"History is wild." Indeed, so is this novel. In an awesome, you did NOT, kind of way that is just what we (white America in my case) need right now. Sydney has returned home to Brooklyn after a bad breakup and is living in her mother's brownstone. On a tour of her neighborhood, led by a white woman with no real interest in the contributions of the African-Americans who built a community there, Sydney catches the eye of Theo, a white guy with a shady past. The novel starts slow, but carefully describes the many ways that gentrification is destroying communities. Sydney soon decides to design her own "counter" tour, a Black history tour of the neighborhood and Theo signs on to assist. Sydney and Theo, though, have secrets and when neighbors start to mysteriously disappear they will have to make decisions about how much to trust each other. This novel is a bit of slow burn, but when it heats up, watch out. Cole makes some long overdue connections between today's land-grabbing gentrifiers and those who founded this country by stealing land and eradicating any trace of what came before. The novel gets wild, but no matter how deep it goes, it's never more wild than the insanity and terror that is foundational to this country. Jordan Peele should buy the rights to this novel RIGHT NOW.

Part romance, part thriller, all heart, this novel will have readers smiling as they watch two people start falling for each other, put them on the edge of their seats as the characters encounter hair-raising moments, and keep them there as they try to puzzle out just what exactly is going on in this gentrifying neighborhood. The author adds real history while keeping the narrative focused on the present, and keeps the tension up at the same time as she's doling out real info on social justice and racism in the United States. When No One Is Watching is a must read for thriller lovers and romance readers alike, as well as those who want a look into a Black neighborhood facing the creeping horror of gentrification. The ending packs quite a punch.

Hey suspenseful novel that leaves you guessing to the end. A real page turner. Very relevant to current situation in America.

WOWWWWWWW!!! 5/5
That was an amazing book. It was also kind of fitting to some of what is currently going on in our present world today. This book touched on gentrification, racial bias, social justice, and the histories of enslavement... A LOT!

Sydney moves back to her childhood home in her home town of Brooklyn after a divorce from her husband. As she sits upon the front stoop of her mother's brownstone, she quickly sees how the neighborhood she once knew has changes dramatically. The neighborhood is now being bought out by white people when that never has been the case previously. Her neighborhood was once known as the low property valued neighborhood or "red zone." Across the street from Sydney, a new couple, Kim and Theo, has taken over and moved into one of her previous neighbor's home. While Theo wants to get acquainted with his new neighbors, Kim is the total opposite. Kim comes from a rich family and feels that her new neighbors are beneath her, and is not afraid to voice it.

As Sydney takes on a neighborhood tour project with the assistance of Theo, she discovers many disturbing activities going on. She starts to question why everyone is suddenly selling their family homes to let this new company come in take over the neighborhood they previously owned. It seems to quickly become a "us" and "them" situation.

As the back story as well as the present story is told, a bottom dropping, plot twist is thrown in. This plot twist hit me like a ton of bricks as we're told what is really going on in the neighborhood.

I don't know whether I would call this a Historical fiction, a Thriller or a I don't know what, but it was a true page turner. I could not put it down! I especially loved how the flow of the book was written, given historical facts, while also weaving in and leading up to the plot twists.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced readers copy!

4.5

A timely social injustice/gentrification thriller expertly executed.

I loved so many things about this novel. It was different than the "norm". It was smart and the characters were written and developed well. I enjoyed the use of alternating POVs - a black woman who grew up in the neighborhood setting and a white man who recently moved in. The tone and the dialogue were current and sharp. There was so much covered - racism, grief, family PLUS Brooklyn history woven in seamlessly.

Many thrillers become repetitive until the climax. This was not the case here. The story propels forward and you want to continue turning pages. The build-up was tense. The only small gripe I might have was that the ending was a bit rushed.

Overall this was an excellent read that I would highly recommend!

I want to thank Scene of the Crime and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel prior to its September release in exchange for an honest review.

I would give this a 3 1/2. It had two likeable main characters, funny at times, Howdy Doody! It started out as a thriller with a conspiracy note thrown in. Then it almost became a horror story. It was easy to follow along with the storyline. This is the first book I've read by this author and I would read another thriller by her.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When No One is Watching is told through two POV's. Sydney and Theo, two completely different voices. If you're a fan of the amazing movie "Get Out" then I highly recommend this.

I was very surprised to hear that this is Alyssa Cole's first suspense/thriller. This book was a whirlwind, in the best way possible. The plot had a little bit of everything. Suspense, violence, conspiracy, friendship, romance, steam all put together in a social justice thriller. The writing was fantastic, and the plot moved at the perfect pace, with an exciting and thrill-seeking ending.

