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The Whisper Man Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Alex North (Author), Christopher Eccleston (Narrator), Macmillan Audio (Publisher)
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
See all formats and editions

"Listeners looking for creepy will find it in full force in Alex North's dark thriller, narrated by British actor Christopher Eccleston." -- AudioFile Magazine

"Reader Eccleston...adds flavor to the tale. He reads with a fervor that gives the story a strong sense of suspense." -- Booklist

This program is read by acclaimed British actor Christopher Eccleston.

In this psychological thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of suspense, as a father and son are 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...

Praise for The Whisper Man:

"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 Michaelides, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Silent Patient

“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." - Brad Meltzer, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of August 2019:: Told in alternating voices, Alex North's thriller The Whisper Man delivers strong twists and a truly surprising ending. A fresh start always seems like a good idea, but for Tom Kennedy and his son Jake, it doesn't go so well. When the two move back to Tom's hometown, their arrival coincides with the kidnapping of a boy who is Jake's age. The crime appears to have the hallmark of Frank Carter, a serial killer who terrorized the town twenty years earlier, and part of the novel is narrated by the cop who captured Carter decades earlier. The Whisper Man is spine-tinglingly creepy, and the suspense keeps building, layer by layer. Little reveals only serve to keep the reader guessing, and the end feels like more than a reveal--for me it was as if the entire atmosphere of the story took an unexpected and chilly turn. At first, the storyline appears to employ a familiar genre trope, but it veers wonderfully from the expected, and North's inclusion of a touching father-son relationship in this psychological thriller took it to the top of our best of the month list.--Seira Wilson, Amazon Book Review

Review

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM AGBO FILMS, produced by the Russo Brothers (The Avengers: Endgame, Captain America)

"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

Early Praise for The Whisper Man:

"The Whisper Man is the most unsettling thriller I have read since Jo Nesbø'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

"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.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Listening Length
    9 hours and 38 minutes
  2. Author
    Alex North
  3. Narrator
    Christopher Eccleston
  4. Audible release date
    August 20, 2019
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Macmillan Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07ND51PHT
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
Next slide of product details

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Product details

Listening Length 9 hours and 38 minutes
Author Alex North
Narrator Christopher Eccleston
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date August 20, 2019
Publisher Macmillan Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07ND51PHT
Best Sellers Rank #8,702 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#192 in Police Procedural Mysteries
#323 in Psychological Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals)
#870 in Suspense (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
26,120 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the plot engaging, realistic, and gripping. They also describe the book as a great, easy read with skillful first-person point of view. Readers praise the writing style as well-written and suspense ridden. They find the characters compelling and the emotional content surprising. Opinions differ on the pacing, with some finding it fast-paced and others finding it slow.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
PlotReadabilityWriting styleCharacterizationEmotional contentPacingLevel of detailContent
339 customers mention "Plot"268 positive71 negative

Customers find the plot engaging, chilling, and realistic. They also say the story is told through multiple POVs and that it makes the story complete. Customers also mention that the book is gripping and perfectly paced.

"...Kudos to Alex North who managed to create a gripping, perfectly paced, twisted story with incredibly beautiful and complicated characters...." Read more

"Short chapters, ,fast paced, interesting characters, good plot. I thought I had it figured out twice but I was wrong...." Read more

"...(in this case, effective means creepy and suspenseful) thrillers I've read in recent years...." Read more

"This book grabs you from the very start and doesn’t stop til the end!!" Read more

265 customers mention "Readability"244 positive21 negative

Customers find the book great, deliciously wrought, and a fantastic debut from the author. They also say the first-person point of view is skillfully done, the writing is great and easy to keep up with, and the book has a good theme. Customers also mention that the scenery is grand and the writing incredibly beautiful.

"...to create a gripping, perfectly paced, twisted story with incredibly beautiful and complicated characters...." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book. The writing was great and really easy for me to keep up with. I loved the main characters...." Read more

"...It was interesting enough to keep reading, but I occasionally found myself wishing it would choose a track and stick with it...." Read more

"The Whisper Man by Alex North is a fantastic debut from the author, and I cannot wait to read his next novel which releases in July...." Read more

107 customers mention "Writing style"88 positive19 negative

Customers find the writing style well-written, suspenseful, and perfect for quarantine reading.

"I really enjoyed this book. The writing was great and really easy for me to keep up with. I loved the main characters...." Read more

"...Some of the strongest, most beautifully written scenes in the book includes all the family drama and that’s not just limited to Tom and Jake...." Read more

"...truly shocked that this is the authors debut novel because it’s written so well!..." Read more

"...had imaginary friends *wink, wink* and to be honest, that was really well written and equally as eerie...." Read more

73 customers mention "Characterization"54 positive19 negative

Customers find the characters compelling and the pace works for this type of mystery.

