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A Cold Whisper
“Will leave readers with bone-deep shivers” —Booklist
Catch your breath. It might be your last . . . A bone-chilling, terrifying story about two sisters and secrets hiding beneath the snow.
A raging blizzard isn’t enough to keep fourteen-year-old Rose and seven-year-old Lily in their abusive home for another night. But their escape plan goes wrong when Rose disappears and Lily wakes up in the snow-covered woods, terrified and alone. She never sees her sister again.
Twenty-five years later, Lily is a social worker with a skill for finding missing children – and a deep fear of the cold. When a foster child she works with is found frozen to death in the snow, Lily is forced to confront her past trauma. What happened to Rose, and why did she abandon her sister in the snow? As terrible secrets are finally dug up, the truth takes a bone-chillingly dark turn.
Told in alternating voices of Lily and Rose, this chillingly atmospheric, dark novel of suspense with jaw-dropping twists is perfect for fans of Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong, The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld and The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf.
Catch your breath. It might be your last . . . A bone-chilling, terrifying story about two sisters and secrets hiding beneath the snow.
A raging blizzard isn’t enough to keep fourteen-year-old Rose and seven-year-old Lily in their abusive home for another night. But their escape plan goes wrong when Rose disappears and Lily wakes up in the snow-covered woods, terrified and alone. She never sees her sister again.
Twenty-five years later, Lily is a social worker with a skill for finding missing children – and a deep fear of the cold. When a foster child she works with is found frozen to death in the snow, Lily is forced to confront her past trauma. What happened to Rose, and why did she abandon her sister in the snow? As terrible secrets are finally dug up, the truth takes a bone-chillingly dark turn.
Told in alternating voices of Lily and Rose, this chillingly atmospheric, dark novel of suspense with jaw-dropping twists is perfect for fans of Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong, The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld and The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2025
17 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Casey Dunn
4 books19 followersCasey Dunn was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Her grandfather, nicknamed Casey Jones at a young age by local law enforcement for his habit of hopping trains, would sit with her and spin tales of a girl who survived alone in open country. These stories would stay fresh in her mind long into adulthood. The need to spin tales of her own followed wherever she went.
Casey is the author of Silence on Cold River, which was compared to Silence of the Lambs by Booklist and picked as a book of the month for the Southern Book Review. She also wrote The Hightower Trilogy, published under pen name Jadie Jones (Parliament House Press.) The first book in the series won the Best Equine Fiction award at the 2018 Equus Film Festival in NYC and was a finalist for the 2015 Frank Yerby Fiction award.
Casey is represented by James McGowan of BookEnds Literary Agency and is currently working on several southern-set suspense projects. She lives on a farm in Southern Oregon with her family and too many animals to count. To keep a promise to her young kids, she finally wrote a book she'll actually let them read: Golly Molly and The Perfect Pony List.
Casey is the author of Silence on Cold River, which was compared to Silence of the Lambs by Booklist and picked as a book of the month for the Southern Book Review. She also wrote The Hightower Trilogy, published under pen name Jadie Jones (Parliament House Press.) The first book in the series won the Best Equine Fiction award at the 2018 Equus Film Festival in NYC and was a finalist for the 2015 Frank Yerby Fiction award.
Casey is represented by James McGowan of BookEnds Literary Agency and is currently working on several southern-set suspense projects. She lives on a farm in Southern Oregon with her family and too many animals to count. To keep a promise to her young kids, she finally wrote a book she'll actually let them read: Golly Molly and The Perfect Pony List.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 26, 2025
I'm attracted by thrillers set during a snowstorm, so A Cold Whisper was the perfect choice for me.
This story is about two sisters who didn't have a nice and happy childhood, and from the day they ran from their home they started two very different lives.
Rose, the older sister, never found her place in the world, working as a stripper always on the move. Lily got into the system and she became a social worker who helps kids. Now, after years, they are finally in the same town again, some teens are in danger and a new snowstorm is coming.
Rose is your typical grey character that pulls at your heartstrings, and you find yourself rooting for her.
Casey Dunn wrote a dark, gripping, suspenseful story. The pressing rhythm builds tension, and the wording shows a feeling of unease.
I recommend to read this book, because once I started it I couldn't put it down until the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for kindly giving me an advanced copy of this book to read.
May 5, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication. A Cold Whisper is a mystery that certainly kept me guessing.
The story begins with fourteen year old Rose taking her younger sister Lily out to the woods during a snowstorm so they can escape their abusive home. Lily remembers being given a drink and then falling asleep as they hid under a tree. When she wakes up she is alone.
Decades later Lily is a social worker, doing her best to help those children at risk of falling through the system. She has no idea what happened to her sister, but she has never stopped looking for her.
Alongside Lily’s story we also follow Rose, now known as Betty, as she goes about her job in a local strip bar. She has her doubts about what the bar is used as a front for, but is unsure how she can get to the truth.
