Stalker

Lisa Stone has crafted a convincing tale about the dangers of the Internet, particularly in home surveillance. In this compelling thriller, we meet Derek Flint who is seriously weird; early 40s and living at home with mother and a bank of computer screens in his locked bedroom. Say no more!

We often forget just how much information we give away about our personal and home life by using the internet. Add security cameras to the home environment and the possibilities are endless. This story is a salutary reminder about how easy it is to monitor people and their habits. The central characters are convincing; Derek is a perfectionist and is obsessed. His plans to mete out justice as he sees fit a serious crimes and the drama of who's done what plays out at a fast pace as events spiral out of control.

Plenty of twists and turns in this thriller. It plays out well and I devoured it, with racing heart in a single session.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

This book was a 3 star read for me. The story was interesting and I could see it happening, however I was nearly 3/4 of the way through before anything really happened. If you were just starting in thrillers it would be a good one to start with but if you read a lot of them I'd skip this one.

Ooh creepy. It's enough (nearly) to stop you from using technology and the worl wide web. Being stalked on computer, being watched over and kept safe, creepy enough. But when the dark web gets involved things go from creepy to actually horrific.

In one way I didn't want to put this book down, while in another it terrified me.

A great read, a stalker who watches your every move through cameras that he has installed in your house to keep you safe, it's certainly believable and with the technology advancing at such a pace I suppose it could happen. Derek was a bit of a sad individual with no real friends, he lived with his mother but they didn't get on, his only pleasure was watching the screens in his bedroom, but when events turn sinister Derek is under suspicion of more than just watching.

I really enjoyed this book and actually quickly went on to read another Lisa Stone book afterwards. The plot was great and quickly had you hooked. I found some of the writing a little corny if I’m honest. The only way I can explain it is that the writing was almost overly descriptive at times - too much info that wasn’t needed making it a bit cumbersome. Other than that it was a good read and modern in its context, which I liked.

I found this book on NetGalley and was interested in the blurb.
There are quite a spate of crimes and people involved all seem to be linked through a local security firm ran by Derek. He’s a quite man with a bossy mother and he hides away in his room watching his clients. Such a lonely man he sees them as extended family.
Once the police find the link the pressure mounts.
A great story that pulls you along every step of the way.
Dark and adult themes but cleverly written.

Gripping from the very beginning. I enjoyed this author's writing as Cathy Glass but the change to writing as Lisa Stone is amazing. A completely different genre but this book was creepy and should make every reader think seriously about internet security. Loved it !

Gripping !!!!! This book really makes you think about internet security and how it can take over your life. Excellent story. Look forward to more from Lisa..

Stalker is one of those few crime thrillers that will make you want to check up on yourself. While a horror may make you want to check underneath your bed or in the closet, Stalker will make you check and recheck your online security and change your passwords.

Dark twisted and very disturbing. This book will make you think twice about what you share online. Hope there is a sequel to come

Derek Flint has high professional standards, which would be considered a great asset for someone who installs CCTV security systems. His courteous and prompt service differs vastly from his competitors. Sadly, so does his moral compass.

With cringe-worthy contentment Derek dutifully ‘looks out’ for the well-being of his customers by viewing them on their brand new cameras. The problem is that’s not a service they signed up for.

His behaviour is creepily unacceptable and there is no justification for him to take advantage of the people who gave him their trust, especially as his voyeuristic opportunities have escalating consequences for all concerned.

I found myself strangely absorbed by "Stalker" as it delivers a socially rejected oddball and many reasons to test my judgement of the characters throughout. It also got me thinking about the times we may need to invite a specialist into our home who is way more tech savvy and knowledgeable than ourselves, and how vulnerable we are as a result.

Although the plot itself wasn’t overly complex it was a compulsive and quick read nonetheless.

*** Actual Rating 3.5 / 5 ***

I enjoyed this book. It taps into all our fears about online security and how much of our lives can be watched and monitored. Derek runs a security installation business. When several of his customers are broken into, after buying a system from Derek, he becomes the prime suspect. But is he really the culprit or is something else going on? Big Brother is alive and well in this well written crime novel.
My thanks to Netgalley for this copy.

I admit, with the title 'Stalker', this was not what I was actually expecting. That being said, the technological aspect suited me to a T - I love a good technothriller! We all usually assume that stalking means following by physical means but it can be through a computer, with all of the technological advances we have made. like it is here.

So, now we have established that this is cyber stalking, lets talk about everything else. The style and pace of writing is good, character devlopment is also done well - you actually sympathise with Derek Flint and his situation. This is a classic case of 'just because you're a loner, doesn't mean you're a criminal'.

