L.A. Detwiler’s The Whispering begins with the ingredients of an effective psychological thriller: an isolated manor overlooking the New England coast, a heroine whose perception of reality is open to question, and a fiancé whose promises of protection may conceal something more sinister. As Cadie McIntyre settles into Wright Manor with Oliver Wright, the doctor who once saved her life, the novel builds an atmosphere of suspicion that leaves readers questioning who poses the greatest threat. Unfortunately, although the premise has potential, the execution struggles to deliver a convincing psychological horror story.
The opening chapters establish an appealing tension. We know little about Cadie and Oliver’s relationship, including how long they have been together, but there are enough warning signs to make their arrangement feel uncomfortable from the start. Oliver has apparently faced accusations of some kind, though he dismisses them as rumors. Furthermore, the fact that he is engaged to a former patient is a huge red flag on its own. Cadie, meanwhile, has a history of mental health struggles that raises questions about the reliability of her first-person narration. Her fiancé’s insistence that she remain indoors because the outside world is dangerous only adds to the unease. Is Oliver protecting a vulnerable woman, or using her circumstances to justify controlling her?
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