Szept

The claustrophobic town of Iława is witness to the deaths of two young women, 50 years apart. In 1973, the beautiful but ‘weird’ Ania goes missing; in the present day, Kaja drowns in the local lake. Policewoman Dominika Sajna returns from maternity leave just in time to get involved in the search for Kaja. Circumstantial evidence points to Piotr, a young, possibly autistic man, but on closer examination he does not seem capable of violence. The plot of The Whisper is woven between three timelines, telling the story of two pairs of sisters and their love-hate relationships; the terrible consequences of childhood pranks; and the inescapable demons of the past.

In her tense narrative, Weronika Mathia skilfully employs red herrings, and uses compelling, vivid language, reminiscent of the Scandi noir genre. She manipulates the switching perspectives to enable a slow drip of information which keeps the reader hooked, while the rich detail and complex relationships of her world reward close attention.

At its core, The Whisper focuses on the profound burden of loss and how people who seem different from others – Piotr and Ania – become stigmatised. The book leaves behind a lingering sense of sadness and disquiet.