“The Whisper Man” is finally out! After going nuts trying to find my own pre-release copy, Book of the Month made it available as one of their August picks. So I ordered it immediately. I received it two days later and read that baby cover to cover.
I felt like I was about to have a heart attack. That’s how scared and creeped out I was over this tale.
Now, some may say this is overhyped, but for me, I was genuinely scared. This book is like “The Sixth Sense” meets something sinister and creepy that is not revealed until the very end.
When the little ghost girl shakes the father awake and he wakes up and sees her, I almost screamed. Then when he hears whispering, he goes to check it out. He finds his son sitting against the front door whispering to someone on the other side of the door.
Then the fingers reach through the mail slot to touch the boy…
“The Whisper Man” Synopsis
From Barnes and Noble.
| The Whisper Man: A Novel Alex North POIGNANT AND TERRIFYING—Entertainment Weekly WORKS BEAUTIFULLY… If you like being terrified, The Whisper Man has your name on it.—The New York Times, Editor’s Pick SUPERB—Publisher’s Weekly, Starred Review BRILLIANT… will satisfy readers of Thomas Harris and Stephen King.—Booklist, Starred Review 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 town 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… |
Review
I was genuinely scared. I really was.
By the time I got to the end, I kept trying to wrap around in my head what the original Whisper Man was saying. He said, “You just don’t listen.” He was delivering the biggest clue without even giving away the killer. I mean, I am kind of mind blown by what the original Whisper Man said about the copycat. He knew.
I’m not going to lie. I knew who the Whisper Man copycat was the exact moment he was introduced. But who he was in the grander scheme, I did not see coming (as in why he was the Whisper Man).
This story is not just about a very bad man preying on children. This story is also about a father and son trying to connect after a great loss. Both are grieving. Both need each other, but they have no idea how to bridge the gap.
What comes across as Jake talking to an imaginary friend is really a ghost. She is trying to aid him, because she knows something horrible is about to happen to him. The part that made her so real is when she tried to warn Tom that Jake was in danger. Even stranger is that she’s been warning Jake since the beginning about the Whisper Man. Only Jake understands. It’s convincing his father that something is amiss that is the real struggle.
I was 60-75% of the way into the book before I understood what the ghost’s special interest was in Jake. She plays a very important part in this story, because she is trying to save Jake’s life.
When Jake started talking to the boy under the floor, I did not know if he was talking to a ghost. I am still not certain if some asshole adult told him about the dead body. Whatever it was, I still get goosebumps thinking about that revelation.
This story is very much about fixing the wounds of the past and finding the truth to mysteries left unsolved. There are three stories about the relationship between fathers and sons in this book. How they attempt to bridge the gap is very different. The deeper the pain, the more difficult it is to fix things, especially if many years have passed.
This book will scare you. It will creep you out. You will be sitting at the edge of your seat. Your heart will be jumping out of your chest. Just try not to scream.
If you are looking for a good scary book, this is it. I was so scared by this book, I added it to my curated library. It is difficult to find a really good scary book. This is a book I may end up revisiting again, even though I rarely if ever re-read the same book.
You can get your copy at any of these preferred Perfectionist Wannabe booksellers:
