Craftily written using several different voices, Driscoll does a great job of drawing you in and keeping you fully engrossed as the pages are turned. Driscoll also does a great job with her use of the red herring as many of the characters have there own secrets. The bulk of the story takes place a year after the disappearance of Anna from a London Night Club. As new evidence comes to light, and witnesses change their story, little by little we find out what really happened to Anna that night...AND it’s a total surprise ending. Would love to see more of PI Matthew Hill and DS Melanie Sanders in future books!

An ARC review of ‘I Am Watching You’ by Teresa Driscoll.

Almost 4 Stars

‘I Am Watching You’ is a mystery/thriller about a missing teenage girl, told from multiple points of view.

I confess that I was initially put off by voice of the first POV character - The Witness - but as the novel progressed we were inside other characters enough that I got the respite from her that I needed in order to fully enjoy this novel and all its unexpected twists and turns.

The frequent use of the cliff hanger chapter endings kept this reader turning the pages to see what happened next. Indeed, I was so engaged by the end that I had that reader’s moment of panic that the novel ending couldn’t possibly answer all my questions. It was a needless worry because Driscoll tied all the threads up neatly in the way readers hope for – a surprising but inevitable ending.

This novel has multiple points of view, however you don’t get to know all the POV characters well (enough?). But perhaps this was the intent of the writer, casting the reader as ‘watchers’ too.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys escaping into a whodunnit mystery.

This book has an interesting premise and offers a lot of hope for the reader right away that it will become truly captivating. Unfortunately, I didn't find that it lived up to that promise. Perhaps it was the constant switching between different characters and POV, or maybe it was that I never felt close to any of the characters, but either way it just didn't work for me.

By the second half of the book, I was really just reading to be finished and not even invested enough in the story to really care what happened to the missing girl. I enjoyed some portions of this book more than others. The life of the witness was interesting and her character was better developed than the others, but overall this book just didn't excite me.

As always, I encourage you to read it and come to your own conclusions, but this one wasn't for me.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this thriller and put off all of my errands and chores to finish it in one sitting. I was literally hooked after the first page! When Ella overhears two young men on a train try to ingratiate themselves with two young women, she becomes worried when she hears them discussing their recent release from prison. Reluctant to get involved, she considers trying to reach the girls' parents but then chooses to say nothing. When one of the girls turns up missing the next day, guilt consumes her and she phones the police immediately. And so begins a whirlwind journey to find out what happened to Anna. Told from alternate perspectives involving Ella, both sets of parents, sisters of the two girls, and the private detective hired to find the person "watching" Ella, we are bounced back and forth until the shocking conclusion. I love a good thriller with multiple layers and this one did not disappoint! Lots of good dialogue and tense scenes; each chapter ends with a cliffhanger that sucks you in and keeps you reading until the end!

I was totally glued to this book. Lots of loose ends. Creepy throughout.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

this is the first book i’ve read by this author and won’t be the last! many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest answer.

the story follows two 16 year olds, sarah and anna, who go to london to watch a show as a celebration of the end of school and exams. whilst on the train journey they encounter two men who have just been released from prison. another traveller on the train witnessed the encounter and, as a mother herself, feels uneasy about it and cannot decide if she should intervene. days later anna is reported missing to the police.

the development of the story is told from different characters’ perspectives and many secrets begin to be revealed.

i thoroughly enjoyed this book and certainly look forward to more.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read I am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll.
A woman observes two girls on a train flirting with disaster - two young men just released from jail seem to have developed an instant crush on both of them. The woman, Ella, is deeply disturbed by what she sees, and even though she is tempted to report this incident to "someone"; she doesn't.
Ella reads in a newspaper that a young girl is missing, and she recognizes the picture immedidately - it is one of the young girls she saw on the train. Why didn't she do anything? She decides to report this to the police now; but is it too late?
This book is written in several voices - not only Ella, but the young woman's friend, dad, mother, a reporter....You might think this would be confusing, but this book is so well written - each voice draws you in and closer to what happened to this young woman.
Well written and hard to put down - fans of Gone Girl and Girl on a Train will really like this one - surprise ending. Recommend.

