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Whispers on the Mountain
A woman vanishes and a reporter will stop at nothing to bring her home alive.
When Celia Patrick arrives at the Bingham Reserve in the North Carolina mountains, something is very wrong. Celia is supposed to be on a much-needed family vacation, but when she hears whispers about a missing woman in the beautiful but treacherous landscape, she can't ignore the pull of the mystery.
Did Pamela Stevens get lost? Was she lying injured on the trail? Or did something more sinister happen? Soon, Celia is mired in the middle of a potential murder investigation, and everyone has something to hide:
The Type-A Resort Manager
The Devastated Husband
The Rest-on-his-Laurels Deputy
The Grizzled Local Water-Sports Guide
With each passing day, the road to unraveling the mystery grows colder and the odds of finding the lost hiker alive diminish. Despite the risk to her family, her sanity, and her safety, Celia refuses to give up the search. She's been down this dark path of obsession in a case before, and this time she is determined to find the missing woman alive.
When Celia Patrick arrives at the Bingham Reserve in the North Carolina mountains, something is very wrong. Celia is supposed to be on a much-needed family vacation, but when she hears whispers about a missing woman in the beautiful but treacherous landscape, she can't ignore the pull of the mystery.
Did Pamela Stevens get lost? Was she lying injured on the trail? Or did something more sinister happen? Soon, Celia is mired in the middle of a potential murder investigation, and everyone has something to hide:
The Type-A Resort Manager
The Devastated Husband
The Rest-on-his-Laurels Deputy
The Grizzled Local Water-Sports Guide
With each passing day, the road to unraveling the mystery grows colder and the odds of finding the lost hiker alive diminish. Despite the risk to her family, her sanity, and her safety, Celia refuses to give up the search. She's been down this dark path of obsession in a case before, and this time she is determined to find the missing woman alive.
- GenresMystery
Paperback
First published June 3, 2025
12 people are currently reading
1734 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Lamb
21 books145 followersIn addition to being an author, Amanda Lamb is an accomplished public speaker, podcaster and veteran television crime reporter. She worked for an award-winning NBC affiliate in the southeast for nearly three decades. She also hosted, co-wrote, and co-produced three true crime podcasts including "Follow the Truth," "What Remains," and "The Killing Month August 1978." "Follow the Truth" won the regional Edward R. Murrow award for excellence in journalism. Currently, she hosts and produces "AGELESS: Opening Doors with Amanda Lamb" which is about women transforming themselves personally and professionally after fifty. This is the focus of her keynote speech about not allowing age to define your value and your potential. She shares her wisdom and inspiration with audiences across the country.
Amanda's newest thriller, Whispers on the Mountain, is due out in September 2025. It features a dogged newspaper reporter who arrives at a mountain resort only to learn there is a missing hiker. She can't ignore the tug of the compelling mystery swirling around her in the beautiful but dangerous North Carolina mountains. Amanda hopes this will be the first installment in a new murder mystery series.
Amanda has published twelve books in dramatically different genres from murder mysteries, to true crime books, to touching and humorous memoirs, to children's books. From murder cases to motherhood, Amanda examines life through the lens of a curious journalist who is constantly observing and documenting everything in her path with deep interest, insight, and compassion.
She has written a murder mystery series about a tenacious television journalist seeking truth and justice all while juggling her own intriguing backstory. These novels from Torchflame Books include "Dead Last," "Lies that Bind," and "No Wake Zone."
As a journalist, Amanda can only report about ten percent of what she knows, but her novels peel back the veil of the news industry and give readers an intimate peek into the world of journalism through the eyes of a crime beat reporter. While the people and stories in her books are fictional, they are all loosely based on real-life scenarios Amanda has encountered in her more than three decades in the trenches.
