Nola is the host of a radio show called Night Watcher, where listeners can call in to share their paranormal experiences. The usually relaxed atmosphere turns tense when the station receives a chilling phone call from a woman who claims to have a ghost in her home and sees someone outside her window, insisting that he is coming after her. When the line suddenly goes dead, Nola and her coworker are left questioning whether it was a prank call or if they truly just witnessed a woman’s life being threatened.

The unsettling phone call brings back unwanted memories for Nola, who witnessed a horrific crime as a child and whose community was terrorized by a serial killer known as The Hiding Man. 
Not only is she reliving unwanted memories from her past, but she also feels as though she is being watched or followed. Is The Hiding Man back to torment the community, or is Nola simply being paranoid after hearing callers share their frightening stories?
 

࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪

If you know me, you know that whenever there is a thriller or horror book about a serial killer, I will read it ASAP. And this one did not disappoint. 

It was binge-worthy and kept me captivated from start to finish. Throughout the entire book, I attempted to predict the identity of The Hiding Man, but all of my suspicions turned out to be incorrect. I am so glad they were, as the way this book concluded was absolutely fabulous.


As one chapter concluded, I found it incredibly challenging to resist the urge to continue reading. I needed to know what would happen next. The more we discovered about The Hiding Man, the creepier he became— && he was pretty f-ing creepy from the very start. This book plunges straight into action and it doesn't stop until the very end.

Oh the creepy vibes are on point in this book! Definitely made me wonder why I was reading this late at night. Reminded me somewhat of The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard - young child survives/witnesses a gruesome murder, years later, killer resurfaces to silence said child... I had all sorts of theories about who the killer was - none of them were correct. However, for me, the ending was a let down and I didn't quite buy the motive.

I really enjoyed this one -- 4.5 for me but rounded down as it wasn't quite a 5.

I liked the different POVs and the whodunnit of it all. The stalker was perfectly creepy and did give me the shivers when their mask was first explained (I may have checked out my window before going to bed with a little bit of dread). I think it's great for newer horror/thriller readers as it has the creep factor without being too much. Awesome job.

I read half of this book and I listened to the other half. The audio version was soooooo good.
4.5 ⭐️
I couldn’t put this book down. I’ve been looking for a good thriller to listen to and this book was it for me.

Nola Strate is being watched again. Nola had a run in with a serial killer when she was a kid and she’s trying to stop being traumatized and move on with her life. She’s never told a soul about the encounter and she even runs a popular radio show called “Night Watch”. A woman calls into the show and she’s saying scary things but Nola and her coworkers think it’s a big joke. She can’t be joking though because she knows things that only Nola knows.

This book is so good. I loved trying to guess who the mysterious man is.

Thanks netgalley and publisher for a chance to read and listen to this story for free in return for my honest opinion.

Night Watcher sets the stage for a chilling premise—a woman haunted by both her past and something sinister lurking just beyond the veil of night. Daphne Woolsoncroft does a great job creating an eerie, suspenseful atmosphere, and there are moments where the tension really shines.

That said, the pacing felt inconsistent, with some stretches dragging while others rushed through key developments. I also struggled to fully connect with the main character at times; her choices didn’t always feel grounded, which made it harder to stay emotionally invested. The mystery kept me curious enough to finish, but the payoff didn’t quite deliver the punch I was hoping for.

If you’re a fan of slow-burn paranormal thrillers and don’t mind a few unanswered questions, Night Watcher might still be worth the read. It has potential—but didn’t fully live up to it for me.

Nola Strate hosts a popular podcast called Night Watch, but things take a chilling turn when a woman calls in, describing a man she believes is a ghost, right before the call ends in a bloodcurdling scream. Nola instantly recognizes the man’s description: it’s The Hiding Man, the killer who murdered her babysitter when she was just eight years old. Now, it seems he’s back… and watching her.

This had all the ingredients for a gripping thriller, but unfortunately, it didn’t deliver. For a serial killer plot, the pacing felt painfully slow, and there was very little suspense. What should have been a terrifying, edge of your seat story ended up being flat and, honestly, boring. The big “twist” at the end wasn’t surprising at all, and left me more frustrated than shocked. I really wanted to like this one, but it just didn’t work for me.

I had really high expectations for NIGHT WATCHER because the reviews have been SO good. From page one this was an unnerving, don’t read at night or when you’re alone thriller. I was hooked by page one. Glued to the page and scared to walk downstairs when I wanted a bowl of cereal. I also almost jumped out of my skin when I was reading it in the tub and my cat walked in the bathroom.

