The Whistling
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- Create Date：2021-11-30 09:50:56
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Rebecca Netley
- ISBN：0241533996
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Summary
SEND SHIVERS DOWN YOUR SPINE WITH THIS CHILLING AND GRIPPING STORY SET IN A FAR-FLUNG SCOTTISH ISLAND 。 。 。 PERFECT TO CURL UP WITH AS THE NIGHTS DRAW IN
'If you're looking for a chilling tale as we head towards Halloween， you've found it' HEAT
'Chills you to your bones 。 。 。 More unsettling and beautiful than you can imagine' 5***** READER REVIEW
________
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 。 。 。 ？
________
Chilling， twisty and emotionally gripping， The Whistling is an atmospheric page-turner with shades of the classics， yet a unique character of its own， perfect for fans of Susan Hill and Laura Purcell
'I was sucked in from page one and read it in one fell swoop' 5***** READER REVIEW
'A wicked twist 。 。 。 brilliant， scary， clever。 Horror writing at its best' 5***** READER REVIEW
'A great story with moments of heart-grabbing terror， beautifully written' 5***** READER REVIEW
'If you're looking for a chilling tale as we head towards Halloween， you've found it' HEAT
'Chills you to your bones 。 。 。 More unsettling and beautiful than you can imagine' 5***** READER REVIEW
________
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 。 。 。 ？
________
Chilling， twisty and emotionally gripping， The Whistling is an atmospheric page-turner with shades of the classics， yet a unique character of its own， perfect for fans of Susan Hill and Laura Purcell
'I was sucked in from page one and read it in one fell swoop' 5***** READER REVIEW
'A wicked twist 。 。 。 brilliant， scary， clever。 Horror writing at its best' 5***** READER REVIEW
'A great story with moments of heart-grabbing terror， beautifully written' 5***** READER REVIEW
Reviews
Matthew
，
This book is without doubt one of my favourite reads of the year。 Gorgeously written， brilliant character development and vivid imagery。 I genuinely can’t wait to read more from Rebecca Netley。 Obviously highly recommended。 5*
Puchowska
，
This book is a masterpiece。
Reuben
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a heavy， ominous， chilling， oppressive， gothic atmosphere which is let down by predictable plotting
Sarah
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I have read much scarier books but for some reason I had two nightmares about this one。 I think it was the idea of being in a haunted house on a strange island in the winter。
Ann-Marie
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3 to 3。5 stars。Another engrossing spooky listen that I got for Halloween and just got around to finishing this week。 The writing is truly excellent - claustrophobic， creepy， oppressive， incredibly atmospheric。 The plot is a bit of a cross between The Turn of the Screw and the MR James story Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad。 An Edinburgh governess， anguished by the death of her sister and father， goes to work on an isolated Scottish island to care for a young girl who has stopped speaking afte 3 to 3。5 stars。Another engrossing spooky listen that I got for Halloween and just got around to finishing this week。 The writing is truly excellent - claustrophobic， creepy， oppressive， incredibly atmospheric。 The plot is a bit of a cross between The Turn of the Screw and the MR James story Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad。 An Edinburgh governess， anguished by the death of her sister and father， goes to work on an isolated Scottish island to care for a young girl who has stopped speaking after the death of her twin brother and the abrupt departure of her previous governess。 Ancient beliefs and arcane witchcraft combine with a murder mystery and a truly unsettling ghost story。I was completely gripped for the entire novel。。。 until the ending， which downgraded this from 4 stars for me。 The tension had built and built， a tight portrait of an educated governess slowly coming unravelled from all of her rational beliefs by the terrifying phantoms and disturbances that haunt the island， the house and her young charge。 But the pay-off， for me， sadly didn't match the excellent build-up and I thought it was a somewhat banal and abrupt ending that left some plot threads hanging。 That said， this author has serious talent and her aptitude for Gothic horror is incredible。 。。。more
Kristie Sachs
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Spine-chilling and well-written！
Pip
