WHISPERLAND: A CHILLING TALE OF DYNASTIC EVIL Christopher Hyde. Toronto, ON: Collins, 1987. 316pp., paper, $5.95. ISBN 0-00-223267-7. CIP. Grades 11 and up / Ages 16 and up Reviewed by Louise Griffith. Volume 16 Number 3 1988 May This tale of intrigue and espionage in a posh Bermuda hotel, spiced with sex and violence will probably be very popular with older teenagers and adults. It tells how an American draft dodger turned PEI fisherman is recalled to his wealthy uncle's home and forced to assume control of the family conglomerate. The company headquarters is the famous Whisperland Hotel, Bermuda, and it is the principal setting and chief focus of the book. The hero is rescued from a fire, a hurricane, and a watery death amid stinging jellyfish. Finally, he becomes a true member of his family, able without compunction to exercise leverage and power by dishonourable means. The story moves swiftly from one interesting location to another, mostly in Bermuda. The vivid description of these locales adds to the glamour of the book. Hyde is a master at accumulating details whether the subject is the cabin of a ship, the site of a picnic, or the scene of a killing. Sometimes he carries this too far. Rigid pruning, especially of references to cigarette lighting or the more gory details of death and destruction, might have achieved an even better result. The book might be very successfully studied by students in grades 11 or 12, especially at the general level. In some communities, however, certain passages might raise a few eyebrows. School and public librarians will want to purchase copies for their paperback collections. Readers who enjoy Helen Mclnnis tales of intrigue will happily devour this yarn of high adventure. Louise Griffith, Agincourt, ON.