The Whisper Man by Alex North is published by Penguin and will be available to buy on 13th June 2019. “The best crime novel of the decade” Steve Cavanagh; “Terrifying and utterly heartbreaking” Mark Billingham; “A dark, creepy, thriller with a huge amount of heart” Stuart MacBride; “Beautifully written. Beautifully plotted. Shades of Thomas Harris and Stephen King but brilliant in its own right” C. J. Tudor; “A tremendous calling card for the brilliant Alex North” Mick Herron
About the book:
If you leave a door half-open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken…
Still devastated after the loss of his wife, Tom Kennedy and his young son Jake move to the sleepy village of Featherbank, looking for a fresh start.
But Featherbank has a dark past. Fifteen years ago a twisted serial killer abducted and murdered five young boys. Until he was finally caught, the killer was known as ‘The Whisper Man’.
Of course, an old crime need not trouble Tom and Jake as they try to settle in to their new home. Except that now another boy has gone missing. And then Jake begins acting strangely.
He says he hears a whispering at his window…
About the author:
Alex North is the pseudonym for an anonymous author born in Leeds, where he now lives with his wife and son. He studied Philosophy at Leeds University, and prior to becoming a writer he worked there in their sociology department.
My Review: Ever since Hayley Joel Osment muttered those spine-tingling words “I see dead people” to Bruce Willis back in 1999 any book or film featuring little children talking to “imaginary” friends gives me the heebie jeebies and THE WHISPER MAN is no exception.
There is so much to say about this book, but I don’t want to give anything away so all I can tell you is there is a sick psychopath out there abducting little boys in the present, a sick serial killer serving life in prison for abducting and killing little boys 20 years, an emotional damaged DI who’s determined to catch the killer and then there is little Jake and his dad Tom Kennedy.
Oh my word; Tom Kennedy is the most wonderful character – a grieving widow whose wife died suddenly and unexpectedly and now finds himself trying to raise his sweet, overly sensitive 6 year old son Jake by himself and is struggling. My heart broke into a thousand pieces every time Tom told us his story and his feelings. His honesty and raw emotions were so real that it was sometimes difficult to remember this is a work of fiction.
Then there is little Jake – grieving over the loss of his beloved mummy, frightened and confused by things happening around him but such a sensitive sweetheart I wanted to give him a cuddle and tell him everything was going to be ok.
THE WHISPER MAN is so chilling, creepy and unsettling that I had to stop reading several times to catch my breath and remind myself it’s only a story. This is a superb book and I highly recommend it – but remember to make sure your doors and windows are closed.
