2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss The Whisper Man by Alex North.

Pages: 384 pages

Length: 1 month (August)

Participants: SarahKat, Beth

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

I may start this tomorrow. I'll be driving and this is the only audio available.

I did start. Sorry it's early. I have a billion August books planned and also a vacation where I won't get much time to read so I figured I'd rather be early than late.

Through chapter 24: (view spoiler)[This is pretty creepy. I actually had dreams about ghost children last night because of this book.

The worst part has been an actual flesh-and-blood man at the door trying to get Jake to open it for him. And it's insane the cops won't do much about that. Though I guess what can they do with so little to go on? The dad needs to get some cameras!

I wonder who the little girl Jake talks to is. And I wonder who murdered the poor kid Neil if the guy with that MO has been in prison forever. (hide spoiler)]

Through chapter 45: (view spoiler)[I hope Pete and Tom can reconnect. I'm glad Tom reached out to him to watch Jake. I totally understand wanting to go have a personal life but with all the creepy stuff happening I don't think I'd want my kid out of sight.

I did kind of lose the plot with what's going on with the actual mystery. I guess they think the son of the guy in prison is involved somehow. (hide spoiler)]

Finished! Here's my review

Have you read Alex North before? I liked The Shadows better I think but this was still good.

I don't think I will get to this until closer to the end of the month.

I've not read any Alex North before; looking forward to this. Starting today!

I'm through chapter 18 (view spoiler)[The end of Ch 18 is the first we learn of the boy in the floor. Creepy for sure. I feel so badly for Jake and his father... both so lonely and not able to find their way to give each other comfort. The passage where Jake talks about hating himself and then Tom thinking about how how alike he and his son are because they both hate themselves... that just about killed me. I'm quite scared for Jake, too, that he doesn't get so wrapped up in the world of the little girl that he becomes irretrievable to the real world. (Although I'm sure in the end it will all work about, and Tom and Jake will find a way to each and there will be a happy ending for them. As for Neil... where is he? And how much of his disappearance has to do with the boy in the floor and the girl who appears to Jake? Did Frank have an accomplice? Where's the fifth boy that was never found? So. Many. Questions! (hide spoiler)]

Hope you like it!

Finished today. Wow, amazing! I really enjoyed it; thanks for suggesting it!

my review

Glad you liked it Beth! Yeah I did not see the identity of the little girl coming