“How well do you know the woman next door?”

The somewhat run down, but filled with potential, little house in the rural setting of Avoncote is just what Stina and Jack dreamed of for a new start. Added to the seemingly idyllic spot is the wonderfully welcoming neighbour Mrs Barley. But is this change a dream come true for Stina and Jack, or is it the beginning of a nightmare?

Whisper Cottage opens with a chilling prologue that sets up the tone for the rest of the book. It is a gripping tale that captured my attention right off the bat and although it does move at a slightly slower pace, I was still invested and wanted to see how it would all unfold.

Anne Wyn Clark does a great job of setting up a creepy and dark atmosphere throughout and as the tale progresses, so does the tension and suspense. I enjoyed its characters and undertones of the supernatural, as well as its twists and turns in the lead up to its finale.

As a debut, I think Anne Wyn Clark has done a great job with this book. She has crafted a very enjoyable and entertaining read and I look forward to reading more from her.

This was an enjoyable book, which had a spooky element to it. Following moving to a new village, strange things start happening. There was good pacing of this book which started as a slow burner.

The narration of the book I feel added to the story and gave it even more of a spooky element.

Overall enjoyed this and would read more by this author.

A spooky domestic thriller with a satisfying twist! I found this quite addictive listening on the lead up to Halloween.
The narrator was excellent.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the complimentary audiobook!

A good read and an original storyline. My only criticism would be that Stina was a little gullible and naïve and this was quite frustrating. After all the spooky 👻 going's on , Pagan dolls and chanting that she saw in Mrs Barleys house she allowed her to look after her newborn daughter ! Besides that the book had a good ending that you didn’t see coming! Ideal book for Halloween 🎃

The narrator was good and easy to listen too , though I did find at times she left long gaps between sentences

This is a compelling mystery, thriller about a family who move into a little cottage to start their lives together. The cottage is completely run down, but they receive help from their lovely neighbours. Especially Mrs Barley who quickly becomes a friend.

All is blissful and the family settle in well, until one day Stina sees a mysterious figure in the widow’s garden, and her happy new life begins to unravel. And when she hears strange noises in the night, she is forced to question if Mrs Barley is what she seems.

This audiobook was so good! The narrators voice fitted perfectly with this book. This is a great story for getting into the autumnal feeling and reading during spooky season

Oh my what a fantastic book this book is about moving to a quiet village only to find your living next to a very strange old lady. Strongly suspecting her to be a witch of sorts and watching out for a strange man who just seems to appear. Strange happenings throughout the book this constantly adds to the intrigue.
The local village isn’t a fan of Mrs Bailey which Steiner thinks is so unfair as she’s just an elderly lady.
The ending was mesmerizing you will never expect what happened
Being a pagan myself I really related to this book
I would definitely give this book 5*

Whisper Cottage By: Anne Wyn Clark
Narrated by: Lauren Moakes and Length of the audio book is: 9 hrs and 39 mins. I really enjoyed this audiobook and the narrator was very good - she was perfect for it!

Whisper Cottage was a creepy audiobook with lots of secrets........that come out in the open very slowly throughout the book.
It's full of suspense with lots twists and turns throughout that will have your gripped!.

EXCERPT:

"When Stina and Jack move to an old rural cottage, they’re hoping for a fresh start. However, their new home is run-down compared to their neighbour’s, but generous Mrs Barley quickly becomes a friend. When, Stina sees a mysterious figure in the widow’s garden, and her happy new life begins to unravel.
And when she hears strange noises in the night, she is forced to question if Mrs Barley is what she seems."

Why do the other villagers whisper about her?

Why is she so eager to help the couple?

And what is she hiding in her picture-perfect home?

I highly recommend Whisper Cottage......I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Think that this is the first book that has made me gasp out loud and shed a real tear in quite sometime. The characters are well thought out and portrayed wonderfully. The descriptions of surrounding areas, settings and homes are so well articulated you feel you could almost be stood next to the character., seeing what they are seeing.

Stina and Tom move to Wisteria Cottage in the beautiful English village of Avoncote hoping for a new start. They have their beautiful baby Ellody and are looking forward to family life in a village setting. The old lady next door, Mrs Barley, is very helpful and they soon become friends but why do the villagers avoid her? There are soon strange things happening which make Stina wonder if Mrs Barley is as nice as she first seemed. But then Stina also has a secret so perhaps it is better not to dig. Absolutely gripping and beyond creepy!