It takes a while to stabling the links between the two perspectives. There is the expected twist late on, but I’m not sure there was much to prepare us for this.
The story begins with fourteen year old Rose taking her younger sister Lily out to the woods during a snowstorm so they can escape their abusive home. Lily remembers being given a drink and then falling asleep as they hid under a tree. When she wakes up she is alone.
Decades later Lily is a social worker, doing her best to help those children at risk of falling through the system. She has no idea what happened to her sister, but she has never stopped looking for her.
Alongside Lily’s story we also follow Rose, now known as Betty, as she goes about her job in a local strip bar. She has her doubts about what the bar is used as a front for, but is unsure how she can get to the truth.
It takes a while to stabling the links between the two perspectives. There is the expected twist late on, but I’m not sure there was much to prepare us for this.
February 1, 2025
Thank you Severn House and Casey Dunn, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley
I enjoyed A Cold Whisper and do recommend as a decent mystery. Took me 3 days to finish.
I rated as 4 stars since it had a nice flow which made it easy to read. Storyline was entertaining, the characters were fleshed out enough to picture, and she did get me with the twist…which I am usually one to figure them out. I reduced the rating down from five because a couple of scenes had extra details at the end when retold as a memory, which were not just omitted during the original but altered. I feel as though those could have been handled with a little more care. This will probably be one I will purchase as a gift for friends.
I enjoyed A Cold Whisper and do recommend as a decent mystery. Took me 3 days to finish.
I rated as 4 stars since it had a nice flow which made it easy to read. Storyline was entertaining, the characters were fleshed out enough to picture, and she did get me with the twist…which I am usually one to figure them out. I reduced the rating down from five because a couple of scenes had extra details at the end when retold as a memory, which were not just omitted during the original but altered. I feel as though those could have been handled with a little more care. This will probably be one I will purchase as a gift for friends.
May 4, 2025
A Cold Whisper by Casey Dunn is an atmospheric mystery.
Lily and Rose are sisters who grow up in a dysfunctional family. When fourteen-year-old Rose decides to leave their toxic household, she takes seven-year-old Lily with her. Her plan does not go as expected as they escape during a massive snow storm.
Twenty-five years later, Lily and Rose’s lives have gone in different directions. Lily is a social worker whose attempts to help teenagers adjust to foster situations are not always successful. Rose has lived life on the run but after a tragedy, she returns home to try to find answers.
Veteran homicide detective Hunter Kepp is paired with rookie detective Daniel Wilder. Kepp is months away from retirement and does not want to get involved in any situation outside of murder investigations. Daniel is driven to tease out the truth when his path crosses Lily and a foster teenager.
A Cold Whisper is a multi-layered mystery that has intriguing twists and turns. The characters are well-developed with interesting backstories. The winter storms are oppressive and add suspense to the novel. The storyline is compelling and steeped in heartache and tragedy. With a shocking revelation, Casey Dunn brings this mystery to an unanticipated conclusion.
Lily and Rose are sisters who grow up in a dysfunctional family. When fourteen-year-old Rose decides to leave their toxic household, she takes seven-year-old Lily with her. Her plan does not go as expected as they escape during a massive snow storm.
Twenty-five years later, Lily and Rose’s lives have gone in different directions. Lily is a social worker whose attempts to help teenagers adjust to foster situations are not always successful. Rose has lived life on the run but after a tragedy, she returns home to try to find answers.
Veteran homicide detective Hunter Kepp is paired with rookie detective Daniel Wilder. Kepp is months away from retirement and does not want to get involved in any situation outside of murder investigations. Daniel is driven to tease out the truth when his path crosses Lily and a foster teenager.
A Cold Whisper is a multi-layered mystery that has intriguing twists and turns. The characters are well-developed with interesting backstories. The winter storms are oppressive and add suspense to the novel. The storyline is compelling and steeped in heartache and tragedy. With a shocking revelation, Casey Dunn brings this mystery to an unanticipated conclusion.
February 1, 2025
Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my review. I really had a hard time with this one. There were too many individual stories that didn't really connect. The characters were not very likeable and were very shallow and self centered. They experienced trauma but it didnt seem to fit their behaviors. As far as mysteries go it was disappointing and really didn't do anything different. There was so much extraneous information that you lost the story itself. I found myself bored, lost and struggling to finish it.
July 5, 2025
I enjoyed this! This was really engaging and well written. The twist was good. The characters are interesting. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Casey Dunn, Severn House and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
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May 3, 2025I liked the premise of foster care system, don’t get many books involving that side of things. I just have been struggling to read this. There a several POV and even though I am down for multiple POV, have more then 2 in my opinion can get confusing on who is what. It is a slow start and I just can’t get into it. Unfortunately I had to DNF , just wasn’t enjoying it.
