The Whispers – Lisa Unger

Novella
4*’s

I normally shy away from books which have a supernatural theme but when I saw the first part of a novella trilogy, written by the author of In The Blood, a psychological thriller which I really enjoyed, as much for the fact that this was a book that gave me many different issues to think about whilst being a cracking good read. So I decided to unstick my feet from the mud and give this a go!

Lisa Unger wastes no time in revealing her chief protagonist, Eloise to her readers, a likeable character who has a husband who cherishes his family, an awkward elder daughter, Emily, as well as Amanda the youngest daughter who shares her mother’s outlook on life. All too soon this picture is smashed to pieces as Alfie and Emily die in a car crash. This awful event causes Eloise to have psychic visions that she doesn’t want, like or know how to react to but the visions she has can’t be ignored and Eloise needs to act, fast.

I loved the writing and I was so totally engaged in this short story that I was completely ok with the psychic parts, helped in no small part that these were linked to a mystery and the fact that Eloise was more sceptical of them herself. Lisa Unger is careful to keep the threads running through the book so Eloise is supporting Amanda while she comes to terms with the awful tragedy as well as suffering from grief herself. I found all the interactions from the beginning where a typical family was getting ready for work and school to those after the car crash perfectly pitched. The pace of this novella was good although the end came far too soon for my liking and I will need to pick up the next in the series, The Burning Girl, to find out what happens to Eloise next.
So, not only did I read a novella, the first one this year, but it also had spooky stuff in it and I liked it confirming that Lisa Unger is a truly talented writer indeed.

I’d like to thank the publishers Gallery for my copy of this novella that is due out on 27 October 2014, although in the UK Simon & Schuster have a publication date of 4 December 2014, in return for my honest review.

My review of In The Blood