This thoroughly twisty, horror filled book was chilling in the words written to give the nightmares. This book drew me in from the first pages to the final fight at the end. This novel was truly a horror novel. There were many graphic scenes written in a way to cause intricate nightmares (I will never hear the sound of a train and not think of this book) that will bring back visions of the monster described in this book. I am an avid book reader and the scene about the little boy Evan; was heartbreaking. Of course that happening to Anne would only give her the courage to do what was required to save her son. The purpose of what Mr. Choo did may have seemed like a good example of how to balance the world but the cost was too high. The cunning and planning done to bring Anne to Mr. Choo was most diabolical. And he was very proud of the fact he had put Anne in such a no-win situation. I enjoyed how mom and son were able to communicate to each we other in a way that caught Mr. Choo off guard. A horror novel that is a must read for those that want a dark side to their reading pleasure.

I've read and enjoyed Linwood Barclay's work in the past, but the narration of his latest novel felt odd to me.

Whistle: A Novel by Linwood Barclay. Sinister, Unpredictable, Horror.

I rated this 3.75 stars (4 stars).

Annie Blunt is having the worst year of her life. Annie is an author and illustrator of a popular children’s book series. A little boy who idolized her books has jumped off the roof of his house with paper wings thinking he could fly. While struggling with that guilt her Husband is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Needing some time to handle her grieve and change the environment, Annie and her son Charlie head to a small town in Upstate New York. With the help from Finn her Agent she begins renting an old Victorian home.

While exploring the home Charlie finds a locked shed with an old train set inside. Then Annie starts hearing ghostly train whistles even though there isn’t a train or station nearby. Missing persons (and goat) who are later found in disturbing manners. Soon after the town has mutilated bodies, suicides, aggressive dogs, odd events and it all seems to have started after Edwin Nabler opened a shop call Choo Choo’s Trains.

Not usually my go to kind of story but it definitely kept me interested, would recommend this to people who love dark creepy stories.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Marrow| William Marrow Paperbacks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Amazing!
Whistle is the supernatural chiller that any horror fan needs to read. This had me captivated from the start and I could not stop turning the pages. It follows a woman and her young son as they move to a small town, but things aren't what they seem and this fresh start for them is getting derailed as they end up discovering a strange train set in the storage shed. Why are they being haunted by errie events and bizzare visions? Want to know why then make sure to read this one. The author wrote this so well and I am looking forward to reading more books from this author. All of the characters in this were great. This has all the dark chilling and creepy vibes in this book that I loved a lot. I loved this book a lot and would recommend to any reader especially if you love horror books. Thank you to William Morrow for the book in exchange of my honest review of Whistle by Linwood Barclay. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ebook read in exchange of my honest review.
Choo, Choo!

Whistle is a creepy, dual timeline thriller with all the chills of cursed dolls and haunted toy stores. There were several elements that brought to mind different Stephen King novels (Insomnia, The Dark Tower series, Needful Things) all while maintaining Barclays unique narrative voice. I live close enough to train tracks to occasionally catch the sound of a whistle when the wind blows right, and I don't think I'll ever think of that mournful sound quite the same way again.

Linwood Barclay’s latest, WHISTLE, is mystery, suspense, family bonds, strange happenings and a bit of the paranormal all rolled into a tidy package.

Annie Blunt, a successful writer and illustrator of the Barry the Polar Bear and Pierce the Penguin children’s books, has had a very trying year. Her husband is killed in a hit and run accident and her book series actually caused the death of a child. Reeling from these tragedies she decides to move with her son Charlie a small town, Lucknow. Isolated and bored, Annie is relieved when Charlie finds an old train set locked in a shed on their property. Coincidentally, there is a new train store in town, owned and operated by the mysterious Edwin Nabler, where some of the residents begin to explore and revive the hobby.

While Charlie is distracted with the trains, Annie is having very vivid dreams, drawing a very scary character and hearing a train whistle that’s not really there. And what is she to make of her new neighbours, Daniel and Dolores? Daniel is very forthcoming with the story of Dolores‘s break from reality approximately 20 years ago. While the town begins to experience many strange occurrences, the police are investigating what exactly is going on in Lucknow. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility. Should Annie grab Charlie and run? Everything comes to an explosive conclusion in the train shop when she is forced to make an impossible decision.