This is a well-done, well-paced mystery. The main mystery is what happens to teenager Anna Ballard. She and her friend Sarah are on a train to London when they meet two men carrying garbage bags who admit to just getting out of prison. Mother and wife Ella overhears this and wonders if she should call the parents. When Anna goes missing overnight, Ella is wracked with guilt for not acting sooner and is also vilified in the media—including social media—for not doing something before it was too late.

Everyone has secrets, which we know because the story is told from multiple points of view. Sarah doesn’t tell the police the whole truth. Anna’s father isn’t telling the whole truth. Ella’s son has secrets. What’s initially ominous to Ella, however, is the series of threatening notes she receives—and also doesn’t tell the police about. She does let a private investigator know. Matthew quit the police force to become a PI for reasons that are kept secret to the reader for most of the book.

I had a little trouble buying that everyone would blame a mother who didn’t call the parents on the fact the girl went missing. Other than that, though, I really liked the characters of Matthew in particular. Ella’s guilt seemed misplaced, but I’m not a mother and, happily, I’ve never been in the position of watching a teenage girl make terrible choices and then go missing.

I thought this was fun and an easy, fast read.

Truly brilliant!
The first book I've reviewed as 5 stars for a while.
Clever, complex, twisted and brilliantly written...... A must read!

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Teresa Driscoll, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

What would it take to make you intervene? When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared. A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life. Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own. Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.

I AM WATCHING YOU is a thriller told in multi-points-of-view, between several different characters. Normally, I don't have any issues with this, but this one was a little confusing because of the number of narrators. The chapters are titled to assist you, but they're titled in such a way that they're slight obscure (like "The Witness" instead of Ella). While I found the storyline rather intriguing, I didn't find it quite so thrilling. Even so, it kept my interest until the very end.

I really enjoyed this book. Great storyline, wonderful main characters and a very good read. I would recommend this book.

Ella observes two teens flirting with some young men on a train. The men have just been released from prison and Ella's first instinct is to intervene for the safety of the two girls. She thinks twice and decides to mind her own business. The next day, one of the girls, Anna, is reported missing. Ella goes to the police with her story and fears that it may be too late. She will never forgive herself if Anna isn't found. Ella begins receiving threats and swears that she is being watched. Someone is blaming her for Anna's disappearance because she didn't act soon enough. She hires a private investigator to find out who is sending the angry letters. Hopefully, it will all blow over.

The case becomes more complicated as secrets are uncovered. Sarah, who was with Anna on the train, isn't telling the whole story. Guilt keeps her from revealing everything that happened that night. She fears Anna's disappearance goes deeper than the young men on the train.

This story is told from the alternating perspectives of Sarah, Anna's father, Ella, and the private investigator. I loved how the story came together through the different characters.

Overall, this was a great read and I definitely had that "I can't put this down" feeling. The ending was completely unexpected and fantastic. I think there was a bit of family drama that, when it comes right down to it, could have been left out of the story. Perhaps it was added to derail the reader and keep them from predicting the ending.

I received this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Thomas & Mercer, and to Teresa Driscoll. This book was also available as one of the kindle first picks on Amazon.com.

*thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Merce­r for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 stars.
I quite enjoyed this. I thought that with so many narrator voices It would be rather hard to follow, but I was very pleased to realise I was wrong. The chapters are rather short which made it easy to keep up with who is who and what was happening. Each chapter made me want to read the next and the next and the next just to find out what was happening. It was very interesting and held my attention so well which in my opion is a must. I did get a bit bored with Ella (aka, the witness) toqards the end but thats my only negative. It does deal with tough issues like sexual abuse, and suicide but they arent focused on too much, so just a note for very sensitive readers. If you are want a 'who done it' book, then I would recommend this. Plus the cover is fantastic.

The first chapter of this engrossing thriller slowly draws you in, tightens its grip on you, and never lets go. Ella finds herself in a terrible predicament, a "what would you do" scenario in which she makes the dreaded wrong decision. From here the story unfolds from different points of view, secrets and deception uncovered layer by layer as the investigation ensues.

