.

I was expecting a psychological thriller but this reads more like a slow paced mystery. I had a hard time relating to any of the characters. The villagers were quite fond of gossip, and Stina seemed too easily swayed by it. Some people may be shocked at the possibility that a person could be a witch, but in this day and age when religious persecution is supposed to be long past I don't think most people would begrudge someone their beliefs or practices.
Jack and Stina have their own secrets which are very slow to be revealed. The end was surprising but I think this book could have been shortened by about 60 pages. It did mostly hold my interest but I did not need or care for the flashbacks to how Stina met her only friend, or how she fell in love with Jack.

My first novel by Anne Wyn Clark and I did enjoy this novel. For me personally I found it quite slow paced to start with but it did suddenly grip me and draw me in.

We meet Stina and Jack a married couple who move to the countryside from a larger city. Their next door neighbour Mrs Barley soon befriends them, Mrs Barley is quite a strange individual but Stina and Jack do not seem to notice - especially as most of the other villagers keep their distance from her.

I really enjoyed the mystery in this novel and the many twists and turns that I did not see coming. I did find Stina quite an unlikeable character. Stina starts to notice strange things that occur and also a man in Mrs Barleys garden - she seems to be the only person who notices this strange man so the novel has an undercurrent somewhat of an anxious and/or paranoid woman.

This novel possess many twists and turns and if you like a good mystery then do give this book a read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Anne Wyn Clark and the publishers for an advanced copy of Whisper Cottage in exchange for my honest review.

-Stina and Jack are expecting a baby. So they move out of the city to Avoncote. In a rather shabby but cute semi-detached cottage. There is a lot of work to be done on the cottage beginning with the re-thatching of the roof. And since they are joined to their elderly neighbor, Mrs. Barley, hers will be done as well.

It’s while the men work on the roof that they find a bizarre find in the chimney next door. mummified cats. And then the odd noises in the night begin. And the questions. Why is everyone in town afraid of Mrs. Barley? Is she just a nice old lady or is she something much worse? Is that a man Stina sees in her window? Is it the same man she keeps seeing outside, but no one else does?

For one, this story made me look at my neighbor a bit closer. Stina was just not a character I clicked with. I’m not fond of weak women. This is a good look at what secrets and rumors can do to a life and a town. And that was powerful.

, NetGalley/ September 2nd, 2021 by Avon

Whisper Cottage was is a book that keeps you guessing to the end. I read it in a few days but I am undecided how I feel about it.

Stina and Jack move to a rural cottage looking for a fresh start. Their neighbour Mrs Barley is friendly and willing to help the couple out in any way she can.

Stina soon starts to question her motives though when she hears locals gossiping about Mrs Barley and she sees a mysterious figure in the widow's garden, and there is the way things keep happening to people who Mrs Barley seems to dislike.

Is she a witch or is she just a lonely and misunderstood old lady? What secrets is she hiding?

Ultimately, in all honesty, the ending felt a bit rushed and disappointing. However, three quarters of the book was still engaging and I would still recommend reading Whisper Cottage.

Stina and Jack give up city life for a cottage in the countryside. But the peace and quiet they were hoping for doesn't last long as mysterious sights and sounds take over.

Promoted as mystery/thriller/womens fiction, this slow paced novel is mostly the latter.
I didn't get on with Stina, the main character. Her insecurity, crying and dependency annoyed me immensely. At least her down to earth husband Jack gets on with life, being hardworking and caring for his family.
I enjoyed the intervals with mrs. Barley, the quirky elderly lady next door. She's an independent and compassionate soul, blessed with curiosity.

The mystery that leads the story drags on and on without excitement. No edge-of-my-seat review here. When the secret is finally revealed near the very end, I honestly lost all interest.

The writing is good, proper dialogue and pretty scenery. The story just needs some spice.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

Em..... I didn't actually finish this one which is very very rare for me. The characters are well written and there is definitely a sinister undertone about the whole thing but i just struggled with the fact that it felt like nothing was ever happening and it just wasn't something you'd ever try to make into a book. It was just a bit blah... but then again, I am someone who likes thrillers, suspense and horrors so for those who like a slower pace and more subtle undertones than overt threats, this may be a winner for you since it is really nicely written with some good characters

Starts nice and easy but always with just an underlying threat that this can't last. As the threat becomes more overt - and more are added - even the reader starts to doubt what is and isn't happening with even more twists to come at the end. A good story that keeps the reader guessing to the end.

