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She acts like she knows all these people for year and years but it's been 4 days. 4 days!! Everyone is giving this stranger in there tiny village free flowers, a place to stay, groceries, and drinks at the coffee shop. She's sad that she is leaving everyone and doesn't want to go because they're all best friends after 4 days!!! What is it with this author that she makes all her characters best friends after meeting one time?!
It reminded me at times of Jane Harper’s The Dry so if you’re a fan of that, I doubt you’ll be disappointed. For those looking for that home away from home experience, there are eight inviting mountain-style self-catering cabins on the hotel grounds.
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Zoe's stupid ridiculous reasoning for Keira to watch out for Mason is hilarious. She tells her that he went through years of schooling to become a doctor and dropped out his last year. That's it! Ohhhhh scandalous!! Zoe made a noise that was somewhere between derision and annoyance. “Look, I’m not telling you to shun him or anything, but…just be cautious. He’s hiding something. And in my calculated opinion, there’s an extremely high chance that he’s a serial killer who had to flee the campus in fear of being caught.” Why does that mean he's hiding something?? Maybe he couldn't afford school anymore. Maybe someone was going through an illness. Okay, let's start with the main character, Jenny. She is just such a delight. It may feel at first like a familiar story, a Victorian orphan having to work in service to look after her younger siblings, including a handicapped brother, Jenny has lost her position and fallen on hard times after her older brother ran off with anything of value he could get his hands on. She does what she needs to do to look after her family, with such a fiercely protective instinct. But what I love most about Jenny is her attitude. She takes absolutely no shit off anybody and it is such a joy to watch. She's sarcastic, cutting, mean even, but somehow never comes across as an unpleasant or unsympathetic character. She's just someone who stands up for herself and tells people what she thinks, and for someone in her position in society, with so much at risk, that comes across as incredibly brave and bold. It also doesn't feel anachronistic, and that may be due in part to the theatre setting, typically outside of societal norms, and also because she's very clever about it. She knows when to toe the line, and is often careful about what she says to Mrs Drury in particular, when she holds power over her, but also knows when she can get away with flashing her attitude. One of the things that annoys me about the author’s books that probably is the thing that people love is that there is always 2 things happening. It annoys me that Keira doesn’t even know who she is but she’s out there trying to solve a 40 year old murder. Oh but wait now we have to tag along with her and the mystery cat. The story of The Whispering Valley is not quite simple. There are a lot of characters, their relationships are complex and they all hold a part of the secret. To find the truth, you will have to chat with each of them, examine the environments and read their correspondence. Maybe then you will find what terrible secret Sainte-Monique-Des-Monts is hiding.
At The Mercury Theatre in London's West End, rumours are circulating of a curse. It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and, desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees. See, it’s a very entertaining and easy breezy read. It’s kind of Horror-Lite. It’s got its spooky bits that do give a bit of a chill. Light gruesomeness, but not too much. Lots of buddy-humor. Remarkably light and leaves you smiling.
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This is my first book by Purcell, but it’s safe to say it wont be my last. I’ve never quite felt as transported when reading historical gothic novels as I did with The Whispering Muse. Her atmospheric writing style wholly brings the theatre and the characters who inhabit it to life. Her use of the different parts of the book, each part focusing on a different play, was exceptionally done. Each part, and with it, each play seems to perfectly capture the atmosphere and feelings not only of the story but of the characters themselves, and the use of foreshadowing was just *chefs kiss.* I also enjoyed the mythological element. It was spooky without being outright fantasy, but had enough of the element to keep me on my toes, wondering whether the muse, Melpomene, was actually causing Liliths bizarre behaviours, or whether it was her obsession with needing to become a star so bright no one could ever forget her. I'll be reviewing it soon, but the Companion also describes the set design, history of the show and the creation of the music, making it a perfect yet unintended and equally gothic companion to The Whispering Muse. A local man has gone missing and memories of the past begin to resurface of another 2 girls lost. Callum is determined to find answers about what happened to the missing local Lachie and about what happened in the past, all the while battling the whispers of the rainforest. Unable to refuse and eternally grateful for the position of dresser to Lilith Erikson, Jennifer soon learns there's more to the situation. Mrs Dyer explains that her husband has been bewitched by the woman, and Jennifer is to keep a close eye on her. The reader is thrust straight into the social politics of the theatre, and additional meaning and nuance is communicated in the different plays the characters stage throughout this historical fiction masterpiece. Deliciously creepy, riveting and full of heart with compelling characters and brilliant twists ... glitteringly dark and mesmerising' Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne and Elektra
There's many more, but here is one final example, "She was certain the graveyard would be full if she used her second sight. She touched the muscle and felt it ache. It was still sore from the previous night, so she didn't pull on it." I thought the so called muscle was deep inside her head? How exactly is she touching it?Any praise you see or hear about The Whispering is warranted, congratulations to Veronica Lando on a noteworthy debut. The plot was good, and it was a very fast read. It was suspenseful, but definitely not scary. It was actually a light, fun read! Mrs Dyer wants to prepare Jenny for theatre life and Shakespeare productions in particular. She pays for her to see Dr. Faustus at a local theatre. The actor playing Faustus is well renowned for being the best. But the performance becomes marred with tragedy when the actor dies on stage in a grisly and gory fashion. A small timepiece seems to be connected and Jenny feels distraught at what she’s witnessed.
The Whispering Muse is atmospheric, sinuous and darkly enchanting. One of my favourite things about this novel is how the theatre business was depicted: shifting and duplicitous. Nothing is ever as it seems on the surface, and people are alarmingly adept at twisting and changing their personalities to best suit their interests. Just like Purcell's other novels, the supernatural elements in this one are there to serve as a reminder of the evil in human nature - jealousy, greed and ambition - and how it can ultimately lead to ruin. It's official: I'm now on a Laura Purcell binge. I fear I may even be coming a fan of Victorian gothic! The rainforest holds this town in its thrall, the legend of The Whispering being passed down from parents to children. They believe it. The Whispering by Veronica Lando is an absolutely amazing debut novel! It is so atmospheric, creepy and mysterious. It definitely has the WOW factor! I thought this book would be more spookier and would have more shivering chills but really the book was more of a mystery/ghost story which was fine with me as it still drew me into the storyline as I wanted to know more about the lead female character, Keira.
I did not really warm to the characters - some of them are supposed to be vile - but even Jenny the protagonist felt a little one-dimensional and I couldn't really get on board with how she was used as a pawn throughout the novel. I love that the story is so immersive, which is down to a clever plot but more importantly believable characters that evolve over the course of the novel. None of the characters are sugary sweet, they all have an agenda which is tested in different ways as the cost of loyalty is tested.
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