Claire Denis’s white women live close to history. They’re not active agents on the world-historical stage that Denis’s films cagily present, but nor can they be called passive. They’re allowed to flaunt this contradiction, among others: quite often, men find their inconsistency charming. They’re not frivolous (they’re too determined, too hardcore), but neither are they […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/10/18/eraser-marks-claire-denis/
Narrated by Christopher Eccleston, The Whisper Man by Alex North delivered a suspenseful thriller about a missing child’s case and the boogie man known as the Whisper Man. A chilling tale that may be better read.
The Whisper Man
by Alex North
Narrator: Christopher Eccleston
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 2 cups Speed: 1.2x
In this dark, suspenseful thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of a father and son caught in the crosshairs of an investigation to catch a serial killer preying on a small town.
After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank.
But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.
Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter’s crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man.
And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window…
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While we traveled to New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana, I listened to this with my husband. I was excited since we both loved Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, in Doctor Who. I had enjoyed North’s previous books and knew my husband would find the story interesting.
The story that unfolds follows several characters who are intertwined. Twenty-six years ago, Pete Willis along with other detectives arrested Frank Carter, nicknamed “The Whisper Man.” He was charged with abducting and murdering five residents in the town of Featherbank. Meanwhile, Tom Kennedy and his son Jake are leaving their home and moving to Featherbank after the death of Jake’s mother.
The house they move into is one Jake chose, and it has an ominous tone about it. Jake is a strange child, who talks to someone only he can see and carries his backpack of drawings. Someone is lurking around their garage and there are strange noises at night.
A young boy goes missing, and Peter is called in to assist Detective Amanda Beck. Interviews with the estranged parents soon have Peter interviewing Frank Carter and the tale that unfolds was creeptastic and twisted.
I love how North wove the past and present case together, as well as the characters we meet. Told from multiple perspectives, including those of the villain, the story draws the listener in.
We had some difficulty keeping perspectives and characters straight in part because of the narration. Now I love Eccleston, the actor, but admit to struggling with his narration. His tone and pacing were fine. I even enjoyed his accent, but there was little change in the voices performed for each character. One might say it was monotone. I truly think my enjoyment would have been enhanced by multiple narrators or someone who had an array of voices.
The tale was well done with a buildup of suspense and several twists. The story had an atmospheric tone, as did the small town of Featherbank and the home of Jake and Mr. Kennedy. Indeed, I got chills, especially regarding Jake’s invisible friend and the whispers.
Fans of suspense thrillers will find this tale perfect for the fall spooky season and mystery lovers will enjoy the tightly crafted tale and sense of foreboding.
Amazon* | Audible
The Whisper Man By Alex North was a suspenseful tale that kept me listening. #audiobookreview #suspensethriller #murdermystery
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Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North’s own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with “the boy in the floor.” Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name
Christopher Eccleston is an English actor. A two-time BAFTA Award nominee, he is best known for his television and film work, which includes his role as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/10/the-whisper-man-by-alex-north.html
Macon Me Crazy by L. Maddox is the story of Lena, who struggles daily living with a supportive and dysfunctional family. As she struggles to survive in a life riddled with ongoing challenges and the impact of generational trauma, Lena unexpectedly comes across an old diary, which piques her curiosity. As she begins to read this book, she discovers it contains far more than everyday thoughts and ideas. Instead, it details the daily life of her family decades ago, their hardship, hidden secrets, and survival.
Lena’s discovery of the diary gives her a new perspective on her ancestry and the obstacles they had to endure before she was born. It’s an educational, realistic, and intelligent story that blends elements of tragedy and turmoil with a sense of hope and moments of humor. I enjoyed the author’s down-to-earth writing style, which is direct and personal, drawing the reader in further from one chapter to the next.
Maddox’s story is heartfelt and moves at a comfortable pace, which enough description of the characters, places, and events to create vivid visuals while diving into the family’s history of trauma and triumphs going back several generations. It’s an eye-opening story that gives Lena an in-depth understanding of what her family went through and how the stories in the diary become more related to the present than she could have imagined.
When I began reading this book, I quickly became engrossed in the story, which traces Lena’s family history from the 1940s to the 1970s, and how various places and events play a role in how her life unfolds today. I highly recommend Macon Me Crazy for its excellent narration and the personal and heartfelt experiences captured in the book.
Pages: 192 | ASIN: B07YQZS9WW
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/18/macon-me-crazy/
Secrets and Sunflowers (Pepperville Stories series) by Joann Keder is a fiction story about three friends set in the small town of Sandy Salts. Keilah Charmant is a local coffee shop owner who has to move her business to make way for the new construction project to widen the highway through town. Vanessa Withers is a reporter who writes obituaries in the local newspaper, and Deeloriandra Fisher acts as an honorary grandmother to Keilah’s two children. But all three women are keeping secrets from each other. The town is divided between people who want to keep the two-lane highway and others who support the expansion to a four-lane highway. When a dead body is found in a nearby lake, is it connected to the town dispute? Or is it more personal?
This was a fun story to read, filled. However, stereotypical small-town gossip and speculation. There were several elements of mystery in this book, which I liked. This bit of intrigue kept my interest as I tried to guess what would happen next and solve the mysteries along with the characters.
I liked that the author included a list of characters at the beginning of each chapter, which helped to avoid confusion as there were many different people introduced in a short span, especially for readers unfamiliar with the characters from reading the previous books in the series. Although this is not the first book in the Pepperville series, it can be read as a standalone story. The author gives enough details to recap what occurred in the other stories so that readers do not feel lost. The references that were made to mysteries solved in previous books and other intriguing details raised my interest in going back to read the other books in the series to find out the full story of what happened.
I felt some of the characters’ motivation was lacking, especially in regard to some ethical issues concerning the actions of the main characters. For example, I did not feel that the author gave a compelling reason why Vanessa did not want to contact the police when she discovered the dead body. The author, however, did include a lot of small details, such as the inclusion of the obituaries of various townspeople and the weather reports. These help the reader feel more part of the community.
Secrets and Sunflowers is an entertaining family saga novel filled with drama and some mystery. Readers of the Pepperville Stories series will enjoy the latest addition to the collection, and new readers to the series will find new friends they want to read more about.
Pages: 436 | ASIN : B0BB5N3RKS
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/18/secrets-and-sunflowers/
Bakers Street Irregular by Craig W. Fisher is a story that has the reader questioning whether he is guilty or innocent? As we follow the protagonist, Bill, in the present, he is accused of a brutal murder. Clearly, he was there at the scene, and all the evidence points towards his involvement, but he claims to not be the killer and is keen to find out who truly did it, clearing his own name. Once a war hero, he definitely has the skills needed to get to the bottom of this. However, being in Berlin only a few years after the end of the war may make his investigation a little more complicated.
Gripping from the very offset, the story opens with the line, “One last check of his watch and a reassuring pat on the knife he kept in his jacket pocket, and he disappeared into the all-consuming darkness of the Berlin night.” Dark and mysterious, this has the reader drawn into the story from the beginning, keen to discover more about this compelling character. As the story progresses, it flashes between various times in the main character’s history, with each chapter exploring what led to his current situation. The author has done this wonderfully by heading each chapter with the date and location, making it easier for the reader to follow the plot.
Bakers Street Irregular is an extremely intriguing espionage thriller. I could not wait to find out more about the main characters’ history during the war etc., as well as who really committed the murder in the present day (1947). It is a story that encompasses crime, spy novels, and war into one interesting tale. I would highly recommend this to anyone, as I found it hard to put down.
Page: 362 | ASIN : B0B7GNLFH7
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/18/bakers-street-irregular/
Last Verse: A Harry Stallard Mystery by S. J. Talbot is a fast-paced, suspenseful crime thriller that keeps every reader on the edge of their seats until the end.
Harry Stallard is an ambitious individual who aspires to prove himself as a talented undercover officer. A turn of events takes him out of the action, and he is quickly reallocated to investigate boring cold cases. Soon he finds out that the case he’s been assigned to might be holding some dark, mysterious secrets behind. Utilizing his talents as an undercover officer, he begins to meticulously retrace the steps of the case, finding himself at the center of a series of events that seem to be leading to something more sinister than expected. A rising band member has been missing for months, and strange deaths start to occur as the case is revisited. Drugs, music deals, money… Where could all the clues lead to?
The tension that this book builds is fantastic. From the very beginning, the reader is hooked on the story. This is emphasized by the presence of a highly charismatic main character. Harry Stallard has an interesting way of thinking and seeing the world. He’s confident and quite passionate about his line of work. Once he starts working on a case, he truly immerses himself in it, thus taking the reader with him on this investigative immersion. Stallard is smart and experienced, but he’s not perfect. He constantly finds himself in dangerous situations, making up for a gripping storyline where the odds are not clear to the reader.
After some time, the plot thickens, and the emergence of new discoveries makes the reader want to read faster in order to figure out the truth and motivations of the case. With exciting chapters and new developments at every turn of the page, it’s hard to get bored. The story has fast pacing and is devoured rather quickly by the reader, who is guided by Stallard’s mind and just as eager to get to the bottom of it all.
Last Verse is a riveting and gripping mystery with humorous twists that help alleviate the tension of the enigma that Stallard is involved in. His charisma and dedication will end up being the thing that makes him shine throughout the entire book, making up for an excellent mix of compelling characters and an enthralling plot. There’s no escape: the story is addictive, and one is quickly engrossed in it.
Pages: 374 | ASIN : B0BC2RGFLX
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/18/last-verse/
Ava and April are loyal sisters. Fortunate to have been raised by loving parents who instilled the importance of kindness, integrity, dignity and faith in God, the girls grew to develop separate passions yet remained each other’s fiercest supporter. While Ava loves to write and is a champion at essay competitions, April has a gift for dance and dreams of one day owning her own dance academy – although making a name for oneself in a highly competitive field is never easy. But when their high school announces a dance competition with a $10,000 scholarship prize attached, Ava realizes this is April’s chance and is determined to see her sister win. She makes a wish and prays it will come true. Unbeknownst to Ava, a beautiful fairy named Maria overheard her plea. But will Ava’s wish be granted? As Ava encourages her sister to reach her goal, she discovers the importance of caring about others, and her generous spirit will garner a second wish, one that will fulfill her own destiny. Ava’s Mystical Wish inspires readers to shoot for the stars and to find true happiness by giving back to others.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/18/avas-mystical-wish-book-trailer/