At a Glance

Title: The Whisper Man

Author: Alex North

Published:  August 20, 2019 by Celadon Books

Pages: 368

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime

Goodreads Rating: 4.27

Synopsis

In this dark, suspenseful thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of a father and son caught in the crosshairs of an investigation to catch a serial killer preying on a small town.

After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank.

But the has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.

Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter’s crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man.

And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window.

My Thoughts

I was lucky to read a preview of the book back at the beginning of July and I was stoked to get to read this book. I was expecting a majorly spooky tale. The book turned out to be more of a true crime recount, told through the POV of multiple characters. While I loved the book, the creep factor didn’t meet my expectations so I can only give the book ★★★★.

There were a lot of things I did really like about that book, and if I hadn’t overhyped it, I probably would have given it ★★★★★. The story is told through multiple POVs which if you read my other reviews, you’ll know I love a good multiple POV book. I really enjoyed getting to see the interactions between father and son. We got to see the event through each of their eyes which added a nice level of depth to the story line. 

“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, or blue,
the Whisper Man will come for you.”

The chapters are fairly short and so reading through this book was quick. I mean I read it in one night! Even though the chapters were short, the writing and character development were fantastic, to the point that I never felt I missed out on knowing who the characters were.

There is also a mix of some magic/ghostly vibes to the book. As Jake, the son, has a knack for talking to ghosts or to people that aren’t there. Is it an imaginary friend he conjured up? Or do kids really have a more open mind for spotting ghosts? Either way it made for a great plot line.

Overall, I did really like the book. If I had just picked it up and read it, I would have loved it. But I built it into something completely different in my head, and the actual book just couldn’t live up to my expectations. I still highly recommend the book, especially if you enjoy True Crime. Get it HERE!