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The Whisper Man

Alex North (Goodreads Author)

4.05 · Rating details · 80,394 ratings · 10,479 reviews

If you leave a door half-open, soon you'll hear the whispers spoken...

Still devastated after the loss of his wife, Tom Kennedy and his young son Jake move to the sleepy village of Featherbank, looking for a fresh start.

But Featherbank has a dark past. Fifteen years ago a twisted serial killer abducted and murdered five young boys. Until he was finally caught, the kille

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Kindle Edition, 386 pages

Published June 13th 2019 by Penguin

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Jun 04, 2019 Miranda Reads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: received-to-review

I have read my way through 315 books to bring you my Top 10 Books of the Year (video) .

Now you know that this one made the cut, check out my video review to see the others!

It's not going to be easy, and I need to start with an apology. Because over the years I've told you many times that there's no such thing as monsters.
I'm sorry that I lied.

Tom arrives at Featherbank with seven-year-old Jake in tow to escape the memories of their recently deceased wife ...more

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Jul 22, 2019 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, best-thriller, best-ones, i-m-intrigued, favorite-wtf-mindfu-k-books

Look at my photo and fake smile because there is nothing in this book makes you smile! My dog is scared so much and had nightmares because I read him some passages!!!

Five- this book turned me into creepy paranoid who is afraid of her own shadow, leave the lights on before sleeping, scream as soon as hearing any approaching footsteps inside the house, wow actually I was doing all of these before, but it’s still good to point a finger to something as a reason of my awkward behaviors- stars!!!!

As ...more

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Sep 16, 2019 chai ♡ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, adult-thriller-mystery, fiction, read-in-2019, 2019-releases

3½ stars

The experience of reading this book is like falling asleep in the passenger seat of a car and startling awake with a shuddering jolt of fear, a cold window pressing hard against your cheek, a cool prickle at the base of your neck, an unfamiliar, impenetrable darkness outside—and the wrongness of it all hanging in the air like the sour clang of a bell. Where are you? Here, trapped in a book with unknowable terrors moving in subtly like dark air before a thunderstorm.

And all of them are d ...more

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May 22, 2019 Paromjit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, netgalley, crime-fiction, thriller

This is Alex North's crime debut and what a impressive debut it is. It drips with atmosphere, a disturbing story of The Whisper Man, who over 20 years ago kidnapped and murdered 5 local boys in the small town of Featherbank. Frank Carter is the Whisper Man, incarcerated in prison, reveling in his notoriety and reputation, playing mind games with 56 year old DI Pete Willis, the man who caught him. Despite the emotional cost, Pete has persevered through the years, visiting Carter in prison, in the This is Alex North's crime debut and what a impressive debut it is. It drips with atmosphere, a disturbing story of The Whisper Man, who over 20 years ago kidnapped and murdered 5 local boys in the small town of Featherbank. Frank Carter is the Whisper Man, incarcerated in prison, reveling in his notoriety and reputation, playing mind games with 56 year old DI Pete Willis, the man who caught him. Despite the emotional cost, Pete has persevered through the years, visiting Carter in prison, in the hope of a clue to where the body of victim, young Tony Smith, can be recovered so his grieving parents can at least achieve a small measure of peace. The monster that is Carter and his horrific acts, the creepy whispering outside his victim's bedrooms, have been immortalised in child lore and local nursery rhymes. Everyone thought that time of horror is over, but in the present, the troubled 6 year old youngster, Neil Spencer has gone missing. DI Amanda Beck is heading the desperate hunt to locate him, but there are eerie hints of the original Whisper Man. Did Frank Carter have a unknown accomplice or is this a copycat crime?

A grief burdened author, Tom Kennedy, is fumbling through the wreckage of his life after the devastating sudden death of his beloved wife, Rebecca. It was Rebecca that was the closest to their sensitive 7 year old son, Jake. Tom has struggled to connect with his vulnerable and creative son, a boy with imaginary friends, with an outsider status, unable to fit in with his peers at school, leaving him open to being bullied. Tom, with Jake's agreement, relocates them to Featherbank, with every hope that new beginnings are what they both need to come to terms with the loss of Rebecca and forge a new path. However, it is not that easy, for Tom finds that 'grief is a stew with a thousand ingredients, and not all of them are palatable'. His fractious relationship with Jake, whom he loves absolutely, is a tightrope with Tom hanging on in there by comforting his son that whilst they might fight and argue, his love for Jake is true. In a disturbing narrative, Tom is to find that moving house is to immerse him and Jake in the most twisted of a horror of a nightmare, one that places Jake in the gravest of dangers, where the legend of The Whisper Man grows ever stronger.

Alex North's writing is compulsive, hooking the reader immediately, with its themes of fathers and their challenging relationships with their sons, grief and loss, amidst a background of a child killer running rampant in the town. North's characterisation is stellar, as can be seen with Tom, trying so hard with Jake, making errors of judgement, slowly becoming aware of just how much Jake is like him, eventually beginning to make some inroads by getting some things right with his son. Then there is the odious Norman Collins, a collector of macabre serial killer murderabilia, obsessed with The Whisper Man, whilst there are traits that Tom finds that he shares with DI Pete Willis. A simply fantastic read, with some surprising twists, that will appeal to so many crime fiction fans. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC. ...more

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May 28, 2019 megs_bookrack rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-read

**4.5-stars rounded up**

This is EXACTLY how I like my Police Procedurals, with extra chills and thrills.