In a word to sum it up 'brilliant'!. The whole reading experience was 'chilling' and 'sinister'. The characters , premise and the plot are fantastic. How the climax turned out to be was quite unpredictable and unexpected. Just loved Stina's character in the book. Every emotion and every act is amazing and are highlights in the book.At one point , I was totally convinced that this must be a horror genre book, you would know why , when you'll read the book.

Recommendation: The mystery, thriller and suspense genres fans mustn't miss this book. It is so good that you would want to finish it in one go!

This book had so much potential. The synopsis sounded really good. After the first 100 pages I wondered why I requested a book like this. It made no sense to me. I kept on waiting for where the book would take me. I felt like there was just background stories and everyday life going on, but no mystery, nothing that intrigued me. Things started happening towards the end, but the book still left me feeling empty. There is nothing wrong with the writing per se, but I would have wanted more action, but I felt like I only got teasers of what will be revealed. I have a feeling though that this book will have its fans, but for someone who likes murder mysteries, action thrillers, and rich historical fiction, well, it just didn't work for me.

Whisper cottage has new residents, newlyweds Jack and Stina, who after moving in, come to realize their dream home hides something sinister.
The plot is well thought out and interesting, I enjoyed following the story and was really curious to find out what had happened.
I did feel this was more of a drama than a suspenseful read. I expected there to be more tension. I feel that the threat towards Stina in her home could have been made more of and then it would have really added that atmospheric touch. It felt more intriguing rather than threatening or sinister.
The characters however were well developed, I was really inquisitive about Mrs Barley. My opinion of her changed almost by the page and it made it really mind bending.I think she was a curious and capturing character that I followed closely and it made me want to read on. I also really liked that you didn't really learn about her true intentions until the end, this was a surprise and really added to the story.
All in all I enjoyed unraveling all the secrets behind the characters. I think the addiction of the occult elements really added to the atmosphere and mystery.
A great read, not what I expected but equally as intriguing.
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Ann Wyn Clark for the advance copy.

This was such a bewitching read. I was drawn in from the first page and it kept me guessing until the end, with twists that made me gasp. Well-crafted and infinitely readable.

I really wanted to love this book as it sounded like something I would. I did enjoy it, but I felt there was a lot missing and it just fell a bit short for me.
Stina and her husband move to a rural cottage in an idyllic village. But she soon notices a strange man appear outside and strange things start to happen. The rest of the village don't like her elderly neighbour, Mrs Bailey and there is a lot of secrets around her.
I loved the suspense and wondering what was going on with Mrs Bailey. but as the story progressed and you found out at the end, it didn't have the impact I thought we were going to get. A lot of the things you thought were down to Mrs Bailey, you don't actually get any answers for. It was wrapped up at the end pretty quickly and it just left a lot of questions.
I found it quite a slow burn and a little bit difficult to completely get into. This is the first book I have read by Anne Wyn Clark and I would try another one, as I did like the idea of this book.

I wanted to like this book I really did, it started strong. The characters were very well thought out and relatable. I rarely give a book a poor review and this one is gaining its 2 stars because I really did love the characters. But... I don’t even know what the plot was, was there a climax? We are led down a path of possible voodoo with no resolution. What happened to Lucy and her children? Why was her son Ill? It’s alluded that it’s important to the story and then it just vanishes from the story line. We are led to believe that the death of Reggie is important too... and that too is anticlimactic and almost pushed to the corner. There wasn’t even really an ending. I mean we find out who was seen creeping on the property and why but it really doesn’t factor in to the story. This book was like detailing someone’s life for a while in a basic sense where very little occurs. I kept waiting for something to happen but nothing did. This story can be summed up very briefly. My neighbor might be a witch... might be doing voodoo... I might have seen a ghost. Someone might have been murdered. Oh wait I was wrong nevermind. I don’t know why these things occurred but it somehow is no longer important to the story so we will simply drop it.

A spooky cottage with an untoward past and a new family moves in with weird happenings occurring. I really wanted to like this story, as I found the premise interesting but it just didn't grab me like I was hoping.
To start off with I felt there were issues with the pacing. I wanted more intrigue and suspense. I would get hints of this very briefly and then the story would quickly move onto more mundane parts of the story.

The dialogue in the story didn't feel natural or believable and therefore I just didn't connect with the MC or any of the other characters for that matter. The MC was a new mother and as a mother myself, it just felt like someone wrote the character based off someone else's idea of a mother. The friend who only features briefly in the book was actually more believable as a mother than the MC.