This creepy Thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat, right until the very last moment. I was drawn into the book from the very start and could not put the book down. I just couldn't predict what was going to happen next. There were so many unexpected things happening, i found my brain going into overdrive trying to predict the next move. So many mysteries to try and solve keeps the excitement flowing. Was the supernatural involved, or was the neighbour involve in some kind of witchcraft. Could the old lady next door really be cause of all the troubles that are happening in the village! Well you will have to read this brilliantly written book to find out for yourself.
This book was gripping, mysterious, page turning novel with a excellent sense of atmosphere and tension. I really love suspense thrillers. Thanks to the author and publishing team for bringing us this amazing book.
I listening to the audio book and found the narrator just added to the excellent sense of tension, suspense and the atmosphere within the book.
I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Also posted to goodreads, amazon, Barnes&noble, waterstones, kobo, Google books and my blog
https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/whisper-cottage-by-anne-wyn-clark-harper-collins-5-stars

I keep going back and forth on whether to give this book a two or one star because the more I think about it the more angry and disappointed i feel.

Described as a haunting twisty story in a small town with a suspicious neighbour this book seriously under delivered for me. I felt as though the entire book was just building to something that definitely wasn't satisfying or in my opinion the right move. Just an fyi if you’re going into this book for a supernatural spooky neighborhood vibe, it is not that.

Stina and Jack move from the city to quaint and quiet Avoncote to settle down and start their family. Their new neighbor who they find is nothing but a delight has a dark cloud of whispers and rumours surrounding her which at first sound completely ridiculous until it starts to seem that the truth might not be so far away at all.

Stina as a character was a little bit infuriating at times with her blind support and trust of a woman she knew for not even five minutes but other than that no one in the book was especially horrible or a,azing, at times it felt that even though we were discovering so much about our characters, mainly Stina, that none of them were dimensional or captivating rather. They just felt like a vehicle for the story and you never felt any genuine concern for them which I feel in a thriller is necessary for me to enjoy the story.

The last hour was one of the most disappointing experiences I’ve had in a while and I think I sat there listening for a while thinking “this is not what i gave 10 hours of my life for”

I dont really know what else to say about this book other than the narrator was alright and I’m glad its over ? Anyways my streak of disappointing books is apparently going strong.

Thank you to #netgalley and Harper Collins UK audio for this audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

On the first off I must say that Whisper Cottage is a rather creepy book verging on spooky. If I had known this at the start I would not have choosen to read/listen to it BUT .... it drew me in and I just had to know what was going on so I kept going. In the end there is a slightly more 'logical' although still very macarb explaination for all the preamble. I don't want to say more here as the blurb does it better and I might give too much away.
All in all it is written with a skillful level of build up and suspense. To begin with you wonder if it's just another romantic village tale but don't be fooled! In the audio version the narrator grated on me at the start but I soon appreciated her work.

Stina and Jack move in the countryside, hoping to build the perfect life for the baby they are expecting. They live next door to Mrs Barley, an elderly lady, shunned by the village with mysterious rumours floating about her past and her herbal remedies. Stina is settled in her new life but her suspicions are ignited when she sees a mysterious man enter her neighbour’s garden. Coupled with mysterious noises during the night from next door, Stina feels unnerved and unsafe. How is her neighbour really and will her and her baby be safe living next door?

It’s an interesting idea for a novel and there are plenty of events within the plot to make it exciting for readers…but I felt a bit disconnected from the book for some reason and began to lose interest. I didn’t feel that Stina’s actions and thought processes were believable - finding a secret letter and not reading it. She felt quite a weak character and because of these events which should be spooky and atmospheric, didn’t have the same impact they would have if hadn’t have been so irritated by the lead character. The end was rushed , with loose ends. Why would someone who is considered “evil” just stop and go away?

The narrator read well and I appreciated the range of accents used in the audiobook. My issues were with the plot and not the audiobook narrator, whose narration I would listen to again in a different book.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest opinion.

My thanks to Avon Books U.K. for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Whisper Cottage’ by Anne Wyn Clark in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook is narrated by Lauren Moakes and has a running time of 9 hours, 39 minutes at 1x speed.

