With the long, light summer days and the sun shining at least some of the time at the moment, it might not strike some readers as the perfect time to be reading ghost stories but after being recommended this spooky new read by a friend on Twitter, I couldn’t resist requesting it on Net Galley to see just why they loved this story so.

Promising a ghostly adventure in a dark and dangerous Victorian world, this delivers that and a whole lot more besides – a bold and determined heroine, a wronged friend, a sly and amoral baddie and an assortment of other characters – not all of whom are what they might at first appear – placed within a secretive world of undertakers, psychics and anatomists.

For Peggy, whose parents run a small undertaker’s business in the village of Alderley, death is a way of life and she is quite used to being part of the respectful care and laying out of the bodies of those who have passed. This being her best friend Sally’s monthly day off, she is spending time with her and the two of them are indulging in cake at Mr Sweeting’s shop, where Peggy’s attention is drawn to a poster in the window advising that whisperlings – those who can speak with the dead – are protected by the law. After making their way back to Peggy’s bedroom to swap gossip over their sweet treat, Peggy goes to wash her hands and is startled by a burst of energy that knocks her back, leading Sally to ask her if a ghost is talking to her.

When Sally makes to leave, the conversation turns to the local vicar, the Reverend Silas Tate, and Peggy realises that Sally may have inadvertently said something to him that she shouldn’t have and the two of them squabble before Sally storms off in a temper. A week later, Sally is still brooding on their fight but finds herself distracted when her uncle, Mr Bletchley, calls to try his best to persuade Peggy’s mother to allow him to employ his niece at his Psychic Emporium, supposedly putting the living in touch with their dead loved ones. Protesting that she needs Peggy at home, her mother sends Mr Bletchley on his way and Peggy does her best to carry on with life as normal.

But her life is about to become anything but normal when not only does Peggy fall foul of Reverend Tate, who accuses her of blasphemy, but Sally is accused of murdering the elderly woman for whom she works and if found guilty will be hanged. Sent to stay with Mr Bletchley for her own safety, Peggy vows to prove her friend’s innocence, but to do so she will have to speak to the dead woman’s ghost and reveal herself as a whisperling…

For many people, the concept of life after death is a grey area. For some of us, the certainty of either eternal life or death being the end is very real, but the truth is that most of us just don’t know what happens when we die and are probably open – maybe even hopeful – to the idea of ghosts. Set during the Victorian age, when the grand theatre of seances was at its height, this story’s ghosts are not scary, bedsheet-over-the-head monsters – the monsters are those who are afraid of Peggy, and those like her, and who would have her punished terribly for what she sees as a gift.

Although Peggy has the ability to talk with the dead, in all other respects she is very ordinary. She enjoys seeing Sally and gossiping with her and teasing Mr Bletchley’s employee Ambrose when she has the opportunity and is frustrated by her father’s assertions that she is too young to share in the history of the whisperlings in her family – something of which she feels she has the right to be informed. Having spent much of her life being forced by her family to hide her abilities from those around her for fear of being labelled a witch and suffering the consequences, when she finds herself living at her uncle’s she then has to decide in whom she can trust for herself and is forced to grow up quickly if she is to save Sally from the gallows.

This is a great read – not a ghost story in the sense that many people might mean, but a story of friendship, trust and supporting those less strong than yourself. Perfect for Year 5 upwards, this is – as far as I know – a standalone book, but I am hoping that we might see more from Peggy in the future. The Whisperling is due on September 1st. My enormous thanks go to publisher Penguin Random House Children’s UK and to Net Galley for my virtual read ahead of that date.

The Whisperling is a sublime ghost story, with a terrifying villain, an endearing heroine, some incredibly powerful emotional punches, a strong sense of social justice and an almost overwhelming sense of peril. I absolutely loved it.

There's a strong sense of unease about the whole thing, as there should be with a good ghost story. Peggy can talk to ghosts, sure, but she doesn't really understand it or her powers beyond the bare minimum. That knowledge has been passed down through her family, but it's in a book her pa won't let her read until she's older. So we get to see this rather vague and unspecified ability, and when it shifts and changes that makes sense because there's so much we don't know about it. We're effectively learning as we go through it just as Peggy is. This works so much better than just setting out all of the supernatural rules early in the book, and lends the whole piece a mystery and unease. We do know, however, that whisperlings, people who can see and talk to the dead, are feared and hated, with frequent comparisons made to the witches. Some of these suggest that the witches too were real and maybe things played out slightly differently to how they did in our own reality.

Peggy herself is a lovely character. Through her determination and strength of character, I grew really attached to her. She stood up for what she believed in no matter how scared or uncertain she was. I really felt for her with everything that happened to her.

The Reverend Tait is one of the best villains I've come across in a while. He is absolutely awful! Vile, repugnant, opiniated, controlling. He's the kind of villain you absolutely love to hate!

The supporting cast were also excellent. I particularly loved Oti and Cecily, their way of speaking, their attitude to Victorian life and particularly their costumes. They both really came to life on the page. Sally was a really lovely character who took us on an extraordinarily emotional journey that near broke my heart.

As well as the creepy mysterious elements, The Whisperling really packs an emotional punch. Early in the book, a letter from a dead mother to her son had me in tears. It was so simple, and so beautiful. There are further deaths that really actually hurt. And twists and revelations by the end that had me weeping. This is a book that knows how to play with your emotions, keep you guessing and then really deliver! There's a real sense of peril too, that builds and builds right through to the incredible, dramatic climax.

Tears and fears from The Whisperling, in the best possible way. A beautiful and powerful book!