Written by Anne Wyn Clark⭐⭐⭐
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I became aware of this title when I saw a blog tour being arranged for it last year. I knew I didn't have time to read and review in time to take part in the tour, so I bookmarked it to read later. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for a free digital copy of Whisper Cottage to review.
The blurb:
How well do you know the woman next door?
When Stina and Jack move to an old rural cottage, they’re hoping for a fresh start. Their new home is run-down compared to their neighbour’s, but generous Mrs Barley quickly becomes a friend.
Until Stina sees a mysterious figure in the widow’s garden, and her happy new life begins to unravel. And when she hears strange noises in the night, she is forced to question if Mrs Barley is what she seems.
Why do the other villagers whisper about her? Why is she so eager to help the couple? And what is she hiding in her picture-perfect home?
Psychological Thriller
My thoughts:
The blurb and the cover piqued my interest. I do love a mystery and this sounded right up my street. It did not, however, live up to my expectations, and left me with a number of unanswered questions. Whisper Cottage is Stina's story. We learn about her past; her upbringing, her friend Reggie, how she met her husband Jack, and her present.
Jack and Stina move into a run-down cottage next door to an elderly lady on the edge of the village. Theirs are the only two cottages in the area. Jack is a vet and works all hours at his practice while Stina writes at home, and prepares for the birth of their first child. The couple have a list of repairs to be done to the cottage, and after a leak, immediately arrange for the roof to be rethatched. The thatcher makes a discovery which could be explained as some sort of witchcraft. And from then on I questioned everything.
I was intrigued by the strange neighbour Mrs Barley, who the locals thought was some kind of witch. They attribute several unfortunate events to Mrs Barley's practice of the dark arts and avoid her. Stina's own experience of Mrs Barley is at odds with local belief, and she cannot quite reconcile their tales with the lovely gentle woman who is, or seems to be, a good neighbour.
There were a couple of things that didn't seem entirely plausible to me, but which led me to think there was something more to be revealed.
I thought the story was slow-paced. Much was made about things which ultimately did not amount to anything. I was not gripped by the storyline but felt I needed to read to the end to find out what was really going on. The ending tied up some of the threads, and there was a final and shocking twist that I did not see coming.
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