Thank you Severn House and Casey Dunn for copy in NetGalley.
Thank you Severn House and Casey Dunn for copy in NetGalley.
January 7, 2026
A Cold Whisper is the second book by Casey Dunn that I’ve read and although very different to the Wind Witch Murders, I absolutely loved it almost as much. This book starts with 14 year old Rose trying to escape an abusive household with her 7 year old sister Lily during a winter snowstorm. They hide in the woods at the rear of their house and take shelter under the branches of a tree. Lily falls asleep in Rose’s arms but when she wakes up, Rose has gone. 25 years later, Rose has never returned and Lily is now a social worker with a special skill in finding missing children. When one of the foster children Lily works with is found frozen to death in the woods, Lily is then forced to relive her past trauma and questions about what happen to her sister resurface.
This is told in three points of view, Lily, Rose and the detective assigned to the case of the dead teen, and although I usually find multiple POVs like this quite difficult to follow, I think with this book it was absolutely essential for the plot to work. Lily is convinced that she keeps seeing her sister and although she is determined to find her, their paths have never crossed again. Rose, who now goes by Betty, works for a strip club and has led a rather tragic life. Her perspective answers so many questions the reader has about what happened on that night so long ago that we still see Lily searching for answers to. It almost feels like you as the reader has been let in on a secret and you just know that everything is absolutely going to come crashing down after so long. Then the detective, Daniel, ties the two women together in ways that you least expect.
It also raises so many questions about the foster system and how society fails to protect those children and teens who are most at risk, despite the best intentions of those who try to intervene. It really highlights how even well intentioned interventions can have catastrophic consequences not only for the kids involved but also anyone involved with them.
This book is definitely a slow burn and the three POVs keep you guessing all the way through as to how things are going to pan out. You’re constantly questioning what you think you know about the characters and the ending definitely blows any theories you develop out of the water.
This is dark and gritty, and emphasises to the reader how sometimes when we see choices that are made as bad or negative, we don’t know what the options were, so maybe the choice made was the least damaging even if it appears to be terrible.
Although the ending is wrapped up fairly nicely, there is absolutely scope for there to be a sequel and I sincerely hope we get one as I would love to know the fates of the characters after the ending.
This is told in three points of view, Lily, Rose and the detective assigned to the case of the dead teen, and although I usually find multiple POVs like this quite difficult to follow, I think with this book it was absolutely essential for the plot to work. Lily is convinced that she keeps seeing her sister and although she is determined to find her, their paths have never crossed again. Rose, who now goes by Betty, works for a strip club and has led a rather tragic life. Her perspective answers so many questions the reader has about what happened on that night so long ago that we still see Lily searching for answers to. It almost feels like you as the reader has been let in on a secret and you just know that everything is absolutely going to come crashing down after so long. Then the detective, Daniel, ties the two women together in ways that you least expect.
It also raises so many questions about the foster system and how society fails to protect those children and teens who are most at risk, despite the best intentions of those who try to intervene. It really highlights how even well intentioned interventions can have catastrophic consequences not only for the kids involved but also anyone involved with them.
This book is definitely a slow burn and the three POVs keep you guessing all the way through as to how things are going to pan out. You’re constantly questioning what you think you know about the characters and the ending definitely blows any theories you develop out of the water.
This is dark and gritty, and emphasises to the reader how sometimes when we see choices that are made as bad or negative, we don’t know what the options were, so maybe the choice made was the least damaging even if it appears to be terrible.
Although the ending is wrapped up fairly nicely, there is absolutely scope for there to be a sequel and I sincerely hope we get one as I would love to know the fates of the characters after the ending.
February 1, 2025
3.5 - I would recommend A Cold Whisper to readers who enjoy thrillers that center around the trauma of the foster care system. As a whole, the book is depressing, and abuse is rampant throughout. The ending of the book was one of the better twisty endings I have read. However, for a book under 300 pages, I think there were too many individual side plots that were unnecessary or poorly integrated, which means there were some loose ends or elements where you had to suspend belief to make sense of the ending.
Thank you NetGalley, Severn House, and Casey Dunn for the ARC of this book.
Thank you NetGalley, Severn House, and Casey Dunn for the ARC of this book.
May 5, 2025
A Cold Whisper is a thriller that begins when a fourteen year old Rose, and her seven year old sister, Lily, escape from the abusive home of their mother and her most recent flame. It wasn’t the best formed escape plan and didn’t turn out as they hoped. Lily was left alone in the snowy woods. The story then fast forwards to Lily’s adult life and her role as a social worker. Lily is desperate to figure out why her sister left her alone and where her sister now is - if she’s even alive. In her efforts to find her sister, she developed a reputation at work of being the superstar social worker who can find anyone. More details of her childhood trauma and fears come to light when one of the children she knows is found frozen in the woods. Enter Daniel and his older brother Hunter who are homicide detectives. Like Lily, Daniel has something to prove to his older sibling as he begins working in the homicide unit. The story was a bit slow to start and figuring out the characters seemed confusing at first. In each story, you try to determine which characters may be important at the end of the story. In this book, each character holds more weight than may seem apparent when they first enter the scene. The action and details pick up in the last third of the book. This is the part of the book where you are on the edge of your seat and don’t want to put the book down. The twists and turns at the end make the slow beginning of the story worth it. When the pieces start clicking together, another twist is thrown into the mix. This book is definitely worth the time and sure to make you question everything you thought you knew at the end! *Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of the book in exchange for the honest review!
