The Whisper Man- Alex North

“If you leave the door half open, soon you'll hear the whispers spoken.”

In the wake of the unforeseen death of his wife, Tom Kennedy, and his son Jake, move to the town of Featherbank in hopes of a fresh start that would bring about healing. How very wrong this decision was. 

Contradictory to its welcoming name, Featherbank is a town with a tortuous past and unsolved mysteries. 

Twenty years ago, five boys had been abducted and murdered by The Whisper Man, a serial killer who lured out his prey by whispering outside their windows. The man had been incarcerated but his dark legacy has proven to have lingered now that another boy has gone missing in an eerily identical way. 

Was it a copy-cat killer? Had The Whisper Man had an accomplice all those years ago? Detective Pete Willis, the man responsible for capturing the killer all those years ago is back on the case and is more determined than ever to bring this boy home but he must act fast as the murderer is at large and Jake himself has started to hear whispers at his window.

I’ve been wanting to read this one for a while now after seeing rave reviews. It didn’t disappoint. I don’t usually enjoy slow-burners but it worked well here. 

The Whisper Man is a clever, complex, dark, and disturbing novel with a lot of heart at its core. It’s a story of healing and the significance of the father-son bond.

Honestly, I think Ruth Ware has ruined other thrillers for me. I was waiting for more adrenaline-pumping, skin-crawling scenes but they didn’t seem to come with this one.It felt lacking in the suspense department and I was left wanting. This being said, I can’t fault the compelling plot and writing. This is a solid crime novel.