I adore Victorian ghost stories, particularly gothic ones, so The Whistling ticked all the boxes for me!
Elspeth Swansome goes to work as a nanny on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea. Her charge, Mary, hasn't said a word since the unexpected death of her twin brother William, and the last nanny packed up and left in a hurry. No one will speak of what happened to William, just as no one can explain the sound of singing in empty corridors, strange dolls appearing in abandoned rooms, and the faint whistling that comes in the night...
If you're looking for a truly chilling autumn read, this is the story for you! Set in 1860, it is a gorgeously gothic Victorian ghost story, with proper spooky bits (not the kind that are all in someone's mind). Reminiscent of the recent Netflix series, The Haunting of Bly Manor (based on Henry James' short stories), The Whistling is a modern spin on the classic Victorian ghost story.
The book is big on atmosphere; the eeriness of the remote Scottish island, the creepy old house, sinister servants (shades of Mrs Danvers!) There are plenty of mysteries to solve. What happened to the former nanny? Why does no one speak about William? Why did Mary stop speaking? And then there are the ghosts...
One of my favourite books this year, The Whistling is perfect Halloween reading!
Just remember to leave on the lights...
Thank you to Rebecca Netley and Michael Joseph for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.
No comments:
Post a Comment