Going into this book I had no expectations what so ever. I was just super excited to give it a go and love it.

Sadly, this was not the case after I finished the novel.

I felt that the case with this book is that it was filled with great ideas but lacking in execution. On paper the plot and the characters are really strong but I felt a little underwhelmed when reading it. I think part of this comes down to how rushed the first 30% of the novel feels. The first part of the book felt slightly underdeveloped so when the plot and the characters started getting more interesting I didn't really feel connected as the first part was rushed and didn't allow for a great setting up of plot points and character motivations.

To be honest that was my major hindrance, I felt the beginning set me off on the wrong foot. The ending wasn't too shocking but it was satisfying.

The one thing I want to praise is the relationship between Mary and Elspeth. That was one of the major factors that kept me reading as I really enjoyed watching them form a close bond and grow together.

I loved this. Very ‘Turn of the Screw’ with additional ‘The Woman in Black’ influences. It kept me on edge to the very end, with new secrets coming to light at regular intervals. Deliciously creepy!

4+ star

It’s 1860 and Elspeth Swansome is on board a boat taking her to the Scottish island of Skelthsea as she escapes her past in Edinburgh. She’s to take up a position as nanny to nine year old Mary who is cared for by her aunt Violet Gillies. Mary is mute with grief, a deeply troubled child after tragedy enters her life. Elspeth is determined to get to the bottom of what so disturbs her charge especially when a number of inexplicable things occur including a whistling sound heard in the corridors of Iskar at night.

If you’re looking for a ghostly gothic tale to read as winter draws nigh then look no further than this. It’s a beautifully written novel that is true to the nineteenth century gothic novel both in style and format. There’s a haunting dream like quality that pervades the writing which is very powerful. There are some wonderful descriptions especially of Iskar the island home of Violet, over which hangs an air of solitude and sadness and evoking an atmosphere all of its own. As strange events increase in the household this is matched by the encroaching chill of the winter with all it’s unpredictable weather which serves to intensify the sense of foreboding. The island and its inhabitants add further to the tension and creepiness which starts with prickles of unease but grows into fear and a pervasive menace which Elspeth as the narrator clearly conveys. Elspeth is maybe too curious at times seemingly drawn in as a moth to a flame but her growing concern and love for Mary brings out a protective instinct. Icy fear, ghostly spectral hints, spooky scenes, strange behaviour all send shivers down the spine. It builds to a dramatic conclusion with a surprising outcome I don’t see coming!

Overall, this is an evocative, eerie, disquieting novel and perfect for fans of authors such as Laura Purcell. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Love this!
Everything you want and need from a ghostly and atmospheric novel
Beautifully written and very chilling
Oh read this novel - it's just perfect for dark winter nights.

Really spooky and brilliant located on a Scottish Island where Elspeth is a nanny to a very disturbed little girl having lost her brother in tragic circumstances she is really hard to look after as doesn’t speak after the shock of his death. While she’s there strange things start to happen and becomes very frightening and Elspeth doesn’t know which way to turn and who can she trust. Really enjoyed this ghost story and want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy,

The Whistling is an atmospheric ghost story which ticks a lot of boxes - remote isolated setting, dark rumours of witchcraft, mysterious deaths and strange noises. Elspeth, a young woman mourning the sudden death of her beloved sister, travels to the island of Skelthsea to act as nanny to Mary, a child who hasn't spoken since the death of her twin brother, William.

Elspeth soon finds her new post not quite what she expected. Her employer, Mary's aunt, is distant, the previous nanny, Hettie, disappeared in odd circumstances, and nobody seems keen to speak about what happened to William. Mary herself is a clearly damaged and vulnerable child, but does she know more than she is letting on - and why does she continue to refuse to speak?

And then there's the whistling....

The cover - the glowing lamp surrounded by darkness - is lovely and very evocative.

While I wouldn't say it ever actually terrified me, Rebecca Netley's debut novel is an intriguing and atmospheric read which kept me guessing throughout.

Clever and well written this is a creepy story that I kind of wanted to read with one eye shut it was so chilling. A great read.

An enjoyable read. It's not scary and a bit slow at times but I enjoyed reading it and got through it quite quickly wanting to find out what happens. .Set in the 19th century, Elspeth goes to a remote Scottish island to be a nanny to Mary, who was struck dumb when her brother died. Did the brother die in an accident or was he murdered? Was the previous nanny a witch? Is the old house haunted? These and many more questions are answered. The end was a surprise as I didn't spot any clues to the truth.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

Following the deaths of both her father and her beloved sister Clara, 24-year-old Elspeth Swansome leaves her life in Edinburgh to take up a position as nanny to nine-year-old Mary on the windswept, remote Scottish island of Skelthsea. A withdrawn, silent child, Mary has lost both her parents and then her twin brother William died just days after her nanny Hettie disappeared without telling anyone she was leaving.

