Book Synopsis:
On the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea, Elspeth Swansome takes on a position as a nanny.
Her charge, Mary, hasn’t uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William – just days after their former nanny disappeared. But no one will speak of what happened to William.
Just as no one can explain the 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, Elspeth finds herself increasingly trapped.
But is this house haunted by the ghosts of the past?
OR THE SECRETS OF THE LIVING . . . ?
I do love a spooky read in the run up to Halloween. There’s something lovely about being able to snuggle under a blanket while reading a scary book as it gets colder and the nights get earlier so this book instantly appealed to me.
I was quickly drawn into the story and into Elspeth’s new life on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea. Elspeth’s new job definitely comes with a few challenges as a dual tragedy a few years before has caused Mary to become mute and there are some very strange, creepy things happening in the house which made my hair stand on end. This is definitely not a book to read just before bed as I kept swearing I could hear the lullabies at times. I even woke up my highly impressed husband to check I was just imagining it.
The author does a great job of setting the scene for this book with the vivid descriptions of the house and isolated island, battered by harsh weather, helping to add to the overall creepy atmosphere in the book. The characters are all fantastic creations who I thought seemed quite realistic and who I found easy to relate to. Throughout the book we learn more about the history of the family and how Mary came to live on the island with her aunt which was very intriguing and helped add to the mystery in the book.
Overall I loved this book and will definitely be recommending it to others. The author’s writing has a great quality to it reminding me of a classic story at times. I liked the way the tension is slowly increased until I felt completely transported into the story and able to feel the cold the author describes as well as the fear of the characters. There were lots of twists that I didn’t see coming and the ending was shocking but a great way to finish the story. I can’t believe this is the author’s debut and look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Huge thanks to Ella from Michael St Joseph for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Rebecca Netley grew up as part of an eccentric family in a house full of books and music, and these things have fed her passions.
Family and writing remain at the heart of Rebecca’s life. She lives in Reading with her husband, sons and an over-enthusiastic dog, who gives her writing tips.
The Whistling is Rebecca Netley’s debut novel and won the Exeter Novel Prize.
Over The Rainbow Blog 