This was a book that was recommended to me, however, within a couple of chapters I realised it was not my type of book and so I failed to continue. I a, sure it was a good read, but the subject matter was unpalatable to me..

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

I found this to actually be quite disappointing. The narrative voice for Ella was sometimes a bit hit and miss for me and although I enjoyed the short chapters, the whole book seemed to drag and the plot twist at the end felt pretty rushed.

I am watching you by Teresa Driscoll.
What would it take to make you intervene?
When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared.
A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life.
Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own.
Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.
A brilliant read. Omg did not expect that. Twisty. 5*.

Great story, thrilling plot that I could not put down. Well worth a read, and would recommend to others.

Secrets and lies- and strangers on a train. This is a taut, well conceived thriller with good characters and a fast paced plot. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This one just isn't the book for me. I couldn't get into the story, or identify with the characters well enough to want to keep reading.

Really enjoyed this book. Definitely kept me guessing and I didn't work out the ending at all. Page Turner for sure

When forty-ish florist Ella recognizes that the young men flirtying with two teenaged girls in the train might be dangerous, she considers speaking with the girls to warn them. Yet, she does not. And the next morning the TV news reports one of the girls missing...
A year after, young Anna is still gone. And everyone around her might know more than they say they do...

This was a pleasant read! The authoress is strong with the psychology aspect and how realistic the emotions and situations of the characters are. I found myself saying "This could happen exactly like that" so many times!
Also the motif is fresh. It is not always that the "new" plot happens!

But while the psychology is strong, there is an internal logic missing. The killer/s are unexpected to the level that one does not understand their motivations, they feel random. Also the ending is quite abrupt and not expressed well in my opinion.

But having said that - I have enjoyed this mystery novel more than the works of more famous authors lately. Not a small accomplishment!

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book that I have read from this author and is another one that I really enjoyed. While it wasn't quite as gripping as Teresa Driscoll's newest novel, 'I Will Make You Pay', it still delivered a slowly-unravelling daunting read that had me guessing the whole way through.
Written from the POV's of several different characters, the story was consistently engaging and was definitely very cleverly written!
The ending may of been a tiny bit rushed but overall another excellent read from this author. Can't wait to read her other books!

I both purchased and received an electronic copy of I Am Watching You. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

What happens when a woman goes against her instincts and it turns out that her feelings of dread were right? Ella Longfield overhears conversation between two young girls and some men that they met on a train, leaving her with an uneasy feeling. She decides not to intervene, but finds out the next morning that one of the young girls is missing. With Anna's friend Sarah not talking, is Ella the only witness to danger?

The backlash that Ella receives from the public is a little out of character. After all, she was not the only person on the train, just the only one who came forward. Too much time was spent on Ella's personal life, especially her flower shop, giving the book a sluggish pace. I had an inkling that I was sure of the ending, as the author did give some of it away through the storytelling. Overall, I did not feel the urgency or the suspense, two hallmarks of a great thriller. Additionally, the impact of the main plot was deadened by all of the side action, in particular all of the missteps taken by the periphery characters. I Am Watching You was a good read, but does not really stand out among the many novels in the genre.

Thank you NetGalleyfor allowing me to read this book for an honest review,
I am Watching You is a gripping psychological thriller that I found very intriguing and almost impossible to put down right from the start. This book felt very real and I was so engrossed in it, I completely forgot I was reading.
There was a great mix of believable characters and I really wasn’t sure who to trust, due to secrets certain characters were hiding. Despite having my suspicions, I didn’t guess the outcome in advance. I enjoyed reading this book thank you

I am currently purchasing books for our secondary school library for our senior students. I am trying to provide a balance of genres and periods and really try and introduce them to a wide range of modern fiction. This book would definitely go down well with a hypercritical teenage audience as it has a bit of everything - great characterisation and a narrative style that draws you in and keeps you reading whilst also making you think about a wide range of issues at the same time. I think that school libraries are definitely changing and that the book we purchase should provide for all tastes and reflect the types of books that the students and staff go on to enjoy after leaving school. I am Watching You is the kind of book that you can curl up with and totally immerse yourself in and I think it will definitely go down well at my school. I think that it was the perfect blend of page-turning fiction with a strong narrative voice I think it would be a big hit with our seniors and will definitely recommend that we buy a copy as soon as we can.

