by Rebecca Netley
SYNOPSIS
Alone in the world, Elspeth Swansome takes the position of nanny to a family on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea.
Her charge, Mary, hasn't uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William - just days after their former nanny disappeared.
No one will speak of what happened to William. Just as no one can explain the hypnotic lullabies sung in empty corridors. Nor the strange dolls that appear in abandoned rooms. Nor the faint whistling that comes in the night . . .
As winter draws in and passage to the mainland becomes impossible, Elspeth finds herself trapped.
But is this house haunted by the ghosts of the past?
OR THE SECRETS OF THE LIVING . . . ?
REVIEW
Elspeth takes a job as a nanny on a remote Scottish island after struggling to come to terms with the loss of her sister. She immediately feels a connection to the young girl Mary who has also suffered the loss of her mother and twin brother William - the grief has affected her so badly that she hasn't spoken a word since.
Only two days after her arrival, Elspeth begins to hear an eerie whistling in the night, and this is just the first of many strange occurrences in her new home. Battling with her own sense of reason, will Elspeth be forced to open her mind to the possibility that supernatural forces are behind these creepy events or should she be more afraid of the living?
When I read the synopsis for The Whistling I thought it sounded like the perfect choice for Halloween and it certainly didn't disappoint. It is an unsettling and claustrophobic story, the island setting and limited set of characters only added to this, as Elspeth is completely isolated and has nobody to turn to for help.
I love a classic ghost story and this one hooked me from the start. I was unable to put it down as the fear and tension built gradually throughout the book, and the twists, reveals and surprising discoveries left me desperate to find out what had really happened at Iskar.
The Whistling is beautifully written, the creepier moments are balanced out by sections exploring the relationships between the characters both past and present. This does mean that the narrative is more of a slow burn, but it gives the story a subtlety which I personally prefer in horror or ghost stories.
A chilling, gothic ghost tale (and a fantastic debut) which is perfect to read on a dark autumn night!
Thanks to @michaeljbooks and @Rebecca_Netley for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Horror Thriller / Ghost Horror
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 978-0241533994
Pages: 384 pp
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