Description
'Chills you to your bones . . .
more unsettling and beautiful than you can imagine' 5* READER REVIEWAlone in the world, Elspeth Swansome has taken the position of nanny to a family on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea. Her charge, Mary, is a troubled child. Distracted and secretive, she hasn't uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William - just days after their former nanny disappeared.
With Mary defiantly silent, Elspeth turns to the islanders. But no one will speak of what happened to William. Just as no one can explain the hypnotic lullabies sung in empty corridors.
Nor the strange dolls that appear in abandoned rooms. Nor the faint whistling that comes in the night . .
. As winter draws in and passage to the mainland becomes impossible, Elspeth finds herself trapped. But is this house haunted by the ghosts of the past?OR THE SECRETS OF THE LIVING..?Chilling, twisty and emotionally gripping, The Whistling is an atmospheric page-turner with shades of the classics, yet a unique character of its own.
Perfect for fans of Susan Hill and Laura Purcell. 'I was sucked in from page one and read it in one fell swoop' 5* READER REVIEW'A wicked twist . .
. brilliant, scary, clever. Horror writing at its best' 5* READER REVIEW'A great story with moments of heart-grabbing terror, beautifully written' 5* READER REVIEW
My Review
'Utterly gripping, beautifully written, chill you to the core page turner.'
If you've read my book reviews before you'll know that I don't often have great things to say about books written in 1st person; well that is about to change! The Whistling is so beautifully written that it has totally converted me. I fell in love with the style of writing right from the start, it made me realise that 1st person writing can work. The story is set in 1860, historical settings are another thing I don't usually enjoy. This one I did, this one was so well detailed that I felt like I was there; I could feel the chill in the breeze and taste salt in the air.
The book is separated into 3 parts, the first part is slow burning, not in a negative way at all, in such a beautiful way. The scene is set, you become immersed in the setting and you really can imagine being on Skelthsea. You get to know Elspeth and the other characters whilst also being introduced to the idea that things are not all as they seem.
In the second part the pace speeds up and I have to admit I was utterly hooked, I could not put the book down. I just wanted to push on a find out what was happening. I've said before that I can usually work out plot lines, this one though I will admit it had me guessing right until the end.
I loved how it ended, i loved that things were wrapped up and answered and I loved how what most often is seen as bad was actually good. (hard to explain without spoiling, hopefully you'll understand what I mean once you've read it)
I highly recommend The Whistling, i think it's the perfect read for this Halloween!
I also hope there is a sequel, I can picture it in my head now!
Rating
5 out of 5 stars, I don't give that very often!
It is available to pre-order now at www.bettysbooks.co.uk
*Thank you to Michael J Books for sending me this proof copy to read and review.