Fantastic psychological thriller!!! You'll think twice before having security cameras installed in your home!!

A scarily plausible thriller that immediately made me change by router password!

Stalker is not what you would expect from the title. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, in the UK a stalker is "a person who illegally follows and watches someone, especially a woman, over a period of time" and although this book certainly covers this definition, it does so slightly differently to what you would imagine it would. For one, it isn't primarily about physically following someone around and for another, it's not primarily about a man stalking a woman.

It starts of a little slow but certainly builds to a very satisfying conclusion. The main character, Flint, is a bit weird but, strangely, he grew on me as the story developed and I found myself feeling sorry for him despite the creepy way in which he lives his life watching over other people living theirs.

Once the book got going proper (that's good English!), it never stopped it became a very riveting read that I found difficult to stop ... you know the feeling ... just one more chapter and before you know it, it's way past your bed time! There are twists that you can see coming and there are others that hit you right in the face!

Overall, a very entertaining and captivating read that I would highly recommend and my thanks go to the publisher, Avon Books UK, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and genuine review.

Good book, enjoyed the story although I did think that the writing was a little bit amateur? Story was exciting and made you really feel for the main character and his mum by the end.

There are plenty of books with heroes, plenty with anti-heroes, plenty with weirdos. This is the first book I've read where the weirdo is actually a good guy, with altruistic motives and, deeply buried, the courage of a lion. I feel it's only right and proper to give Ms Stone full marks for originality; just because someone doesn't conform to social norms doesn't necessarily make them a bad person. I felt there was a strong moral message with this book, which hit the right spot, and added another layer to this already very enjoyable read. Stalker covers many different topics; judgement by society, murder, rape, kidnap, stalking, family breakdown, adultery, the dark web, peer pressure and more. But each is dealt with thoughtfully and truthfully. All the characters involved are credible, and I became invested in their individual outcomes very quickly. A real page turner that kept me engrossed and involved from the first word to the last. A fulsome, five star read.

Derek Flint is middle aged and still lives with his mother. He works in Home Security and every night watches over his clients on CCTV in their homes whom have become his virtual family.

A series of crimes take place and the victims all seem to have CCTV systems installed by Derek's company. DC Beth Mayes digs deeper and finds that somehow Derek is involved. Unbeknown to him he's been hacked and they can see everything he can.

A twisty read which I really enjoyed.

I’m a little unsure how to review this book as I’m still undecided if I enjoyed it or not.

The storyline wasn’t as I’d initially thought due to the title however it does open your eyes to what can constitute stalking in modern times.

I look forward to reading more by Lisa Stone.

3.5 stars 🌟

The authors note at the end of the story says it all. Although this book is fiction, the events within are happening. That is very scary. This story starts with Derek. Derek has a security business. He then spies on his clients to keep them safe. Nothing about this story is quite what it seems. An enjoyable story where the good guys win, but you are left with a feeling about what the bad guys are getting up to in the real world!
I enjoyed this story for its real life possibilities. Well worth a read.

Derek Flint is a loner, a forty-one-year-old man still living with his mother, a computer geek. "He had to admit he often felt more relaxed and in tune with computers than he did with people. You knew where you stood with them."

He runs a home security business, then at night in the privacy of his bedroom, he keeps an eye on his clients, who he thinks of as his online family.

But when bad things start happening to his clients, the police start connecting the dots, realizing that the one thing they all have in common is Derek's home security business.

But someone is hacking Derek, someone who rattles him by claiming he is watching him.

Having recently been hacked, this thriller scared me to death! And the fact that these kind of things are actually going on in the world wide web and are not just fiction. Change those passwords! Cover those webcams! Be careful who you trust!

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks!

An ok read but quite predictable. I could easily put it down as did not have me gripped in the storyline. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Liked the book a lot. Didn't like Derek, but couldn't help to feel sorry for what he had to endure in the end. And it was scary to see what is possible with technology if one know how to do it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK!

Lisa Stone has taken stalking to a new level with her latest novel. I read this in one afternoon as I couldn’t put it down.

Derek is a middle aged man living at home with his mother. He doesn’t have it easy with her. He installs security systems for a living. At night he watches them secretly.

I really enjoyed the storyline. I felt it was really thought out. I highly recommend this read. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author.

