The Whisper Man

The Whisper Man, released in August 2019, is a crime thriller by British author Alex North about the potential resurgence of a serial child murderer known as the Whisper Man and how it entangles various characters in a small town. North claims he got the idea for the book after his son mentioned “the boy in the floor.” Through criminal investigation and the lives of a father and son, North explores the nature of intergenerational trauma and paternal relationships. The Whisper Man was a New York Times bestseller and received a nomination for a Goodreads Choices Award in the Best Mystery & Thriller category.

This guide references the 2019 Celadon Books paperback edition.

Plot Summary

The novel begins with a letter—written in hindsight of the novel’s events—from Tom Kennedy to his son, Jake. Tom assures Jake of how much he loves him, talks about Jake’s mother, and apologizes for telling him that monsters don’t exist.

After Tom’s wife, Rebecca, died, he and Jake were heartbroken. Struggling in their grief, they became disconnected. For a fresh start, Tom buys a new home for them in Featherbank, a rural English town. He hopes that the move will help them leave the pain of their past behind, but as events unfold, they’re nearer to it than ever before.