Karin Fossum's The Whisperer - Review

The Whisperer by Karin Fossum

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An intense, psychological character study of the build-up to a murder.

I was lucky enough to win a proof copy of Karin Fossum’s latest novel, ‘The Whisperer’ from CrimeFictionLover.com, via their Facebook page. I had previously never read any of Fossum’s work - though this is the thirteenth novel in her series featuring Inspector Sejer. However, Sejer features more as a supporting character in this novel, which is led by Ragna Reigel, the eponymous whisperer.

Ragna lives a lonely life, estranged from her son, living in the house her parents left when they died, working at a local store, travelling back and forth by bus each day. Her only interactions are with her work colleagues, one of her neighbours, the owner of the store across the street, and the occasional cards from her son, who now lives in Berlin and has done for many years. She begins to receive threatening notes, left in her letterbox, telling her she will soon be dead.

Now incarcarated in prison for an unspecified crime, Ragna is interviewed by Sejer, slowly revealing the events that led to her imprisonment. Through Ragna's retelling of the story, we witness her growing paranoia as she is persecuted via the notes, becoming convinced she is being watched, building to a tragic climax.

'The Whisperer' is a slow-burning thriller with psychologically depth. We live Ragna's persecution with her, her loneliness, the monotony of her daily life, how she misses her son. Through Sejer's careful questioning, her reconnection with her son, the story she retells, Ragna's brutal crime is pieced together. There is a neat, little twist in the final pages that brings the novel to a satisfying conclusion.

A hugely enjoyable read; I shall be looking out for more of Fossum's books in the future.



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