The Whisperling by Hayley Hoskins

Book Summary

When you're dead, you're dead.

When you're gone, you're gone.

Unless, of course, you're not.

And that's where I come in.

The year is 1897, and Peggy Devona can speak with ghosts.

She hides her gift from those afraid of a girl with such powers, terrified of the secrets the dead could reveal through her. But when her best friend is accused of murdering her rich mistress, Peggy knows only she - a hisperling - can save her.

Peggy escapes to her uncle's psychic emporium in the city, seeking out new ghosts to help her solve Sally's case.

Yet time is running out, and each step towards uncovering the truth also brings Sally one step closer to the gallows. . .

I immediately liked Peggy, she's so young to have such a burden on her, fear of anyone finding out her secret, and trying to look out for the other children, and then on top of it all, the need to save Sally.

Peggy's despicable (or is he really?) uncle keeps trying to get her to work with him as a psychic but she's been hiding her secret so long and she knows it would be dangerous to let people know that she is a Whisperling who can talk to ghosts. However, from one moment to the next Peggy suddenly has to leave her cosy village home and move to Bristol, the big city, where she can't avoid the emporium any longer.

There are some really heart-breaking moments and Peggy meets some surprisingly strong women, taking control in any way they can, despite the times and the setting.

I hope this will turn out to be a series, I really enjoyed the adventure and the characters.

Author Bio

Long listed for the Bath Children's Novel award, Hayley Hoskins writes in the space between family and work, with much support from her writing group.

Mum to a teenage boy, she spends a disproportionate amount of time hoping that her son's life is far less complicated than those of the characters in her books, and trying to ensure he becomes a 'good egg'.

Originally from the Forest of Dean, Hayley lives with her family and hairy breezeblock of a dog in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Find her on Twitter

Make a Green Ghost cocktail to calm your nerves after all that spookiness. 40ml gin, 10ml Green Chartreuse, 10ml lime juice and a dash of sugar syrup. Shake everything with ice and strain into your cocktail glass.