✨I started this book just as a storm was blowing in, and boy did that ever set the scene for this knockout of a thriller.  From the very first page, I was completely drawn in. 
 
✨The tension in these pages is palpable, and the pervading sense of dread never lets up.  I was genuinely scared at times and caught myself glancing over my shoulder just to make sure. 👀 The atmospheric, stormy setting created the perfect backdrop for this truly tense and compelling read.   I’m so surprised this is a debut since the storytelling is top notch.   
 
✨The author is co-host of the true crime podcast  @goingwestpodcast, and her Instagram bio describes her as “basically Nancy Drew.” Yes - ON STEROIDS! 
 
✨Can we talk about this cover?  Doesn’t it just scream SPOOKY SUMMER?  🕸️☀️ I’m obsessed.
 
I highly recommend this for thriller lovers, but read this one with the lights on.  😳🫣
 
🌿Read if you like:
✨Being scared with a capital S
✨Impressive debuts
✨True crime radio/podcasts
✨Unsolved serial murder stories
✨Portland, Oregon settings
✨Horror lite

Thank you to NetGalley, Daphne Woolsoncroft and Grand Central Publishing for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is incredibly atmospheric, dark and creepy. I was obsessed and did not want to put this one down! It’s fast paced, the characters are amazing and who doesn’t love a little true crime podcast aspect! This was my favourite book of May, so I highly recommend.

This boook!!! I was excited to read it as it sounded like my kinda jam and oh boy was it! The writing makes it so fun to read and hard to put down. I love books with podcasts and the podcasts about spooky stories along with Nola's story made it so intriguing, This book was vibe and I can't
Wait to order a physical copy!

Nola Strate is the only person known to have seen serial killer 'The Hiding Man' in person. Decades later, now the host of a popular radio show, Nola worries The Hiding Man has come back to find her.

I requested this book based on the description, as it had similarities to one of my favorite books of all time. I absolutely love the premise of the serial killer returning to seek revenge. This book definitely had scenes that kept me on edge. The characters were excellent. Nola was such a strong and resilient survivor. I loved the supporting characters, and I loved that I didn't know if anyone close to Nola was a suspect themselves. I can't say what I loved the most about it for fear of spoilers, but I would highly recommend that you pick this book up. I had not heard of this author before but I will definitely be reading future works by her.

4.5⭐️!!!

This was SO good !!! It was more of a mystery than a psychological thriller which is usually what I read but i can absolutely for certain say this book was so so good!!

Following Nola Strate, a podcast host, we learn that Nola witnessed a murder when she was 8 and now 20 years later the murderer might just be back. And this time; he’s out to get her!

My only downfall was the ending of the book, while it was still very good I thought we would get a more dramatic ending after all the tension throughout the book!

Huge thank you to Grand Central Publishing, Netgalley & Daphne Woolsoncroft for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Night Watcher is a chilling, creepy, atmospheric, thrill inducing roller coaster ride. I mean this book kept me absolutely glued to the pages. I couldn't stop. It was so captivating, but also constantly left me with the feeling of being watched, just like the girls in the book. The author builds the dread, suspense and tempo of the books absolutely perfectly. I am telling you this is not a book you will be able to put down, it's quite impossible to not race to the finish line.

As for the plot, it moves at such a fast pace, there's always the constant feeling of dread. Constantly on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I was sure I had it figured out early on, which I believe was what the author was trying to do (sneaky sneaky). When the reveal came, that was where I was absolutely blindsided and didn't see it coming at all. It did go a little far in terms of realism, but I still really enjoyed it! The podcast part I truly enjoyed, I do wish that was explored more as it was so well done and added a lot to the story.

Overall, this was an amazing debut, impossible to look away from. Eerie and chill factor turned up to the max, kept me guessing until the very end. I haven't listened to the author's podcast (she is a host), well I'm definitely doing that ASAP!

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @grandcentralpub & @daphnewoolsoncroft for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Just—wow. I absolutely devoured this book! It was perfectly creepy and completely absorbing from page one. The atmosphere, the pacing, the writing—it all just worked. I was hooked immediately and couldn’t stop turning the pages.

The narrator’s voice was compelling, and I loved how the story unfolded. While the twist may not be the wildest you’ll ever read, it felt like watching a really great episode of Criminal Minds—tense, satisfying, and smart.