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A checklist of clichés in this novel: 1。 A gothic house fallen into disrepair on a remote island。 Check。 2。 A friendless governess sent to look after a weird child。 Check。 3。 Locals warning of supernatural goings on up at the house。 Check （Add in strong regional accents that indicate their lack of education and therefore credibility。 Double check） 4。 Eerie dolls that get moved around， tokens apparently made by witches， creepy drawings， lullabies and whistling。 Check。 5。 Ghostly sightings in refl A checklist of clichés in this novel: 1。 A gothic house fallen into disrepair on a remote island。 Check。 2。 A friendless governess sent to look after a weird child。 Check。 3。 Locals warning of supernatural goings on up at the house。 Check （Add in strong regional accents that indicate their lack of education and therefore credibility。 Double check） 4。 Eerie dolls that get moved around， tokens apparently made by witches， creepy drawings， lullabies and whistling。 Check。 5。 Ghostly sightings in reflections， windows， photographs， on hillsides as well as the child talking to nobody and footsteps。 Check。 6。 The governess tries to leave but is held back by a sense of responsibility and cynicism about the reality of ghosts。 Add in a storm as well for extra deus ex machina points。 Check。 7。 The person suspected of causing all of these ghostly happenings turns out to be a hero who just liked lurking and making threatening faces at the protagonist to add confusion for 400 pages。 Check。 Did I know it would be this unoriginal from the blurb？ Pretty much。 No regrets。 。。。more
Davinder Sangha
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Very good ghost story。 Easy to read and pick up。
Erin
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This is a good read for this time of year， although it is very slow to get going。 I did a little ‘jump for joy’ when， at precisely 200 pages， the plot finally gathered momentum。 There are some beautifully written phrases here， some delicate and tender touches throughout:'[S]omething had crept up on me， as quietly as winter to spring itself until， without warning， buds are springing from the empty branches and snowdrops pushing through the slumberous earth。 I loved her。 I loved her like my own。'I This is a good read for this time of year， although it is very slow to get going。 I did a little ‘jump for joy’ when， at precisely 200 pages， the plot finally gathered momentum。 There are some beautifully written phrases here， some delicate and tender touches throughout:'[S]omething had crept up on me， as quietly as winter to spring itself until， without warning， buds are springing from the empty branches and snowdrops pushing through the slumberous earth。 I loved her。 I loved her like my own。'I empathised with both Elspeth and Mary， although I was constantly casting my mind back to the relationship between Nanny and her charge in 'Mrs England' by Stacey Halls， which was written so vividly that it's stayed bright in my mind。Overall， though， I think I took too long to read ‘The Whispering’， because I was too easily able to slip out of its story world。 A ‘favourite’ novel will have me engaged even when I’m away from the book; I’ll remain with the characters as I’m at work， as I’m cooking the dinner， as I’m cleaning the bath， &cetera。 For instance， recently reading ‘The Way Back’ by Gavriel Slavit， I was， in my mind， still in the underworld with the two children as I drove to work and as I was doing the dishes。 All the time， I was thinking about the characters and what had just happened with them， and excited to know what would happen next。 ‘The Whispering’ didn't have this effect。 So， I would， perhaps， only recommend this book if you can manage to read it very quickly – maybe in one or two sittings。 I think in that case， the pace should sustain itself。 I believe ‘The Whispering’ has the potential to be a really absorbing book， if it’s read in this way; if the reader is able to surrender themselves to it totally for a short period of time。What I can say about this novel is that it gets better and better and better as it progresses。 It started out as a read that I would have rated quite low on the scale， but climbed its way gradually upwards as it went along。 At the end， I was looking back over the narrative and I understood why we had such a slow start。 I did really enjoy reading it as things accelerated towards the end。 A great debut， and I'll be looking forward to what Rebecca Netley produces next！ 。。。more
Amy Burt
