The Watson Girl

It was a great thriller that reminds was like criminal minds.

Interesting narrative that the chapters alternate between the thoughts of the serial killer and the FBI Agent, Tess Winnett. Tess is one strong character or is that stubborn. Enjoyed the Cat backstory with Tess and her "team". There was a point that didn't ring true for me at the beginning but Ms. Wolfe gave the reasoning in her notes at the end of the book and then it made perfect sense.

I'll just say the comparison to apples made me very glad the killer didn't find a McIntosh among his victims.

Would be interested in seeing more of Tess Winnett in future stories.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

The Watson Girl is the second exciting book in the F. B. I. Special AgentTess Winnett series written by author Leslie Wolfe. There's plenty of action and mystery. Excellent ending. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Italics Publishing for the advance copy.

4.5 Stars

The Watson Girl is Laura Watson. Fifteen years ago her entire family plus a neighbor's young son were brutally murdered in their home. Laura hid in a laundry hamper which saved her young life.

The murderer is sitting on death row ... his execution will be carried out in a few days. What they call The Family Man killed more than 30 families.

Special Agent Tess Winnett is instructed to interview the Family Man one more time, especially as there are questions that Tess needs answered. Much to her surprise, the killer denies killing 3 of the cases ... he says he didn't do those.

If he didn't kill them ... then who did? Does that mean there is a serial killer who has gotten away with murders for at least 15 years.

Tess and her team need to start at the very beginning of these cases and look for any anomalies. Is this a true copy cat running around free? Tess gets the honor of informing Laura that the man she thinks killed her family is not behind bars. Laura has agreed to regression therapy as she remembers nothing about that night. Will the killer come after Laura .. now that her memory may be repaired?

This is an excellent crime thriller! It is very well written with alternate chapters in the voice of the killer. The twist is that he seems to be speaking directly to the reader. The phrase Apple Of My Eye refers to something or someone that one cherishes above all others... he killer puts a new twist that phrase.

The characters are all defined with an eye to detail. Tess suffers from PTSD after being an assault victim. Laura is showing her strength in making her own decisions, and more or less telling everyone else to leave her to it. The killer is unique .. or uniquely written. He's the most captivating character of all.

Many thanks to the author / Italics Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this most interesting crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

FBI Special Agent Tess Winnett returns to work after a period of respite following an attack in the line of duty. Her first assignment is to interview a convicted murderer – The Family Man (Garza) accused of murdering more than 30 families. Except he denies being responsible for the death of 3 families. Tess must then consider whether he is telling the truth – but why lie? Is there a copycat killer out there responsible for these deaths – a serial killer that has got away with it for 15 years?

The narration is structured to unveil the plot through Tess and through ‘The Chameleon’ the pseudonym of the real killer.

Laura Watson’s family was murdered 15 years before and she escaped because she hid in a laundry basket. Now assimilated within her neighbours family she does not remember any details of the attack – until she does through the medium of regression.

Well written and thoroughly absorbing – but I did guess the baddie. Well worth a read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Compelling from start to finish. This book featured well crafted characters and storylines that kept me intrigued and eager to learn more. I appreciate the fact that the book wasn't graphic, despite the subject matter. I look forward to reading more books in this series!

For some reason, Laura Watson escaped the killer that wiped out her entire family, but she breathed a sigh of relief when a mass murderer was caught and convicted of killing her family, along with many more. Now the killer is about to be executed, but something doesn’t sit right with FBI agent Tess Winnett. While the man about to be executed is certainly a killer, he had always claimed not to have killed Laura’s family. But if that’s true, that means that the real killer is still out there. Is Laura in danger, or has he already set his sights on another innocent family? A literate thriller that readers of the genre will enjoy

Reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs, the second of the Tess Winnett trilogy has a "creep factor" that I loved! As many of the chapters are told from the killer's point of view, we witness his fascination with his prey as a "feast" that he compares to the many varieties of delectable apples that he anticipates savoring. When five-year-old Laura Watson is mistakenly left behind in the brutal murders of her entire family, she enrolls in a study to help regain her lost memories. In the meantime, FBI agent Tess and her team try to unravel the mystery as they suspect that another serial killer on death row who is slated to die is not the killer in this case. Working against time, Tess must deduce, eliminate, and follow leads that will eventually lead to the truth. Breakneck pacing and witty dialogue make this my kind of thriller! Now I will go back and read the first and the third. Tess is a heroine to follow!

Fantastic book!! Thank you to NetGalley and Italics Publishing for a copy of this book to read and review. The Watson Girl is the lone survivor when her family were murdered in their home 15 years ago. She was hiding in the laundry basket and the killer missed her. Now it is almost time for the killer to be executed and FBI Special Agent Tess Winnett is told by the murder on death row that he didn't kill the Watsons as well as 2 other families. Laura Watson is in danger and Tess is the only one who believes it.

