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camille_caterpillar 's review for:
Whistle
by Linwood Barclay
DID NOT FINISH: 26%
This was, for me, a case of mismatched expectations and a premise that never quite stuck the landing. Knowing Barclay primarily for his taut thrillers, I went in assuming this would be another tightly wound suspense story—possibly even one set on a literal train, which would’ve had its own appeal. What I found instead was a supernatural tale involving a haunted (or perhaps possessed?) toy train and a malevolent toy maker straight out of a holiday fever dream.
To be fair, Barclay’s knack for pacing and tension is still present—when the story moves, it really moves. But I just couldn’t connect with the central conceit. Much like with NOS4A2, the premise leaned too hard into the fantastical for my taste, blunting any sense of real fear or dread. There’s a fine line between imaginative and implausible, and this one tipped into the latter.
I gave it a try, but ultimately, the evil-Santa/toy maker angle just doesn’t land for me. Not necessarily a bad book, just not the book I expected—or wanted—from Barclay.
To be fair, Barclay’s knack for pacing and tension is still present—when the story moves, it really moves. But I just couldn’t connect with the central conceit. Much like with NOS4A2, the premise leaned too hard into the fantastical for my taste, blunting any sense of real fear or dread. There’s a fine line between imaginative and implausible, and this one tipped into the latter.
I gave it a try, but ultimately, the evil-Santa/toy maker angle just doesn’t land for me. Not necessarily a bad book, just not the book I expected—or wanted—from Barclay.