Ella is still plagued with guilt almost a year later, and ghosts from the past begin to haunt her as the anniversary of the disappearance approaches. Most of the key characters have secrets they are hiding. Strategic foreshadowing ratchets up the suspense as they all feel the net closing in around them. Add to this the fact that almost every chapter ends in a cliffhanger, and you find yourself anxiously reading long into the night. The story flows very well. There are a few plot twists along the way that keep you guessing, and then a major one at the end, leading to a shocking conclusion.

I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers and suspense. I received this as a free ARC from Thomas & Mercer on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this suspense novel. It kept me guessing as I tried to solve the mystery with each turn of the page.

The premise of the book drew me in immediately.

Ella Longfield is minding her business on a train when she sees two young, attractive men holding duffle bags board, which she then realizes that means they are fresh out of prison. She thinks nothing of it until these two men start chatting up these two teenage girls. Ella's maternal instinct goes into high alert and she is ready to do something: call their parents somehow? get the girl's attention? call the police? Until...Ella keeps thinking about it and wonders...is she being prudish? is it her business? She decides to leave well enough alone and mind her business.

The next morning, she turns on the news and - to her shock - she learns that one of those teenage girls from the train has gone missing. Ella is overcome with guilt. Could she have prevented this if she intervened? Was this all her fault? She immediately contacts the police and reports what she saw on the train. However, the teenage girl's family - and everyone following the story - wholly blames Ella.

A year later, the teenage girl, Anna, is still missing. Ella's guilt over her inaction is still eating her alive and affecting her day to day life. And more significantly, someone else hasn't forgot what Ella failed to do. Ella is receiving anonymous notes saying things like it's all your fault and I am watching you.

The books follows the perspectives of many different people: Ella, Henry (Anna's father), Sarah (the other teenager with Anna that night), the private investigator that Ella hire's to look into these notes, and the mysterious "watcher" responsible for the notes.

Now again, this concept was wonderful. What makes someone intervene? I identified with Ella early on and felt for her guilt. However, what bothered me was the amount of hate she got from Anna's family and society in general. If Ella saw these strange men throwing Anna into a van and driving off...then sure I can understand people being a little miffed that she didn't report it right away. But hating Ella because she didn't immediately call the police when two teenage girls were talking to two alleged criminals on a train? I don't get that. Especially a year later. Driscoll probably could have developed this more...maybe by delving into how the media portrayed her and how social media really latched on to this story and her involvement. On the other hand, Ella's own guilt I understand. I think most people would feel immediately responsible and would drive themselves crazy wondering what if.

The changing perspectives carried the story along nicely. However, at times I was more interested in one person's perspective than others. Early on, we learn just about every character we meet has their own secrets and own guilt. But early on, I was the most invested in Ella's story and didn't really care about the others. Then as the story progressed, I was more interested in what Henry knew and Ella's story was a little slow (at some points I completely forgot about the anonymous notes storyline). While I did like Driscoll's style of writing, I felt some details would have been shortened or cut. That being said, I think the differing perspectives really progressed the story in a necessary way because we have people connected to the investigation in all different ways.

Overall, the premise was intriguing and the story was compelling. I thought the concept of guilt and how you can let guilt eat you alive was done well, though maybe Driscoll could have gone deeper and developed it more. Many thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Teresa Driscoll for sending me this novel in exchange for my honest review.

🥀 Harrowing Halloween Book! 🥀

OK, this book doesn't fit in the horror genre nor is it set on or around Halloween. So why does it belong in this month's theme? It's about a teenage girl who goes missing and hasn't been found a year later. If that isn't one of the scariest, most horrific concepts ever then I don't know what is.

Trigger Alert for sexual assault, self harm and eating disorders.

The Witness became suspicious of the motives of the men on the train and thought about calling the Police but something stopped her. The next day one of the girls was reported missing. A year later she has yet to be found. The witness is wracked with guilt over their failure to act.

The Father is haunted by his missing daughter's last words to him. He lied to the Police about where he was the night she disappeared.

The Friend has never told anyone what really happened that night.

