With thanks to the author, publishers Penguin Michael Joseph UK, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC for this book, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Horror is one of my favourite genres, and this book did not disappoint! Creepy and ambient right from the off, this gothic ghost story has characters, both alive and dead, that were well developed as the story progressed, while the revelations about these characters and the plot twists that accompanied them kept me guessing practically until the last as to how the story would pan out. The author’s descriptions of the house and the island were really chilling and mysterious, to the point that they almost became characters in the story themselves, while small recurring events such as the moving of Elspeth’s shoes and the footsteps outside her door each night contributed wonderfully to the building of the tension in the story.

A thoroughly enjoyable book, I would love to see more works in the same vein from this author.

What a great horror story. I dont tend to usually read this genre of book, and if I'm honest I struggled with the first three chapters as I couldnt get in to it, however please persevere! It is a great book and I became addicted to reading more of it right through to the end.

I loved the main character Elspeth and the story is pretty unique.
I dont usually like really heavily descriptive stories, but this one really reeled me in and I felt like I was almost there watching from afar.
I loved the book and would recommend to anyone, especially if you dont normally read horror stories.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an advance copy .

What a creepy cover! This storyline had me gripped and I raced through it...well worth reading :) I can't wait to read more from this author!

I really enjoyed this book as I like anything with a horror vibe. I think if you enjoy horror and gothic reads you will like this book. It is a little bit slow but the creepy atmosphere makes it enjoyable.

If you like Horror like i do you will love this book.
so creepy in places i had to stop reading sometimes at night, but it kept me reading more.
The town is so shady about the family Elspeth is looking after no one will tell her what has happened.
So many secrets to unfold and so many twists that are chilling will just keep you wanting more.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

This was a beautifully written, slow burning thriller set in the outer islands of Scotland during the 1800s, giving you an atmospheric reading experience that was quite captivating.
I felt for the characters, and enjoyed the almost claustrophobic scenes inside the house itself, with the island and weather almost becoming its own character.

Very well written, and I look forward to more from this author.

A pretty good gothic ghost story about a young woman running from her past who goes to a remote Island to be a nanny to a young selectively mute girl.
It has well drawn characters and is satisfactorily puzzling and spooky.
For fans of Laura Purcell.

DNF @ 40% - Unfortunately, I didn't get on with this one. I usually love a gothic sort of story but this was a little too slow for me. I wasn't particularly attached to Elspeth, which made it harder for me to keep going. I think if I'd liked her a little more, I might have pushed through, but all in all, this wasn't for me.

It's 1860 and Elspeth Swansome is alone in the world. Trying to escape painful memories and the ghost of her life in Edinburgh, Elspeth accepts the position of nanny to a family on the remote island of Skelthsea.

When she gets there, though, she discovers that her new charge, Mary, hasn't spoken since the death of her twin, William. A death no one wants to talk about. Soon, strange things start occurring in the house and an eerie whistling can be heard at night... and Elspeth will be left wondering whose secrets haunt the halls, those of ghosts or of the living?

The Whistling is a novel in the best gothic tradition, that kept me glued to the pages and gave me quite a few chills. It's an absolutely perfect read for a dark winter night (or afternoon, if you're like me and need to read spooky stories in the light). The author did a great job in creating a haunting atmosphere with a strong sense of foreboding, while at the same time letting the story eerily play out in the space somewhere between dreams and reality.

I absolutely adored the setting in this. The island and the house were both drawn so well I could almost see them and feel the cold, the fog, the sea... and the whistling. This book is beautifully atmospheric and reminiscent of classic gothic novels in its style and setting.

The characters were also compelling, with Elspeth and Mary certainly being the best ones in terms of characterisation. The bond that develops between the two of them is so tender and adorable that I couldn't help getting attached to them too! The rest of the cast is quite varied, and I enjoyed seeing snippets of island life through them, and the colourful characters that live there. I did occasionally find Elspeth to be a tad too naive, but I suppose that added to her charm somewhat and didn't end up annoying me too much.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed this, it came just short of blowing me away. Mostly, I think, this was because I had a strong sense of having seen all this before. There are hardly any original elements here, and the story follows pretty closely the template of other ghost/gothic island stories. The author does a fantastic job with it, but it just needed a little bit more for it to go from a really good read to a great one for me. This possibly won't be a big issue for anyone just looking for an entertaining haunting read, but genre aficionados might not appreciate it as much.