There was also a twist in the book at one point which I felt was completely unnecessary and didn't seem to fit with the story. It almost felt like it was added in as an after thought.

Maybe others will enjoy this book for what it is, but as I was looking for something spooky and suspenseful it just wasn't for me.

I honestly DNF this one. The reviews had me excited but the style of writing just wasn’t for me and I found myself unable to really get into it.

Seeking a quiet, safe place to live and raise a family, Stina and Jack move out of the crime ridden city into an old, neglected cottage in the small village of Avoncote. Rolling up their sleeves, they begin working to make their new home cozy and charming - like the beautiful semi-attached cottage next door occupied by an eccentric old lady named Mrs. Barley. It soon becomes obvious that the locals avoid that cottage and Mrs. Barley like the plague. Rumors of witchcraft and spells spread wide and far - along with warnings to stay away from her, and yet for the most part, Mrs. Barley is nothing but sweet and kind to Stina and Jack. Working as a vet, Jack spends long hours away from home and thus doesn't hear or see the unsettling happenings when they begin occurring as Stina does. A strange man wandering in Mrs. Barley's courtyard that no one else admits to seeing, strange scraping sounds coming from the shared attic late at night, Mrs. Barley's chanting while sitting in a circle of candles, Mrs. Barley's sudden mood swings and weird little dolls - all lead Stina to begin her own ill-timed investigation . . . and eventually question her own sanity. Is something sinister lurking in the cottage next door . . . or is Stina succumbing to the same mental illness as her mother? Is their new home a safe haven . . . or their worst nightmare?

Whisper Cottage is a tense, gripping read that captures you in the eerie prologue and holds you prisoner until the final shocking revelation - I'm talking edge-of-your-seat suspense. Through brilliant manipulation of prose, Clark sets and maintains a chilling atmosphere of impending doom throughout the story - a dark tone fueled by vicious rumors, life-altering secrets, sinister happenings, hints of mental instability and paranormal vibes. Stina is an unreliable narrator and through flashbacks, readers become aware of her buried secrets including the source of her mental concerns. And while it's obvious Mrs. Barley is hiding something, her role is so well played that some of her scenes made me think of grandmothers baking apple pies while others gave me chill bumps. Who is she? Good? Evil? Is Stina the only one who "sees"? Or has she slipped into insanity? A dangerous vibe permeates the pages as this story unfolds. I turned pages cautiously - almost afraid to see what would happen next. Whisper Cottage is a chilling story that whispers warnings . . . beware your secrets less they bury you alive. Fans of mystery and suspense are going to gobble this one up. The perfect read for a dark, foggy night.

Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Whisper Cottage by Anne Wyn Clark is a psychological thriller that is full of surprises, twists, and turns. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, Whisper Cottage will not disappoint.

When Jack, a veterinarian gets a job in a rural village near Stratford Upon Avon, he and his wife Stina move into an old rural cottage in a small village nearby. They meet their new neighbor, Mrs. Bailey, an elderly woman who lives next door. They soon become friends with Mrs. Bailey even though most of the villagers stay far away from her.

Stina sees a mysterious figure in Mrs. Bailey’s garden but neither her husband Jack, nor Mrs. Bailey ever sees this figure, and they all blame her sightings on the stress of her pregnancy, but Stina knows what she saw, and can’t forget him, or the mysterious noises she hears from their shared attic. What if Mrs. Bailey isn’t what she appears to be?

Whisper Cottage starts off a bit slow as we learn about Jack, Stina, and Mrs. Bailey, but once the action starts, the book takes off on a wild ride. I have to admit here that I am not a fan of psychological thrillers because I feel some anxiety when I read them. And Whisper Cottage was no different. But, because I was anxious while I was reading this book, I also knew it was very well written as I really didn’t know what was coming next, which proves to me that Anne Wyn Clark is a talented writer. The ending of this book was a real surprise that I did not expect, at all, and the authors’ talent at spinning such a twisted story is evident. I highly recommend Whisper Cottage to fans of physiological thrillers. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. However, this is a high school
Exercise in why you need to show, and not tell. The book reads like a synopsis-a description of the events that happened. Little dialogue and nothing to paint a world or feel like your watching a story. I can’t in good faith give this one a good recommendation.

Newlyweds Stina and Jack who are expecting their first child move from the city to an old cottage in a small village.
Stina makes friends with the old lady who lives next door she is friendly and helpful but other people in the village warn Stina against her neighbour.
When strange things start to happen the couple are left wondering if this was the right move for them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.