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rynkndllbrns 's review for:
The Whisper Man
by Alex North
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Can’t really talk about this book without spoiling it so
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS AHEAD ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE ETC
This was a pretty fun little page turner! Not a masterpiece. Marred by some tired tropes and fairly easy to guess the identity of the killer, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
Can we move beyond horror as grief/trauma p*rn? It’s done, guys. The introduction of Pete as a hardened, aging detective with a drinking problem made me roll my eyes so hard I almost DNF’d.
This didn’t introduce anything mind blowing about generational trauma, but it did a good job of painting a portrait of how parents pass on their abuse to their kids. By the end of it though, Pete’s entire story arc felt a bit hamstrung. I’m sure Alex North was going for tragedy by having him die before fully redeeming himself in his son’s eyes, but it just felt like an incomplete thought to me.
Also, Introducing DI Beck, mostly sidelining her, then making her the investigative focus again, gave the narrative a disjointed rhythm that overall hurt the flow. Coupling that with a final act that felt rushed and anticlimactic, I was let down by the end.
This all makes it sound like I hated this book. I didn’t! It’s a solid thriller. I liked most of the characters, especially sweet, shy little Jake and Karen.
The whisper man’s MO was legitimately b o n e chilling - both the whispering and the shirts being pulled over the victims’ faces, which evoked the death of the heaven’s gate cult for me. The final image of Francis in his jail cell, pulling his shirt up to cover his face, is haunting.
Overall, I would say the whisper man was worth my time and that I enjoyed it enough to recommend it.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS AHEAD ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE ETC
Can we move beyond horror as grief/trauma p*rn? It’s done, guys. The introduction of Pete as a hardened, aging detective with a drinking problem made me roll my eyes so hard I almost DNF’d.
This didn’t introduce anything mind blowing about generational trauma, but it did a good job of painting a portrait of how parents pass on their abuse to their kids. By the end of it though, Pete’s entire story arc felt a bit hamstrung. I’m sure Alex North was going for tragedy by having him die before fully redeeming himself in his son’s eyes, but it just felt like an incomplete thought to me.
Also, Introducing DI Beck, mostly sidelining her, then making her the investigative focus again, gave the narrative a disjointed rhythm that overall hurt the flow. Coupling that with a final act that felt rushed and anticlimactic, I was let down by the end.
This all makes it sound like I hated this book. I didn’t! It’s a solid thriller. I liked most of the characters, especially sweet, shy little Jake and Karen.
The whisper man’s MO was legitimately b o n e chilling - both the whispering and the shirts being pulled over the victims’ faces, which evoked the death of the heaven’s gate cult for me. The final image of Francis in his jail cell, pulling his shirt up to cover his face, is haunting.
Overall, I would say the whisper man was worth my time and that I enjoyed it enough to recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Murder