The Whisper Man was a dark, creepy and suspenseful thriller that had me on edge the entire time I was reading. I was shocked that this was North's debut based on how well-written the book is. North excelled at creating suspenseful tension that gave me chills. While I thought I had the major twist figured out, I was pleasantly surprised when I had it all wrong. The twists and turns continued throughout the book and while they were shocking, they were also believable in the context of the story. The detective who can't let an old case go is somewhat cliche but Pete's character and storyline made him unique in comparison to similar characters in other thrillers I have read.

The characters in The Whisper Man were well-crafted and I would have enjoyed even more backstory. And the ending was understated, which made it even more chilling to read. I can't wait to see what Alex North will do next!

Fast paced and engaging police procedural. I binge read it in about 24 hours...it definitely qualifies as unputdownable. If you enjoyed The Silent Patient, I am pretty sure you will enjoy this one as well.

I tend to really like stories with flawed protagonists that are fighting their own personal demons and this theme definitely shows up in the lives of both Pete Willis and Tom Kennedy. It really made for characters I could identify and empathize with and made the book that much more engaging for me.

The plot moves fast and has several twists and non obvious twists, turns and surprising moments.

Highly recommended and I look forward to more books from Alex North in the future.

This book was freaky! It’s a parents worst nightmare to have their child taken and not know if you’ll ever see them again. As a police officer I’m sure it’s also one of the worst things they have to deal with. The sense of panic and fear in this book was palpable and it was neat to see the procedural side of things. The whisper man whispers to his victims and wins them to his side. When they’re found and the horrors inflicted on them come to light the city is relieved to have found the killer. Twenty years later, the killer still behind bars, the killings begin again... It becomes a race against time to save his latest victim and it’s the child’s sensitivity that gives them the biggest clue to who it is. The ending left me gasping. It did not end how I was expecting but it made total sense at the same time. That last scene was horrifying and yet gratifying at the same time. What an amazing debut. I’m looking forward to more down the line.

Fabulous debut! This book really covered the gamut of all the really good stuff: creepy vibe, grief, loss, heartbreak, family dynamics, police procedure, prison life, sick and disgusting "hobbies", murder, kidnapping - did I mention the creepy vibe?? Seriously. it's really, really creepy. And it was a page turner, not just because of the great story line, but also the quick chapters and changing narrators (which normally really bother me) kept the pace up and the different perspectives kept me on my toes. And while there is child harming the author never goes into details, which I really appreciated. So glad to have read this.

Eerie and suspenseful at times, this clever thriller gets to the heart of multi-generational abuse and the tragedy it can wreak on the future. Jake Kennedy and his widowed father Tom are the main characters of the story and I felt their pain at their loss of a mother and wife from an unexpected heart attack. Somehow the author is able to weave the deceased Rebecca into the story. At times, especially the beginning, the story seemed to drag but once you got past the first quarter of the book it seemed to get its own rhythm and the remainder flew by. The plot wants us to focus on the tragic kidnapping and murder of little boys by a nasty villain but there are so many characters the crimes seem secondary at times. Too many once dimensional characters that could have been left out of the book completely, in my opinion. however, I loved the creepiness and the way Alex North is able to make you feel very frightened indeed of the Whisper Man.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

A gripping psychological thriller that will make a scared to death to leave your door or window open and to be lonely!! The story doesn’t end until the very last page!

Psst…I have a secret to tell you. Come a little closer and I’ll tell you.

I first heard about Whisper Man back in January after reading The Silent Patient (a favorite of mine). It’s the type of book that gives you chills just reading the synopsis. I knew immediately that this was something I wanted to read. With a late August release, I was waiting as patiently as possible to read, and then darn Dennis and Jamie came along and threw everything out of whack with their dual 5-star recommendations. Darn you FOMO!!! I dropped everything in desperate need of a 5-star read. Immediately I was pulled into what is now one of my favorite reads of 2019.

This is a brilliant, chilling and edge-of-your seat debut, that will no doubt get under your skin. I know many of you are curious about scare factor and whether or not you can handle the story. Let’s just say that I think this is a book that will appeal to a very large audience. Take a deep breath and dive in. Just be sure to leave a nightlight on.

<b><I>ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW</b></i>

Tom and his young son, Jake, have just moved to a new house in a small village, a place where, 20 years ago, five little boys were kidnapped and subsequently murdered. The murderer, nicknamed <i> The Whisper Man </i> for his penchant for whispering to his intended victims has since been caught, and is in jail.

But when a young boy named Neil disappears and is found murdered two months later, it is evident that there is a new Whisper Man lurking around.

