Whisper Cottage

I enjoyed the Narrater, the overall story was good and gad promise although I felt was areas where is dragged and was abit too long, the ending felt rushed, was very creepy in places.

Whisper Cottage - Anne Wyn Clark
Narrated by Lauren Moakes

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarily

How well do you know the woman next door? 

When Stina and Jack move to an old rural cottage, they’re hoping for a fresh start. Their new home is run-down compared to their neighbour’s, but generous Mrs Barley quickly becomes a friend.  
 
Until Stina sees a mysterious figure in the widow’s garden, and her happy new life begins to unravel. And when she hears strange noises in the night, she is forced to question if Mrs Barley is what she seems. 

The local villagers call Mrs Barley a witch and when Stina sees a man in Mrs Barley's garden who no one else ever sees, this had just the right level of supernatural to keep me interested. Through the book, the suspense grows slowly with well developed characters.

Do not be put off by the slow start to the book, it is an engaging read with a creepy vibe. I found myself wanting to listen to this book every time I had a few spare minutes. The closer to the end you get, the faster the twists come, can you keep up?

Rating 4/5

Whisper Cottage is a slow burn of a book, but it's anything but dull. Set in a quiet, sleepy village just outside of Warwickshire, it begins with the story of Stina and her husband, Jack, who have just moved into an old semi-detached cottage next door to the elderly mrs Barley. The couple who are expecting their first baby, cannot understand the strange rumours amongst the locals about the elderly widow, who so far has been so kind and generous to them...but then things start to happen. Who is the mysterious figure lurking around the property that only Stina seems able to see? What are the weird noises she hears at night coming from the attic they share with their neighbour? Could there be any truth in the hushed gossip about the old lady practicing witchcraft? This book gave me the creeps and had me feeling so uneasy! I've been wanting to listen to a spooky psychological thriller and this was perfect. The twists at the end threw me completely, I just wasn't expected that! I'm usually quite good at figuring out what's happening in a story, but Whisper Cottage really kept me guessing. The narration was fantastic, Lauren Moakes did a great job with different voices and accents for each character.

I initially found this a little slow and dull, but I’m really pleased I stuck with it. The first part sets the scene and establishes the characters. A couple move to a rather run down cottage and their neighbour isn’t all she first seems. On reflection, the story needs to build slowly, because the narrative is so well written that the claustrophobic sense of creepiness is almost palpable. It builds bit by but as one odd event after another increases the unease and adds to the mystery of whisperings and faces at windows.

It’s very well written because I felt my pulse racing a couple if times as I was listening. That’s the skill of a good author and overall, I didn’t see the plot twists towards the end. I enjoyed the audio version ( listening at night was unnerving!). Well narrated and after my initial reservation, I was hooked.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.