Crime with a twist of horror
When Tom and his son Jake move to Featherbank they think it will be a new and fresh start, but when the whispers start and a boy goes missing, are they truly safe?
The Whisper Man really surprised me (in a good way!) I was expecting a somewhat standard if well written abduction crime thriller and what I got was a fantastic read that delved into horror and the supernatural at times as well. None of these felt unrealistic as part of the narrative, there were some parts of it that really got me making sure the doors were locked and the lights were on after reading! I liked how the chapters bounced between perspectives - from perpetrator, detective, victim, father and son with a mix of third and first person narration as well to make it easy to tell whose story you were reading. You got enough chapters in a perspective to really feel like you got to know some of the key players but also enough was held back to keep secrets and still allow for twists which is quite a tricky thing to balance from other books that I have read.
The plot is well constructed and paced to leave you wanting to read more - I finished it in a day as I was so hooked! I also liked that Alex North is not afraid to pull punches with his plot developments. You truly didn't know what was going to happen next. This did not feel like a debut at all and I shall certainly be on the lookout for more of North's work in future!
Overall The Whisper Man is a great crime thriller with a horror twist that leaves you captivated and guessing at every turn. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.