Amanda has also penned three true crime books which include "Love Lies," the saga of a young mother who disappeared after her husband said she went jogging and never returned home. In a desperate search for the truth her friends and family circle the wagons demanding answers-answers that ultimately expose a grim tragedy in the small, idyllic southern town. "Evil Next Door" features the story of a brutal rape and murder case Amanda covered as a news reporter. The victim, a young woman who was just beginning to live into her potential, was stalked and killed by a suspected serial killer who left copious amounts of DNA in his path, but little else for investigators to go on. They play a dangerous of game of cat and mouse with the police trying to lure the killer into their trap. "Deadly Dose" is a true crime story about a young up-and-coming scientist who was poisoned by someone in his inner circle. A dogged, old-school investigator refuses to give up in his relentless pursuit of the truth, a truth far more gruesome than anyone could have imagined.
Amanda's memoirs include "The Living Room" which chronicles her 80-day journey caring for her mother who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. In the midst of tragedy, Amanda learns how to live from her dying mother. The darkness is tinged with light as her mother's departure becomes a celebration of a life and an inspiration to those around her.
Amanda's parenting memoirs include "I Love You to God and Back" which chronicles her young daughter's prayers giving the reader a glimpse into the way adults see the world through a child's eyes. There is also a companion child's book of the same title. "Girls Gone Child" chronicles Amanda's daughters' sometimes outrag
Amanda's newest thriller, Whispers on the Mountain, is due out in September 2025. It features a dogged newspaper reporter who arrives at a mountain resort only to learn there is a missing hiker. She can't ignore the tug of the compelling mystery swirling around her in the beautiful but dangerous North Carolina mountains. Amanda hopes this will be the first installment in a new murder mystery series.
Amanda has published twelve books in dramatically different genres from murder mysteries, to true crime books, to touching and humorous memoirs, to children's books. From murder cases to motherhood, Amanda examines life through the lens of a curious journalist who is constantly observing and documenting everything in her path with deep interest, insight, and compassion.
She has written a murder mystery series about a tenacious television journalist seeking truth and justice all while juggling her own intriguing backstory. These novels from Torchflame Books include "Dead Last," "Lies that Bind," and "No Wake Zone."
As a journalist, Amanda can only report about ten percent of what she knows, but her novels peel back the veil of the news industry and give readers an intimate peek into the world of journalism through the eyes of a crime beat reporter. While the people and stories in her books are fictional, they are all loosely based on real-life scenarios Amanda has encountered in her more than three decades in the trenches.
Amanda has also penned three true crime books which include "Love Lies," the saga of a young mother who disappeared after her husband said she went jogging and never returned home. In a desperate search for the truth her friends and family circle the wagons demanding answers-answers that ultimately expose a grim tragedy in the small, idyllic southern town. "Evil Next Door" features the story of a brutal rape and murder case Amanda covered as a news reporter. The victim, a young woman who was just beginning to live into her potential, was stalked and killed by a suspected serial killer who left copious amounts of DNA in his path, but little else for investigators to go on. They play a dangerous of game of cat and mouse with the police trying to lure the killer into their trap. "Deadly Dose" is a true crime story about a young up-and-coming scientist who was poisoned by someone in his inner circle. A dogged, old-school investigator refuses to give up in his relentless pursuit of the truth, a truth far more gruesome than anyone could have imagined.
Amanda's memoirs include "The Living Room" which chronicles her 80-day journey caring for her mother who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. In the midst of tragedy, Amanda learns how to live from her dying mother. The darkness is tinged with light as her mother's departure becomes a celebration of a life and an inspiration to those around her.
Amanda's parenting memoirs include "I Love You to God and Back" which chronicles her young daughter's prayers giving the reader a glimpse into the way adults see the world through a child's eyes. There is also a companion child's book of the same title. "Girls Gone Child" chronicles Amanda's daughters' sometimes outrag
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 19, 2025
Whats good :
Character development is slow and makes sense. Jack especially grows into someone you cheer for on the sidelines.
