This grasped me from the very beginning. A fast paced, edge of your seat, page turner. A very thrilling horror novel that truly had my heart racing and made reading in the dark an unsettling experience.
I highly recommend this one!

Thank you, publisher, for the early copy!

I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrators were great and brought the story to life. I really enjoyed that our FMC hosted a podcast. The ending was not what I was expecting, but I still very much enjoyed it!

Nola Strate is the charismatic host of Night Watch, a popular paranormal podcast where listeners call in to share their ghostly encounters. But one night, a caller reaches out because she is being haunted by an entity? A person? And then the call ends in a horrific way. Nola isn’t just spooked; she’s triggered. Because she knows this story and she’s seen him before. He’s the man who murdered her babysitter in front of her eyes twenty years ago… and was never caught.

Could it really be him? Is The Hiding Man back?

Told through multiple perspectives - including Nola, Detective Jack, and even the killer—Woolsoncroft masterfully builds tension with each page. The fear of being watched, the eerie tap tap tap at the window, the creaking of an old house - it’s all here, expertly dialed up to keep you on edge. This is not a book to read alone at night… unless you enjoy that delicious kind of dread.

While I found the final reveal a little anticlimactic (I was hoping for a bigger twist!), it didn’t take away from the overall experience. The pacing, atmosphere, and hauntingly well-crafted narrative more than made up for it.

This book is perfect for fans of true crime podcasts, dark thrillers, and late-night scares. Woolsoncroft has taken the fear of being watched and turned it into something truly unforgettable.

“The creak, the squeak, from in the night,
Is quite enough to cause a fright.
But when you see his wielding knife,
It’s far too late, he’ll take your life...
This "He" is called the Hiding Man”

Watch the shadows - and read this book. You won’t regret it.

ok, so first of all, this book blew my mind! I find it very hard to believe this is Daphne Woolsoncroft's DEBUT novel! Absolutely loved this one. This book is chilling, eerie, captivating and very atmospheric. The way you feel like you're being watched is crazy! And to find this book is inspired by the disappearance, and presumed murder of her aunt! I have nothing negative to say about this book. I think this one is going to stick with me for a long time!

Nola Strate is a late-night radio host in Portland, Oregon. On this radio show, she has callers call in with chilling stories of paranormal sightings, hauntings or anything that's deemed cryptic. One evening, there's a chilling encounter with a lady on the phone who is convinced she has a ghost/intruder in her house.

Nola Strate is being watched again by the infamous serial killer referred to as "The Hiding Man." As a child, Nola had an encounter with this serial killer, and she has been running from this encounter ever since. She has installed all the safety measures that should welcome safety, but when all those measures seem to be failing after a storm, Nola is left on edge. Many

Can Nola solve the case of "The Hiding Man" on her own before he takes out his next target?

This audiobook was fantastic! Read by Helen Laser and Will Collyer. I really enjoyed listening to them, easy to understand. They kept me engaged and I couldn't wait to listen to more. Helen and Will helped set the chilling atmosphere! Highly recommend listening to this one!

Thank you to Hachette Audio and Netgalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was everything I was looking for in a read right now. From spooky settings, to flawed characters, and the true crime podcast element, I was hooked from the start.

Narration was impeccable and plot kept me guessing until the end!

Oh, that's a great cover on Daphne Woolsoncroft's new book - Night Watcher. The rain, the empty park and the lone figure. Are they waiting for someone? Or something else....

When Nola was a child, she escaped a serial killer called The Hiding Man. She's back in her home town and she still feels that crawling up her back...

Nola runs a late night call-in radio and ask her listeners to help.

(And I have to insert this here. Daphne Woolsoncroft, a Los Angeles native, is the host and producer of the hit true crime podcast Going West, with a 150K-200K listeners per episode and over two million monthly downloads. Well, of course I had to have a listen and loved it.) That experience really makes Night Watcher even better.

I chose to listen to the Night Watcher. I often find that I am more immersed in a tale when I listen. That was certainly the case with Night Watcher. The two narrators were Helen Laser and Will Collyer. They did a great job of present Woolsoncroft's work. Both spoke clearly and were easy to understand. Their voices suited what was happening in the book. I appreciate having two narrators - it makes things seem believable.

I liked this first book and will be watching for a second - THE SEASON OF SINKING Summer 2026.

I've long been a fan of Daphne's podcast, "Going West," so I was very excited to read this book. I'm thrilled to say it didn't disappoint.

Our main character, Nola, is the host of a radio show where people call in with their spooky stories. One night, she receives a very disturbing call that leads her to realize the Hiding Man - the serial killer she encountered as a child - is back.

This book was so eerie and made me feel like I was being watched just like Nola. It was also very fast-paced and unputdownable from the beginning, which I always love in a thriller.

I also appreciated the exploration of a complicated father-daughter dynamic and the effects of trauma.

I had the pleasure of listening to this one on audio thanks to Hachette and NetGalley, and it was an EXCELLENT way to devour this thrilling story. The narrators really brought our characters to life.

The ending was a bit disappointing and anticlimactic for a thriller bool, but I could also see how it fit in with Daphne's true crime podcaster background.

Overall, this was a very impressive debut that you should go pick up from your local bookstore ASAP!

This was sooo good! I ate this up! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc. Narrators did an amazing job

I really enjoyed this book! It had the feel of true crime which made it easy to get into. ----------

2.5 ⭐️
This fell flat for me. I was excepting it to be more creepy and thrilling based on other reviews, but it was just okay. The premise intrigued me: A true crime podcaster being stalked by a serial killer. But this was very slow. I also listened to this one which made this feel dry.

I love Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera which is also about a podcaster and the audio on that book had a lot of best production behind it. I couldn’t help but compare the two while listening. This was still interesting, it just didn’t stand out for me.

WOW THIS WAS A GOOD ONE. I loved the podcast element, I loved the creepiness of being watched at night. I loved everything about it. The narration cast really breathed life into the audio as well.

This first by a new to me author had everything I love about great mystery/thriller/horror stories: a serial killer cold case story, podcasting/true crime amateur detective sleuthing and a fantastic cast of audio narrators.

I really enjoyed the narrators and highly recommend it for fans of books like All the missing pieces by Catherine Cowles, Tell me what you did by Carter Wilson or Listen for the lie. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.

I read a lot of thrillers, but not all of them truly give me that scary feeling. This book was different; it was scary and creepy, and I loved every second of it!

The narration of this book was fantastic and really amped up the scary feeling of the book! I could feel how terrified they were of the unknown and how frustrated they were with trying to figure everything out. This is a great book that is made even better by the narrators.

I flew through this one! If you love thrillers that mess with your head and make you feel like you need to double-check your doors at night, you’ll probably love this. It’s creepy in that someone’s always watching way that gets under your skin.

I really liked how fast paced it was there was never really a dull moment, and I was always trying to figure out what was going to happen next. Some parts were a tiny bit predictable, but honestly 4.5/5!!

"If only all serial killers could have foolish media-given pseudonyms like the Weepy-Voiced Killer or the Doodler. They deserve to be publicly shamed, not glorified."

WOWZA! The 80s slasher horror vibes were ON. POINT! Talk about creepy... Nola Strate has a traumatic past; she had a run in with a serial killer called 'The Hiding Man' as a child and has tried to leave it behind her ever since. When a woman calls into the radio show Nola hosts and is attacked live on air, the description she gives sounds just like The Hiding Man. Folks, the image of this guy is the stuff of nightmares! Bad things begin to happen to Nola and she's certain she's being stalked. Has the killer come back for her? After all, he was never caught...

Talk about an intense fast paced read! I couldn't flip pages fast enough. I did a combo read with the audio and that was just as addictive. Only...don't listen if you expect any sleep because between Daphne Woolsoncroft's immersive and taut writing and the performances of Helen Laser and Will Collyer, you'll be on the edge of your seat in anticipation! You'll also get to hear Daphne read her introduction which is powerful and impactful!

Not only is NIGHT WATCHER chilling, it's whip smart and crackles with a visceral intensity. This is a STUNNING debut and I will absolutely be first in line for whatever Daphne writes next. The feeling of being watched will seep right out of the book and wrap around you, having you looking over your shoulder as you read! I LOVED. EVERY. MINUTE! Multiple POVs, a dip into the past and a serious game of cat and mouse will keep you up WAY past your bedtime. If this sounds like your jam, you NEED to read this NOW!
____

Thank you Novel Suspects, Grand Central Publishing & Hachette Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

The terror etched into this story by Woolsoncroft is done with an expert level of finesse that had me jumping every time I heard a sound in my house for weeks. The fast pacing, well developed characters, beautifully placed suspects, and climactic ending all came together to form one of my favorite reads of 2025. This book hooks you immediately and keeps hold all the way until the satisfying end.

The audio to this book was *chefs kiss*! It had me hooked from the very beginning. Some audiobook narrators are just not it but this was so good!

This book blew me away! I devoured this in one sitting, as I couldn't bring myself to stop listening (if you have the opportunity to listen to this one, you must, the audio is INCREDIBLE).
This was the perfect blend of thriller and horror with all of the spine tingling moments. This was also one of the few times where I could see where this book was going to go, but loved every second of the journey. There were plenty of twists and nuances that kept me on the edge of my seat and second guessing myself.
This was the kind of horror read that genuinely SCARED me because is there anything truly more terrifying than being stalked? Constantly feeling like there are eyes on you, like you are not safe in your own home? I feel like the convenience the killer had with getting his victims is what sent me the most. I won't spoil it, but my goodness, talk about trusting no one....
This is one I will recommend to everyone who wants to feel absolutely terrified, wants to feel like they should lock their bedroom doors when they sleep, or needs a horror read that can hit SO close to home. This is a phenomenal debut and I'm kicking myself for not picking this up sooner! Thank you, Hachette for the ALC!

The premise of this novel is strong and the serial killer is creepy, but the characters are pretty flat and make bad decisions, and the ending was pretty predictable.

This creepy, serial killer book was kind of all over the place, and the author offers up many red herrings from the very start, so sit your butt down and just enjoy the car crash. Don't do what I did and get so distracted by trying to figure it out that you get frustrated with all the possibilities.

This was a good thriller, had a good twist, and it was a compelling read where I wanted to get to the solution as fast as possible. But it was kind of middling, and I didn't recall much about it until I re-read the description a week later.

I'm not entirely sold on the reveal, but it was unexpected.