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A review by caszriel
Escondida by Ross Armstrong
4.0
4.5 Stars
~I received a physical ARC from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Lily Gullick spies on her neighbours. A bird watcher, she uses her binoculars to look out her apartment window and make up stories about her neighbours' lives. When an old woman is murdered a night after Lily has visited her, Lily realises that she may have more information on the killer. The police don't believe her, so she conducts her own investigation. Her snooping doesn't go unnoticed, and soon she is being watched too. But the truth isn't always separated from lies...
This book is written in an original style. At first it took me awhile to understand Lily's observations, but the more I read the easier it became. The stories and names generated by Lily's mind were nothing short of intriguing. The story is directed at Lily's father and is similar to the daily diary entries suggested by Lily's therapist Helen. The mystery side of the novel is nice, I predicted the outcome early on, however at various points throughout the novel Ross Armstrong managed to convince me that I was wrong, make me doubt my theory to the point where I began believing Lily's thoughts.
Other than Lily, the characters that intrigued me are the siblings, Chris and Nathan. While Nathan has very few appearances and Chris a few more, they have a great symbolism and aid Lily throughout her adventure. They're complex because they have little reason to help and not betray Lily but some cash and sense of respect/loyalty. Chris also sees Lily as someone other than the "crazy girl down the road".
Lily's dad was very influential during his short appearance in The Watcher. After his arrival many aspects of the story are revealed, a lot becomes clearer, plus some of the truth and lies are separated. Lily's personality is partially a health condition as well as her underlying curious personality. The Watcher tells the tale of a woman trying to do the right thing and solve a murder mystery while being branded as psychotic and troubled.
~I received a physical ARC from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Lily Gullick spies on her neighbours. A bird watcher, she uses her binoculars to look out her apartment window and make up stories about her neighbours' lives. When an old woman is murdered a night after Lily has visited her, Lily realises that she may have more information on the killer. The police don't believe her, so she conducts her own investigation. Her snooping doesn't go unnoticed, and soon she is being watched too. But the truth isn't always separated from lies...
This book is written in an original style. At first it took me awhile to understand Lily's observations, but the more I read the easier it became. The stories and names generated by Lily's mind were nothing short of intriguing. The story is directed at Lily's father and is similar to the daily diary entries suggested by Lily's therapist Helen. The mystery side of the novel is nice, I predicted the outcome early on, however at various points throughout the novel Ross Armstrong managed to convince me that I was wrong, make me doubt my theory to the point where I began believing Lily's thoughts.
Other than Lily, the characters that intrigued me are the siblings, Chris and Nathan. While Nathan has very few appearances and Chris a few more, they have a great symbolism and aid Lily throughout her adventure. They're complex because they have little reason to help and not betray Lily but some cash and sense of respect/loyalty. Chris also sees Lily as someone other than the "crazy girl down the road".
Lily's dad was very influential during his short appearance in The Watcher. After his arrival many aspects of the story are revealed, a lot becomes clearer, plus some of the truth and lies are separated. Lily's personality is partially a health condition as well as her underlying curious personality. The Watcher tells the tale of a woman trying to do the right thing and solve a murder mystery while being branded as psychotic and troubled.