Make sure you have plenty of time before starting The Whisper Man. It is one of those books that draws you in and once you become immersed in the story you will not want to put it down!

This is a well written crime thriller with a hint of the supernatural. The story is based on the disappearance and murder of young boys but it is so much more than that. There is an unsolved murder, a killer linked to previous murders who is currently in jail and a psychopath who is out there somewhere and who the police are determined to find.

I loved the character development in this book, particularly the relationship between Tom and Jake after the death of Tom's wife, and also between Pete and Tom towards the end of the book. The story flows nicely, the characters are well developed, and there is enough suspense to keep you turning the pages.

An excellent debut novel and an exceptional read which will send shivers down your spine. I look forward to reading more from Alex North.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin UK-Michael Joseph and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

once in a while you read a book that grabs you and frightens you and chills you and thats when you know you have found an amazing author to follow

this is an amazing story that will chill you to the bones and frighten you with just a whisper.....its a story of two people trying to pick up their lives after losing a loved one...

but its also a story about missing children who hear whispers at their open window, and go missing in the night...
and are found with horrendous wounds to their bodies, their suffering evident to their bodies..only one boy is never found

a powerful story that will grip you right to the end...this is another author i am going to be keeping an eye out for...

Unsettling missing child case brings up a previous killer's MO. Widowed father is unnerved by his son's strange behaviour and worries he's not settling in his new school. Good twists and a great overall read.

This was an absolutely fantastic debut book. It was such a creepy psychological thriller and so unique. Certainly gave me the shivers and what a fantastic bunch of characters. Can't wait to read more by this author.

This is a cracking, fast-moving and creepy thriller. The English small town atmosphere is spot on, the child killer and past crimes believable, the narrative linkages over the decades are broadly convincing and the rising sense of tension and dread effectively disturbing.

My one criticism is that some of the character relationships don’t quite feel ‘earned’ and seemed designed as a rugpull rather than a character arc. This doesn’t detract from what is an enjoyable thriller.

The Whisper Man by Alex North is set to be published by Michael Joseph in hardcover, audio and eBook formats on 13th June, with the paperback to follow later in the Summer.  Let me tell you now, this is a book you need to get a copy of!  I received a free ARC copy of The Whisper Man but this has in no way influenced my review.

Well, this is an absolutely cracking read and a strong contender for my book of the year!  You know when you see a book and you just know, without any shadow of a doubt, that you're going to LOVE it.  That happened to me at a crime fiction festival last year when I won a book.  I could choose between this and another title.  A very naughty publicist (who shall remain nameless) talked me into taking a different book against my better judgement and since then I have been hankering after a copy of The Whisper Man.  I haven't read the other book yet, by the way, and it's got some awesome reviews.  I was drawn to this one though and should have gone with my gut!

This a wonderfully creepy and dark read which I powered through - probably quicker than anything else I've read this year.  There's a definite horror vibe about it which just added to my overall enjoyment of the book.  But what I loved most were our lead characters, Tom and Jake, who absolutely shone from the pages.  Tom and his 7-year-old son, Jake, don't have the easiest of relationships.  Rebecca; wife, mother and the glue which held the family together, died suddenly leaving the pair of them to fend for themselves.  Jake discovered his mum's body slumped at the bottom of the stairs.  Something that would traumatise most adults. He misses his mum terribly and has a new found fear of the stairs.  Which is why Tom decides a fresh start is what they need.  They leave the painful memories and the frightening stairs behind and move to the sleepy village of Featherbank.  But Featherbank has a dark past of its own.  The Whisper Man killed a number of young boys fifteen years ago.  And now another boy has gone missing.  Bewildered by Jake's behaviour normally, Tom is even more confused when Jake starts acting even stranger...

I absolutely loved this book and will be sending people barmy by recommending it all of the time!  The characters are just superb.  I loved Tom and my heart ached for little Jake (I have kids around the same age) but there are other equally as brilliant characters in this book.  I have to mention DI Pete Willis who I adored.  A man with many regrets and forever searching for the one boy he couldn't find.  He has a troubled past which he tortures himself with on a daily basis and deals with an addiction which he takes one step at a time.  Then there's Frank Carter, an evil psychopath who revels in his past as The Whisper Man and who longs to be remembered for what damage he did.  Brilliant, just brilliant!

You need this book in your life.  It's brilliantly creepy, edgy and chock full of surprises.  I was totally smitten from the moment I read the first page.  The characters are outstanding, the plot hooks you in in a matter of minutes and the writing is just sublime.  Not forgetting the seemingly-quaint yet overwhelmingly sinister setting of Featherbank.  This book has definitely left its mark on me.  I loved it and it's going to take something extra special to knock it off the top spot.

Would I recommend this book? You have to ask...?!  Most definitely.  It gave me chills and made my heart ache for Tom, Jake and their struggling relationship.  Full of some of the most memorable characters I have ever met in a book - I loved it (do say if I'm repeating myself!).  Completely unforgettable, impossible to put down and absolutely everything I want from a book.  I am in love.

I chose to read and review an ARC of The Whisper Man.  The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

I remember first hearing about The Whisper Man a little over a year ago, and I was desperate to get my hands on a copy. Although I was slightly worried as it had received a lot of early praise if it would live up to my expectation, and I’m relieved to tell you that it certainly did. This is one of the best crime novels I’ve read this year. Alex North’s writing is totally immersive and the line “if you leave the door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken,” chilled me to the bone. This is a very well thought out book with a chilling and creepy atmosphere, and it was done really well.

Tom and his son Jake move to the quiet town of Featherbank following the death of Tom’s wife. They’re hoping for a fresh start, but soon strange things start to happen, especially with Jake who begins talking to imaginary friends which really begins to worry Tom. A couple of decades ago a serial killer abducted and killed several children, one remains missing. In the present day, another child has disappeared, and soon the killer has their eyes set on Jake. But there are some scary similarities to the crimes that took place several decades before. But the man responsible for those crimes is in prison. Who is carrying out these crimes now?

This is a novel with a huge amount of heart. Tom confesses in the opening lines how he has struggled to bond with his son, but you can really see their relationship develop throughout the course of this book and this makes the final scenes so tense and gripping. I couldn’t be sure where we were going to end up at the end, and there were some times when I almost couldn’t bear to find out as I didn’t want anything bad to happen to the characters. A book is only gripping, I find if you care a lot about the characters and this is what Alex North has achieved with this book.

There is real depth to Alex North’s writing, I really engaged with Tom and his son as they tried to make a new start. You can see just how difficult this is for them and there are some scenes that I’m sure will pull at the heartstrings of many readers. Right from the start of the novel I just got the feeling that something terrible was going to happen and this darkness ran right from the beginning to the heart pounding conclusion.

The Whisper Man is a top crime novel, one I’m sure will hit the bestseller lists. Alex North is a writer who I’m sure will jump straight to the top of my TBR pile whenever he has a new book out. Brilliant and captivating. I highly recommend it.

Well I am 53 and still felt uneasy going to bed after reading this book! That didn't stop me staying up late to finish it though. A creepy, engrossing thriller, with touches of the supernatural; I absolutely loved it.

Tom and Jake are present as the main characters in 'The Whisper Man' around whom the story plays out; however, the tightly planned plot stretches across many years beginning with Frank Carter, the serial killer who was imprisoned for five murders many years ago. It's a creepy tale of child murders, stalking, whispers and hints of undiscovered secrets. There is trauma, anger, much sadness, and damaged relationships. Among it all, there is a very good book which will keep the the reader guessing right until the final pages.
I give The Whisper Man 4 stars.

Really quite exceptional! This one is heading straight to the top of the charts. It’s fast paced, there’s loads going on to the point if you break you might need to go back a few pages to reacquaint yourself. The very concept of a child killer on the loose gives you the chills never mind the interaction with little Jake.

