The Whispers

A Novel

By: Ashley Audrain

Narrated by: Jill Winternitz

“Expertly, subtly and powerfully rendered….[The Whispers] delivers a sucker-punch ending you’ll have to read twice to believe.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[An] electrifying…razor-sharp page-turner.” —Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After

Featured in summer reading recommendations by Good Morning America, TIME, ELLE, The Washington Post & more

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Push, a propulsive thriller about four families whose lives are changed when the unthinkable happens—and what is lost when we give in to our own worst impulses

On Harlow Street, the well-to-do neighborhood couples and their children gather for a catered barbecue as the summer winds down; drinks continue late into the night.

Everything is fabulous until the picture-perfect hostess explodes in fury because her son disobeys her. Everyone at the party hears her exquisite veneer crack—loud and clear. Before long, that same young boy falls from his bedside window in the middle of the night. And then, his mother can only sit by her son’s hospital bed, where she refuses to speak to anyone, and his life hangs in the balance.

What happens next, over the course of a tense three days, as each of these women grapple with what led to that terrible night?

Exploring envy, women’s friendships, desire, and the intuitions that we silence, The Whispers is a chilling novel that marks Audrain as a major women's fiction talent.

©2023 Ashley Audrain (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“In The Whispers Ashley Audrain explores the combustibility of secrets and rage among mothers in a small community… expertly, subtly and powerfully rendered….[and] she delivers a sucker-punch ending you’ll have to read twice to believe.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Audrain delves into the minds of women entering midlife who must now face the choices they made as well as their own complicity in shaming those who prioritize something different for themselves.” —The Washington Post

“Keen, observant...The Whispers examines the role of envy among friend groups, the power of maternal love and the ties that bind a community.” —Zibby Owens for Good Morning America

She did it again!

Loved The Push & loved this one as well. A page turner (but audiobook style) loved all the characters & their intense backstories. It’s a wild ride. Loved the narrator as well which is big for me because I am so picky.

Phenomenal!

I love the author’s ability to flesh out complicated, nuanced feelings and relationships. I read The Push and eagerly anticipated this book. It was fantastic! I couldn’t stop listening. It was gripping and fast paced with very real, relatable characters. The voice actor also did a fantastic job with the narration. The twist at the end was the perfect end.

Amazing!

Such good depths of character and development, really nuanced characters. Made you feel allll sorts of things in the best way possible. Highly recommend

Not as good as The Push

I thought The Push was fantastic so I preordered The Whispers; and unfortunately, this one fell short of her first. It was still good and I enjoyed listening for the most part, but it didn’t completely capture me the way The Push did. The character development could have been better and I felt like the ending was missing something. But I definitely thought the story deserved better narration. I always wonder if the narration makes the book worse than it actually is. The narrator wasn’t terrible but the cadence just felt off at times. She had a distinct voice for a couple of the characters but the same voice for everyone else. Overall it was an easy listen but nothing like her first book.

Not quite The Push, but a good listen!

The Push was the best book I listened to this year - I had purchased it years ago and finally got around to listening to it. I needed more - and when I found out that she had another book recently released, I was quick to get it! This book is interesting, but not quite to the level of the Push. The concept kind of reminds me of Big Little Lies by Moriarty. Still very intriguing.

This was the BEST BOOK!!

I loved everything about this book. It keeps you guessing until the last page! The plot is really, really good!!!!

Impressed again

I was a huge fan of the push and this one did not disappoint. Finished it quickly!

Ashley Audrain does it again!

Fast-paced, nail-biting and painful at times, AA knows how to write complex, twisty stories. She shines a light on dark topics and doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable, and horrible secrets in her characters hearts.

Obsessed with her first, disappointed by her second

I preordered this book because I loved her first book so much. I never got into this one and finishing it felt like a chore or an obligation,

Love a good tangled web

Following all the different characters/ couples was a little tough in the beginning but overall, good story! It kept me engaged. But it’s not The Push. Still, worth a read. Great ending.