The whistling - Rebecca Netley

DNF - in my opinion very slow and drawn out. Lost interest and then it expired so didn’t get to finish it anyway. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.

Excellent gothic style ghost story. Very atmospheric. A good read. I definitely would recommend if you like this genre of fiction.

Not really my cup of tea. The twists and turns kept me reading ,just to find out who done it! The storyline was hardly unique but it had its moments.

A superior ghost story - I was drawn into Elspeth's story straight away. She takes a job as a nanny on a remote Scottish island, her charge is mute, the maid in the house is hostile to her and there are more than a few strange goings on... yes, including a mysterious whistling that is linked to the dead...

Excellent for these long dark evening, prepare to get a chill down your spine.

Mysteriously creepy story, this gothic tale was atmospheric chilling me with its vibrations as I traversed the pages. The story had Elspeth moving to the island to take care of Mary, who was unable to speak since the death of her brother. Added to that was the feeling of an invisible entity. The book had its emotional factors along with the feeling of impending danger. The ending could have been slightly more explosive. Overall, a great debut.

I absolutely loved this book, it was enthralling from the start and I was dissapointed when it finished, I would definitely recommend this book, one of the best that I have read this year

It’s 1860 and after the death of her family, Elspeth finds herself moving to the island of Skethsea, Scotland and begins work as a nanny, taking on a charge who is unable to speak after the death of her twin brother.

But his death was not one without questions. Who or what caused his death? And what is those mysterious noises at night?

His death is a huge mystery, no one seems to want to talk and Elspeth who is still stricken by grief is determined to find out what happened. Was the missing nanny responsible?

It’s the little details that makes this book as creepy as it is and such an atmospheric read. I found myself completely drawn into what was happening. It’s beautifully written and you get a real sense of the isolation they feel through the descriptive narrative. There was times I genuinely felt as though the walls were drawing in. The author does a fine job of building up the intensity right up until the big climax.

A thrilling and picturesque Gothic story that will guarantee to send shivers down your spine. I would definitely recommend reading this one during the day.

‘The Whistling’ by Rebecca Netley is out now!

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

Her charge, Mary, hasn't uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William - just days after their former nanny disappeared.

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?

This really is a perfect Halloween read, when the nights are getting darker, curled under a blanket with a hot beverage, just make sure you have the lights on too...
The author had created a perfect page turner and leaves us no choice but to read 'just one more chapter'. This book not only draws you in, but it also leaves you trying to work out which of the characters can be trusted, and just as you think you have worked it out, another plot twist makes you question everything you thought you knew.

A dark, gothic book, with a ghostly presence and strange happenings. This book will grip you from the very first page and stay with you long after you have finished it.
I highly recommend this well-written novel, just make sure you have nothing planned when you start reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for and advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This book is a masterpiece. It is incredible beyond words. Perfection.

Review posted to amazon (awaiting approval) and goodreads.

I tried to read this book over the Halloween period and have tried again since. Sadly I just couldn't get along with the writing style, and although I wish the author very well, it was a DNF for me.

In 1860, a young woman arrives on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea to begin a job as a nanny. Elspeth Swansome is looking to escape her life after the tragic death of her sister; she immediately forms a kinship with her charge, 9-year-old Mary, who has not spoken since her twin William passed away. Yet Elspeth also senses hostility on the island. People seem strangely reluctant to tell her how William died or what happened to the twins’ previous nanny. And the there’s that whistling sound she keeps hearing...

The setting of The Whistling is perfect, and to some extent the atmosphere matches it. I could picture both Skelthsea and the house distinctly: cold sea breeze, icy rain, wild cliff paths, peat smoke on the air. However, the rest of it just didn’t come together for me. The characters seem empty; the plot and structure feel like they need a few revisions. Elspeth seems to accept that something supernatural is going on before anything has really happened, and the remainder of the story is a mess of red herrings and uninteresting subplots. On top of that, the motive of the ‘villain’ is the kind of cliche that verges on offensive.

I hoped The Whistling would be this year’s The Apparition Phase, but no such luck. It fits comfortably into the ‘gothic chiller’ niche inhabited by books like The Silent Companions. There’s not an original idea to be found in this story, and while I don’t think that has to be a bad thing when it comes to this genre, there are simply too many better versions out there. I’d recommend The Lost Ones (Anita Frank) and The Quickening (Rhiannon Ward), two similar recent reads I found more enjoyable (both of which also happen to involve imposing houses and ghostly children).