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A RICHARD & JUDY PICK
SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘The best crime novel of the decade’ Steve Cavanagh
‘Both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking’ Mark Billingham
‘Superbly creepy . . . it might just break your heart a little, too’ Heat
‘A dark, creepy, thriller with a huge amount of heart’ Stuart MacBride
‘Beautifully crafted, heart-rending and spine-tinglingly chilling’ Sarah Pinborough
‘Shades of Thomas Harris and Stephen King but brilliant in its own right’ C. J. Tudor
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If you leave a door half-open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken…

Fifteen years ago, a serial killer known only as ‘The Whisper Man’ wreaked havoc on the sleepy village of Featherbank.

But with the killer behind bars, the village is now a safe haven for Tom and his young son Jake to make a fresh start.

Until another boy goes missing. It feels like history is repeating itself.

Could the killer still be out there – and can Tom protect his son from becoming the next victim?
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‘A true skin-crawler’ Guardian

‘This flawlessly plotted thriller absolutely deserves to be shouted about’ Sunday Mirror

Richard and Judy Book Club Pick, Winter 2019

Publisher Review

This flawless thriller lives long in the memory * Daily Mirror * This flawless thriller will touch your heart and live long in your memory * Daily Express * If you like a touch of Stephen King mixed with British crime, then this is for you . . . this is a spooky read, but also holds its own as a police procedural novel * People's Friend * Deliciously dark and twisty, this is a page-turner from start to finish * Connaught Telegraph * Standout thriller * Daily Express * Hollywood has snapped up this psychological thriller - and no wonder * Sun * As much an exploration of grief and of the father-son bond as it is a nerve-shredder, this is a good choice for Stephen King fans * Meath Chronicle * A debut novel set to disturb and intrigue. Truly chilling * Woman's Own * A debut that will disturb and intrigue in equal measure * Woman * This exceptionally creepy thriller is also a touching portrait of a bereaved father and son learning to depend on each other * Morning Star * Summer Books of 2019 * Barry Forshaw, Financial Times * ALEX NORTH'S tightly plotted crime thriller presses all the right buttons for the genre * Press Association * Extraordinarily well-written, deeply moving . . . The stories are deftly marshalled and interwoven by North with a mastery that would be astonishing were he a debut novelist * Irish Times * [A] superb thriller... Readers will have a tough time putting down this truly unnerving tale, with its seemingly unexplainable elements and glimpses of broken and dangerous minds * Publishers Weekly * A psychological thriller that's both terrifying and heartbreaking - you won't want to miss this one * Woman's Weekly * With a tender theme about the complexity of father son relationships at its heart, this thriller is immaculately plotted, superbly written, and so good it deserves to be shouted about * The People * More than just superbly creepy, this beautifully written thriller might just break your heart a little, too * Heat * A creepy, serial killer-inflected thriller * i * I read The Whisper Man in one go, barely remembering to breathe. North writes brilliantly about the cruelties of life, great and small, and the terrors that afflict young children (not to mention their parents). Tender, terrifying and utterly compelling, The Whisper Man will haunt you to the final page and beyond. No one does Dark with a Heart like Alex North and The Whisper Man delivers a sucker punch that stays with you. Beautifully crafted, chilling & emotional, this's going to be topping Books of the Year lists as soon as it's out The Whisper Man is a chilling, gripping read but also deeply moving. It's a novel that succeeds on all kinds of levels and deserves all the success that is no doubt coming it's way The Whisper Man is a tour de force, utterly absorbing and brilliantly realised There's a soft voice outside your window and it demands your attention. The Whisper Man is coming. In fact, he's already here. Get ready to be unnerved. This novel is thrilling One of the best crime novels I've read in ages. Alex North has crafted a book that manages to be thrilling, terrifying and genuinely moving. A riveting page turner! Dark and unsettling, this one creeps under your skin A phenomenal read. Terrifying and heartbreaking in equal measure and if it wasn't so hot I'd definitely be sleeping with the windows shut tonight! The Whisper Man will be the book everyone's talking about next summer, mark my words A nerve-shredding emotional rollercoaster that'll keep you up late at night, whether