The Whistling by Rebecca Netley

The choice of books available in October/November always excites me. Summer reads often seem to steal the show with their shoutouts about being a must-read for your holiday, but I'll always take a book with a dark cover and some sort of intrigue over one that depicts a beach or sunny bunting.

And The Whistling is exactly one of those books, dark, gothic, foreboding and with a strong sense of dread. Oh yes - now this is definitely one to line up this Autumn, snuggled by the fire with a small glass of whisky to keep you company and the demons at bay.

The story begins with Elspeth leaving behind a tragedy in Edinburgh to take up a new life on a small Scottish island where she is to take care of Mary, a child who has also experienced tragedy and, as a result, is no longer able to speak. Elspeth tries to settle in but finds the presence of her predecessor still lurks in the dark corridors and rooms of the house. In addition, mysterious objects start to appear in her bedroom, and there is talk in the village of witchcraft. Elspeth grows increasingly fond of Mary and is torn between staying and returning to Edinburgh, but you know how it is; once that last boat has returned to the mainland, it's a long, long time until it's coming back! 

It's tough to write books of this nature, particularly those that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, but Rebecca Netley does this very well and creates a strong sense of terror and unease. I liked how the book builds to a climax and how Elspeth tries to rationalise what's going on, but as each event occurs, that becomes harder to do.

In my opinion, if you enjoyed The Woman and Black or you liked the MR James story, Oh Whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad, then you're also likely to enjoy this one.

But remember when reading, to lock your bedroom door and don't venture outside of it should you hear the faint sound of whistling while you're in your bed.