May 6, 2025
"Catch your breath, it might be your last..."
A Cold Whisper by Casey Dunn is an atmospheric, chilling and twisted thriller about two sisters and the secrets that are hidden underneath the snow.
A blizzard is raging outside but 14 year old Rose and 7 year old Lily will do anything to escape the abuse that is inside their own home. With a plan in mind, Rose and Lily take off into the snowy woods. But when little Lily wakes up the next morning, Rose has vanished. Now twenty five years later Lily has never stopped looking for Rose. As a social worker she uses her own trauma to reach out to even the toughest kids in the system. When a child Lily works with is found frozen to death, Lily is faced once again with the traumatic memories of waking up that bitter cold morning alone all those years ago. Will she ever find out what happened to Rose? Why did she leave Lily terrified and lonely in the freezing cold?
This was a pretty well thought out and written read and I enjoyed it!! It takes a little bit to get used to the multiple POVs and dual timeline but once I got into it the pacing was steady. I would definitely check out the content warnings, abuse is prevalent throughout and could be triggering as could the theme of the foster care system. The ending was not what I saw coming!! When I thought that I had something figured out, another twist was thrown in! Overall I would recommend A Cold Whisper to fans of dark, twisty and atmospheric thrillers that will have you questioning everything and everyone!
Thank you to NetGalley, Casey Dunn, and Severn House for this ARC!! Publication date is May 6th 2025.
A Cold Whisper by Casey Dunn is an atmospheric, chilling and twisted thriller about two sisters and the secrets that are hidden underneath the snow.
A blizzard is raging outside but 14 year old Rose and 7 year old Lily will do anything to escape the abuse that is inside their own home. With a plan in mind, Rose and Lily take off into the snowy woods. But when little Lily wakes up the next morning, Rose has vanished. Now twenty five years later Lily has never stopped looking for Rose. As a social worker she uses her own trauma to reach out to even the toughest kids in the system. When a child Lily works with is found frozen to death, Lily is faced once again with the traumatic memories of waking up that bitter cold morning alone all those years ago. Will she ever find out what happened to Rose? Why did she leave Lily terrified and lonely in the freezing cold?
This was a pretty well thought out and written read and I enjoyed it!! It takes a little bit to get used to the multiple POVs and dual timeline but once I got into it the pacing was steady. I would definitely check out the content warnings, abuse is prevalent throughout and could be triggering as could the theme of the foster care system. The ending was not what I saw coming!! When I thought that I had something figured out, another twist was thrown in! Overall I would recommend A Cold Whisper to fans of dark, twisty and atmospheric thrillers that will have you questioning everything and everyone!
Thank you to NetGalley, Casey Dunn, and Severn House for this ARC!! Publication date is May 6th 2025.
January 27, 2025
I don’t give five stars out often, so trust me when I say, this book is IT.
From start to finish, I was absolutely hooked. The dark, the dreary, the dreadful. It was all there. The author did an amazing job of clearly identifying the perspectives of different characters, and brilliantly telling different views of the same story through different lenses.
I was NOT prepared for some of the twists, the ending being a major one. Daniel got played. Hunter got played. I got played.
Two sisters, beginning in a story of hurt, struggles of being strung along by their mother, and an unrelenting fire to escape the pain. To trust your sister with literally your whole life, to be left out in the cold. Alone. Scared. Unwanted.
They say childhood traumas are what make you into the adult you become, and that could not be more true for Rose and Lily. Two sisters and two brothers navigate the harsh realities of loneliness and the need for acceptance of their older siblings—to what cost? Is it really to die for?
The book is filled with heartbreak, angst, and page turning thrill, absolutely done right. I was on the edge of my seat (read as literally picking up my kindle any chance I could) waiting for what happens next.
The cold brings much more than snow on the ground—it can bring out the devil in others to heat things up.
*Huge thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review*
From start to finish, I was absolutely hooked. The dark, the dreary, the dreadful. It was all there. The author did an amazing job of clearly identifying the perspectives of different characters, and brilliantly telling different views of the same story through different lenses.
I was NOT prepared for some of the twists, the ending being a major one. Daniel got played. Hunter got played. I got played.
Two sisters, beginning in a story of hurt, struggles of being strung along by their mother, and an unrelenting fire to escape the pain. To trust your sister with literally your whole life, to be left out in the cold. Alone. Scared. Unwanted.
They say childhood traumas are what make you into the adult you become, and that could not be more true for Rose and Lily. Two sisters and two brothers navigate the harsh realities of loneliness and the need for acceptance of their older siblings—to what cost? Is it really to die for?
The book is filled with heartbreak, angst, and page turning thrill, absolutely done right. I was on the edge of my seat (read as literally picking up my kindle any chance I could) waiting for what happens next.
The cold brings much more than snow on the ground—it can bring out the devil in others to heat things up.
*Huge thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review*
October 13, 2025
Sisters, who grew up in an unstable, abusive home, decide to run away when a snow storm comes to help hide their tracks. They find shelter under some thick tree limbs in the woods. When younger sister Lily wakes the next morning, her older sister Rose is gone. Because she is unable to return home, Lily grows up in foster care. She luckily finds a good placement, and becomes a social worker in adulthood. Her entire life she wonders where Rose is, and why she left her in the woods during the snowstorm. Lily devotes her life to helping at risk youth find placement that suits them. She is also consumed in finding her missing sister Rose, that she hasn't seen in 25 years.
Rose did what she had to do to survive as a teenage runaway, stripping and prostituting. She also has a drug habit she has tried to kick for years.
Two brothers who work as police detectives in the homicide division cross paths with Lily when several foster teens go missing, One teen is later found near death, almost frozen in the woods. Later, the detectives come across shallow graves containing what appears to be bodies in various stages of decomposition, some graves older than others, all placed in the same position, facing the same way. This book is told from various character perspectives, and has alot of twists and turns that make you wonder what is going on until the end. I enjoyed it, hoping to get a sequel that includes "where are they now."
Rose did what she had to do to survive as a teenage runaway, stripping and prostituting. She also has a drug habit she has tried to kick for years.
Two brothers who work as police detectives in the homicide division cross paths with Lily when several foster teens go missing, One teen is later found near death, almost frozen in the woods. Later, the detectives come across shallow graves containing what appears to be bodies in various stages of decomposition, some graves older than others, all placed in the same position, facing the same way. This book is told from various character perspectives, and has alot of twists and turns that make you wonder what is going on until the end. I enjoyed it, hoping to get a sequel that includes "where are they now."
August 24, 2025
"Hell, it could be a day trip there and back if you had a reliable car, a bladder of steel, 60 mg of Adderall, and no respect for tomorrow."
Casey Dunn writes in a smart, sharp voice that quickly brings each character in A Cold Whisper to life. I really admired and appreciated the tone and crispness of her style! I will definitely read her next novel.
In A Cold Whisper most of the story takes place over a few days, this allows for a lot of detail to be explored. I can easily see this story as a movie as we move from character to character and experience the setting and mood. At times when reading it, I did want to move on more quickly.
I appreciated the division of the two sisters' characters by writing the one in third person and one in first, but I did not understand the point or need to also have the first person character be present tense and the rest of the story past--given that all is happening at the same time. I imagine the author's creativity is so vivid that this is the way she heard it in her own head. But for me as a reader, it was confusing.
Yes, as many have noted, this is a dark tale, far closer to real life than the above mentioned movie or TV show would likely be! So be prepared for that. I personally found this refreshing. Bravo to the editor and publisher for not forcing a change!
Casey Dunn writes in a smart, sharp voice that quickly brings each character in A Cold Whisper to life. I really admired and appreciated the tone and crispness of her style! I will definitely read her next novel.
In A Cold Whisper most of the story takes place over a few days, this allows for a lot of detail to be explored. I can easily see this story as a movie as we move from character to character and experience the setting and mood. At times when reading it, I did want to move on more quickly.
I appreciated the division of the two sisters' characters by writing the one in third person and one in first, but I did not understand the point or need to also have the first person character be present tense and the rest of the story past--given that all is happening at the same time. I imagine the author's creativity is so vivid that this is the way she heard it in her own head. But for me as a reader, it was confusing.
Yes, as many have noted, this is a dark tale, far closer to real life than the above mentioned movie or TV show would likely be! So be prepared for that. I personally found this refreshing. Bravo to the editor and publisher for not forcing a change!
February 12, 2025
Trauma, survival, and revenge. With A Cold Whisper, all of these themes are woven throughout a story centered around the difficulties of the foster system. Lily and Rose escaped their toxic homelife situation the middle of a snowstorm as children. Having been separated, the girls grew into women who carried the trauma of that night on their backs. Both women take very different paths to deal with this difficult time in their past. Years later, more teenage foster kids are going missing during a similar snow storm, unknowingly drawing both women back to the scene of the crime.
