Many thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House UK for the advanced reading copy of The Whistling. And to Rebecca Netley who wrote a book that actually made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Rebecca Netleys writing is incredibly descriptive, which is perfect for a book of this nature. The descriptions allow you to feel like you're actually there and sets the atmosphere. I could almost feel the cold rain on my face and fierce wind blowing through my bones.

Our main character Elspeth has has a traumatic time and needs to get away from the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh. She takes a job to be a nanny in Skelthsea, a tiny island in Scotland. When the boat arrives at Skelthsea, Elspeth gets the first glimpse of what is to be her new home. Iskar is the largest house on the island and has been in the family for many years. It's old creaky floor boards, thread bare carpet and dimly lit rooms were not quite what Elspeth had expected. But she is eager to meet Mary, the little girl who she will be spending most of her time at Iskar taking care of. But it soon becomes clear that all is not well with Mary. After losing her twin brother the girl is understandably grieving but is that all that haunts her?!? They soon become close but can Mary be trusted. Or is there someone else that Elspeth should be worried about....

I read this in 2 sittings, wrapped up under a blanket, with just a candle for light. It really is the perfect read for this time of year, it has all you want in an autumn read, especially on the lead up to Halloween. I loved the dark, gothic vibes of the old house and the island itself. And the character building is fantastic, you really get to know them and become fond of (most) of them, even if you are unsure who is good and who is bad. It's hard to believe that this is Rebecca Netleys debut novel, I will be patiently anticipating her next release. I think we can expect more great things to come.

A spooky story set in the nineteenth century on a remote Scottish island. A young nanny takes a job looking after a disturbed girl who lost her twin brother and previous nanny and nobody seems keen to explain exactly what happened. These events rendered her mute and distant and the new nanny tries to break through to her.

The location of the story lends itself to the atmosphere of ghost stories, with the crashing sea and many shadows. It is full of gothic symbols such as the huge lonely house, strange noises, faceless dolls, premonitions and hints of a doomed romance. Not forgetting the weird silent child and moody staff with their unspeakable secrets .

Written in the first person perspective of the nanny, there is a feel of Victorian language and superstition. Some of the phrases, like someone 'passed' instead of 'passed away' for example, and a few other modern attitudes jar a little, but not enough to spoil the narrative. Indeed, the seed is planted that there are no such things ghosts or anything supernatural. The story is slow in places without building tension with some repetition and maybe would benefit if a few pages were edited out.

Nevertheless, The Whistling is a haunting novel and the descriptions make the story alive. I can visualise this very well. Should be a film...

The Whistling

A ghostly, gothic family saga.

When I started this book and realised it was set in 1860, I freaked out a little. I like modern settings and rarely read anything set in the 1800's!

But I really loved this book and the historical setting was perfect to create a spooky atmosphere! Elspeth wandering around creepy old Iskar house by candlelight. An isolated, misty island with stormy weather. No smart phones or internet! I loved it!

Elspeth takes a nanny job on a remote Scottish Island called Skelthsea. Her charge, Mary, is mute. Her twin William is dead, along with their previous nanny Hettie. What was Elspeth thinking about accepting this job!?

I loved the atmospheric writing and the mystery and intrigue of the story. Whilst I didn't find it particularly scary it definitely does have a bit of a chill factor and is quite unsettling. It's a little bit haunting and a little bit witchy and really quite an addictive read!

This is the perfect cosy, creepy autumn book and I definitely recommend it.

This was our book club October read and I enjoyed it but didn’t LOVE it! It was a little slow in places for me and I tend to struggle with getting ‘scared’ by books…

It’s a character driven, eery story based against the perfect backdrop. It was haunting and chilling places but it did start to wear thin around half way through for me.

If you like a spooky ghost story, this ones for you.

This gothic horror ghost story is perfect for fans of the slow-burn Victorian ghost story like The Woman in White and The Woman in Black.

This book is described as a horror. Sorry but I wouldn't class it as such. Maybe spooky though.

A mysterious household with some mysterious characters.