"...perfectly paced, twisted story with incredibly beautiful and complicated characters...." Read more

"...I loved the main characters. There are some sad parts and even some spots that kinda creeped me out. But the story was so good...." Read more

"Short chapters, ,fast paced, interesting characters, good plot. I thought I had it figured out twice but I was wrong...." Read more

"...It's a couple of steps above pulp. The characters are shallow, their emotions are formulaic, and the evil guys are pretty much shallow caricatures..." Read more

31 customers mention "Emotional content"31 positive0 negative

Customers find the emotional content surprising, gripping, and full of heartbreak, hope, and supernatural touch. They also describe the story as engrossing, predictable, but with a comforting familiarity. Readers also mention that the relationships that needed exploration were well done and not overdrawn. They appreciate the mix of detective story, family relationship story, and elements of the supernatural. Overall, they say the book is unique in the literary field and believable without being over the top ridiculous.

"...It’s told from a few different perspectives which is pretty unique in the literary field...." Read more

"...elements that I was expecting but there was a lot of psychological and emotional qualities that I wasn’t quite anticipating...." Read more

"This 4 Star novel is just the way I love my thrillers; creepy, tense with an element of a potential haunting!!!..." Read more

"...From the beginning, the complex characters and eerie tone captured my attention...." Read more

63 customers mention "Pacing"41 positive22 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some find it fast and compelling, while others find it slow and hard to keep up with.

"...It keeps the pace of the reading going with a smooth and clever transition style; each chapter ending in an episodic way either not giving you..." Read more

"Short chapters, ,fast paced, interesting characters, good plot. I thought I had it figured out twice but I was wrong...." Read more

"...I think that’s the biggest drawback for this book: how slowly everything comes to fruition...." Read more

"...The characters are compelling and the pace works for this type of mystery. This book is recommended for mystery readers." Read more

16 customers mention "Level of detail"7 positive9 negative

Customers are mixed about the level of detail. Some find the book thorough, complex, and easy to follow. They also say the book description is accurate. However, some customers feel the book is confusing, predictable, and formulaic.

"...However, these are almost some of the most confusing parts as there is much hinted at that is never resolved - these parts slip into a paranormal (?)..." Read more

"...It’s thorough and written well in my opinion but I do understand why a reader who is looking for a spine tingling thriller or murder and deceit may..." Read more

"...make up its mind whether it’s a thriller or a mystery and this creates some confusion. There are several definitions of both...." Read more

"...I will give away nothing of the plot. The book description is quite accurate.What I loved about this one was:1...." Read more

21 customers mention "Content"6 positive15 negative

Customers find the content boring, slow, and disappointing. They also say nothing much really happens.

"The first time I tried this book I thought it was over hyped and quite boring. However this go around I find myself quite enthralled...." Read more

"...How wrong I was. Nothing much really happens. Unless you think nearly 300 pages of "woe is me(ing?)is either creepy or thrilling or both...." Read more

"The book started really great and intriguing. But ending was super fast and simple expected more. Give 4 starts only for book...." Read more

"...of the book needed some more 'oomph', and it was a good story, but not compelling!!" Read more

Not scary, just cheesy
3 out of 5 stars
Not scary, just cheesy
This book was just ok. It was by no means scary. The drama aspect of the book was very cheesy, as if the author was trying to be poetic and sophisticated but it just came off as cheesy. There were a few grammatical errors throughout the book and the sentence structure (syntax) was thrown off because of how the author was trying to make the wording sound "poetic". The "exciting" stuff doesn't happen literally until 70 pages before the book is done.
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Top reviews from the United States

Jen B.
5.0 out of 5 stars I was Hooked!
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
I thought it was suspenseful from the get-go and made me feel like I was playing the role of the abductor for a moment. My sub-conscience asking myself "Why are you lurking around this innocent little kid, you creeper?!" But at the same time I was hopeful that the situation wasn't as grave as it appeared; that the abductor was rescuing the boy from a worse fate. *naive

The writing is done as though it were a screenplay, especially when it comes to transitioning from one chapter to the next. It keeps the pace of the reading going with a smooth and clever transition style; each chapter ending in an episodic way either not giving you enough of the answer you were looking for, forcing you to continue or ending in such a chilling manner that you have to continue to be able to go about your day! Ahhh... so basically it's a quick read!

It starts out a little creepy, then gets scary, then terrifying!!!

The father-son duo is so sweet and grows stronger throughout the read. Both Tom and Jake, being so much alike, assume that the other doesn't care for them as much as they'd hope. That the other is not giving them what they need nor communicating in a way that they can understand. Both eventually having to learn the hard way (the impossibly intense end-of-the-world hard way) that they really do love and truly feel the love from one another.