This was my first book by Lisa Stone and I really enjoyed it. Still slightly freaked out by the premise of being watched through your home security system and I alternatively felt horrified by, and sorry for Derek Flint.
Highly recommend it - a definite 5 star read for me.

Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stalker is one of those books that totally leaves you thinking and worrying well after you've finished the last page. It is quite alarming how easy it seems to be to stalk someone without ever leaving your house, what make it especially more creepy is the fact that it is done through cameras in your own home, definitely a book that gave me chills.

Derek Flint runs a CCTV business, he promises you with his service you will finally be able to feel safe in your home again, he takes pride in his work and knows what he's doing, maybe a little too well as you soon find out Derek Flint is no ordinary CCTV installer but a man with a hidden agenda. Every night Derek goes home and watches his clients, watches them and fantasises that he's part of their family, his to protect but soon too many of Derek's clients become victims of crimes and the police start to wonder if Derek is involved.

This really was a very clever thriller that left me quite conflicted at times. I really did want to hate Derek for what he was doing but in the end I really couldn't he's such a well thought out villian. As I've said it's a very clever thriller that really keeps you turning the pages and it's a fantastic spin that ending. All in all a fantastic read that stands out from the crowd and one that I would highly recommend.

Thank you to Avon for kindly sending me a copy as part of the blog tour.

I really enjoyed this book. Fast paced and believable. There is a lot of action. I read this book in one sitting. I was glued to it from the start. Some really intriguing ideas as to how the internet can be used. Makes you think about your own security and use of the internet. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Having read the synopsis, I was keen to get started on this book. I have to say, I wasn't quite prepared for what I was going to be reading. The storyline was absorbing and gripping, and I had to make myself put it down each night before I went to sleep. I don't think it was the best choice of reading material at bedtime though!
In places, I found the plot quite dark and disturbing, and it left me with some very unpleasant thoughts about a side of life I know very little about.
That aside, it had all the ingredients for a great psychological thriller so five stars from me.

I don’t know why, i just could not get into this book. I don’t know if it was the writing, the premise of the story or if I just wasn’t in the mood for this type of story. I’m going to put this aside for a little and then come back and try to reread.

We have all heard stories of Stalkers, often they are linked to a celebrity and usually they are one person’s fixation on another person. Well forget all that – it is nothing to do with this book.

Derek Flint is a lonely man, living at home with his nagging mother. His is a cold and barren life with one exception – his work. Derek installs security systems, but with a bonus. That bonus is his obsession to monitor the home security systems to ensure the safety of his clients. So each night (and any available time) he checks in on them on his multiple monitors. He can check if the children are being cared for; if the wife is faithful; all manner of things. These windows to family life provide him with a position within the family, and a vehicle to be of help to his community. It also enables him to intrude on intimate, private matters which provides him with the opportunity for self-gratification.

Unfortunately, all this is illegal. In reality Derek is not a good guy, his is weird and he is creepy.

Fortunately we also have the character of DC Beth Mayes who, following a crop of break-ins, is called in to investigate. Beth is determined and resourceful and knows that there is something not quite right about Derek or indeed his mother. And therein lies the tale, and what a tale. Clever plot, but clever characterisation. I know Derek is bad, I know it is illegal, but …. What a sad life, what a sad man!

This is a slow burn sort of story. It sneaks up on you so that you want to keep reading; want to find out more. Aren’t we all a bit curious about other people – maybe not as bad as Derek, but we still want to know what happens otherwise we wouldn’t read.

Go on, take a peak into Derek’s life. Read this and see what I mean.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

This was such a good book, well written and well thought out. The plot was intriguing, using CCTV cameras and a man that would install these with alarm systems but then watch the house once the camera's were up and running. He didn't have much of a relationship with his mum and began to look on the people living in the properties he watched as his family and friends, he would do anything to help and protect them, he had strong traditional values.

I enjoyed this book from the start, it laid clues that you could follow but then wonder who else could be involved. Derek Flint was a character who had many layers. He was a loner and this comes through in the book. He is technical savvy but then he has met his match....

Yikes! This one might have you putting some tape over your webcam. If it's not already there. Or maybe you'll start thinking a bit more about your home security...

Stalking has changed with the times. Now someone doesn't have to follow you to memorize your habits, note when you come and go. They need only to hack into something of yours online, and they can find out more than you'd think just from your social media presence. This isn't necessary for Derek Flint. He's professional and capable. He seems like a great choice to install security at your house. Bring everyone living there peace of mind, keep them safe. Oh, and log into the cameras and watch all of you from the privacy of his bedroom. That too.

Quite a few of his clients start to experience invasions and robberies, and he seems dismayed. He wants to watch them and protect them, not see them suffer. DC Beth Mayes isn't so sure. She quickly learns that he has a connection to many local crimes, and she senses something off about the secretive man with the reclusive mother. Rightly so, but is he responsible for more than spying?

Nice and creepy, quick read. It's a bit different than what I'm used to, focusing more on the technology you can use to watch someone. It was alarming in a whole different way. Some parts were a bit predictable, but there were aspects of the ending that definitely threw me for a loop. I worried this book would be full of tech talk that was beyond me, but it's definitely not. Derek isn't a master hacker by any means. He simply takes advantage of the trust people place in him. It makes everything easy to understand and get into. Lisa Stone is an author I'd be happy to read again.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Avon Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

I am a huge fan of Lisa Stone. I loved her first book (‘The Darkness Within’) and I have been (im)patiently waiting for the second in the series for a while now. I need wait no longer because ‘Stalker’ was released on 14th June 2018. I have read it and for me ‘Stalker’ blows ‘The Darkness Within’ right out of the water. I absolutely LOVED, LOVED & ooh LOVED reading ‘Stalker’ but more about that in a bit.

One of the main characters in ‘Stalker’ is called Derek Flint, who makes my skin crawl and gives me the heebie jeebies but at the same time I actually feel rather sorry for him. He lives with his mother, who isn’t exactly the maternal kind and who wouldn’t know compassion if it slapped her in the face. Derek is an only child, who hasn’t mixed with other children, he has few (if any) friends, he is isolated, he is a loner and he has no other close family members, apart from his mother. Derek installs security systems, which he can sneakily access from his own personal computer. He sees the families or businesses who have these systems, as being his friends and his way of finding companionship. This is where he makes my skin crawl- the thought that somebody could be watching you and whatever you get up to in your own home, but you know nothing about the voyeurism taking place. Derek also gets his kicks by watching other people having sex and masturbating whilst he watches. On the one hand, Derek has been neglected by his mother, his father and the rest of his family but on the other hand he goes the wrong way about finding companionship and finding a special person to share his life with. The other main character is called DC Beth Mayes. She is one feisty and determined young police officer. She is called in to help investigate a series of break ins. She senses that the break ins are connected one way or another but she isn’t sure how. Whilst she is investigating the break ins, she is like a dog with a bone in that she won’t settle until she finds the solution to the puzzle or the connection between the break ins. Mayes knows that Derek Flint is a person, who is keeping a secret and is not telling the police the full story. Mayes is the last person that Derek Flint would want to come up against. Is Mayes on the right track? Is Derek guilty of the crimes of which he is being accused? Is there still a twist in the tale? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves as I am not going to tell you.

Oh my days as soon as I read the synopsis for ‘Stalker’, I knew that this was one book I was going to become addicted to and so it proved. Reading ‘Stalker’ became seriously addictive and I regularly had to get my fix of one more page or one more chapter or a couple of chapters and well you get the picture. I picked up this book at an ideal time for me, when I needed a distraction from the pain I was in and how fed up I was feeling. Well this book did exactly that. I picked the book up only intending to read three or four chapters but that intention soon went out of the window and I was still reading 10 chapters later. I suppose that I was addicted to reading on to see if Derek Flint’s behaviour got any weirder or more bizarre or if Mayes managed to solve the case. Reading ‘Stalker’ was much like being on a slightly scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride. There were twists and turns aplenty and moments when something happened out of the blue, that you weren’t expecting and which hit you like a punch to the gut.

I absolutely loved reading ‘Stalker’ and I would definitely recommend this author and her books to other readers. Lisa Stone is the pen name of Cathy Glass, who has written many honest and true accounts of her experiences of being a foster mother, the unsung heroes of the care system. I can’t wait to read what comes next from Lisa Stone. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.