I Am Watching You

by Teresa Driscoll

What would it take to make you intervene?

When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared.

A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life.

Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own.

Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook, Crime

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2017

About the author

Teresa Driscoll is a former BBC TV news presenter whose psychological thrillers have sold over two million copies in more than 20 languages. Her first thriller I AM WATCHING YOU was kindle #1 in the UK, USA and Australia and has sold more than a million copies in English alone.
Teresa writes women's fiction as well as thrillers and her work has been optioned for film.
During her long career as a journalist, Teresa worked for newspapers, magazines and television, including 15 years presenting the BBC TV news programme Spotlight. Covering crime for so long, she was deeply moved by the haunting impact on the relatives, the friends and the witnesses and it is those ripples she explores now in her darker fiction.
Teresa lives in glorious Devon with her family and blogs regularly about her "writing life" at her website - www.teresadriscoll.com.

Reviews

[Obsidian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for "Free Space/Creepy Raven". "I am Watching You" by Teresa Driscoll which is a thriller/mystery.

Eh where to begin. Besides the poorly developed characters, the switching from first to third person, and the slut shaming that was thrown in for good measure, I don't know what to think of this book. The initial premise intrigued me, too bad that Driscoll decided that instead of sticking with one character throughout which would have made the book stronger, she jumped around to four other characters. I started seeing shades of "The Girl on the Train" with this book and for those that read my review of that book, it's not a compliment.

I just ended up losing interest in everyone. I only kept reading to see if I was right about the villain in this one. I was off, but honestly, the author doesn't even lay out any clues for you to get this is the bad guy/girl (being vague on purpose). It comes out of left field and the wrap up is just ham-fisted.

Ella (The Witness) is taking the train and noticed two young girls. She immediately decides she should keep an eye on them when two young men board the train and start talking to them. She eavesdrops and realizes the two men are fresh out of jail and the girls and the men end up talking and drinking together. She overhears the one girl's name (Anna) and is able to piece together that she lives on a farm. Ella is tempted to call Anna's parents or warn the girls for talking to these men. When she walks to get something and overhears one of the girl's having sex in the bathroom (Sarah) she gets upset that she thought they were nice girls and washes her hands of them.

When Ella wakes the next day after getting blitzed she is afraid she may have done something like call the girls mothers. Turning on the TV she is floored to see a broadcast talking about one of the girl's she saw on the train.

Cue a year later.

Driscoll follows several people throughout the book. The chapters are titled "The Witness (Ella), The Father (Henry), The Friend (Sarah), The Investigator (Matthew) and Watching....no spoilers to who that is.

Honestly the whole book reads as repetitive as anything. Ella's sections are just her defending why she didn't get involved (she brings up Sarah having sex in the bathroom and her own son watching porn and reading magazines with a disapproving air) and then realizing she needs to get some help when she starts receiving mysterious postcards in the mail blaming her for Anna's disappearance. Matthew, is dealing with the fact he's about to become a new father amd is still adjusting to his life after leaving the police force. Henry keeps going over the last thing Anna said to him. And Sarah is hiding a lot more than you would think about her home life.

Driscoll chooses to tell Ella's sections in first person and the other sections except for the Watching sections in third person. It's hard to keep adjusting to the shift in narratives. Especially because each chapter is only a couple of pages long. I'm baffled that Driscoll just didn't stick with Ella. Maybe she didn't cause there's not a lot there. Ella is a florist, happily married, and has a son. Her focus on Anna would make sense if we got to see any semblance of the things that Driscoll describes after the fact.

Ella apparently got harassed when her name as a witness was released. People blamed her for not intervening. In the day of social media I can believe that something like this could have happened. It would have made sense if Driscoll showed that. Because a year later it seems most people have forgotten her except for Anna's family and the police.

The writing was so so. I realized after finishing this the main reason I got annoyed is that there is literally no clues to who the killer is and why. I think the main reason I loved "The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" is that the author makes sure that there are real clues for you to follow as a reader. You can solve the crime. The author for this book throws out a twist that is ridiculous and you get no hint of who the killer is at all. Heck, I don't care for "The Girl on the Train" but at least the author left enough there for you to connect the dots.

