A twisty, gripping thriller which had my heart in my throat more than once! It was gritty, there was great banter and it was set in one of my favourite cities - Edinburgh. I loved the flashbacks to build the tension, Connie is such an interesting character and that twist had me gasping. This was my first book by Helen Fields and it won’t be my last! Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Watching You’ written by Helen Fields in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

A body is found on the dark streets of Edinburgh but it’s only the first as more are yet to be discovered. DS Lively and DS Christie Salter are leading the investigation assisted by forensic psychologist Dr Connie Woolwine and her assistant and friend Brodie Baarda, former Metropolitan Police officer. Their enquiries take them to St Columba’s Hospital where Dr Beth Waterfall is a renowned surgeon but they don’t yet realise that The Watcher is following their every move.

‘Watching You’ is a brilliantly written psychological thriller packed full of suspense, drama and action, with the tension palpable the deeper I’ve got into the plot. There’s so much intrigue and mystery that although I thought I knew who was responsible I was way off the mark and wasn’t prepared for the shocking revelations heading my way. This is a nail-biting rollercoaster of a thriller with wonderful characters especially Dr Connie Woolwine and the likeable DS Lively. I found myself turning the pages faster and faster as it was impossible to stop reading until I’d reached the conclusion and the truth was revealed. This is a very special thriller that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and I can’t wait to find out what Woolwine gets involved with next.

Such a brilliant book - gripping, fantastically developed and so well written! I would definitely recommend it. The characters were so compelling to read about too.

I absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed every minute. I couldn’t put it down. I was completely engrossed.
Gritty, twisty plot, tense, fast paced, murders and stalkers-what’s not to love.
I just loved all the characters. They are brilliantly written making the story so vivid with the detailed descriptions and the suspense that pulls you in from the first page. You’re kept guessing until the end, an ending that you don’t see coming. A emotional rollercoaster of a read. Just brilliant. I can’t wait to read more from @helenfields_author
Definitely recommend if you enjoy police procedural thrillers. This one doesn’t disappoint and is well worth a read.
With thanks to #NetGallery #AvonBooksUk for an arc of #WatchingYou in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 28 August 2025

Watching You
by Helen Fields
Pub Date: Aug 28 2025

The story is told via alternating chapters of the investigation with the perspective of that of The Watcher which is chillingly powerful. It's very fast paced, lots of twists and turns and very shocking at times! If you like thrillers, this one's for you!

Synopsis: On the dark streets of Edinburgh, a killer is waiting ... When a body is found, it is only the beginning. Soon there will be seven more ... In the city’s hospital, renowned surgeon Beth Waterfall is grieving ... Her beloved only daughter fell prey to a vicious stalker a year previously – and now he’s coming for her too.

Many thanks to #AvonBooksUK #NetGalley and #WatchingYou for providing me with an E-ARC of this fantastic book!

This is a great crime thriller.
DS Lively and the team have their hands full with several murders that have happened quickly in Edinburgh. Profiler Dr Connie Woolwine is brought in to help and as they’ve worked together before, the sharp comments between Woolwine and Lively soon begin.
Woolwine has some unusual methods when profiling and spending time with the dead in the mortuary, is just one of them.
The team are struggling to find a connection with the victims but as the reader, we have chapters from a deranged man, and can start to piece it together.
All is not what it seems though and there’s some great twists in this story.
This is a great crime thriller that I’d highly recommend.
Thanks to Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this book.

Riddled with twists and suspense😲

Totally tricky and eerily engrossing. This Edinburgh-set murder mystery was a real rollercoaster ride of emotions, with seemingly totally random and unconnected victims. Each killing method different and no clear motive until it all comes crashing into focus in a terribly exciting action climax. Captivated by the way it kept me guessing would there be a next victim and why. I felt bombarded by twists toward the story's end and loved it!

I also got really caught up in Mollie's despair at her unraveling life when she's attacked on the internet. These days, drawing attention that could result in internet trolling is a fate devoutly to be avoided but Mollie can't fathom why she's targeted and just can't get a break: reporting it to the police got her nowhere.