I had a bit of trouble with this one. As in any story with a small town, there were just so many characters to try to keep track of. As with any Linwood Barkley novel, the writing was clear and concise which makes for an easy read. As it was Barclay’s first foray into a chiller with paranormal undertones, it was interesting. I just really had a problem with keeping up with some of it and was confused about the timeline in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Linwood Barclay definitely channeled his friend Stephen King for this one. I missed his usual humor in Whistle, but I appreciated the super well-written creepy scenes. I would look forward to another story featuring these characters because I'd love to see them develop.

I sadly don't have a train set to picture this with (although after reading the book, I absolutely would not want a train set in my house!) 
*
This was everything that I enjoy in horror! Super creepy, not too much gore, underlying evil that slowly becomes obvious throughout the book. I really enjoyed the way it was set up -- large chunks in the present, and then chunks set in 2001. It allowed you to get invested in each timeline, and wonder how they connect. 
*
Also fun how it connected to other horror classics! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a chilling, eerie, and spooky read! There is nothing like haunted train sets, random deaths and occurrences, and spooky settings. This is a longer book, but I found it very hard to put down as I just had to know what happened next. It definitely reminds me of Stephen King's novels (though with a better ending). Everything was described very well throughout the book, and you feel like you're immersed in the town with Annie and Charlie while learning about the background of the train set and the lives it has impacted. This was my first Linwood Barclay novel, and it will not be my last! Great read for Summerween!

Annie Blunt is a successful author of children’s books. She is not having a very good year - first a boy jumps to his death when he tries to emulate the main character (Pierce the Penguin) in her books. And then her husband is killed in a hit-and-run accident. In an attempt to get Annie back on track, her literary agent arranges for her and her son Charlie to go to Lucknow in upstate New York for the summer. But it is not turning out to be the restful, rejuvenating time away from the city she expected. Charlie likes to explore his environment and finds a locked shed on the property which he manages to get into and there finds a toy train set which he brings into the house and sets up to play with. That’s when stuff starts to happen - including Annie hearing trains in the night even though the nearby rail tracks have been abandoned for some time.

At the same time, Harry Cook, chief of police in Lucknow, is dealing with the disappearance of three of the citizens of the town, only to discover one of the bodies in the countryside missing its bones and hair, and then a town favorite goat is found in the same condition. These gruesome discoveries are soon followed by multiple strange disturbances. And Harry thinks that everything has happened after the arrival of Edwin Nabler and his Choo Choo’s Train Store. Who is Edwin Nabler and what has changed since he arrived? And then Charlie seems to have disappeared bringing Annie and Harry together to stop whatever is going on.

I am a huge fan of Linwood Barclay and not a fan of horror/supernatural/paranormal books. But he has succeeded in creating a spellbinding story that took me a little while to get into but once I was into it, putting the book down was very difficult. The tension just builds and builds with enough false leads to keep you guessing until the stunning conclusion. My thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

I love a good mystery. The summary was promising and a fellow NetGalley friend recommended it. Apparently, I am not a fan of magical realism and this was not a match for me.

However, I can see this becoming a successful movie. The darkness would translate well to that media… which is high praise since I don’t watch a lot of television/movies :)

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 out of respect for the author.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the e-ARC. This supernatural/paranormal thriller/mystery IS NOT for the feint of heart. Trigger warnings for abuse, gore, suicide and death of children. Set in New York City, upstate New York and Vernont, bouncing between current day and just-post-9/11 (with a few minor forays farther back) this mystery surrounds toy trains that have been imbued with an evil malevolence, the entity that is perpetrating it and why the protagonist and her family is the target of these current atrocities. It comes to a satisfying ending, but I will not reveal whether that means heroic or tragic. What initially seems to be coincidence, has something more purposeful behind it. My only real concern was that there would have been more world-building or explanation of the "sliver". This soon to be published book would make a good beach read, cool damp and misty fall read or one in-front of the fire on cold winter day.

WHISTLE – by Linwood Barclay

‘Annie Blunt has had an unimaginably terrible year. First, her husband was killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident, then one of the children’s books she’s built her writing and illustrating career on ignited a major scandal. Desperate for a fresh start, she moves with her son Charlie to a charming small town in upstate New York where they can begin to heal.’

‘But Annie’s year is about to get worse.’