DI Pete Willis has always been haunted by the case, and the fact that he has never been able to find the body of the last victim. When the latest victim is found, he is determined to find a way to stop him.

Shortly after Neil disappears, Jake begins hearing whispers. And when Tom discovers the body of the fifth victim from all those years ago, things take a sinister turn and the mystery begins to unravel.

This was both a mystery, as well as a story of redemption, forgiveness and reconcilitation. For this reason, I really ended up enjoying the book despite it having a slightly slow start in the beginning. I don't want to go into too much detail for fear of giving away too much, but I definitely recommend this book to mystery lovers.

Actual rating: A strong 4.5

Thanks very much to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and the author for providing me with this eARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Finally, another great thriller! I’m extremely picky, and admittedly über critical when it comes to this genre, but this one really surprised me!

I very much liked the fact that it was a slow burn. Each little plot development and twist was teased along well, and nothing was given away too early. I find it refreshing when a mystery/thriller plays its cards close to the chest— it builds much needed suspense, and gives time to permit layers of story and an overall foreboding atmosphere.

While I had a main, running theory, it didn’t pan out (which I’m actually happy about), but one of my smaller theories did turn out to be true (Although, nearing the end, I had almost forgotten all about my suspicions). So, the twists and turns still had the desired effect on me.

I liked Jake as a character. To be honest, I usually find the children in these types of stories annoying as all hell, but Jake was a breath of fresh air— quietly intelligent, not overly-emotional, and pragmatic (except, maybe he sounded at times a bit too wise for his years). I shockingly enjoyed all the characters, in fact! DI Beck was fairly standard; she lacked the depth provided for the other POV’s, but was still a quality character. Tom’s type is the kind I find grating in most cases, but his position as a single father—a broken man, struggling with raising a child amidst all this trauma— was so well done. Karen, for her part, was pretty groovy. And Pete, though he had many of the familiar trappings of a detective in a crime story, managed to come off as super redeeming and interesting.

I was a little thrown off by the switching between third person and first person in the different POV’s. Even though I managed to get over it fairly quickly, I wish the author had stuck with one or the other, but for stylistic reasons, I can understand.

Some other various observations:
•Even though I knew 100% what was coming, the end of Part One still gave me chills (and that doesn’t really ever happen!). And while the chill factor dissipated a bit as the book went on, I still appreciated the building of an eerie tone.
•I was hoping for just a liiiiiiitle more action/developments halfway through.
•There was a particular description used to describe this feeling of unease that worked so well: “...like a bird that didn’t have anywhere to land.”

Police Detective Pete Willis had investigated and solved the case of the abduction and murders of five young boys twenty years ago. But now, another young boy is missing and the circumstances are similar to the old case.

The victims had all heard whisperings from the killer who was dubbed The Whisper Man. Now the police begin to wonder if there had been an accomplice.

A race against time begins before the gruesome case repeats itself and Pete Willis finds that this time his investigation is personal.

Alex North’s novel is a first rate thriller that that is impossible to put down! It’s disturbing, scary, and it will keep you guessing until the very end. Well written with characters that you care about, it is also a story about loss, grief, reconciliation, and the bonds between fathers and sons. If you enjoy suspense don’t pass this book up!

Thank you to author Alex North, Celadon Books, and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this outstanding thriller!

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I did find I the plot predictable and the characters shallow and often just irritating. The use of “cuddle” just made me cringe every time I read it. Overall a solid three star rating. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read for a fair review.

This is a well-crafted thriller with a gorgeous cover (the handprint version).

Strangely the best part of this book is buried in the acknowledgement, which are seemingly written from the perspective of the father in the book, passing along these words to his son: "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 things as monsters. I'm sorry I lied."

Damn, that's good. I so wish that had been the opening lines to this book.

At the time I read this book, I liked it a lot, but wasn't in love with it. (There are hints of the paranormal in the book and I almost wished the author had leaned into that a bit more. I also didn't feel like Amanda's sections were as strong as the others.) However, I'm now a week out from completing the book and and a number of indelible images are still planted in my mind from it (the closing scene in prison, the girl in the bedroom), which is probably a more accurate sign of how good it is.

Overall this book certainly hit the creepy notes well. It had a memorable killer. It had nice complexity that made it hard to figure out the bad guy's identity. It had some believable characters, particularly the father/son relationship(s). For a debut, this book certainly is a big success on many fronts.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tom Kennedy is desperate to get him and his son Jake's life back on track after the sudden death of his wife. Tom feels he is losing his son as Jake withdrawals into a seemingly fantasy world where he speaks to imaginary friends and is most content drawing alone...images that Tom feels are somewhat disturbing. Tom and Jake decide to move to a new town, Featherbank, where they attempt to settle into their new house for a fresh start. They soon discover that the town has a dark history involving the abduction and murder of five young boys by Frank Carter, a serial killer dubbed The Whisper Man. When another boy goes missing, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis can’t help but notice that his case bears disturbingly similar evidence linking him to Frank Carter's crimes. Tom and Jake soon find themselves closer to the murders than they could have ever imagined and Jake might just be the killer’s next target.

The Whisper Man is a suspense driven mystery/thriller in which a missing boy is linked to a serial killer who is serving time in prison for his crimes. Tom and Jake find themselves entangled in the town’s dark past and the potential targets of what appears to be a copycat killer. I had really high expectations for this novel going in and although I enjoyed it I didn't love it. Two parallel stories, The Whisper Man killings, and Tom and Jakes story begin to intertwine when they move to a new town in a creepy house. There are a lot of side stories and characters that end up playing an important role as well. Detective Pete Willis, was the lead detective on the Whisper Man case, and has a kind of Agent Starling/Hannibal Lector thing going with Frank Carter. He uses this to try and get help with the new murder. Jake appears to have the ability to speak with ghosts and his drawings and secretive "special things folder" hold important clues to both the past and present. Tom, traumatized by his childhood and recent death of his wife is finding it difficult to be a good father to Jake, a characteristic the killer uses to his advantage. All secrets will be revealed and mysteries will be solved with a couple of nice twists and turns along the way. Overall an enjoyable read with an interesting plot.

This book was an enjoyable read. Not a lot of suspense but some fun outcomes. A book which I would recommend to others.

This should be a movie. It is a terrific book, filled with great characters and twists and turns. Cant't wait to see what Alex writes next! A lot of great visuals in this book, as well.

What a well written book...Alex North leaves a trail of breadcrumbs that has you following a story that has so many angles...The relationships between fathers and sons...how children are treated that carries over into adulthood...when children are ignored and predators pounce...The character of Jake is so well portrayed...The Whisper Man is scary good...

My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC..looking forward to more great books from this author.

My husband will be the first to tell you that I can be difficult to surprise when it comes to plot twists. I think it's because I've been involved in theater for most of my life and I'm ALWAYS looking for the plot twist. Alex North intrigues me. It's as though he anticipates that some readers will get the connections between seemingly disconnected characters and then throws in some extra surprises that you weren't looking for because you thought had all the surprises figured out!

Writer Tom Kennedy, in an effort to deal with his grief over his wife's death, buys a new house in the hope that he and his son Jake can begin to heal and find some new sense of "normal". Tom is especially worried because Jake's imagination seems to be running away with him; the boy can occasionally be heard whispering to a little girl who just isn't there.

Detective Inspector Pete Willis, fighting demons from his own past, is pulled in to help fellow DI Amanda Beck on a missing child case. When the boy's body is found, the circumstances surrounding his death and disappearance are eerily similar to five cases from twenty years earlier. The only problem is Willis already arrested Frank Carter for those crimes. Carter confessed and is already doing time for those murders even though the body of the fifth boy was never found. The press had dubbed Carter "The Whisper Man" due to the fact that each boy, in the days before he was abducted, reported a man whispering to him from outside his bedroom window. The mother of the most recent victim tells a similar story to DI Willis. This new case rekindles the speculation that Carter might not have been working alone all those years ago. Is this his accomplice striking again after a 20-year hiatus? Or has a copycat somehow gotten ahold of crime scene details that were never made public?

Unbeknownst to Tom, he and Jake have just moved into a house that is at the center of "The Whisper Man" case and it isn't long before Tom realizes that his desire for a place to start over may have placed his own son right in the killer's sights.

When an author tries to tell a story from two seemingly disparate viewpoints, there is a danger that he or she will wait too long to bring the two pieces together, making the story almost annoying to read. Then again, bringing them together too soon could leave characters underdeveloped and might give all the surprises away too early in the book. North seems to have struck the perfect balance in this novel. I was genuinely invested in both parts of the story and felt that they merged rather effortlessly at just the right time. I was fully invested in both Tom's grief and Pete's daily struggle not to fall back into destructive behaviors from his past. And where some authors would have been tempted to add a subplot by having the two Detectives struggle for control of the case, North wisely does just the opposite. Beck and Willis are colleagues who respect one another and find a working rhythm rather quickly. When Beck learns about a critical piece of personal information that Willis has kept hidden, she simply makes a note of it and moves on, realizing that he must have had his reasons.

