𝖶𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗅𝖾

ARC Review - release date expected 5th June 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BLURB
Evil has a one track mind…
Celebrated children’s author and illustrator Annie Blunt has had a dreadful year. Her husband was killed in a tragic accident, then one of her children’s books ignited a major scandal. Desperate for a fresh start, she moves with her young son Charlie to a charming small town in upstate New York where they can begin to heal.
But Annie’s year is about to get worse.
Bored and lonely in their isolated new surroundings, Charlie is thrilled when he finds a forgotten train set in a locked shed in the grounds of their new house. While Annie is pleased to see Charlie happy, there’s something unsettling about his new toy. Strange sounds wake Annie in the night – she’s sure she can hear a train in the middle of the night, although there isn’t an active line for miles. And then bizarre things start happening in the neighbourhood. But even stranger, Annie can’t seem to stop drawing a disturbing new character that has no place in a children’s book…
Grief plays tricks on the mind, but Annie is beginning to think she’s walked out of one nightmare straight into another, only this one is far more terrifying…


This is my first read by Linwood Barclay and it did not disappoint … a very creepy supernatural horror/thriller … I am a sucker of toy possession horror movies so this was right up my street … two stories over past and present blended together with the common factor of these train sets was incredibly written I was hooked.

Strong pacing throughout which some times books of this genre lack.

I think fans of Stephen King and criminal minds are going to love this and I highly recommend it!

Thank you so much to @nrtgalley and @hq stories for my epub arc .. and to @linwood for writing a brilliant book! This isn’t one I’ll forget anytime soon!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

This was my first Linwood Barclay book, and it did not disappoint! Whistle is a creepy, fast-paced horror story with a unique and eerie premise.

Annie Blunt moves to a small town with her son, Charlie, hoping for a fresh start. But when Charlie finds an old model train set in their new home, strange things start happening—phantom train whistles, disturbing drawings, and an unsettling history tied to their house. Meanwhile, in another timeline, police chief Harry Cook investigates a similar train set with terrifying consequences. As their stories connect, the true horror behind the train is revealed.

The book has a strong Stephen King vibe, with small-town secrets and supernatural chills. The pacing kept me hooked, and I loved the mix of mystery and horror. A great read for anyone who enjoys eerie, suspenseful stories. I’ll definitely be checking out more from Barclay!

I've read lots of books by Linwood Barclay and enjoyed them all but this a departure from his normal twisty thriller. It's a twisty horror thriller with a Stephen King feel. It's got all of the ingredients to keep you hooked. Do yourself a favour and read this book.

Annie and her young son Charlie rent a house in the country for the summer.
Strange things start to happen when her son finds an old train set in the shed.
This is a creepy story told in two different timelines.
A very different book from the previous books I have read by this author but I enjoyed reading it. A real page turner.
Thank you to NetGalley and for HQ my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Linwood Barclay meets Stephen King, but with enough Linwood thriller stuff to keep you reading. A page turner to say the least with slightly different timelines woven in.


I had to stop reading two-thirds through though. What happens if the bad luck happenstance stuff transfers from the book and happens to me or my family in real life; and the more I read the book the worse it gets? I dread to think what could happen if I finished it. Not worth the life risk.

Bravo Mr Barclay - Whistle is a brilliant read, everything I want from a book was here and so much more! Hardly surprising as another favourite of mine was a Barclay book too.

I have a bad habit when reading on kindle of not paying too much attention to the title/author (unless it is a book I've been hugely anticipating) and so after one particularly surprising event in the book I found myself going back to the home screen muttering 'what the f--- am I reading' swiftly followed by a chuckle and 'of course' when I realised who the author was!

Impossible to explain but put me firmly in mind of a Stephen King style novel and I enjoyed every twisted horrible brilliant minute of it.

