The Whisper Man by Alex North

Title: The Whisper Man

Author: Alex North

Published: Aug. 20, 2019

Publisher: Celadon Books

Pages: 368

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Review: ARC provided by publisher and NetGalley

Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk

After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank.
But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed "The Whisper Man," for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.
Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter's crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man.
And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window...

I received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.

This was hard to put down as once I started I really didn't want to close the pages. I wanted to find out who was the Whisper Man and how was he able to fly under the radar. Tom and Jake have a rocky relationship they are still grieving over the loss of a mother and wife and really are living day by day. When they move into a new home Tom is hoping everything will work out for them both. Yet, that is when Jake hears the whispering. Who or what could it be? I did like the little surprise that came for Tom towards the climax of the book as I wasn't suspecting that person to know Tom and vice verse. It all goes to show that it is a small world and fate has a way of connecting things for us.
What happens now and what happened in the past is all connected in some way and for Detective Pete Willis he will find the answers he seeks even if those answers are close to home. The author did a great job going between different POV's and really bringing everything together. If you like a good mystery I would recommend you pick this up.

I like the characters and how real they felt. Detective Pete who of course drinks but we see how he fights it and has that drive to close a case.
Tom a grieving husband who is learning how to parent a child who is hard to talk with and we see he gets frustrated at times but really does try to be a good father.
Jake a loner who talks to himself and draws a lot. Grieving over the loss of his mother and is still hurting over that. He knows his world is not the same anymore.

Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North's own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with "the boy in the floor." Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name.