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This book is fabulous。 The premise is a well tested concept， Elspeth， a young woman tangled in grief， travels to an island to be a nanny for a child， an island that can only be traveled to and left by the means of an intermittent boat。 The child， Mary， is mute and clearly suffering something she can’t voice， her brother William recently died， the previous nanny suddenly left， and at night Elspeth can hear the eery footsteps of someone walking the hallways and the attic above her。 Throughout the This book is fabulous。 The premise is a well tested concept， Elspeth， a young woman tangled in grief， travels to an island to be a nanny for a child， an island that can only be traveled to and left by the means of an intermittent boat。 The child， Mary， is mute and clearly suffering something she can’t voice， her brother William recently died， the previous nanny suddenly left， and at night Elspeth can hear the eery footsteps of someone walking the hallways and the attic above her。 Throughout the book， Elspeth desperately tries to uncover the secrets of the house， the mysterious whistling， and protect the life of Mary。 I should start by saying I’m not a huge fan of horror because I’m a wuss， a lot I find gratuitous and if I want to be horrified the news can do that easily enough。 That said， I like to try a spooky read because some right the discussion of life and death， the haunting of loved ones， the more psychological over shock factor stimulation， can be very powerful。 With that in mind， The Whistling is extremely effective。 A creak， a sigh， footsteps， a lullaby in the night， they make you feel uneasy in the most delicious way。 Some books ground you I’m comfort， some books cut the anchor and let you travel somewhere challenging， this is definitely the latter。 There are scenes that I found extremely spooky， but what makes it something effective is that you care about Elspeth and Mary。This book tackles loss， grief and love with a backdrop of ghosts and witches and it was a delightful （if that’s the right word！） read to curl up and get lost in。 Thank you NetGalley for the review copy。 。。。more
Louise Mullins
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A beautifully written， haunting， chiller， if a little slow-going。 A fabulous four-star read。
Ashley Manning
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After a massive tragedy in her life Elspeth Swansome moves to the remote island Skelthsea to take a job as a nanny for Mary， who hasn’t spoken a word since the death of her brother， William。 The previous nanny left very suddenly only a few days before William’s passing。 Elspeth feels a strange sense of discomfort in the old family house and starts to uncover secrets that weren’t ever meant to be revealed。This is a really creepy book that feels like a Victorian Gothic horror that has remained a s After a massive tragedy in her life Elspeth Swansome moves to the remote island Skelthsea to take a job as a nanny for Mary， who hasn’t spoken a word since the death of her brother， William。 The previous nanny left very suddenly only a few days before William’s passing。 Elspeth feels a strange sense of discomfort in the old family house and starts to uncover secrets that weren’t ever meant to be revealed。This is a really creepy book that feels like a Victorian Gothic horror that has remained a secret until now， it really is that good。 Straight from the opening chapter you know that there’s something wrong， it has a great sense of foreboding and dread。 The atmosphere that Rebecca Netley creates is perfect， it grows slowly throughout and made me just want to keep reading and reading。 It was something that whenever I put down， would stay in my mind until I had time to pick it back up again。Much like a lot of the classic ghost stories， this is all about suspense。 You never really know what’s coming next as the story reveals itself。 It works really well and honestly had me jumping at shadows I could see out of the corner of my eye while reading。 This is something best read alone at night。 There’s nothing too extreme that will keep you awake at night， but it is chilling。Reading this gave me the same feeling as reading something like The Mysteries of Udolpho by Anne Radcliffe。 It just felt like a classic the second I picked it up。 I knew from the opening page that this was going to be something I was going to love and the rest of the book didn’t disappoint。 The story feels satisfying with its reveals and twists， the terror grows perfectly and I really liked all of the characters。I don’t have anything bad to say about The Whistling。 I just loved it from start to finish。 I think this is a must read for anyone that likes Gothic fiction and ghost stories。 。。。more
Anschen Conradie