I cannot fathom the hurt of losing a young child, especially in such a horrific manner and this book had me rethinking my plans of procreation all together. I also think that it would be extremely creepy to read this as a parent - - steer clear padres. It's about young boys being carefully selected then abducted by a strange man whispering to them in the night through their bedroom windows and luring them outside; hence the name The Whisper Man.

I tend to do most of my reading at night and circumstances had it that I spent most of this book's reading solo. *Perfect timing, Universe! I love my scary stories but oh my God this one had me reeling. I literally caught myself hallucinating in the pitch black before I fell asleep at night and realized in the morning that I had tiny black book residue on my fingertips most likely from excessively gripping the cover so as to not be sucked in fully.

Kudos to Alex North who managed to create a gripping, perfectly paced, twisted story with incredibly beautiful and complicated characters. The names Featherbank and Carter will forever haunt me and my heart will most likely sink to my gut the next time someone whispers my name... yeesh! Equally, I fear that I may never see butterflies in the same light hereafter. Not necessarily in a worse light (with the exception of corpse moths) but in a different light with a new depth and appreciation. The appreciation stemming from the complete metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly; a process similarly found in the slow but dramatic development of the main characters lives and personas. They all grow through the hurt and emerge from their cocoons as their true selves.
8 people found this helpful
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Laken
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book that keeps your interest
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was great and really easy for me to keep up with. I loved the main characters. There are some sad parts and even some spots that kinda creeped me out. But the story was so good. I would definitely recommend this book and read this author again
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Kristen
5.0 out of 5 stars read this in one day
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
Short chapters, ,fast paced, interesting characters, good plot. I thought I had it figured out twice but I was wrong. I do feel like there was a small something missing from it…but I’m not sure what. 4.75/5 for me :)
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FaithOryx
3.0 out of 5 stars Whisper Man Not For Everyone
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
Spoiler Free. The Whisper Man would qualify as a either a thriller, a mystery/procedural or a family drama but is perhaps a strong example of none of these. It never quite made up its mind as to what it wanted to be. The overall story seems to be about a young boy that has gone missing in a small town, which has an eerie similarity to a series of crimes committed by a serial killer 20 years prior which left several young boys murdered and another missing young boy never found.

The mystery part of the novel is procedural and told from a third-person perspective of (mainly) two detectives – Pete Willis and Amanda Beck – who are working the case of the missing boy in the current day story. Pete was the detective who worked the similar case 20 years prior and has been brought in to assist based on the similarities of the cases. Are the cases connected? Is it a copycat? The new case brings out a resurgence of interest in the prior case, especially to unresolved questions. What happened to the boy that was never found? Was there, perhaps, an accomplice? Can they find the young boy in time to save him?

The thriller/family drama part is from the first-person perspective of Tom Kennedy, a man who has recently lost his wife, and his strange experiences in a new house he has moved into with his young, eccentric son Jake. They are attempting a fresh, new start in a completely random town and place they find in real estate listings – unlucky for them, they move into the town where this boy has gone missing and end up involved in the case. From Tom’s POV, you get strange events in the night, creepy visitors, and an overall feeling of paranoia as he attempts to figure out what's happening in his new home and, of course, with his young son. Tom and Jake’s role in the overall story is somewhat confusing and highly coincidental. How they relate to the town and the case in question is bizarre at most. The coincidences cannot be revealed without giving spoilers, but I eye-rolled my way through revelation after revelation. Their story (and even how they relate to the town) is a highly emotional account of a man and his son coping with their broken family. Some of the strongest, most beautifully written scenes in the book includes all the family drama and that’s not just limited to Tom and Jake. I saw strong promise here in the writing style. However, these are almost some of the most confusing parts as there is much hinted at that is never resolved - these parts slip into a paranormal (?) realm that is mostly ignored in the overall plot.

Overall, there are way too many perspectives happening that brought this one down for me. Besides Tom and Pete, you also get random other perspectives thrown in that are only a couple of pages long and more distracting than helpful. Switching from first (Tom) to third person (Pete and everyone else) is highly problematic and hard to pull off. In this case, the book suffered from it. Scenes that should have been suspenseful (mostly from Tom’s POV) simply weren’t. The various genres and POVs within a single novel seemed to fight against each other rather than meld together. I didn’t find the book creepy save for a few scenes. I could see the plot unfolding from a mile away and was disappointed with a lack of surprises. As the ending unrolled, more eye-rolling from this one as the most obvious course happened and the coincidences continued.