Second, the mystery - while the story building is slow, to be expected, you can’t help but wonder the whole time “did Darwin do it?” “Is she alive?” I’ll say it’s pretty obvious she isn’t dead, but I like to shut my critical thinking cap off when I read fiction.
Whats bad : the writing
LOL oh my god. Okay, amanda very obviously doesn’t understand nor like modern technology namely cell phones and video games - and I mean to each their own but she makes very outdated, propagated statements as to why everyone in the book also happens to not like these things. Statements like “ugh this generation’s hipsters can’t get off their phones” and “video games cause violence”. It’s laughable, again like and dislike what you will, but at least have actual ideals for your beliefs and not use regurgitated phrases from a decade ago to prove your point (this book was published this year)
That brings me to the next major flaw in her writing, amanda cannot stop making statements that will eventually make this book quickly outdated. Referencing things such as instagram, hipster, netflix, and other uses of the modern (and even not so modern) technologies and phrases will make this book “cringe” for lack of a better work in a few years.
Lastly, oh the grammar and general writing errors. On pages 158 and 122 she repeats a paragraph explaining how / why jack suddenly likes celia. It’s almost verbatim which makes me question was this a mistake? And if it’s not a mistake why call out that she’s a “yankee” twice and mention their coffee twice? Also, yankee is a term north carolinians rarely ever say when referring to someone, if a north carolinian does say it it’s usually an elder person.
The other writing error i found is on page 143, where darwin makes a statement about how proud he is he did something, when dallas is the one who did that thing about three sentences before.
Special Mention : LOL WHY DID YOU BRING UP NINE ELEVEN BAHAHA holy shit I died. That was so fucking funny because it was so out of nowhere and not needed at all to further the plot. Why were you compelled to bring it up
Character development is slow and makes sense. Jack especially grows into someone you cheer for on the sidelines.
Second, the mystery - while the story building is slow, to be expected, you can’t help but wonder the whole time “did Darwin do it?” “Is she alive?” I’ll say it’s pretty obvious she isn’t dead, but I like to shut my critical thinking cap off when I read fiction.
Whats bad : the writing
LOL oh my god. Okay, amanda very obviously doesn’t understand nor like modern technology namely cell phones and video games - and I mean to each their own but she makes very outdated, propagated statements as to why everyone in the book also happens to not like these things. Statements like “ugh this generation’s hipsters can’t get off their phones” and “video games cause violence”. It’s laughable, again like and dislike what you will, but at least have actual ideals for your beliefs and not use regurgitated phrases from a decade ago to prove your point (this book was published this year)
That brings me to the next major flaw in her writing, amanda cannot stop making statements that will eventually make this book quickly outdated. Referencing things such as instagram, hipster, netflix, and other uses of the modern (and even not so modern) technologies and phrases will make this book “cringe” for lack of a better work in a few years.
Lastly, oh the grammar and general writing errors. On pages 158 and 122 she repeats a paragraph explaining how / why jack suddenly likes celia. It’s almost verbatim which makes me question was this a mistake? And if it’s not a mistake why call out that she’s a “yankee” twice and mention their coffee twice? Also, yankee is a term north carolinians rarely ever say when referring to someone, if a north carolinian does say it it’s usually an elder person.
The other writing error i found is on page 143, where darwin makes a statement about how proud he is he did something, when dallas is the one who did that thing about three sentences before.
Special Mention : LOL WHY DID YOU BRING UP NINE ELEVEN BAHAHA holy shit I died. That was so fucking funny because it was so out of nowhere and not needed at all to further the plot. Why were you compelled to bring it up
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2025
3.5 stars
I received an advance copy of Whispers on the Mountain for free, but my review is entirely my own.
This book gave me what I was looking for a moody, atmospheric escape into the quiet mystery of the mountains. Amanda Lamb paints a vivid backdrop with her descriptions of nature, solitude, and secrets, and I appreciated the slow unraveling of the story. There’s a reflective, almost meditative quality to the way the narrative unfolds, which worked well with the setting.