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#thewhistling – Rebecca Netley#michaeljoseph#penguinrandomhouse1860。 After suffering a personal tragedy， Elspeth Swansome leaves Edinburgh for the tiny， remote island Skelthsea， off the coast of Scotland where she is to assume the position of a nanny for a young girl， Mary。 What she has not been told， however， is that her predecessor， Hettie， disappeared; that Mary’s twin brother， William， has died shortly thereafter and that Mary has been mute ever since。 The huge， ancient home she is to live i #thewhistling – Rebecca Netley#michaeljoseph#penguinrandomhouse1860。 After suffering a personal tragedy， Elspeth Swansome leaves Edinburgh for the tiny， remote island Skelthsea， off the coast of Scotland where she is to assume the position of a nanny for a young girl， Mary。 What she has not been told， however， is that her predecessor， Hettie， disappeared; that Mary’s twin brother， William， has died shortly thereafter and that Mary has been mute ever since。 The huge， ancient home she is to live in， Iskar， also hides secrets。 At night， when the only light is that of candles and peat fires are set against the cold， strange noises and events take place in the desolated corridors and， especially， in an area of the house that has been sealed off。 As winter sets in and contact with the mainland becomes almost impossible， Elspeth is confronted with the island’s terrifying secrets; there are whispers of witches， binding spells， the summoning of the dead， the mysterious Fiaclach stone circle and the increasing feeling of someone or something emanating malice， fury and death。Disclaimer: the synopsis described my favourite genre; mysterious happenings in a gothic setting where the unease grows with each new page。 The aforementioned fits this novel like a glove; it is the type of book that made me grateful for electricity （hallo there loadshedding！） and left me wondering if there is something under the bed， or outside the door………。 Deliciously creepy。 Both the style and language are those reminiscent of the horror master， Bram Stoker， and complements the period and setting of the novel。Unfortunately， this genre is known for disappointing conclusions， almost an anti-climax after the nail-biting tension。 I was thus extatically happy to find that the closing of this novel did not disappoint in the least。 I was glued to the pages until the very last sentence and then re-read the anonymous quote printed in the opening pages: ‘Stealthy as the winter frost， it found a rip upon the air。 And slipped from death to walk the night but left no footstep there。’The novel is a brilliant debut and is highly recommended for lovers of the genre。⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️#uitdieperdsebek 。。。more
Ashley
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The Whistling is a stunningly atmospheric and decadent gothic horror novel。 Set in a remote， isolated location， this eerie and evocative book is the perfect read for the cold， dark winter nights we are currently facing。 Oh， how I love stories like this， ones where the untamed and imposing landscape is so instrumentally important to the story， that it almost becomes a character of its own。This is a genuinely unsettling story that pays homage to the classic nineteenth century gothic novel。 It's be The Whistling is a stunningly atmospheric and decadent gothic horror novel。 Set in a remote， isolated location， this eerie and evocative book is the perfect read for the cold， dark winter nights we are currently facing。 Oh， how I love stories like this， ones where the untamed and imposing landscape is so instrumentally important to the story， that it almost becomes a character of its own。This is a genuinely unsettling story that pays homage to the classic nineteenth century gothic novel。 It's beautifully written and has an ethereal， almost dream like quality to it， making it a haunting and spine-chilling read。This novel does something that I really enjoy， and it does it quite well。 I'm going to tag this next section， as mentioning it is a mild spoiler。 - （view spoiler）[This book is an actual paranormal novel。 You won't get any "haha you thought it was ghosts？！ Well， it was I， the spiteful and grumpy side character！" No， here its actual ghosts， and boy do they make themselves known。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Kristen Loesch
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“The Whistling” is Rebecca Netley’s gorgeously chilling， hugely atmospheric debut， centred on a young nanny who travels to a Scottish island to look after a mute child。 For those familiar with the classics of the genre， you will find echoes of those works here; Netley makes fantastic use of some of my favourite traditional gothic elements， including a remote setting， a newcomer， and a creepy family house， but take note， “The Whistling” absolutely stands alone。 The central mystery is eerie， gripp “The Whistling” is Rebecca Netley’s gorgeously chilling， hugely atmospheric debut， centred on a young nanny who travels to a Scottish island to look after a mute child。 For those familiar with the classics of the genre， you will find echoes of those works here; Netley makes fantastic use of some of my favourite traditional gothic elements， including a remote setting， a newcomer， and a creepy family house， but take note， “The Whistling” absolutely stands alone。 The central mystery is eerie， gripping， utterly enthralling。 The writing is simply tremendous （there’s nothing I can say that would do justice to the prose - you have to discover it for yourself）。 Overall， a beautifully crafted， pitch-perfect work of gothic fiction。 If you’re a fan of Michelle Paver， you will absolutely love this， and I did。 I have sky-high expectations for Rebecca Netley’s next novel and can’t wait to read it。 。。。more
