When I read the blurb I couldn't help thinking about Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw", a masterpiece I love, as it seemed to share some elements with that story (the nanny, the children, strange occurrences).
I was a bit skeptical but I was wrong because this is an excellent gothic novel that features some trope like "the haunted nanny" but the author was able to make them creepy and fascinating.
The plot is creepy, there's an eerie atmosphere, and the descriptions have a sort of dreamlike fascination.
Excellent storytelling and character development, a plot that kept me turning pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Whistling
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A wild isolated setting in Scotland, a village that whispers the house is haunted, a little girl with mutism after the mysterious death of her brother and a lot of unexplained goings on.
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All of this plus more features in this wonderful read from @rebeccanetleywriter
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The Whistling is beautifully written and is full of intrigue and suspense that is absolutely perfect for the spooky season. The sadness of the people and the place seep off the page into your being and kept me gripped throughout. I was kept on the edge of my seat as if reading a psychological thriller in this gothic tale that is as haunting as it is intriguing.
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This evocative and disquieting read is the perfect autumnal read. It is mesmerising, it is eerie, it is one I definitely recommend.
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Thank you @michaeljbooks for this copy to read and review.

I really loved the atmosphere in The Whistling. I genuinely felt scared at times, reading in the dark, but with a wonderful protagonist who overcomes what I couldn't.

Unfortunately, though, I found this to just be a book like any other. With the same tropes and plot points seen countless times. Something spooky is happening, with creepy dolls and curses upon the house. The plot twist, though I wouldn't necessarily deem it so, was easy to guess and when I can figure out a plot point that easily my excitement diminishes.

Overall, really well written but the plot is just your bog standard spooky story and I truly hoped for more.

A wonderful, atmospheric story with an old fashioned feel. The windswept Scottish island setting is fantastic and the slow burning Gothic story is engrossing and compelling. A perfect read for dark evenings.

I'm not really a one for reading within seasons... I like to pick what I fancy by mood rather than time or weather... but I do love a spooky read on the run up to Halloween which, if you ask the supermarkets starts in about August!
So, Elspeth Swansome up sticks and leaves her scant life to travel to a remote Scottish island to take up the position of nanny to Mary. Sounds simple enough, if a little remote but then again, Elspeth isn't really leaving anything or anybody behind so she pretty much doesn't mind where she goes. But Mary is not without her challenges as, since the day her twin brother William died suddenly, she hasn't said a word. This trauma has literally left her speechless, which is no surprise when you also consider it came shortly after her former nanny disappeared. Double tragic whammy for one so young. Especially given her past before too.
Elspeth tries and makes the best of things, she works hard to gain Mary's trust, actually, the trust of the whole household. But there are things of which no one will speak, not least the circumstances surrounding the death of William. But then there are the noises that come at night. And these can't all be passed off as the wind whistling through an old house. There's singing and then there's the dolls... And then when they get cut off completely from the mainland, well... that's when things really get scary...
The author does a great job setting the scene and atmosphere. The way she describes the island and the house really does give a claustrophobic feeling which only adds to the spookiness. Add the weather into the mix and, well tension and suspicion abounds. And then there's the storyline, and backstory. How Mary came to live with her Aunt there at Iskar. All played out by some very well described characters who were all easy to connect to / emote with. Layers upon layers of intrigue build up as the tension mounts leading to what can only be described as a shocking but wholly satisfying ending.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Perhaps a little predictable in parts, this is a decent gothic scary story, ideal for this time of the year.

