The Whistling cover art

The Whistling

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Whistling

By: Rebecca Netley
Narrated by: Lois Chimimba
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Winner of the Exeter Novel Prize

Alone in the world, Elspeth Swansome has taken the position of nanny to a family on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea.

Her charge, Mary, is a strange child. Distracted and secretive, she hasn't uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William - just days after their former nanny disappeared.

With her charge defiantly silent, Elspeth turns to the islanders. But no one will speak of what happened to William.

Just as no one can explain the hypnotic lullabies sung in empty corridors.

Nor the strange dolls that appear in abandoned rooms.

Nor the faint whistling that comes in the night....

As winter draws in and passage to the mainland becomes impossible, Elspeth finds herself trapped.

But is this house haunted by the ghosts of the past?

Or the secrets of the living?

Chilling, twisty and emotionally gripping, The Whistling is an atmospheric pause-resister with shades of the classics, yet a unique character of its own. Perfect for fans of Susan Hill and Laura Purcell.

©2021 Rebecca Netley (P)2021 Penguin Audio Ghosts Horror Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Haunted Scary Paranormal Fiction Highlander
All stars
Most relevant  
such a mystery that captures the heart and mind. leaving you intrigued and wanting to hear more.

Held captivated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This wasn’t a book I would have normally stuck with but it was worth it.

Interesting !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A fun gothic tale with rich imagery of Scottish Highlands. Mysterious ghost story with a mix of murder mystery and witchcraft. Beautifully narrated. A fun spooky tale. Have already made many a recommendation!

Gothic Spook

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Just the right amount of horror mixed with historical mood and nature themes. Not too gorey or traumatising. If you liked goosebumps as a kid and enjoy Scottish witchy vibes, this is a good one.

Epic ghost story dripping with mood

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great story! Brought to life by the superb narration from Lois Chimimba. Looking forward to Rebecca Netley’s next book coming out x

Loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I enjoyed this book, with its haunting and atmospheric gothic horror. The setting and period added to the storyline and chill. Several twists kept it interesting and the narrator's accent made it authentic. My only issue was that the references to photographs in an 1860 era, which seem to be plentiful in the storyline, are unrealistic.

Atmospheric gothic horror

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book had me gripped.
Incredible narration and portrayal of characters.
Eerie and creepy story that had me feeling very unnerved.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.

LOVED

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really enjoyed this. It falls somewhere between Laura Purcell and Kate Morton, yet is very much its own book. I loved it!

Wonderful story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What a roller coaster. The narrator was spectacular! Kept me enthralled and guessing right till the end!

Beautifully written and narrated!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This supernatural/Gothic story did not grip me, it took me ages to get through. It wasn't very scary, and the story was very drawn out. The narrator had a beautiful voice, but put strange inflections into parts that didn't make sense.

Long and drawn out story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.