The concept of this book s0unded really interesting, but unfortunately, I struggled to get through it. I felt that by the end, some of the character storylines were a bit unrealistic and jumbled. in a way that made it slightly hard to follow. I wish the author kept it just the two girls as narrators, because between the time jumps, and the varying points of view, it got a bit overwhelming.. The first half of the story was more engaging to me as we see how Lily becomes entangled in the Foster system as her job, but there are a lot of drug references due to Rose's lifestyle.
Thank you to NetGalley & Severn House for the advanced Kindle copy in exchange for an honest review.
The concept of this book s0unded really interesting, but unfortunately, I struggled to get through it. I felt that by the end, some of the character storylines were a bit unrealistic and jumbled. in a way that made it slightly hard to follow. I wish the author kept it just the two girls as narrators, because between the time jumps, and the varying points of view, it got a bit overwhelming.. The first half of the story was more engaging to me as we see how Lily becomes entangled in the Foster system as her job, but there are a lot of drug references due to Rose's lifestyle.
Thank you to NetGalley & Severn House for the advanced Kindle copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. I would give this novel 3.75 stars if I could.
A Cold Whisper is an eerie, atmospheric thriller with a chilling premise, though it took a while to fully pull me in. The book had variable pacing—some sections moved quickly, while others dragged, especially in the beginning for me. The writing felt clunky and overly descriptive at times, making certain passages hard to follow. I found myself rereading sentences to make sure I understood them. This is the biggest reason I can’t give the book 4 stars.
The novel provides pieces of Rose’s backstory, but I wished Lily’s character had been explored more deeply. Still, the mystery kept me engaged. Around 75% in, I had predicted a big part of the twist, but this actually kept me more intrigued. I wanted to finish to see if I was correct. While I found some plot points predictable, there was still a decent twist, and the tragic ending left an impact.
Overall, A Cold Whisper is a solid, if slightly uneven, psychological thriller. Readers who enjoy slow-burning mysteries with dark family secrets and a haunting atmosphere may enjoy this one.
A Cold Whisper is an eerie, atmospheric thriller with a chilling premise, though it took a while to fully pull me in. The book had variable pacing—some sections moved quickly, while others dragged, especially in the beginning for me. The writing felt clunky and overly descriptive at times, making certain passages hard to follow. I found myself rereading sentences to make sure I understood them. This is the biggest reason I can’t give the book 4 stars.
The novel provides pieces of Rose’s backstory, but I wished Lily’s character had been explored more deeply. Still, the mystery kept me engaged. Around 75% in, I had predicted a big part of the twist, but this actually kept me more intrigued. I wanted to finish to see if I was correct. While I found some plot points predictable, there was still a decent twist, and the tragic ending left an impact.
Overall, A Cold Whisper is a solid, if slightly uneven, psychological thriller. Readers who enjoy slow-burning mysteries with dark family secrets and a haunting atmosphere may enjoy this one.
April 18, 2025
Three and a half stars rounded up. Casey Dunn’s “A Cold Whisper” had an interesting premise to me. Rose and Lily are sisters. When Rose was fourteen and Lily was seven they left their home during a blizzard to escape their abusive home. The next morning Lily woke up alone in the forest and for twenty-five years she has been searching for Rose.
Now a social worker, Lily has a knack for finding children who are in foster care, but run away. As she’s out looking for a few of those children, she has a couple of sightings where she believes she sees Rose. After a foster child is found dead in the snow and another child almost dies in a separate incident, Lily decides to deal with what happened to her as a child and find Rose to understand why she left Lily alone.
This book had a couple twists that made sense, but I didn’t necessarily like. There were several things left unexplained and the ending felt a little rushed to me.
Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.
Now a social worker, Lily has a knack for finding children who are in foster care, but run away. As she’s out looking for a few of those children, she has a couple of sightings where she believes she sees Rose. After a foster child is found dead in the snow and another child almost dies in a separate incident, Lily decides to deal with what happened to her as a child and find Rose to understand why she left Lily alone.
This book had a couple twists that made sense, but I didn’t necessarily like. There were several things left unexplained and the ending felt a little rushed to me.
Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.
May 6, 2025
*Spoilers*
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for my honest review.
I really wanted to like A Cold Whisper—I love a good murder thriller, and the premise had so much potential. The book does a commendable job of highlighting the trauma and horrors that some children endure in the foster care system, which gave the story a serious emotional core.
Unfortunately, the rest of the novel didn’t quite come together for me. The use of multiple POVs was more confusing than compelling, often veering off into side plots that never felt fully developed—like Rose’s history with the original club, her relationship with Hunter, and Lilly’s motives and backstory. For such a short book, it still managed to feel drawn out, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged.
In the end, this just wasn’t the thriller I was hoping for. While it touched on some powerful themes, the pacing and lack of narrative focus left it feeling a bit flat. Not one of my favorites in the genre.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for my honest review.