The author comes up with such fascinating psychological suspense in her plots. Not the first of her books I've read and definitely won't be the last!

Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 8/25/25 on Waterstones, Goodreads and Bookbub, and with Barnes & Noble and BAM. To be shared on kobo and Google Play upon publication.

I first came across Connie Woolwine and Baarda in The Institution and was completely hooked, so I couldn’t wait to dive into Watching You. Helen Fields doesn’t disappoint the writing is sharp, atmospheric and full of tension. Connie and Baarda make such a compelling duo, and I love how their dynamic continues to develop in this book. The plot kept me on edge, dark and unsettling in all the best ways, and I found myself racing through chapters because I needed to know what would happen next. A brilliant, addictive read. Helen Fields is fast becoming one of my favourite crime authors.

This one felt like reading a really good BBC murder procedural. Think Happy Valley, or one of those brooding David Tennant series where everything’s gray and tense and someone definitely isn’t making it to the finale. Watching You reads like that. It’s gritty, compelling, and quietly addictive.

The pacing works. It moves steadily without ever dragging, and the investigation threads hold their shape all the way through. I saw both of the big twists coming, but only shortly before they landed, which still made them fun. The final reveal, though. That one felt fresh. It’s not a twist I’ve seen before, and that alone earns it points.

The tone is exactly what I wanted. Tense, but not grim. Character-driven, but not overworked.

Over all, very solid. Very readable. Definitely recommended if you’re craving something that hits like your favorite British detective show and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

This book is everything I’ve come to expect from her: chilling, clever, and completely addictive. From page one, I was hooked. The atmosphere is intense, the pacing is perfect, and the characters are so vivid they practically step off the page.
There’s a haunting sense of unease that builds with every chapter, and just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, Helen pulls the rug out from under you in the best possible way. She knows how to write a thriller that gets under your skin and stays there.
You don’t just read her stories you feel them. The emotional depth, the sharp twists, the intelligence behind the plot... she never misses.
If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers that are as beautifully written as they are tense and unpredictable, Watching You is a must-read. Helen Sarah Fields has done it again.

This book is everything I’ve come to expect from her: chilling, clever, and completely addictive. From page one, I was hooked. The atmosphere is intense, the pacing is perfect, and the characters are so vivid they practically step off the page.
There’s a haunting sense of unease that builds with every chapter, and just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, Helen pulls the rug out from under you in the best possible way. She knows how to write a thriller that gets under your skin and stays there.
You don’t just read her stories you feel them. The emotional depth, the sharp twists, the intelligence behind the plot... she never misses.
If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers that are as beautifully written as they are tense and unpredictable, Watching You is a must-read. Helen Sarah Fields has done it again.

It begins with one dead body and then two more, nothing seems to connect them. There is one woman and 2 men all killed in different ways and in different locations but DSI Lively and forensic profiler Connie Woolwine know they need to find something . One clue slowly leads them to believe these are all being done by one person but why? Finally things begin to clear with the help of Dr. Waterfall putting her life in danger from a killer who stalked her daughter to death.
A great read although a bit over the top. If you just want a thrill read this one is for you. Fast paced and suspenseful it keeps to going page after page.

A body is discovered at a popular landmark in Edinburgh and the murder investigation team start their searches, but then there's another, and another, all different and seemingly unconnected and the team are struggling to find any clues to lead them to the perpetrator, so the police decide to draft in forensic psychologist Dr Connie Woolwine and her partner Brodie Baarda to speed things up. Meanwhile Dr Beth Waterfall is still mourning the loss of her daughter Molly to a vile stalker the previous year and it now looks like he's turning his attention to her. Can the team catch the killer and is Beth going to be The Watcher's next victim?

