The Whisper Man by Alex North

As I write this I am still unsure of what category to put this book in. Is it horror? It is certainly terrifying. The subject matter of child abductions is something that any and every parent, as long as they give a shit, will tell you is petrifying. Is it a psychological thriller? Read the first chapter and that will give you your answer right there. Is it a comedy? No. Not at all.

The Whisper Man by Alex North is a story that is ultimately about family. Through out its 594 pages you will find out what that means to our cast of characters. For Thomas, its an absentee father that he has vivid nightmares of drunken verbal and physical abuse towards his mother. For Jake is the constant fear of disappointing his father after the death of his mother. For our killer it means something completely different. Somehow the writer manages to take these themes and make them relatable to the reader.

The atmosphere of the book is where the true horror came from for me. It takes a bit to get into it, but when it does…oh boy. There are moments throughout that are, quite frankly, pure terror. Whether it be whispers outside a child’s widow or thin fingers coming in through a mail slot.

I am a man that loves a satisfying ending to his books. This one delivers in every capacity. Whether you like happy endings or sad, bleak ones you will not be able to deny how fulfilling of an ending this book delivers.

I give this book 4 1/2 cold cases out of 5.