The flow isn't great. The book has bright spots here and there. I liked Matthew and that was about it. I'm realizing now maybe him being the main character would have worked better. Heck Driscoll could have turned this into a series if she had him be the lead.

The ending was just the author trying to tie up loose ends. I honestly think there was a lot left to explain, but I was just glad to be done with this. At least I got it as a Kindle First pick for September.

[Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Am Watching You is a thrilling suspense novel by Teresa Driscoll. There is a reason it has been on the Amazon Bestseller charts - it is a very gripping, well told tale!

Ella watches on a train as two local girls on their way to London get mixed up with two unsavory men just released from prison. She wants to say something, but doesn't. The next day she finds out that one of the girls has gone missing. Consumed with guilt, she goes to the police but, of course, it's really too late.

This, however, is just the beginning of the harrowing tale. The girl is missing, the two men are missing, Ella is receiving threats and everyone has secrets. Perhaps because I, too, live in a small community but all aspects in this story seemed quite real. The inter-connectedness of everyone, the secrets and lies. Told from multiple view points we, the reader, see how each person's involvement overlaps and the butterfly ripples were created. I also now see that there were so many clues along the way that I completely overlooked! Most likely I will re-read it just to spot them all!

I highly recommend I Am Watching You and hope you enjoy too! Thank you to Amazon Kindle and Teresa Driscoll for my Goodreads Giveaway copy.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook at the beginning of January. As soon as I was done, I typed my review into a Word document. However, I can't find it anywhere now. I also deleted all of my notes (since I was done my review).

So I am going to try my best!

I am still relatively new to audiobooks but I'm starting to enjoy them. I find them perfect to listen to while doing chores or when I'm in the car. It's also nice to give my eyes a break sometimes.

I was really intrigued after reading the description for "I Am Watching You". If I was on a train or other public transportation and I saw young women getting ready to head off with men just released from prison...would I intervene? First of all, I would probably have earphones in and wouldn't hear their conversation. But if I did hear it? I'm honestly not sure what I would do.

The story was told from multiple points of view and I normally don't have an issue with that. We had Ella, The Father, The Friend, The PI, and more. With so many characters and their individual stories, there was a lot to keep track of and at times things didn't seem to fit. For the most part, I was able to keep up, but I occasionally found myself getting distracted, thinking of everything but what I was listening to. The multiple characters and story-lines left me feeling a bit disconnected from the story, but I was still intrigued and really wanted to find out what happened to Anna!

Though I did have a few issues with the novel, overall, I enjoyed it. There was a decent amount of mystery and suspense, and I was very surprised by the ending, I never saw it coming!

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast, enjoyable read that held my interest but ultimately left me disappointed. The final reveal lacked excitement for me. All the build-up and backstories were suspenseful and they definitely served their purpose, but the resolution was rushed and unanticipated.

Every character had something they were hiding which made for a good suspect list. I had to keep reading because the next chapter might be the one where the really big secret was revealed. While I was able to pick up some little things here and there, I did not figure out the story behind Anna's disappearance. Some small elements of the story seemed unnecessary; they didn't add anything to the plot. (Sal's pregnancy is one example)

I enjoyed this book and it was a solid 4 star read... until the disappointing ending. I struggle now with how many stars to give this -- it was an enjoyable read and just because I didn't care for the resolution (and I didn't see it coming) doesn't mean I should rate it lower. In fact, maybe I should rate it higher because I didn't see it coming. I've settled on somewhere between 3.5-4, so I will round up to 4 stars.

[Kylie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting thriller that sees Ella on a train bound for London, seated near he two teenage girls. Two young men enter the carriage and it soon becomes apparent that they are fresh out of jail. This doesn't deter the girls however, and they soon strike up a friendship. Ella becomes increasingly worried about them, but then stops herself from intervening at the last minute.

