3.5 stars

I don’t like making comparisons, but I’m going to make one anyway ;) The Whisper Man had an almost Stephen King vibe. Do you know what I mean? A sense that something is coming, creepiness.

After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. The death of the wife is where the first senses of creepy appear in this book. However, that little bit of intensity fell flat. I guess my expectations were a too high, that I was expecting something more sinister than I got.

The Kennedy’s new home town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. I don’t usually figure these things out, but I just knew something was going to happen to Jake. While I was slightly surprised by the "bad" guy, the reveal didn't boost my overall feelings for the book.

This book held a ton of creepy, but ultimately the suspense and intrigue were unsatisfying. A whole lotta talk and not a lot of action, but still an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

I recieved a copy for review through NetGalley.

There are so many things to love about The Whisper Man by Alex North. It is a fast paced thriller involving a serial killer, Frank Carter, called the whisper man who whispers in the windows of children before he abducts them. A recent kidnapping looks like the work of the whisper man. However, Frank Carter was captured and imprisoned 20 years ago. A young boy named Jake receives warnings through an unusual and supernatural gift. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis have to stop the new murderer before it is too late.

There is a supernatural element involved throughout the novel that works really well. The characters are well developed with flaws and backgrounds that make them very believable. There is a sense of dread and urgency throughout that makes the book hard to put down. If you like beat the clock thrillers involving serial killers and amazing characters with intertwined lives in a small town I would definitely recommend The Whisper Man by Alex North.

The Whisper Man is an eerie thriller of the most frightening kind with the search for a serial killer who preys on children. Tom Kennedy and his son Jake are mourning the loss of Rebecca, Tom’s wife, Jakes’ mother. Their home is haunted by her presence, so they move to a new home in Featherbank. It is a slightly scary house, but Jake fixated on it when they were browsing possible homes and Tom is determined to help Jake move past his grief and his imaginary friend.

Peter Ellis is a retired cop who captured an infamous serial child killer twenty years earlier in Featherbank. Four of the five victims were found, but he is obsessed with finding the fifth. When a young boy is kidnapped, he consults with the current investigation, even going to prison to seek information from the man he captured so long ago.

No sooner do Tom and Jake move in than strange things happen. There are unexplained creaks and groans. Jake’s conversations with imaginary figures are more frightening and he seems to be seeing and hearing something paranormal, drawing butterflies he has not had the opportunity to see, for example.



I am very cautious about child jeopardy books. I have personal rules about how graphic and prurient they can be. I am pleased that The Whisper Man does not draw near the line between creating tension and authorial respect for childhood. This is a book that builds all the tension you can bear without making you feel bad for reading it.

It is also scrupulously fair. All the information you need is there and not because of the killer’s point of view. It is there for people to figure out if only people shared the information they had and could put it together. Even better, despite Jake’s seeming prescience and supernatural abilities, North offers a naturalistic worldview. I also loved the examination of history and memory when Tom and Pete meet and find not just common ground but common history.

The Whisper Man is an excellent thriller. It is fair by Detective Club rules and written with humanity and compassion.

The Whisper Man will be released on August 20th. I received an e-galley for review through NetGalley.

The Whisper Man at Celedon Books
Alex North on Twitter

I won't bore you with trying to rewrite a synopsis like I see a lot of reviewers doing. I will say that Alex North is an exceptional storyteller and legitimately gave me goosebumps a couple of times while I was reading The Whisper Man. I can't say I was terrified, but it definitely made me stop to update my Goodreads status on the book to "oh. my. god". (I almost never give an update on Goodreads). I'd say it was more creepy than anything (but I can't really say why without spoiling anything).
The story was utterly heartbreaking at times and other times it gave me the warm and fuzzies. It really zoned in on how intricate and complicated the father/son dynamic can be. It has definitely made me stop to analyze familial relationships in my own life a little closer.
My favorite thing of all was how smooth the story played out. There were no plot holes, nothing was rushed. I'll just have to slap North's name on my favorite author list and not-so-patiently wait for his next book.

Holy. Cow. This book was one thrilling ride! It has been a while since I have devoured a book like I did this one. My tablet battery died when I was 97% done and the wait to get home was agonizing to charge up and finish! This book is told through multiple perspectives: Tom and Jake(father and son), The Killer, and Pete(detective). I loved the delivery of the multiple pov's. It added so much intensity to the story; each character developing at such a perfect pace. It's mysterious and suspenseful plot will have you hungrily flying through the pages, utterly captivated. If you're looking for a gripping thriller that will keep you entertained until the very end, then The Whisper Man is exactly what you want!

After the death of his wife, Tom decides he and his son, Jake (who found her dead at the bottom of the steps) need a new start in a new town. When Jake sees a particular house he falls in love with, he convinces Tom it’s the house for them. This new town has a dark past though, and it seems this house is somehow wrapped up in the darkness. When a boy goes missing and all signs point to a copycat of an old serial killer, the town is on alert and detectives Amanda and Pete know they need to find the kidnapper before it turns truly ugly.

Wow this book. So I will say that I wanted this book to scare the crap out of me. It didn’t do that, but it was still excellent! My heart really went out to Tom and Jake and their ability to always misunderstand the other. The mystery of who the whisper man was and what was happening to these poor kids had me on the edge of my seat needing to know how this was going to end. I really loved Jake, he was such a sweet and innocent little boy and I just wanted to reach out and give him a hug.

Thank you to netgalley and celadon books for allowing me to read and review this book in advance. This was my 100th Netgalley review!

"The Whisper Man" is a spine tingling debut novel by Alex North. Tom Kennedy and his young son Jake move to a small town in order to make a fresh start after the unexpected death of Jake's mother. The town seems to be peaceful, but darkness lies just below the surface. Twenty years prior, a serial killer terrorized the town and murdered five children. The killer, nicknamed The Whisper Man because of the method by which he lured the victims from their homes, was caught and incarcerated. However, recently, another boy is abducted in much the same manner, and now Jake is hearing the strange whispers outside of his window.

"The Whisper Man" is a fast-paced and exciting read. I finished it in just over two hours and did not want to put it down for anything. It is well-written and suspenseful, though I would not describe it as "scary." The characters are well-developed and the method of telling the story from multiple points of view works wonderfully. There are definitely some tense moments, but nothing overly grisly or graphic. I'm sure that this book will be considered one of the best crime novels of the year.

As always, many thanks to NetGally, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

WOW! What an amazing crime debut novel. Whisper Man is a novel that will keep you at the edge of your seat! I could not put this book down! It was so eerie that I wasn't able to read it at night! Cannot wait for more crime novels by Alex North!

Tom Kennedy and his young son, Jake, are moving to a new house for a fresh start after the unexpected death of Tom’s wife (Jake’s mother). Just as they move into their quirky new home in a new neighborhood, news of a child abduction comes out. And although the circumstances are shockingly similar to the work of a known serial killer, we know that it can’t be the same nutcase because that man was arrested nearly 20 years earlier and is safely behind bars now. So is there a copycat killer out there? Or does the original killer have a partner he’s working with on the outside? And why is Jake starting to talk to his “imaginary” friends even more, coming up with a creepy nursery rhyme about a “whisper man?” Not usually my type of book, I still think it was done well, with just enough suspense to keep you wondering and just enough creepiness to allow you to keep reading without getting TOO creeped out.

4 Stars

Note: A special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was hooked from the first page..

"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"

Nearly 20 years ago, Frank Carter was handed down a life sentence for the abduction and murder of 5 little boys. They called him the Whisper Man, since he would whisper at the doors and windows of his victims to get them to come outside. That alone FREAKED ME OUT!!

However, 20 years later, another litle boy has gone missing and the MO is very similiar to the whsiper. It was always speculated that Carter had an accomplice...has the accomplice started up again?

What a intense thriller! One of the best psychological thrillers I have read in a while!

The Whisper Man, the name given to a child murderer some twenty years ago. He’s in prison now, so why are little boys disappearing again? This novel has twists and turns and a building tension that makes the reader want to race through each page just to know all the secrets. This author is one to add to your list to watch. Great novel!

Creepy. That's what it is. Creepy. But it's also heartbreaking, and heartwarming. The Whisper Man will make you feel things. As you turn the pages, you will become connected to the main characters, especially Jake. He's such a unique little boy and has been through so much. I wanted to reach out and give him a hug.

This story didn't reveal itself until it was ready; unpredictable. A well-paced novel with a succinct conclusion that did not feel at all drawn out. A highly recommended thriller for 2019!

I really enjoyed this book. It started a little slow for me but once it got going it was really good. This book had a few different feels for me. There were parts that were really creepy, and parts that were supernatural and then a few of the coincidences were just to convenient. Overall I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read it for my honest reveiew.

To begin with, it was nice reading a thriller that didn't have the word girl, woman, or wife in the title. That was a nice beginning hint of something different from all the other thrillers that have over-saturated the field. Along with being a who dun it thriller this was also a story about father and sons.

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 much-needed 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 killer was known as 'The Whisper Man.

The story then brings together the father/son and becomes entwined in the "whisper man" story. This was bit of a slow burn but compelling enough to keep my interest all the way through out. This was a well done story on the complexities of fatherhood along with multiple story lines that were engrossing on their own as well.

There's something creepy about whispers, isn't there? Maybe it's because I was young when The Sixth Sense came out and I'm always gonna hear that creepy "I see dead people." in my ear. The Whisper Man, as it turns out, was just as creepy. There were a couple of times that I had to look away from this novel because it had so thoroughly creeped me out.
Other than being creepy, The Whisper Man turned out to be quite a bit about family, specifically about the family of Tom and Jake Kennedy, a father and son pair who move into a creepy house in a town where a boy has gone missing recently and where, twenty years ago, a serial killer called The Whisper Man kidnapped and killed several little boys.
The book had several different perspectives and I enjoyed reading each and every one, which doesn't always happen. In these cases, I sometimes find myself wanting to go back to another character's perspective, but I was equally enthralled which each narration in this book.
I did figure out who was behind it in this book, but that didn't keep me from spinning my wheel during the duration. It was fun to try to figure out just how each character played a part in the overall story.
All in all, if you enjoy mystery and thrillers, I think you'll enjoy this book!