The Private Investigator was in the Police force until something happened that haunts him to this day.

The First Postcard: "WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP HER?"

I Am Watching You takes you inside the search for a missing teenage girl. It draws you in and doesn't allow you to sit comfortably on the fence. You are faced with the decisions each character made and forced to wonder what you would have done in their place. You may find yourself silently judging someone's choice and later provided with further information that turns your preconceptions upside down.

Are we too quick to judge people based on what we see on the surface?

What is the media's role in helping or harming an investigation?

Who's to blame when someone goes missing?

What would you have done if you were the girl's mother, father, sister, friend?

What would you do if you saw something that made you uncomfortable? Would you stand up for what you believe is right? Or would you look away and pretend you didn't notice?

How do you live with the choice you made when that choice comes with ripple effects?

Told in third person, with the exception of the witness whose story is in first person, each of the alternating chapters leaves you on a knife's edge. You're craving resolution of the cliffhanger in that person's story yet you're so quickly immersed in the next person's narrative that you find you can't decide which answer you want first. Usually this sort of suspense would have me ready to throw my Kindle at the wall but that wasn't the case with this book. I Am Watching You had me diving straight into the next chapter so I could uncover the answers sooner.

I found this an easy read in that the narrative flowed well and I didn't have to work hard to immerse myself in the story. I got sucked straight into the story and each time I returned to it the vortex reopened and it felt like I never left. I also found it a challenging read as it required me to ask myself what I would have done over and over, and sometimes I was uncomfortable and didn't like my answers.

I remained dry eyed but my heart ached for the anguish experienced by so many people I met through Teresa Driscoll's words, and not solely because of the missing person case. While everyone's story touches the missing girl's life in some way, they each had their own lives with joy, torment and a depth that you rarely see with multiple character perspective novels. I look forward to reading future books by this author.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback. I'm going to be watching this author, just not in a creepy way. 😜

Ella, wife and mom , florist and entrepreneur, is witness to a retched conversation between two men and two young girls. Sickened by the inappropriateness, she contemplates calling their parents but then decides against it. The next day she learned that one of the girls has gone missing!

One year later, Ella is riddled with guilt and now receiving threatening anonymous postcards and everyone has a secret about that night. EVERYONE! This cast of characters is intense and at times difficult to follow.

After learning everyone’s role in this thrilling and suspenseful story, you become sucked in and unable to tell who is guilty and who is not! Until the very last page in the epilogue you will learn of new details that will shock and surprise you!

Four stars only because of the multiple character POV and difficulty following at times. Otherwise a thriller adventure!!!!

I would like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘I Am Watching You’ by Teresa Driscoll in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Ella is on a train to a florists’ convention in London when she sees two young men carrying black bin bags who’ve just been released from prison. When they attach themselves to two sixteen-year-old girls, Anna and Sarah, who are heading to London to celebrate finishing their exams Ella is concerned for the girls’ welfare. Ella feels guilty that she didn’t do more to protect Anna and Sarah from the men’s attention when the following day she sees a TV report saying that Anna is missing.
A year later a re-enactment of Anna’s disappearance is broadcast on TV and a vigil held outside her home. But Sarah isn’t telling the truth about what happened that night in London or about the text she received, so what other secrets is she keeping back from the police? And who is watching Ella and sending her threatening cards?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘I Am Watching You’. I empathised with the characters who I thought were convincing, the plot was full of suspense, and the tension mounted until the conclusion which took me completely by surprise. I liked Teresa Driscoll’s style of writing which flowed beautifully making it easy to read and I’m now wanting to read more by her.

*I received this book from NetGally in exchange for an honest review.

Great premise for a Psychological Thriller! Overall I was very pleased with this book and had no idea how it would end. Even in the final chapters I had no idea what was going to happen next. The only downfall of the book is that I would’ve liked to have a little more explanation as to how Anna went missing and the details surrounding it. But even with the ending being a little hard to follow, it’s definitely one that will stay with you and make you think! After all, what would it take to make you intervene?
I will definitely be passing this one along and am excited to read others from Driscoll!