I really wanted to like A Cold Whisper—I love a good murder thriller, and the premise had so much potential. The book does a commendable job of highlighting the trauma and horrors that some children endure in the foster care system, which gave the story a serious emotional core.
Unfortunately, the rest of the novel didn’t quite come together for me. The use of multiple POVs was more confusing than compelling, often veering off into side plots that never felt fully developed—like Rose’s history with the original club, her relationship with Hunter, and Lilly’s motives and backstory. For such a short book, it still managed to feel drawn out, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged.
In the end, this just wasn’t the thriller I was hoping for. While it touched on some powerful themes, the pacing and lack of narrative focus left it feeling a bit flat. Not one of my favorites in the genre.
September 30, 2025
I’m not sure if I was happy with the four different POVs, plus dual timeline. It might have worked better if the story had just the sister's POV. Even tho the character's stories intertwine, it was a bit much.
I couldn't truly relate to the characters and they weren't likeable either.
The beginning of the story dragged and I felt that some parts were clunky and repetitive. I didn't feel that the pacing found the right flow.
I did like the attention to the foster psystem. The story had some good twist and turns, but as an avid Thriller reader I saw the plot twist coming, but I am sure that others would be happily surprised by it.
For me it was an okay read, but not spectacular. There are some triggers like childhood trauma, so check the triggers beforehand. This would be a nice read for beginning Thriller fans and people who enjoy multiple POVs.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Severn House for this copy.
I couldn't truly relate to the characters and they weren't likeable either.
The beginning of the story dragged and I felt that some parts were clunky and repetitive. I didn't feel that the pacing found the right flow.
I did like the attention to the foster psystem. The story had some good twist and turns, but as an avid Thriller reader I saw the plot twist coming, but I am sure that others would be happily surprised by it.
For me it was an okay read, but not spectacular. There are some triggers like childhood trauma, so check the triggers beforehand. This would be a nice read for beginning Thriller fans and people who enjoy multiple POVs.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Severn House for this copy.
January 30, 2025
A Cold Whisper checks all the boxes for a psychological thriller—trauma, a missing-person mystery, and chilling atmosphere—but it doesn’t bring much new to the genre. The dual timeline structure, following Lily in the present and Rose in the past, is engaging, and the cold, eerie setting adds to the tension. However, the plot follows a fairly predictable path, and while the story is well-paced, seasoned thriller readers may find the twists easy to spot.
That said, the novel still delivers a solid, emotional journey, especially in how it explores trauma and survival. Fans of The Child Finder or The Overnight Guest will likely enjoy the familiar themes and suspenseful moments. While it didn’t completely blow me away, it’s a decent read for those who enjoy atmospheric thrillers with a dark, emotional core.
That said, the novel still delivers a solid, emotional journey, especially in how it explores trauma and survival. Fans of The Child Finder or The Overnight Guest will likely enjoy the familiar themes and suspenseful moments. While it didn’t completely blow me away, it’s a decent read for those who enjoy atmospheric thrillers with a dark, emotional core.
December 9, 2025
3.5 stars.
In chapter one, 14 year old Rose and 7 year old sister Lily are making a run for it in a freezing blizzard to escape an abusive home. Lily is found the next day but where was Rose? Twenty-five years later, Lily is a state social worker with foster kids and still searching for Rose.
I love a snowy setting in the books I read. This one has some complex characters in a story that turned out to be more complex than I expected. I thought the story was sad for several reasons. It's a sad look at the foster care system. It's sad at how deeply flawed the characters are. And the ending was sad for me with a death I didn't want to happen. The last quarter of the book was the best. Since the book made me sad, I started to round down but then I remembered that I wanted to be more generous with my ratings.
In chapter one, 14 year old Rose and 7 year old sister Lily are making a run for it in a freezing blizzard to escape an abusive home. Lily is found the next day but where was Rose? Twenty-five years later, Lily is a state social worker with foster kids and still searching for Rose.
I love a snowy setting in the books I read. This one has some complex characters in a story that turned out to be more complex than I expected. I thought the story was sad for several reasons. It's a sad look at the foster care system. It's sad at how deeply flawed the characters are. And the ending was sad for me with a death I didn't want to happen. The last quarter of the book was the best. Since the book made me sad, I started to round down but then I remembered that I wanted to be more generous with my ratings.
February 5, 2025
This is a story about trauma and survival. Two sisters run away in a snowstorm, but one of them leaves the other out in the cold and disappears. Lily, the sister who was left behind, becomes a social worker to help children like herself. Rose, the older sister who abandoned the other, became drug addicted and down on her luck, forever guilty of leaving her sister.
There are twists and turns that took me by surprise, and other twists that were predictable. Writing this in a dual timeline helps the reader to understand why each girl turned out how they did and the ways they dealt with their trauma.
Entertaining, atmospheric and dark, this book will certainly entertain you. Thank you, NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read this 4-star book.
