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.

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….

I received a copy of this audiobook courtesy of the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

This is the kind of book that lets you know exactly what it’s about from the very first chapter. I listened to this audiobook on New Year’s Eve while doing things around the house, and I can confidently say it was a perfectly creepy way to close out the year. The opening alone is one of the most unsettling first chapters I’ve read in a long time. It doesn’t rely on cheap shocks. It builds dread patiently and deliberately, and once it has you, it does not let go.

The story follows Henry Hotard, a young man whose life has been derailed. Once on the verge of internet fame thanks to his ghost-hunting videos, Henry is now back on the reservation where he grew up, adjusting to life as a quadriplegic after a devastating accident. He’s living with his grandparents, dependent on their care, and struggling to reconcile the person he was with the person he has become. And then there’s the haunting. A specter that creeps closer each night. A presence tied to Native superstition that warns against whistling after dark. Henry knows what he’s experiencing is real, even as the people around him try to explain it away as trauma or grief.

What really works here is how grounded the story feels, even as it leans into supernatural horror. The mythology is not window dressing. Native American beliefs and folklore are tightly woven into the narrative, shaping both the threat Henry faces and the emotional core of the book. The horror doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s connected to history and identity, which gives it emotional weight. This is the kind of horror that seeps in slowly, where the fear grows because it feels inevitable rather than random.

The characters are another major strength. Henry is a deeply compelling protagonist. His anger, fear, guilt, and stubborn determination all feel earned. His physical limitations are not minimized, but they are also not the only thing that defines him. The book gives him space to be complicated, flawed, and resilient even though he is really angry at where his life has taken him. His relationship with his grandparents adds warmth and emotional grounding, while his girlfriend Jade represents the tension between wanting to move forward and being unable to escape the past.

The pacing is steady and deliberate. Medina takes his time building atmosphere, layering unease scene by scene rather than rushing toward a payoff. When the story does escalate, it feels natural. The tension tightens gradually, and the emotional stakes rise alongside the supernatural ones. By the time Henry is forced to confront the events that led to his injury, the reader understands exactly what he stands to lose.

I listened to this on audio, and the production deserves special mention. Shaun Taylor-Corbett’s narration is excellent. He embodies Henry’s internal struggle with nuance and handles the emotional shifts with care. His performance brings a quiet intensity to the story that works perfectly for this kind of creeping horror. If you’re an audiobook listener, this is a particularly strong way to experience the novel.

This was my first book by Nick Medina, but it definitely won’t be my last. It’s well written, genuinely spooky, and emotionally resonant. It understands that the most effective horror doesn’t just scare you. It lingers. If you enjoy horror rooted in mythology, character-driven stories, and slow-burning dread that builds under your skin, this one is absolutely worth your time.