Gripping and suspenseful! A very well-written book with wonderfully-interesting characters. The tension builds at just the right pace as the story unfolds. Will keep you swiping the pages furiously. Worthy of your TBR list.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.

If you have read the Riley Paige series you will be delighted to head back to the beginning. This book was every bit as intriguing as all of Blake Pierces books. Look forward to the next installment in this series!!

Als großer Fan des Autors war dieses Buch ein must-read - und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht. Äußerst interessant, die junge Riley kennen zu lernen. Der Autor versteht es bestens, seine Leser tief in die Handlung, aber auch in die Innenwelt der Charaktere hinein zu ziehen. Bitte mehr davon!

I have been reading the Riley Paige series with a lot of interest.
So when I got an opportunity to read Watching (the making of Riley Paige) - I didn’t need to think twice about it.

This book describes the formative years of Riley Paige, when she was Riley Sweeney, and a psychology student at college.
It describes how in the wake of a horrible attack on two girls in her dorm, leading to their death, she discovers her keen sensation and empathy to get into the minds of criminals and serial killers.
She is instrumental in nabbing the killer, despite being a student; and in turn is offered a training to join the BAU of the FBI.
The book also describes her relationship with her then boyfriend, and subsequent husband, Ryan Paige. And how she meets the one man who influences and shapes her career in the BAU; her mentor, guide, and philosopher - Special Agent Jake Crivaro.

Those who have read any of the book in the series would love the background this book provides.
And for those who haven’t read any in the series, this would be a good place to start.

4.5/5 for me

Watching is a murder mystery featuring psychology student Riley Paige. Having never read a book by Blake Pierce, I dove in completely blind to the character Riley. Maybe that hindered my ability to get into this story, I don't know, but I felt no connection with the main character nor any of the other characters. Honestly I found myself dreading having to pick it back up and continue reading. Simply put... I was bored. The story is very cliché and predictable and I knew who the killer was about 40% through the book. ⭐⭐ for effort I guess.

I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Watching by Blake Pierce is the 1st in "The Making of Riley Paige" series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Kobo Writing Life, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Synopsis:
Riley Sweeney is almost finished college, where she is majoring in Psychology. She has had a rough start to life. She was young when her mom was shot and killed right in front of her, and Riley went a little crazy in her teenage years. She isn’t close to her older sister Wendy, and her relationship with her father is very strained. However, here she is in college, and on the straight and narrow.

When her friend Rhea is killed just down the hall, Riley’s world starts to change. She has a sudden indescribable urge to find Rhea’s killer. She finds herself starting to understand and get into the killer’s mind, seemingly knowing what he is thinking, and that scares her. Is she really empathizing with a killer? When the FBI gets involved, they seem to think Riley may have a talent for this kind of thing, but she’s not too sure herself.

Meanwhile, Riley’s love-life, which has been purposely non-existent, is also taking a turn. A young man named Ryan Paige has taken an interest in Riley, and she returns his interest.

My Opinions:
I really enjoyed this book. I know the books in this series are the prequels to Pierce’s Once Gone Series (which I’m also reading), so I find it really interesting to find out how Riley Paige came to be. The writing is good, and so was the plot. The suspense kept building, and although I had an idea who the killer was, it took a while to be sure.

Definitely looking forward to the next one!

A brilliant novel introducing Riley Paige ( from the Once series) Having read the Once series it was nice to start from the beginning and find out why Riley became a detective. This book could be read before or after the series. This is a great story of a university campus killer full of suspense and drama from the off. It kept me hooked and I read it in 2 sittings, I will certainly be reading the next instalment!

The book Watching was an easy read. It is aimed for those in their teens and twenties yet an entertaining read for adults as well. The characters are all interesting and complex but having a few of their names starting with the same letter made it a bit strange. Makes one wonder if there’s a connection between the characters that is going to be revealed. The twist in the book is hinted at a few times but it is not obvious. Riley’s ability also makes the story more appealing but a bit more information about that would have been beneficial especially in the beginning. The one thing that made me relate to the character was that she comes across as more mature than the other college students in the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Blake Pierce for a free copy in exchange for a review. The opinions are my own.

Going into this I wasn’t aware that this is a prequel for a rather big series... it was fine as a stand alone. Would I read more? Maybe, but I’m in no rush.

The character of Riley was interesting and her evolution throughout the book has me keep reading. I love a smart, strong female character. Unfortunately many of the side characters seemed so childish and ridiculous in comparison. The dialogue between them didn’t always flow for me and I’m not sure if it’s because the author is trying to capture their youth or their sex (him being a male writing in a female voice).

The story was good and had enough suspense to have me keep turning pages. I liked the main character and concept. I did finish it. I may see what’s in store for Riley down the line...

great new book serie read all other now we go back to the start before the fbi year and serial killer drama of later books