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The Whistling cover art

The Whistling

By: Rebecca Netley
Narrated by: Lois Chimimba
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Winner of the Exeter Novel Prize

Alone in the world, Elspeth Swansome has taken the position of nanny to a family on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea.

Her charge, Mary, is a strange child. Distracted and secretive, she hasn't uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William - just days after their former nanny disappeared.

With her charge defiantly silent, Elspeth turns to the islanders. But 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?

Chilling, twisty and emotionally gripping, The Whistling is an atmospheric pause-resister with shades of the classics, yet a unique character of its own. Perfect for fans of Susan Hill and Laura Purcell.

©2021 Rebecca Netley (P)2021 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about The Whistling

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Brilliant

I have listened to this while unfortunately taken poorly in hospital and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Brilliant ghost story great twists would make a fantastic film.

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roller coaster journey

a roller coaster journey with more questions to be answered with each chapter, loved it, hope you will enjoy it too,

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  • J
  • 12-02-22

Some genuinely chilling moments

I enjoyed this book but think I might have enjoyed it more if I had read it, rather than listened to it. This is not the fault of the narrator, who does an excellent job, even to giving each of the main characters their own, distinct Scottish accent so you can easily identify who is speaking, even if your attention has wandered. Rather it is a problem with the author's writing style. She is given to over long, flowery descriptions and gives the main character ( who narrates the story) over long soliloquies which slows the progression of the story to a crawl but which, if you are reading, you can skim over, which you can't if you are listening . I found that my attention wandered a lot and I struggled, probably missing some important bits of the plot. However, overall it is a mostly good read with some genuinely chilling moments and a lot of twists and turns and I would certainly read another book by the author.

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Immersive and genuinely creepy

I happened to come across this book by accident as I was browsing through the app late one night, and I am really glad I did. Netley instantly pulls you into her universe with her descriptions of characters and landscape, and I found myself holding my breath at certain points through the story as the tension just kept on building. The narration by Lois Chimimba was really great, and she suited this book perfectly. I only wished for the story to be a bit longer as the ending might feel a bit rushed to some, me included. That aside, I highly recommend this book!

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Quite good!

Wasn’t sure if this was going to be good. It was just spooky enough to be enjoyable. But could have been spookier! Loved the narration too!

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Love a good accent, but poor story☹️

It wasn't as cozy as I was hoping it wild turn out to be. The plot was predictable and the characters were flat. I had a hard time caring at all about what happened and it didn't even have any good descriptors to make it spooky. Overall, sure it was something to listen to, but maybe not something I'll think to much about ever again. So, not memorable sadly :( sorry

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Excellent! with great narrator!

This book kept me listening all night. It was so well written that you really feel your there on the island and following the characters around.. The narrator was a perfect choice, her voice almost addictive to listen to. The twists and turns were brilliant and kept me guessing until the end. I will be looking out for this authour from now on.

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Beautiful, chilling tale

A fabulous chance to be swept away to a small Scottish island shaped by mystery and loss. The tale is well crafted and beautifully descriptive of the character of the place as well as complexities of its people. Excellent, sensitive narration. Perfect listening for a dark winter evening.

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Brilliant gothic story

Fantastic narration, gorgeous Scottish accent that lended itself perfectly to the book. Very evocative and almost palpable descriptions of the house, the moods of the inhabitants and environment. Really good writing and story. Film please! Though it would be terrifying as a film , probably too scary for me to watch, hah!

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Great Listen.

Excellent narration, very atmospheric, excellent story. Easy five star. I would recommend to all. On to her next!

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