"On the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea, Elspeth Swansome takes on a position as a nanny.

Her charge, Mary, hasn't uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William - just days after their former nanny disappeared. But no one will speak of what happened to William.

Just as no one can explain the lullabies sung in empty corridors.
Nor the strange dolls that appear in abandoned rooms.
Nor the faint whistling that comes in the night . . .

As winter draws in, Elspeth finds herself increasingly trapped.

But is this house haunted by the ghosts of the past?"

As you read through this you follow Elspeth as she Pieces together what really happened and help everyone move on from the stigma of the house.

Interesting

The Whistling is a ghost story set on a Scottish Island. Elspeth Swansone is recovering from a bereavement when she is sent to look after Mary, a young child who has recently lost her brother. Before she arrives, no one tells Elspeth that Mary is a mute. Despite this she does start to form a strong bond with the child.

But all is not well in the house. Miss Gillies, the mistress, seems to regard Mary, her niece, with distaste.. And the servant, Greer, is positively hostile. As strange occurrences become more frequent, Elspeth begins to suspect that some of the goings on have no rational explanation. And the strange whistling she hears at night is of a supernatural origin.

This is a well written, intricate story, which will keep you guessing until the last page.

This book is terrifying. It grips you from the outset and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Gothic, Mysterious and utterly flawless

Wooooh 👻 it’s spooky season again and this haunting gothic tale is a perfect wintery read to set a chill in your bones.

Set in 1860, Elspeth is left all alone in the world when her sister dies in a tragic accident. Leaving city life behind she travels to the remote Scottish Island of Skelthsea to work as a nanny. Her young charge is Mary, who has suffered tragedy of her own. She is mute since losing her twin brother in mysterious circumstances.

As Elspeth gets used to the decaying granduer of her new home, Iskar, and the secrecy of the Island residents, strange occurrences start to shake her belief in the rational and scientific. A strange whistling seeps through the ancient corridors at night and Mary seems to see things that aren’t there. Are there supernatural causes or does the answer lie with the secrets of the living?

This novel is jam packed with gothic conventions and has an atmospheric prose that reads a little like a 19th century novel. The island and the house, which are at the mercy of harsh wintery storms and mists, are described in evocative detail, enhancing the creeping isolation and claustrophobic atmosphere.

The plot is cleverly thought out. The secrets lie just beyond view for most of the novel, adding to the intrigue, and reveal themselves in a eerie and slow burning manner.

This supernatural mystery would make a great read for fans of the classic haunted house story. Perfect read for a spine-tingling Halloween.

Elspeth is newly arrived on the Scottish island of Skelthsea, ready to be a nanny for the strangely silent bereaved twin Mary. The house is brooding and spooky, and one of the maids seems to hate Elspeth for no good reason. There’s uncanny whistling and ghostly lullabies echoing through the wind-battered house and Elspeth starts to suspect that all is not well.

This novel had all the hallmarks and tropes of a good haunting ghost story, but for me it didn’t quite work. Perhaps I wasn’t in the right mood.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

On the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea, Elspeth Swansome takes on a position as a nanny.
Her charge, Mary, hasn't uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William - just days after their former nanny disappeared. But no one will speak of what happened to William.
Just as no one can explain the lullabies sung in empty corridors.
Nor the strange dolls that appear in abandoned rooms.
Nor the faint whistling that comes in the night . .
As winter draws in, Elspeth finds herself increasingly trapped.
But is this house haunted by the ghosts of the past?
OR THE SECRETS OF THE LIVING . . . ?

Excellent creepy gothic read which is perfect for this time of year
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

⭐️ 3 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This well-written, character driven story is creepy and atmospheric. Set on a remote Scottish island, the description of which adds weight to the general feeling of eeriness and foreboding.

The characters are well rounded and believable.
The story is well plotted, with twists and turns I didn’t predict.

The pacing is quite slow, sometimes a little too slow for my liking, but still an enjoyable read - perfect for the spooky season.

This is a great book, very creepy and mysterious. Well written and enjoyable plot.
It really keeps you guessing until the end , which comes as a surprise.
The menace of the house and the surroundings is palpable and you really do feel part of the plot.

