Very King-esque. Perfect for me! I went in with low expectations, because how can toy trains be scary? Boy was I shown just how scary they can be. The pacing felt a bit slow for me, but I trusted the process and I was not let down. This was my first Linwood Barclay book and it won’t be my last!

Any book that starts out crushing a 7 year old’s belief in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny, is, of course, a horror story. Linwood Barclay is probably the only author I read who reminds me of Stephen King, and “Whistle,” about a haunted model train set, delivered the same vibes. Small town, sinister atmosphere, decent people with bad luck trying to do better but stumbling up against supernatural obstacles.

Our first decent person here is Annie, a recent widow in NYC with a 7 year old son and children’s author whose last book inspired a child to do something terrible; she decides to get away for a while and move to the upstate New York small town, near “Castle Creek” (so close to King’s ubiquitous “Castle Rock”) with the requisite sinister atmosphere. The first supernatural obstacle is her dead husband’s ghost saying “Don’t go, Annie. Don’t go.” The next instance is her hearing a train whistle in the middle of the night after arriving at the country house, before the evil train set is even discovered.

There are two timelines and the second one revolves around decent person Harry, the chief of police just over the New York border, in Lucknow, Vermont (a town that had some unspeakable disaster according to the prologue). This timeline is set twenty years ago when Palm Pilots and Nokias were high-tech and Bin Laden was still in hiding. Much more grotesque and spooky things are happening on Harry’s watch and his various witnesses are also hearing phantom train whistles.

The rest of the story has the sudden scares — haunted, normally inanimate, toxic physical items from Chucky or Annabelle or Christine the Plymouth are always over-the-top super scary to me. We need to know how Annie and Harry will cross paths and how the heck do they conquer the evil train set.

I must mention that there’s a new train hobby shop in Lucknow during Harry’s timeline called “Choo Choo’s Trains” that, of course, just opened as all the horrible things started to occur. That would be enough to frighten me — when on vacation my husband always insists on visiting a particular decades old train store that’s so overcrowded, dark, dusty and weird, I wouldn’t be surprised if it inspired the author. Hobby train stores are inherently creepy. However, this book kept me reading until 2am. 4.5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO But in horror novels there are always some menacing eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): Well, let’s not talk about what the realistic grass in the train diorama is made of.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the copy. Whistle is the first book that I have read by Linwood Barclay and it won’t be my last. Whistle is told in multiple points of views alternating between the present and the past. Annie Blunt is a successful children’s author whose life has been shrouded in tragedy. Annie decides to get away from New York City for the summer with her son Charlie. Once they are there, Charlie finds a box full of an old train set. Annie begins to hear whistles even though there are no stations nearby. We also meet Harry Cook, a police chief in Lucknow, Vermont. There have been odd things happening in town, and it all started with the opening of Choo Choo’s Trains. I truly enjoyed this book. It took me a few days to get into it, but once I was interested I couldn’t put it down. It was creepy and thrilling at the same time. I liked all of the characters but especially the chief.

Excellent creepy horror story

Bad things - really bad things - have been happening to Annie, who happens to be a famous children's author. So she packs up her son Charlie and they head out of New York City to a more rural area to relax and decompress from the tragic events in their lives.

At first their rental house seems idyllic but soon there are unexplainable thins happening around the small town they are near AND Charlie has found a toy train to play with.

Well written; nice pacing. I wasn't sure I was going to like the book but I trusted author Barclay and he followed through splendidly.

I received this book from Net Galley and William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for my honest review.

Death surrounds Annie Blunt, a best-selling children's author. After a fan tragically falls to his death, and her husband is killed, her agent sets up a summer retreat for her and Charlie, her son in the country in hopes of rejuvenating her creative work.
The house is idyllic. It is triple the size of their NYC place. It has a yard and a shed. She has neighbors across the street, instead of across the hallway. Her agent has gone out of his way to stock the house with their favorite foods and a full studio for Annie to work in.

And work she does, after getting settled. She is drawn to the paper. She sketches and builds a character she came across when she was young. He is tall, dark, and mysterious. He is nothing like her fun, loveable characters before. This new one carries an evil aura with him. Is this the turning point of her writing career? Or is there something more at play?

Charlie is a curious, active young boy loves exploring his new space. He discovers a train set packed away at the country house, he is captivated. He sets it up with a whole town layout in Annie's studio and plays with it for hours. Even when Charlie is outside, Annie thinks she can still hear the train going. When Charlie is asleep, she hears a train whistle, but her neighbors tell the nearby track has been inactive for years.

Meanwhile, Barclay builds the backstory of the train set.

It is the turn of the century. The internet is still building and the September 11th attacks are fresh in everyone's mind. A new train shop opens in downtown Lucknow and piques the interest of the young and old. Who doesn't love an elaborate train set? Especially Mr. Choo's trains, they're made with a certain care and delicacy.
Barclay puts together a train set, a lonely boy with his grieving mother, and a tragedy that struck a town 20 years ago. He mixes in a dollop of the supernatural darkness and a time hop to craft this wonderful story that is different than his usual writing genre. Fans of Barclay’s work won’t be disappointed!

