What do you think?
Rate this book
Wendigo Whispers
Terror and madness wait to strike...
Eager to start fresh, Leigh accepts a teaching job in the remote northern community of Spruce Bay. The fading mining community is rife with abandoned homes that breed a class of listless alcoholics and violent gangs. Resentment and hopelessness fill the cold air. Nevertheless, Leigh loves the town and the kids in her classes.
Just as she begins believing everything will work out, she has a second psychotic break from reality. And another teacher is murdered ... that same night.
Leigh remembers harsh, evil whispers and an ax. Nothing more.
As the body count rises, Leigh and her husband become the last line of defence against an evil force that wants to destroy the town.
Ten percent of all profit goes to indigenous culture and language programs.
375 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2017
14 people want to read
About the author
Alex McGilvery
56 books33 followersAlex has been a fanatic reader and writer for decades. He now has three series on the go - thrillers, fantasy, and steampunk.
Sign up for my monthly newsletter featuring stories, reviews, tips and more.
http://eepurl.com/bEh69f
Newest Release:
The World Widens and The Fury Unleashed, the final two books of the Belandria Tarot will be available in August.
Tranquille Dark
Space Pug
Available now.
http://alexmcgilvery.com
www.celticfrogpublishing.com
http://celticfrogediting.com
Sign up for my monthly newsletter featuring stories, reviews, tips and more.
http://eepurl.com/bEh69f
Newest Release:
The World Widens and The Fury Unleashed, the final two books of the Belandria Tarot will be available in August.
Tranquille Dark
Space Pug
Available now.
http://alexmcgilvery.com
www.celticfrogpublishing.com
http://celticfrogediting.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 30, 2017
Not the easiest of subjects to make entertaining- mental illness- but Alex McGilvery does just that. An impeccably crafted story that weaves in the Wendigo Native American folktales, a murder, and Leigh's mental illness. Part crime, part paranormal the author tells a fascinating story that keeps the pages turning.
July 13, 2017
Leigh and her husband move to a new town, Spruce Bay, after she has suffered a psychotic illness which her medication now controls. The town is on its uppers, with a defunct mining industry, a demoralised Cree population and out of work whites. Leigh, a primary school teacher, and her husband Jim, a police officer, arrive to find there’s a dark fear in the town.
I leapt at the chance to review this book because I already knew a little about the wendigo from Algonquin folk tales. Alex McGilvery explores the theme as it applies to an individual and to a town with a terrifying and believable tale. The story also explores a decaying community and the ways in which their self-belief can be bolstered. Without being preachy, it sounds a note of hope. A really gripping and exciting story.
I leapt at the chance to review this book because I already knew a little about the wendigo from Algonquin folk tales. Alex McGilvery explores the theme as it applies to an individual and to a town with a terrifying and believable tale. The story also explores a decaying community and the ways in which their self-belief can be bolstered. Without being preachy, it sounds a note of hope. A really gripping and exciting story.
July 27, 2017
A really good book.
Containing links to folk tales, along with life patterns, and a tale that takes off from the start.
Mental health problems, tackling them and those challenges. All tackled well, I thought.
Well worth a read.
Containing links to folk tales, along with life patterns, and a tale that takes off from the start.
Mental health problems, tackling them and those challenges. All tackled well, I thought.
Well worth a read.
January 13, 2020
Leigh Dalrymple hears voices in her head. The novel WENDIGO WHISPERS begins by describing them: "The voices in her head wouldn't have been nearly so bad if they just made sense. A discordant children's chorus instead of words, sometimes they were barely audible and other times they drowned out even her own thoughts."
A doctor prescribes a powerful cocktail of drugs that keep Leigh's voices away and help her cope with her life as a teacher. When she and her husband move to the fictional town of Spruce Bay in northern Manitoba, Leigh falls in love with her class of grade threes. They're a lively, imaginative group of "white, Cree and others." They love her and she does well with them.
But social issues plague Spruce Bay. In the words of the novel, " There are a lot of lost and hopeless people in the town." Some seek solace in alcohol or drugs; some shirk their responsibilities as parents. As a result, "feral" (wild) children roam the streets, many suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome and/or the effects of having drug-addicted parents.
Along with her police-officer husband, Leigh works hard to help children and their parents, and "make hope real again." But when somebody steals Leigh's medication, the voices rush back into her head, and life spirals out of control. A Cree grandmother says there's a "dark spirit" inside Leigh. The grandmother, or kohkom, seeks to counteract it with traditional Cree remedies and spirituality. Between the grandmother's ministrations and a (delayed) renewal of Leigh's prescription, her mental state improves.