Well done, Alex North. You've got a fan in me!

After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes he and his young son, Jake, need a fresh start. A new place will provide a space where they both can heal.

With that in mind, he purchases a home and moves them to the small town of Featherbank. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Tom, the town has a sordid and frightening past that may not be so p ...more

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Jul 22, 2019 Chelsea Humphrey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bookstagram-made-me-do-it, from-publisher, netgalley

BOTM AUGUST PICK!

The Whisper Man is one of those reads that I didn't even slow down to take notes or mark quotes for my review; I blew through at record speed, finishing this one within a single sitting. I couldn't put it down until I had every last detail of the case solved! I'll be honest, based on the synopsis I was bracing myself for a Silence of the Lambs wannabe: a devilishly charismatic serial killer sitting in prison who will only talk to a particular detective about a case involving ano BOTM AUGUST PICK!

The Whisper Man is one of those reads that I didn't even slow down to take notes or mark quotes for my review; I blew through at record speed, finishing this one within a single sitting. I couldn't put it down until I had every last detail of the case solved! I'll be honest, based on the synopsis I was bracing myself for a Silence of the Lambs wannabe: a devilishly charismatic serial killer sitting in prison who will only talk to a particular detective about a case involving another serial killer sounds all too familiar, but please believe me when I tell you that this is where the similarities end and the unique aspects of the plot begin. Also, I know that this appears on the surface to be another run-of-the-mill police procedural, but it is so much more than that. Gather round, friends, and let's chat about this stunning debut for a moment.

There are a lot of individual threads running loose throughout the course of the story, but the good news is that most of them converge towards the end of the novel, which makes for some satisfying twists and emotional reunions. I'm going to tiptoe around specifics, because there's a delicate balance of reeling you in and not giving anything away when it comes to this terrifying tale, and I'd hate to be the one to ruin your experience with The Whisper Man. This is a story about the abductions and murders of many children, for sure, but it's so much deeper than that. We also have an exposition on grief, from multiple characters on many levels, and how that grief can affect our daily actions, our thought process, and how we connect with those who need us most. It's also an alert to how our actions have a ripple affect to those around us, and can alter the course of our local history.

I think I'll leave the summing up there, but I do feel it worth mentioning that, although I guessed the who was behind the second batch of murders, there were many twists I didn't see coming sprinkled throughout the book, and this was way more satisfying than one big twist at the end that ultimately ends up being a Hail Mary. I'm so pleased to see that the Russo brothers are adapting this for film, as I think they'll give this story the proper attention it deserves in making the film more than just a gory tale. Highly recommended to readers who don't mind graphic violence and are looking for that next thriller that they won't be able to put down.

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy. ...more

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Aug 06, 2019 Will Byrnes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, paranormal, horror, mystery-and-spy-fiction, thriller

If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken.
If you play outside alone, soon you won’t be going home.
If your window’s left unlatched, you’ll hear him tapping at the glass.
If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.

========================================

…over the years I’ve told you many times that there’s no such thing as monsters.
I’m sorry that I lied.

Author - Your guess is as good as mine – Alex North is a nom de plume - image from D ...more

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Jun 10, 2019 Maureen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

The Whisper Man is Alex North’s debut thriller, and what an absolutely riveting read it is!

It’s some twenty years since Frank Carter began a life sentence for the abduction and murder of five little boys. Carter had earned himself the nickname ‘The Whisper Man’ after his sinister method of whispering at the doors and windows of his victims in order to lure them outside. Now though, another little boy has gone missing in similar circumstances, and the peaceful village of Featherbank is once again The Whisper Man is Alex North’s debut thriller, and what an absolutely riveting read it is!

It’s some twenty years since Frank Carter began a life sentence for the abduction and murder of five little boys. Carter had earned himself the nickname ‘The Whisper Man’ after his sinister method of whispering at the doors and windows of his victims in order to lure them outside. Now though, another little boy has gone missing in similar circumstances, and the peaceful village of Featherbank is once again fearful of what the outcome may be.

Tom Kennedy and his young son Jake are still drowning in grief a year after the death of Tom’s beloved wife Rebecca, but Tom is hoping that a move to the sleepy little village of Featherbank will help them start a new chapter in life. The new house isn’t really what Tom would have chosen, it’s a creepy run down old house but when Jake saw it he wouldn’t look at anything else, he loved it on sight and Tom wanted so much for Jake to be happy. He was having a problem communicating with his son, (Rebecca was always the one that Jake turned to) and he hoped that this move would help bring them closer together.

DI Amanda Beck heads the new investigation into the missing boy, but DI Pete Willis ( the investigator in the original Whisper Man case) is also brought in to help. It’s always been thought that Carter may have had an accomplice and Willis’s intimate knowledge of the original case could be crucial.