This proved an intriguing and atmospheric domestic noir/mystery that held my attention throughout.

In 2012 Stina and Jack are hoping for a fresh start away from the stresses of urban life and move into Wisteria Cottage in the Warwickshire village of Avoncote. They are quickly befriended by their elderly neighbour Mrs Barley, whose cottage adjoins theirs.
 
When Stina spots a mysterious figure in the widow’s garden and hears strange noises, these incidents increasingly play on her mind. Then there are the villagers who whisper about Mrs Barley. Her insular lifestyle and interest in folklore, herbs, charms, and the like has people murmuring that she is a witch. Yet Stina doesn’t consider herself the superstitious type despite the bumps in the night and Mrs Barley’s eccentricity.

Stina’s pregnancy and then being befriended by the widow next door did evoke fleeting memories of ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ for me. It added to the suspense.

‘Whisper Cottage’ proved a slow burn with the author building up the day-to-day lives of her characters as well as life in the village over a period of time. I especially liked the way that despite the suspicions of the villagers, Mrs Barley’s beliefs were not sensationalised. With Warwickshire having a rural tradition of folk magic and witchcraft, it seemed a fitting setting.

As well as this being Anne Wyn Clark’s debut novel, this appears to be Lauren Moakes’ first time narrating an audiobook. I found her delivery confident and clear. She did well in capturing Stina’s first person narration as well as the voices of its various supporting characters. So I expect that she will soon be adding more audiobooks to her CV.

Overall, I found ‘Whisper Cottage’ an engaging mystery with good characterisations and genuinely interesting twists and turns. I felt that it was an assured debut and look forward to her future projects.

I loved this audiobook and I found that it pulled me in and kept me wanting to listen all the time, to find out what would happen next. I love it when a book does that to me.

I thought this was going to be a psychological thriller, but it felt more like a women's fiction book with some mystery thrown into it. Nevertheless, I found it superb and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The narrator of the book was great and she kept me reeled in at all times.

The story is about Stina and Jack, their baby and their dog, who move to a new cottage and find mysterious happenings going on at the house next door. Mrs Barley lives there and they are not sure what to make of her, as she is often thought of as being a witch and the community don't really like her. However, she is always nice to Stina and Jack and she helps them a lot with their new baby, so they are not sure what to think of her. What secrets does she hold from her past? Who is the mysterious man that Stina keeps seeing in Mrs Barley's garden?

This is an intriguing read that will leave you wanting more! I highly recommend it. If you are looking for a slow paced mystery with not a lot of gore in it, then this is the book for you. It is fantastic.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting blurb and the beginning really had my attention but the pace was extremely slow for the duration of the middle and then felt like it went into fast forward for the last section. I know the author was building the suspense for the outcome but with some storylines they were built up but came to nothing. I just needed a little more going on throughout the read. I did like the characters but some things just didn’t add up. The narration was very good and the different voices were extremely well done. I particularly liked the Mrs Barleys narration. It’s not that I didn’t like or enjoy this listen it just lacked some oomph throughout to keep you engaged.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this ARC that was published on the 3rd of Sept.

A suspenseful and chilling thriller, made better by listening to the audio book, rather than simply reading. The narrator does an excellent job of voices and accents, and the pace suits the story perfectly.

Creepy, twisty and fill of surprises, it's a great listen.

EXCERPT: There were several villages within spitting distance of the practice, which was just outside Stratford-Upon-Avon. Jack was enthusiastic about living close to the surgery, declaring that he could even cycle to work in the warmer weather. Eventually we had plumped for picturesque Avoncote, largely because of the house we had discovered there. We fell in love with Whisper Cottage at first sight. It was one of two semi-detached houses, set apart on a short stretch of road towards the centre of the hamlet. Uneven cobbles winding to a frontage festooned with lilac blooms beneath a thatched roof; endearingly small and perfect newlyweds expecting their first child. Yes, there was a good deal of work to be done, and we were going to have to throw some serious money at the place - something we could ill afford, the mortgage stretching us to the limit - but the location was ideal, and the house had such potential. We moved in at the end of April, the whole summer stretching out before us, leaving several months to prepare for our upcoming arrival.