MY THOUGHTS:
I almost gave this book 5 stars just because it was such a fast and readable thriller! It was completely engrossing and entertaining. I didn’t want to stop reading! Lots of cliff-hangers at the end of chapters. Well-played Teresa Driscoll – I blame you for my lack of productivity the last 2 days! And when my husband asks why the house looks like a tornado blew through it I will say, “Don’t ask me – ask Teresa Driscoll!” … and then quickly leave the room to begin my next book.

However, it falls just short of five stars simply because on reflection, you start to think, maybe a couple of the characters could have done with a bit more development. Particularly the “villain.” Ha, that conjures images of Maleficent and Jafar, but I don’t want to give it away, so villain is an appropriate word choice.

Overall, though, the characters had good complicated stories. I liked Ella – the witness, the florist. She kind of annoyed me sometimes, but then she would drop gems like this:

<i>‘I read somewhere that by your forties you are supposed to care more about what you think of others than what they think of you –so why is it I am still waiting for this to kick in?’</i>

Or this:

<i>‘I just need to relax more and stop going over everything. I sometimes wonder if I would be a different kind of person if I could just learn the trick to do this. To stop with the analysing and concentrate on one thing at a time. But my brain simply doesn’t work like that. Never has. I’m always thinking, thinking, thinking. A million things competing all at the same time. Constant and exhausting buzz.’</i>

And I realized she kind of annoyed me because she <i>is</i> me. Ha! But I thought her predicament was interesting and I liked how her story ended.

There were a lot of perspectives, but I thought each was completely distinctive from the last so I didn’t have trouble keeping them straight. They all had plenty of drama and heartache, which to me is essential because the real world has drama and heartache aplenty. I honestly can’t stand when even one person has a seemingly perfect life in a story. Kill your darlings! Stephen King said. And I totally get it because <i>no one</i> is immune.

To sum up, I actually was really busy or I would have read this in one day – so definitely read this – you’ll finish in about 24 hours and it will be an entertaining and twisty ride!

MY RATING:
Entertainment Value: 5
Characters 4.5
Voice: 5
Plot: 4
Overall: 4.625 stars! But we’ll say 4.5 for the sake of simplicity. Or 4.75 take your pick...

See all my reviews @ www.mamaneedsabook.blogspot.com
<i>Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!</i>

What an entertaining book that actually had me thinking about a lot of things.... how many times do I sit in a diner, people watching, wondering who they are, and where they are going in life, and this type of crimes might be happening right in front of me!!! This was really a well written book, and had me gripped from the beginning to the very end. I could not wait to see if Anna was found or not (no spoilers I promise!). Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed I Am Watching You and it had me hooked from the very start. I really enjoyed the way that the different stories intertwined and the big reveal had me guessing until the very end. A really good holiday read or one to enjoy in your back garden with a glass of wine!

I love thrillers that keep me guessing. I had no idea what was going on until the very last. The author's characters are well rounded out, the dialogue natural, the events believable.

This is how you do a thriller!

I just loved this book, I was hooked from the first few pages and had to keep reading.
This book begins with Anna and her friend Sarah who are on a train traveling to London for a few days. Anna then disappears after they’ve been out in a nightclub.
Never expected who was responsible for her disappearance. A great twist to the tale.

Quite a few of characters and secrets to keep the book moving at a quick pace, but the reveal at the end came out of nowhere.

Don't eavesdrop and then you won't find yourself in Ella's situation! She's on a train, en route to London, and watches and listens to 2 teenage girls being chatted up by a couple of older men - what should she do? She's then horrified the next day to discover that one of those girls has been reported missing, then someone starts sending her messages. Told from several points of view, all of whom had something to hide. I wasn't much interested in the floristry sections nor those about one of the characters wife and baby, so skimmed them. Ella seemed to be on a huge guilt trip for someone who was a complete stranger to the girls which did get a bit tiresome! However the book was easy to read, enjoyable and kept me intrigued, and involved in the story.