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily

This book is so different from the previous books I’ve read by this author as he delves into the world of the supernatural. It’s creepy in a Twilight Zone kind of way and strangely addictive. Linwood Barclay has always had a flair for original storylines and he is a great storyteller so of course he can get away with a story about a killer train set! Set in two timelines one in 2001 with Harry and one in the present day with Annie and you do spend most of the book wondering how these come together, but it does link in the end. This is probably not for the die hards of this genre but if you’re looking for a quirky read then jump aboard and join the ride. Another winner for me from Mr Barclay

4+
‘The train goes running along the line
Jicketty-can, Jicketty -can….’ and a dingdingding, woo-woo and maybe even a chuff-chuff.

In Lucknow, NY, Edwin Nabler, aka Mr Choo, is settling into his new shop selling toy trains, his business seems to be doing more than okay. However, strange if not macabre things are happening in Lucknow which is perplexing to say the least for police Chief Harry Cook. Apart from any other incidents, people keep hearing a train whistle which is distinctly odd as no trains run anywhere near Lucknow. Something is off, very off, is it dumb luck or something way more sinister?

Meanwhile, author Annie Blunt has had one heck of an awful year and needs to get out of New York City and go where no one knows her or her son Charlie. Her editor Finnegan finds her somewhere three hours away in upstate New York and on their arrival the house seems perfect and they start to settle in. After Charlie finds a forgotten train set in the shed a number of strange, creepy things occur that make no sense but it’s enough to freak her out and Annie is a very rational woman.

Clever, very clever. Chilling and creepy as and very Stephen King-esque with strong, dark supernatural elements that make my mind work overtime and my jaw drop in shock on more than one occasion. It’s not over the top gory but clearly there’s horror. I like the changing points of view from Annie to Chief Cook and so on which does give some breathing space and both these are likeable characters whereas let’s settle for Mr. Choo being somewhat of an enigma.

The novel hooks me in from the get go and there’s lots to puzzle over and keep you interested and entertained throughout. It’s written in the authors trademark straightforward style with no messing about, just telling the tale at a brisk chugger-chugger pace. It’s full of tension, it builds dramatically and how. I like how the storytelling goes full circle and links together in an excellent and very satisfying finale.

So, jump aboard the train but buckle up as you’re in for a very twisty ride and remember [time and] Tide wait for no man.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated EPUB in return for an honest review.

I loved this book, not Linwoods usual crime/triller but I loved it all the same. The characters and dual pov were amazing and I was hooked from the beginning. Such an easy read and great if you want to binge a book!

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Reminds me of the early Stephen King books.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

I usually love Linwood Barclay but this book was a little too different for me. The writing was up to his usual standard but this genre is not for me.

Rounding up to 3 ⭐


I've read a fair few Barclay books over the years, and enjoyed them.
This one, just not so much.
I don't know if it was the change in genre , I don't associate him with supernatural/horror type books.
I don't know if it's because the story felt like something I read before, felt too familiar, which left me feeling a bit bored at times.
Sadly it just didn't work for me .

I am a big fan of Linwood Barclay and I love his crime thrillers. This book is a horror/supernatural story which is not my favourite genre. However, Linwood Barclay is a brilliant writer and I became hooked from the first page. I loved the dual timelines and multiple POVs. It was tense and fast-paced so I raced through the book in record time. I still prefer his crime thrillers which I hope he will continue to write. This book would appeal to fans of Stephen King.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This novel was really absorbing and the characters of Annie and Charlie were very well drawn. Annie, a writer, is widowed, she loses her husband in a car accident where a hit and run driver was involved. She is contacted by her agent who says he has he perfect house for her out of the city, New York, but what is waiting for her there is more nightmarish than she could have imagined. I found this a really good story and the supernatural element was unexpected, but by the time that I discovered the supernatural element of the book I was totally hooked. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

Only just got this book to review and have read it already. So good have ordered the audiobook version. We all know the author writes really well so it’s no surprise this book is good. As always you get a great well rounded well written pacey thriller. Fantastic book.