I enjoyed all of the elements of this title and would recommend it to those who appreciate technology based/high tech thrillers. My only slight gripe is that some of it was a little predictable. I do intend to try some of Lisa Stone's other books in the future.

I would like to thank Lisa Stone, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘Stalker’, by Lisa Stone was not what I expected from the title but it did not disappoint. Derek Flint lives with his mother and is a home security expert, installing CCTV and alarm systems for domestic residents but all is not as it appears on the surface. Derek does not help everybody who requests security and is very particular about who he choses to work with.

Several crimes happen within the vicinity of Derek’s home and all have Derek’s security system installed. DC Beth Mayes becomes suspicious and believes he is involved somehow in theses differing crimes but when the CCTV is viewed it couldn’t be him.

Derek has a bank of screens in his bedroom and begins to believe somebody is watching him as well. A clever story and Derek’s character is well portrayed.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books, UK and Lisa Stone for my ARC of ‘Stalker’ in return for my honest review.

Brilliant Read. Highly recommended.

This is second book of Lisa Stone I have read and I thought this book was so much better than the previous one. I really enjoyed this book I will look out for more books of this author in the future.
We meet Derek Flint who is a loner, that lives with his mother. He also owns Home Security Services which installs CCTV security systems. Derek is very serious about his job and takes pride in what he does. You can say he takes his work home with him. He logs into the cameras at home on his PC and watches his ‘family’ so nothing untoward happens to them. But, then some of his clients are victims of crime and the police thinks he did it, DC Beth Mayes is leading the investigation to find out what is actually going on.
I really enjoyed this story it gripped me from the start. This is an un-putdown-able thriller which flowed easily and I liked the author’s style of writing. Even though Derek was a bit creepy, watching his clients. You kind of felt sorry for him, as he was oblivious to what he was actually doing.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon books for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Derek Flint is a middle-aged loner who lives at home with his Mother.
By day, he installs top notch security systems for clients. By night, he watches those clients on monitors in his bedroom while eating reheated microwave dinners.
When a number of his clients are the victims in a series of crimes, Derek doesn't think much of it - but when it continues, he begins to wonder if he's not the only one watching them. Is someone watching him?

I had no intention of sitting down to read this yesterday, I requested it from NetGalley as I liked the premise and I said I'd read the first chapter. I couldn't put it down, and tore through it in a couple of sittings. Derek is a great main character, the kind that you find yourself rooting for even though he has behaved questionably. I could see this working really well as a TV drama, and I'd recommend it for people who are sick of thrillers about The Girl In The Window/Train/Bus/Lake/Attic/Picture etc.

This book does make you think, and wonder if this sort of thing goes on, especially in this day and age with our every move recorded somewhere.

I felt really sorry for Derek, I know he was a bit odd, and a bit pervy, but he had an awful mother, no friends, and was genuinely a lonely soul. I did get the impression that he honestly only wanted to be important and wanted to belong to a family, and his clients were his family. He didn’t actually do any harm to them, albeit it was creepy.

Saying that however, it was pretty obvious, to me at least, right from the outset what was going on, and who was behind it all, it was just a bit of a shock at how nasty it all got.

I think this sort of crime will be on the increase in the future and it is very hard to track down. Gone are the old days of cops and robbers, crimes of passion, now it’s all cyber space etc.

This was a different crime story and very enjoyable.

A roller coaster read that grabs the reader from the start. The story is fictional however it could be a true life story so easily. This is a well written book about an installer of home security cameras/systems and as I read the book the hairs on my arm rose in horror at his antics and wondering what had happened in his past that. Having said that Derek Flint raised so many different emotions in me, I felt sorry for his home life, detested that stalking but felt sorry that this was all he felt he had for family and pitied him at the end. Lisa Stone has written a great book that has already made me think about the way we treat our home security and all our electronics as well.

I have loved books written by Cathy Glass about her life as a foster carer so when I saw she had written a fiction book under the name Lisa Stone I was keen to read it. I wanted to see if there were any similarities in the books.
Well apart from fantasric writing in all her books that was where the similarities stopped.
The characters in Stalker are believable and well described. The loner in the story Derek Flint had me liking him one minute, hating him the next then feeling sorry for him!!
The technology subject covered in this is also believable and very scary. I really enjoyed Stalker and didn't think Cathy Glass could switch to fiction but how wrong I was. An excellent story and plot and fantastic writing as always. I look forward to reading more by Lisa Stone.

The synopsis sells this story short! I wasn't expecting such a dark twisty book, at points I wanted to put it down because of how dark it got but it's written so well that it's impossible to put it down without knowing what happens next. Satisfying ending and I'm thrilled with this thriller!
This would be a 5/5 story but loses a star for Dereks character. I couldn't tell if he was supposed to be intelligent or a little slow he seems to flicker between the two.