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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
tense
fast-paced
Thank you @grandcentralpub and @hachetteaudio for the complimentary DRC & ALC.
Ohhh this was creeptastic! I’m pretty sure my heart rate rivaled a hummingbird at times! I started reading Night Watcher one evening, thinking I’d just squeeze in a few chapters before bed… big mistake. BIG! This was strictly daytime reading only. 🤪
Night Watcher was so fast paced, I was hooked from the first few pages, and it did not let up, keeping me guessing until the end. I was constantly telling myself ‘just one more chapter.’ I ended up downloading the audio too just so I could keep reading on my way to and from work. Huge shout out to the narrators, Helen Laser, and Will Collyer. Their performance was top notch!
That said, I did have a few “What the hell Nola?!” moments. Some of her decisions made me want to throw the book across the room, and there was also one scene that was a little too ‘out there’ for me, but I so invested in the story and not knowing whodunnit that I happily kept reading. The ending was a bit of a letdown for me too. Not bad, just a little anticlimactic.
If you’re a fellow scaredy cat like me, give this a go. This book is scary, but thrilling scary, not nightmare-inducing. Just… maybe avoid reading it at night.
Ohhh this was creeptastic! I’m pretty sure my heart rate rivaled a hummingbird at times! I started reading Night Watcher one evening, thinking I’d just squeeze in a few chapters before bed… big mistake. BIG! This was strictly daytime reading only. 🤪
Night Watcher was so fast paced, I was hooked from the first few pages, and it did not let up, keeping me guessing until the end. I was constantly telling myself ‘just one more chapter.’ I ended up downloading the audio too just so I could keep reading on my way to and from work. Huge shout out to the narrators, Helen Laser, and Will Collyer. Their performance was top notch!
That said, I did have a few “What the hell Nola?!” moments. Some of her decisions made me want to throw the book across the room, and there was also one scene that was a little too ‘out there’ for me, but I so invested in the story and not knowing whodunnit that I happily kept reading. The ending was a bit of a letdown for me too. Not bad, just a little anticlimactic.
If you’re a fellow scaredy cat like me, give this a go. This book is scary, but thrilling scary, not nightmare-inducing. Just… maybe avoid reading it at night.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Yes
Night Watcher completely caught me by surprise and is my favorite thriller of 2025 so far! Being that this is a debut and that I tend to be picky with thrillers, I had absolutely 0 expectations for this going in. I really enjoyed Daphne Woolsoncroft's writing style and the pace was perfect. I never got bored, and just wanted to get to the end so I could fit all the pieces of the story together. My only complaint is that I waited so long to read it. The first chapter and the cover made me hesitant to pick it up, because I was afraid it would be too scary, but the majority of the book was no scarier than your average thriller. I will definitely be reading everything that she writes in the future, very excited to have found a new go-to thriller author!
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Daphne Woolsoncroft's debut Night Watcher is my favorite book of 2025 so far. It hit all of the right notes for me. Dark moody ambiance and unreliable narrators... give me more. I couldn't put this book down.
Night Watcher had me on the edge of my seat through out the whole book. The beginning sucks you in with the POV of the serial killer, The Hiding Man. I thought his chapters were some of the best in the book. I looked forward to the few of them that were scattered into the storyline. They were just the right amount of dark and mysterious.
Nola drove me crazy the entire book. I couldn't tell if she was actually seeing The Hiding Man or if she was just drunk or losing it. But, that was on of the best parts. I love an unreliable narrator. I loved the podcast element of the story. The victim of The Hiding Man calling into the podcast as she meets her untimely ending and how that tied into The Hiding Man murder that Nola witnessed as a child.
I had so many suspects for who I thought The Hiding Man could have been. At one point I even suspected something supernatural because of the way he was moving in and out of houses undetected. But in the end it was just a deranged man set on doing evil.
Overall, I can't recommend this book enough. It is a thrilling ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. If you like books with Criminal Minds vibes this is the read for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
mysterious
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
★★★★¼
This was a gripping, slow-burn thriller that kept me fully invested. From the start, I was hooked by the mystery of who was stalking Nola (our FMC) and why. The setup is vague enough to keep you guessing, and the suspense builds steadily without giving too much away.
The tension around the stalker’s identity is well-crafted, and I found myself wanting to unravel every clue. That said, the big reveal didn’t completely satisfy the thriller junkie in me — not because there wasn’t a twist (there was), but because the resolution made the whole situation feel a bit… preventable.
Still, the atmosphere, pacing, and character tension made this a strong and memorable read. Definitely worth picking up if you enjoy psychological suspense with an emotional edge.
This was a gripping, slow-burn thriller that kept me fully invested. From the start, I was hooked by the mystery of who was stalking Nola (our FMC) and why. The setup is vague enough to keep you guessing, and the suspense builds steadily without giving too much away.
The tension around the stalker’s identity is well-crafted, and I found myself wanting to unravel every clue. That said, the big reveal didn’t completely satisfy the thriller junkie in me — not because there wasn’t a twist (there was), but because the resolution made the whole situation feel a bit… preventable.
Still, the atmosphere, pacing, and character tension made this a strong and memorable read. Definitely worth picking up if you enjoy psychological suspense with an emotional edge.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes