I have to start by saying that I am a big fan of Kernick especially books such as Relentless and The Last Ten Seconds however this....not so much. The synopsis felt like a departure from my expectations of a Kernick novel so I was excited to try something a little different. Brook Conner is on her way home and is excited to see her daughter Paige. When she arrives she just knows something is off as her housekeeper Rosa is not there with Paige but her car is. Confused she calls Rosa to no reply fololowed shortly thereafter to her husband. It becomes all too clear that her daughter has been kidnapped.

Now right out the gate I admit I did not warm to any of the characters in this book. Brook, her husband, her lawyer, literally everybody! The storyline also bordered on the ridiculous. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against strecthing the realms of reality for a story, but it has to be a good story for me to be on board with it! I managed to trudge my way through this but it felt like a chore. Every now and then you can read a book by an author you love and just not gel with the book and this is one of those times.

We Can See You by Simon Kernick is a standalone thriller about Brook Connor who returns home at night to find her daughter and housekeeping missing.

I’ve read many Simon Kernick books over the years, so was looking forward to this one. It is based in America, which was a surprise initially as most of the books I had read were UK based. This book takes us on the twisted tale of Brook Connor. She has, what appears, to be the perfect life – husband, child and success career. One day, she returns home and finds her daughter is missing, along with the nanny, Rosa. She has been left a note and a shocking present, with the note giving instructions not to involve the police and they will do if she does as they can see her. Hours later, her life is turned upside down and she finds herself being accused of murder. Who is trying to set her up, and why?

The book began with a shocking start of Brook returning home and finding her daughter missing. Told from, not just Brook’s point of view, but of the detectives investigating her. I found the switching between the characters and different timeframes a little confusing at times, and I found I really needed to concentrate to work out where I was in the story. I couldn’t quite work out what to make of Brook, at times liking her character and at others didn’t! Similarly, with some of the other characters, you start off believing in them because of who they are, but then swapping and changing your opinion of them as the story moves on.

As usual with this author, we are treated to plenty of twists and turns, high suspense and lots of tension. Personally, for me, I struggled to keep my attention focussed on the storyline due to the changes in characters. I would have enjoyed it more if I could have cheered on at least one of the characters, but found it difficult to connect with any of them. It was a book which I had to read because I’ve always enjoyed this author’s writing, but for me it wasn’t one of the best books he’s written.

As always a pacy and gripping read from Simon Kernick. It's a standalone novel so a great introduction to his style of writing if you have never tried his work out before.

Simon Kernick's We Can See You grips you from the very start and doesn't let go until the end. I've always enjoyed Simon's books, especially Siege and Stay Alive, and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Kernick rarely disappoints and you can always be confident that the book will be entertaining and full of action.

The story, told by three central viewpoints, rattles along with twists and turns and you end up rooting for Brooke! Superb read.

Another brilliant read by Simon Kernick. I loved the tension throughout and the characters interactions.

We can see you is a fast paced thriller that had me gripped from the very first page.
There is lots of action and things going on and lots of twists and turns.
The book follows Brook Conner who’s daughter has disappeared and she needs to find her.
The chapters are short and you don’t know what’s going to happen next.
Gripping
A must read

A good solid thriller, however for Simon Kernick fans, this seems a little off as though it wasnt actually written by Simon Kernick! All in all, still a good read though!

Hi Karen,
My Next review is:-

“We Can See You”, written by Simon Kernick and published hardcover by Century on 29th Nov. 2018. 400 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1780894492

The story is about a successful author/life coach named Brooke Connor who has a very busy life and employs a Latino live in nanny/cook to look after her daughter Paige. Brooke is returning home after going to San Francisco to attend media interviews about her new book and two exhausting interviews with a couple of clients.
She reaches her home in Santa Cruz and is dismayed when she doesn’t hear the sound of her daughter, nor that of the usually boisterous sounds of the cook Rosa, instead she finds a typed note from their kidnappers!!

“We've kidnapped your daughter, and we know everything about you. Including the dark secrets from your past you thought were forgotten.”
Then we go to the police and their attempts to trace the kidnappers and the story continues with some extremes of violence until the rather exciting conclusion.
Simon Kernick knows how to write an exciting thriller and has a huge body of work behind him with familiar characters in the British police scene to talk about and interest his readers such as Tina Boyd and other British protagonists.
However, he has now decided not to write about England but decided he’d rather write a story based in California. If I want to read a story based in L.A. surely, I’d want to pick up a Michael Connelly book about Detective Harry Bosch. A Simon Kernick one would only appeal if the story was about British ex-pats living in California and how life there was different to back in England but not when the story is solely about Americans. There are too many similar books competing for readers in that busy market place.
It was a nice attempt Simon but you should stick with stories based in the UK and I’m sure American readers would appreciate it also. Recommended.
.
Best wishes,
Terry

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Brook Connor has everything that a lady could want but it everything is not as it seems. Really enjoyed this book and a worthy 5 stars

It’s been a while since I read a Simon Kernick novel, but I certainly won’t leave it so long until I read another!

A mother desperately trying to track down her kidnapped daughter ends up on the run whilst trying to prove her innocence in a string of deaths, takes the reader on a rollercoaster of a ride from start to finish.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

As a massive fan of simons Tina Boyd series, I was delighted to receive this from Netgalley as an ARC.

I must say it didn’t disappoint. When I started it I did wonder if I would enjoy it as I’m not a fan of American police crime, as it’s all gung ho and shooting everyone and getting nowhere. However I needn’t have worried because it was a good tale, although it was easy to see who was behind it all. It isn’t as fast paced as the Tina Boyd books but it did move along nicely and I did enjoy it.

My thanks to Simon, the publishers and netgalley for the arc.

This for me is a good read and typical Kernick with quick pace and a lot happening every chapter as you progress through the book. It is a fast paced page turner that keeps you reading.

The book is about a couple who have their daughter kidnap and the lengths you may or may not go to to try and get them back. Logan and Brook on the surface seem a perfect family but when their daughter is kidnapped the cracks start to show including the trust between them. Trying to get their daughter back turns out to be a roller coaster ride of mayhem and bodies as they start down the road and then Brook finds herself a suspect and on the run while trying to achieve the goal of recovering her daughter. At each turn she seems to hit dead ends and problems but she keeps going.

The book is set in America which isn't to much of a problem as it still reads just like a Kernick book at a pace and style you have come to expect. Well worth a read.

A gripping read. Simon Kernick never fails to deliver a fast paced thriller.. A thrilling plot with a totally unexpected outcome.

I have read and enjoyed all Simon Kernick’s books so I was excited to see this one on NetGalley. We can see you is different from his other books. His books are usually set in Britain but this one is set in California.
Brook Connor, bestselling author and life coach returns home after a meeting, to find her daughter missing with her nanny. There is a mobile phone and a note left saying that her daughter has been kidnapped and not to involve the police and they are watching her. She tells her husband Logan but, he doesn’t seem to be upset as she is. The kidnappers ask for a for a ransom and they bring it to an old deserted nursery. The next thing happens Logan knocks her out unconscious. When she wakes up Logan is nowhere to be found. But she finds him stabbed to death in the boot of her car. The story continues in the hunt for her daughter more bodies turn up and all the evidence looks like Brook has killed them. All she wants to do is find her daughter.
This is another great novel from Simon Kernick. Not as good as his previous novels, but I enjoyed it all the same. There is a lot of twists and turns that keep you engaged and surprises throughout the book
Thank you NetGalley the publisher for a copy of this book.

I am a huge fan of Simon Kernick and have read every one of his books,once again We Can See You delivers if you like gripping thrillers with plenty of twists and turns.Brook Connor is thrown into a nightmare when she returns home to find her stepdaughter has been kidnapped.What follows is a typical Kernick book full of action and red herrings that keep you guessing all through out the book.The one thing i didn't particularly like was that for some reason it was set in California which seemed a bit strange as all of Simon's other books are set in the UK,but never the less this was still a good addition to Simon Kernick's other books and as a stand alone thriller it is still a good 4 star read.

You have it all. Success, a beautiful home, a happy family. Until, in a heartbeat, it's gone. We've kidnapped your daughter, and we know everything about you. Including the dark secrets from your past you thought were forgotten. We tell you not to contact the police - and that we'll know if you do. Because we can see you. And now you know this is no ordinary abduction. It's worse. Within hours you're on the run, with only one thought in your head: That you will stop at nothing to get your daughter back. Even murder.

The story is told in alternating chapters between Brook and the Detectives Tyrone Giant and Jenna King. There is plenty of twists and some secrets in this fast paced novel right from the start. The story is action packed and I was rooting all the way for Brook to find her daughter safe and sound. With tension building from the start, this is a well written and gripping story. Loved it.

An emotionally punchy book blended with the pace and action of a high-octane thriller, WE CAN SEE YOU will keep you breathlessly on the edge of your seat, wondering which character you can trust, if any at all, until the final brilliant twist!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advance copy in return for a fair and honest review.

I’m a fan of Simon Kernick books and this one did not disappoint. Brooke is a successful counsellor, married with a stepdaughter called Paige. Brooke arrives home to find her stepdaughter kidnapped and a ransom demand. What follows is a twisting tale of obsession and conflict.
I loved the characters and how the story developed. Simon Kernick did not disappoint.
Thanks to NetGalley and Century for an ARC.
#Century #NetGalley

3.5 stars. I am a massive fan of Simon kernicks books but this one is one of my least favourites. It was just a bit slow and not up to his usual standard. I felt it dragged a bit. Still enjoyable however and I look forward to reading more by him in the future.

An exciting if implausible tale of police investigations and involvement in a multiple murder and kidnap mystery. A successful woman framed for her husbands murder and subsequent others the body count rises as she desperately searches for her missing stepdaughter and manages to keep a step ahead of the police. Eventually arrested she struggles to convince them of her innocence before being bailed sand the true antagonist is revealed with another murder to come before an exciting finish and a result to please all.