You might think you know where it’s headed, but the tension never lets up. I flew through it needing to know one thing: Who is the Hiding Man?! If you’re a fan of crime thrillers with strong podcast/documentary vibes, this one is a must-read.

This was such a cool book by Daphne Woolsoncroft. I liked the inclusion of the Podcast and how she created an original serial killer. This was truly a scary and suspenseful read!

Nola Strate is the only one who has ever seen the Hiding Man and lived to tell the tale. Nola was just a kid when the Hiding Man broke into her house and killed her babysitter Mia. Now two decades later the Hiding Man has resurfaced and Nola along with her producer for the radio show Night Watcher Harvey, witness the next victim in her final moments. When clues start pointing to Chic Strate, Nola's father as the possible killer Jack the lead detective doesn't want to believe that his best friend has pulled the wool over his eyes for decades. Will the Hiding Man be caught before Nola becomes the next victim. This is a fast paced page turner that will have you on the edge of your seats until the very end. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

The premise is great! There were times I was scared to read while alone, I felt like if I wasn’t careful the killer would come for me next, However, as the book went on I was pulled out of the story. The back and forth had me not believing anything. I wish the narrative was a little more straightforward.

Now the end…..bruh. I called who it was so early and it was lame when the end happened. Kind of annoyed and wish it was less “ooop there he is!!”

As a horror and thriller fan, this was a creepy one, so naturally I really loved it. This book is about a true crime radio host who suspects that a serial killer whom she encountered at a young age is back to killing women again in her town and is stalking her.
I loved the attention to detail and the way it kept me guessing until the very end. It had some good action and was fast paced as well, which I find some thrillers lack.
I was so suspicious of every character and still didn’t predict who the Hiding Man was lol.
Definitely will recommend to true crime, thriller, and mystery lovers

I was pretty creeped out by this one. While I didn't love who it turned out to be because I wanted something more malevolent, it was a great ride to get to the end and get the answers. I was truly on the edge of my seat and checking behind the curtains because I was very anxious. If you want a good creeptastic thriller, pick this one up.

Creepy, suspenseful, and impossible to put down, Night Watch delivers a chilling psychological thriller that had me triple-checking my locks. Nola Strate is a compelling lead—deeply scarred but determined—trying to outrun the trauma of her childhood encounter with the infamous Hiding Man. Now the host of a late-night radio show, her quiet life unravels when eerie events suggest her past nightmare might not be over.

This book had me on edge in the best way. Twisty, atmospheric, and filled with moments that made my heart race, it explores how fear lingers long after the danger seems to have passed. The pacing was tight, the mystery kept me guessing, and the scares felt real. Highly recommend for fans of serial killer thrillers and slow-burning terror that builds to a punch.

Fantastic fast paced true crime style thriller. Nola has spent her whole life living with the fact that when she was 8 her babysitter was brutally murdered and she came face to mask with the man who did it. Now a popular radio show host she is once again thrust back to that night when more murders start to occur and she feels like she’s being watched. Will she finally be able to put that horrible night behind her or will learning who the man behind the mask js only make it all worse???

Creepy, intense, and so chilling!!

Thrillers like this make me believe I can read them again! This was sooo good.

Have you ever felt like you were being watched? A brief clicking at your window, sounds of breathing too close, or the uneasiness of walking alone at night? All of those feelings sum up how it felt to read this book. Startled, uneasy, and paranoid.

Radio show host Nola survived a near death experience years ago with the "Hiding Man" and 20 years later bodies are starting to pile up around her once again in a similar pattern.

The "him" chapters from the perspective of our mysterious killer were unsettling and I loved the radio show element that added to the paranoia and feelings of being watched.

100% a book to have on your radar when it comes out July 8th. Immediately running to go listen to her podcast next!

This book lays on the scare factor and I wanted ALL OF IT! Eerie, creepy, haunting … yes, please! I could envision the Hiding Man and it was not a pretty picture. I came up with all kinds of wild theories and my imagination took over. It was a lot of fun!

But don’t worry! The whole book isn’t like this! You get to the meat of the story pretty quickly and it’s well paced and mysterious more than scary. I had a theory and I loved that my specific inclination was thoroughly explored (and that I was wrong!). There were other moments that I suspected were foreshadowing and I appreciated those nuggets and how they played out.