This story got me thinking., and feeling. There was sadness in almost every page, because of the experiences the main character, Sydney, had to go through. Those scenes were hard to read, but important...because it exaggerates truth of what happens in the world. Theo was also an interesting character to read, and left you questioning things throughout the story.

Overall, an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

This book had me going in and out.. sometimes it grabbed me and sometimes I felt like it was dragging me along.. Sydney notices that neighbors keep moving, leaving and something is going on as a pharmaceutical company building draws more upper class people to her neighborhood. Good premise and story, but sometimes I felt that the pacing of the story was slow.

The ending wasn't what I was expecting, and there was a bit more violence, steaminess, and swearing than anticipated. Themes of racism mixed with suspense pulled me along, and there were things addressed that I don't recall learning about in school. I've never read this author before, but I may checkout future books.

I cannot believe that I have never heard of or read Alyssa Cole. I was hooked from page one. As A Black woman, I know these characters. I can see them and hear them. Ms. Cole is my new favorite author and I cannot wait to go back and read ALL of her books.

I blew through this story in one afternoon!
The beginning was a little slow for me but other than that this was a fantastic read! It was relevant to today’s society and the writing was fast paced. I enjoyed the plot development and felt like I was living in the Brooklyn neighborhood. This was a twisty tale with enough mystery to keep you turning the pages.
Did not see the crazy ending coming, but I think it would make for a good Netflix movie.

Thank you @Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole is a very timely read that skillfully marries truth with fiction in a social justice thriller. Gentrification, conspiracy, disappearances, murder, romance...this book has it all and I was very much into it!
This is Cole’s first foray into the thriller genre and I think she rocked it! I feel like it would make an excellent book club pick because of how thought provoking it is! Lots of real issues are brought to light that are both terrifying and all too real for black communities.
Give this one a read!

Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…

Thank you @netgalley @williammorrowbooks and @alyssacolelit for the #arc!

wow. this was fantastic! I feel like I read it at the perfect time.

It started a bit clunky for me, took a bit to get into and mesh with Sydney. I do feel like I 'got' Theo quicker, but then later on I did feel more connected to Sydney, like she was overall more fleshed out. Anywho.

Holy moly, this book did not go where I expected it to. Like I said, it took a bit to get into and I was telling myself to read one chapter at a time. But when it clicked for me, the one chapter turned into the rest of the book in one sitting. It became *very* unputdownable very quickly. It definitely doesn't read like a true thriller at first, but then it picks up speed and really blew my mind.

Though it started slow for me, it wasn't long before it picked up. I saw a few reviews mention the pacing is off and I think I might have felt the same a couple of times, but when I finished I did not feel that way, because I was able to look at the book as a whole. It is slow in the beginning with a lot happening in the end, but I thought it worked really well, actually building suspense. With the cast of characters, the developing relationship between Sydney and Theo, the other things the characters are going through, the suspense build up was kind of sneaky and felt more thrilling. I dig it.

I also really appreciated all the history. I felt like I was learning a lot. I don't know if other people will feel the same, I obviously didn't learn any American history in school but I am trying to learn as much as I can now that I live here. Parts of the present day were ridiculously hard to read and it made me feel so sad and sick, so I can't even imagine how hard it would be to live with that disgusting behaviour day in and day out. I also really felt and related to Sydney and her divorce.

I thought this was a fantastic, well written, timely, thought provoking book. I kind of wish I hadn't read it yet because I think it would make an amazing book club book, but I couldn't resist. I might still recommend it to book club when it publishes.

A compelling storyline about an unlikely couple, who inadvertently stumbles into a headline-grabbing news story, makes this a really good read that is hard to put down. Sydney, a thirty-something black woman, has returned to Brooklyn to live in her mother's historic house. Her marriage has abruptly ended and her mother is very ill, in a medical facility. While sitting with her sick mother and trolling through online articles, she reads about the "theme park", Black America, that had existed in Brooklyn at the end of the 19th century. Her incredulity, and her interest in Brooklyn history, lead her to take a "Historic Brooklyn Brownstones" walking tour one fall afternoon. She becomes incensed when the tour guide only talks about the famous white people who had inhabited the various homes in the Gifford Place community. While on the tour, she gets her first glimpse of Theo, a tall white guy with dirty blond hair, who becomes an integral part of her life.
There are rumors of change coming to the neighborhood. Community activists are meeting to fight the secretive takeover of the community by outside factions.
We see the rise of impending changes, through Sydney's interactions with her neighbors and friends, and through the OurHouse app, "helping neighbors stay connected and stay safe." Posts from this app appear at the ends of most chapters in the book, helping to tie the many sides of the issue together.
Strange occurrences are plaguing Sydney's unsettled life, just as the gentrification of the area is becoming a reality. Neighbors begin to disappear as real estate ads promise quick profits from the sale of historic homes. A controversial pharmaceutical firm is slated to be built in the area. Sydney believes she is being watched. She is not mistaken.
The chapters are alternately written from Sydney's and Theo's viewpoints. Theo's life is also changing. Having moved into the neighborhood with his rich girlfriend, Kim, he is now without a home when she kicks him out for another man.
Many twists and turns bring this fast-paced romantic, psychological, and societal thriller to a somewhat dystopian conclusion.

What an amazing book. I was expecting a murder mystery early on, but there were no bodies. Instead, the book appeared to be more of a character-driven fiction read. Well, I was right and wrong. There were eventually bodies aplenty with the two main characters carrying me forward at a break-neck pace.

Set in Brooklyn, NY in what is called an emerging neighborhood, the story is told from the points of view of Sydney, a long-time resident and Theo, who has just bought property there with his girlfriend. Theo wants to get to know his neighbors and fit in; Sydney doesn't trust him or any of the new people. The long-time residents plan a block party to boost community pride and Theo and Sydney are thrown together in an effort to write a history of the neighborhood for the party. As the two dig deeper into what is happening, it appears that the changes in the neighborhood are linked to a large pharmaceutical company that is planning to open a facility in the area. It also becomes evident that Sydney herself is in danger of losing her home to the real estate developers. What follows is the uneasy bond between Sydney and Theo in their attempt to unravel a possible conspiracy and investigate the sudden disappearance of some neighbors.

This is an excellently written book with tight plotting and suspense. There are scenes toward the end that are hard to read, but given the current political climate are not beyond the realm of belief. I especially liked the way the author sustained the suspense before revealing the secrets Sydney and Theo were keeping and the way their trust in one another was slow to build.

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow publishing and Alyssa Cole for giving me the opportunity to receive an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review. This is an honest review of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review. I loved this so much. It feels all too real right now. Theo has just moved in next to Sydney in a mostly black neighborhood in Brooklyn. While they plan a walking tour together, their neighbors start disappearing and weird things begin to happen. This definitely reminded me of the movie Get Out, and the idea of gentrification became a lot more sinister to me. So many good things to say about this one.

The pacing here was so strange. There were times I thought there must have been multiple authors alternating chapters (and that maybe they hadn't read the others' preceding work). Also, the bad guys were hopelessly cheesy and inept psychopaths, which was weird.

Unlawful police shootings, the negative effects of gentrification on communities of color, and false arrests are all well documented phenomenon. Now, imagine if all of these injustices (and more) were happening all at once in the same neighborhood. This is the plot of When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole and it is not a very far-fetched plot. While I thought the writing was rushed, I did like the characters. The backstories of the two protagonists were well developed and the dialogue was genuine and often very funny. The plot raced along with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing what was going to happen next. The ending left a number of questions unanswered and seemed to be setting up a possible series. Recommended for readers looking for thrillers with plots pulled from current headlines. Also recommended for readers looking for an authentic and multifaceted representation of the black middle class.

When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole is an on the edge of your seat novel! It has a little something for everyone. There's history, romance, thriller, and action, all packed into one super story. The writing was great as was the content. I highly recommend this work. It will leave you breathless..

When No One is Watching feels very much in the vein of "Get Out", where main character Sydney notices that neighbors keep leaving or bad things keep happening to them as a pharmaceutical company's deal to build in the area draws more upper class white people into her traditionally Black Brooklyn neighborhood. Sydney is back in Gifford Place after getting a divorce from her emotionally abusive husband and she is angry at the world. This makes the start of the book a little hard for me to get into, because she's already at a point where anyone she hasn't known her whole life is out to make her miserable. Except for as the book goes along it increasingly feels like she's not wrong, and that's how it builds into an increasingly disturbing culmination. Sydney's paranoia means that she's suspicious of her best friend Drea who's gone missing, and new neighbor Theo who may or may not have ulterior motives. There's points where the pacing feels a little slow, but overall this a suspense/thriller novel that could make anyone who isn't rich, powerful or have the right connections feel more than a little bit uneasy about just how secure they really are.