Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Whisper Down the Lane
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
From the author of The Remaking, a mind-bending psychological thriller for fans of horror and true crime, inspired by the McMartin preschool trials and the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. Richard doesnt have a past. For him, there is only the present: a new marriage to Tamara, a first chance at fatherhood to her son Elijah, and a quiet but pleasant life as an art teacher at Elijahs elementary school in Danvers, Virginia. Then the body of a rabbit, ritualistically murdered, appears on the school grounds with a birthday card for Richard tucked beneath it. Richard doesnt have a birthdaybut Sean does . . . Sean is a five-year-old boy who has just moved to Greenfield, Virginia, with his mother. Like most mothers of the 1980s, shes worried about bills, childcare, putting food on the table . . . and an encroaching threat to American life that can take the face of anyone: a politician, a friendly neighbor, or even a teacher. When Seans school sends a letter to the parents revealing that Seans favorite teacher is under investigation, a white lie from Sean lights a fire that engulfs the entire nationand Sean and his mother are left holding the match. Now, thirty years later, someone is here to remind Richard that they remember what Sean did. And though Sean doesnt exist anymore, someone needs to pay the price for his lies.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
traa
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image

review
bhofmann
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

Pulled in right away. I would definitely categorize this more as a thriller. I wasn‘t super surprised by the ending but I still found this a worthy & enjoyable read.

review
Lin3han
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Mehso-so

As a boy, Sean lied about his teacher molesting him and forcing him to be part of satanic rituals. As an adult with a new name, everything must come full circle. This book was hard to read at times and made me feel sick. I had to put it down every few chapters. For a horror, I suppose that is what you want. The ending was predictable, but if you don‘t mind a journey through shame, grief, and guilt it‘s a good one. Check trigger warnings for this!

review
Rachiiebookdragon
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
Pickpick

A intriguing book.

4/5

Read for reading challenges.

review
Addison_Reads
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

As a child who grew up when satanic panic was sweeping the nation, I thought this book did a great job of addressing how people reacted during that time.

I'm a fan of books that use a true crime story to spin a fiction story. While this book isn't perfect , I enjoyed it. It's more a psychological thriller than a horror read. The two timelines were a great way to have the story unravel too.

I'll definitely be trying other books by this author.

vivastory I didn't care for his book prior to this, but I did enjoy this one. Ive heard good things about his latest 11mo
Addison_Reads @vivastory That's good to know. I'll start with the new one then. 😀 your recommendations have been missed. 💚 11mo
43 likes2 comments
review
magyklyXdelish
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
This post contains spoilers
show me
post image
Pickpick

I liked this one a lot, I‘m just not sure how I feel about the ending. Even though I was not rooting for Richard in anyway I don‘t know how I feel about the ending. Idk. Great read though. Also fuck Jenna for using her daughter as a weapon. I totally get her wanting revenge but not at the expense of her daughter. This did shine a light on how parents trauma can trickle down to their kids though.

review
Emilymdxn
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

A soft pick. I liked this psychological thriller about the satanic panic, and tbh I like most stuff about the satanic panic. The ending was slightly silly but not enough to ruin the book.

#scarathlon2022 #teamslaughter @Clwojick +16

review
khooliha
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

Me: see, book, here's a less repetitive way to explore the idea of cyclical happenings!
The Book: no one remembers the format or content of your review for The Remaking, this is a joke for no one
Me: :(

blurb
MidnightBookGirl
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 2y
Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 2y
34 likes2 comments
review
Jess_Franzino
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

This was a straight up chilling psychological thriller. It was based off some real events that happened in the 80‘s, but a completely fictional account. The POV shifts between a little boy when he was 5 years old who perpetrated a lie (thinking it was a game), that ended up creating mass hysteria about Satanic cults, & then the boy as an adult when the past comes back to haunt him.

12 likes1 stack add
blurb
MidnightBookGirl
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏🙌 2y
31 likes2 comments
blurb
vivastory
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image

I finally finished a book this week! I had started two others, which I was enjoying, but not in the right mood for so I have put them in hibernation for the time being. Two years ago I read Chapman's The Remaking, which had a lot of promise but ultimately faltered. I was still looking forward to Whisper Down etc & had purchased it when it was published earlier this year. I had heard good buzz about it & I love a good Satanic Panic story when 👇

vivastory told right. Told in alternating timelines, Chapman's novel tells of Richard, a recently married art teacher at a community in Virginia described as being filled with hipsterish parents. A mutilated rabbit initiates a series of unusual circumstances, while we are also told of Sean, a boy being raised by his mother in the 80's, When Sean is questioned about the bruises on his arms which he received from the school bully, things quickly escalate in 2y
vivastory the cultural environment of moral panic. At a couple of points in the book Chapman draws nice parallels between the conspiracies that produced the Satanic Panic in the 80's & today's conspiracies (ie Sandy Hook was a hoax etc). Although this took me a few days to read this was due to work & an overdue bookshelf reorganization yesterday. This was a quick read, with some creepy moments. 2y
60 likes2 comments
review
kimmypete1
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

Not at all what I was expecting, but it kept engaged and wanting to know what happened. The very end was what made the book for me. #OutstandingOctober @Andrew65

Andrew65 Going well 👏👏👏 2y
14 likes1 comment
review
Eggbeater
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

Disclaimer that this is really dark and twisted and animals die. This book was good, but it made me want to scrub my brain. I related to all the 80s pop culture references having grown up during the same time period as the main character, which made it all the more disturbing.

Second book read for the #OutstandingOctober #readathon @Andrew65

Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 3y
TrishB I can‘t do the animals dying. 3y
Eggbeater @TrishB Yeah. It bothers me more than people dying. That is why I mentioned it in the review. Major trigger warning. 3y
TrishB Much more than people! I‘m always grateful when people say that as I won‘t bother then 👍🏻 3y
41 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
Chili
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 3y
TheSpineView Awesome! 3y
26 likes2 comments
quote
Bertha_Mason
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman

"Miss Kinderman turned to Sean and smiled.
That‘s when it struck him. Miss Kinderman was looking more and more like his mother every day. Or the way she used to look. Healthier, happier. More beautiful. How much longer would it be until there was nothing left of his mother and Miss Kinderman took her place?"

quote
Bertha_Mason
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman

"The pesto clings to the pasta and all I see is blonde hair covered in algae, fanned on a bed of kelp. Elijah twists my mother‘s locks into the tines of his fork before forcing her hair into his mouth."

quote
Bertha_Mason
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman

"The picture had misprinted. The four-tone ink is off by a millimeter, so the color of the man‘s skin drifts to the side of his face, all the color of his flesh spiriting away from him, as if his soul is separating from his body."

blurb
candc320
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image

Since #botm didn‘t give me any scary books for October I turned to Amazon 😆! This one was only $12 in hardcover!

19 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
Hestapleton
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

I LOVE LONG WEEKENDS. A great book to usher in Spooky Season. It‘s a great look at the ramifications of the Satanic Panic of the 80s though it definitely had some improbable moments. Overall, a fast read, but a #borrownotbuy for me.

55 likes2 stack adds
review
ReadingOver50
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

As a 5 year old, Sean tells a lie about his teacher that spirals out of control. 30 years later Sean is now named Richard and he is an art teacher. History is about to repeat itself as a student accuses Richard of unspeakable acts.

I had a hard time with the subject matter. I hate the thought that someone can be so thoroughly destroyed by the lies of another. I did find the story interesting. This is not a scary book but it was disturbing for me.

78 likes1 stack add
blurb
Booknerd222
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image

22 likes2 stack adds
blurb
Booknerd222
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image

Holy shit this is disturbing af

24 likes2 stack adds
blurb
Booknerd222
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image

blurb
Booknerd222
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image

Satanic panic!!

review
DavidDiamond
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

Loosely based on the McMartin Preschool scandal during the Satanic Panic of the 80's (those of a certain age like myself will recall that media circus), this story was a quick, fun and easy read. An exploration of memory, lies and what happens when those lies get out of control.
For fans of The Exorcist & Rosemary's Baby, many of the characters in this story are named after characters or actors from these films. I counted no less than 16.

34 likes1 stack add
blurb
ferskner
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image

I should be saving this creepy book for tonight but I'm too big of a weenie. Joseph is unimpressed. #readathon @DeweysReadathon

64 likes1 stack add
review
comics_librarian
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

With astute commentary about truth and the “satanic panic” from the ‘80s, this thriller invites the reader to enjoy the ride from intriguing beginning to the stinger of an ending.

review
abookishbutterfly
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image
Pickpick

I found this story to be fast-paced and meaningful, with undying relevance in its message. It‘s very sad, too, when the impact of one fib is fully understood. The book ultimately challenges the reader with a question: Who is the actual monster of this story?

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3610086756

In case you don‘t read the full review, I‘ll add this CW: Book does contain two brutally descriptive animal deaths.

55 likes1 stack add
quote
abookishbutterfly
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman

“People will believe anything when they‘re afraid. Especially when it‘s their own children at risk. And when you put a face to that fear? Give it a name of someone they know? Someone from their own community, maybe? Well... that person becomes a monster in everyone else‘s eyes. It doesn‘t matter if he‘s innocent or not. Not anymore. Because all anyone will ever see when they look at that person again is a monster.”

quote
abookishbutterfly
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman

Imagine a fib you told as a child. A little white lie. Now imagine it taking on a life of its own. Imagine having no control over it. If you ever did. Imagine it spreading. Growing. Imagine the consequences of that lie affecting everyone in your life. Imagine it consuming everything around you... until there‘s nobody left... Imagine that lie haunting you for the rest of your life, following you no matter how far you run away from it.

Freespirit It sounds scary!! 3y
35 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
abookishbutterfly
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman

On a psychological level, I get why so many horror authors write scenes that involve brutal animal deaths. They are definitely hitting a nerve with their readers. It absolutely provokes emotion.

But it‘s just so horrible. And after encountering two graphic animal deaths in this book, I just want to close it and cry for awhile.

I also need to know what‘s going on so I might just keep it open and let the tears silently fall while I read. 😭

ShelleyBooksie Thank you for the FYI. I will stay far away from this one. 3y
31 likes1 comment
quote
abookishbutterfly
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman

“He found poetry in the little things nobody else seemed to care about.”

blurb
MaleficentBookDragon
Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel | Clay McLeod Chapman
post image

Today‘s free books.
#NetGalley #ARC #kindledailydeals