This is a perfect book for the run up to Halloween!
Isolation, a silent child, possible witchcraft and a haunted house-perfect!!

A remote Scottish island, an old creepy mansion, family tragedies, mysterious appearances and deaths, and rumours of witchcraft - what's not to love! Atmospheric and evocative and just completely unsettlingly eerie. A real quality read

Fantastic read! I absolutely loved this, it was spooky and scary with so much tension and a great plot. Set on a remote Scottish island, with a big crumbling mansion, winter storms, folklore, witchcraft, damaged relationships, fractured families, bereavements, sibling love and rivalry and plenty of strong female characters. Ticking all my boxes! It was so compelling, I had to read more yet was gutted when it was over, I found all the elements really worked and I really believed in the central characters. Dark and brooding atmospheres, the descriptions of the weather, the relentless rains and icy chills, all added to the story and the depiction of the main house almost made it a character in itself. The relationships in this story really shone through, the memories Elspeth has of her own family and how that plays over the relationships within family she is now with. Just brilliant. I think if you enjoyed books like Rebecca or The Little Stranger then this will suit you, the writing is definitely up there. Highly recommend!

Come here for something fresh and inventive in the Gothic tradition. In a decrepit mansion on a remote Scottish island is Mary, a nine year old living with her aunt and servants, and struck mute with the death of her parents and recently her brother, and the vanishing, America-wards, of her nanny. Elspeth is new to the island, running from a similar family tragedy of her own, and using that connection to try and forge a bond with the younger girl. And Mary might well need all the help and succour she can get, for evil entities seem afoot on the island and in the house – and Elspeth might well not be immune to their terrors either...

Flawed households, flawed houses, an earthiness from a rural location – so much of this is a Gothic kind of drama. But that's all given a quite new flavour (certainly new to me) by its Scottish setting, and some unusual island folklore. The island didn't come across perfectly to me – I wish the narrating Elspeth considered eye colours and nose shapes less and gave us a less woolly lie of the land for us to fix the places and topography – but it certainly adds a different mood to everything here. The book also manages to tumble around in a genre maelstrom – starting out as (thankfully hokum-free) Gothic, becoming a true ghost story, then leaning more towards a mystery novel. No love of any genre is needed to enjoy this, however – it is a distinctive read many will find creepiness and emotion alike with. Certainly a strong four stars.

It's getting to that time of year when the nights are getting darker earlier, there's a chill in the air and Hallowe'en is coming up. It's also the time when I get brave and add a ghostly story or two to my reading list. How ominous does that front cover of The Whistling look?

Right from the outset the author makes the house of Iskar and the island of Skealthsea sound bleak and cold, a very unwelcoming place. There's sorrow and mystery from the start with tragic deaths not to be discussed, locked rooms, a grieving child who is an elective mute and the cold and distant aunt who is her guardian.

This is not a fast paced read but rather the author gradually builds up the eeriness and draws you into the story. A web of intrigue, secrets, lies and danger bind the elements of this story together.

The Whistling is an atmospheric and unsettling book. Read it with the curtains closed and the lights on...

There was a lot of promise with this one, but the pacing was off. The slow start made it feel like a bit of a chore to pick up. Unfortunately, while it does start to build, once it started feeling like homework I found it hard to give in to the story.

Comparisons are also not fair, but I was hoping for something more along the lines of The Silent Companions. Having also recently read another book set on a Scottish island with an atmospheric bent to the writing and story I found this one a little lacking.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book definitely had the spooky, gothic vibes I was anticipating and the general theme fits in well with this time of year. However, I didn’t absolutely love it. It is written very well but I found the pace more on the slow side for my personal preferences and at times felt that I was reading just to get to the end rather than being engaged with the story. The plot, which is executed well, isn’t particularly unique and I’ve read many books that share the same tropes and twists so it didn’t feel especially memorable.

The mood and atmosphere are really strong points in The Whistling but as a story it doesn’t stand out for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.