That said, the pacing was impacted by quite a bit of repetition. Certain thoughts and themes were revisited a little too frequently, which slowed the momentum and made some sections feel like they were circling rather than moving forward. Still, the emotional undertone carried enough weight to keep me engaged, and the characters felt authentic even if I occasionally wanted them to dig deeper.
If you enjoy introspective mysteries set in a beautiful but isolating wilderness, this might be the right kind of quiet thrill for you.
I received an advance copy of Whispers on the Mountain for free, but my review is entirely my own.
This book gave me what I was looking for a moody, atmospheric escape into the quiet mystery of the mountains. Amanda Lamb paints a vivid backdrop with her descriptions of nature, solitude, and secrets, and I appreciated the slow unraveling of the story. There’s a reflective, almost meditative quality to the way the narrative unfolds, which worked well with the setting.
That said, the pacing was impacted by quite a bit of repetition. Certain thoughts and themes were revisited a little too frequently, which slowed the momentum and made some sections feel like they were circling rather than moving forward. Still, the emotional undertone carried enough weight to keep me engaged, and the characters felt authentic even if I occasionally wanted them to dig deeper.
If you enjoy introspective mysteries set in a beautiful but isolating wilderness, this might be the right kind of quiet thrill for you.
September 20, 2025
Suspenseful and Beautifully Written.
Whispers on the Mountain is an excellent read! From the very first pages, Amanda Lamb draws you into the North Carolina mountains with her vivid descriptions and atmosphere. The setting feels alive — almost like another character in the story.
I really enjoyed the characters, especially Celia, whose determination and courage kept me hooked throughout. The mystery of the missing woman unfolds with plenty of twists and turns, and just when I thought I had it figured out, another layer of secrets was revealed. It’s a suspenseful, engaging story that balances tension with heart, and I found myself turning the pages late into the night. If you enjoy mysteries with strong characters, a vivid sense of place, and a story that keeps you guessing, this book is definitely worth reading. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Whispers on the Mountain is an excellent read! From the very first pages, Amanda Lamb draws you into the North Carolina mountains with her vivid descriptions and atmosphere. The setting feels alive — almost like another character in the story.
I really enjoyed the characters, especially Celia, whose determination and courage kept me hooked throughout. The mystery of the missing woman unfolds with plenty of twists and turns, and just when I thought I had it figured out, another layer of secrets was revealed. It’s a suspenseful, engaging story that balances tension with heart, and I found myself turning the pages late into the night. If you enjoy mysteries with strong characters, a vivid sense of place, and a story that keeps you guessing, this book is definitely worth reading. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 15, 2025
I was so hopeful for this book. I love mysteries set in the wilderness, and I especially love one that includes an element of survival. Unfortunately, this one was just too mediocre for me.
Characterization was mainly a set of facts about the players, rather than a real sense of who they were as people. I was often taken aback by a new twist in how a character acted, one that seemed, well, out of character. As an example, one character seems very tied to his daughter and the need to keep her as a part of his family, but then completely drops her from the picture in order to further the plot. The author did a good job with providing background information about each of the main characters, but again, it was more information dump rather than bring forth their emotions and motivations as they moved through the plot.
The book takes place at a luxury resort in the mountains and forests of North Carolina, and I was hoping for a transportative experience. However, the writing was pretty prosaic. We read a lot about "lush, rolling mountainside," "rugged terrain," "intensity of the landscape," etc., in language that never really goes beyond the suggestive with the beautiful, evocative phrases that an accomplished nature writer can provide.
The plot was perfect for a light, summer read sort of book. With the wooden characterization and the lack of atmosphere, however, it never truly engaged. The book was an easy read, but one that I'm sure I will quickly forget. I like my fiction, crime or otherwise, with more substance than this book provided. I don't imagine I'll be looking for another book by this author.