Mary is being cared for and educated by her aunt Miss Gillies. But there is no affection there and poor Mary is starved of love and emotional support. Hopefully Elspeth will be able to help her to overcome her grief and start to speak again.

The Whistling is a classic, Gothic ghost story and I loved every minute. We’ve read this story many times – new nanny has charge of quiet child in a sinister house full of secrets, strange noises, shadowy figures and possible hauntings – but it never fails to chill. Who is standing in the attic window at night, lit only by a candle and who is humming a haunting lullaby outside Elspeth’s bedroom door? What is that faint whistling sound carried on the wind? And what is the meaning of the pebbles, and the dolls without faces, bound in human hair. The fear is stealth-like, creeping up on you, minute by minute, night after night.

“Iskar itself seemed to watch me from its shadows, seemed imbued with death and all that was wicked,” says Elspeth.

It’s a slow burn of a read, unworldly, spooky and full of creepy characters, both seen and unseen. Do you believe in ghosts? Elspeth is far too sensible, her father told her there were no such things, but anyone can be pushed to the limit by fear.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Whistling is a wonderfully spooky gothic horror story. I enjoyed reading this book immensely, and fell into the story from the very first page. Rebecca Netley has written a fantastic cast of intriguing characters, each flawed in their own way with interesting back stories. The wonderful descriptions created a chilling, ominous and threatening atmosphere throughout. However, whilst The Whistling is a chilling ghost story it is also a story of love and loss, sadness and of hope. I thoroughly recommend this book. Perfect for.fans of Laura Purcell.

Enjoyable ghost story - ticks all the necessary boxes and, whilst heavily flirting with being derivative, assembles an intriguing tale. Enough back story is given, or uncovered, to set up a sense of mystery and threat, with sufficient red herrings for the denouement to be both surprising but in keeping with what’s gone before. Can’t really ask for more on a miserable autumn day.

The setting for a ghost story could not be better - a remote Scottish island at the turn of the century, a young woman with a tragic past takes the job of a nanny to a mute little girl whose previous nanny has mysteriously disappeared.. Her brother has also been found dead at the bottom of a dangerous cliff! Did he fall of was he pushed? There are mysterious whistling sounds within the old house and Elspeth is very much alone in trying to uncover the true history of the strange events that have happened over the last year. It should have filled me with foreboding and had me wanting to turn the pages quickly in anticipation of what horror would unfold before me! Sadly it didn’t! Too many loopholes in the story and the conclusion was a little too convoluted for me! So disappointed as I love a good ghost story!

Something a bit different from what I would normally read but I really enjoyed it. When Elspeth Swansome takes on the job of nanny to Mary a young girl who is selectively mute she knows her task won't be easy . Mary has lost her twin brother in a tragic accident, she is also an orphan and her previous nanny has left without a goodbye. The setting is a remote island off the coast of Scotland, the house holds many ghostly secrets and Elspeth has no one to confide in, she begins to doubt herself and wonders if it's her own imagination that's playing tricks on her. She is determined to help Mary all she can and soon becomes emotionally attached to the little girl even though she starts to fear for their safety. The book is very well written with a suspenseful storyline, all in all, a great read.

Yikes, what a brilliant read!! This book will definitely give you shivers down your spine and is not to be read late at night if you are a scaredy-cat. It is very atmospheric and the characterizations are so well done.

All alone in the world and still reeling from the loss of her sister Elsbeth decides to take a job as a nanny on the island Skelthsea. Quite an adjustment from the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh. Her job will be to look after a young girl called Mary. A girl who is also reeling from the loss of her mother and twin brother and who is now mute.

You can feel Elsbeth's despair and frustration. She is a good person who feels she let her sister down and she sees this job as some kind of redemption but at what cost? Will she have to sell her soul to the devil because all is not well at Iskar. Who can be trusted and what is up with the dark round pebbles wrapped in hair?
Surely all the weird goings-on can be explained rationality...or can it...

"Beyond the sounds of the island, another made itself heard: the faintest of whistles, like wind trapped in tiles or chimneys."

Listen out for the 'widows' whistle. An instrument made in grief and blown to summon the dead........

This was 1 spooky tale that I devoured in 1 sitting!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK Michael Joseph for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Really enjoyed this book. I'm all for chilling reads in the lead up to October and this ticked a fair few boxes for me.

As Elspeth leaves Edinburgh behind for a future in a place she doesn’t know she reflects on her losses and wonders if she’s doing the right thing.

When she arrives at Skelthsea, a small beautiful island she realises it was the right thing for her. The place she would be living in, Iskar, was a huge house. Much bigger than the others she would live here with the family and be nanny to Mary, a nine year old who had also suffered tragedy and lived with her aunt and her servants.

