Anne Wyn Clarke – Whisper Cottage

Whisper Cottage by Anne Wyn Clarke is a psychological thriller that is a debut novel. I loved the cover and synopsis and hoped the book kept the promise it seemed to hold.

We meet Jack and Stina, a couple who have moved to Wisteria Cottage in a sleepy village near Stratford-upon-Avon. They are expecting a baby and want a quieter life than what they have moved from. The Cottage is a ‘fixer upper’ but the couple are certain it will be their perfect home when it’s finished. Their next-door neighbour, Mrs Barley seems to be the perfect neighbour for them. Stina starts hearing weird noises in the night and sees a strange man in Mrs barleys garden. Then there are rumours Stina has heard in the village about their neighbour. Stina begins to think that Mrs Barley may be hiding something and she may not be what she appears.

A twisty and creepy story that had me feeling uneasy at times. Mrs Barley herself seemed an enigma, with her quirky behaviour and all the things we see Stina experiencing really had me questioning what she was about. I found myself thinking I had it all worked out only to be proved wrong time after time. The tension slowly ramps up as the story slowly unfolds. Jack’s logical explanation of any weird things just normalises these happenings but they are there in the background just adding the edge to the story.

A tale of secrets and rumours which had me intrigued from the start. A dark and creepy story that kept me guessing and turning the pages until I had all the answers. A great debut that I would recommend if you enjoy creepy tales that keep you on edge.

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Avon Books for my gifted copy of the book.