I Am Watching You

“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.”

Un-put-downable. I started this one at midnight - don't be like me!! You won't sleep until you turn to the last page! I was completely wrapped up in the story - what Sarah knew, where Anna had gone and all of the secrets and lies that everyone was telling.

And in the midst of it all, Ella. My heart broke for her! I never would have blamed her! Who could? She overheard something - really none of her business! How on earth could she ever have found the parents to this young girl, making such awful scary choices.

I was so wrapped up in the story that the end was a surprise! I had show more no idea who it was or what was going on but I loved the ride. I will definitely read more from this author! show less

What a fantastic, un-put-downable read! Anna and Sarah are two teenagers bound for a fun trip to London; but at a club they get separated and Anna is never seen again. Earlier that night on the train heading in, a woman had noticed the girls being approached by a pair of men who, it turns out, had just been released from prison. What if the woman had followed her first instincts and intervened?

This was a good mystery with wonderful, sympathetic characters; short, punchy chapters with a surprise at the end of almost every one; and an ending I didn't see coming.

I somehow got to read this for free with Amazon prime (I apparently have some such benefit that I stumble across now and again) but this is one I would have gladly paid full show more price for. show less

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll

Ella overhears two young men flirting with (two) teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it. Then she realizes they are straight out of prison she is on guard, but says nothing.

The next day she hears the news that one of the girls (Anna Ballard) has disappeared. She is distraught feeling guilty for doing nothing.

One year later Anna is still is missing. Ella is getting threatening letters and worries about her safety. As the investigation continues seems everyone is hiding secrets. From Anna's family to her friends. Who knows the truth about Anna, who is watching Ella and why?

A faced paced story told from multiple points of view, brought me deep into the story. Intense, thrilling, show more edge-of-your-seat suspense, kept me engrossed from the first page until the end.

Overall I found I Am Watching You quite enjoyable and highly recommend to those who enjoy a great (psychological) thriller. I look forward to reading more by Teresa Driscoll . show less

When Ella sees two young women, Sarah and Anna, on a train flirting with two young men, she thinks nothing of it – that is, until she realizes the two men are just out of prison. Worried that the two girls might be in danger, she decides she should report it. However, something else she sees makes her change her mind. But when Anna goes missing and Ella reports what she saw, she finds herself the victim of a harassment campaign. Driven as much by to her sense of guilt as the harassment, Ella decides to hire a private detective to find out what really happened to Anna. It soon becomes clear that almost everyone involved is keeping secrets including Sarah. Someone knows what happened to Anna and they are watching Ella.

When I first show more started reading I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll, I was expecting a thriller similar to Girl On the Train. This, however, is definitely not that. It is divided into several different viewpoints including The Witness (Ella), The Father (Anna’s), The Friend (Sarah), and The Private Detective and occasionally the culprit whose viewpoint is expressed not by title but by different font. Unfortunately, it seemed like every time the story would start to get exciting, it would switch to a different viewpoint. This clearly was meant to ramp up tension and had it been used more judiciously, it most likely would have. However, because of its overuse, it had the opposite effect – I stopped expecting anything to happen. I will admit, though, that I never guessed the outcome or whodunit but I’m not sure if that is because it was so well hidden among the red herrings (most of which were easily identified as such) or with all the switching back and forth, it just didn’t feel like he/she was all that relevant to the story.

Still, if it didn’t keep my attention throughout, I did want to finish it. It is well-written and, if not particularly thrilling, it was an interesting portrait of how the disappearance of a young girl can have ripple effects not only on the family but on those involved if only on the periphery as well as the guilt people feel for the small things they do/don't do that alone would matter little but together, can lead to tragedy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less

This novel is a shorter mystery read, one that tries to do a lot. My biggest praise for it is that it has range. There are so many side stories within the book, most will be able to find something to relate to. From parental abuse, teen pregnancy, self-harm, adultery, and most importantly, guilt. This book does too much in my opinion. I forget that this book is mainly about a stalker because there is so much more going on all at once.

The choice to jump between perspectives of different characters is a bold one for any novel, and I feel it was essential for what this is trying to do. The interwoven plots would be impossible to explain without the jumping POV. However, the 6+ characters that get featured chapters is a lot to comprehend, show more and you need to be paying great attention to remember who we are seeing from.

Still, it was enjoyable, and quick. I enjoyed it. show less

I enjoyed this story. In some ways it is a typical thriller, with many twists and turns, first you suspect one person, then another. Everyone has secrets, genuine or absurd. I liked the attention paid to each one of the families, and the things that were going on with each. It made the characters seem human, and authentic. And it wasn't over the top, like so many thrillers are, with events so improbable that it makes you roll your eyes. I think the author did a good job of portraying how each person felt guilty for Anna's disappearance. But really, although a thousand small things contributed to the tragic ending, it was no one's fault but the killer's.

The ending was a little abrupt, and I also really dislike it when an author has one show more first person point of view mixed in with other third person points of view. It's always jarring and pulls me out of the story. But that was my only complaint. show less

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.