A review by outsmartyourshelf
The Whistling by Rebecca Netley

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

Following the deaths of her father & younger sister, Elspeth Swansome arrives on the island of Skelthsea to take up a new job. Elspeth is to work as a nanny & her charge is a young girl called Mary, who hasn't spoken since the sudden death of her twin brother, William. The island is a strange place & its inhabitants mostly keep to themselves, but Elspeth learns that the previous nanny, Hettie, disappeared just days before William's death. The longer she spends in her new job, the more Elspeth starts to believe that someone or something is haunting the house & those who live there; from the lullabies sung in corridors with no-one there, to the shadowy figures glimpsed at the windows of empty rooms.

I really liked reading this. So many books I've read before have promised an eerie reading experience & not delivered, but this was genuinely chilling at times. The author is definitely able to convey the strange atmosphere at the house & the remote setting of the island. The setting, the characters, & the story are perfect for reading in the lead up to Halloween, & although I was a little disappointed with the resolution of the story, overall it was an excellent read.

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Michael Joseph UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
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