Whispers of Terror is one of those early Big Finish stories that makes you sit up and go, “Oh, they really knew what they were doing.” Just three releases in, and they’re already experimenting with the format in bold ways. Set inside the Museum of Aural Antiquities (yes, really), this one takes the idea of recorded sound and spins it into something properly creepy. Voices are preserved like historical artefacts,and one of them—Krane—isn’t quite as dead as he should be. What follows is a tangled conspiracyfull of manipulated recordings, political murder, and a villain who exists purely as sound.

That idea shouldn’t work as well as it does, but on audio it’s brilliant.Krane is everywhere and nowhere, whispering from corners, lurking in static, slipping through speakers. It’s exactly the kind of story that couldn’t be done on TV, and Big Finish leans into that hard. The sound design sometimes gets a bit overexcited, but mostly it adds to the tension, especially when paired with Peter Miles as Gantman—the blind curator who finds himself at the mercy of a monster he can’t see, only hear. Miles is fantastic: all quiet authority and simmering intensity, and his scenes anchor the story in something really human.

And then there’s Sixie. This is Colin Baker’s Doctor still very much in his TV-era bombastic mode—grumpy, shouty, and brilliant. But the story puts him in a situation that challenges that persona. Here’s a man who loves the sound of his own voice, suddenly up against someone who can turn that voice into a weapon. It’s such a smart concept,and the moment where Krane tricks Peri by mimicking the Doctor’s tone is genuinely chilling. It’s not perfect—some clunky dialogue here, some overcooked editing there—but it’s a strong, stylish reminder that Doctor Who doesn’t need visuals to pack a punch.

A splendid use of the audio form!
An evergreen tale of political power being wielded for personal gain meets a fun monster story where the monster is a sound wave. I think they could have done a bit more with the monster later on but overall I quite liked how it was represented throughout. The Sixth Doctor is in prickly form here, which is not my favorite mode for him, but Peri got to show off what she's learned while in the TARDIS and the supporting cast all did a good job of carving out their identity, which makes for an easier listening experience.

There are a few twists that I could see, well hear, coming but that did not negate my joy when they were revealed later on. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and most importantly enjoyed hearing Big Finish figure out how to make these adventures more than just the audio of the TV program.

I heard this was a very good story, so I went straight to it. For myself, it was slow and didn't hook me. Whilst I can always rely on Nicola and Colin to entertain me this story didn't do much for me. However, I will praise the final moments.

Thriller vibes, with great political undertones, feeling particularly relevant to this today, considering the alteration of recordings and footage.

The use of a sound based villain shows Doctor Who adapting to its medium perfectly, and can be seen in how the audio Big Finish range will grow moving forward.

The performance from Baker is great, even if he continues to feel more of the aloof Doctor we know from TV - this story would fit right in to Season 22, and as a personal favourite season, that's definitely a good thing!

In the first 10 minutes or so, Whispers of Terror managed to convince me of something that the entirety of seasons 22 and 23 could not: that the Doctor and Peri actually like each other. Yes, they bicker and snipe, but it feels less outright cruel in tone (and, perhaps moreso, it feels like Peri can give it just as good)

Plotwise: fun! This is Big Finish's third story and they're revelling in their audio-based medium, the kind of thing that might one day lead to Scherzo.