The next day one of the girls, Anna, is reported missing, and Ella is beside herself, wondering if she could have helped the girl instead of turning away. Anna's friend Sarah is saying much about what had happened to them the previous evening and the police soon run out of leads. But what is Sarah hiding? Who else in the girls' families are keeping secrets? And who is sending Ella anonymous postcards?

I found myself frantically racing through this book in one sitting, trying to work out what had happened and kept coming up with what the police did, dead ends! I will definitely be looking for more of this authors work and recommend this book to all lovers of mysteries and psychological thrillers.

[Malia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this was a it of a meh read for me. So many people and POV's (which I usually enjoy), and shifts between first and third person muddled up the plot for me and even though the writing was good, I never felt the characters developed very much apart from Ella. I was definitely intrigued by the story, but by the half-way point, found myself a little confused and not terribly invested. Still, I wanted to know how it would end and what had actually happened to Anna, the missing girl. The resolution felt a little rushed after such a long build-up and a little unsatisfying at that. All the same, I didn't think it was a bad book, just not a great book either.

Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com

[Elisabeth Plimpton · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A creepy and engaging mystery!

Two young men get released from prison and are on the same train as two girls heading out for a fun weekend in London. Ella happens to witness the young women get a little too cozy with them. Being a mother, she questions if she should reach out to their parents. She decides against it, and shortly after one of them, Anna, turns up missing. Ella, struck with guilt, starts to receive mysterious postcards that blame her part in the crime.

A year passes with an unyielding investigation. Everyone has secrets, and the search for answers continues when new leads are discovered. What really happened to poor Anna, who was behind it, and why? Could she still be alive? All the characters seem to have a questionable part in her disappearance.

This was a fast paced mystery. I couldn’t wait to find out how it all played out. The reveal was shocking. Without any clear clues, there wasn’t a way to predict the ending. I didn’t see it coming, as it seemed to come out of nowhere. Nevertheless, the novel was suspenseful. The author throws you curve balls that keep you guessing.

Overall, I Am Watching You is a fun and chilling mystery with an interesting set of characters. The plot takes unexpected twists and turns. The ending was surprising and clever as all the parallel storylines came together. Being at the edge of my seat while reading, I throughly enjoyed this gripping mystery.

[Kirstin · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF .. don't think I've ever given up on a book so fast! I immediately hated the way it was written, the self evaluation of her naivety and the fact it just didn't feel at all realistic... I mean, come on, would anyone overhear a conversation and then start thinking about ringing a strangers mother to warn them their daughter is associating with the wrong type of person?????

[Nazanin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Anna and Sara lied to their parents and instead of going to watch a movie, they were seen in a train. That night Anna was missing and Sara couldn’t remember what happened. But there is a witness who saw them in the train with two men who got out of prison. Ella, the witness, heard their conversations and wanted to call but she was distracted at that moment and sometime later she saw Anna’s picture as a missing girl. One year later, Anna’s still missing, Sara still can’t remember and Ella feels guilty and blames herself for not calling. And let’s not forget about nasty notes she receives, like:

WATCH YOURSELF.
I DO…

It was an okay read for me. It was real slow. But my main complaint is the author wrote more about the characters’ personal life and less about Anna’s missing or the mystery. It’s told in multiple POV (both in 3rd and 1st person) and one of them was a private investigator that Ella was hired but I really didn't understand his role in the story because until the first 70% he was with his wife and his newly born daughter, like all the time! Anna’s father most of the time thought about his past with his father and his past with his girls! Ella was stressed out about her son! The Watcher’s POV was too short and actually it didn’t have anything to say, it wasn’t even thrilling! Sara was involved with her personal life! So there was less about Anna and her missing! The characters’ personal life was a bit too much in this story for me! But it was unpredictable!

Thanks to Teresa Driscoll, Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced digital copy in exchange an honest review.

[Zoeytron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A teenage girl goes missing after a special night out with a girlfriend. Story told primarily from the viewpoints of the witness, the private investigator, the father, and the friend. I really didn't mind the way this was put together, although at this point it would be positively refreshing to read something that does not employ the use of a multiple POV framework. I enjoyed it well enough, but found myself thinking about what I wanted to read next before getting this one finished.

This was a Kindle First offering, and I do appreciate the opportunity to read it at no charge.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-done, well-paced mystery. The main mystery is what happens to teenager Anna Ballard. She and her friend Sarah are on a train to London when they meet two men carrying garbage bags who admit to just getting out of prison. Mother and wife Ella overhears this and wonders if she should call the parents. When Anna goes missing overnight, Ella is wracked with guilt for not acting sooner and is also vilified in the media—including social media—for not doing something before it was too late.

Everyone has secrets, which we know because the story is told from multiple points of view. Sarah doesn’t tell the police the whole truth. Anna’s father isn’t telling the whole truth. Ella’s son has secrets. What’s initially ominous to Ella, however, is the series of threatening notes she receives—and also doesn’t tell the police about. She does let a private investigator know. Matthew quit the police force to become a PI for reasons that are kept secret to the reader for most of the book.

I had a little trouble buying that everyone would blame a mother who didn’t call the parents on the fact the girl went missing. Other than that, though, I really liked the characters of Matthew in particular. Ella’s guilt seemed misplaced, but I’m not a mother and, happily, I’ve never been in the position of watching a teenage girl make terrible choices and then go missing.

I thought this was fun and an easy, fast read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

For more of my reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ella Longfield was on her way home on the train when she notices two young girls flirting with two men that she is sure are just out of prison. Ella is of course concerned and debates on what she should do to make sure the girls are safe. Should she call someone? Approach them? But as the trip goes on one thing leads to another and Ella finds herself home without having done anything. The next morning she awakens to see on the news that one of the girls, Anna, had gone missing the night before.

A year goes by from that fateful night with Ella still upset that she hadn't done anything and possibly stopped Anna's disappearance and with the girl still gone someone else decides Ella is at fault and begins sending her threatening letters. Ella hires an investigator to look into the letters and with the anniversary of the disappearance a public appeal is planned but before long it becomes clear that others are also hiding secrets about that night and just what happened to Anna.

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll ended up being one of those thriller reads that to me just wasn't as thrilling as I hoped it would be. There are a few reasons I could think of that kept me from completely becoming immersed in the story and on the edge of my seat like I prefer to be in this type of book. I thought maybe a part of that would be the simple explanation of the huge time jump shortly after the story began. Jumping a year into the future after a person goes missing seems to leave little hope for a good outcome so as much as I was still a bit curious it failed to really grab me just at that point early in the book.

Now another thing with this one that seemed to make it a bit tougher to connect to the story for me was the way the book changes the point of view between several different characters. The chapters are titled with things such as The Witness (Ella), The Father, The Friend and eventually The Private Investigator along with a couple of other POVs later in the book so as it's switching I was struggling to match who was who and the characters were just not popping out to me and taking a life of their own. Perhaps it was the style or perhaps I just didn't feel there was enough depth to them to really connect but it gave the story another bit of slowness to it.

In the end this one was simply one of those books that to me was just an alright read that hadn't really grabbed me as much as I prefer. It wasn't that I didn't like it but more of one that I will find a bit forgettable once moving on from it since nothing really popped out to me or became overly exciting in my opinion. Perhaps other will enjoy it a bit more than I did with the style in which it was written though.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly well done mystery that takes place after a teenage girl goes missing while on a trip to London. It shows how everyone suffers the ripple effects from a single event. Told from multiple points of view, we hear from the parents, a friend, a witness and a private eye. All the immediate friends and family have secrets they are hiding which we are let in on bit by bit.

I found myself fascinated by the witness and how she was treated by the community. So many of us would have done the same, not taken the extra step to get involved, especially given she didn’t know the girls or even their last names. In fact, when we read so often of people directly witnessing crimes and not stepping in, her actions seem almost minor and definitely understandable.

There are some parts of the book which I struggled to figure out why they had been included. The book could have been compressed which I think would have led to a much more streamlined, better book. Did I really need to hear how Ella puts together bridal bouquets?