This is a quick read and loved the alternating timelines, use of multiple narrators, and slow unraveling of the mystery. The radio show was also a great added element and added a lot to the story.

Definitely recommend! Thank you to the Book Club Cookbook and Grand Central Publishing for the copy.

'Night Watcher' is a moody, atmospheric thriller that blends true crime intensity with a psychological suspense. Daphne Woolsoncroft, known for her work in podcasting, brings that same storytelling sensibility to the page - carefully paced, emotionally layered, and always with a sense of something just out of reach.

The protagonist, Nola Strate, is a late-night radio host whose carefully controlled life starts to unravel when a caller shares details that echo the trauma of her past. As a survivor of an encounter with a notorious serial killer, Nola has spent years trying to outrun the past - but the past might not be done with her. The result is a slow-burning unraveling of memory, fear, and what it means to survive.

Woolsoncroft excels at building tension without leaning too heavily on gore or shock value. The dread creeps in gradually, and Nola's inner world feels authentic - her reactions never overdone, her fear never performative. The radio show setting adds a unique flavor, providing an eerie, intimate backdrop that suits the story's themes of voice, silence, and being watched.

The ending might divide readers - some may want more overt twists or a higher-octane resolution - but the psychological payoff feels earned. The focus is less on theatrics and more on how trauma mutates over time and how memory can become its own kind of haunting.

Highly recommended for fans of 'The Night Swim' or 'The Quiet Tenant.' This is a strong debut that balances suspense with genuine emotional depth.

4.50 stars
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Ooooo, this one was scary! The book does a great job sucking you in with the first chapter - I will say that the beginning is most likely the scariest, so if you can get through that, you should be ok to push through the rest of the book.

Nola Strate is the host of a popular late-night radio show where people can call in and chat about their experiences with the unexplained. The show gets the same typical calls until one caller changes everything. As the caller describes the scene of a ghost haunting her, the experience triggers memories for Nola, who finds the situation similar to a serial killer who goes by the name The Hiding Man. What we find out is that Nola is a survivor of the Hiding Man, who, years ago, murdered her babysitter (Mia).

Nola's alarmed thinking that the man who's haunted her ever since has returned. The author does a great job of creeping you out and will have you feeling like you yourself are being watched by a ghoulish-masked man. I enjoyed the short chapters and fast pace of the book, once you get into it, you won't want to put it down. As a reader, I needed to find out if the Hiding Man had truly returned or if we were dealing with a copycat killer.

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, but felt that the ending was a little rushed. There are a bunch of directions the author could have taken, and does a great job at leaving red herrings, I had just hoped that the unmasking had been a little more dramatic!

Overall, this did a great job at keeping me on my toes, I appreciate a serial-killer novel that isn't overly gory in details, and feel like I can recommend this a bit more due to that fact!
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I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing, Daphne Woolsoncroft, and NetGalley for a copy of Night Watcher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Night Watcher is scheduled to publish on July 8th, 2025, You can pre-order your copy today!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Oh my. This book is not for the faint of heart. If you are a fan of slasher horror, you need to read this. We have a masked killer on the lose, very graphic death scenes, but moreover, the stalking and lurking of this individual is very scary. I read this book in bed, at night, often after watching a couple of episodes of the TV show "Slasher,' and man did that expose me more to learning to sleep after being scared. LOL Oddly, and I'm not sure if it's because I was watching and reading them at the same time but the storytelling and way the killer interacted with the world reminded me of season one of "Slasher," if you enjoy that, I think you will enjoy this book. I just went to Goodreads to check that this book is also listed as horror and it is. It is both a. horror and a thriller. For those of you that like more popcorn thrillers or less gruesome/ eeire you may want to skip this.

The writing is decent, it's detailed and straightforward. I think as this author writes more books, we are going to get even better writing. The reveal at the end was, okay for me. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it but I also don't really know what to think about it. Although the entire point of the story is leading up to the ending, and unmasking the killer (which I mean literally unmasking which was really cool), that wasn't my favorite part of the story or what kept me reading. To be honest, it was just the straight up creepyness of the book and the way it scared me (which never really happens in books).

All in all, I had a good time and I would read from this author again.