Over time the house seemed darker and things started to happen that put her on edge. When the stories of deaths and mishaps of the family were told to her she started to feel uneasy. Something was not right at Iskar and Elspeth realised something, she was in danger and she feared Mary might well be too!

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a really quite dark with plenty of parts that spooked me, particularly as I sat reading on an evening. It’s a real page turner and I found myself seeing the island and the people so clearly in my imagination. I’ve not read a spooky book for a while so it was good to be put on the edge of my seat while reading. If you love a bit of a frightener check this book out!

This is a really great debut novel. The writing is beautiful, setting the scenes vividly and creating a great gothic atmosphere. The plot was a strong one, creating a ghost story that didn't seem too farfetched or too far from reality that it couldn't be believed.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Rebecca Netley in the future.

The Whistling by Rebecca Netley is a dark gothic tale set on the Scottish island of Skelthsea.
After the tragic death of her sister Clara, Elspeth Swansome decides to get away and start a new life. She takes a position as a nanny on the Scottish Island to Mary who has had her own tragedies. Her parents died and then last year her twin brother William too. Mary Now lives with her aunt Miss Gillies in a crumbling mansion called Iskar. Elspeth wants to help Mary in anyway she can but until she meets her, she wasn’t aware that Mary is mute. She hasn’t spoke since the death of her brother. So, her first task is to get her to speak. But the task is not straightforward as it seems. Nobody at Iskar or any of the villagers have heard her speak since the death of her twin brother.
As if life wasn’t hard enough getting used to the isolated shores of Skelthsea. Elspeth has been told the not only that Iskar is haunted but, Elspeth can feel a presence in the air which members of the household says is linked to Mary.
Thank you Penguin Michael Joseph for a copy of The Whistling. This is a beautifully written, gothic, atmospheric novel from the author and am I really surprised that is her debut novel. This author writing seems to have a more accomplished tone. Even though it is down as a horror for me personally, yes this was creepy but felt that it was a more mystery novel. But it didn’t damper my feeling for this novel. Great for fans of historical fiction. 4 stars from me.

Rebecca Netley’s debut novel The Whistling is an eerie ghost story set in Scotland in 1860. After her beloved sister Clara dies in a tragic accident leaving her with no familial ties, narrator Elspeth Swansome leaves Edinburgh to take up a post of a nanny at Skelthsea, a fictional island off the North coast of Scotland. Like Elspeth, her charge Mary has seen her fair share of tragedies, first losing her parents and then her twin brother William. Mary now lives with her aunt, Miss Gillies, at Iskar, a decaying mansion on the island. Elspeth’s main challenge is to get Mary to speak, since the girl has not uttered a word since William’s death. But things are more complicated than they first appear. Neither the members of the household nor the villagers are keen to speak about what happened to William. To make matters worse, something is definitely “off” at Iskar, and Elspeth is haunted by strange whistling and humming at night and other ghostly manifestations. The nanny might well be the victim of an overactive imagination fuelled by grief, except that she also starts coming across strange-looking dolls and charms suggesting dark magical practices. As winter approaches and travelling to the mainland becomes increasingly difficult, Elspeth’s oppressive sense of foreboding intensifies, and it soon becomes clear that action needs to be taken if further tragedies are to be averted.

Reading The Whistling feels like snuggling into a favourite old jumper. The “haunted nanny” is such a well-worn trope it could be considered a sub-genre, and the novel delights in reproposing the familiar elements of the classic ghost story: nightly escapades, spectral visitations, abandoned rooms, Gothic-infused landscapes of cliffs, beach and storm-roiled seas… You name it, and it’s probably there. Even the evocative chiaroscuro book cover fits into this “traditional” aesthetic. But Netley, who won the Exeter Prize with The Whistling, certainly knows how to repackage these ingredients into an enjoyable novel, strong on atmosphere and plot-twists. This is definitely a book to savour during the haunted seasons of Halloween or Christmas!

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-whistling-by-rebecca-netley.html

The Whistling by Rebecca Netley is a perfect ghost story for darker autumn nights.

I loved how it was written in a classic style, slow with reveals, highly descriptive, and centred upon characters' evolving personalities. It reminded me of a Victorian gothic novel.

The setting of a remote Scottish island in the 1800s lends well to the gothic atmosphere, along with folklore, witchcraft, and the supernatural. The island is as much a character as any other.

The characters are all intriguing and many are secretive, adding mystery to the deceased who seem to have come back to haunt.

I discerned a link, intentional or not, with The Turn of the Screw with the protagonist, Elspeth. She is also a troubled young woman starting her first job of minding a child, Mary. At times the reader questions if Elspeth is losing her mind with fierce devotion for her charge, or if ghosts are real.

Mary hasn't spoken since her twin brother died and the last nanny left. Elspeth wants to help Mary talk but the house and its ghostly encounters want to keep Mary silent.

Highly recommended. Published 14th October.