Tara Russell
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This is a ghost story， with a strong undercurrent of mystery story。 Despite some of the Victorian gothic clichés that feature （badly scarred face， sinister dolls） it’s not as creepy as it could be。 Interesting characters， though I did feel like a big part of the plot faded away with the ownership of the house plot never resolved satisfactorily。 I loved the descriptions of the island， and the windswept walks that Elspeth takes with Mary。 It’s hard to sustain creepiness， and some of the scenes wer This is a ghost story， with a strong undercurrent of mystery story。 Despite some of the Victorian gothic clichés that feature （badly scarred face， sinister dolls） it’s not as creepy as it could be。 Interesting characters， though I did feel like a big part of the plot faded away with the ownership of the house plot never resolved satisfactorily。 I loved the descriptions of the island， and the windswept walks that Elspeth takes with Mary。 It’s hard to sustain creepiness， and some of the scenes weren’t as eerie as they might have been because I’ve encountered the tropes before， but the Widow’s Whistle was almost a strong character in itself。3。5 stars 。。。more
Horror DNA
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As a proud Scotsman in exile， I am always interested in spooky stories set in my homeland; tales which spirit me back to my childhood in the windswept north-east coastal area of the country。 Sadly， Rebecca Netley’s debut， The Whistling， failed to fire my imagination and the location， the fictional island of Skelthsea， undoubtedly has something to do with it。 There are countless breezy， desolate and atmospheric spots in the Western Isles， so I saw little logic in fabricating this key setting。 To As a proud Scotsman in exile， I am always interested in spooky stories set in my homeland; tales which spirit me back to my childhood in the windswept north-east coastal area of the country。 Sadly， Rebecca Netley’s debut， The Whistling， failed to fire my imagination and the location， the fictional island of Skelthsea， undoubtedly has something to do with it。 There are countless breezy， desolate and atmospheric spots in the Western Isles， so I saw little logic in fabricating this key setting。 To a Scotsman， this feels somewhat like cheating and genuine places like Mull， Skye， or Barra， for example， would have made this tale much more authentic。 Francine Toon's Pine is a terrific recent example of a recent ghost story which did exactly that， making excellent use of its rugged north of Scotland location。You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here。 。。。more
Lindsay
，
Wow this is a spooky ghost story with the feel of the lady in white and MR James stories which I love。 This would make a really good creepy movie so I hope someone buys the rights for this one。 Don’t read it at night just incase。
ميادة الجادر
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Excellent read， I have enjoyed it so much， atmospheric， gothic with twists kept me intrigued up till the last page
Paul
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This was a little bit of a weird one for me as I ordered a copy without knowing anything about it at all。 I remember a few months back seeing pictures of the proofs all over my socials。 It looked like such a beautiful book that I ordered it on impulse。 I know this could have gone either way but I'm lucky enough that I can afford a few wrong steps with books and it not be the end of things。 But this is not where I'm going with this one。 The point is sometimes you luck out and come across somethi This was a little bit of a weird one for me as I ordered a copy without knowing anything about it at all。 I remember a few months back seeing pictures of the proofs all over my socials。 It looked like such a beautiful book that I ordered it on impulse。 I know this could have gone either way but I'm lucky enough that I can afford a few wrong steps with books and it not be the end of things。 But this is not where I'm going with this one。 The point is sometimes you luck out and come across something you were not really expecting。 