Whsipers by Billy McLaughlin

Release: 15 Dec. 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Independently published
Source: Zooloos Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon UK, Amazon US

Ten years have passed since Isla Frost left the family manor. The past; a hidden memory comes to her in jolts. She blames one man for all that has happened. Her father, a cold brittle man who is now facing his mortality. Isla has returned to care for him. However, things are about to take a dark sinister turn.

A body has been found. Deep beneath the rocks of a cut off underpass. The rotten corpse of a long forgotten victim. So begins a quest for truth that will have Isla questioning everybody and everything she knows.

Old friendships are tested, family ties unbound, and Isla finds herself in the mouth of danger. What happened to her mother? Is her father a killer? How many other people need to die to protect a killer?

A tense stand-alone novel that lurks on the periphery of the haunted house genre, ‘Whispers,’ will delve into the secrets of the past to unveil a murderous conspiracy.

About the Author:

Billy McLaughlin is a Scottish born writer with 8 books currently under his belt. Four of the books, including 2019’s serial killer thriller, ‘Four,’ are part of the DI Phil Morris Mysteries. His first full length novel, ‘Lost Girl,’ arrived in May 2016 and has gone on to achieve more than 15,000 downloads. The follow up, ‘In the Wake of Death,’ has received rave reviews for it’s dark tone and psychological elements.

His most downloaded book came in the form of 2017’s, ‘The Dead of Winter,’ a novella that focuses as much on the broken relationships of a small community as it does the crime itself. One reader described it as being like ‘a full series of Broadchurch.’ Once again, praise was leveled at the atmospheric tone with another reader suggesting that the material would work well as a movie.

Billy is passionate about reading but recognises the need for bite-sized thrillers for people who enjoy reading but simply don’t have the time. As he begins works on his ninth book, he finds himself even more excited about the writing process. ‘The Blood Runs Darker,’ arrived in December 2020. A new collection of short stories arrived in December 2021 and his 11th publication, ‘Whispers,’ came along on Christmas Day 2021.

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Whsipers Review:

“Whispers” is stylish mystery suspense that kept me guessing what happened, and I enjoyed reading it.

The story’s highlight is in the way the author portrays the characters. Each character you encounter feels like they are hiding something, so you don’t know who to trust. While the story begins with Isla, I liked how the author gave equal importance to other characters. My favorite character in the tale was Louise. You don’t know what she would do because of the voices she hears and her schizophrenic moods. My favorite highlights in the story are when Isla finds Louise with the skeleton or Louise’s interrogation. Isla’s storyline was intriguing, mainly when she studied what happened to Kathryn. The rest are also memorable, like Daniel, Adrien, Miranda, Beryl, and Murdo.

Moreover, the author also shocked me with the twists and murders, which I didn’t expect. Some scenes also gave me goosebumps, like what Isla encounters. Similarly, the author also handles the mystery element well, and while I wouldn’t say I liked Murdo’s grumpy demeanor, I must say the character held my interest. What’s also admirable about the story is how the author interconnects the cast, and their connections are more complex than what you anticipate.

Perhaps the only criticism I have of the story is how it took a while to set up the pace. The story feels like a slow burn initially and speeds up towards the end. Also, I thought that some characters like Dee and Gregg were unnecessary, and the story could have held firm with just Murdo handling the case.

Apart from that, “Whispers” is very good and much better than I had hoped. If you are a fan of suspenseful mysteries, you will enjoy this one.