However, external forces are out to get Leigh. Powerful people in the community—people in positions of trust, who should know and do better—exploit feral children. They get the children to do their dirty work for them because the kids are too young to be charged with criminal offences. There's big money to be made, especially in the drug trade. The most nefarious of these unscrupulous characters says of Leigh, "This is the bitch that caused all our problems, making people care. Offering hope to the poor children."
I'll leave you as a reader discover how the conflict plays out. It's a rough ride but I think the story will keep you interested, thinking, and caring. The novel is well-plotted and fast-paced with strong characterization and flashes of wry humour. I would have liked to see references to Christian and maybe other religious influences, which would probably exist in a community like Spruce Bay. Also, the novel could have used more proofreading, but otherwise I give WENDIGO WHISPERS and its author high marks. The book is the first in the Spruce Bay series. The other two are CRY OF THE WHITE MOOSE and DISPUTED ROCK. They're all available on Amazon, or from https://books2read.com/ap/x2o0ZR/Alex..., or from the author, Alex McGilvery at celticfrog@live.com .
A doctor prescribes a powerful cocktail of drugs that keep Leigh's voices away and help her cope with her life as a teacher. When she and her husband move to the fictional town of Spruce Bay in northern Manitoba, Leigh falls in love with her class of grade threes. They're a lively, imaginative group of "white, Cree and others." They love her and she does well with them.
But social issues plague Spruce Bay. In the words of the novel, " There are a lot of lost and hopeless people in the town." Some seek solace in alcohol or drugs; some shirk their responsibilities as parents. As a result, "feral" (wild) children roam the streets, many suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome and/or the effects of having drug-addicted parents.
Along with her police-officer husband, Leigh works hard to help children and their parents, and "make hope real again." But when somebody steals Leigh's medication, the voices rush back into her head, and life spirals out of control. A Cree grandmother says there's a "dark spirit" inside Leigh. The grandmother, or kohkom, seeks to counteract it with traditional Cree remedies and spirituality. Between the grandmother's ministrations and a (delayed) renewal of Leigh's prescription, her mental state improves.
However, external forces are out to get Leigh. Powerful people in the community—people in positions of trust, who should know and do better—exploit feral children. They get the children to do their dirty work for them because the kids are too young to be charged with criminal offences. There's big money to be made, especially in the drug trade. The most nefarious of these unscrupulous characters says of Leigh, "This is the bitch that caused all our problems, making people care. Offering hope to the poor children."
I'll leave you as a reader discover how the conflict plays out. It's a rough ride but I think the story will keep you interested, thinking, and caring. The novel is well-plotted and fast-paced with strong characterization and flashes of wry humour. I would have liked to see references to Christian and maybe other religious influences, which would probably exist in a community like Spruce Bay. Also, the novel could have used more proofreading, but otherwise I give WENDIGO WHISPERS and its author high marks. The book is the first in the Spruce Bay series. The other two are CRY OF THE WHITE MOOSE and DISPUTED ROCK. They're all available on Amazon, or from https://books2read.com/ap/x2o0ZR/Alex..., or from the author, Alex McGilvery at celticfrog@live.com .
July 30, 2017
Wendigo Whispers by Alex McGilvery.
Terror and madness wait to strike …
Eager to start fresh, Leigh accepts a teaching job in the remote northern community of Spruce Bay. The fading mining community is rife with abandoned homes that breed a class of listless alcoholics and violent gangs. Resentment and hopelessness fill the cold air. Nevertheless, Leigh loves the town and the kids in her classes.Just as she begins believing everything will work out, she has a second psychotic break from reality. And another teacher is murdered ... that same night.Leigh remembers harsh, evil whispers and an ax. Nothing more.As the body count rises, Leigh and her husband become the last line of defense against an evil force that wants to destroy the town.
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. I loved how the kids liked leigh from the start. I liked Kohkom. I had to keep reading this as I wanted to know who was behind everything that was happening to leigh and Jim. Mr. Ryckle I didn’t like him to begin with. But he grew on me. I loved the ending. This is a dark and gripping read. Highly recommended. 5*. Tbc on fb.
Terror and madness wait to strike …
Eager to start fresh, Leigh accepts a teaching job in the remote northern community of Spruce Bay. The fading mining community is rife with abandoned homes that breed a class of listless alcoholics and violent gangs. Resentment and hopelessness fill the cold air. Nevertheless, Leigh loves the town and the kids in her classes.Just as she begins believing everything will work out, she has a second psychotic break from reality. And another teacher is murdered ... that same night.Leigh remembers harsh, evil whispers and an ax. Nothing more.As the body count rises, Leigh and her husband become the last line of defense against an evil force that wants to destroy the town.
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. I loved how the kids liked leigh from the start. I liked Kohkom. I had to keep reading this as I wanted to know who was behind everything that was happening to leigh and Jim. Mr. Ryckle I didn’t like him to begin with. But he grew on me. I loved the ending. This is a dark and gripping read. Highly recommended. 5*. Tbc on fb.
July 14, 2017
Terror and madness wait to strike …
Eager to start fresh, Leigh accepts a teaching job in the remote northern community of Spruce Bay. The fading mining community is rife with abandoned homes that breed a class of listless alcoholics and violent gangs. Resentment and hopelessness fill the cold air. Nevertheless, Leigh loves the town and the kids in her classes.
Just as she begins believing everything will work out, she has a second psychotic break from reality. And another teacher is murdered ... that same night.
Leigh remembers harsh, evil whispers and an ax. Nothing more.
As the body count rises, Leigh and her husband become the last line of defence against an evil force that wants to destroy the town.
I have never read any of Alex McGilvery’s books before so didn’t know what to expect.
The tension starts right at the beginning of the book and gradually increases. While I was reading I thought I know what’s going to happen next. Wrong! No spoilers, but I really enjoyed this book. 4*
Eager to start fresh, Leigh accepts a teaching job in the remote northern community of Spruce Bay. The fading mining community is rife with abandoned homes that breed a class of listless alcoholics and violent gangs. Resentment and hopelessness fill the cold air. Nevertheless, Leigh loves the town and the kids in her classes.
Just as she begins believing everything will work out, she has a second psychotic break from reality. And another teacher is murdered ... that same night.
Leigh remembers harsh, evil whispers and an ax. Nothing more.
As the body count rises, Leigh and her husband become the last line of defence against an evil force that wants to destroy the town.
I have never read any of Alex McGilvery’s books before so didn’t know what to expect.
The tension starts right at the beginning of the book and gradually increases. While I was reading I thought I know what’s going to happen next. Wrong! No spoilers, but I really enjoyed this book. 4*
August 7, 2017
A hauntingly remarkable story of a woman trapped in her own mind, attempting to over come her darkest adversary, the self.
When Leigh moves to a small rural town outside of Winnipeg with her husband, she wants nothing more than to get away from her past, start over and make her head feel right once again. Consuming the proper amount of medication is paramount. The cold desolate town of Spruce Bay at first seems strange and reliable for a new start at first, but slowly, Leigh begins to realize something isn't quite right with it. The people, the neighbors, the students; none of them seem right. The voices begin to return, but this time, its not just affecting her. A dark force is penetrating the town and Leigh does everything in her power to fight against it by conventional means.
The story is full of Cree culture, giving the reader a great sense of the old ways in Spruce Bay before the days of the modern world take over. Many unique characters come to life ranging from adults to children, and the surprising reveal at the end will leave you satisfied and complete.
There is no doubt McGilvery possess talent. He has written an excellent crime thriller novel that keeps you guessing throughout the entire story. Although a bit lengthy and full of typos, the integrity of the story remains true. As a reader, you want to find out what happens at the end. Four out of five stars.
- Review by F. D. Gross
November 10, 2019
Canadian author and publisher!
A thrilling novel that treats mental illness, addiction, and indigenous issues with respect and compassion, while keeping up a great plot and engaging writing. Leigh Dalrymple is starting a new job at a new school, having taken an extended leave of absence following a psychotic break. She and her husband have moved to Spruce Bay, Manitoba, in the hopes that the new and smaller environment will be conducive to maintaining her improved mental state. At first she clashes with the principal and hostile neighbours. Things take a darker turn when her medication is stolen and her house targeted for vandalism. Then she's attacked. It becomes clear that the town is besieged by a dark power, although what its goal could be isn't clear. Leigh is in a fight not just for her own life, but the lives of her fellow citizens. Failure will see them all consumed by the Wendigo. I enjoyed the heck out of this story and I am excited to read the rest of the trilogy, so look for those reviews in the (nearish) future! I'm giving this book content warnings for murder, arson, drug use/addiction and alcoholism, as well as children involved in violence, so anyone sensitive to those subjects should proceed with caution.