There are some trains you do NOT want to hear coming….

WOW, this one chilled me in this best way. A slow burning supernatural thriller that has a Stephen King feel with a fresh twist. It is wrapped in grief, nostalgia, and a creeping dread.
After tragedy strikes, Annie and her son move to a quiet town for a fresh start… but peace is the last thing they find. An old train set. Bizarre and disturbing events. Strange drawings. And that name…Mr. Choo.
If you like your thrillers/horrors with a side of goosebumps, this is your next read.
I will not be looking at toy trains the same way ever again….😂

This gave me strong NOS4A2 vibes but with ~ trains ~ and I was thoroughly entertained throughout this read. I didn't get the creep factor I was expecting, but someone who reads less horror may get the creepy crawlies from this.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What does my love of reading and my husband's love of trains have in common? Whistle by Linwood Barclay took care of that. Old train sets and a very weirdly intense train shop combined with old school horror (and oh boy have I thought that a time or two on visits with Jason) made for a book that was hard to put down. It vacillates from the past to the present and follows several people that find themselves suddenly very interested in owning a toy train set. The trains themselves aren’t what they appear to be and neither is the shop owner. The sheriff gets a little too close to finding out what is going on with all the missing townspeople who are eventually found with only skin and no hair, teeth or bones. This sends the shop owner into a rage that causes a chemical train spill that wipes out the entire town within minutes of breathing in the toxic air. As it turns out, only a very resilient mother could take this on to save herself and her son from a horrifying ending.

After reading King’s The Shining, I was in the mood for another horror novel. Luckily for me, I had Linwood Barclay’s May 2025 novel, Whistle, for review.

Where to even begin with this book?

To start, I liked this one as much as The Shining. But, also like that book, Whistle dealt with some heavy topics, and it was horror through-and-through, but with a twist involving toy trains (which I never thought could be so creepy, but hey, I was proved wrong).

The basics are: Annie Blunt was having a hard time and, in looking for a break, heads out of New York City for what should’ve been a relaxing time so maybe—just maybe—she could work on her next book. Like King’s novel, Barclay’s set up Whistle’s opening really well. It was detailed and engrossing, and it did a lot of heavy lifting when it came to developing Annie, Charlie, and even her late husband. It was easy to be sympathetic in the wake of her grief, and understanding toward her troubles and how she tried to cope as well as keep going because her son needed her. And Charlie’s chapters, though brief by comparison, offered an insight into his perspective. But, the work on the backstory didn’t over stay its welcome, and there were plenty of clues peppered throughout the early narrative which pointed toward what would ultimately be the uncanny and creepy nature of the core of the story.

One of the standouts was Barclay’s treatment of the toy trains. I went in with an open mind. And, as I mentioned above, they weren’t portrayed as a gimmick but instead had a presence in the story that cast a long shadow. They also presented quite a mystery.

Annie, however, wasn’t the only character stuck in that mess. There was the present storyline, which followed her and her son. But, part of the story took place in the past as well; those sections were real foreboding. At times, I knew more than the characters did, but it worked out, because part of what made the novel thrilling, eerie, and a page turner was waiting to see how the different ends of the story would intersect. It was great!

Whistle was exactly what I was hoping it would be. It wasn’t necessarily fast paced, but it was the kind of horror novel that slowly unfolds and was driven by its characters as much as it was by the supernatural aspects that fueled its more frightening moments.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (William Morrow) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

This was a fantastic horror novel that kept me up at night reading - I really couldn't put it down.

This went in a direction I did not expect, and I was delighted to be so surprised. The book does such an excellent job of creating a sinister aura of unease, and the plot is cleverly crafted to keep you on your toes. There are some genuinely good scares here and it was such a fun ride!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. This book was creepy, terrifying and suspenseful. I love the storyline and premise of this book, I thought it was unique and creative. This is my first book I’ve read from this author and I loved the writing. I will definitely be recommending this book to all my horror loving friends.

Very, very good. Evocative of Stephen King, I really loved this book. Truly a pleasure to read - I wouldn't say it was horror, but suspenseful and thrilling.

I expect an excellently plotted suspense thriller from Linwood Barclay, so I was pleasantly surprised to see he has switched genres. This latest book is a paranormal horror story with all the tension and pacing one gets with a good thriller.

Annie's life is in freefall. First, her husband is killed in a hit-and-run accident, and then a young reader of her popular children's book series tragically dies. Seeking solace, she and her young son Charlie move from New York City to a small town in upstate New York. All seems fine until Charlie discovers a model train set in a shed. Mysterious events begin, and their retreat no longer looks so idyllic.

Two months after September 11, 2001, a new store opened on Main Street in the small town of Lucknow, Vermont. Run by an eccentric man known as Edwin Choo, the store offers model train sets that appeal to young and old alike. When people and pets begin disappearing, police chief Harry Cook notices a pattern related to Mr. Choo. Could he be more than he appears?

Switching back and forth in time between Annie and Harry, Barclay expertly leads the reader through a maze of paranormal circumstances that tie the two storylines together. Whistle is a dark and creepy read with interesting characters and plot twists. I hope Mr. Barclay continues to explore this new, darker side. 5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is May 20, 2025.

The screeching of metal on metal. The blast of the whistle. The repetitive chuffchuffchuffchuff as the train hurtles from one destination to the next. Who did not have trains growing up as kids? The cars looping around the tracks seem to mesmerize my son as he gazed intently at his train when he was younger and still thought trains were awesome. The small town of Lucknow, Vermont, is as rural as it comes. Everyone is your neighbor and when a new store moves in it is big news. When Choo-Choo's Trains sets up shop. Now one can remember when Edwin Nabler and his trains arrived in town. It was like he just appeared. The quiet chuffchuffchuffing following him. The town is thrown out of whack as soon as he arrives. People and pets are missing; people hear a train whistle pierce the night air. Even though the train has not run through this town in years. What exactly did Mr. Choo bring with him?

Annie Blunt has had a year. Her popular children's book led to a death that is completely unimaginable and in Annie's eyes unforgivable on her part. Then her husband was suddenly killed. Leaving Annie and her young son, Charlie, with a gaping hole. When her friend and editor Finn suggests she get away from it all. She jumps at the chance and heads to a small town in upstate New York. Charlie has taken to the fresh air at lightning speed and appears to be training for the Olympics on his new to him bike. Yet the shed outback calls his name. Annie has heard the whistle of the train and everyone she mentions it to seems to be taken aback. As the family begins to hear and see more things that they cannot explain. It makes Annie want to jump back in her car and head for the city. Will it be too late when she finally makes a decision?

The build up on this book was phenomenal. I loved the dual timeline and the tie between New York and Vermont. I wanted to scream at Annie and really all of the townspeople. The weird occurrences slowly begin to build, and no one seems to be able to move. They are a deer stuck in the headlights. Knowing they are in danger, but not sure of what. I did think the ending fell flat. I wanted more out of it, some big aha moment. Thank you to Linwood Barclay and William Morrow Paperbacks for my

I don't think I will ever look at trains the same way again. If you ever hear a train whistle and there is no train around, beware of what is to come... This was a creepy, suspenseful tale that gradually takes on a life of its own. The story is told through 2 timelines that eventually intersect. Overall, it was a slow burn, but I enjoyed the crazy imagination of Linwood Barclay in this one. I've read his other books, and they really don't take on the sinister feel that this one does. This is a horror story that will give you nightmares!

This was a pretty good read. I thought it definitely had its creepy moments though at times. You never would guess that a old toy train could make a story scary. The buildup of this story worked well and I thought the story was well written. The author gives you a great insight on fear and also how to handle with sad moments/grief. Definitely a unique story that many will remember.

I absolutely loved this one! the opening chapter reminded me a bit of an Are You Afraid of the Dark episode or something and it caught my attention right away. I'm usually pretty skeptical about books with supernatural elements, but this book does a great job of grounding itself and not getting too out of control. I loved the way it opened with some supernatural stuff and then immediately jumped into the story with the author and her son which really kept the story from getting too out of hand. There were definitely some parts that push the supernatural further than general fiction usually does but it all worked, I definitely think this is one that all mystery fans will enjoy! Can't wait for the print version to keep my Barclay collection!!

What in earth did I just read! This is such a different book for Linwood Barclay. It was like reading an old school Stephen King novel. It was creepy, eerie, dark and messy. I don’t read much horror these days but this was so entertaining. I love when a book makes you feel so uncomfortable but is impossible to stop reading.

I think you just need to go into this book fairly blind. I don’t really even know how to describe it. What you get is a small town with people dying, creepy trains and an even creepier train maker. It certainly is supernatural, filled with grief and sadness. There is evilness in the world and so much of it in this town.

I love this authors thrillers,and I loved this change in direction. It will make you look twice at model trains though!!!

Thanks so much to William Morrow on NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book. It will be once that will stay in my mind forever. Publishes on May 20th.

4.5⭐- Wow this was such a unique story! I picked this for the main focus of haunted model trains because of my son's love for them. I had no idea what to expect. It took some getting used to, but when the story came together around 30-40% through, I couldn't put it down. So much happens, it gets really dark but I absolutely loved the execution of the main plotline. I got chills at the very end. I wouldn't recommend this for everyone since there are many trigger warnings, but if you are into thrillers and horror; I think many will love this. And of course, any model train lover will enjoy all the references sprinkled throughout the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this arc, all opinions are my own.

A supernatural horror thriller following Annie Blunt and her son Charlie as they relocate to a small town in upstate New York seeking a fresh start after facing significant personal losses. A celebrated children's author and illustrator, Annie has endured the tragic death of her husband in a hit-and-run accident and a scandal involving one of her books. Hoping to heal, they move to a new home, where Charlie discovers a mysterious train set in a shed. This discovery triggers strange events, including Annie hearing train whistles at night despite no nearby tracks, and bizarre occurrences in the neighborhood. As the supernatural elements intensify, Annie realizes they may have stepped into a new, terrifying nightmare.The story is told across two timelines, blending past and present, and features a diabolical character named Mr. Choo Choo. You can draw comparison to Stephen King's works, particularly for its eerie, small-town horror vibe, tension, supernatural elements, and unsettling atmosphere.