The Whistling was wonderfully creepy and atmospheric - the perfect spooky season read.

This book had an unsettling undercurrent of tension from beginning to end. I really connected with Elspeth and all she'd been through. She had experienced so much loss and she thought moving to Skelthsea would be a fresh start, but everything felt off from the beginning. There were so many secrets and lies from everyone around her, which made it hard to know who to trust. It was an effective way of adding to that constant sense of tension, and it made it feel like something bad could happen at any moment. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and only figured it out a few pages before it was revealed. I'd love to see this made into a movie!

I devoured this book and loved chapter after chapters. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance e-book copy. I read this story quickly - which is a positive for me. It was a little creepy and suspenseful while past events unravel. The main character, Elsbeth, is trying to figure out what has transpired and who is responsible. The author did a good job of making it harder to discern the main source of evil. I appreciated that. Would recommend if you like a good story of gothic atmosphere.

The Whistling takes you on a creepy mystery with twists on many chapters. Elspeth leaves home to look after a young, recently mute child, Mary, who has experienced many losses, much like herself. The story follows Elspeth as she bonds with Mary and seeks to uncover the truth behind the mysterious happenings at Iskar. While the story does take some time to pick up its pace, the characters and creepiness of Iskar are well described and left me often unnerved.
I would recommend to those who like dark and creepy mysteries.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The premise of this book was very intriguing and I was definitely interested in the beginning. I felt that the story took a little too long to get to things and it took me a little more time to really keep my attention. I was surprised by the ending, and I truly enjoyed the relationship between Mary and Elspeth but I wished there could have been a bit more of Mary.

After the death of everyone she ever loved, Elspeth Swansome takes the position of a Nanny to a family.
On the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea, Elspeth settles into her new role. Mary is the child she is in charge of and is selectively mute after the the disappearance of her former nanny and death of her twin brother.
After some time Elspeth starts to notice some odd things around the house that she cant explain. Hypnotic lullabies sung in empty wings of the home, strange dolls and other witchcraft like items left around the house, and a faint whistling at night.
As winter starts and passage to the mainland is next to impossible, Elspeth find herself trapped and starts to dig to uncover what is happening.
Elspeth uncovers the practices of witchcraft, murder, and someone or something out there is trying to harm her and Mary.
She will do whatever she can to protect Mary, but who on the island wants to do them harm? Is it a ghost? Mary’s aunt who seems to dislike her, the standoffish house staff? Or anyone else on the island?
The story unfolds and many twists and turns are uncovered.
I enjoyed this read! An eerie ghost story and mystery set in the 1800’s. It had some surprise twists I didn’t see coming and a great spook factor.

I must start by thanking NetGalley as well as the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
A true Victorian Horror/Mystery. Never knowing the who, being first led to one character, then the next. The atmosphere of an old rundown manor house, and so many conclusions to jump too.

The story has its creepy feel on it but not enough to make me close the book and imagine things around. Good thriller yet easy read. A good camping read.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Canada for the copy and in return my honest review.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Netley and HarperCollins Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This one sounds so up my alley with the creepy setting, but I was a bit disappointed. I enjoyed the storyline and the idea behind it but it was truly a very slow burn and I didn’t actually find it as creepy as I was hoping. So if you like a slow burn, slightly creepy gothic type novel - this is for you!

I don't know if it's just me but I felt like the writing was too obvious. There would be descriptions of the house that would make it too obvious that something was wrong. I wanted to figure things out myself. Still a good read,

*full review will be posted shortly*

1860s, gothic story telling. This was extremely good. I loved the spooky aspect of it and really enjoyed how it was written.
Even though it was based in the 1860s. It was a fast and easy read.

I adore Gothic fiction and I'm always on the lookout for new tales. I found a fantastic read in Rebecca Netley's debut novel - The Whistling.

Isn't that cover delicious?! Ominously promising...

All the right bits for Gothic fiction are present...a young woman running from her own heartbreak in the big city takes a position as a nanny in a crumbling manor house on a remote island in 1860's Scotland. What else is needed? Unfriendly staff, a secretive owner of the home, a previous nanny who left with no notice, rumors, odd villagers who warn of.....

I'm going to leave it there and let you discover what has happened and is happening through the eyes of Elspeth, our protagonist. Is that truly someone at the attic window? And ears as well.....what is that singing late at night and what is the whistle for?

Netley has created a wonderfully atmospheric setting. She masterfully builds the tension of her story with every page turned. Seemingly innocent items, such as a doll and how a pair of shoes are set by the fire take on an insidious tone. This is much more frightening than an overt event.