It’s not a fast paced book by any stretch. It’s more of a steady Eddie. I really wanted to see what had happened to Anna, but I wasn’t enthralled by this one at all. And I was dissatisfied by the ending, which seemed a bit of a rush job after all the lead up getting us there.

The narrator does a decent job. She doesn’t attempt to make the voices different.

[GirlWithThePinkSkiMask · Rating 3 out of 5]

TRIGGER WARNING: SA

THE PLOT

Ella is on the train eavesdropping as we all do—except the tea she heard was exceptionally disturbing. Two fresh out of prison ex-convicts hitting on two teenage girls. Ella tries to forget what she heard, but that soon proves impossible when one of the girls, Anna, goes missing, and the two ex-cons are suspects. Already hated on by the media for being a bystander, Ella starts receiving mysterious hate mail. Why is this person so mad? And what really happened to Anna?

MY OPINION

*sucks teeth* This really had a lot of potential but the ending was disappointing. The writing was good; I'm noticing now I tend to like authors who are former journalists. They know how to write concisely and each has a unique voice. Some of my fave excerpts (rule of threes strikes again):

Henry glances at his watch. An hour to go. He ought to get back. Have a shower. Have another row with Barbara. Try one final time to calm things down before he faces the music proper.

Tim’s dad showed no interest in him all his life, then suddenly got cancer. Got God. Got in touch.

Simple. Rhythmic. Showing not telling. You can feel the disdain of Henry. You can feel the apathy toward Tim's dad for being a cliche absentee father who pops up at the end in hopes of narcissistic redemption.

Anyways. My famous gripes...

While I enjoyed the writing quality, there was room for improvement on the voice of each character. See, the following line had me convinced Ella was of the unreliable narrator variety and in fact didn't even have a husband or child and had something to do with Anna's disappearance:

I wanted to phone not because I was worried for the girls, but as a punishment, because I was angry at how Sarah had made me feel.

For context, she overhead Sarah having sex with one of the ex-cons on the train (this is revealed in the first chapter so chill). The "I was angry at how Sarah had made me feel" implies this chick has serious problems that would cause her to wild out and potentially kidnap another teenage girl. Why would you be angry at a stranger for having sex in the bathroom? Why do you take it personally like Sarah intentionally bussed it open just to annoy you? Anyways, I spent the entire book waiting for Ella to show her crazy side all because of that one line......... But nope. Just turns out she's a small-minded lady with "traditional values."

You might read that and think, well maybe Driscoll is trying to trip you up? I considered that, but other than that one line, there wasn't any clues Ella was actually a nutjob. It's just that line really stuck to me like white on rice, so I was sure it was foreshadowing creepy behaviour to come. I think it was just an innocent line that I read into a little too much because I've read too many thrillers in my lifetime and I'm always on high alert for red herrings.

I did like the alternating POVs but in the end they were unnecessary. I guess the author was going for character study, but none of the other characters really contributed to the plot. It was just a lot of catch up between POVs to build suspense. It was clear Henry was just a manwhore, not a murderer. It felt like Sarah was assigned some rando trauma so you wouldn't be annoyed she ditched her friend for an ex-con. I kinda liked "the watcher"—spooky vibes. And I guess the PI POV was "necessary" because the mystery had to be solved by a credible character and not one of the regular degular townspeople.

Also, I think this is more of a YA book.... All the main players in this debacle were teens. The adults were just kinda there to provide feels. But it all comes down to the teens. So yeah. I think if I had known that, I would've skipped it.

PROS AND CONS

Pros: Creative writing, mystery keeps you guessing
Cons: Unnecessary POVs, more like a YA book

[Alan Cotterell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing

This did improve as I approached the end , but not enough to make it a good book, just Ok.
I felt that it was told from too many points of view, which I usually like, but not in this case. Didn't help switching from 1st to 3rd person
I kept drawing parallels with The Girl on the Train, which in my case is not a compliment. I lost interest and only carried on to see if my guess was correct, it wasn't, but to be honest the answer comes out of the blue. Really don't think there were any clues as to what had happened. It was if the author didn't really know how to end it and made some random stuff up. Only good thing about it, I managed to read in a day, so didn't waste too much time on it.

[Lori Krause · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story. I am surprised it was a 'best seller' because the characters lacked depth, and the narrative lacked suspense, in my opinion. Although an attempt was made but didn't quite come to fruition. I will say I expected more from the book seeing how popular it was. Then again, it did have its moments. The story itself was interesting, and the reason I finished. It did take a little bit of encouragement, though. Usually, I would have read the book much faster, but I struggled with this one. Of course, everyone has different tastes and opinions, and this is mine, 'A narrative that had a real chance but fell flat.'

Sorry, all!

[K.J. McGillick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twist

Never would I expect the ending. Everyone had a secret, lives were ruined and in the end for nothing. Twist

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this author's writing and her previous two novels are among my favourite reads ever so I was eagerly waiting for this book. And wow! With this amazing, unputdownable, suspenseful masterpiece, Teresa Driscoll proves that she is right up there with the best thriller writers of today. This book is genius! What I admire most about this author is her beautiful writing, spare and yet heart-wrenching, and this book combines that wonderful writing with a tense, page-turning plot. A tense, pacy, sensitive and emotional story, written in the author's stunning and heart-tugging prose. A book that makes you think, one that will stay with me for a long time. One of the best psychological thrillers I have read! Right up there with Gone Girl and in my opinion better than The Girl On the Train. Cannot wait for more from this brilliant, versatile and incredibly talented author.

[Joey R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, fast paced read

I usually don’t read unknown authors (especially British ones) but decided to read this under my Kindle unlimited plan. I was very surprised at how well written the book was. The author did a great job keeping me guessing to the end and each chapter ended with a mini-climax which makes you want to keep reading. A very good plot with good character development makes this a must read. One note for the author— for your male readers a little less descriptive in the flower /florist areas of the story would make this reader a Lot happier.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, amazing plot, never saw it coming 🤐

Seems like most people have something to hide in this book📸

This book has more than a few sordid details surrounding Anna's story. I loved all the guessing and secrets unfolding throughout the book, it really kept me interested the whole time. I have to say even though there were some clues I didn't guess the whole plot, so it was I surprise till the end for me.

Happy Reading 📚📚📚📚📗📙📒📘📓📕📚📗📓📚



Happy Reading 📖📕📔📘📗📒📚📓📚📙📔📒📘📗📕📖

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm genuinely salty AF right now 😒 Not only did a waste my very precious reading time on this awful book but I also broke my 2023 good book reading streak I was having!

This book follows the case of a young girl who goes missing in London after a night out with a friend. It follows various POV's from a witness that saw her on the train the day she went missing to her friends, family and a detective investigating the case all leading to uncovering the mystery of her fate.

This book started off interesting enough but it quickly jumped the shark. I could not connect with any of the characters, they were all pretty unlikeable people with the exception of the investigator.
The writing was so tedious it was hard not to dnf, I had to sit through an entire chapter of how to make flower arrangements and another chapter explaining why a character has a deep hatred for flies!!!! WTF?! All bc I am stubborn and wanted to know what freaking happened to the girl!!

So, did I at least get a good payoff for my investment? NO!!!! When we finally find out what happened it was so ridiculous! It felt like it came out of no where, there was no build or set up to even think that would be the outcome. 😤😤😤

Now I have a pressing question to all my British besties on here! I had to look up what "doing a bunk" means, I had no idea 😂 My question is, is this phrase super common bc it's used in this book A LOT! 😂😂💙💙

[Nancy (trying to catch up after a very busy May) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m glad I stumbled across this book on Audible. I wasn’t familiar with the author, but the ratings were good so I decided to give it a go.

I Am Watching You is about Anna, a teenaged girl who goes missing after going into the city with her friend. A witness sees the girls chatting with 2 men on the train who are recently out of prison, and despite her instincts to say something, decides to keep to herself only to find out the following day that Anna is missing.

It is told from multiple POVs: the friend, the witness, the father, the PI and the watcher. It was a fast paced and kept me guessing. 4 stars.

[Virginie Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 : a great thriller!

There were some lenghts along the way, but nothing major. The short chapters kept me engaged and maintained a good pace. I loved the multiple point of views, they were all equally interesting.

In addition to the main plot, there is a lot of other things going on. It's not only a thriller, but also a drama because we dive into the lives of other characters linked to the disappearance of the young woman and some parts were really touching. The ending wasn't phenomenal, but decent and satisfying enough.
I recommend this book! 📚

[Sean Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well great to join in a buddy read, with a group of us reading this book for January.

Some great points about this book, firstly I do enjoy the stories/chapters from all the different main characters in the book.

A great opportunity to build the story through the characters and plots, build the tension and it does work so well.

When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared.

A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life.

Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own.

Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.


So many hidden secrets from a wide array of great characters, great tension, gripping and well told especially from the main character Ella.

A great first novel, although I did not guess the end, it all happened a little quickly, this was the only weak link in the book.

So four stars.

[Lacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Kindle First for allowing me to read this before the publication date in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not for me. I tried and tried to get into it, but I struggled a lot. I finished it and I feel like I didn’t really even read anything. I was pretty disappointed with all of the things that went on through this story.

First, I had a really hard time with the characters. The characters intrigued me in the beginning with the story and how things were progressing, but as I got further and further in, I couldn’t find a character that I liked or related to. There were so many point-of-views that I found myself confused and having to restart.

Next, I didn’t really find this book to be all that grasping or mysterious. By the end, I was a little confused and the last chapter just tried to bring everything together. The writing definitely wasn’t my favorite thing, but it did have it’s moments.

Lastly, I think this book would have worked better if there was a difference in either the choice of main character or the plot. I think that this book had a lot of different promising qualities. There just wasn’t enough mmph in the characters or plot for me to thoroughly enjoy this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times intriguing, at times difficult to follow, I Am Watching You was a three-star reading experience for me personally. Overall, I liked it but I wouldn't read it again. However, fans of various psychological thrillers may enjoy being thrown around in a story with incredibly secretive characters and find it well worth the read. If this applies to you, check it out!

My favorite quote:
“Because once you become a parent, you learn that love can involve more fear than you had ever imagined, and you never quite look on the world in the same way again.”

[Shainlock · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, almost everything happens “off-screen” so to speak, so—if you want the action this may not be the book for you.

It keeps you on the edge of your seat (somehow) as well as in the dark; so that you don’t know what happened until the end. Well, unless you can read between the lines and take hints OR unless you are super intuitive.
So, I found it good in one respect, and lacking in another. All of the major events were simply written around and the writing would happen before and then after them. I felt some of them were significant enough to write in, but I still liked the book. I just felt that half of it was missing and that there should have been more action and less time showing the characters freaking out.
HOWEVER; some ppl just don’t want the details. The gory details or the interesting stuff. I don’t know all that many of those ppl, but this is perfect for ppl who want to skip the grit. :D

Edit: reread
8/2022
I think I found the book better this time around, but yes, everything action-y is off screen (page).
You don’t get a sense of the characters either… they are just.. poof.. there. 3-3.5

[Li'l Owl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Twisty, Creepy Psychological Thriller!


The Friend

It is the same detective as before, but with a different woman police officer this time and Sarah’s father alongside.
‘So, is there any news?’ Sarah’s mother begins to raise her body from the chair but slumps back down as their heads shake a ‘no’ in stereo.
‘Did you manage to rest, Sarah? Feel OK to talk some more now?’ It is the woman police officer.
‘I wasn’t drunk. When we spoke before. I wasn’t drunk.’
‘No.’
The adults all look from one to the other.
‘We’ve had a look at the CCTV, Sarah. From the club.’ It is the detective’s voice now – firmer. ‘Some of the cameras weren’t working, unfortunately. But there are some things we’re not quite understanding, Sarah. Also, we’ve had a call from a witness.’
‘A witness?’
‘Yes. A woman on the train.’
She feels it instantly. The frisson. The giveaway. The cooling as the blood shifts.
Draining from her face.

The Witness - On the Train

And then I am thinking, Report them? Report them to whom, Ella? Will you just listen to yourself? Other people will do precisely what you should have done from the off. They will mind their own.
At which point my emotions begin to change and I am wondering instead how I came to be this out of touch, this buttoned up. This woman who evidently has not the first clue about young people. Or anything much.

The next morning......

And somehow my body has zoomed backwards – through the pillow and the bedstead and the wall – until I am watching the screen from much further away. This screen that is scrolling putrid, awful words:
Missing . . . Anna . . . Missing . . . Anna . . .
The kettle screaming angry clouds onto the mirror while I am planning the calls in my head all at once.
A black and terrible jumble of excuses.
None of them good enough.
To the police. To Tony.
You have to understand that I was going to phone . . .

What would you have done?

Watching......

Sometimes, and this is also important, you don’t need to do anything very much. People will simply come to know. Give themselves away. Then the watching becomes more interesting because they will eventually turn. To a window. Or in exactly the right direction, and they will pull a blind or the curtains. Turn on a light. Or check a door.
Other times I have to help them out a bit. Stir it up. Until I can see the look that I have come to understand and is probably the thing I like the very best.
When someone feels they are being watched but is no longer absolutely sure . . .

********
I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll is a twisty, downright creepy psychological thriller!
Have you ever felt like you were being watched? The little hairs on the back of your neck, pickling, standing up....
But when you turn around or look out the window, no one is there?
That's the feeling I got which reading this book! The creepy crawling sense that someone is watching....
Then something went thump behind me and I literally jumped out of my skin! Turns out it's just my cat mucking about as per usual. Still...

I was sucked in to this book from the first pages to the last!
I've read two other novels by the talented Teresa Driscoll, The Friend and The Promise (my favorite), which were both thrilling five star reads and this one is another winner!

⁣

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would it take to make you intervene?

When Ellie Lovefield overhears two handsome young men flirting with two teenage girls on a train,she thinks nothing of it - until she realises that the two men are fresh out of prison.Worried about the girl`s safety she decides to call for help but something stops her.The next day she wakes up to the news that one the girls - Anna Ballard has disappeared.

A year later,Anna is still missing,Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do and fearing for her life because someone is sending her threatening letters.

Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna`s friends and family might have something to hide.Anna`s best friend,Sarah,hasn't been telling the whole truth about what happened that night and Anna`s parents are keeping secrets of their own.

Some knows what happened to Anna - someone who is watching Ella.

This at times gripping mystery is told in short,snappy clearly headed chapters by Ella (the witness) Sarah (The Friend) Henry (the father) Matthew (the private investigator) and some italicized chapters by the mysterious watcher.Ella`s chapters are in the first person point of view while the others are in the third,the swapping and changing of the perspectives didn't bother me or spoil my enjoyment of the book.I loved the short chapters and that there was a cliff hanger at the end of most of them which gave me a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome.My favourite character was Matthew,I felt a lot of sympathy for Sarah (we have all been young and made mistakes that we regret),Luke and Anna`s mum Barbara.I found Ella`s constant habit of feeling sorry for herself and going on about her guilt annoying and rather repetitive,she was not the most likeable of people,I didn't like Henry very must either.The identity of the watcher was a surprise,I would have liked to have read more chapters told from that person's point of view and also more clues scattered throughout the story to encourage the reader to work out the person's identity by themselves.

The mystery of what had happened to Anna was intriguing and i liked the way the author kept the reader invested in her story and wanting to know what happened.I did enjoy this book but I can't give it five stars due to the constant mentioning of flowers and flower arranging,it became frustrating and repetitive and also a unnecessary bit about a fly,they added nothing to the story but that's just my opinion.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer for a arc of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review.