This was a creepy story and a fast paced read! A ‘whisper man’ who had abducted children in a small town by whispering to them was caught and put in prison. But, there must be a copycat because the book starts with another child getting abducted nearly 20 years later. The following year a father and son move into the town’s “scary house” and soon learn about the creepy past of the town. The son, Jake, seems to be extra aware of what is going on.

Soon they are caught up in the story. This is a good thriller! Keeps you guessing with many twists and turns. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good suspense book. Let me tell you this went beyond what I expected. Do not read this alone! You may start hearing things if you do. I loved how creepy this book was. I enjoyed how the author tied in a little family drama too. I thought that it was done in such a way that you could feel something for both parties (I don't want to give this away so no name). I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a scary book with a dash of mystery. It was a great fast read for me.

Hovering my fingers over the keyboard wondering where to even begin. It's only July but I think this is going to be my favorite read this year. Holy wow, I devoured it!!

20 years ago, Pete captures the infamous serial killer/kidnapper, the Whisper Man. Fast forward to today, and boys are starting to hear the whispering in the dark once again. It's creepy and suspenseful and unpredictable!

This book was so incredibly well written, It jumped around perspectives and time and still remained engaging and not at all confusing. I started it before bed and that was a terrible mistake because I had to force myself to turn off my kindle and go to bed, only to wake up early before work the next morning to finish it.

thank you so much to netgalley for providing me with this advanced copy! EVERYONE GO PREORDER IT NOW!!

WOW! This book was suspenseful, nail-biting and creepy and I absolutely loved it. I couldn't put it down and read it within two days of starting it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. They story kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through.

Rating this one was a bit more challenging than I expected. I often find that I have this issue when other reviews are full of praise and I find myself shrugging my shoulders with a meh kind of feeling. So I have this rating turmoil with myself. Was the book just average? Or do I have just average taste? I put a ridiculous amount of thought into the final verdict and usually give in to the 4 with the imaginary peer pressure I receive. But this time, I reasoned and decided that I will take my 3.5 star rating and round it down for a few reasons.

So my least favorite part of review writing is the summary. Like the author gets paid the big bucks to write a synopsis. So I will be sparing you my half ass re-cap. You’re welcome.

The Whisper Man was a fairly enjoyable novel. First, I would like to give North some praise. The author actually did quite a nice job of setting an eerie tone. When Jake is talking to his imaginary friend, I was legitimately a little freaked out. I got little goose bumps and everything. An author has to move mountains to freak me out via reading. But North actually did shake me up a bit. Which was an enjoyable surprise. Additionally, I loved the imaginary friend aspect. While it was a cryptic, creepy build the payoff was better than I expected. Now onto the reasoning for the 3 stars.

The Whisper Man had all the makings of a good thriller, but that was also an issue for me. Since it had ALL the makings of every thriller I’ve read. Why it an issue? Because it was a little too familiar. Meaning I correctly guessed the plot twists and plot line. This isn’t because Alex North isn’t a talented writer. It is because I’ve gobbled up too many of these type of crime thrillers. I’m getting incredibly good at seeking out foreshadowing and making accurate guesses. There are also a lot of thriller clichés throughout the novel. For example, a visit with the wise cracking psychopath serial killer who will only speak to said detective. I can easily name a handful of stories in this genre with the same exact scenario and scene. This was one of the reason I leaned towards the average 3 star rating. Another reason that I rated down was because I found myself having to get myself re-emerged into the novel. This isn’t necessarily the authors bad.

A few other things that didn’t quite sit well with me were the point of views. Amanda’s point of view seemed really unnecessary until the last small bit of the book. At which it simply became a point of convenience. And that is one of my biggest pet peeves from a novel. Do not add something or someone to a novel to make a convenient ending or easy wrap up. It is honestly the worst. And that was exactly how Amanda fit into the novel.

My other big issue had to do with a hole in the story. Tom Kennedy is having this repetitive dream. He continues to dream about his drunken father throwing a glass bottle (or something glass) at his mother. This is a re-occurring dream and thought from Tom. Well as he re-unites with dear old Dad he learns that this event never truly happened. And that is basically it. We don’t learn if Dad was lying. We don’t know if Tom made this up to fit the narrative of his drunk father. We don’t figure out if it was another man entirely. We just don’t know. Maybe I missed the explanation. If so, please shoot me a message and let me know. No follow up on this declaration really bothered me. Especially since it was a re-occurring dream and thought.

Overall, I think North is a talented author. He could set a creepy scene quite well. I think the average rating or interest in this novel is more of a me thing verses the book actually being average.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the Advance Copy.