The Whisperer

Donato Carrisi

Jan 2012 · Sold by Mulholland Books

About this ebook

A gripping literary thriller and smash bestseller that has taken Italy, France, Germany and the UK by storm.

Six severed arms are discovered, arranged in a mysterious circle and buried in a clearing in the woods. Five of them appear to belong to missing girls between the ages of eight and eighteen. The sixth is yet to be identified. Worse still, the girls' bodies, alive or dead, are nowhere to be found.

Lead investigators Mila Vasquez, a celebrated profiler, and Goran Gavila, an eerily prescient criminologist, dive into the case. They're confident they've got the right suspect in their sights until they discover no link between him and any of the kidnappings except the first. The evidence in the case of the second missing child points in a vastly different direction, creating more questions than it answers.

Vasquez and Gavila begin to wonder if they've been brought in to take the fall in a near-hopeless case. Is it all coincidence? Or is a copycat criminal at work? Obsessed with a case that becomes more tangled and intense as they unravel the layers of evil, Gavila and Vasquez find that their lives are increasingly in each other's hands.

The Whisperer, as sensational a bestseller in Europe as the Stieg Larsson novels, is that rare creation: a thought-provoking, intelligent thriller that is also utterly unputdownable.

Ratings and reviews

Carrisi's THE WHISPERER (January 2012) has to be my most favorite adult debut novel in years. I have always found crime novels, both true and fiction, to be extremely fascinating. The mystery behind the actions within the story, and what makes the killer in this case tick, is utterly enthralling. It's hard to resist a thrilling read that leads you in one direction, only to turn everything upside down and sideways, throwing your "who-dun-it" guess out the window like yesterday's garbage. That's exactly what Carrisi does in THE WHISPERER. The characters are amongst the most detailed I've come across. As you encounter each of the characters, you immediately feel as though you know them personally. It's as if they are inspired by individuals Carrisi actually knows. These qualities of the characters made the plot feel more realistic, as if a news broadcast was unfolding right before my eyes. I'm sure that Carrisi's background in law and criminology helped in not only the development of his characters, but also in adding to the intensity of the plot. The mystery of THE WHISPERER is brilliantly constructed. I was expecting one intense case but found multiple cases woven together in the most intriguing way. From the very first page, you are filled with shocking details and disturbing events. All of this brings you to a moment that will surely make your heart stop beating—if only for a second. I highly recommend THE WHISPERER to readers that enjoy a thrilling read that will keep them on the edge of their seats, begging for more when the final page is turned. You won't regret giving this masterpiece a try.

I got lost occasionally, but read on and found the train of thought. This book kept me fascinated, though, and I look forward to this author's next.

I couldn't put it down. Putting together the puzzle was fascinating. The twists and turns the author creats are spellbinding. Great read.

About the author

Donato Carrisi studied law and criminology before he began working as a writer for television. The Whisperer, Carrisi's first novel, won five international literary prizes, has been sold in nearly twenty countries, and has been translated into languages as varied as French, Danish, Hebrew and Vietnamese. Carrisi lives in Rome.