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serenityofbooks's review
4.0
After reading a few of the preview reviews of this book, which won the 2021 Banjo Prize for Fiction, I was really looking forward to getting it in my hands! The Whispering is the debut novel from Townsville based author Veronica Lando & it had me hooked from the very first page. I can’t wait to see more books from this author in the future!
Set in the cyclonic North QLD rainforest, the scenery is so beautifully written it feels like the untamed main character of the book which really sets the scene for the whole gripping mystery. It’s tricky to talk about the plot too much as I don’t want to give too much away but broadly it centers around the secrets of a small town & the impact on all those living there over generations.
I really enjoyed this book and it had me guessing right up to the very end!
Set in the cyclonic North QLD rainforest, the scenery is so beautifully written it feels like the untamed main character of the book which really sets the scene for the whole gripping mystery. It’s tricky to talk about the plot too much as I don’t want to give too much away but broadly it centers around the secrets of a small town & the impact on all those living there over generations.
I really enjoyed this book and it had me guessing right up to the very end!
oldladyonabike56's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
alexscott's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
melissa_reads37's review
3.0
Many Thanks to Bolinda audio via NetGalley for the arc of this audio book.
Narrator ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A slow paced crime mystery with an atmospheric and eerie feel set in a small town in Queensland, Australia,
While the premise of this book was enticing, and I looked forward to the the supernatural element, I just didn’t enjoy this one as much as I had hoped.
I found it confusing to follow at times, and felt the storyline was all over the place.
The narrator however was pleasant to listen to, which really makes or breaks an audio book for me.
Narrator ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A slow paced crime mystery with an atmospheric and eerie feel set in a small town in Queensland, Australia,
While the premise of this book was enticing, and I looked forward to the the supernatural element, I just didn’t enjoy this one as much as I had hoped.
I found it confusing to follow at times, and felt the storyline was all over the place.
The narrator however was pleasant to listen to, which really makes or breaks an audio book for me.
chloebloom's review
4.0
An atmospheric mystery thriller set in rural Australia. A slow burn plot with plenty of interesting and surprising twists and turns.
I highly recommend the audio version narrated wonderfully by David Tredinnick
Audiobook available in the UK from the 31st March 2023.
Thanks to Veronica Lando, Bolinda audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook.
I highly recommend the audio version narrated wonderfully by David Tredinnick
Audiobook available in the UK from the 31st March 2023.
Thanks to Veronica Lando, Bolinda audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook.
queencleo's review
4.0
My second jungle/rainforest book of 2022 and my second book in a row of atmospheric Australian mystery.
Journalist Callum Haffenden returns to his hometown that he left 30 years ago to help locate missing hiker Lachie Wyatt.
There is local talk of the Whispering Boulders, a natural rock formation that scares children into jumping from the cliffs to their deaths.
Just a story to scare children? Or does it have an element of truth? Everyone in the small town is harbouring a secret.
Read if you loved Forces of Nature by Jane Harper or anything by Chris Hammer. Read if you love Far North Queensland, Daintree Rainforest and spooky disappearance stories harking back to Picnic at Hanging Rock. Read if you liked Cedar Valley by Holly Throsby. Common elements include small town mystery, Australian weather events (cyclone), secrets, family drama, mortal peril
Journalist Callum Haffenden returns to his hometown that he left 30 years ago to help locate missing hiker Lachie Wyatt.
There is local talk of the Whispering Boulders, a natural rock formation that scares children into jumping from the cliffs to their deaths.
Just a story to scare children? Or does it have an element of truth? Everyone in the small town is harbouring a secret.
Read if you loved Forces of Nature by Jane Harper or anything by Chris Hammer. Read if you love Far North Queensland, Daintree Rainforest and spooky disappearance stories harking back to Picnic at Hanging Rock. Read if you liked Cedar Valley by Holly Throsby. Common elements include small town mystery, Australian weather events (cyclone), secrets, family drama, mortal peril
earofthedog's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Dementia, and Rape
Minor: Racial slurs, Drug use, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
just_wants_to_read's review
5.0
Don’t you just love it when a book just sneaks up and surprises you? The Whispering by @veronicalandoauthor did just that!!
Set in Far North Queensland the book has such an atmospheric setting that you feel like you are right there experiencing the tropical weather with the humidity and the constant rain with a cyclone fast approaching.
The story begins with Callum Heffenden returning to Granite Creek 30 years after he left vowing never to return.
A local man has gone missing and memories of the past begin to resurface of another 2 girls lost. Callum is determined to find answers about what happened to the missing local Lachie and about what happened in the past, all the while battling the whispers of the rainforest.
The book is full of twists and turns as the story is told from the present and the past. Just when you think you can put the book down you are given a twist that makes you want to keep on reading and the twists and turns down end till the very last page. While reading this as part of a daily read-along it was so hard to stop reading this riveting Australian debut novel.
Veronica Lando, I cannot wait to be front and centre to pick up your next novel!
Thanks to @harpercollinsaustralia and @tandemcollectiveglobal for my gifted copy.
Set in Far North Queensland the book has such an atmospheric setting that you feel like you are right there experiencing the tropical weather with the humidity and the constant rain with a cyclone fast approaching.
The story begins with Callum Heffenden returning to Granite Creek 30 years after he left vowing never to return.
A local man has gone missing and memories of the past begin to resurface of another 2 girls lost. Callum is determined to find answers about what happened to the missing local Lachie and about what happened in the past, all the while battling the whispers of the rainforest.
The book is full of twists and turns as the story is told from the present and the past. Just when you think you can put the book down you are given a twist that makes you want to keep on reading and the twists and turns down end till the very last page. While reading this as part of a daily read-along it was so hard to stop reading this riveting Australian debut novel.
Veronica Lando, I cannot wait to be front and centre to pick up your next novel!
Thanks to @harpercollinsaustralia and @tandemcollectiveglobal for my gifted copy.
lisa61's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0