I won’t give spoilers and there are twists right to the end. I almost envy those who haven’t read it yet, knowing what’s in store for them. A creepy, horrifying tale that will keep you guessing until the end. Enjoy

Fantastic! This keeps the reader engrossed from the first to last page. The story is based on the disappearance and murder of young boys but it is superbly crafted. There are ingenious twists to the story and,behind it all,something not quite real. The boy Jakes and his relationship with his father is very well created as is the alcohol issue of a detective whose particular role in the story is not revealed till well into the book. I cannot recommend this strongly enough.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the ARC.
This is a cracking, creepy, psychological thriller - an excellent read.
Frank Carter is in prison, convicted of abducting and killing 5 children in the area surrounding Featherbank 20yrs ago,. but the body of the 5th child, Tony, had never been recovered. DI Pete Willis is haunted by this but despite yearly visits to the prison still cannot get any information from Frank as to his whereabouts. Frank is dubbed the Whisper Man - enticing the children to go with him.
Present day and Neil Spencer aged 6 disappears on his way home from his father's house to his mother's. Someone is watching. Neil disappears.
DI Pete Willis lives locally and unofficially joins in the search but then officially joins DI Amanda Beck's team to investigate.
Meanwhile Tom Kennedy, a writer, and his son Jake aged 7, are trying to come to terms with the sudden loss of Tom's wife Rebecca. To make a fresh start they move to a quirky-looking house in Featherbank - one which Jake picked-out.
Jake has an imaginary friend who teaches him a children's rhyme of warning and prefers to spend time with her or draw rather than interact with other children. But the rhyme begins to take on new meanings after they move house when strange things start to happen.
(Any more and it'd spoil things.)

The striking thing for me about this book, apart from the main story, are all the painful memories the main characters carry with them. Tom's worried that he can't talk to Jake, Jake's worried that his dad may get angry, and Pete Willis regrets what the 'job' did to his family.

All put together, I thought this was really good and led to a heart-stopping and heart-breaking conclusion.

Wow! I read this in less than a day. It was, in turn, spooky and heartbreaking. Like all good crime novels it had its twists, but they weren't so sudden and far-fetched as to detract from the story. Will be looking out for future books by Alex North.

A serial killer nicknamed the Whisper Man terrorises a village 20 years earlier and is now locked up for his crimes. How is it then that he appears to be back....

The Whisper Man is a well written psychological thriller with elements of supernatural. I can't give any of the story away without spoiling it, but suffice to say that this fast paced book will grab your attention from the outset and then it ratchets up the tension all the way to the ending. A great read 4.5/5.

The Whisper man by Alex North, is a brilliant creepy psychological thriller that I really wished I had the time to read all in one go, it starts of at a cracking pace with a little boy, Neil Spencer who is abducted whilst walking home from his fathers to his mums, at 7 hes too little to be walking home on his own, but life has already made him tough and the sad thing is, his parents don't even realise hes gone for 2 hours, by then the trail is cold. Reminiscent of a case of another boy who was taken 20 years before a little boy that has never been found but DI Pete Willis has never stopped looking, a case that cost him everything.

I don't want to give anything away but I will say this story has well rounded characters and a mounting pace that doesn't let up until the great conclusion. Definitely one of the better books I've read this year x

The Whisper man is an extremely good, no actually great psychological thriller. From the first page to the last it pulls you in as the tension intensifies, it flows along with some heart pounding and some pretty scary moments. After Tom’s wife dies suddenly, he and his 7 year old son are both trying in their individual way to deal with their loss. There are some heartbreaking poignant moments between the two.
Meanwhile a 6 year old boy has gone missing the police linking it to some other abductions and murders of children years ago.
As Tom and Jake adjust to life in a new house and school, things take a creepy and unexpected turn, to say more would spoil enjoyment, just go along with this thrilling engaging read. This author is one to watch.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Some of the imagery in here made me turn the light on. It was creepy and sad yet heartfelt and moving. Kept me guessing almost until the end and well written.

I can't write review without any spoilers so I won't attempt one!! This is a creepy debut thriller but full of heart too that kept me totally gripped throughout.

What an amazing debut! This book is the perfect dark thriller that pulls you in to the story and leaves you intrigued as to what will happen. The writing is very accomplished. This will definitely be one of the huge hits of 2019.

The author has captured the harrowing anguish of the whisper man completely within all of the main characters. The estranged relationship between father and son and the tortured feeling of a Dad who feels he isn’t enough for his little boy. The beautiful character of Jake shines through and the realisation of who is helping him is a lovely touch. I was engrossed from the start and as the story comes to a climax you won’t see coming, it leaves you breathless with fear.
I heartily recommend this book, sit down, make a drink and let it take you on its dark and mysterious journey. You won’t be disappointed.
ARC copy.