The chocolate-box village itself, quintessentially English and slightly twee, with its small, close-knit community, seemed like the answer to our prayers. It was like something out of a Miss Marple novel. There was a village green, complete with stocks - thankfully no longer in use. It even boasted a maypole. Next to the green, a large circular duck pond was enclosed by a low wooden barrier. The spire of a beautiful old church pierced the skyline, its immaculately maintained graveyard filled with generations of village's former occupants. Beyond the church, a canal passed through the village, the towpath providing a scenic walk towards the centre of Stratford.

ABOUT 'WHISPER COTTAGE': When Stina and Jack move to an old rural cottage, they’re hoping for a fresh start. Their new home is run-down compared to their neighbour’s, but generous Mrs Barley quickly becomes a friend.

Until Stina sees a mysterious figure in the widow’s garden, and her happy new life begins to unravel. And when she hears strange noises in the night, she is forced to question if Mrs Barley is what she seems.

Why do the other villagers whisper about her? Why is she so eager to help the couple? And what is she hiding in her picture-perfect home?

MY THOUGHTS: First off, I am going to state that I don't consider Whisper Cottage to be a psychological thriller. In my eyes, it is more of a mystery, and a very good one, a very enjoyable one.

Whisper Cottage is a slow burner. Clark takes her time in setting the scene, but I liked the way she did this, sewing little and seemingly inconsequential seeds of doubt that niggle like a burr caught in your clothing that you just can't find to remove.

The opening chapter is set in 1964, and gives no clue as to who is involved. This doesn't become apparent until later in the book.

In real time, we learn about Stina's background, her mother's mental instability, and her own fears that she may follow in her mother's footsteps. Husband Jack is the sensible one, soothing Stina and quietening her fears.

Mrs Barley, their elderly next door neighbour, is lovely and kind to Stina and Jack, making them welcome and plying them with her home cooking. But why do the rest of the villagers have nothing to do with the old lady? What is behind their warnings to Stina to keep her at a distance? And why do bad things happen to those who cross her?

Who is the mystery man? The one that sneaks in and out of Mrs Barley's summerhouse, the one that no one but Stina has seen, the man Mrs Barley claims she has no knowledge of.

I loved the gradual ramping up of tension, the way the author left me hanging as normal life resumed, the oddities seemingly swept under the carpet by Jack's logic, but lingering like ghostly presences.

If you like a slightly creepy mystery, with a few clever twists, then I am recommending Whisper Cottage. I loved it, and will be looking for more to read from this author. NOTE: At the time of writing this review I was unaware that this is Anne Wyn Clark's debut novel. An excellent debut, and an author worth watching.

Lauren Moakes was the narrator, and her smooth, honeyed speech was well suited to this story and added to my enjoyment.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#WhisperCottage #NetGalley

I: #annewynclark #harpercollinsukaudio @avonbooksuk

T: @EAClarkAuthor @HarperCollinsUK @AvonBooksUK

#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #mystery #suspense

THE AUTHOR: Anne Wyn Clark lives in the Midlands with her husband and son, plus a rather temperamental cat, a rabbit and a chinchilla. She has three (now grown-up) children and five grandchildren. She is particularly partial to Italian food, decent red wine (or any coloured wine come to that…) and cake – and has been known to over-indulge in each on occasions. She has a penchant for visiting old graveyards and speculating on the demise of those entombed beneath. (Amazon)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK audio, Avon via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of Whisper Cottage written by Anne Wyn Clark and narrated by Lauren Moakes for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Firstly, I really liked the narration. That is so important when listening to an audiobook.
This was a gripping tale and one that had me coming up with all sorts of answers to the puzzles. I was wrong in every case.
Mrs Barley, Stina's elderly next-door neighbour has a bad reputation in the village with locals accusing her of witchcraft. To be fair she is a right old battle axe to the local children. But perhaps she has reason to be. She is always lovely to Stina ... but does she just have some evil plan for her? And how comes Trina keeps seeing Mrs Barley's long dead love in the garden?
Read or listen to this one. It's a great read with a lovely(?) little surprise ending.

Narrator 5 stars
The story 2..5 stars


This story is by no means haunting and twisty. To me it read as a family drama. Which was ok, but certainly not going to be memorable.

**for publishers only. This bit will not be left on s public review **
If I brought this from audible as a Phychological Thriller.. Honestly I would return it as I don't feel the blurb matches the actual story.