Characterization was mainly a set of facts about the players, rather than a real sense of who they were as people. I was often taken aback by a new twist in how a character acted, one that seemed, well, out of character. As an example, one character seems very tied to his daughter and the need to keep her as a part of his family, but then completely drops her from the picture in order to further the plot. The author did a good job with providing background information about each of the main characters, but again, it was more information dump rather than bring forth their emotions and motivations as they moved through the plot.
The book takes place at a luxury resort in the mountains and forests of North Carolina, and I was hoping for a transportative experience. However, the writing was pretty prosaic. We read a lot about "lush, rolling mountainside," "rugged terrain," "intensity of the landscape," etc., in language that never really goes beyond the suggestive with the beautiful, evocative phrases that an accomplished nature writer can provide.
The plot was perfect for a light, summer read sort of book. With the wooden characterization and the lack of atmosphere, however, it never truly engaged. The book was an easy read, but one that I'm sure I will quickly forget. I like my fiction, crime or otherwise, with more substance than this book provided. I don't imagine I'll be looking for another book by this author.
July 16, 2025
This book is good and I really enjoyed the story. We have a lot of twists and turns in this story, add in lies and deceit and you have a great mystery story. I recommend this book "Whispers on the Mountain" to all of my fellow mystery lovers. Check it out and let us know what you think.
This is a story vacationers at Bingham Reserve in the North Carolina mountains. The area is gorgeous but some of the trails are treacherous so be careful. We get to meet Celia Patrick a reporter on a much needed vacation.
And then Celia hears whispers of a missing woman she can not stand to sit back on vacation and do nothing. She has to solve this mystery. Soon she joins the investigation trying to find Pamela Stevens. Did she get lost? Is she badly hurt and can not make it back to the Reserve? Or is something else going on and was Pamela murdered.
With each day that passes with the Rescue Team not finding the lost hiker alive diminish. All that the search party has found is a trail she might have been on and an empty water container. But no sign of Pamela herself. And Celia is determined to find the missing woman alive.
This is a story vacationers at Bingham Reserve in the North Carolina mountains. The area is gorgeous but some of the trails are treacherous so be careful. We get to meet Celia Patrick a reporter on a much needed vacation.
And then Celia hears whispers of a missing woman she can not stand to sit back on vacation and do nothing. She has to solve this mystery. Soon she joins the investigation trying to find Pamela Stevens. Did she get lost? Is she badly hurt and can not make it back to the Reserve? Or is something else going on and was Pamela murdered.
With each day that passes with the Rescue Team not finding the lost hiker alive diminish. All that the search party has found is a trail she might have been on and an empty water container. But no sign of Pamela herself. And Celia is determined to find the missing woman alive.
June 25, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, but my review is entirely my own.
3.5 stars. This story does a good job of exploring the motivations that drive the characters. It's interesting to see what the disappearance means for the different people and how it complicates their lives. It could have been four stars with tighter editing and less repetition. In the beginning, the jump from character to character results in the same details being repeated. I caught myself skimming after a POV shift, looking for new information. Especially in the first few chapters. Despite that minor gripe, I still enjoyed it.
3.5 stars. This story does a good job of exploring the motivations that drive the characters. It's interesting to see what the disappearance means for the different people and how it complicates their lives. It could have been four stars with tighter editing and less repetition. In the beginning, the jump from character to character results in the same details being repeated. I caught myself skimming after a POV shift, looking for new information. Especially in the first few chapters. Despite that minor gripe, I still enjoyed it.
September 20, 2025
Whispers on the Mountain by Amanda Lamb kept me on the edge of my seat. With her foreshadowing and description of the setting of the remote luxury resort, I found myself wondering what evil would befall which character. Easy to digest, Author Lamb's writing style draws you in. Lamb's character descriptions painted vivid pictures for me as I read. The ending left me both satisfied and stunned, making me eager to read the sequel.
Nancy Panko
Award-winning author
Guiding Missal and Sheltering Angels
Nancy Panko
Award-winning author
Guiding Missal and Sheltering Angels
January 10, 2026
Mix of long and short chapters, multiple points of view, character back stories.
