The Whispering House

Jan 18, 2026 2:22 PM

Author:Elizabeth Brooks

'Shimmering, lush...will keep you up all night' - Rene Denfeld, author of THE ENCHANTED

'Eerie and addictive' - New York Times

When I think of Byrne Hall - which I do more often than I'd like - it's the dead weight of the heatwave that comes back to me, and the smell of things going rotten.

Freya Lyell is struggling to move on from her sister Stella's suicide five years ago. Visiting the bewitching Byrne Hall, only a few miles from the scene of the tragedy, she discovers a portrait of Stella - a portrait she had no idea existed, in a house Stella never set foot in. Or so she thought.

Driven to find out more about her sister's secrets, Freya is drawn into the world of Byrne Hall and its owners: charismatic artist Cory and his sinister, watchful mother. But as Freya's relationship with Cory crosses the line into obsession, the darkness behind the locked doors of Byrne Hall threatens to spill out.

Reviews

Shimmering, lush, with prose that beats at the heart, The Whispering House will keep you up all night

—— Rene Denfeld, author of THE ENCHANTED

Eerie and addictive...A chilling, masterly study in all the ways love can lead to misery. Like Wuthering Heights...terrifying yet wholly believable

—— New York Times

A spellbinding gothic story ...an exquisitely creepy page-turner

—— Publishers Weekly

A slow-simmering, psychological, gothic novel about grief and longing

—— Booklist

A gothic romance for the contemporary age

—— Kirkus Reviews

Captivating. . . . this unsettling story about heartache and yearning is filled with bone-chilling breezes, taunting ghosts and maddening isolation

—— Shelf Awareness

Dripping in gothic melodrama, this chilling mystery is the perfect read for a cold winter's night

—— Daily Mirror

A genuinely creepy book with a gripping mystery at its heart. For fans of Laura Purcell and gothic historical fiction, this is a must!

—— Woman's Weekly

If you love haunted house ghost tales that are as psychological as they are supernatural, then you'll love Rebecca Netley's atmospheric debut

—— Culturefly

A beautifully written and intricate gothic tale with an atmospheric setting

—— NB Magazine

A chilling read

—— Prima

Troubled children in a chilling, chilly house, built on an island off the Scottish coast . . . A touching and engrossing story, perfect for winter evenings!

—— Hope Adams, author of Dangerous Women

The Whistling is an incredibly haunting and utterly gripping tale, with writing so chillingly atmospheric I had to sleep with the lights on! If you enjoy a good scare, this book is for you

—— Fíona Scarlett, author of Boys Don't Cry

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