In the story, Jake seems to occasionally have visions or talk to people that no one else can see. There are hints of similar experiences in Tom's past as well. It would have been nice to see the author spend a bit more time with this connection between father and son. Jake's strange comments, unusual pictures, and conversations with imaginary friends are the reason Tom moves the pair to a new house. He believes that these behaviors are a part of Jake's grief. But Tom himself had imaginary friends that gave very real hugs and remembers seeing things that he couldn't possibly have seen. But frankly, the lack of development in this small piece really doesn't detract from the overall impact of the story. North has a hit on his hands with this one.

Wow! I was blown away by The Whisper Man! I was sucked in and so engrossed in this book, I was unaware of my surroundings! I love a great thriller and Alex North provided me with a fantastic one! It was brilliant, suspenseful, dark.... all of the things that make up a great thriller. I loved it.

**I generously received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

As soon as I read the publisher’s blurb for Alex North’s novel, The Whisper Man, I was hoping I would be granted my request for an ARC. The premise of the novel immediately captured my attention.

20 years ago, a detective named Pete Willis oversaw a case involving a serial killer who targeted very young boys. He was dubbed “The Whisper Man” because there were reports he would creep outside of his future victims’ houses at night and whisper things to them through their windows before ultimately kidnapping and murdering them. The Whisper Man was eventually captured, caught, and imprisoned for his crimes. However, he never revealed the location of the final missing victim, a fact that has continued to haunt Pete Willis all these years.

A writer, Tom Kennedy, and his young son Jake have recently been through a lot. Tom lost his beloved wife suddenly and unexpectedly, and he is struggling to cope as a father in his new role of primary caregiver to young Jake. Jake, meanwhile, is also struggling. He’s withdrawn and quiet, and still traumatized by his mom’s death. He spends a lot of time in his head with his imaginary friend, or lost in drawing.

Tom and Jake try for a fresh start in a new house, a new school, a new town. Tom hopes he’ll be able to start writing again and that his son Jake will come out of his shell. But things take a turn for the worse when another young boy is kidnapped. And then Jake begins to hear the whispering....

This book was not what I expected. The author, Alex North, threw me for a loop several times with unexpected twists. What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the atmosphere of dread and tension the author so deftly conjured. I also grew to care for both Tom and, in particular, his son Jake. There were a lot of questions raised by the author, and while I don’t want to give away any spoilers, I will say I wondered many times if there was a supernatural element to the story.

I am a veteran reader of mystery and thriller novels. It takes a lot to make my skin crawl, but one particular character was so well done that this was seemingly effortlessly accomplished by the author. The ending truly sent chills up my spine. I also enjoyed how so many loose threads were tied up in the pulse pounding final moments of the book.

Overall, I was quite impressed by this novel. I will definitely look forward to future novels by Alex North. And at least one of the characters from this book may well appear in my nightmares.

5 stars

This book is more than a little creepy – but fascinating at the same time.

Twenty years ago Frank Carter, nicknamed “The Whisper Man” was arrested and convicted of the murder of several young boys. Detective Inspector Pete Willis was the man who arrested him and is forced to go see him in prison once a year to try to convince him to give up the location of the body of his final victim. But Carter (who will only talk to Pete), likes playing games and isn't about to give up the site.

Now a young boy, just seven years old named Neil Sanders has gone missing. Carter knows something about it, but he isn't talking. It is agony for Pete to talk to Carter and he has to fight his urge to drink again. In fact, the whole Neil Sanders thing has him contemplating the bottle on a daily basis. Of course, he gets sucked into the case to assist DI Amanda Beck.

Interspersed throughout the story are little vignettes from the killer's point of view.

People are reporting their children are hearing whispers. Tom Kennedy who is a writer knows this, for he has heard it too. His son Jake is a strange boy, and has been since the death of his wife a year earlier. He talks to himself – or is he talking to himself? He doesn't make friends. When they move to a new house (creepy house), the problems get worse. Jake shouts out that he hates his father. Jake is six years old.

Then Jake goes missing.

As Tom's feelings of rage and helplessness increase, the police investigation moves on. Pete and Amanda come to the same conclusion about the identity of the kidnapper/killer, as does Tom at nearly the same time.

The identity of the ne'er-do-well comes as a surprise in many ways. But also, he makes a great suspect.

This is a very well written and plotted novel. I thought Tom tried very hard to get along with his son Jake and Jake is very hard to get to know. His strangeness is explained later in the book and it is a very good reason for Jake's behavior. I really liked the idea of the reason for it all. This is my first Alex North book, but it won't be my last. He is a very fine writer. His character development is very good and the people in his book are very lifelike and behaved true to form.

I want to thank NetGalley and Celadon Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very fine book for me to read, enjoy and review.