On the positive side, the author has a talent with words and I could see the promise of a really good novel in this one. It’s almost two books in one (the serial killer and procedural vs. the story of Tom and Jake) and I wish he had picked one and let it shine as center stage. The same story could have been told either way. I also did read it in one sitting as I would call it a page turner. The premise was good in theory (though the more I thought about the whispering, the weirder the concept became in reality). I might recommend this one as the format seems to have worked with a lot of people who rated this pretty high and there are many brilliantly written pages. For me, it came in just about average.
21 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read!
Reviewed in Canada on May 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
A thriller with a bit of the « supernatural », but then it all makes sense in the end. It also examines the complex relationship between fathers and sons. Quite good.
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Jussara Berlie
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente!
Reviewed in Brazil on July 26, 2022
Verified Purchase
Excelente livro.
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Elli
5.0 out of 5 stars Großartiges Buch
Reviewed in Germany on June 19, 2024
Verified Purchase
Ich habe zuerst The Shadows gelesen und war da schon begeistert. The Whisper Man war nicht weniger mitreißend. Seit dem bin ich Fan.
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Disha Gaikwad
5.0 out of 5 stars The Author Is a Magician ❤️❤️
Reviewed in India on February 10, 2021
Verified Purchase
“The butterflies didn’t have a choice, after all. That’s what things do. Even in the toughest of circumstances, they keep living.”
― Alex North, The Whisper Man

Ratings: ❤❤❤❤.5/5

Who doesn't like a nice spooky thriller that gives you a creepy vibe all along the read, and some chills while on the journey? I know I do!!!

This book revolves around Tom Kennedy who wants a fresh start for himself and his son Jake to cope with his wife's sudden death. They move into a new house in a small English town called Featherbank. Little do they know that the town which looks like the nice place to be at is hiding its own dirty scary secrets.

20 years ago, "The Whisper Man", had abducted and killed several young children. Now in present times, history is repeating itself, except- "The Whisper Man" was caught 20 yrs ago and is now serving his time in prison.
The mystery starts to unravel when Jake starts acting strangely and claims he heard whispers at his window.

There is no denying that this book reminds me of "The Shining" at certain instances, but it was an entertaining read. It was spooky just as much - I mean to think of a 7yo boy casually saying - "The boy in the floor told me things!!!" --- eeppp scary! (This is exactly what Alex Norths' son just casually said one day😅... I just idk what to say about that....Also, came across this on Goodreads!!)

Even so, it is not a continuous horror show, it portrays the father-son bond across different generations and some super interesting police proceedings.

The story is told via multiple POVs, again not usually a Multiple POV fan, yet I bloody loved it here!! The pace, the narrative collectively makes this a great one sit read! (Cause that's exactly what I did 🤷🏻‍♀️)

I hope you guys read this and love it as much as I did...and be equally spooked...!!
Happy Reading 💕!!!
Customer image
Disha Gaikwad
5.0 out of 5 stars The Author Is a Magician ❤️❤️
Reviewed in India on February 10, 2021
“The butterflies didn’t have a choice, after all. That’s what things do. Even in the toughest of circumstances, they keep living.”
― Alex North, The Whisper Man

Ratings: ❤❤❤❤.5/5

Who doesn't like a nice spooky thriller that gives you a creepy vibe all along the read, and some chills while on the journey? I know I do!!!

This book revolves around Tom Kennedy who wants a fresh start for himself and his son Jake to cope with his wife's sudden death. They move into a new house in a small English town called Featherbank. Little do they know that the town which looks like the nice place to be at is hiding its own dirty scary secrets.

20 years ago, "The Whisper Man", had abducted and killed several young children. Now in present times, history is repeating itself, except- "The Whisper Man" was caught 20 yrs ago and is now serving his time in prison.
The mystery starts to unravel when Jake starts acting strangely and claims he heard whispers at his window.

There is no denying that this book reminds me of "The Shining" at certain instances, but it was an entertaining read. It was spooky just as much - I mean to think of a 7yo boy casually saying - "The boy in the floor told me things!!!" --- eeppp scary! (This is exactly what Alex Norths' son just casually said one day😅... I just idk what to say about that....Also, came across this on Goodreads!!)

Even so, it is not a continuous horror show, it portrays the father-son bond across different generations and some super interesting police proceedings.

The story is told via multiple POVs, again not usually a Multiple POV fan, yet I bloody loved it here!! The pace, the narrative collectively makes this a great one sit read! (Cause that's exactly what I did 🤷🏻‍♀️)

I hope you guys read this and love it as much as I did...and be equally spooked...!!
Happy Reading 💕!!!
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One person found this helpful
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Gaby Camargo
5.0 out of 5 stars Lista para leer
Reviewed in Mexico on November 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
Me llego mucho antes de lo previsto y en perfectas condiciones
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