Now I love a good ghost story those old-fashioned ones that creep and scutter around the edges of our peripheral vision and you are left wondering if what just happened really did in fact happen。 This has been spurred on of late by the shows of Mike Flanagan and his Haunting series。 Those tales that walk the line between what we know is real and that cold shiver out of know where that says beware。 So when I finally got around to reading the blurb it was pretty much a win-win。 Just the book I didn't realize I need to be reading。 We are guided into this world that Netley has created so very gently。 Elspeth seems to be going for a job that is well within her means。 Having found herself alone in the world and in need of a job a nannying job on a remote island would seem like a very safe bet for her。 An escape from her past and a fresh start looking after someone who is in great need of it。 She is our port of safety throughout this tale。 The one person we can trust to tell us the truth。 Despite all she has been through， she has a kind heart。 And the author has done a remarkable job of contrasting this against the island's inhabitants。 She shines like a beacon in the dark guiding us onwards to the conclusion。 But with each revelation， we start to dismantle these treacherous rocks。 And whilst we may never know every corner of this wild island， we can at least feel safer on our footing。 I loved getting to know each of the players in this period piece。 Netley never wastes one of her characters， each of them is a building block to help us delve deeper into the collective suspension and mistrust of the islanders。 This is definitely one of those books that builds layers upon layers。 She is really good at mixing up what we know to be real。 So the treachery and secrets that these people are trying too hard to keep buried。 And that which let's be honest steps one foot into tales of the strange and peculiar。 But it's within this blending of worlds that we find our footing and it makes her tale really come alive。 At no point did that more ghostly elements pull me out of the story。 You become so engrossed in the tale that if you listen closely enough you could swear you can hear someone moving about just behind you。 But that is what a good ghost story does for us。 It lurks about in that area just between real and complete disbelief。 It plays on our primordial fears。 And for me， that's what this author gets， she knows what she is aiming for and hits it dead on。 Now I must confess it is not often that I pick up books such as this but when I do I often find that I love them。 And whilst this may not be rewriting the wheel she did give me what I was looking for。 After all， at the heart of every good ghost story is heartbreak and a mystery。 For me without these two elements， they fall flat。 We need the longing and just a smidge of hope for them to work。 And when the final curtain is drawn we might get a few of the answers we were looking for but there is still that thing in the dark of the night that you can't quite shake。 。。。more
Sarah O'Riordan | travelseatsreads
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The Whistling was the perfect spooky gothic audiobook that I wanted for October。 From the beginning it was deeply atmospheric and the sense of unease and foreboding was all consuming。 There is something not right on Skelthsea island， are the people just recovering from the death of a little boy or is there something far more sinister lurking？I listened to the audiobook and found the narration and play on tone and accents to add so much to the dark and sinister atmosphere。 Brimming with character The Whistling was the perfect spooky gothic audiobook that I wanted for October。 From the beginning it was deeply atmospheric and the sense of unease and foreboding was all consuming。 There is something not right on Skelthsea island， are the people just recovering from the death of a little boy or is there something far more sinister lurking？I listened to the audiobook and found the narration and play on tone and accents to add so much to the dark and sinister atmosphere。 Brimming with characters that you want to protect and others you want to run far far away from， The Whistling is an eerie tale which you will want to leave the lights on for。 。。。more
Mabelline Grey
