Reviews with content warning for Child death - The Whistling

I don't read a lot of horror, but I felt it was a good time to read this spooky read in time for Halloween. I did find this book quite mysterious in places and the premise of the story was set up well. Especially during the first half of the book, there were events that were spine-chilling and I felt immersed in certain scenes as though it were happening in front of my eyes.

This is a ghost story, and whilst I don't generally believe in ghosts, I found the story to be quite believable and the plot never felt unnatural. I marked it down from 4 stars to 3.5 because there were quite a lot of repeated phrases, which made the story as a whole less atmospheric and certain vocabulary didn't always flow. Alongside being a ghost story, there are also mysterious deaths which are central to the plot, and I had guessed who had committed those about two-thirds of the way in, to which they were revealed at the very end.

Despite this though, it was enjoyable and not super scary, which is absolutely what I was after. I would recommend for a spooky read!

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roya's review

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dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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markedwithanm's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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jaywithwhiskey's review

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I enjoyed reading this, it was creepy and the ghostly element is always appreciated. There were some things that felt too obvious that they lost their scare-factor when certain truths were revealed but I think this is much better than The Turn of the Key.

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beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Thank you, Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing, for sending this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is based on Elspeth. She arrives on a remote Scottish island to become a nanny to a young child named Mary. Elspeth hopes she can bond with her. Until she learns that for reasons no one will explain, Mary has not spoken for months. And the girl’s silence is not the only mystery. What happened to Mary’s twin William? Why did their previous nanny disappear so suddenly? And is the whistling Elspeth hears at night just the storm outside? Or is something else happening out there?

I wanted this book to scare the ghosts out of me and from the context of the book, I thought it could. The setting of this book and the build up to it was brilliant. You could picture both Skelthsea and the house and all the nooks and cranny that could go on in an old house. It was perfect for a dark night’s read. However, the events of this book just didn’t scare me, I wanted more of a mysterious, build up tension and then the big boo and I hoped it would freak me out. But it was just a bit bland. The main character seemed to assume something supernatural had happened quite quickly within the book and it was just case closed. I was hoping it was some evil ghost that was doing it, but it wasn’t. I thought the villain wasn’t very scary and was a bit of a stereotype that it just my soul. I would have loved to be shocked at who was actually causing all the trouble.

I would recommend this mystery if you are into gothic thriller of it, or you are just starting out in the thriller category and want to start with a light mystery.

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wednesdayipek's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I really loved the start and middle. It was so tense and creepy that all I was thinking about was this book. However, as the plot came to the end, I didn’t really like how it was written as it was very anticlimactic. I still would recommend this as a great read though!

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bookforthought's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It's 1860 and Elspeth Swansome is alone in the world. Trying to escape painful memories and the ghost of her life in Edinburgh, Elspeth accepts the position of nanny to a family on the remote island of Skelthsea.

When she gets there, though, she discovers that her new charge, Mary, hasn't spoken since the death of her twin, William. A death no one wants to talk about. Soon, strange things start occurring in the house and an eerie whistling can be heard at night... and Elspeth will be left wondering whose secrets haunt the halls, those of ghosts or of the living?

The Whistling is a novel in the best gothic tradition, that kept me glued to the pages and gave me quite a few chills. It's an absolutely perfect read for a dark winter night (or afternoon, if you're like me and need to read spooky stories in the light). The author did a great job in creating a haunting atmosphere with a strong sense of foreboding, while at the same time letting the story eerily play out in the space somewhere between dreams and reality.

I absolutely adored the setting in this. The island and the house were both drawn so well I could almost see them and feel the cold, the fog, the sea... and the whistling. This book is beautifully atmospheric and reminiscent of classic gothic novels in its style and setting.

The characters were also compelling, with Elspeth and Mary certainly being the best ones in terms of characterisation. The bond that develops between the two of them is so tender and adorable that I couldn't help getting attached to them too! The rest of the cast is quite varied, and I enjoyed seeing snippets of island life through them, and the colourful characters that live there. I did occasionally find Elspeth to be a tad too naive, but I suppose that added to her charm somewhat and didn't end up annoying me too much.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed this, it came just short of blowing me away. Mostly, I think, this was because I had a strong sense of having seen all this before. There are hardly any original elements here, and the story follows pretty closely the template of other ghost/gothic island stories. The author does a fantastic job with it, but it just needed a little bit more for it to go from a really good read to a great one for me. This possibly won't be a big issue for anyone just looking for a haunting read, but genre aficionados might not appreciate it as much.

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what_heather_loves's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I received an advanced copy from the publisher.

"And then, through the silence, the widow's whistle began to whine and a shape emerged, one that seemed cut out of something blacker than the night itself."

In 1860, alone following the deaths of her family, including beloved sister Clara, Elspeth Swansome takes a post as a nanny on a remote Scottish island, Skelthsea. It's autumn and Skelthsea is small but beautiful. When Elspeth arrives at the largest house in the island, Iskar, it is cold, tired and series. Her mistress, Miss Gillies, badly disfigured by a childhood accident, is quiet and distant. Her charge, nine year old Mary, is grieving the sudden death of twin brother William, and has ceased to talk. Elspeth is shocked but determined to do her job well and help Mary blossom. As autumn turns to winter it becomes apparent that all is not well at Iskar. Elspeth hears strange noises at night, footsteps, a lullaby and a chilling whistle. She discovers a number of tragedies have befallen the house and its occupants. Will she be next?

Centred on Elspeth, Iskar and the landscape and climate of Skelthsea, this is an atmospheric read. How hard life was for women during this period. I became fond of Elspeth, and Mary, as she struggled and as conditions deteriorated along with the supporting characters. Beautifully written, the fear builds as the novel progresses, revealing more of the characters' pasts and ultimately, the cause of the haunting. Perfect for Halloween, this is enthralling, chilling and spooky historic fiction, an impressive debut that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

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