The Whistling

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Brought to you by Penguin.

WINNER OF THE EXETER NOVEL PRIZE

Alone in the world, Elspeth Swansome has taken the position of nanny to a family on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea.

Her charge, Mary, is a strange child. Distracted and secretive, she hasn't uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William - just days after their former nanny disappeared.

With her charge defiantly silent, Elspeth turns to the islanders. But no one will speak of what happened to William.

Just as no one can explain the hypnotic lullabies sung in empty corridors.

Nor the strange dolls that appear in abandoned rooms.

Nor the faint whistling that comes in the night . . .

As winter draws in and passage to the mainland becomes impossible, Elspeth finds herself trapped.

But is this house haunted by the ghosts of the past?

OR THE SECRETS OF THE LIVING..?

Chilling, twisty and emotionally gripping, The Whistling is an atmospheric page-turner with shades of the classics, yet a unique character of its own. Perfect for fans of Susan Hill and Laura Purcell.

© Rebecca Netley 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Critics Review

Assured debut . . . This wonderfully atmospheric read offers both a satisfying puzzle and some genuinely eery moments

Guardian

If you’re looking for a chilling tale as we head towards Halloween, you’ve found it . . . It’s not easy to pull off a genuinely unsettling ghost story, but this evocative mystery succeeds beautifully

Heat, 'Read of the Week'

Gripping, chilling and very, very satisfying

Daily Mail

A perfectly conjured setting and an unfolding mystery that will keep you guessing to the very end . . . Atmospheric and eerie, it will chill you to the bone

Anita Frank, author of The Lost Ones

A terrific, all-absorbing read. A wonderfully eerie haunted house set-up is given new life by brilliant, atmospheric writing, and by those rare things in any ghost story: real heart and feeling. I loved it!

Gytha Lodge, Sunday Times bestselling author

While The Whistling is an intricately plotted ghost story, it is also a beautifully poignant study of grief that kept me guessing right to its satisfying end. A must read!

Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora

Dripping in gothic melodrama, this chilling mystery is the perfect read for a cold winter’s night

Daily Mirror

A genuinely creepy book with a gripping mystery at its heart. For fans of Laura Purcell and gothic historical fiction, this is a must!

Woman's Weekly

If you love haunted house ghost tales that are as psychological as they are supernatural, then you’ll love Rebecca Netley’s atmospheric debut

Culturefly

A beautifully written and intricate gothic tale with an atmospheric setting

NB Magazine

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