Published by Celadon Books on 20 Aug 2019
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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...
I gotta give a shout out to my reading buddies Sadia and Tegan for recommending this book to me! Both received ARCs of this book and recommended me to request one as well, so I did, and now The Whisper Man is my favourite thriller of 2019!
I was especially intrigued by the blurb because I had read I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, a true crime account of the Golden State Killer, just the month prior. The Golden State Killer was known for casing his victims' homes months in advance and peeping under their windows at night. Before he was caught, he was even sighted under a window and described as a ghostly figure in the bushes... So with that knowledge tucked under my belt, the Whisper Man really came to life for me, for better or for worse!
Small triumphs on terrible days. You had to cling to them.
This story is far from your formulaic thriller that relies on the account of a high functioning alcoholic woman. We've had enough of those. This thriller is the first one that has properly creeped me out. (Most thrillers I read simply keep me in suspense with my curiosity. Maybe I'm choosing the wrong ones haha.) The creepy sensory descriptions were so vivid--not just visual imagery, but oral imagery too, hence Whisper Man. Creepy men. Creepy voices. Creepy kids. Creepy kids are the worst, man. Lots of suspense. (How are these disappearances still happening if Frank Carter is already incarcerated?)
It was past midnight by the time I reached the last 20% of the book, and at that point, I had to stay up and finish the rest, because it was too creepy for me to fall asleep until it was resolved. The end was really satisfying. And still creepy. Haunting.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves thrillers!
Note: I've recommended this book to a few friends already and it seems that I may have overhyped it for them. I mean, they still rated it 4 stars, so they liked it, but perhaps didn't find it as creepy or original as I did!
