My thanks to Random House U.K. Cornerstone for a digital edition via NetGalley of Lisa Jewell’s ‘Watching You’ in exchange for an honest review. Although this was first published in June 2018, it was still available on NetGalley in March 2019. My apologies for the late feedback.

‘Watching You’ opens with an intriguing Prologue in which the police are attending the scene of a murder in a kitchen. Who is the victim? Before that is revealed we move back three months and the drama unfolds stage by stage. I never like to say too much about these kind of thrillers in order to avoid spoilers and tend to plunge in ‘cold’ myself for maximum thrills.

This was so well crafted and a total page turner, which I had to drag myself away from in order to sleep last night. Lisa Jewell clearly knows how to craft the kind of domestic thrillers that deliver plenty of twists with relatable characters.

I certainly plan to read more of her novels in the future.

What weird addictive book... Yes, you know its wrong to watch someone watch someone, but somehow I just couldn't tear myself away from the book .... Riveting and entertaining, recommended!

Joey works as a party co-ordinator in a soft play centre and lives with her brother and his wife in their comfortable Bristol home whilst figuring out what to do with her life. The son of the next door neighbours keeps himself to himself but is forever observing and noting down everything that happens in the street outside. His observations become pivotal as the story unfolds. And what a tangled tale Lisa Jewell spins. The story is interspersed with excerpts from taped interviews the police have with Joey concerning a murder in which they believe she was involved. And in the way of all cleverly written novels the outcome is entirely unpredictable. Filled with eminently believable characters this is a justifiably gripping read. Enjoy.

Tense, gripping, thrilling and so much more. There's a very interesting mix of characters all of which most could relate to in one way or another. From the start I wanted to know who the murdered was and why they had done it. I also loved the mystery of who had been murdered and the police interview excerpts. There was a lot of information and different POV to read but I never found myself confused at any time.

I would rate this book 4.25 out of 5 stars.

I really enjoyed my reading experience with this book.

I loved that all the characters in this thriller were flawed, leaving the reader unsure who they should root for. While I did figure out most of what was going on I loved that there were a few elements to the mystery I didn't pick up on.

This was a really enjoyable thriller with a great unsettling vibe.

Another five star book from the very talented Lisa Jewell that I devoured in less than 24 hours. Great plot, great characters and a kept me guessing up to the end. Can’t wait for her next one.

Lisa Jewell, much like the likes of Karin Slaughter, James Patterson and Gillian Flynn seems to be one of those authors that just keeps on writing and the books just stay brilliant.

I really liked the style of this book, I loved that the protagonist wasn’t just a boring innocent bystander that nothing happens to and everything is a observation from the side line.

This kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Brilliant.

This book is such a brilliant psychological thriller. From the title you can guess that someone is being watched but what is so good about this book is the way that lots of people are being watched, or feel like they are, and sometimes it’s by people who are unaware that they shouldn’t be so invasively tracking someone’s movements and other times it’s by people who have more sinister motives. The novel opens with a body having been found and there appears to be an important piece of evidence left at the scene. We then get a picture gradually built up of who the victim is but also who might have wanted to hurt this person. The novel follows quite a few characters and figuring out how they might connect to each other, if at all and in what possible way, was brilliant! I really did enjoy this book and I already can’t wait to read Lisa jewell’s next novel!

Ooooh, this is soooo good! From first to last, I've been riveted . . .

Joey Mullen returns home after working in sunnier climes for several years, bringing her brand new husband. With no home of their own yet, Joey's brother Jack insists they come to stay with him and his wife in their beautiful home in an upmarket suburb of Bristol. As Joey becomes drawn to a neighbour and begins to keep an eye on him, it transpires that she's not the only one doing some secret spotting. Who else is Watching You?

This is a packed read! Beginning with the discovery of a body, we then go back in time to discover what led up to this death. There are several stories intertwined and cleverly woven together and not a minute wasted! I did work out the guilty party - only just ahead of the identity being revealed in the book - but I didn't fully get to grips with the whys and wherefores. There are lots of possibilities in this beautifully written novel; several suspects and I didn't really slot it all into place until the very final page which left me with a definite chill creeping up my spine! An excellent, first class read and one I cannot recommend highly enough. I'm thrilled and delighted to have another by this author in my tbr list, and I'm now desperate to get to it! A solid five golden stars and a highly recommended from me!

My thanks to publisher Cornerstone Digital for my copy via NetGalley. All stated opinions are entirely my own.

