The River Whispers

by Joe Vodan

Do you remember the last time you truly felt peace?
Have you ever thought about what it might cost?

Jacob has spent years pretending to be whole. A wife. A daughter. A life that looks normal from the outside. But there’s a memory—fractured, buried, dangerous—that won’t stay quiet.

When Beth appears, everything begins to shift. She’s calm. Curious. Disarming in the way only one other woman ever was.

And that woman is dead.

Beth offers Jacob the same feeling he had back then—safety, understanding, a chance to finally let go of the guilt he can’t name.

But peace is never free. The river she walks beside has always known what he’s hiding. And it knows what to take in return.

Was it ever really a choice?

The River Whispers is a dark psychological novel about memory, guilt, and the quiet horror of being seen too clearly by something that cannot forget.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2025

About the author

Joe Vodan writes dark fiction rooted in the forests and small towns of Northern Michigan. His stories follow flawed, damaged characters navigating real darkness—the kind that builds slowly, gets under your skin, and doesn’t let go. Drawing from the landscape and atmosphere of his home, Vodan crafts unsettling narratives grounded in uncomfortable realism rather than shock value. The River Whispers is the doorway to his interconnected universe of suspense.

Reviews

[Daphne Felix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely scared me

This is my first time reading a book like this. I got the Gothic creepy vibes from this book and I felt all the emotions. I was angry and devastated but it was a great read. I've always been the type of reader that if a book can make me feel then it was a great book! P.S. why would you do this to me.......! 😂

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably going to get hate for this, but I really didn’t like it. Found the writing very novice like, it’s also very repetitive in the sense that I was reading the same sentences or versions of the same sentence pages apart. I read a lot of creepy and this just didn’t do it for me, it was quite a chore to read and by the end I was just bored of it and waiting for it to end.

[Victoria S · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a gripping, edge of your seat read that hooks you from the first page to the last, this book deserves a top spot on your tbr!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book with its twists and turns, never knowing what was around the bend. At times I wanted to yell at the characters to keep them from making bad decisions and sometimes I just wanted to yell at them. Beth absolutely got under my skin — I didn't like her one bit, and I'm pretty sure that was the point. The story is written well and makes you feel each emotion. I even cried. A dark, haunting read that lingers long after you finish.

[Kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! Every time I thought I had it figured out it threw me another twist!