A thrilling novel that treats mental illness, addiction, and indigenous issues with respect and compassion, while keeping up a great plot and engaging writing. Leigh Dalrymple is starting a new job at a new school, having taken an extended leave of absence following a psychotic break. She and her husband have moved to Spruce Bay, Manitoba, in the hopes that the new and smaller environment will be conducive to maintaining her improved mental state. At first she clashes with the principal and hostile neighbours. Things take a darker turn when her medication is stolen and her house targeted for vandalism. Then she's attacked. It becomes clear that the town is besieged by a dark power, although what its goal could be isn't clear. Leigh is in a fight not just for her own life, but the lives of her fellow citizens. Failure will see them all consumed by the Wendigo. I enjoyed the heck out of this story and I am excited to read the rest of the trilogy, so look for those reviews in the (nearish) future! I'm giving this book content warnings for murder, arson, drug use/addiction and alcoholism, as well as children involved in violence, so anyone sensitive to those subjects should proceed with caution.
July 30, 2017
4.5 Stars
This is a multi-genre tale, but one that is extremely well put together. As much psychological thriller as it is supernatural thriller, it’s hard to say which dimension of the book is more haunting. The author’s command of period, his sense of place in a small mining town in Manitoba, are so vivid that this could just as easily pass for historical fiction. I found myself getting swept along, forgetting what genre or genres I was in entirely, because of how alive the characters felt to me and how easy it was to empathize with them, which I guess, in the final analysis, makes this one mostly literary fiction, as it transcends the boundaries it set for itself.
This is a multi-genre tale, but one that is extremely well put together. As much psychological thriller as it is supernatural thriller, it’s hard to say which dimension of the book is more haunting. The author’s command of period, his sense of place in a small mining town in Manitoba, are so vivid that this could just as easily pass for historical fiction. I found myself getting swept along, forgetting what genre or genres I was in entirely, because of how alive the characters felt to me and how easy it was to empathize with them, which I guess, in the final analysis, makes this one mostly literary fiction, as it transcends the boundaries it set for itself.
August 11, 2017
Excellent! I bought the ebook out of curiosity as I grew up in the north - but I find the story caught me and the characters were very engaging. I will be checking out the authors other works based on his writing in this novel. I very much enjoyed this book and the interplay of different cultures and beliefs.
January 8, 2021
Plot is pretty good, but there’s definitely some overly-convenient events that make it all a little too tidy at the end.
Worst part - Many, many, many typos and punctuation errors. Really distracting from the story itself.
Worst part - Many, many, many typos and punctuation errors. Really distracting from the story itself.
August 11, 2018
I read the second book in this series and had to read this next. I was so glad that I did. The story is fresh and I particularly enjoyed the adept handling of mental health and cultural issues.
August 30, 2019
I read this in a single night, I could not put it down. It was a high stakes mystery/thriller with a hint of supernatural elements. The pacing was good, the characters were great.
March 13, 2022
Really enjoyable small-town mystery set in northern Manitoba.
Read
August 10, 2018I found this author via a free-ebook site (I don't recall which one now). I had answered a request for beta readers; unfortunately, my expectations were not those of a beta reader, and I had problems reading it due to things like sentence structure and punctuation. (My years as a volunteer proofreader were getting in the way :D ) When I saw the second one of this series on kindle for cheap, I picked up both of them.
My persistent feeling, through this book, was that it was a YA story. There was also an unfinished feel to it, tho I can't pinpoint it more than that.
Running through it are themes of mental health, poverty, first nation poverty, different learning styles, men showing emotion and wanting to be good fathers... Not quite ticking off items on a list, but I feel it would have been a complete enough book without the mental health aspect.
I'm not sure I'll read the second book.
My persistent feeling, through this book, was that it was a YA story. There was also an unfinished feel to it, tho I can't pinpoint it more than that.
Running through it are themes of mental health, poverty, first nation poverty, different learning styles, men showing emotion and wanting to be good fathers... Not quite ticking off items on a list, but I feel it would have been a complete enough book without the mental health aspect.
I'm not sure I'll read the second book.
March 24, 2020
Good story, but the book was poorly edited - lots of typos & grammatical errors...
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews