The Whistler by Nick Medina
Genre: Indigenous Fiction
Publication date: September 16, 2025
Published by: Berkley
A young man is haunted by a mythological specter bent on stealing everything he loves in this unsettling horror from the author of Indian Burial Ground and Sisters of the Lost Nation.
As featured in People ∙ Men’s Health ∙ Chicago Tribune ∙ Paste Magazine ∙ and more!
For fear of summoning evil spirits, Native superstition says you should never, ever whistle at night.
Henry Hotard was on the verge of fame, gaining a following and traction with his eerie ghost-hunting videos. Then his dreams came to a screeching halt. Now, he’s learning to navigate a new life in a wheelchair, back on the reservation where he grew up, relying on his grandparents’ care while he recovers.
And he’s being haunted.
His girlfriend, Jade, insists he just needs time to adjust to his new reality as a quadriplegic, that it’s his traumatized mind playing tricks on him, but Henry knows better. As the specter haunting him creeps closer each night, Henry battles to find a way to endure, to rid himself of the horror stalking him. Worried that this dread might plague him forever, he realizes the only way to exile his phantom is by confronting his troubled past and going back to the events that led to his injury.
It all started when he whistled at night….
This book was definitely a ride. Henry is ambitious and wanting to be famous until one night changes everything. There’s a sort of darkness looming over Henry. Reading about the creepy things happening will make you want to sleep with the light on. I really liked that the author incorporated indigenous folklore into the story. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, the story takes an unexpected turn and the twist leaves you stunned. Good times.
This is was my first book by this author and it will not be the last! If twisty horror thrillers are your thing, I highly recommend you checking out this book!
