This was an atmospheric gothic historical fiction, but if you read a lot from this genre, I didn't find it so original.
It was a good read overall.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Thankyou to NetGalley, the publishers and the author, Elizabeth Brooks, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Whispering House in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Unfortunately, this book did not hit the mark for me. It was alright but the slow progression of the storyline lets it down a bit.
Not for me.

This was an atmospheric and engaging read. A good story for any fan of historical gothic fiction. I will be keeping an eye out for more books by Brooks.

The story is well developed and interesting, but at times too slow-paced. The twists, which were surprising, were quickly mentioned and not as thoroughly discussed as they could have been. Overall a nice read.

Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

I love books where the house or location is as important and pressing on the plot as the characters who live within – and this is exactly the case in Elizabeth’s novel. Freya is understandably struggling with her sister dying by suicide several years earlier and life isn’t quite the same without her. But at a family wedding in the luxurious Byrne Hall, Freya finds a portrait of her sister Stella and suddenly she has a lot of questions (obviously the most important being why there is a picture of her sister in a house where Stella had never visited). Freya is drawn into the life and inhabitants of Byrne Hall, and there’s a sense that someone is continually watching what she’s doing. It feels claustrophobic at times, creepy, and a little suffocating despite the size of the house. Will Freya be able to uncover the secrets? And learn why her sister is so bound up with what’s going on? It feels atmospheric and I read it on a rainy, cold day and it felt very appropriate!

A premise that got me immediately invested in the book: a girl, Freya visits Byrne Hall which is a gothic hall not far from where her sister Stella committed suicide five years earlier. She sees a portrait of her there - somewhere she didn't know her sister had ever been. And why should a portrait be there?

I did enjoy the unravelling of the mystery and there are some very fine descriptions of atmospheric houses and gothic overtones. It was a little too long for me though as the middle part of the story seemed to put the plot on pause for a while. It did stop Freya doing strange things however so that was good as she seemed to do things I didn't expect a sister investigating this kind of mystery to do.

Although there were niggles, the house and the overarching story was interesting and the descriptive writing just lovely.., I read somewhere it was inspired by Agatha Christie's house but I'm not sure if I'd made this up? It could be as its another of those houses that you just KNOW should have walls that could talk.

The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks is a captivating read. Atmospheric, dark and eerie. A brilliant gothic read.

This was an OK read for me. I just couldn’t get into it as much as I’d hoped but it wouldn’t put me off reading another book by this author.
Sorry, this one just wasn’t for me.

One thing you can expect from The Whispering House is the addicting gothic atmosphere of the lieu of events - the Byrne Hall house. The book was very descriptive in that aspect. However, I knew something was wrong when I surpassed the halfway point and not much was happening by then. I also felt frustrated with the protagonist, and the sister who died had less to no backstory, so it was difficult for me to root for either of the sisters. What also let me down was that the story was incredibly lacking in the action, tension, twistiness and unpredictability (it was easy to guess the perpetrator early on). Nevertheless, I thought it was an okay book, despite the predictability it can feel like a bingey read with a gothic vibe that’s able to provide a bit of entertainment.

A wonderfully atmospheric, captivating storyline. Hooked me in easily and was a hugely satisfying read. Will certainly look out for more from this talented author.

Five years ago Stella Lyell committed suicide, her sister Freya and her father still struggle coming to terms with this. They attend a family wedding at Byrne Hall, not far from where Stella took her own life, Freya finds herself drawn to the house and even though she's not supposed to enter, she does and finds a portrait of her sister. Her life from this moment on will change in disturbing ways.

Modern gothic drama.

Freya struggles to move on after her sister Stella's suicide five years ago. While visiting Byrne Hall, near the scene of the incident, she find a portrait of Stella - had her sister been to Byrne Hall? Freya starts to investigate Byrne Hall to find out what secrets are hidden there...

A dark and interesting tale of a house that holds many secrets and untold stories. I read that Byrne Hall is inspired by Agatha Christie's home which is interesting.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.