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It's unusual for me to give up on a book， and it's clear lots of people enjoyed this， but I found it unreadable。 It's difficult to write authentically in the style of a Victorian novel and the author doesn't come close。 The result is a clunky pastiche that is riddled with cliches。 In terms of plot， it seems to be heavily influenced by The Turn of the Screw with a bit of Jayne Eyre thrown in， and did I mention the cliches。。。 I really wanted to love The Whistling and I was hoping for a successor t It's unusual for me to give up on a book， and it's clear lots of people enjoyed this， but I found it unreadable。 It's difficult to write authentically in the style of a Victorian novel and the author doesn't come close。 The result is a clunky pastiche that is riddled with cliches。 In terms of plot， it seems to be heavily influenced by The Turn of the Screw with a bit of Jayne Eyre thrown in， and did I mention the cliches。。。 I really wanted to love The Whistling and I was hoping for a successor to Susan Hill who writes beautifully about the period， but sadly it wasn't to be。 Two stars rather than one because I feel bad for not liking it。 。。。more
Jan
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Disappointing。 Too long and several historical mistakes， notably the use of informal outside family photographs at a period before they were possible
Clare Didcock
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Very eerie gothic tale。 If you love that genre this is for you。 The scary haunted house mystery。 #TheWhistling #NetGalley。
Tripfiction
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Gothic mystery set on a remote Scottish islandThe year is 1860。 Elspeth has suffered considerable personal loss and death， and alights upon the job of nanny to young Mary， who lives with her aunt on the fictional island of Skelthsea。 Theirs is a dour house – Iskar – with melancholy oozing from the very fabric of the building， its faded grandeur and endless corridors and rooms adding a gloomy atmosphere to the story。Mary has lost both her mother and her twin brother， and therefore nanny and charg Gothic mystery set on a remote Scottish islandThe year is 1860。 Elspeth has suffered considerable personal loss and death， and alights upon the job of nanny to young Mary， who lives with her aunt on the fictional island of Skelthsea。 Theirs is a dour house – Iskar – with melancholy oozing from the very fabric of the building， its faded grandeur and endless corridors and rooms adding a gloomy atmosphere to the story。Mary has lost both her mother and her twin brother， and therefore nanny and charge already have death and grieving in common。 However， Mary is unwilling or unable to speak and is clearly a troubled child。 Elspeth however rises to the challenge and soon finds a connection and empathy to bind them。As Elspeth settles in， things begin to disconcert her。 Things move and go missing， decorated stones appear – she disposes of them and then they reappear again – and the eerie atmosphere begins to get under her skin。 Whistling sounds and ghostly rumblings all continue to unsettle her， as she builds the relationship with Mary。 She observes the people around the house and beyond， many of whom seem to know more than they are prepared to divulge。 Things are hinted at， secrets alluded to but not revealed; Elspeth is rattled by the ghostly goings-on。This is an incredibly atmospheric read and the author does a fantastic job of conjuring up the remote island， where the boat from the mainland only calls irregularly。 The seas pound， the wind whistles and the skies form a leaden backdrop outside。 Inside the house， the musty and oppressive atmosphere feathers around the characters as they move through their days。An excellent choice for anyone who liked Mexican Gothic and is looking for something suitable for the period around Halloween。 。。。more
Mark Dare
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My first read of Rebecca Netley。。。and it was good！ Nanny goes to remote island to look after a little girl after previous nanny left suddenly！ All the ingredients for a good story， and it was exactly that。。。add in a nice twist at the end and a satisfying， and at times， spooky， read！
Karen's World
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The chilling events that happen in a remote place will keep you reading as you try to work out who is the one doing these things。 This kept me entertained and I liked the characters as they fitted in so well。 Also the house and area made this story what it was。 I thoroughly enjoyed this。
Jess
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God I love this book so much and I want to shout it from the rooftops - this is everything a horror fan could wish for and more。 It's a classic ghost story， it's genuinely scary， and if you like movies such as The Woman In Black， Crimson Peak， Sleepy Hollow， and The Others than you'll love this because it has similar vibes。 Also， the characters are amazing， the setting is perfect， and the writing is beautiful！ God I love this book so much and I want to shout it from the rooftops - this is everything a horror fan could wish for and more。 It's a classic ghost story， it's genuinely scary， and if you like movies such as The Woman In Black， Crimson Peak， Sleepy Hollow， and The Others than you'll love this because it has similar vibes。 Also， the characters are amazing， the setting is perfect， and the writing is beautiful！ 。。。more
