The Whisper Man by Alex North

From Goodreads synopsis:

In this dark, suspenseful thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of a father and son caught in the crosshairs of an investigation to catch a serial killer preying on a small town.

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...


My thoughts:

Dark, creepy, eery...and also full of hope and second chances. This book kept me up for hours. At some point I just gave up trying to second-guess what was happening and just went along with where the writer was taking me.
Probably the less you know, the more you will enjoy the book. So just a few words in general.
 The characters: Tom Kennedy grieving for his wife Rebecca, Jake Kennedy, sensitive, creative, adorable boy, Pete Willis, who shows the reader that there are two kinds of motivations: not to lose something precious or to gain something you never hoped you still could, Karen, Amanda- where would the world be without strong and loyal women, the super-creepy villains of this book, each one fully fleshed-out- a fantastic cast, created by Alex North.
The plot: clever, spinning over twenty years with a particular focus on the events in the last few months. There was never a dull moment- fast-paced, but not rushed. There were surprising twists and turns, I hadn't anticipated. Of course, I was already glued to the book, but they just added an exra level of emotion.
The writing: vivid, intriguing, gripping. At the same time and at the same level realistic- I am convinced that there are police cases like this, where the first 48 hours are crucial, where there is immense pressure to find the victim of abduction, and there are also psychological consequences of failing to do so. The father-son relationship also sounded realistic: we tend to model our own parental behaviour on that of our parents, but we can also deliberately choose to be different.
The atmosphere: the author clearly knows how to build up tension. At the same time, it is like a good creepy story told in the darkness- it is easy to analyse its elements in the daylight, safe in the knowledge that monsters don't exist, but the memory of your own accelerated heartbeat and clammy hands is there, and, deep down, you know- you were scared...
Overall, a fascinating read, highly recommended.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Celadon Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.