A cracking good story with deft, intricate plotting. The structure of the story means that you can easily be deflected down the wrong roads: I certainly didn't work out who the murderer was until it all unfolded in front of me.

The characters are excellent: I was really invested in them and wanted everything to work out for them. They're alive in my mind long after I've finished reading.

I was so involved in the book that I even read through all the acknowledgements at the end. I really didn't want the book to finish!

(The above posted as a comment on http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Watching_You_by_Lisa_Jewell)

I have read Lisa Jewell before and there is something fundamentally compelling and mesmerising about her writing. Her stories seem to reel me in and, as usual, I was engrossed in the plots and sub-plots which lead me one way and then another.

‘Watching You’ begins with a dead body/murder in one of the ‘painted houses’ in an exquisite suburb of Bristol, Melville Heights. This is the house where Tom Fitzwilliam his wife, Nikki and their son, Frank live. The family appears to have moved around quite a lot and Tom is the head teacher of the local Academy school. He appears to be drafted in to failing schools to move them forward and improve their results.

Also in the neighbourhood are Alfie and Joey (Josephine) who live with Joey’s older brother Jack and his wife Rebecca who is pregnant. Opposite the Fitzwilliams are Jenna (15) and her mother who has a condition, which means she believes everybody is stalking her so takes numerous pictures, and watches all the comings and goings in minute detail.

Jenna and her Bess friend, Bess, attend the local school and it appears as if Bess is becoming infatuated with Tom, who is god looking and charismatic. Joey and Tom also appear to be getting close.

The pace is fast and furious and it is not clear until the end who was involved and what has happened and certainly not why.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Lisa Jewell for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Great Read, highly recommended.

Watching You is the first Lisa Jewell novel I have read in many many years and I now ask myself WHY? This is a fantastic unputdownable read with a central gripping whodunnit storyline set in a village in Bristol revolving around and involving some of the likeable, unlikeable, complex, flawed local characters with a great twisting end to the story. Lisa Jewell is well and truly on my list of future reads. Recommended.

Another brilliant book by Lisa Jewell with lots of twists and turns that kept me hooked. Can't wait for the next book by the good author.

Lisa Jewell is a fantastic writer, her plots consistently engaging with well-drawn characters. “Watching You” follows the lives of people living in the same neighbourhood and touches on a variety of themes including domestic abuse and the long-term and far-reaching consequences of bullying.

This is an intriguing thriller. Slow to get started, but th second half does get better. Set in a small town on Bristol and focuses on a headteacher and his family.
Wasn't expecting the ending, which kept me reading.
Thanks to Net galley for an Arc.

This is one of the best books i have read this year.

I have already ordered the authors other books.

I read this book in one sitting,

From stat to finish there were so many twists aaand turns and the writing was brilliant

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I have read Lisa Jewell's novel since my late teens and I particularly like her foray into genres a little darker to her usual chick-lit style. This book really shows how versatile a writer she has become. While the story carried her typical light-jaunty style of writing, this only heightened the tension when events started to take a darker turn.

This story was interwoven with so many side stories that sometimes it was difficult to keep track of what was going on but when it all came together, it made for a very intricate tale.

8.5/10

This was one of those times where word of mouth made me take notice of this novel but reading it made me question why I’d never heard of this author before now and why has she written so many novels. Shame on me, this is supposed to be my go to genre. But also happy days, I’ve got loads of back catalogue to work through.

This is a domestic thriller done well. Plenty of intrigue early on, a shady cast of characters most of whom have more going on than meets the eye, information dotted around hinting at what’s to come whilst never showing its hand. The writing style is top notch too, it flows really smoothly and does the tricky task of making you want to read more and find out things which are to come when it’s way too late to be reading.

I’ll not say too much about the plot as the less you know the better but I will say that I’ll be eagerly hunting out more of Lisa Jewell’s work. This really impressed me and I’d recommend it to anyone wanting a fast thriller.

I really enjoyed this thriller about a small community and the affects of events a long time ago on people in it.

It is difficult to review a book like this without spoiling the plot because twists and turns are an element of the story.
The author creates a place and characters within it who are believable and well drawn. She takes you to plots and ideas that are unlikely but not unbelievable.

Recommended.

This was great: layered, nuanced and utterly believable. I was really drawn in, mostly because of connection with the characters. The crime storyline wasn't *that* tense, but I actually prefer that to a super-unrealistic denouement after a great deal of ratcheting up. 5 star read :)