Watching You is the latest in the Connie Woolwine series, it can be read as a standalone but they are better read in order to understand the background of the characters. Having already read the first two I was looking forward to seeing how this one compared and was not disappointed. This one drew me in and captured my attention from the off and, once again, Fields delivered dark and dangerous by the bucketload. It's a fast paced read which I devoured in two days, told from various perspectives, including The Watcher, over past and present timelines. The characters are authentic and believeable and I love the bond that the team have, including Woolwine and Baarda. There is much intrigue and mystery within this story and I was floored when the murderer was finally revealed, definitely a twist you won't see coming! Another excellent edge of your seat read from Fields and I hope there's more to come from this series.

I'd like to thank Avon Books and Netgalley for inviting me to read this, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

A tricky clever and twisty hunt for a vicious killer. Know up front that this is gory. Know also that you might guess the identity of the villain but that this will not matter because the plot is more about the chase than it is the naming. The characters are well written and believable. I liked how Fields made Edinburgh a player. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers.

Another absolutely brilliant Helen Fields book. I just could not put it down until I finished it at 3am! Full of twists and turns and well crafted characters. I can’t wait for her next book!! It’s 5 stars from me.

Watching You was an intense journey, it was fast paced, thrilling and I found it hard to put down. The twist at the end was not something I saw coming, and was completely shocked by.

I really enjoyed the main characters in the book, Connie Woolwine is a very intriguing person. She has a very unique way of working. I'm always left wondering what she'll do next and why her mind works the way it does.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. It's a fast paced, well written, brilliant novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Helen Fields returns with another5 star read.
A dark creepy, intense page turner!
Dr Connie Woolwine is a fascinating character, a unique profiler, can she throw light on this series of brutal murders, they seem unconnected, but are Connie, DS Lively and DS Salter missing something?
This author creates characters who bounce off one another with easy banter, there are the familiar characters of DS Salter , DS Lively and Connie’s side kick Baarda.
Dr Beth Waterfall is a surgeon, she has had trauma in her life concerning her daughter Molly, a gifted artist, she feels she is being watched.
Connie uses her unique profiling skills to connect with the victims, she talks to them, touches them, as if they can hear her, she cares not what others think, only about drawing what she can from the three victims.
We see a softer side in this story to DS lively who is known and loved for his gruffness and sarcasm.
This book was unputdownable, full of twists, turns and surprises. A brilliant read..

Many thanks to Net Galley and Avon Books Uk For an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

Watching You was a fast paced thriller which kept me turning the pages until the end. Having been familiar with Connie Woolvine and other characters in previous books it was great to see them return.

I found the writing to be excellent, the characters were so well developed I couldn’t help but feel connected to them in some way. I particularly liked the way that Lively was different in this book and am glad that his story turned out the way it did, I liked the way he was happy but still grumpy with it all. The ending I found to be very interesting and was a very good concept.

You can read this as a stand-alone, but I think it would help to read previous works to get a true idea about Connie and the way she works a a profiler.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a well-rounded police procedural that kept me entertained for hours. The plot was slow to build, but when it did it was tense and exciting. Overall, I'd say this is a winner.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

I loved it. Book three in the Dr Connie Woolwine Series, although she also made an appearance in The Profile. Set in Edinburgh Forensic Profiler Connie and her partner Brodie Baarda are working with the MIT we usually see in the DI Callanach series. Luc and Ava are still away so DS Lively and the team, overseen by Superintendent Overbeck, are dealing with a number of seemingly random killings. Told in dual timeline and multiple POVs this is a fantastic, gripping and complex police procedural.

Briefly, with the killer still at large the team are struggling to make any connection between the victims. Connie is convinced that they have an active serial killer but even she is finding it difficult to prove. Meanwhile visiting a victim in hospital Lively meets trauma surgeon Beth Waterfall and there is a spark between them. Beth is going through her own anguish over the death of her daughter Molly ‘Mol’ who had been viciously stalked and the stalker has now turned their attention to Beth.

Another dark and twisted story from this author with a strong cast of characters and a really brilliant plot - it had me completely fooled and that really doesn’t happen often. Connie is such a good character, she is clever but very unconventional in her approach to getting into the mind of the killer, and the victims! What an excellent, edge of the seat read.