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.