The Whistling
It’s 1860 and Elspeth Swansome is on the boat to the island of Skelthsea. Due to a family tragedy, she’s left her old life in Edinburgh behind and taken a post as a nanny to a 9 year old girl, Mary. As she disembarks, she sees a large house on a hill, Islak, which will become her new home.
Mary, an orphan, has been mute since the death of her twin brother, William, in an accidental fall and Elspeth senses an immediate bond between them. She can also see that Mary misses the previous nanny, Hettie, who left suddenly to go to America and there are rumours of Mary being sent to an asylum if she doesn’t improve. Islak is owned by Mary’s grandmother, Miss Gillies, and Elspeth soon meets the staff, Mrs Leinster, the housekeeper, and Greer, an unpleasant maid.
While Miss Gillies takes Mary for lessons, Elspeth starts exploring the vast, rambling house and its ‘web of rooms.’ There are signs of decay; damp on the kitchen ceiling, worn velvet curtains and woodworm in panelling. There are also hidden places and dark, damp priest holes. And as she does wanders, she hears a very faint whistling but cannot find out where it is coming from. Soon she begins to feel afraid whenever she hears it. Elspeth also has the uncomfortable sense of someone else, an unseen presence, in the house. She finds pebbles with symbols and hair wrapped around them and faceless wooden dolls which worry her. And is it Greer that walks the corridor outside Elspeth’s bedroom at night singing a lullaby, and has gone when she opens the door? As Ailsa, the local wise woman says ‘All is not well at Iskar.’
The influence of folk magic is very strong in the community and it’s openly practiced. She sees a kneeling figure, lit by a lantern, up at the Fiaclach, a nearby ancient stone circle made ‘for the old religion’ as Mrs Leinster tells her. And eventually Elspeth discovers the source of the whistling and what it’s summoning. It’s not only the living that reside at Iskar…..
This is an accomplished debut novel and a very atmospheric ghost story. It has the traditional elements of a large, isolated house with the additional loneliness of people in their grief. The author skilfully, and subtly, introduces the ghostly elements; an extra shadow on the water when she and Mary are on a beach, a toy engine moving by itself along the floor in an empty room upstairs and the nagging sense that there is a unseen but powerful presence in the house. Evocative descriptions of the island and the countryside surrounding Iskar emphasise the beauty of the place by day and the contrasting sinister appearance that it takes after dark. Mary, haunted by nightmares and talking to herself is a child that needs a friend as she misses her brother desperately. But nothing is quite what it seems and rumours and gossip make William into an cruel and unnatural boy. This sub plot reminded me very much of the classic film, ‘The Innocents’. There were several very convincing plot twists and also a dream like atmosphere in places as Elspeth gets drawn into Iskar and its secrets. I loved the author’s descriptive writing as it conjured up so vividly Elspeth’s increasing unease and her growing love for Mary.
This is a book to read on a dark winter’s night to really appreciate its layers of mystery. My only quibble is that it felt a little rushed towards the end after the slow build up But this is a wonderful Gothic mystery and I really enjoyed it.
My thanks to Michael JosepH Penguin and Netgalley for an ARC.

This is a great slow-burner of a ghost story, ideal for this time of year as the evenings draw in and Halloween approaches. The book is set on a remote Scottish island in 1860, and the author's sense of place is really strong - the wild weather and rugged landscape make a great backdrop for spooky goings-on. The set-up is pretty familiar to readers of the genre: a young woman comes to the island to act as a governess for the orphaned child who is living with an apparently well-meaning but emotionally distant relative'; the child turns out to have a troubling backstory; none of the locals will tell the young woman what, exactly is going on; ghostly things ensue. But once we get into the haunting and the sinister events of the island's recent history begin to unravel, this book really comes into its own. The writing is strong and the pacing is slow, but impactful. The reader discovers each new element of the story alongside the narrator, allowing us to share in her surprises and theorising – and it'll definitely have you jumping at shadows afterwards.

Some books should only be read in the daytime, and this one fits the bill, being creepy and very Gothic, and it would make an excellent Halloween experience!
Set in 1860, in Scotland, who do ghost stories really well, Elspeth Swansome is going to be a nanny to Mary, aged nine, who has been mute since the death of her twin brother William. The location for this story is Iskar House on Skelthsea Island, which is where all the best ghost stories happen, a dark, forbidding Mansion, that is crumbling to the ground, unfriendly servants, strange nocturnal noises, creaking floorboards , a whistle, and a character with a disfigured face!
It’s not full of blood and guts, but the sense of dread builds. Who can be trusted to tell the truth, and why was a nine year old boy hated so much? It’s an atmospheric read, very disquieting and menacing. There are happy moments in all this turmoil, when Elspeth and Mary appear to be really enjoying each other’s company, but overall, it does make the heart jump and the pulse race. The house disintegrates as the reader’s peace of mind is challenged. An enemy becomes a reluctant saviour, and probable friend.
I really enjoyed this book, although I did have to put it down on a couple of occasions when it was a howling storm outside, it made me too jumpy!! It was a marvellous page turner, and I didn’t guess the ending, so that’s a bonus in my book!! For a debut novel on a classic haunted house theme, it was dreich and full of eerie experiences. Loved it. Deserving of my five star rating, I will post reviews to Goodreads and other outlets.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK, for my advance digital copy, given in exchange for my honest review.

This was another great autumn read with ghostly chills and mystery.

When I first requested this book I had no clue it was actually a historical fiction novel (that’s also a horror) so it was a surprise! The novel begins in 1860 with Elspeth, our MC, on a jutting boat, arriving on the fictional and isolated island of Skelthsea (set off of Scotland). She has left her old life in Edinburgh behind, and in this new place she is to become a nanny to a girl called Mary.

Upon Elspeth’s arrival, she realises that she will be employed in the grandest home on the island called ‘Iskar’ which is also the most imposing grand house on the island, situated on top of a hill, isolated from the village- basically all the things that alert to “Haunted House”. In addition, Elspeth finds that her new charge, Mary, in recent months has experienced the sudden abandonment of Hettie (the previously beloved nanny) and the sudden death of her twin brother, rendering her mute.

As Elspeth slowly gets to know Mary and the household, with experiences of sightings and hearing odd things, she realises all is not right in Iskar, and she will do all she can to protect Mary.

Within the first 5% of the book this already had all of the markings of a gothic book: Victorian setting; MC being introduced to a new area; twins; a mute child; a new nanny; secrets; mentions of witchcraft; a history of death; and a big, isolated house on some island. Despite this book having the typical “checklist” it was still so good and I quickly sped through it.

The author does so well in describing Iskar that it’s almost it’s own character, you can easily imagine the house and the town and the isolation. It was an eerie setting and the author made me feel this.
In addition, the author did so well in making me turn the pages. This book was wrapped up in “strange-goings-on”, mystery and beliefs that I needed to find out more.

I read this book fairly quickly- in 3 sittings I believe. I really enjoyed the eeriness and the mystery behind this book. I also enjoyed the MC as she was curious and naive and we got to see her own pain and experience too. Sometimes I thought the MC was a little too naive... but that might be because I’ve watched and read a lot of thrillers and now I end up questioning each characters motives

This was an excellent title, and an addictive read… it was filled with suspense and tension, woven with some darkness, mystery and even the possibility of murder… I definitely recommend this title for those who enjoy reading psychological thrillers with a hint of supernatural.

What stood out to me the most in this book was the style in which it was written. The author has done a fantastic job and weaving the words almost like poetry, where you felt you were being drawn into the dark and atmospheric descriptions; where pathetic fallacy followed the characters and set the scene so much so, I could perfectly imagine this novel made into a screen adaptation.

Having read the like of The Woman in Black, I would certainly say this novel sat in comparison with that genre, but with a stand-out originality and addictive quality. The book follows Elspeth, a young nanny to a strange yet captivating child, living on a remote Scottish island that is filled with secrets and ancient mysteries. Elspeth is dragged further into a world of tension and mystery, exploring loss and love along the way, with a final culmination of events that I must admit had my guessing at until the very end.

The setting and character development were outstanding: real, poetic, gothic, descriptive, and yet there was emotion and a ‘real-lifeness’ to the characters. The tale kept me guessing as I turned page after page, keeping me reading into the night- for as long as I dared!

Spooky book, set on an isolated island in the middle of nowhere in a gothic time period? Sign me up!

I love a spooky read in October and this was perfect for that! We’ve got a spooky setting, a mute child, the death of a boy and a new arrival in the town running away from her past.

This is very fun as an October read. Lots of ghostly goings on which I loved and lots of twists and turns.