That. Was. AWESOME!! Creepy Good—Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Willam Morrow (HarperCollins Publishers), for providing me with an eBook of WHISTLE at the request of an honest review.

This book was absolutely fantastic. The setting with the toy trains was incredibly eerie, especially considering who they were targeting. This story was incredibly well written, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling. From start to finish I was hooked with how this classic horror styled dread seeped into my brain.
This story felt kind of personal since my grandpa was a model train enthusiast, so I have a knowledge of these set ups and how intricate they can be. My husband is also a Locomotive Engineer, so I also have a good amount of knowledge on how trains are ran, the dangerous chemicals the book mentions in transport, as well as how dangerous trains can be.
I feel like I really connected with the story with the overlying themes and I really enjoyed how Barclay took a seemingly innocent hobby and spiraled it into a supernatural sinister entity. The splashes of gore throughout the book were great as well as the psychological chaos inflicted. I had a fantastic time reading this and cannot recommend this to all horror readers! Thank you, William Morrow & Netgalley for my ARC!

This was my first Linwood Barclay book. It was kind of reminiscent of an old Stephen King novel. I enjoyed it. I will say if you are not a fan of multiple perspectives in your horror, this book is not for you. Well written, excellent characters, and hard to put down.

I have so much to say about this book and so little I can write to not spoil it for everyone else.
This book is such a great horror novel. I haven't read a recent one that has kept me on the edge of my seat and invaded my dreams as this book has. Bravo to Linwood Barclay for writing a terrifying novel that makes you want to keep the lights on and makes you hope you don't hear a train whistle!
Children's author Annie Blunt has lost her husband to a hit and run accident, moved with her son to a small town in New York and had a horrible thing happen because of one of her books. Things have been bad for Annie but they are about to get worse when Charlie finds an old toy train in a locked shed. This book is what a horror fan has been waiting to read. Scary, dread-filled, surprising and sad. Such a great book! I wish I was able to go back and read it again for the first time.

After tragedy strikes the life of Annie Blunt, a famous children's book author and illustrator, she decides to get away from the intensity of her city life and try to restart her love for her career. Only darker forces are also at work, with their own plans for her, and they involve some very sinister trains and her beloved son, Charlie.
The timeline is dual, and travels from just after September 11, 2001 to present day. Annie's life being the events of present day. In the flashbacks a nefarious person who owns a store that sells model trains is introduced, and bad things start happening to people who buy his wares.
I enjoyed this book at first, but finished it just to finish really. It reminded me a lot of "Needful Things" and the ending was a bit too neatly tied up for me. Or maybe I just don't find evil trains to be very scary. Deaths came out of nowhere and didn't really have emotional resonance because there were so many characters and few had more than basic background traits discussed.
I finished and it was entertaining for a bit, but turned into a bit a slog at the end.

"Whistle" by Linwood Barclay is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Barclay masterfully weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue, with well-developed characters and unexpected twists. A must-read for fans of intense, fast-paced mysteries.
This book gripped me from the start. I couldn’t put it down and ignored everything else.

"𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆," 𝑵𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅. "𝑾𝒐𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒖𝒑 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒘𝒐. 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆?"

Special thanks to @linwoodbarclay @williammorrow & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book made me question my sanity too many times to count. Bat shit crazy is great best way to describe this one. I was on the edge of my seat the more I turned the pages. And to think, all this from a bunch of train sets.

This is my first @linwoodbarclay novel I've read, and certainly not the last. The writing was captivating, and the story so twisty. It had all the right qualities to keep me engaged throughout. It included multiple POVs, crazy coincidences, and a lingering suspense.

Everytime I hear a train whistle I'm forever scorned by this book.This one will leave a lasting impression on you.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
May 20, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Is there a train track by you? Have you ever been on a train?
What's one book that will live in your head rent free?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #williammorrow #linwoodbarclay #whistle
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Whistle is a very well written, dark novel. My interest was kept throughout the novel as the various storylines kept me intrigued. There were some parts that I struggled with the story, due to the dark nature. Barclay's character development is phenomenal, making you feel grief right alongside Annie and Charlie, while also making me despise Edwin Nabler. The multiple main characters also helped keep the story interesting as the novel jumps between past and present.
I would recommend to anyone that likes fairly dark thrillers.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.