Told from the POV of Tom, Jake, DI Amanda Beck, and DI Pete Willis, this is a deftly crafted and compelling thriller, where the author has grasped the importance of pace, (and that), combined with a narrative that wastes not a single word, each word being designed to hook you into the next, ensures that it’s a winner.

‘The Whisper Man’ is most certainly a best seller in waiting, and Alex North should be justifiably proud!

*Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange * ...more

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Sep 25, 2019 Mary Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Five Creepy Spooky Stars

'If you leave a door half open, you'll hear the whisper spoken.
If you play outside alone soon you won 't be going home.
If your Windows left unlatched, you'll hear him tapping at the glass.
If your lonely, sad, and blue, the whisper man will come for you.

Tom Kennedy has just lost his wife and he and his seven year old son, Jake move to Featherbank.

Unfortunately there is a serial killer that is preying on this small town and an investigation is going on.

Twenty years ago ...more

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Jun 11, 2019 Felicia rated it liked it · review of another edition

If this book had a Tinder profile it would read something like this:

Cliché troubled detective haunted by previous case seeks unknown creepy boogeyman. Must have Daddy issues and enjoy torturing small children.

------------------------------

Although I enjoyed this quick read, there's really nothing novel going on here. It's pretty tame compared to similar books in this genre. I was left wanting more. More darkness, more tension, more backstory.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an h ...more

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Jul 17, 2019 Debra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

4.5 stars

Shh can you hear that?

Tom Kennedy is looking to make a new start. His wife died and he and his son, Jack, have moved into a new home in a new town in hopes of doing just that. Tom is not aware that twenty years ago, in their new town, a serial killer nicknamed the "Whisper Man" lured young boys away from the safety of their homes by whispering into their windows at night. He just wants to start over and protect his son, who is a creative child who frequently talks to his imaginary frien 4.5 stars

Shh can you hear that?

Tom Kennedy is looking to make a new start. His wife died and he and his son, Jack, have moved into a new home in a new town in hopes of doing just that. Tom is not aware that twenty years ago, in their new town, a serial killer nicknamed the "Whisper Man" lured young boys away from the safety of their homes by whispering into their windows at night. He just wants to start over and protect his son, who is a creative child who frequently talks to his imaginary friend. An imaginary friend who knows a riddle, one that serves as a warning about the whisper man.

Prior to their move, a local boy, Neil Spencer, went missing reigniting old fears and rumors as this boy's case resembled the missing boys’ cases from twenty years ago. Did the Whisper Man work alone all those years ago? Is there a copy cat killer out there? Are the crimes even related? DI Amanda Beck is the lead on the case but must rely on DI Pete Willis to help as he arrested the Whisper Man twenty years ago. His knowledge may prove crucial if these cases are related. Police detective Pete Willis visits the Whisper Man (Frank Carter) in prison in hopes of finding out some information. Frank Carter enjoys his notoriety almost as much as he enjoys taunting DI Willis. The body of one of his victims has never been found and that case has always haunted DI Willis. Is he too close to this or does he have what it takes to solve the case?

I seriously loved this book. It was creepy and captivating at the same time. It sucked me in, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Alex North has himself a winner here. This one lures the reader in right away. He has also created interesting and likable characters. Pete is dealing with his own personal issues while trying his best to be a good detective. Tom and Jack are likable characters who recently experienced a loss. This pulls on the readers heartstrings right away and helps create tension when strange things begin to happen. This book evokes emotion! Yes, this book is creepy and eerie, but it is also a book about relationships. Relationships between fathers and sons. The relationship between a Detective and the serial killer he helped put behind bars. There is an incredible human element here. When you have characters you care about, you don't want anything bad to happen to them, then when it looks as if they may be in danger... your heart begins pounding, and you begin to wonder what is going to happen next!

Phew! Another plus is that this book is not gory or graphic. Losing a child is every parent’s worst fear and we are told it happens, but we are not shown anything graphic. North was able to create chilling tension without having any horrific scenes. This book is told in various POV's which really worked move the plot along. Another nice addition were the twists and turns along the way. Little reveals leading up to the end. This made the book move at just the right pace for this reader. Nothing felt rushed. The pace along with the plot kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more.

Captivating book that focuses on the people and the crime. Although there is an investigation to find the kidnapper/killer, I would not call this a police procedural book. Again, the focus is on the characters.

This was a thoroughly engrossing and chilling book which was inspired by the author’s own son who told him he was playing with “the boy in the floor”.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own. ...more

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Jan 25, 2020 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: gr_awards_2019, audio, library, 2020, suspense, mystery

A little bit of Silence of the Lambs

A little bit of The Shining

A very good thriller.

I will say that for me it was not mind-blowing or anything like that, but I still enjoyed it. For those who enjoy suspense/mystery novels, I don't think you can go wrong giving this one a shot.

I have seen a few people indicate they are nervous to start this one because they feel it will be too scary. I personally didn't find it to be all that scary. There were certainly a few chilling events within the plot, but ...more

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Aug 08, 2019 Peter rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, crime, favorites, thriller

Stalking
Alex North’s debut, The Whisper Man is an outstanding thriller and one of the best crime novels I’ve read this year. In tones similar to Stephen King, he ramps up compelling suspense with tantalising supernatural possibilities.

Alex North structured his novel in a way that is extremely appealing to me, where one character narrates in the first person and the other threads are provided in the third person. This tends to create an opportunity for great story-telling with a personal view to Stalking
Alex North’s debut, The Whisper Man is an outstanding thriller and one of the best crime novels I’ve read this year. In tones similar to Stephen King, he ramps up compelling suspense with tantalising supernatural possibilities.

Alex North structured his novel in a way that is extremely appealing to me, where one character narrates in the first person and the other threads are provided in the third person. This tends to create an opportunity for great story-telling with a personal view to draw you into a particular character. Tom Kennedy is an author and is finding life difficult as he is still reeling from the death of his wife. His young son, Jake, is worryingly detached from other people, every conversation he tries to have with Jake, every attempt to understand his son’s feelings, or express his own pain and loneliness, just get inadvertently twisted to compound the problem. The jarring recognition that the harder you try, the more frustrated you get, and the further away from normality you slip. In an attempt to make a fresh start away from the sad, heart-breaking and irrepressible memories, Tom and Jake move home to the town of Featherbank.

Jake, however, remains in his own bubble, an outsider, and is often seen talking openly to his imaginary friend, even while at school. The imaginary friend has uncanny premonitions when danger and confrontation loom. These are the characteristics that align with the quest of a serial killer known as The Whisper Man.

“If you leave a door half-open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken.
If you play outside alone, soon you won’t be going home.
If your window’s left unlatched, you’ll hear him tapping at the glass.
If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.”

Featherbank has a dark sinister past were twenty years ago, the Whisper Man abducted and killed five young boys. All the bodies except young Tony Smith's were found and the killer, Frank Carter, was caught by DI Pete Willis and is still serving time in prison.

Pete battles a screaming desire for alcohol and confronts psychological problems regarding the investigation into the Whisper Man. He has always felt that with the unrecovered body of Tony, and events that didn’t align in the case, that there was an accomplice. Now 20 years later DI Amanda Beck is leading an investigation into a missing boy, that has all the hallmarks of The Whisper Man. Pete is brought back into the investigation and they must consider if it's an accomplice resurfacing or a copy-cat killer, and why does Frank Carter appear to have an awareness of what is happening? All these uneasy questions and multiple surprises churn throughout this fascinating plot.

The horror is just about to get real for Tom and Jake as a devilish figure seems to be conversing in whispers with Jake to open the front door. This thriller is tense and edgy with an evil phantom that lurks in dark corners and just outside windows and doors. The Whisper Man is a totally captivating and engrossing thriller, with marvellous characterisations and deep psychological interplay. The ghost-like threat from a killer is wonderfully developed and played at a pace that maintained an impressive plot momentum.

I would highly recommend this book and I’d like to thank Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy in return for an honest review. ...more

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Sep 27, 2019 Julie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, e-book, thrillers, netgalley, suspense

The Whisper Man by Alex North is a 2019 Celadon Books publication.

Unsettling, spine-tingling, and emotionally charged thriller!

After the untimely death of his wife, Tom Kennedy feels like a fresh start in a new location, might help him and his young son, Jake, move forward from their grief and begin the healing process. But almost immediately after moving to Featherbank, a new set of problems presents themselves. Jake has trouble adjusting to his new school, just as another boy Jake’s age goes The Whisper Man by Alex North is a 2019 Celadon Books publication.

Unsettling, spine-tingling, and emotionally charged thriller!

After the untimely death of his wife, Tom Kennedy feels like a fresh start in a new location, might help him and his young son, Jake, move forward from their grief and begin the healing process. But almost immediately after moving to Featherbank, a new set of problems presents themselves. Jake has trouble adjusting to his new school, just as another boy Jake’s age goes missing. The child’s disappearance prompts concerns that another serial killer is on the loose in Featherbank- one with the same MO as the dreaded ‘Whisper Man’ who murdered five people twenty years ago. The case becomes personal for Tom and Jake when Jake begins having nightmares, claiming he can hear someone whispering to him at his window….

Meanwhile, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis are working overtime to find this missing boy before another child disappears…

I’ve been avoiding hyped up thrillers, books that everyone is reading, and mostly gushing over, because my experience with these situations has taught me a few hard lessons- mainly, don’t buy into the hype, because I’m only setting myself up for a big disappointment. But, earlier this year, another book by this same publisher became a huge sleeper hit, and although I was highly skeptical, I caved and checked the book out the library. Well, much to my surprise, the book was very good. So, when ‘The Whisper Man’ started to generate a little buzz, I decided to jump on board the already crowded train, just see if lightning might strike twice… And lo and behold, it did!!

But, to be honest, when one gets right down to the nitty and the gritty, this book is basically another thriller with a serial killer trope. However, what sets it apart from so many other cookie-cutter novels in this category, is the characterizations, and the author’s ability to explore the real psychology behind the character’s actions, without compromising the intensity of the real terror one feels while reading this book. The story is packed with strange, creepy, atmospheric vibes, promising Tom and Jake are being threatened by true evil.

While the mystery is compelling, and the atmosphere is thick and heavy, the author takes a story of horror and dread, and adds in a deeper, more complex angle- a topic that isn’t explored often enough in general fiction, much less in a thriller- the dynamics of the father-son relationship.

The story is very masculine, with the few female characters being suspect, bland, or not very nice-like Jake’s teacher, for example. I never bristled though, because the male leads are portrayed as flawed, burdened, troubled, and vulnerable, and the book never once veered off into an alpha male, testosterone driven story.

From start to finish this is a well written, intense, highly suspenseful thriller- but it is also smart and profound, ending not only with extreme, exhilarating relief, as I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding- 😉, but also on a note of redemptive satisfaction.

Overall, this is another winner for Celadon Books, but as a reader, I’m super excited about Alex North! If this is his debut novel, I wonder how much his talent will develop over time.

5 stars ...more

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May 26, 2019 Meredith ( on Semi-Hiatus until February) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If you're lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you."

4.25 stars

20 years ago, a serial killer known as “The Whisper Man” abducted and killed several young children in a small English town called Featherbank. In the present moment, a little boy has been abducted and it seems that “The Whisper Man” is back at play-- EXCEPT he is in jail. Is there a copycat on the loose or is something more sinister going on in Featherbank?

In order to make a fresh start, Tom Kennedy and his so If you're lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you."

4.25 stars

20 years ago, a serial killer known as “The Whisper Man” abducted and killed several young children in a small English town called Featherbank. In the present moment, a little boy has been abducted and it seems that “The Whisper Man” is back at play-- EXCEPT he is in jail. Is there a copycat on the loose or is something more sinister going on in Featherbank?

In order to make a fresh start, Tom Kennedy and his son Jake move to Featherbank into a house that is described as being monsterlike and ugly. Once they move in, weird things begin to happen. Jake hears voices and his imaginary friend tells him details about The Whisper Man that he shouldn’t be able to know. Tom is struggling to keep things together for his son, but at the same time worries that something isn’t quite right with his little boy.

At the same time, DI Pete Willis, the chief investigator on the original Whisper Man case, is being dragged into the new case. Still haunted by the original killer, his connection to the case goes much deeper than anyone knows.

The POV shifts from Tom, Jake, Pete, and Amanda Beck--the DI on the new case. All of their chapters are interesting and equally unreliable. Each had me constantly questioning the identity of the killer. I found Jake’s character to be the most interesting; he is one is a peculiar child and it was quite fascinating to be inside his head.

The Whisper Man is riveting from the start. The menacing tone drew me in and had me scared sh*tless (but I am a wimp) and found that I couldn’t read this late at night. There is a high level of tension--I never knew what to expect or what was going to come around the corner. There are also some good twists that I didn’t see coming.

This is a highly entertaining, well-crafted psychological thriller with many layers that all tie together, down to the chilling final sentence. I highly recommend and look forward to seeing more from Alex North in the future.

I received an ARC of The Whisper Man from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

...more

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Sep 17, 2019 David Putnam rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I know a lot of folks love this book but unfortunately, I’ll have to be a dissenting vote. The books I like/love drop me into the fictive dream and hold me there. I live the book through the character’s eyes. I think about the book when I’m away from it. The characters come alive.
In the Whisper Man this didn’t happen for me. I know I’m a harsher critic probably because I also write so please don’t take this critique to heart.
For me there are three issues with this book. First, I think the book c I know a lot of folks love this book but unfortunately, I’ll have to be a dissenting vote. The books I like/love drop me into the fictive dream and hold me there. I live the book through the character’s eyes. I think about the book when I’m away from it. The characters come alive.
In the Whisper Man this didn’t happen for me. I know I’m a harsher critic probably because I also write so please don’t take this critique to heart.
For me there are three issues with this book. First, I think the book can’t make up its mind whether it’s a thriller or a mystery and this creates some confusion. There are several definitions of both. I have been told at writer’s conferences that you cannot have a thriller without the book being in third person. This is because of jeopardy. In first person, you can’t as a reader say, “Oh, no Bruno, don’t open that door.” If Bruno can’t know there is a bad guy lurking behind the door there becomes a great missed opportunity for tension. In third person (with a pov shift) the reader can know there’s a lurker. The other definition of a thriller vs mystery is that in a thriller the reader knows what’s at stake and in a mystery the reader is reading to find out who dunit. And as far as formatting, in a mystery format (rule of thumb) there are 25 to 35 chapters with an odd number of scenes in each chapter. With a thriller format, there are 60 to 80 chapters with one scene in each chapter. The Whisper Man has the thriller format, and yet it’s a mystery structure because we don’t know the bad guy and we are reading to find out.
Back to the fictive dream. To maintain the fictive dream, you avoid speed bumps at all costs. For me, one speed bump is too many points of view. Each time there is a shift in point of view the author risks dumping the reader out of the story. In this case the first-person point of view is skillfully done (with the exception of the reminiscent voice). There are far too many additional third person points of view which makes the story jumbled and almost episodic.
An example of the reminiscent voice is in the Crisis part of the book when the father is standing at the door talking to the kidnapper. This scene should have sharp language and syntax instead here’s a quote: “But I also noted Saunders use of present tense and began doubting myself even more.” Why stop the action, the tension by using this form? The active form is: “Did Saunders just use present tense? Am I hearing things?
Here’s another one in the reminiscent voice: “I got up the step just in time to wedge my leg in. The door slammed agonizingly on the sides of my knee, but I ignored the pain and pushed against it, bracing one hand inside the jamb, and then my back against the wood heaving as hard as I could.” Here’s the active form. I leapt up two steps. Stuck my leg in the closing door. He slammed it on my knee. Bright lights of pain flashed before my eyes.
All of the above ruined the story for me and dispelled the fictive dream.
Anyway on to the next book in search of that ever elusive fictive dream.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
...more

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Sep 12, 2019 Dorie - Cats&Books :) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-netgalley-challenge, book-from-publisher, mystery-thriller, traveling-friends-read

**ONE OF MY TOP MYSTERIES OF 2019, THE AUTHOR HAS A NEW BOOK PUBLISHING IN JULY 2020 CALLED "THE SHADOWS" :) **

Tom Kennedy is looking for a fresh start for himself and his son Jake. His wife died the past year and they have been having a tough time adjusting to her being gone and grieving, both together and each on their own.

He finds a house that is affordable in a small town that looks as though it would be safe, with a country feel and a well respected school. As soon as they move in, however **ONE OF MY TOP MYSTERIES OF 2019, THE AUTHOR HAS A NEW BOOK PUBLISHING IN JULY 2020 CALLED "THE SHADOWS" :) **

Tom Kennedy is looking for a fresh start for himself and his son Jake. His wife died the past year and they have been having a tough time adjusting to her being gone and grieving, both together and each on their own.

He finds a house that is affordable in a small town that looks as though it would be safe, with a country feel and a well respected school. As soon as they move in, however, Tom begins to have second feelings about his decision. His son starts talking to his “imaginary” friend even more and at one time he speaks in a man’s voice.

Because there is a missing child, the police department including detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis are working tirelessly to find the child. The abduction has an “unnerving resemblance” to serial killings 20 years ago by Frank Carter, who is now in prison.

Tom finds a strange man creeping around his garage but then the man comes to the door and introduces himself as someone who used to live there. Tom doesn’t believe it and starts to investigate the garage, what he finds will begin to entangle him in the current investigation into the missing boy.

I did enjoy this read although for some reason it really creeped me out right from the beginning, it's probably because it had to do with children and I sometimes have problems with that.

However, this novel did not resort to continuous gruesome images, most of the details of what Frank had done to the little boys had been left to our imagination. which is a good way to keep up the suspense, I think. The readers can probably conjure up worse imagines than the author could write.

I also liked that he had very short chapters, and different POV, I think this added to the tension. Just when you were getting to something important, switch, it was back to the other thread of the story.

The book flowed well, kept my interest and I finished it in two sittings. I thought the character development was great, Jake and Tom, Pete and Amanda, all of these characters were well developed and I found them interesting.

Frank Carter was one of the scariest, most vile characters that I have come across in literature! Towards the end we find out that though he has admitted to the killings he still has a secret that no one knows and he loves to gloat about it.

Francis, whom you will meet later in the book, is almost a split personality, not clinically but he did a good job at hiding behind his false face. He is able to disguise his true self so completely that no one thought about him. I will leave you to discover who he is and what he knows.

This is a good thriller, well written with great characters and lots of human emotion with particular attention to father-son relationships.

This was a Traveling Friends read and I was provided with a free ARC from the publisher. ...more

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Aug 14, 2019 Holly B rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: disturbing-content, had-to-finish, psychological-thriller, read-in-2019

Creepy vibes with a bit of local folklore.

This book was much more than I expected (in a good way). Stellar writing and plotting with a darkness that slowly creeps its way into the heart of the tale.

Tom is a doting father and after the untimely death of his wife, he wants a new start with his son, Jake. Couldn't a new town bring a new beginning? They both need to heal. He chooses the town of Featherbank. It sounds so comforting and warm. How could he have known?

The house is old. It has a ...more

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Aug 21, 2019 Beata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Now, this was quite a ride! I listened to the audiobook late at night and finished this morning, and I must say the reader did a grand job! I was scared! And I'm not that easily scared by a thriller.
There are so many thrillers with the theme of child abduction or murder, but Mr North added his own original voice to the genre.
What did I like? Different points of view, and very well constructed character of Jake. His vulnerabilty made me want to jump into the novel and help and protect him. The at ...more

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Oct 02, 2019 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was SO eerie and creepy. The ending was a little anticlimactic, but as a whole I still really enjoyed this and was mega squigged out the entire time.

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Aug 08, 2019 Kaceey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-read, netgalley

You might want to keep the lights on and the doors locked while reading this one!😳

Tom and his son Jake are looking to make a fresh start after the death of Toms’ wife.
And hopefully, Jake can finally find a place where he’ll fit in. After all, Jake he is not your typical, everyday boy. He has imaginary friends. One that he can be heard talking to at times.

But will a new town and a new school be enough to heal both of them?
Only, this town has a dark history of a serial killer targeting young boys ...more

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Sep 30, 2020 Farrah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I absolutely LOVE the way Alex North thinks outside the box and mixes multiple genres into one book! He has a very original style and I dig it.

5 ⭐!! for
- the creepy horror elements
- the slowly unraveling mystery
- the heartful characters
- the genuine writing
- the suspense I felt over what fresh hell I would find on the next page

2⭐ for the sloppy police procedural elements.
How can a convicted murderer refuse to allow the police to question him for two months? Then when the prisoner finally agree ...more

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Jul 06, 2019 Liz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paper-arc, bestof-2019

Five big Stars!

If you like your psychological thrillers with a big creep factor, this one’s for you! Told from multiple POVs, including two DIs, we witness the manhunt for a child abductor and killer. But we also have a father and son that have recently moved into what might be a haunted house. And then there’s the son, who reminds me of the boy in The Sixth Sense. Despite the back and forth between all the characters’ POVs, I never found this confusing.

Kudos to North for some wonderful writing ...more

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Apr 07, 2020 emma rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller-horror-etc, unpopular-opinion, nope, reviewed, dark, non-ya, 1-star

I expected to be SPOOKED. I was ready to be SCARED. I prepared myself for the FRIGHT of a LIFETIME.

And instead I got...this. I was handed hundreds of pages’ worth of filler and some seriously mixed messages about the cycle of abuse and sent on my merry way.

It’s never a good sign when you start a thriller and you’re like “huh I wonder when this will get interesting,” and then you hit the halfway point and you’re still like pondering the idea of if the plot will get started anytime soon, and then ...more

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Jul 17, 2019 MarilynW rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, traveling-sisters-read, netgalley-2019

What an enjoyable book for me. This book is about fathers and sons and what the love a father, or lack of love of a father, can do to a son. It's about fathers who never forget their failings even long after they've done all they can to change, to become the best person they can be, long after they are no longer the person they used to be. And it's about fathers who are so very good and love so very much but think they are failures and not good enough to be fathers.

I came to the book thinking t What an enjoyable book for me. This book is about fathers and sons and what the love a father, or lack of love of a father, can do to a son. It's about fathers who never forget their failings even long after they've done all they can to change, to become the best person they can be, long after they are no longer the person they used to be. And it's about fathers who are so very good and love so very much but think they are failures and not good enough to be fathers.

I came to the book thinking there was horror here and there was but it's real life horror, the kind of horror that is worse than supernatural, scary, going ons. Twenty years ago, little boys went missing and were found brutally murdered in the town of Featherbank. DI Pete, found the boys but feels like a failure because he wasn't able to find the last one that was taken. That boy's body was never found and he's haunted by the crimes and by the man who commited the crimes.

In the present, Tom and his son Jake move to Featherbank to start over again. A year ago, Tom's wife, Jake's mom, died suddenly, leaving two heartbroken souls, two people so much alike, father and son, that they can't even communicate with each other, try as they might. Seven year old Jake is quiet, precocious, sensitive, smart, and thinks his dad may not love him. Tom is hurting and sometimes angry, at the loss of his wife and at being left along to raise a boy that he thinks he can't do justice.

Tom didn't know that when they had moved to this quiet town, that another little boy had been kidnapped in the same manner as the boys of twenty years ago. The kidnapper of old was called the Whisper Man and the police realize that the boy recently kidnapped had heard whispers also. Now Jake is hearing whispers and hearing voices that tell him things that seem linked to the crimes. And Pete is being drawn back into the world of the Whisper Man since he knows so much about the earlier crimes.

I loved the way we had the story told to us from the viewpoint of multiple people and especially loved the viewpoints of Tom, Pete, and Jake. Little Jake is so serious, so grown up, so solemn, a little man in a little boy's body. This book is about people and feelings and relationships, with a very real supernatural feel that stays grounded in reality.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this ARC. ...more

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Sep 13, 2019 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

my new flat doesnt have A/C (everything in rome is ancient), so i leave the window open at night. but after reading this, that is going to change. i dont care if i roast to death in my sleep, because no way am i leaving it open anymore. this story is beyond unsettling and eerie and i loved every page of it - even if it did spook me.

what i found to be most impressive about this story, where many other mystery/thriller stories tend to fail, is the pacing. there is a nice ebb and flow between info ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: creepy-children, bea-2019-wishlist, thank-you-bea-or-ala

it turns out i did NOT have to read this book before reading The Shadows, but i’m not displeased that i tricked myself into finally reading an ARC i’ve had for nearly a year, because i was definitely in the mood for a good thriller. this is a serial killer storyline that splits its focus between police procedural and family drama, with some overlap between the two. the procedural side is helmed by pete willis, an alcoholic detective who’s sober for now, but he tests this resolve every day, haunt it turns out i did NOT have to read this book before reading The Shadows, but i’m not displeased that i tricked myself into finally reading an ARC i’ve had for nearly a year, because i was definitely in the mood for a good thriller. this is a serial killer storyline that splits its focus between police procedural and family drama, with some overlap between the two. the procedural side is helmed by pete willis, an alcoholic detective who’s sober for now, but he tests this resolve every day, haunted by his personal and professional past. twenty years ago, he put killer frank carter—a.k.a. the whisper man—behind bars, but not before he had killed at least five young boys, the body of one still unrecovered. on the family drama side, grieving widower tom kennedy and his imaginative seven-year-old son jake move to a new town where tom hopes the change of scenery will serve to bridge the emotional distance between them.

but in that new town, things only get worse—a six-year-old boy is abducted, the investigation uncovers details similar to the serial murders two decades before, jake’s imaginary friends get creepier and more insistent, and ALL WORLDS COLLIDE in a tangled n’ twisty mass of crime fiction and psychological suspense with a drizzling of the supernatural on top.

there's a The Silence of the Lambs vibe to it, and it hit all the right notes for me at this time— fast-paced but not superficial, unpredictable despite my figuring out the who before i was supposed to, with frequent POV-shifts ensuring that the story was rippling out in several directions at once, escalating tension and dripping creepy sauce everywhere.

not too bad for an "accidental" read!!
and now i can go read The Shadows.

***************************************

this situation is The Forever Ship all over again: i entered to win a book that was part of a series i hadn't read the first book of and now i gotta read this one before i can read The Shadows, and it's by no means a hardship or a complaint but a moment of "you're such a dummy, karen." and now i remember that i read The Fire Sermon AND The Map of Bones in order to read The Forever Ship, and then i never got around to it. i am the worst at everything. good day.

come to my blog! ...more

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Jul 14, 2019 Susanne Strong rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-read, netgalley

4.25 Stars* (rounded down).

Creeptastic!

You know that feeling when the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end? When the air feels dark and ominous and your breath catches in your throat and it feels tight and you can’t breathe?

Imagine hearing about The Whisper Man..

If you leave a window open, soon you'll hear the whispers spoken.
If you play outside alone, soon you won't be going home...
If you're lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.

It’s just a little tale that all of the ...more

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Sep 14, 2019 Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Well wow! I can tell you I am not alone with my love for this book! This book has gotten a ton of hype and it deserves it all. This year there have been so many fantastic thrillers out there that it is hard to pick which are my favorites. Just know this one is definitely making my best of 2019 for sure!

LOCK YOUR DOORS, LOCK YOUR CAR, TUCK YOUR KIDS IN..... Then go check on them multiple times during the night. Heck you might just want to sleep on the couch and position yourself near the front d Well wow! I can tell you I am not alone with my love for this book! This book has gotten a ton of hype and it deserves it all. This year there have been so many fantastic thrillers out there that it is hard to pick which are my favorites. Just know this one is definitely making my best of 2019 for sure!

LOCK YOUR DOORS, LOCK YOUR CAR, TUCK YOUR KIDS IN..... Then go check on them multiple times during the night. Heck you might just want to sleep on the couch and position yourself near the front door...just in case. The Whisper Man is no longer a "thing" right? I mean he is rotting in jail where he belongs. Yet 20 years later he seems to be making a comeback. Or someone that wants you to think he is. Is the Whisper Man pulling strings from his cell or was he never really caught?!

Wow this book has creepy written all over it. I loved this book from the front cover until the very last page. So many creepy fine details woven throughout kept me on my toes for the entire read. The super natural vibe is just perfect. Not too far out there but just enough to make you wonder what is real and what is not. I absolutely loved Jake and found it fascinating that he appeared to have some deep connection with the case, that nobody seemed to understand except for Jake. This kid just knew stuff, creepy stuff at that.

This book has so many layers to it. First and foremost it is a creepy crime story that is sure to give you goosebumps as you read it. Then there are the well woven twists that I never saw coming. These twists are played out so well and smooth that it completely took me aback. Then there is the son and father relationships, dealing with loss and grief and coping. I don't know how the author did it but he included all these important details and yet the story was not weighted down with sadness and grief. It was just one hell of a creepy story that I will remember for a long time.......now go check your doors!

I read this with my fellow book group members The Traveling Sisters and I must say it was a hit. Thank you so much to Celadon books and the Traveling Sisters for my advance copy! ...more

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Aug 18, 2019 BernLuvsBooks rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, adult-reads, 2019

I enjoyed this one BUT not in the way I thought I would. Having seen so many reviews of people saying they couldn't read this alone at night, I expected some gore and to be truly frightened. I never felt scared. Maybe as someone who reads thrillers on a regular basis I have a higher threshold for it all. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I had my suspicions about who was the bad guy was as soon as he was introduced. I was right which usually ruins a book for me but I enjoyed the ride along the way with this one. What I rea ...more

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About Alex North

Alex North

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Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North's own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with "the boy in the floor." Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name. ...more

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Quotes from The Whisper Man

“If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken.
If you play outside alone, soon you won’t be going home.
If your window’s left unlatched, you’ll hear him tapping at the glass.
If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.” — 42 likes

“Courage is not the absence of fear, Pete knew. Courage requires fear.” — 30 likes

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