This jumps right into Pamela missing. Which I thought it would fast paced, I was wrong. It held my attention and I really liked the story. The long winded parts and repetitiveness not my thing. Each chapter is a different characters pov. Sometimes you can get confused as to other people mentioned that's not a MC. I liked that it gave back stories and shed light on the fact of not judging someone by their outside appearance.
This jumps right into Pamela missing. Which I thought it would fast paced, I was wrong. It held my attention and I really liked the story. The long winded parts and repetitiveness not my thing. Each chapter is a different characters pov. Sometimes you can get confused as to other people mentioned that's not a MC. I liked that it gave back stories and shed light on the fact of not judging someone by their outside appearance.
July 2, 2025
Alright, let's get into this. First, I do love both the cover and the title of the book. This was what drew me in and made me read the blurb.
The story did surely deliver what those two things promised, however, I did struggle a little with the different POVs at times. But that is surely a me problem, not a book problem. I did still enjoy reading and the book was able to hold my attention until the end. Solid 4 out of 5 stars from me for this one!
The story did surely deliver what those two things promised, however, I did struggle a little with the different POVs at times. But that is surely a me problem, not a book problem. I did still enjoy reading and the book was able to hold my attention until the end. Solid 4 out of 5 stars from me for this one!
August 27, 2025
The story of journalist Celia on vacation in a remote mountain resort where a female trail runner has gone missing totally gripped me. The tension throughout the whole story is high…………. the best bit is the end……….. when the mystery is solved and then there is an epilogue which took my breath away.
I very well paced mystery with credible characters and an interesting story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I very well paced mystery with credible characters and an interesting story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 11, 2025
First, great title as it sets the mood for a fast paced story. The author Amanda Lamb quickly develops her characters and they launch the storyline. The characters take turns by chapter at controlling the narative which while I find a bit disconcerting at first ends up working. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and thank the publisher for the elecronic ARC . Sequel please, the last paragraph really does demand it.
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July 12, 2025When Pamela Stevens goes missing, Celia Patrick can't help but get involved. With many suspects including The Type-A Resort Manager, The Devastated Husband, The Rest-on-his-Laurels Deputy, or The Grizzled Local Water-Sports Guide will Celia be able to solve this mystery?
July 30, 2025
I enjoyed this one. I disagree with how the foreshadowing was done because I feel it was not accurate. But the story line was good and the twists at the end are interesting.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 15, 2025
A hiker goes missing and it seems everyone has a motive. The ending is not what you think. The characters are interesting and so is the scenery.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 5, 2025
It was the title that hooked my interest more than anything, this is a fast paced mystery that will keep you gripped right to the end.
The characters were well developed and I liked how this was told from the characters Point of view.
The characters were well developed and I liked how this was told from the characters Point of view.
September 1, 2025
Entertaining plot. I enjoyed the book. If you like books about missing person investigations, there’s a good chance you’ll like this book.
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October 26, 2025I read this for book club and because I love supporting local authors…so no other comments
November 22, 2025
Whispers on the Mountain is the first Amanda Lamb book I have read, and I must say it is one my favorites this year. I live in Raleigh and have followed her career for many years on WRAL (my go to news station in Raleigh). Even though she does not have the level of readership of some of my other favorite authors, I decided to give her latest book a try. This storyline immediately grabbed me and I raced through this book until I got to the very interesting and surprising end. The writing style, providing perspectives of different characters to tell the story (with great linkage between perspectives) was extremely effective and interesting. Reading about places and crime stories I recognized in North Carolina made the book even that much more interesting for me. I definitely recommend this book and the author, Amanda Lamb.
At this point, I am hooked on the writing of Amanda Lamb and will be reading more from her in the future.
At this point, I am hooked on the writing of Amanda Lamb and will be reading more from her in the future.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews