Page turning police procedural drama from one of my favourite authors.

One of the best things about @helenfields_author writing is the characters she creates & makes you love. In this, we have Connie Woolwine & Brodie Baarda back in Edinburgh, which then gives us the bonus of some other much loved characters coming into play, too, such as DS Lively & a very important cameo.

Clever writing which is easy to get lost in, loveable characters, suspense, atmosphere & twists galore.

I will always recommend Helen Fields & if you want the full experience, start with the Perfect series & then just keep going.

Good but I feel her writing gets lost a lot the time too much going to really engage but a good non tasking read I'll her the snaps for the out there crimes that are committed in her novels some truly unique and extra creepy

A wonderful police procedural thriller, A Serial killer and wonderful characters that leave you gripped from the start. I cannot recommend this author enough

What an amazing book! Only to be expected with Helen Fields really. This is the first book I’ve really enjoyed in a good long while….I simply couldn’t put it down! Lots of interesting twists & turns! Thoroughly recommend

Watching You is a fast paced well plotted thriller that will have you holding your breath, crossing your fingers and hopiing for the best.

Watching You is gripping from start to finish.

Expect the unexpected from Helen Fields and be prepared to read long into the night.

The atmosphere is dark and creepy and the atmosphere is tense with twists and turns, secrets and lies.

Trying to guess the ending is fruitless ( though I tried) as a major twist will shock you.

Highly recommend Watching You but be warned you will be looking over your shoulder during and after reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK/Avon for the privilege of reading and reviewing Watching You.

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Great book as always from Helen Fields
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

I loved the character of Connie Woolwine! And I enjoyed the cameo of another character who I really liked from a previous book.

This was a very tense, immersive read. As we know from early on the who, though not the why, I thought this was going to be an enjoyable, albeit straight forward, police drama with the unique twist being the addition of Connie who uses some strange methods to unravel the mystery. And it was that - however! - there was a plot twist that made my jaw drop and then a further twist that actually made complete sense that I should have spotted earlier but the author was too clever for me with the little red herrings!

Many thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

As always, a massive thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.
I have been a fan of helen fields for years. I've loved every single book she has written and this is another one to add to that list.
In this we see a return of the brilliant Connie Woolwine, and other returning characters, on another case that they need to solve. Helen really knows her stuff when it comes to detective work and it really does shine through in her writing, I've never read a detective book written by her and been left wondering what its all about. Helen describes the detective process really well and it all makes sense. As always, some twists and turns in there. I couldn't put this down. I have been in a reading slump but this definitely got me out of that. I look forward to the next installment of Connie and the gang

Helen Fields can do no wrong. Another page turner. On par with her previous books that's for sure. Can't wait to read more. Am currently reading her previous series now

There is a killer lurking, called The Watcher. There are several unexplained murders in Edinburgh and the number is growing. Watching You is a thrilling and well thought out mystery. DS Lively and Dr. Connie Woolwine, a forensic profiler, are tasked with this complex case. DS Lively finds an unexpected deep connection to surgeon Dr. Beth Waterfall, who lost her daughter to a vicious stalker. This is a book with very well developed characters, some who are deeply disturbing, and it will keep your interest. There is an unusual twist at the end that I admit I’m uncomfortable with and I didn’t see coming. Still I recommend this dark and complicated story. With thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Do you prefer your thrillers on the darker side? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Helen Fields once again serves up a true spine-chiller.

Let me introduce you to the Connie Woolwine series. Connie is a forensic psychologist brought in from the US to aid the local Scottish police. By her side is ex-police officer Brodie Baarda, there as her assistant (of sorts) and protector.

They’re working alongside DS Lively and his partner in tracking down a potential serial killer, hopefully before he strikes again.

Helen Fields has the magic recipe to balance a police investigation while showing a vulnerable side of the team trying to bring down a killer.
Each installment of this series gives me a better understanding of our characters and I’m becoming more and more connected to them.

Can this book work as a stand-alone? YES! Absolutely! But you’ll be missing out on the character development. So my recommendation is starting at the beginning with The Shadow Man!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK

So before I start the review I must say that Helen Fields is one of my favourite crime writers I know that once I start one of her books I will not be able to put it down.
This book is simply phenomenal in the crime genre. It grips you from the first page to the last and in my opinion is her best book to date. It pulls you along at a frantic pace and by going back in the time line it keeps you hooked and you really do feel for some of the characters.
If you are a Fields fan there is one subtle part in the narrative that is a sort of blink and miss it moment but I almost screamed out loud....read it you will if you are a fan understand.
I can not recommend this book highly enough if it does not win multiple crime writing award this year there is no justice in the world. I would say more but to say more may give the plot away and oh wow what a plot.
It is a masterpiece in the genre read it you will not regret it.

There’s a killer watching and lurking deep within the shadows in Edinburgh. A body is found and surgeon, Beth Waterfall and her team do their best to save him to no avail. There’s a second discovered at Jupiter Artland and this one is unrecognisable – soon there will be more. Who is The Watcher stalking grieving Beth? Her much loved daughter Molly fell victim to someone who ruins her life a year ago and it seems that Beth herself will become a victim if DS Christie Salter, DS Sam Lively, forensic profiler Dr Connie Woodwine and ex-met officer Brodie Baarda cannot find the killer in time. It’s a race, who will get to the end first?

There’s always a whoop whoop from me at the anticipation of a new Helen Fields and this series is excellent with a terrific Edinburgh background. The two central characters of Connie and Brodie are so good, I like the contrasting personalities, their razor sharp minds and insights, their fascinating relationship and the lively banter between them. I also like the addition of DS Sam Lively, he’s very likeable in a grumpy sort of way and witnessing him changing is a light in among the darkness. Beth Waterfall’s daughter Mollys situation is described heartbreakingly well and poor Beth’s feelings are relatable.

The story is told via alternating chapters of the investigation with the perspective of that of The Watcher which is chillingly powerful. This really builds the tension and suspense often sky high. It’s tightly plotted, it’s hard hitting, fast paced, there is never a dull moment and the usual rollercoaster read that I’ve come to expect from Helen Fields. There’s plenty of emotion as well as shocks and as the author rarely holds back, I know what I’m in for and definitely not disappointed. There’s a strong sense of impending doom as the reader waits for something awful to happen but praying that your worst fears aren’t realised. At times the tension is off the scale, there are some absolute cracker scenes with chapter endings that result in the odd expletive from me, that is after I’ve picked my jaw up off the floor! The author really is on fire!

As for the much debated ending, well, I like it. A lot. It’s creative and original so what more can you ask for? I look forward to reading what the authors fertile imagination conjures up next – I’m assuming it’ll be Luke and Ava. Three cheers!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Avon books for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

I'm very torn about this one, part of me enjoyed it and the other part disliked it. The chapters with the stalker were really weird and I skipped most of them, also Connie is really strange, she seems worse than in previous books. Don't think I'd want to read more with her in.
It seemed to be ages before things started to actually happen and come together but once they did it got much better.

This looks like a big hit for Helen Fields in my opinion, packed full of twists and turns that I didn't always see coming. It's absolutely gripping!

Review of ‘Watching You’ by Helen Fields, due to be published on 28 August 2025 by Avon Books UK.

Police Scotland have a job on their hands when bodies start to show up, each having been murdered in horrific circumstances. The Major Investigation Team seek help from Dr Woolwine, who connects with the victims to try and establish motives and catch the killer.

This is an intense thriller, extremely well written characters, excellent detailing, full of suspense and pulls you in from the very first page.

I’d not read any of Helen Fields’ novels previously, but this will certainly not be my last. An outstanding read and highly recommended.

Another outstanding thriller from this author.
Very quirky characters and a devilishly twisty plot.
Plus a hint that AVa and Luc might be returning !

Edinburgh is a city in the grip of terror as a serial killer works his way through multiple victims. In the midst of it all, a brilliant surgeon mourns the loss of her child. But it looks as if the killer of Beth Waterfall's daughter is planning to come for her too...

Can the besieged police forces of the city solve the mystery in time to save Beth - and all the other victims that the killer is likely to target in the months ahead?

Gripping and atmospheric, this fast paced thriller effortlessly holds the reader's attention. This one is not to be missed. It gets 3.5 stars.

Watching You features some returning characters and some new. Set in Edinburgh, it follows the hunt for a serial killer. But there are several other plot lines in a complex novel, told from multiple points of view.

The characters are the strongest point of the novel, with American psychologist Dr Connie Woolwine a particularly intriguing creation. DS Lively is also a strong character, a veteran detective who finds love unexpectedly.

The plot is well developed, but the intersection of the various story arcs becomes confusing in places. There are major twists towards the end and they are not always totally believable. And the sense of place feels weak throughout the novel. Occasional descriptions of parts of Edinburgh are inserted feel a bit like WIki cut n paste and don't really create a strong sense of the city.

Overall this is a interesting novel, but there are elements that let it down.

WATCHING YOU has been sitting in my "currently reading" box for too long. I finished it the day after I placed it there, and that was three weeks ago. I had problems giving it a final rating. I wanted to give it 4.5 stars, because it was so engrossing—it really held my attention—and overall the writing was excellent, the pacing well done. But there was a problem with the ending, a twist I didn't see coming, but one that also offended my scientific intelligence. So after a long discussion with myself, I've decided to give it four stars, with a "highly recommended" addendum.

<b>Overview</b>

WATCHING YOU is part of the Connie Woolwine series written by Helen Sarah Fields. I read the first book in this series, <i>"The Shadow Man"</i>, but I have obviously missed one or two that came between that first one and WATCHING YOU. I shall have to remedy this omission. In 2022, I read the author's entire D.I. Callanach series and loved it.

<b>Brief Synopsis</b>

Dr. Connie Woolwine is asked to assist Edinburgh's Major Investigation Team in an investigation of a man's body found discovered several months after he had been murdered. She has worked with this team before. DS Lively and DS Christie Salter are the primaries assigned to the case.

We soon discover that the central evil figure in the book is a stalker referred to as "The Watcher". He is stalking a trauma surgeon, Dr. Beth Waterfall, who—over the course of the early chapters in the book—develops a romantic relationship with Lively. There are many twists and turns, as there always are in a Helen Fields' novel, and I enjoyed following them all. Mind you, I particularly detested "The Watcher" because lately I have read too many real-life news stories about innocent victims being stalked by detestable men using tools now available through the internet.

Helen Fields has always been a good plotter. As well, I think that her "characterization skills" have improved. A couple of "victims" were brought alive to me, in terms of empathizing with them, even though we knew they would die. I loved DS Lively, also. Plus, although Dr. Woolwine remains somewhat of an enigma, she is an interesting enigma.

The ending involved three unexpected twists, one I liked, one I felt was a bit unfair to the reader (no hints provided of an event that occurred prior to the story's beginning), and one that was scientifically unsound. It was this latter, in particular, that caused me to drop a star. Not all novels require a "twist" at the end; sometimes it is better to simply watch the inevitable unfold.

Still, I loved the novel until that one implausible twist, and other readers might not find it as implausible as I did. So 4.5 stars overall, and now I must search out the Connie Woolwine novels that I have missed.

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My review for the first Connie Woolwine story:
<a href = https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6464453923 > The Shadow Man (Connie Woolwine, #1) </a>
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Thanks to Avon Books UK for providing an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.