I Am Watching You
Ratings17
Average rating3.9
15
Ratings17
Average rating3.9
"A missing girl. A tormented witness. A web of lies. And someone is watching... 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 Ells." -- back cover
Reviews with the most likes.
Really enjoyed the various POVs and how they all came together at the end in a surprising twist.
This was a solid suspense novel and definitely my favorite book out of the ones I have read in the Kindle First program. The mystery itself was great because it took many twists and turns. I loved how some of the characters held secrets that made you question their innocence and then something else would pop up and then you would have a new suspect. I also loved the role Ella played in the story. Although not to this extreme, I think most people can relate to being in a position where you question whether or not to say something or stay quiet and mind your own business. Overall, this was one of the better suspense novels I have read.
I really enjoyed this book and loved that it kept me guessing until almost the last chapter. The “big reveal” was a genuine surprise that I did not see coming. The two main reasons I didn't give it 5 stars were: 1) it took a little bit too long to get to the reveal (some of the chapters, such as those with Ella in the flower shop, started becoming a bit redundant), and 2) there was an entire side story about the detective's newborn baby that was completely unnecessary and added nothing to the main plot.
This just did not work for me at all! I have just a few reasons why:
- A woman who overhears a conversation on a train before someone goes missing feels she is guilty for the whole thing. No.
- Said woman is probably 40+ and doesn't know the meaning of karma? Thinks its “something to do with Buddhism or yoga”? No.
- Said woman gets dodgy postcards for a YEAR but doesn't tell her husband or the police, but does hire a PI who then interferes in a live missing person case. No.
- Something in woman's shop is mysteriously messed with, does she think it's could possibly be aforementioned dodgy postcard sender? No. She thinks it's her son. Just no.
- People in discussions with police who constantly say “What do you mean?! I don't understand!” Well stop interrupting the police and they might get to the explanation.
- Many many other instances of eye rolls/people wouldn't say that/people don't talk like that.
- So many instances of being told that character A told character B something in that current moment, instead of just having the conversation on the page. Bizarre.
- Side character sub-plots meaningless and uninteresting.
- Terrible ending. How can you end a mystery with “and they don't know why they did it”?! Just a massive NO.
So yeah, you might like it but might be worth passing this one by.