The Whistling is a mystery on many levels and a tale that perhaps is home to one or two ghosts. Or is it?

A brilliant book and an easy five stars.

This was so perfectly atmospheric. It reminded me of Turn of the Screw crossed with Haunting of Hill House, so it’s in very good company. It’s been a while since I’ve read a gothic novel that has executed gothic tropes so well. It does start very slowly and that’s a thing with gothic books in general that never fully works for me, but once you’re in, you’re in. Loved the setting and the characters and the ominous whistling. Highly recommend this if you want an eerie Scottish romp.

“𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒍, 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒚𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒄, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔; 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉?”

I didn’t know a lot about this book except hearing a bit about it during the Harper Collins Canada Summer Preview event. I was excited to get a copy from Killer Crime Club and dove in immediately.

Whenever I read a Gothic type book, I’m always transported back to studying English in university. Rebecca Newley has crafted a tale that is worthy being studied as an example emulating the Gothic ghost stories of the Victorian era. The setup pulls you in right away: a decaying mansion, two recent deaths, a new nanny arriving on a small island for a child who no longer speaks. Getting Elsbeth’s point of view as she arrives in first person makes it feel like a diary, one that is telling the story of the island of Skelthsea and the mansion of Iskar. Both the house and the island are really atmospheric, and the rainy, stormy and cold weather really adds to the feeling of terror, isolation and general malaise. I really liked Elsbeth and Mary, especially since Mary is a character that doesn’t talk and you only get to see her actions with Elsbeth; it’s a good reminder that conversation isn’t the only way to build a relationship and that companionship can be found in other avenues, like ‘experiencing a shared wonder.’ The ghost element is genuinely creepy and there is some really great tension that is built up. Newley’s writing flows easily and reads like a thriller in ways - there are some good reveals that change how you feel about certain characters with moments of distrust throughout.

The Whistling is a story of grief, companionship, ghosts, and searching for truth. It is evocative, eerie and would make for a perfect fall or winter read. Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for the ARC!

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for my advanced copy of The Whislting. Could there be a better setting for a ghost story than an old mansion on an island. This was a part gothic, part mystery and part horror. The Whistling by Rebecca Netley is worth the read.

The Whistling
 
The Whistling is a story that explores dark magic, curiosity, fear, hope, uncovering the truth, and above all love. The whistle surrounding this book will call you back for more each chapter. The main character Elspeth has started working as a nanny in an old home filled with lots of character, and she quickly learns it is occupied by some very unique characters and history. The child she is caring for Mary, will not speak to anyone in the house or village and quickly, Elspeth learns that Mary has not spoken since the passing of her brother William. Elspeth tries to uncover the mysteries of Iskar, by talking to others in the village, but not many like to speak of the ghosts that roam the halls. With Iskar being haunted, Elspeth finds herself trying to uncover the secrets of the past, present and future with the help of Mary and some dark magic calling those from the past. This story is filled with secrets, lies, ghosts and the twists and turns will shock you and make for a great thrilling story. The author does a great job with the writing, keeping it spooky and entertaining!

I loved that this book was set in Scotland as it's atmosphere lends perfectly to this gothic mystery/thriller! This was a good debut novel and I thought the pacing was good. There were a few times where I found myself impatient as it felt a bit repeptive at times but overall it kept me entertained. This book would be best read infront of a fire on a cold and stormy night! Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Canada for this eARC!

I really enjoyed the gothic, eerie atmosphere of this book and the way the the writing really transportated me there.

Some of my favourite books of all time have a setting that feels almost like it could be a real place, or even a character in its self. The seaside house, with cold icy air and dangerous cliffs, a perfect setting for this mysterious story.
The classic story of a new nanny taking care of a strange child, was done really well in my opinion. Overall I thought it was a great novel and I will be purchasing myself a physical copy!

Thank you to netgally and the publisher for sending me and ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I had hoped it would be. The setting, characters and pace were perfect for this type of story. Definitely one I will recommend.

I was disappointed by this one. The cover art and blurb really drew me in, but I felt as though the story fell flat.

I felt as though I was reading a charade of a historical setting, not an actual book set in that timeframe. I think the writing style and forced "old timey" verbiage and odd sentence structure made the story feel unatural and clunky and pulled me out of the story a lot.

I also felt like the pacing was extremely slow and there'd be chapters at a time with nothing happening. In my opinion, there were way too many characters, it became hard to keep them straight and we didn't get to fully explore their stories or really explore their characteristics.

I notice I'm in the minority with this one so if you like ghost stories set in old Scotland this one might be for you.

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada and to NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. ❤️