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The Whispering: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 3 Nov 26Kindle Edition
Expected publication November 3, 2026
About the author
L.A. Detwiler
31 books302 followersL.A. Detwiler is the USA TODAY Bestselling thriller author of The Widow Next Door with HarperCollins UK and several other chilling page-turners. Her novel The Diary of a Serial Killer's Daughter was awarded the bronze medal for thrillers by Readers' Favorite and also translated into Polish. Her novels are noted for their dark, emotional depth and realistic portrayals of haunting topics.
During her final year at Mount Aloysius College, she started writing her first fiction novel, Voice of Innocence, which was published in 2015. She has numerous sweet romances published under Lindsay Detwiler. She has also written articles that have appeared in several women’s publications and websites.
L.A. Detwiler is a high school business teacher and writer in her hometown of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. She taught high school English for ten years and also was an adjunct professor. She lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad. They have six cats and a Great Dane named Edmund (He appears in all of her current works; her late mastiff, Henry, is in the earlier novels). When she isn't training Edmund or writing, she is usually rewatching Outlander, drinking coffee, or buying makeup.
Connect with L.A. Detwiler on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok @ladetwiler
During her final year at Mount Aloysius College, she started writing her first fiction novel, Voice of Innocence, which was published in 2015. She has numerous sweet romances published under Lindsay Detwiler. She has also written articles that have appeared in several women’s publications and websites.
L.A. Detwiler is a high school business teacher and writer in her hometown of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. She taught high school English for ten years and also was an adjunct professor. She lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad. They have six cats and a Great Dane named Edmund (He appears in all of her current works; her late mastiff, Henry, is in the earlier novels). When she isn't training Edmund or writing, she is usually rewatching Outlander, drinking coffee, or buying makeup.
Connect with L.A. Detwiler on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok @ladetwiler
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 23, 2026
Review of early copy received from Netgalley
This did not work for me. The writing style, the plot, the character’s motivation… all seemed misguided.
I found L.A. Detweiler’s portrayal of Cadie as frustrating, having her bounce back from feeling strong to being unbearably weak in the same paragraph. I wanted to know more to her story than relatively surface level things. The time in the mental institution would’ve been helpful to relate to Cadie and understand how she could ever fall for Oliver in the first place, because this was insta-fall-out-of-love. I wanted to root for her but she could not get her self together.
The paranormal parts fell really flat. I think somehow connecting The Yellow Wallpaper to the Salem witch trials could be interesting… it just never really came full circle.
It felt rushed and underdeveloped. This had potential. It just never got there.
Also WTF Oliver? How could any of your process help someone with mental illness?!?
This did not work for me. The writing style, the plot, the character’s motivation… all seemed misguided.
I found L.A. Detweiler’s portrayal of Cadie as frustrating, having her bounce back from feeling strong to being unbearably weak in the same paragraph. I wanted to know more to her story than relatively surface level things. The time in the mental institution would’ve been helpful to relate to Cadie and understand how she could ever fall for Oliver in the first place, because this was insta-fall-out-of-love. I wanted to root for her but she could not get her self together.
The paranormal parts fell really flat. I think somehow connecting The Yellow Wallpaper to the Salem witch trials could be interesting… it just never really came full circle.
It felt rushed and underdeveloped. This had potential. It just never got there.
Also WTF Oliver? How could any of your process help someone with mental illness?!?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley, L.A. Detwiler, and Podium Entertainment Publishing for the opportunity to listen and review this ARC.
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5 Stars)
The Whispering was such a fun, atmospheric read that had me hooked from the very beginning. Between the eerie mansion, the mysterious woman in the lace gown, and other ghostly sitings, and the constant feeling that something wasn’t quite right, I couldn’t stop turning the pages once I began to read.
