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.

Alyssa Cole's first stand-alone thriller was a suspenseful tale that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last. It is a sinister story of gentrification in a Brooklyn neighborhood that reminded me of the movie "Get Out." The story is told in alternating perspectives. One of the narrators is Sydney, whose family has lived in this neighborhood for ages. She is troubled by the changes she sees and wonders why so many long-time residents are selling their homes and businesses, seemingly out of the blue. Between the neighborhood changes and her own personal woes (hints of financial stress, medical bills, an ill mother, and past troubles abound), Sydney is very much a woman on the edge. The other narrator is her new neighbor across the street, Theo. Theo and his girlfriend bought the brownstone across from Sydney after going on a neighborhood tour that Sydney also decided to check out. Sydney is so agitated by the white-washed history presented on the tour that she decides to create a neighborhood tour of her own. Little does she realize how much this project will shed light on the neighborhood's present.

At first, Sydney and Theo only observe one another through their windows, but they eventually meet in person and join forces to uncover the truth about the neighborhood takeover. Sydney reluctantly agrees to let Theo assist her with research for the neighborhood tour after her first research assistant choice disappears. The reader is not quite sure of either characters' motivations and they both give off an unreliable narrator vibe, which adds to the suspense.

The tension is palpable from the first chapter and grows in intensity as the novel progresses. Other reviews I've read have mentioned the completely wild ending and I would have to agree it is one of the wilder endings I've read in some time. I really thought the story was going in another direction once I reached those climatic final scenes and was expecting the ending to tie into an element in Sydney's background that is hinted at early on and eventually revealed. I'm glad it didn't because I think that would have made the novel feel less unexpected. The climax felt cinematic and not entirely realistic (at least, I hope it's not an entirely realistic ending because YIKES!), but it was still a fun read and did fit with how the plot progressed.

Like the element in Sydney's background that I thought might factor into the ending, I felt like some of Theo's backstory didn't tie in as much as I was expecting. Neither of their backstories elements detracted from the story, but I wondered if they were needed. I felt like they could have been cut and it would not have hurt the plot development.

I really enjoyed the historical details about Brooklyn that were woven into the story. They were fascinating and aided the present-day plot. The writing was gripping and I could not read this suspenseful thriller fast enough. In addition, I think this would make for an interesting book club pick as there are many issues raised that would make for a lively discussion.

This review is based on an Advanced Reader Edition ebook I received on NetGalley from William Morrow, courtesy of the Scene of the Crime Early Read program. Many thanks for the early opportunity to read this suspense-filled thriller!

Tense chillingI was completely drawn in to the story .The gentrification of the neighborhood the tension the changing faces.So well written a page turner .highly recommend.#netgalley#harpercollins

When No One Is Watching takes on the ongoing problem of a changing neighborhood.
With gentrification the locals get pushed out and the new blood destroy the old network of life. But in this telling, there is more evil involved than just the normal racism.
It is a good read.

This book hits close to home and plays out as something all too real. It feels like something plucked out of a movie but playing in real life. A must read

Sydney is a young black woman who recently moved back to her childhood home in Brooklyn. She loves her historic neighborhood, her friendly neighbors and local shops but things are slowly changing. Neighbors disappear and wealthy white people are moving in and mom and pop stores are replaced by more commercial stores. Does the gentrification have something sinister behind it? Along with a new white neighbor Theo, they discover what's happening to their neighborhood. I like how some history was included to show how even though slaves were freed, people at times implemented ways to keep them down.

I totally enjoyed this book. Not sure how to classify, as it crosses several genres for me, thriller, horror, and even a little scifi. Some great twists, and great pacing. Characters you care about.

Wow! I wasn’t sure this was a thriller at the beginning but it slowly builds without you being aware until you’re caught up in the story and trying to decide what is real and what is perceived.

This book was disturbing, in that something like this could happen. It was a great read. Very suspenseful. Sydney returns to her Brooklyn neighborhood which is in the process of being revitalized. Neighbors moving away, going to visit relatives. The moves seem to often be sudden and with no good byes..She is working on developing a walking tour of the neighborhood. A fairly new neighbor, Theo, becomes her assistant in developing the tour. Some strange things start to happen to Sydney. The book has a lot of historical references, very enlightening.

The reviews are great for this, so I’m in a small minority here, but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. As an historian, I was drawn in by the themes of slavery and gentrification, but it turned out to be not my type of book after all. I’m not really a fan of the Samuel L. Jackson style of narration, so found the language jarring and grating more than anything. I ended up skimming most of it.

Thanks to William Morrow Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to check out this book for review.

When No One Is Watching
A Thriller
by Alyssa Cole
HarperCollins Publishers
William Morrow Paperbacks
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 15 Sep 2020 | Archive Date 10 Nov 2020

Thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing me this ARC. Really great book but I didn't like the violent and disturbing ending, (at least for an Indiana farm girl.).
Good solid read!

This book is stunning, and smart, and so very important. Gentrification, racism, suspense, and a whole lot of history they don’t teach at most schools combines for an absolutely incredible book. The story, and the characters had me on the edge of my seat. I cannot recommend this book enough.

A fast paced and gripping read. I read this all in one binge while sitting up with my baby at night. (Don't really recommend reading this creepy book in the dark, lol!) I'm a fan of Alyssa Cole based on her Reluctant Royals series of fun contemporary romances and I will say this is a departure for her. This book is dark and gritty, but there is a romance for her romance fans. I haven't read her historicals so I don't know how close this book might be in tone to those. But, even though this was a departure from her usual fare, I still enjoyed it a lot.

If you love the films of Jordan Peele (specifically Get Out and Us) then you will love this fantastic thriller. When No One is Watching is a fascinating blend of important issues pertaining to the history of systematic undermining and abuse of the black community by whites in the US and an entertaining and sexy (Cole’s background in romance writing shines through), scary story. It feels wrong to put that combination in a sentence but Cole is so good that she makes it work, so please excuse my clumsy phrasing. This book is such is a clever way to get people to pay attention to the extremely important issue of race in this country. Specifically this book handles a particularly insidious case of gentrification in Brooklyn, New York. The story of which will raise the hairs on the back of your neck. It is truly a creepy novel. I’d write more but you should just read this book! Right now!

This book started off great. There was drama, neighborhood tension, missing people, and mysterious things happening. The budding relationship between Theo and Sydney was tense and fun at the same time. And then things went weird. *Spoiler* the ending was abruptly violent and unbelievable. Maybe it was unbelievable because I'm a white girl from the Midwest...but it was hard to wrap my head around. Solid three stars.

For Fans of Woman in the Window

This book was AMAZING! In this story, Sydney realizes that something awry is happening in her neighborhood. People are going . . . missing. What is happening? Is it just in her head? Although not truly welcome.. Sydney, with the aid of her neighbor Theo, begin to investigate.

This was a compulsive, gripping, and tense thriller. An excellent psychological thriller that leaves the reader questioning the sanity of the protagonist. Cole did an excellent job with casting an unreliable narrator in this novel... and I love well-executed unreliable narrators. Five stars!

I’ve been a fan of Alyssa Cole’s for a few years now, eagerly awaiting each new romance. When I heard she was writing a thriller about gentrification, I was intrigued - I love thrillers. Tensely plotted and adrenaline-racing, this mystery will creep you out and make you wonder if darker forces are at play. I found this story to be unputdownable. It is so good. Cole is an incredibly talented writer, and it should be noted that she is also incredibly good at writing about technology in a way that feels realistic. The way she weaves in history and real life examples is no small feat either. If I say any more, I’ll probably be approaching Howdy Doody territory, so I’ll just leave it at that.

Oh man. This book is a TRIP. Exploring racial tensions in Brooklyn in epic, larger-than-life proportions, this read like a dramedy to me. Not afraid to poke fun at itself, but still getting down to the nitty gritty. A very ambitious and (for the most part) effective thriller.

I'm not sure what I just read...I was expecting a thriller (that's what the cover promises) but there was way too much swearing and steaminess for my taste on the way to the thriller part and then, spoiler alert




what the heck happened at the end? It was a gory bloodbath and then our protagonists just walked away from it? I appreciate poetic justice, but the villains seemed like caricatures, and finding out that our hero was far from it (petty thief? wannabe white-collar criminal? and not even really remorseful about it? oh, no big deal) was also a letdown. It was well-written and it did keep my attention to the end (thus the 2 stars) but it gave me nightmares and an icky feeling.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an awesome book, and I have a lot to say about it, so buckle up!

This book is Get Out meets Rear Window meets The Stepford Wives, if the Stepford Wives wore Lululemon. As a past resident of Brooklyn very near where this books take place, I can tell you all her statements about gentrification are right on the nose. And not just in Brooklyn - this is happening all over the country. I WISH the “OurHood” posts weren’t so similar to NextDoor posts I see every day here in California. I loved the multiple perspectives, all of which the author nailed, and I especially loved Sydney.

I don’t agree with a previous reviewer that this book should flag that it’s about “social justice” issues for the reader. This book is about racism, which is a fact. It’s also about historical events like redlining, which are also facts. This is stuff that happened and that white people should be reading more about. The book will draw readers in. No ”racism warning” necessary. (And anyway the blurbs also mention Get Out, so the reader will know what she’s in for.) To be honest, I find the idea that the publisher should tippy toe around the issues in this book with a forewarning to be kind of insulting.

Like Get Out, this is a scary story with awesome symbolism and a lot of laughs. It does a great job contrasting the irrational fears of some white people with the very real fears of black people. And it is also just a great book to let anyone blow off steam about the annoying crazy neighbors we all see posting on NextDoor, and what they might really be up to.

To sum up, read this book. It’s fun, funny, scary, has something important to say, and you’ll probably learn a few things along the way. The ending is wild, but it works. I love this author’s voice and sense of humor and she will be on my list of must-reads in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins and Alyssa Cole for a preview of this great book which I think people will definitely be talking about.