Sarah Smith
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This book creeped me out！ I’m a city dweller and， although I love a holiday on a remote Scottish island， those stunning， expansive skies and wild， changeable seas never make me feel safe。 And so it was with Rebecca Netley’s Gothic mystery， The Whistling。 Unsettling， atmospheric and a real puzzle， who’s twists and outcome kept me guessing right until the end。 A book for reading curled up on the sofa， safe by the fire while the wind howls and rain lashes the window panes。 Just pray you don’t hear This book creeped me out！ I’m a city dweller and， although I love a holiday on a remote Scottish island， those stunning， expansive skies and wild， changeable seas never make me feel safe。 And so it was with Rebecca Netley’s Gothic mystery， The Whistling。 Unsettling， atmospheric and a real puzzle， who’s twists and outcome kept me guessing right until the end。 A book for reading curled up on the sofa， safe by the fire while the wind howls and rain lashes the window panes。 Just pray you don’t hear a whistling sound… 。。。more
Stuart Cummins
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A classic gothic tale that both pays homage to and surpasses some of the greats！The Whistling is a perfect example of the gothic horror genre being done well。 It’s a story that is very much about unsettling， chilling experiences， but it’s also an unpredictable and exquisitely plotted mystery and a fascinating look at psychology。 I was completely gripped by this book and revelled in all the aspects of the supernatural， whilst being grounded and left shocked by all the very human trauma at the hea A classic gothic tale that both pays homage to and surpasses some of the greats！The Whistling is a perfect example of the gothic horror genre being done well。 It’s a story that is very much about unsettling， chilling experiences， but it’s also an unpredictable and exquisitely plotted mystery and a fascinating look at psychology。 I was completely gripped by this book and revelled in all the aspects of the supernatural， whilst being grounded and left shocked by all the very human trauma at the heart of the narrative。 Netley beautifully blends both the otherworldly and the natural world and the novel has an almost ethereal quality。 Tension is expertly built from the outset and continually layered throughout， culminating in not one， but two， key crescendos that flip the story on its head。 The twists and revelations come at pivotal moments and provide some genuine surprises， which are really satisfying。 Netley writes with the perfect sense of repression for the historical perks the novel is set in， which also means that the unsettling scenes play out with reserve and are ultimately much more terrifying for it。 Her ability to make a rugged coastline， the natural elements and the thought of a whistling sound all seem so chilling is testament to Netley’s power as a writer。 I was genuinely unnerved at many a point during this tale！As well as the authentic chills and gripping mystery， I found the psychological element of this story absolutely fascinating。 Whilst it’s easy to drawn comparisons to other works of horror fiction such as The Woman in Black or The Haunting of Hill House， I was also reminded of the film The Awakening， as Elspeth Swansome is a strong female character with echoes of Florence Cathcart’s gumption。 I was immediately drawn to Elspeth as a character and liked her level-headedness and logical reasoning。 The narrative is very much a journey for her and sees her drawn out from her past tragedy and grief via a new purpose and desire to protect young Mary。 I enjoyed following the developments of their relationship and seeing how the dynamics changed over the course of events。 This novel is actually a brilliant collection of female characters， both good and bad （and every shade of grey in between！）。 This felt like a refreshing aspect for the horror genre， where there was no reliance on a male influence to “save the day”。This was the perfect spooky read for the current time of year， but don’t be put off picking this novel up any time you fancy a fright！ I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I will certainly be seeking out more from Netley in the future。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Whistling
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Whistling&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Whistling&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0