$15.02 when purchased online
Target Online store #3991
About this item
Description
About the Book
"...the most unsettling thriller I have read since Jo Nesb¿'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 Michaelides, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Silent Patient.atient.Book Synopsis
**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**
WORKS BEAUTIFULLY... If you like being terrified, The Whisper Man has your name on it.--The New York Times, Editor's Pick SUPERB
--Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review BRILLIANT... will satisfy readers of Thomas Harris and Stephen King.
--Booklist, Starred Review POIGNANT AND TERRIFYING
--Entertainment Weekly
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...
Review Quotes
"Alex North weaves a stunningly captivating narrative that's a nuanced and grounded exploration of father-son relationships...a master class in genre exploration. An incredible read."
--Joe and Anthony Russo
--Alex Michaelides, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Silent Patient Brilliant...an affirmation of the power of the father-son relationship...will satisfy readers of Thomas Harris and Stephen King.
--Booklist, Starred Review A terrifying page-turner with the complexities of fatherhood at its core.
--Kirkus Reviews A powerful and scary story that will haunt readers long after the final page is turned.
--Library Journal 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.
--A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window Get ready to be unnerved. This novel is thrilling.
--Brad Meltzer, #1 New York Times bestselling author Beautifully written. Beautifully plotted.
--C.J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man Beautifully crafted, heart-rending and spine-tinglingly chilling, The Whisper Man is a thrilling tour de force.
--Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes The best crime novel of the decade.
--Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of The Defense
About The Author
Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North's own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with the boy in the floor. Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name.Dimensions (Overall): 9.5 Inches (H) x 6.5 Inch (W) x 1.2 Inch (D)
Weight: 1.2 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 368
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Sub-Genre: Mystery + Detective, Thrillers
Publisher: St Martins Pr
Format: Hardcover
Author: Alex North
Featured book lists: New York Times Bestsellers
Book theme: Suspense, Crime, Police Procedural
Language: English
Street Date: August 20, 2019
TCIN: 76392313
UPC: 9781250317995
Item Number (DPCI): 059-01-2752
Origin: Made in the USA
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.
Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1 inches length x 6.12 inches width x 1 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO
Return details
This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 30 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.
Discover more options
$14.39 - $15.94
MSRP $17.99 - $28.99
4.3 out of 5 stars with 26 ratings
Related Categories
4.8 out of 5 stars with 12 reviews
100% would recommend
5 recommendations
Starts slow but worth it
4 out of 5 stars
lmmshops - 3 years ago
I really liked The Whisper Man. I'm a huge fan of thrillers and suspense novels. This one started a little slow for me but it got very interesting. There are a lot of layers to the characters and it definitely keeps you guessing! I'd recommend reading this!
Good read
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Dank - 4 years ago
Good easy read. Read it in one night.
(no review title)
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Sundevilashley - 4 years ago, Verified purchaser
I’ve never read a book so fast. The second I woke up or got home from work Id open Whisper Man excited to see what comes next. The chapters are short and usually end in a cliff hanger, so it’s perfect for those with busy lives. Extremely well written. I’ll be surprised if this isn’t made into a movie.
best book i’ve read!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
rachael - 5 years ago
This book is insanely good. The chapters are short, but suspenseful, it really keeps the reader drawn in, leaving you wanting more as you read.
It’s a really haunting book in all the right ways. So glad i took a chance and bought this. I will be buying his next book!
The hype is real, must read!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
BVK - 6 years ago, Verified purchaser
Page turner, got to read this thriller just in time for Halloween and boy was it creepy. Love all the short chapters and the different view points from all the characters. Alex North is definitely now one of my favorite authors and it was very well written.
Best Thriller I’ve Read in Ages
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Brooklyn Book Gal - 6 years ago
One of my favorite thrillers if the year and perfect for the fall season! Creepy but not over the top scary. North’s ability to write about father-son relationships is breathtaking. Enjoy!!
Silence of the Lambs with Slender Man
4 out of 5 stars
- 6 years ago
Thank you to Celadon Books for providing me an ARC of this book to review. This review is not in any way influenced by the author or publisher.
“The Whisper Man” is Alex North’s first suspense/thriller novel. There are some disturbing themes in it.
Set in the UK, “The Whisper Man”, has several alternating points of view (POV) – Tom Kennedy, his son Jake, Detective Inspector (DI) Pete Willis. It even takes a POV of the kidnapper and killer. The story is told over six parts.
The book gets its name from the nickname of a serial child kidnapper/killer called the “Whisper Man” due to the fact he would stalk his victims and whisper at their windows prior to their abduction.
The book begins with the abduction of a child – Neil Spencer, just like the ones some 20 years before. And, DI Willis has some experience there – he was the one who put “The Whisper Man” away, also known as Frank Carter. Spencer volunteers in the search for Neil, to no avail. Willis is also haunted by the fact that the body of one of Carter’s victims was never found. It cost him his marriage and his own child.
The man who haunts and taunts Pete is the one man who can assist the DI. Carter speaks more or less in riddles, but ones that Pete usually figures out or should.
As that is going on, Tom Kennedy (a recent widower) decides that he and his son Jake need a fresh start. Interestingly it is Jake who picks the house in Featherbank after seeing it online. And, Tom hopes that once they move, his son’s imaginary friend (a little girl) will go away. Jake starts off at the new school in the yellow zone with his behavior.
But, weird things begin to happen to Tom – his son talks about a boy in the floor, butterflies, and then there is the strange rhyme. Jakes claims to have learned the rhyme from his imaginary friend:
“If you leave a door half open, soon you'll hear the whispers spoken.
If you play outside alone, soon you won't be going home.
If your window's left unlatched, you'll hear him tapping at the glass.
If you're lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.”
Tom has no idea what it means or how Jake could’ve learned it.
After a near break-in, Tom investigates his garage and makes a gruesome discovery – one that connects with his own past and the past of DI Willis.
Jake starts hearing “whispers”. Tom already feels inadequate as a parent and wonders what, if anything, he can do to right the course. Tom will also have to come to grips with his relationship with his father.
At the heart of this novel, there is an underlying tone of the father-son dynamics and relationships.
I was surprised by Tom’s father as well as who Jake’s imaginary friend turns out to be. The new killer wasn’t much of a surprise. After reading it, it was almost a given as to who it was. It did make sense and kept the story connected.
I found the storyline to be a cross between “Silence of the Lambs” with a hint of the Slender Man Urban Legend. This book is terrifying, riveting, and a page-turner. It was an interesting read and managed to keep my attention from beginning to end. It was hard not to want to skip ahead to see the outcome.
For those who enjoyed “Silence of the Lambs” or movies/books of that genre – I would recommend the book. For those triggered by child abductions, child murder, serial killers – I wouldn’t recommend this book.