Cadie and Oliver move into Oliver’s sprawling family estate for what should be a fresh start, but it quickly becomes clear that someone is hiding secrets. I found myself questioning everyone and everything. Was the mysterious woman a ghost, a warning, or something else entirely? And what exactly was Oliver keeping hidden in the basement? The short chapters made it incredibly easy to keep saying, “Just one more.”
I loved how the mystery kept evolving as new questions surfaced. Every answer seemed to lead to another twist, and while I had plenty of theories, one reveal caught me by surprise.
The haunted house atmosphere was one of my favorite parts of the story. It delivered just the right amount of creepy without relying solely on jump scares, and the revenge-filled supernatural elements made for a satisfying payoff.
This was my first book by L.A. Detwiler, and it certainly won’t be my last. If you enjoy haunted houses, gothic mysteries, family secrets, and restless spirits seeking revenge, I highly recommend adding The Whispering to your TBR. It was an engaging, twisty read that kept me entertained from beginning to end.
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5 Stars)
The Whispering was such a fun, atmospheric read that had me hooked from the very beginning. Between the eerie mansion, the mysterious woman in the lace gown, and other ghostly sitings, and the constant feeling that something wasn’t quite right, I couldn’t stop turning the pages once I began to read.
Cadie and Oliver move into Oliver’s sprawling family estate for what should be a fresh start, but it quickly becomes clear that someone is hiding secrets. I found myself questioning everyone and everything. Was the mysterious woman a ghost, a warning, or something else entirely? And what exactly was Oliver keeping hidden in the basement? The short chapters made it incredibly easy to keep saying, “Just one more.”
I loved how the mystery kept evolving as new questions surfaced. Every answer seemed to lead to another twist, and while I had plenty of theories, one reveal caught me by surprise.
The haunted house atmosphere was one of my favorite parts of the story. It delivered just the right amount of creepy without relying solely on jump scares, and the revenge-filled supernatural elements made for a satisfying payoff.
This was my first book by L.A. Detwiler, and it certainly won’t be my last. If you enjoy haunted houses, gothic mysteries, family secrets, and restless spirits seeking revenge, I highly recommend adding The Whispering to your TBR. It was an engaging, twisty read that kept me entertained from beginning to end.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Podium Entertainment for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first read by Detwiler and I like her writing style. It flows well, and she's just detailed enough. The story was interesting; woman locked away in a massive mansion while her "lover" keeps her there for observation into the mind of the mentally ill. I found myself interested in Cadi's survival, but MAN was she too damn oblivious for her own good! She had several red flag warnings and based on her inner monologue, she knew these were odd signs/behaviors, but just kept brushing them off. I wanted to shake her!
For some reason, the mention of the Salem Witch Trails seemed kind of like an add-on. It wasn't exactly integral to the story other than explaining where the ghosts had come from. I personally think the ghosts could have been explained differently. It seemed like a way to get people interested, mentioning the Trails. In my opinion anyway.
The overall story was well devised and it kept my interest.
This was my first read by Detwiler and I like her writing style. It flows well, and she's just detailed enough. The story was interesting; woman locked away in a massive mansion while her "lover" keeps her there for observation into the mind of the mentally ill. I found myself interested in Cadi's survival, but MAN was she too damn oblivious for her own good! She had several red flag warnings and based on her inner monologue, she knew these were odd signs/behaviors, but just kept brushing them off. I wanted to shake her!
For some reason, the mention of the Salem Witch Trails seemed kind of like an add-on. It wasn't exactly integral to the story other than explaining where the ghosts had come from. I personally think the ghosts could have been explained differently. It seemed like a way to get people interested, mentioning the Trails. In my opinion anyway.
The overall story was well devised and it kept my interest.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book gripped me, I needed to know who the women were and whether Cadie would get the strength to escape. I felt what she felt and hoped for her survival. The Dame was an amazing character and I enjoyed how her backstory was included. I would have liked a bit more information about what happened to Cadie at the end of the book but liked how it made us know that the houses' story is not yet over by introducing new characters.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews