The Whistling by Rebecca Netley - Starting October 1st 2021

[Dannii]

'Chills you to your bones . . . more unsettling and beautiful than you can imagine' 5* READER REVIEW

Alone in the world, Elspeth Swansome has taken the position of nanny to a family on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea.

Her charge, Mary, is a troubled child. Distracted and secretive, she hasn't uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William - just days after their former nanny disappeared.

With Mary defiantly silent, Elspeth turns to the islanders. But no one will speak of what happened to William. Just as no one can explain the hypnotic lullabies sung in empty corridors. Nor the strange dolls that appear in abandoned rooms.

Nor the faint whistling that comes in the night . . .

As winter draws in and passage to the mainland becomes impossible, Elspeth finds herself trapped.

But is this house haunted by the ghosts of the past?

OR THE SECRETS OF THE LIVING..?

Chilling, twisty and emotionally gripping, The Whistling is an atmospheric page-turner with shades of the classics, yet a unique character of its own. Perfect for fans of Susan Hill and Laura Purcell.

'I was sucked in from page one and read it in one fell swoop' 5* READER REVIEW

'A wicked twist . . . brilliant, scary, clever. Horror writing at its best' 5* READER REVIEW

'A great story with moments of heart-grabbing terror, beautifully written' 5* READER REVIEW

[Karen]

Sitting by a roaring fire and the wind/rain is lending a suitably atmospheric air to this. The opening chapter hints at creepy times to come.

[Karen]

First quarter. (view spoiler)[ Our narrator is uneasy and we have a definite sense of foreboding created. Nothing tangible to seem responsible, but I’m guessing the power of suggestion might play a part. The lack of discussion about what happened to William is certainly odd. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen]

Second quarter (view spoiler)[ Things are strange, and she knows there’s more to this. Mary’s mental health is not good, but her guilt over what happened to her own sister is causing her to make some strange decisions. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen]

Third quarter (view spoiler)[ Greer certainly seems to have a desire to hurt those who’ve impacted on her life, but would she go so far as to hurt Mary? (hide spoiler)]

[Karen]

Finished. Review on home page. Atmospheric. Suitably exploiting Gothic tropes to explore modern ideas, with a wonderfully evocative environment.

[Dannii]

Karen wrote: "Sitting by a roaring fire and the wind/rain is lending a suitably atmospheric air to this. The opening chapter hints at creepy times to come."

What a perfect setting to read this book. I'm just starting it now :)

[Dannii]

First quarter - (view spoiler)[Iskar immediately appeared as Gothic and brooding. It was the perfect setting for a sinister story. Elspeth arrived there as the new nanny and brought her own trauma, in the form of her deceased immediate family. This helped her to better empathise with her little charge, silent Mary, as she saw much of her sister, Clara, in her.

Miss Gillie's nephew, William's, demise was a taboo subject matter but we are still yet to learn why that is. Seeing how cold Miss Gillie is towards Mary too leads me to believe that she had some hand in his death, perhaps?

Greer's dislike is obvious but I think there might be a warning in her actions. Is she trying to save Elspeth and make her want to leave this eerie place? Or maybe she really does just like dislike this new intruder. (hide spoiler)]

Second quarter - (view spoiler)[Could the sinister things William was said to have done be true? Elspeth is seeing and hearing more strange things and almost undoubtedly believes ghosts are responsible for them. (hide spoiler)]

Third quarter - (view spoiler)[I don't still think she is warning Elspeth away but I did think that Greer was not responsible for singing lullabies and waiting outside Elspeth's door at night. It was such a spooky scene to have that confirmed! (hide spoiler)]

Fourth quarter - (view spoiler)[Such a great Gothic read. I loved how quietly eerie and mysterious it was! (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Karen wrote: "First quarter. [spoilers removed]"

I loved how this set up the sinister vibes and many mysteries.

[Dannii]

Karen wrote: "Third quarter [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Greer was the main character that I couldn't truly understand. I went through periods of thinking her wholly evil and then hoping she was only attempting to make Elspeth turn away from Iskar and to safety. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Karen wrote: "Finished. Review on home page. Atmospheric. Suitably exploiting Gothic tropes to explore modern ideas, with a wonderfully evocative environment."

I totally agree. I really loved this one and thought it the perfect October read.