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yangelareads 's review for:
Night Watcher
by Daphne Woolsoncroft
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.