There are twists and turns that took me by surprise, and other twists that were predictable. Writing this in a dual timeline helps the reader to understand why each girl turned out how they did and the ways they dealt with their trauma.
Entertaining, atmospheric and dark, this book will certainly entertain you. Thank you, NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read this 4-star book.
February 17, 2025
This book begins with a story about two sisters and what one decision can do to make things go spiral... it's told from multiple points of view. Mostly the two sisters Rose and Lily, but also the two detectives, Daniel and Hunter. Which are two half-brothers.
The book is easy to read. The first chapter is a prologue that will make you want to read more! What happened that night. That is the question Lily wants answers to.
A medium-paced story will grab you by the throat and you don't want to stop reading. It is a very well thought story, incredible and intriguing. In the end, it all comes together. My goodness, the end was not quite what I was expecting.
A thriller about secrets, relationships and the consequences of one final decision...
The book is easy to read. The first chapter is a prologue that will make you want to read more! What happened that night. That is the question Lily wants answers to.
A medium-paced story will grab you by the throat and you don't want to stop reading. It is a very well thought story, incredible and intriguing. In the end, it all comes together. My goodness, the end was not quite what I was expecting.
A thriller about secrets, relationships and the consequences of one final decision...
February 22, 2025
This was a solid 4.75 star read for me [ rounded up ], not 5 stars because the beginning was a bit slow paced. However the rest of the story picked up and it was very well paced after about 40 pages. Please don't DNF this book, it's starts out more like a slow burn but picks up. We have 4 different POV's with date stamps [ I love this ], Hunter, Daniel [ step-brothers ], Rose and Lily [ sister's ]. Their stories do all intertwine over time. This story was all that it says it was... dark, twisty, suspenceful, and sad. If you are looking for a good thriller this is it! Casey did a fantastic job at delievering.
Please check trigger warnings before reading.
Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for providing me an arc to read for an honest review
Please check trigger warnings before reading.
Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for providing me an arc to read for an honest review
February 20, 2025
In my opinion, the book started slowly. I felt like the beginning dragged, but that could just be me. I don't often enjoy books told from different points of view or multiple narrators and this one is told by three. However, after getting through the beginning of the book, it became something I couldn't put down. I kept feeling like I was missing something or that everything wasn't what it seemed. I HAD TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN! I read a lot of thrillers and it isn't often that I am surprised, but Casey Dunn delivers!
Thank you to NetGalley, Casey Dunn, and Severn House for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!
Thank you to NetGalley, Casey Dunn, and Severn House for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!
June 10, 2025
Sisters Lily and Rose are looking for a way out of their abusive home, escaping into the cold snowy woods in order to do so. Waking up the next morning, 14 year old Rose has vanished without a trace.
Now, 25 years later, social care worker Lily has to face her traumatic past when a child she is working with is found frozen to death.
It takes a minute to get used to the multiple POVs and dual timeline, I felt like it was pulling me in so many directions and the pacing never really regulated.
All in all, an OK read!
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Now, 25 years later, social care worker Lily has to face her traumatic past when a child she is working with is found frozen to death.
It takes a minute to get used to the multiple POVs and dual timeline, I felt like it was pulling me in so many directions and the pacing never really regulated.
All in all, an OK read!
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 10, 2026
I am shook. At page 176, I was just going to finish the chapter then head to bed. I stayed up about 2 hours just to finish this. It starts off a little slow but it is necessary for building up the story and the characters. The characters were super well written and you start to feel for them. Back to the end of the story, I tend to figure out the ending for thrillers and mysteries pretty much all the time. This plot twist hit out of no where. I just kept pausing from shock. It fit so well but I had zero clue what was going on. Brilliant read. It does have some more mature themes so proceed with caution and maybe a Google search just in case but I'm excited to read more of her work!
May 9, 2025
A Cold Whisper by Casey Dunn, whom is a new author for me. For me this was an interesting read, even though not a great one. I really didn't like any of the characters in the story line. What happens as a child, can change your whole life going forward. I would still recommend this book, because not everyone enjoys the same books.
I received and ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
I received and ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
July 17, 2025
This book just didn’t hold my attention. There were so many different points of view that it became difficult to keep track of what was happening. The frequent shifts made the story feel disjointed, and as a result, I struggled to connect with both the plot and the characters. With so many perspectives competing for focus, none of them had the depth needed to truly pull me in. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for an ARC of this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for an ARC of this book.
January 27, 2025
Thank you, Severn House for the copy of A Cold Whisper by Casey Dunn. At first, I liked the main story of Lily trying to find Rose, and how Lily’s job as a social worker fit in. If you like surprise reveals, you will love this book. I wasn’t a big fan of Rose, her lifestyle, and the trouble it got her into so it was hard for me to stay engaged. I’m not sure this book was for me. 3 Stars.
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