you're still reading it or not. A compulsive read that's sure to give you nightmares Wonderfully dark, gently creepy and completely bloody heartbreaking. Alex North is a fantastic writer. The Whisper Man left me in pieces Gripping, disturbing, and creepy as hell - The Whisper Man deserves to be a huge hit. Absorbing writing, characters that will live with you long after finishing, and guaranteed to show up in a nightmare or three. Heartbreaking and unsettling in equal measure, it's destined to be the book that will readers won't be able to forget Utterly absorbing and intense, so deliciously creepy I think I held my breath for half the book. I couldn't walk away from this affecting story until it was done with me. Loved it! Deliciously creepy and kept me up long after I'd turned the last page A fine, chilling tale. Alex North paints a world that is so believable and at the same time utterly terrifying. The characters are beautifully rendered, and the tenderness of the central relationship between father and son deepened the sense of terror Fantastic. He writes beautifully, with a powerful understanding of the effects of loss and damage on the human psyche and a style that sweeps you into its grip and never lets go. I'm totally sold on Alex North A novel about the dark places that are recognisably our own, The Whisper Man plays on our emotions as much as on our fears. A tremendous calling card for the brilliant Alex North. The Whisper Man is the most unsettling thriller I have read since Jo Nesbo's The Snowman. Much more than the sum of its parts, it is nightmarish and disturbing and, at the same time, a moving and life-affirming novel about fathers and sons, and grief, loss, and recovery Alex North weaves a stunningly captivating narrative that's a nuanced and grounded exploration of father-son relationships. He strikes such a delicate balance that consistently elevates itself, he ultimately provides a master class in genre exploration. An incredible read Ostensibly a suspense novel involving the abduction and murder of children, The Whisper Man is also a study of fatherhood. Alex North's writing is impeccable as he spins out his plot . . . At once painful and moving, this story feels both real and important * Literary Review * Beautifully crafted, heart-rending and spine-tinglingly chilling, the Whisper Man is a thrilling tour de force. Assured and compelling, I can't wait to see what Alex North does next A painful and moving novel. Ostensibly about the abduction and murder of children, it is also an exploration of fatherhood and its challenges and rewards * Literary Review Crime Novels of the Year * The Whisper Man is the most stunning thriller you will read this year, examining the relationships between fathers and sons, loss, betrayal, abduction and murder. It is a story that will unravel the reader as the plot itself unravels, leaving us winded, choking, gasping for air and wrung out, while disturbing, entertaining and enthralling us at the same time. Compelling, creepy and beautifully written, The Whisper Man will stay with you long after the last page is turned - and make you double-check all your doors and windows are locked at night A dark, creepy, thriller with a huge amount of heart. Damn, but Alex North can write! You might think you've read too many of these "next generation serial killer" novels but this is a very good example with strong characters and a palpable sense of sadness behind the scariness * Sunday Express * An ultra-creepy tinge of the supernatural, blended with a petrifying threat from all-too-human monsters, conjures truly blood-chilling menace. Built on a tender theme, this flawlessly plotted thriller absolutely deserves to be shouted about * Sunday Mirror * Beautifully written. Beautifully plotted. Shades of Thomas Harris and Stephen King but brilliant in its own right The Whisper Man is going to be huge. Dark enough to chill your blood but so beautifully written you will not be able to put it down. Utterly brilliant. A police procedural with supernatural overtones, this is a true skin-crawler * Guardian, Best Summer Reads * First it's spooky. Then it's scary. Then it's terrifying. And then... well, dear reader, proceed at your own risk. An ambitious, deeply satisfying thriller - a seamless blend of Harlan Coben, Stephen King, and Thomas Harris. My flesh is still crawling Alex North has achieved the seemingly impossible. The Whisper Man is a thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful. The best crime novel of the decade Creepy. With the movie rights sold to Hollywood, Alfred Hitchcock would have loved every spine-tingling moment * Daily Mail * A police procedural with supernatural overtones * Guardian, Best Crime & Thrillers of the Year * A gripping exploration of father-son relationships with a propulsive plot, The Whisper Man is a true skin-crawler * Guardian *