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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
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
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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.
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.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a perfectly enjoyable read on audio. I liked the premise and the narrator. The conclusion was a bit of a letdown.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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.
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.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Starts out deliciously creepy but transitions to a routine thriller, still interesting!