The Book:
The Whisper Man by Alex North, 2020
The Characters:
Tom and his son Jake
Police officers Amanda and Pete
Buy it on Amazon.
The Plot (from Goodreads):
After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town: Featherbank.
But Featherbank has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.
Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter’s crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man. And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window.
The Twist:
The current Whisper Man was the teacher’s aide at Jake’s school, George. He was the son of the original Whisper Man, and had seen the horrors his father committed. He had taken Jake “to protect him”, but was also crazy.
The Ending:
Pete dies due to the injuries from his fight with George. Tom and Jake begin to be able to open up to each other.
The little girl that Jake speaks to is his mother, from a photograph he found of her and anthropomorphized.
George’s father kills him in prison.
The Review:
I picked up The Whisper Man on the heels of The Shadows, which I absolutely loved. I’d seen that The Whisper Man was rated even higher, and I can’t help but agree. This was another example of a perfect thriller: fast-paced, intriguing, creepy, and suspenseful. All of the plot points were carefully thought out and satisfyingly wrapped up in the end. Alex North is turning out to be a master of the creepy-kid theme!
I loved the storyline of Tom’s struggling relationship with Jake in the wake of Jake’s mother’s death. The descriptions of how they both wanted to reach out and reconnect with the other but didn’t know how–man, I felt for both of them! Jake’s whole character was extremely well-developed, and I loved him and his realistic emotions.
Overall, The Whisper Man is definitely worth the hype it’s getting. I won’t reinvent the wheel by repeating what’s already been said, but it is definitely one I will be recommending!