I do think the last 1/3 wasn’t quite as engaging but this was still a fun scary ghost story for October!

After a slow and sluggish start, Rebecca Netley’s The Whistling eventually found its footing and turned into an okay experience in the second half of the book.

I’m picky with Historical Fiction, but I love Classic Literature and Horror and to me this had a little blend of both.
However, something in this story missed the mark for me. The writing was great, the story was fine. But for reasons completely unknown to me, I just couldn’t gel with it, and I’m sad to admit that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would.

The setting of 1860 and the language used is reminiscent of the classics and sets the tone, while the creepy Whistle and old house with the trappings creaky boards and shifting sounds provided enough ghostly paranormal activity to remain suspenseful enough to keep going, even if there was a fair amount of predictability for me.

Thank you to Rebecca Netley, Penguin Michael Joseph UK, and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So deliciously dark and gothic, it really made me think of The turn of the Screw with its storyline and it was just as good. It was well written, with a good storyline and good characters which played into the atmosphere perfectly, even the front cover was atmospheric and creepy. I loved it

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this dark and deeply disturbing book

a book to read during the halloween month...this book has it all, it has hints of the supernatural, its spooky and very disturbing

at times i struggled with this one because it was so dark but i persevered and was glad i did

I requested this book from the horror category as it's been a while since I've read anything in the genre that really struck me (including several very highly praised and much touted titles earlier this year which left me cold).
The Whistling will not appeal to 'horror' fans looking for blood and guts - it's much more of an atmospheric, slow burn ghost story than anything of a graphic nature. A story where the setting is, cliched as it may sound, a character in its' own right. There are touches of Rebecca, a hint of MR James and Shirley Jackson - a smidgen of Susan Hill. If any of those names appeal to you, the chances are you could do a lot worse than The Whistling.
The writing is assured and reads in an authentic enough manner for the period it is set in without every becoming as dry as some of the classics I found myself nodding off to back in my A level English days - a good balance of voice and description of the time without being distracting in its' 'sense of period'.
Story-wise it starts out with a premise familiar enough to the genre - a young woman arrives at a foreboding house to act as nanny for a child who has 'issues', There are somewhat suspicious characters both working in the house and in the surrounding village. There's a dark past which our protagonist has to uncover little by little as she is drawn further into her environment.
To say more would be risking spoilers, but it does tweak convention and play with some of the tropes we might expect.
All in all an assured debut.

A decent ghost story, reminiscent of earlier authors; Susan Hill or Barbara Erskine. It begins with a young woman arriving on an isolated Scottish island in 1860. She is there to be a nanny to a young girl, who has not spoken since the death of her twin.
What follows is an atmospheric, ghostly tale that, for me, was a decent 3* Good Read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the opportunity to preview.

Words can't possibly explain how I feel about this book. Every once in a while, I read a book that simply takes my breath away and this was one of them.

I'd heard great things about it already but as soon as I started it, I was hooked. A mesmerising, atmospheric, powerful and evocative historical novel that I simply could not put down.

Rebecca is an incredible writer and I felt every emotion whilst reading this. I'll be shouting from the rooftops about this novel and I feel honoured to have had the chance to read it.

Thank you so much to the publishers and Net Galley.

A thrilling gothic read if you want to get the taste of the supernatural and emotions. It was a bit of slow read but the plot build up was justified. You slowly get to taste the creepy vibes and the thrill. Elspeth, a nanny takes up job at Iskar to take care of Mary. She discovers that Mary's brother William died a while ago and their previous nanny Hettie left abruptly. That Mary stopped talking and has an odd demeanour. That the house of Iskar is haunted and reeling with so many secrets that she wants to reveal but none of the residents speak about it much. But when she finally discovers the truth, it changes everything forever.
The plot twist at the end was a complete surprising moment that I didn't see coming. It was worth the read and I would urge anyone with the love of gothic and supernatural to pick up this book and read it straight away.

A gloriously creepy leap into a rainlashed world. Manderley meets Jane Eyre meets The Others, with added weather. Highly recommended