Whisper Cottage is a book with a solid premise, a wild twist and a witchy edge. It could have been a new favourite. The problem is that as soon as the intrigue started in the present, the reader is pulled back to the past. As such, the mystery is slow and clunky. Especially when the memories we are revisiting, such as Stina meeting and falling in love with her husband, turn out to be wholly irrelevant to the mystery in the present. It feels like women’s fiction, which is great I love women’s fiction but then the end ramps up and the mad, taboo twist is revealed, it feels a little jarring. The book is mostly good, however, the writing solid and the characters, especially the neighbour, are fleshed out and enjoyable to read. The story isn’t a bad one by any means but it could have done with a bit of something to liven up the middle. Still recommend to less critical or less widely read thriller readers, just know to expect a slow ride. The audiobook, by the way, was wonderful. I wasn’t sure about the narrator at first but I loved her regional accents and storytelling. She did a cracking job. Thank you so much to author, publisher and netgalley for the advanced listening copy of this one.

I initially found this a little slow and dull, but I’m really pleased I stuck with it. The first part sets the scene and establishes the characters. A couple move to a rather run down cottage and their neighbour isn’t all she first seems. On reflection, the story needs to build slowly, because the narrative is so well written that the claustrophobic sense of creepiness is almost palpable. It builds bit by but as one odd event after another increases the unease and adds to the mystery of whisperings and faces at windows.

It’s very well written because I felt my pulse racing a couple if times as I was listening. That’s the skill of a good author and overall, I didn’t see the plot twists towards the end. I enjoyed the audio version ( listening at night was unnerving!). Well narrated and after my initial reservation, I was hooked.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook to review!

I was really enjoying this one and I enjoyed the voices and characters throughout. However, I just found the ending kind of dull.

Overall, not a bad book but not great either!

Whisper Cottage follows Stina and Jack, new parents who move to Whisper Cottage only to find their neighbour Mrs Barley to be somewhat unnerving.

The narrator was great and really helped me engage with the story. It is a slow burn. A lot happens that you feel isn’t really significant in order to encourage you, as the reader, to believe one thing; when in fact that isn’t necessarily the case!

It’s labelled as a haunting, twisting story but I don’t feel that it was. The idea was brilliant but the execution could have been creepier and more suspenseful. The ending was also too neatly wrapped up, considering what happened in the closing chapters of the book.

CW: child loss, family dysfunction

I received an advanced audiobook preview copy for review

This one was just good enough, twisty in some parts, slow and sluggish in others. I agree with other reviewers that the main female protagonist is grating. 3.5 stars rounded up

I enjoyed the Narrater, the overall story was good and gad promise although I felt was areas where is dragged and was abit too long, the ending felt rushed, was very creepy in places.

A very slow burn. Long chapters but I got us d to them. The last few chapters were worth the wait although my mind had a different ending. Thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK Audio and Avon for giving me this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whisper Cottage - Anne Wyn Clark
Narrated by Lauren Moakes

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarily

How well do you know the woman next door? 

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. 

The local villagers call Mrs Barley a witch and when Stina sees a man in Mrs Barley's garden who no one else ever sees, this had just the right level of supernatural to keep me interested. Through the book, the suspense grows slowly with well developed characters.

Do not be put off by the slow start to the book, it is an engaging read with a creepy vibe. I found myself wanting to listen to this book every time I had a few spare minutes. The closer to the end you get, the faster the twists come, can you keep up?

Rating 4/5

I listened to the audiobook, rather than reading the novel.

I enjoyed this tale of a mysterious neighbour and possible ghostly goings on. I felt that it could have been made a great deal more sinister than it actually was. I felt that I could have been a lot more scared than I actually was !

The plot was entertaining, and right from the outset you know that something is going to happen , once the couple move to their quaint countryside cottage.

I really loved the characters in the book, I thought they were very well written, and they drew me in to their world.

The reason this is only a three star book for me, is because there were some pretty nasty goings on, and I felt that they were skipped over, and the ending could have been drawn out a lot more with more tension and suspense.

I do think the author is one to watch, not having read/listened to her before, I will definitely put her on my "authors to follow" list.

Whisper Cottage is a slow burn of a book, but it's anything but dull. Set in a quiet, sleepy village just outside of Warwickshire, it begins with the story of Stina and her husband, Jack, who have just moved into an old semi-detached cottage next door to the elderly mrs Barley. The couple who are expecting their first baby, cannot understand the strange rumours amongst the locals about the elderly widow, who so far has been so kind and generous to them...but then things start to happen. Who is the mysterious figure lurking around the property that only Stina seems able to see? What are the weird noises she hears at night coming from the attic they share with their neighbour? Could there be any truth in the hushed gossip about the old lady practicing witchcraft? This book gave me the creeps and had me feeling so uneasy! I've been wanting to listen to a spooky psychological thriller and this was perfect. The twists at the end threw me completely, I just wasn't expected that! I'm usually quite good at figuring out what's happening in a story, but Whisper Cottage really kept me guessing. The narration was fantastic, Lauren Moakes did a great job with different voices and accents for each character.

mystery or just rumour? Kept waiting for this story to move forward but it never did, guessed most of it and was hoping for twists and turns to prove me wrong but it never happened. Finished it but not really my sort of thing. Sweet little holiday read. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

This kept me listening, but it wasn’t the fast paced thriller I thought it would be - more of a slow mystery. I liked the characters and, as I said, was intrigued enough to listen to the end. It could’ve been a little shorter but was well written and I did enjoy it. I would read more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the audioARC of this book.