The book lost some steam for me when it hit the 50% mark. There was a lot of real time movement with Nola which caused the storyline to drag. Some parts felt repetitive, and I could tell what the author was trying to do but it just didn’t quite land all the way for me.

Pros:

-atmospheric
-amazing writing
-great plot premise

Cons:

-plot development could’ve been stronger
-became repetitive
-anticlimactic reveal for the culprit

While it didn’t blow me away I did like this book. As always be sure to check it out for yourself!

Wow! What a fun and frightening debut. Chilling, tense, and dripping with unease from the first chapter to the last page!

The story opens with a spine-tingling call to the Night Watch radio show—and the creepiness never lets up. The sense that someone’s watching, things keep moving out of place, and seriously… you do not want to be the babysitter.

Daphne Woolsoncroft’s true crime roots shine here—her storytelling feels eerily real. The pacing is razor-sharp, and I absolutely flew through it. When I couldn’t listen to the audiobook, I found myself pulling up the eBook on my phone because I had to know what happened next. I especially loved the characters, with Nola standing out the most. I truly felt for her—traumatized as a teen, and now facing the terrifying possibility that her worst nightmare has returned.

🎧 Narration Note: Helen Laser and Will Collyer are phenomenal. They nail the tone and truly heighten the suspense. I was genuinely stressed out listening—perfect voices for this creepy ride.

Final Verdict: 👍 A thrilling debut that delivers on atmosphere, suspense, and strong character work. Don't read it alone at night!

I'm a fan of Daphne's podcast Going West so when I saw she was writing a mystery/thriller/horror book, I immediately added it to my TBR! I got a review copy early but ended up saving it for Summerween - it was the perfect pick for the readathon.

The story follows Nola, a radio host focusing on creepy/true crime stories from callers, as the serial killer she escaped as a kid seemingly comes back. The story follows primarily her POV but also a detective/family friend working the case. (I don't think his POV added much but I'm not mad about it.) 

I don't know why I read a book about a man who stalks victims and hides in their houses while I was alone for the weekend, but reading during the day helped! It was definitely creepy but not quite as creepy as I expected. Daphne's writing was better than expected though - as a debut author who also does podcasts, I wasn't sure how it would read without a ghostwriter/collaborator. I was seriously impressed with her writing style!

I think the ending and resolution were a little rushed. There were some plot holes or at least a lack of explanation in some areas; the book could have benefited from another chapter or two. I predicted who was responsible but I don't know if there was a way to figure out the person's motivation, if that makes sense? I wanted a little bit more. from the ending and some of the characters on the side.

Despite that, it was a very solid debut - atmospheric, super easy to read and well-written, and addicting. I read it in two days across multiple formats because I was continuously curious about what would happen next. I will eagerly and immediately read anything else she writes after this one!

Oh, how I absolutely loved this book. From the very first page, The Night Watcher had me in its eerie grip, and I couldn’t put it down. It’s one of those thrillers that gets under your skin in the best way. The atmosphere was insanely creepy, and reading it alone at night had me glancing over my shoulder more than once. Woolsoncroft does an incredible job of building suspense and unease. I was constantly second-guessing every character, convinced that each one could be the culprit.

The pacing was perfect (not too fast, not too slow), just a steady build of dread that made it impossible to look away. I especially loved the addition of the late-night radio show, which added such a unique and haunting layer to the story. The creepy calls, the blurred line between fact and fiction, and the way it all tied into the mystery had me hooked. It felt immersive and cinematic, as if I were right there in the studio with the characters.

My only issue, and I say this with caution to avoid spoilers, was the ending. After such a tightly-woven, atmospheric build-up, the final reveal felt like it came out of left field. It didn’t quite land for me and left me feeling a bit confused. I kept turning the last few pages thinking, “Wait… what?” It didn’t ruin the experience, but it definitely left me wishing for a more satisfying conclusion.

Still, this was a standout read. If you’re a fan of chilling thrillers with rich atmosphere, a unique hook, and that slow-burn suspense that keeps you up at night, this one is absolutely worth picking up.

*Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.*

3.25/5

I'll start by saying that the first half of this book was quite good! The suspense that was built was great, it was sufficiently creepy, all good things. The second half just fell flat for me personally.

I think this is a wonderful starter thriller for people who might want to get introduced to the genre. It's a pretty standard, no-frills kind of option for people who might be interested in seeing what the genre might have to offer. For someone like me, however, who reads a lot of thriller/horror already and has run the gamut of most of the tropes, this felt pretty formulaic and predictable. Which, to be clear, is not always a bad thing! As a library employee, I have patrons who specifically seek out familiarity in their reads. If you're looking for that, this is that! And that's wonderful for you! For me, though, I wanted more out of the stalker plot. I wanted him to be scarier before his reveal. I think the POVs would have been much punchier if he had more chapters rather than spending so much time with the detective. It's something I'll recommend to people for sure, but it just didn't hit for me.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Audio, and LibroFM for the copies to review.

I love thrillers with podcasts (or in this case, a late-night call-in radio host) as a theme, and this one was excellent. Add in a creepy killer known as The Hiding Man, who wears a white mask with slits for face holes, and I am all in. Nola is a fantastic protagonist as well and has to deal with repressed trauma of The Hiding Man coming back from the past, and she suspects he wants to finish what he started. The police do not believe her, and there was no one else with her experience back then, so she is basically on her own. Oh, and it seems her father may have played a bigger role than anyone thought.

I will leave all of that right there, just be prepared for a one-sitting read as you will not be able to put this one down once you start. The audio is equally addictive, and this is a debut at that. I loved this one so much; it was intense, eerie, and I loved how it ended. I cannot wait to see what Woolsoncroft writes next.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Decent Mystery, But a Bit Dull

Night Watcher delivers a serviceable mystery with a solid premise, but unfortunately, the pacing dragged at times and the suspense never quite reached the level I was hoping for. While the plot had potential and the twists were decent, I found myself losing interest in spots due to the slow buildup. That said, it was still a satisfying enough read for fans of quieter, more methodical mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. The pacing was too slow and I didn't think any scene was actually suspenseful. I didn't like the writing style and the reveal at the end was not impactful or shocking.

Chilling, creepy, and completely addictive!

I loved this book! The eerie, unsettling atmosphere had me hooked from beginning to end—I devoured it in just a couple sittings. The tension builds steadily, and the creepy vibes never let up, which is exactly what I love in a thriller.

Without giving too much away, the story follows a woman who, as a child, witnessed a horrific crime—and now, years later, she’s determined to uncover the truth. There’s a serial killer, buried memories, and a race against time that kept me on edge the entire time.

This was totally my cup of tea, and I can’t wait to read more from this author. If you love dark, twisty, and atmospheric thrillers, this one’s a must-read!

Five stars for creep factor, as I was constantly looking over my shoulder reading this book at night before bed, not recommended! What was that noise?

Nola Strate is the late-night radio host of 'Night Watch' in Portland, Oregon where she listens to call-ins about ghosts, UFOs, and unexplained happenings. That alone could be the entire plot of the book. Years ago, she narrowly escaped a chilling encounter with a masked serial killer known as the “Hiding Man,” who murdered her babysitter.

Now, when a caller describes an intruder with an eerily similar mask, Nola fears history is repeating itself—and finds herself drawn into a terrifying web of suspicion that even implicates her own father, who also hosted her show.

The author does an amazing job building up the suspense and giving you a scare at every turn. Is Nola just being paranoid or is he really still out there? As the police won't take her seriously, she has to take matters into her own hands. She makes a great investigative reporter as she turns over each piece of evidence and follows the clues to the conclusion.

I could totally see this being made into a Netflix series and I'd be the first one queued up to see it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of Night Watcher!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🔪 have ever come face to face with a serial killer
🌙 work the night shift
🧓🏽 have a terrible relationship with your dad
👀 ever feel like you’re being watched

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Nola Strate is being watched, again.
 
After an encounter with a notorious serial killer in the Pacific Northwest as a child, Nola has grown up and tried her best to forget her traumatizing night with the Hiding Man. She installed security cameras outside her Oregon home, never spoke of her experience, and now hosts Night Watch, a popular radio call-in show her semi‑famous father used to run. When coincidences lead Nola to believe that she is being stalked, and a caller on Night Watch has a live incident with an intruder in the caller's home—the description of whom is chillingly familiar—Nola is convinced that the Hiding Man has resurfaced and is coming for her.
 
With a mysterious next‑door neighbor lurking in the shadows, more people getting hurt, the police not taking her concerns seriously, and evidence pointing towards her own father, Nola decides to become, like her listeners, a Night Watcher herself, and uncover the monster behind the Hiding Man's mask.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

First I want to say that this book has so many rave reviews, which is what drove me to request and read it. Unfortunately, I don’t think I enjoyed this one as much as so many others did, as it didn’t grab my attention as much as I anticipated. The book starts off with a bang featuring a scary ghost in a lake, and then we get to know more about Nola and her podcast job. I liked getting Nola and Jack’s (the detective) POVs, but Jack’s sometimes felt a little unnecessary. I think it helped build suspense around a suspect, but other than that, the main focus for me was Nola. It took me a long time to finish this one, and I just kept hoping it would end with a really amazing twist, but I felt a little letdown by the ending. This might make for a good movie adaptation though!

