Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an audio/eArc in exchange for my honest thoughts. This book was a lot of fun! Fun in the creeped out, constantly looking over your shoulder, is the hiding man watching ME kind of way. I am a sucker for books featuring podcasts/talkshows so this was a shoe in for me. I enjoyed Nola as a character and Harvey was such a sweet character. We follow Nola who watched her babysitter be murdered by their towns infamous serial killer as a kid. Her dad also runs a local radio show talking about paranormal/ghost stories/etc. 20 year later the Hiding man seems to have returned and stuff gets creepy from there. I very much enjoyed this cast of characters, there wasn't anyone who i felt like was just making stupid choices to move the story along. All the characters felt believable to me. The plot while not super original was unique enough in it's own way to have fun while listening.

I enjoyed this book. I mostly listened to the audiobook but I would sneak chapters on my kindle here and there as I could. I highly recommend listening to the audio for this. It alternates between Nola and Jack. Nola’s sections also mix in 20 years ago. It gives a little more depth to the story. This author really knows how to write a story that keeps you engaged. Almost every bit is full of tension and suspense. I felt like I was there with the characters at some points. It’s crazy how so many things are intertwined in this book. (But I guess that’s the point, otherwise it wouldn’t be in the book?) The ending kind of threw me for a loop. Not what I was expecting at all.

I knew this book was going to be awesome when I read just two chapters before bed and had a nightmare. (Is it weird that I’m kind of happy about that? Haha.) This had all the vibes I’m into: a true-crime podcast host tangled up with a serial killer, creepy stuff happening a decade later, police procedural chapters, and genuinely unsettling moments. I loved how suspicious I was of every man in the story, and I was constantly questioning whether the main character was even reliable. The Hiding Man is such a terrifying concept, and I was glued to the pages (and my headphones—the audiobook is super well done). If you want something to creep you out and keep you on the edge of your seat, this is it!

I think I would have enjoyed this even more if it had stayed solely in the female main character’s POV. The police procedural side felt weaker in comparison, and I found the cop’s perspective a bit naive—I just couldn’t take him seriously. That said, this was still a solid read and easily earns four stars from me (audio gets five!) The spooky vibes were spot-on, and the reveal about The Hiding Man wasn’t predictable at all. :)

OH! And I’d be remiss not to mention the author’s background. She’s a podcast host herself, and her aunt was a victim of a serial killer—so there’s a deeply personal connection here that made the story even more impactful. It’s written with care and intention, and I can’t wait to read more from her (and check out her podcast too)!

This audiobook was well paced, easy to follow, and perfect on its own (but adding the physical text is always a treat in my opinion). Loved that there was more than one narrator for the alternating POVs!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was so intrigued to read this story once I learned Daphne Woolsoncroft, wrote this story based loosely on her missing aunt in real life.

This story is about the brutal unsolved crime that happened twenty years ago after Nola witnessed her 21-year-old babysitter’s murder, though still carrying the trauma since he was never found, When a woman called into the her radio show Night Watch, Nola is convinced that The Hiding Man has resurfaced and is now coming for her.

The book had the potential to be so much better than it was for me. It began with the perfect eerie, creepy atmosphere and premise that lead me on thrilling ride. Nola clearly was spooked from the trauma she suffered as a child, as well as the recent murders happening around her, then when the secrets of the past begin to unravel. I just knew who the Hiding Man was, or so I thought. Well, I was so wrong and the person who was the perpetrator was such a letdown. I was really enjoying the story up till the lackluster end, which caused a four-star rating. The narrators Helen Laser and Will Collyer did a great job, so I have no complaints with the audiobook. Thank you Netgalley, Hachette Audio, and Daphne Woolsoncroft for the audio-ARC.

True crime podcast narratives have quickly become one of my favorite subgenres, and Woolsoncroft masterfully delivers a haunting, atmospheric story that exemplifies the best of the form.

She captures voyeurism at its most compelling, crafting an unsettling yet utterly immersive experience. It’s the kind of story that pulls you in and refuses to let go. With a chilling blend of serial killers, sleuthing, and slashing, this is a dark thrill ride you won’t want to miss.

As a true crime podcaster herself, Woolsoncroft draws from her real-life expertise to craft a debut that is both gripping and memorable—a standout novel guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.

All the chills, all the thrills!

4.5 stars rounded to 5 for Goodreads

📚 Book Review 📚

I had not heard of Daphne Woolsoncroft before so I went into this one with no expectations.

This was a creepy start. Nola is a radio host for a late night programme called Night Watch and listens to spooky and macabre stories from callers each night.

One night, a woman calls in terrified for her life, convinced that someone is in her house. The line goes dead and a woman’s body is found the next day. This is very close to home for Nola because as a child, she witnessed the horrific murder of her babysitter by a notorious serial killer.

A whodunnit ensues with a red herring thrown in here and there. Although the start was really good, it got a bit lacklustre for me as the story continued and the ending was a bit flat. The best part of the audiobook for me was the narration at the beginning by the author, very interesting. I think I’ll check out the podcast!

I’d like to thank Hachette Audio, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This could have easily been a 4 or 5 star read for like 90% of the book. The ending left me thinking, really? That’s it? And in all honesty I wanted to rate it 1 star just out of anger from the ending but objectively it is not a 1 star. The writing is great and very addictive. I was hooked from the opening sentences and felt myself thinking about this book often when I wasn’t reading it. The build up to the climax of this book was amazing but in an instant everything was just over! It left me feeling incredibly unsatisfied. Even though the book pretty much wraps everything up nicely, it just fell short in the end for me personally.

Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft follows the host of a paranormal call-in radio show. When a strange call seems a bit too familiar to her childhood run-in with a notorious serial killer, Nola believes she's being stalked by The Hiding Man once again.

Nola, a late night call in show host, is a witness to a murder when she was a child. One night a woman calls into her show and everyone hears the lead to her murder. Is the killer back and watching Nola?

This was a solid thriller. I enjoyed the story however it didn’t have a hook or anything I will remember in the future. I listened to the audiobook. The female narrator was enjoyable. The male narrator came across in most of the book as a radio commentator. This may have detracted from the overall experience.

Thank you to Hatchett Audio and NetGalley for the alc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you @grandcentralpublishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

SUMMARY: Nola Strate is a late-night radio host in Portland, Oregon with a haunting past. As a child, she was in the house when her babysitter was brutally murdered. Nola glimpsed the killer who was wearing a terrifying and unique mask. The killer became known as the Hiding Man.

When a caller into her talk show gives a terrifying account of a masked intruder, it triggers traumatic memories of Nola’s childhood encounter with the Hiding Man. Nola knows she must uncover the truth because she knows the Hiding Man is coming for her.

MY THOUGHTS: This is one of those books I simply couldn't stop listening to! It opens with the chilling phone call to Nola's talk show, setting a tense tone right from the start! While Nola and her crew initially question whether it's a prank, Nola can't shake the unsettling feeling that the masked intruder might be the infamous Hiding Man from her past. The suspense continues to build throughout the narrative, with multiple narrators breathing life into the characters and their experiences. Each twist and turn keeps you on the edge of your seat, making it an unforgettable listening experience!

I went into this book not knowing anything about it. The introduction by the author instantly grabbed my attention. I’m a big true crime fan and to learn that she has a true crime podcast made the intensity that much more exciting!

Growing up in the PNW, being familiar with all the locations and streets mentioned, really upped the game for me. The creepiness factor was off the charts!

A thrilling storytelling and I loved every minute!

Daphne Woolsoncroft is a true crime podcaster, so I knew she would make a seamless transition to writing mystery/suspense. I was not wrong. In the Night Watcher we meet Nola Strate, who is a late night call-in radio host for all things haunted and cryptic. One night the call is so eerie that it freaks out everyone in the studio, especially Nola as it reminds her of a night in her childhood when she escaped a serial killer. Is the killer back? Is he watching her again? There were times I felt a rush of fear while reading, which I liked. The story moved along very quickly in two POVs in both the past and the present. I was not able to guess the ending and I was quite pleased with how the story concluded. I will look for more of Daphne's work in the future.

I both read and listened to this book and I highly recommend you choose the audiobook version. There are two narrators and they both did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. Nola is a radio host so to listen in to her on-air episodes in the audiobook felt very realistic. I do love a good mystery with a radio show/podcast piece to it.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Nola Strate, a late night radio host in Portland, Oregon, listens to stories of hauntings and cryptic sightings for a living. But one foggy evening, a caller describes an eerie scene that triggers memories of Nola’s childhood escape from a serial killer, and she fears he’s back to finish what he started.

This book was a perfect format for an audiobook! Loved the multi cast narration which really gave each character and their POV a distinct voice. The author is one of the narrators which I always love adds such a personal feel to the story.

I think fans of the Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer will love this one. Just the right amount of scary and creepy!

Thank you Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing, Netgalley and Daphne Woolsoncroft for the audio arc of Night Watcher
Narrated by Helen Laser; Will Collyer; Daphne Woolsoncroft

This is the first book Ive read of Daphne's and really appreciated the authors notes at the beginning. If you haven't already, check out Daphne's True Crime Postcast, Going West because there is a very personal note that links the Postcast and the production of this book. Night watcher is a medium paced rocket of a book that will pull you in from the first few pages, shakes you along the way and does not let go until the very end ! Our MC, Nola had to deal with a close shave with a murderer in her childhood and now, in her adulthood, she feels eyes on her again. Is this the murderer coming back to finish the job? Nola is desperate to uncover the person who she had named the Hiding Man.

I really enjoyed going on this journey with Nola, uncovering secrets and experiencing the genuine fear, claustrophobia and chilling moments that Nola experienced. Nola and the side characters felt relatable, flawed and real and coupled with great writing from Daphne, made for a very compelling read/listen.

All the narrators ( and its always great when an author decided to narrate their own books ) did a fantastic job building this thrilling and chilling ride of Night Watcher.

4 stars

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Hachette Audio and Grand Central Publishing.

Nola Strate, a late night call-in radio host in Portland, Oregon, listens to stories of hauntings and cryptic sightings for a living. But one foggy, wet evening, when a caller describes an eerie scene that triggers memories of Nola’s escape from a serial killer years before, she becomes fearfully aware that he is back to finish what he started.

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.

Night Watcher was a very thrilling and suspenseful debut. This book had the perfect amount of suspense and creepy factor to it. The true crime podcast angle was a smart and timely hook, and the book delivered plenty of genuinely unsettling moments. I really enjoyed Nola's story as she tried to figure out the identity of The Hiding Man and why he was back after all these years. The radio show was also a great added element and added a lot to the story. But I did think that the romance subplot was a bit unnecessary. It just did not feel natural in the context of the story. And the final reveal felt a little distant and did not land with the emotional punch I was hoping for after such a suspenseful buildup. A more personal connection could have made the ending far more satisfying. Overall, it was still such a well done debut. Woolsoncroft’s background as a true crime podcaster clearly shows.

Rating: 3.5/5

5 ⭐️

Thank you Hatchette Audio for the audiobook of Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft for a review!

I really enjoyed the audiobook and the multiple character narrators that brought this book to life! They were great listening to.

Okay I loved this book! I started reading/ listening to this late at night with one light on and I was immediately spooked. 👀 It started out with a creepy scene and from there it was suspenseful the rest of the way through! It read so easily and like a movie playing in my head. I LOVE when books are able to do that. The entire story I was seriously wondering WHO could this killer be?! A lot of suspicions about which character it was. I enjoyed the rainy and gloomy setting in Portland, Oregon to add to the creep factor. Please run to read this! 👻⛈️🔪

I finally found a good audio book!!

This book was about a radio host of one of those paranormal/crime type shows. She had been in her house when she was a child while her babysitter was murdered and saw the dude.

Well it's looking like serial killer dude is back and the readers of this book did such a good job! I about got my fat butt slung off the treadmill due to it though. I was just exercising away and it was at a really spooky spot of the book. My husband decided to take years off my life by just barging in at that time.

I'm not sure if the book would read as good as listening to it was but this was great.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

I generally steer away from mystery/thriller on audio, but wanted to get to this one asap and ended up listening on audio, and loved it! This really was a solid read from the beginning with great pacing, kept me guessing, and had intriguing characters and premise. I wasn’t terribly scared while reading, but I also don’t tend to get creeped out by books. My only critiques are that I really wished the ending left me wanting a bit more, and the 2nd POV we get didn’t feel totally necessary or I just needed more of a background on him. Solid debut!

This isn’t my usual kind of read—fiction about serial killers is typically a pass for me—but I was intrigued by Night Watcher because of the author’s unique perspective. Daphne Woolsoncroft, co-host of the true crime podcast Going West, draws from her own family’s history with a real-life case, bringing an eerie authenticity to this fictional story.

It’s creepy, unsettling, and honestly... kind of the stuff of nightmares. The audiobook is incredibly well narrated and adds a level of intimacy and dread that’s hard to shake. I’m not entirely sure the book was for me, but I can absolutely respect the skill and emotional weight behind it.

Thank you to the NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC. All opinions are entirely my own.

I found the pacing and structure of this suspenseful crime book about a serial killer, The Hiding Man, very odd. Night Watcher started out compelling, then was everywhere and all over for 80% of the book (different POVs, not nearly enough character development), and then the wrap up came sliding in just under the wire with one big reveal that was so out of the blue it didn't satisfy. I would have preferred the flow to be a bit more moderate with the delivery of twists and questions, instead of the staccato pace we got. That said, the story was interesting and not all hyped up, and I greatly appreciated such a realistic approach. It truly read like true crime.

The narrators were all right and easy to understand, but not great. I wasn't happy to hear the author chiming in, with both a forward and afterward, since she has a strident delivery I didn't care for. I found her voice out of all of them to be particularly grating. It was just a bit too sharp to listen to for very long. If I had the choice again, I'd absolutely go with the paper version over audio.