FBI Special Agent Tess Winnett is a unique character, and is featured in a series of serial killer thrillers by bestselling author Leslie Wolfe. Tess has had a traumatic life; she was a rape victim, and a recent stabbing victim, leaving her slightly bitter and very difficult for her co-workers to partner up with. She is a perfectionist and works cases without thinking of the consequences to others – her only focus is to solve them and she will stop at nothing. In the second installment of the series, The Watson Girl, Tess has found new evidence that a serial killer dubbed The Family Man isn’t responsible for at least three murdered families that he is blamed for; her work to bring the actual serial killer to justice will step on many toes and make several of her law enforcement colleagues look incompetent, which doesn’t make her very popular. It seems she is on the verge of being fired, and most of the other agents would like to see that happen.

Laura Watson isn’t aware that her family’s murderer is free and still murdering, but she wants to remember the details of that horrible day 15 years prior when she was five years old and hid in a laundry hamper to escape being killed. Laura needs closure, and appears on television with a psychologist who believes she can help Laura remember by using some new methods. This, of course, makes the real killer anxious that he may be caught, and he decides it’s time to kill Laura.

The chapters in the story go from Tess to Laura to the serial killer. The prose is well-written, and the most interesting part is that readers can get insight into how a serial killer actually thinks. Although it may not be what serial killers really think (who can really be sure), it seems very true-to-life and is very believable. What is a typical story in the thriller genre has been elevated to fascinating because of these insights into the killer’s thoughts.

As with any good thriller, the protagonist and main characters, who, incidentally, are well-developed, are in danger for their lives, and the building suspense makes it difficult to put the book down. Wolfe has done an excellent job of telling the story and most thriller aficionados will welcome Tess as a new and innovative hero. The Watson Girl is a fast read with a great storyline.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Witnessing the brutal act of murder of her family, while hiding in a clothes hamper, five year old Laura Watson, goes to live with her father's partner's family. She is raised by them and has it seems come to terms with what has happened to her. However, she remembers nothing of the time this carnage was taking place in her home. Now fifteen years later, Laura is asked to participate in a new field of psychology called regression therapy which will endeavor to bring back those memories so long hidden within her. Laura decides to participate but there is evil headed in her direction. For even though the police think they have caught the serial killer responsible for a multitude of these family killings, they haven't.

Tess Winett and her team trip to the fact that the serial killer, who was caught tried and convicted for over thirty of these family type killings and is scheduled to die is not the same one who has murdered Laura's parents and siblings. Tess and her team, through exhaustive work track the hidden serial killer who has mimicked the original family killer. He has remained hidden and plans his killings with the precision of a psychopathic mind. There is only one problem for him and that is that Laura is still alive and even though she has forgotten everything, she is about to enter a therapy where she just might remember.

The hidden killer is presented in chapters as he speaks to you the reader and allows you to see into his mind, his motivation, and his blood lust. He is terrifying in his accuracy, his planning, and his ability to hide himself and portray himself as a normal person. He plans his killings with precision. To the observer he is normal in every way as psychopaths often are. He is brilliant as he reasons in his mind why it is normal for him to kill. He compares his targets to eating apples, each one of them is a type of apple to be savored and enjoyed.

This was one frightening book as the author takes us into the demented mind of the killer as he plans on taking his next victim and of course doing away with Laura. Not for the faint of heart for sure, but definitely a novel for those who like a psychological thriller that will certainly scare you and keep you engrossed until the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Italics Pulishing for an ARC of this novel.

This is is very well written crime thriller. The account of the murders from the killer’s perspective is definitely refreshing and interesting. His reference to eating apples to his desire to kill is quite chilling! Although I could guess the identity of the killer quite early in the book, despite the red herrings, the book still has lots of actions and mystery to captivate and engross the reader.
I would definitely recommend this book. I would love to read more from this author.

This is my first Leslie Wolfe novel and I didn't realize it was the second in the Tess Winnett series until after I had started. I think this works well as a standalone novel, although there were some references to the character's past that may have been answered in the first novel, Dawn Girl. I will probably check that one out the next time I'm in the mood for a fast-paced thriller. I may have to wait a little bit, though. I can only handle so much serial killer/ psychopath drama before I start to second guess my own neighbors and coworkers.
The Watson Girl is the kind of book I quickly get absorbed in. It's a thriller with a social-skills-challenged female FBI Agent who rivals James Bond with her ass-kicking, as well as her improbable survival skills and gut instincts. It's hard not to compare this novel to Silence of the Lambs. This seems to be a deliberate tip of the hat by the author (unless I'm pronouncing Therese wrong and it doesn't rhyme with Clarice). I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the TV show Criminal Minds.

Thanks to NetGalley for this book. Although I had not read the first in the series by Ms. Wolfe, I don't think it was necessary (although I plan to - as well as the rest of them).

Tess Winnet is an FBI agent, recovering from an attack, who's brought back to interview a mass-murderer called "The Family Man" before his execution. Which leads to the discovery of another serial killer.

This book is written from the points of view of the three main characters: the uncaught killer, the survivor, and the FBI agent.