Solid mystery thriller debut with a strong element of true crime and psychological suspense.

A late night radio host in Portland, Oregon, Nola Strate, experienced a terrifying event as a child. Her babysitter was murdered in front of her by a notorious serial killer dubbed "the Hiding Man." He was never caught. Even though 20 years has passed, it all comes back when a woman calling in to Nola's show is actually killed while on air with her show. Is the killer active again after all these years? And most concerning to Nola -- has he returned to get her?

This was fast paced and I read it this evening in one sitting. The characters were an interesting mix and the plot was fairly predictable with some red herrings and additional threats. The detective and the investigation seemed rather inept as was the focus on a particular suspect (who was a loser but not a killer). I think the most disappointing part was the revelation of the identity of the killer -- what a stretch and a let down. I definitely would have enjoyed more elements that featured Nola working on her actual radio show and other callers. This really wasn't particularly scary and it was never really fully explained how the perpetrator managed to elude law enforcement all those years.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book was when the author talks about herself, her own true crime podcast, and her Aunt Carol. This was not included in the e-book ARC but only on the audio as an introduction. She also discusses ethics and the societal impact of crime and those who investigate it while also expressing true concern for the victims and their families.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrators are the talented duo of Helen Laser and Will Collyer. They both brought great dramatic flair to the production and definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

One of the great perks of being an advance listener with Libro.fm is discovering books and authors that I might otherwise miss. As someone who doesn't steer towards true crime podcast, I hadn't heard of Daphne Woolsoncroft–as an author or podcaster–but after reading Night Watcher, she is definitely on my radar.

Nola Strate is being watched, again.

After an encounter with a notorious serial killer in the Pacific Northwest as a child, Nola has grown up and tried her best to forget her traumatizing night with the Hiding Man. She installed security cameras outside her Oregon home, never spoke of her experience, and now hosts Night Watch, a popular radio call-in show her semi‑famous father used to run. When coincidences lead Nola to believe that she is being stalked, and a caller on Night Watch has a live incident with an intruder in the caller's home—the description of whom is chillingly familiar—Nola is convinced that the Hiding Man has resurfaced and is coming for her.

With a mysterious next‑door neighbor lurking in the shadows, more people getting hurt, the police not taking her concerns seriously, and evidence pointing towards her own father, Nola decides to become, like her listeners, a Night Watcher herself, and uncover the monster behind the Hiding Man's mask.

I'll admit that I almost gave up reading early on in Night Watcher–as I was convinced I had figured out who the killer was within the first quarter of the book and felt let down by how obvious it was. However, I rarely abandon a book once I get into it, so I trudged along. To my surprise–and my lack of faith–I was wrong. What seemed obvious to me, ended up a great red herring.

As a debut author, one might expect the writing to feel a bit rough around the edges–but Night Watcher was impressively polished, making for an easy and engaging read. It's clear that Woolsoncroft brings her background of true crime podcasting and her own personal connections to an unknown killer–as stated in the author's note–to the story making for an engaging and realistic feeling novel. aphne also does a fantastic job developing her characters, especially our protagonist Nola.

The story was truly terrifying at moments, packed with suspense and a real sense of tension. After I was course corrected on who I thought the killer was, that story became genuinely gripping and thrilling–having me seriously hooked. While Woolsoncroft definitely saved the novel by avoiding the obvious suspect, my only minor gripe was the ending. I feel it couldn't used a bit more of a impactful feeling, but still a thrilling and impressive debut.

Listening to narrators Helen Laser and Will Collyer was a fantastic experience. I found myself enjoying the Nola moments a bit more–narrated by Laser–she brought a bit more energy and excitement to her performance. That all being said, the overall production of the audiobook was stellar across the board.

Night Watcher is an exciting read and a fantastic debut for podcaster Daphne Woolsoncroft. It's a great for true crime fans who want a dose of fiction to sprinkle into their reading lineup. The audiobook reading was genuinely excellent and enhance the overall reading experience. I will be keeping my eyes out for more thrilling tales from Woolsoncroft in the future!

After escaping a serial killer as a child it’s been 20 years and Nola has moved on with her life. But now Nola feels she’s being stalked by someone. The Hiding Man is back to seek his revenge on her. Who could be behind these killing and why? This book gave me chills and at times upped my anxiety in a good way.. easily a 5 star read!