Well…I began the blog by numbering my reads for 2020. But since I am only posting reviews for books that have already been published, I decided that may become a little too challenging moving forward. So I will just say my latest read was The Whisper Man by Alex North.
Plot Summary: A young boy is kidnapped on his way home one night. The local authorities soon find surprising parallels to kidnappings that took place twenty-five years ago in the same small town. The only problem? The person responsible for those crimes, “The Whisper Man,” (named for the way he whispered the boys’ names outside their bedroom windows before he kidnapped them) has been in jail for twenty-five years. Is it the work of a copycat? Did the original “Whisper Man” have an accomplice? These are questions the local police are struggling to answer as they investigate the latest kidnapping.
Meanwhile, a recently widowed father and his young son move to the same town for a fresh start to help them heal from the death of their wife/mother. The father soon finds someone lurking on his property and hears noises he can’t explain. Then one night, his young son starts hearing whispers outside his house……
Category: Mystery/Thriller
My Review: I’m not going to lie…this book is creepy at times. It is told in alternating voices with flashbacks to the kidnappings twenty-five years ago. I thought the author did a great job of telling the story through the eyes of the different characters. The transitions between chapters were easy to follow and allowed the story to unfold in a way that kept the reader invested in all the characters. There were definitely surprises and twists that occurred throughout the book, many of which I did not see coming.
However, this is a hard one to review without giving away too many details. I will say that several aspects of the book that leave you questioning what is happening are wrapped up and explained at the end. And I would say the ending overall was satisfying except for one part that I didn’t feel was completely necessary. The subject matter is also somewhat disturbing since it involves crimes against young children. But I did not feel that the story was overly graphic and violent.
Disclaimer: R for language and themes
Do You Read Me?: I would say yes with the disclaimers above. Parts of the story are a little creepy and the subject matter is dark. But it is a fast paced thriller that I think is overall worth the read.