town in upstate New York so she can recuperate. There, Charlie discovers a model train set from Choo-Choo’s Trains in a locked garden shed.

In the book’s next section, readers learn the origin of the train set. The year is 2001, just after the 9/11 attacks. Edwin Nabler, aka Mr. Choo, has just opened his model train store in Lucknow, VT, population almost 5,000. Choo seems like a harmless eccentric, dressed in a railroad vest and cap. However, looks are deceiving. As train sales pick up, bizarre tragedies occur in or near houses where Choo’s trains have been sold. Eventually, the town’s police chief, Harry Cook, suspects there’s a connection.

The author takes his time building horror in Whistle. The book begins with a brief prologue at Christmas 2001, at the home of a family that’s just set up one of Choo’s trains. Readers learn just enough to realize there’s something strange about the train. From there, the author doesn’t mention the trains for several more chapters. Instead, he concentrates on Annie’s and Charlie’s backstories. This slow build, instead of immediate shock sequences or lengthy information dumps, makes the horror much more effective when it arrives. The author’s experience as a crime novelist works well for him here. He knows just how and when to dispense each bit of information to pique readers’ curiosity about finding out the secrets of Mr. Choo and his trains. When the author finally reveals to readers what goes on in Mr. Choo’s store after hours, the revelation is memorably horrifying.

Whistle has some graphic violence, but most of the horror is more subtle. Sound plays a significant part in the book’s mood. The author repeatedly emphasizes the “chuff-chuff-chuff” noise the trains make, and characters hear ghostly whistles at night. Mr. Choo also makes a creepy, memorable villain. Beneath his harmless-seeming outward appearance, he’s a psychopath. (I imagined Burgess Meredith in the “Printer’s Devil” episode of The Twilight Zone.) The author gleefully gives readers extended insights into Mr. Choo’s twisted thought processes. Choo reminded me of John Gacy dressing as a clown to entertain at children’s parties.

My one minor disappointment with Whistle was the ending. Eventually, Annie tracks down Mr. Choo, and the two have a final confrontation. However, the resolution was a major disappointment, relying on a loophole in the storyline. (This resolution also reminded me of “Printer’s Devil.”) I wish the author had worked a little more on the story’s conclusion. As it was, I felt a bit cheated by the resolution.

Despite the author’s failure to stick the landing perfectly, Whistle is a terrific horror novel, one that will remind many people of Stephen King’s work. (King is a big fan of Linwood Barclay.) It’s similar to genre classics like Rosemary’s Baby, where readers (and the protagonist) gradually piece together what’s going on and the danger the characters are in. Here, you’ve got a flawed but believable and likable protagonist, a spunky child, a deceptively sinister villain, and a type of paranormal horror I’ve never experienced before. Whistle is one of the best books (not just horror stories) I’ve read this year.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.