Wow, what a ride! This is the second book in the series, but I dove in without reading the first. It is a great stand alone murder mystery with a killer opening! I changed my mind over and over again trying to guess the killer. I will definitely be ordering the first book to take a deeper dive into these characters. A must read!

Although I haven’t read the first in this series, I was super excited to receive this advanced copy. I definitely will go back and read the author’s previous novel. This book took you in at a quick and crazy pace. It had lots of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes and involved. I loved the suspense and couldn’t wait to see who actually did it in the end. Can’t wait for the authors next book. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced read.

RATING: 3.5 STARS
2020; Random House Publishing Group/Random House

Watching from the Dark starts with a bang - Aidan Poole is on a Skype call with his girlfriend when he sees someone enter her apartment. He cannot see anything offscreen and cannot warn her. He should call the police but he's got a secret to hide. He manages to get a message to the police who discover the body of Zoe, a painter. From everyone that DCI Jonah Sheens and his team investigate and talk to, they discover Zoe was kind-hearted woman. As the novel weaves back to when Zoe was alive, to present day, we unravel her life. After the first 10% the novel started to drag, and I almost gave up but then it picked up again. I liked this novel more than the first novel, and am down for another DCI Jonah Sheens novel.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

When I was reading this book I realized how I did like how this was. The mystery with the girl going missing and the guy basically listening to someone coming inside her house was really crazy. I enjoyed the book and hoping to read more from this author.

“Watching from the Dark” is about observation -- who is observing, who is being observed, and what happens after the observation. This is book two in the series, and while this case stands alone, new readers are dropped into the middle of an existing situation. Some things are quickly summarized, but readers are plunged right into the action with the assumption that new booklovers will catch up. There are contextual references to other people and past cases, and the main character Jonah’s last name or position is not given until later.
As is typical in a police procedure novel, the “body” shows up early, however Lodge created a scenario that is anything but typical. A caller claimed that his girlfriend was murdered while he was talking to her on Skype, but he did not see the killer. DCI Jonah Sheens almost let the call go without a report or investigation, and later he wondered what difference it would have made if he had.
Initially, there was little information about the crime, but the investigation proceeded in an orderly, structured manner. The evidence was inconsistent, and everywhere the team looked, a new suspect popped onto the scene. The most obvious suspect was the married boyfriend who called in the crime. “That’s how it is when you’re having a bloody affair. You learn to be a constant liar.”
“Watching from the Dark” is filled with deliberate lies and false leads that complicate the investigation until it is hard to tell who is a victim and who is a diabolical killer. I received a review copy of “Watching from the Dark” from Gytha Lodge and Random House Publishing Group. It is well written and compelling. It also offers valuable advice – cover your webcam with tape; you never know who is watching YOU from dark.

This was a totally engrossing and fast-paced book with the central character being DCI Jonah Sheens, one of my favorites in police procedurals. Zoe is a young artist who is making her way in the world, working in a coffee shop and spending time with her friends. Then, she meets Aidan and her whole life seems to revolve around him. Big mistake! After all, he is a married man who keeps promising her that he is getting a divorce. No need for that once Zoe is found dead and Aidan thinks that he actually was watching and listening in when she was killed. The negative of this book was that there were so many characters and each was somewhat developed, but not completely. That meant, to me, that it was hard to figure out who the main suspect was in Zoe’s murder. There didn’t seem to be enough hints to account for all of the people with whom she interacted. That being said, I really did enjoy the book, the interplay between all of the characters and the investigating detectives. There is a new detective in this story named Hanson whom I expect to see more of in future books. Anyway, the pluses far outweigh the negatives, so I give the book a solid five stars. It kept me reading late into the night and kept me guessing all the way until the end. Fans of mystery, suspense and police procedurals will definitely not want to miss this one!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of Watching From The Dark.

So I feel like giving this 3 stars is a little generous, but figured 3 stars means not bad but not good... This book was a bit difficult for me to get through. I think most of the time while reading I was just skimming the page wishing for the percentage read to just grow bigger and bigger so I could be done and move on... Aidan logs into Skype one night and witnesses what he thinks is his girlfriend, Zoe, getting murdered. He notifies the police who confirm Zoe has been found dead but it could potentially be a suicide. What follows is back and forth between Zoe’s romance with Aidan and DCI Jonah Sheens’ investigation into what happened. Who was responsible for Zoe’s death? Was it her boyfriend? Her broken friend Angeline? Her friend who’s secretly in love with her, Victor? I promise you the answer is incredibly predictable which made this book not very enjoyable for me, unfortunately...

Thank you @randomhouse and @netgalley for a copy of Watching From The Dark by Gytha Lodge.

The second book in the DI Sheens series, I thought this book had a completely different feel than the first, She Lies In Wait. While the first was a cold case and had more personal background on the police officers, Watching From The Dark was much more in the middle of a current case and how it affected them instead. I definitely think this one could be read first, very very few personal situations were continued on. I also think that if you didn’t love the pace or feel of the first, then I wouldn’t automatically count this one out.

Watching In The Dark starts with a man waiting to Skype with his girlfriend when he ends watching someone sneak into the house and murder her instead. He does not leave his name or her address when he calls the police, which brings up more questions than answers. Like her last book, Gytha Lodge alternates between the victim’s past actions and the police case. I love this format because you can try and guess and form your own opinions as to what might be motive and where the evidence might be.

Watching From The Dark was a decently paced book, not necessarily fast but definitely faster to start than the first and enough plot to keep your interest up.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Watching from the Dark by Gytha Lodge.

This is the second of the DCI Jonah Sheens series.

When Aiden gets online to chat with his girlfriend Zoe, he's horrified at what he sees. Knowing that Zoe is in trouble, he is desperate to get her the help she needs, but fails to call the police.

With his team, Detective Sheens works hard to get to the bottom of what happened to young Zoe, and who would want to kill an innocent artist.

I remember, just like with the first book, it took me a minute to get solid with the plot and characters. But also with the first one, once I was hooked, I was hooked. This is a great crime series with interesting cases and I look forward to the next one.

Aidan Poole is online waiting for a video chat to begin with his girlfriend Zoe when he hears sounds of a struggle in her apartment, but he doesn’t call the police immediately. He does eventually point them to her apartment where they find her dead. The book alternates between the current police investigation and a description of Zoe’s relationships with Aidan and her other friends, family and acquaintances (all of them whiny and dependent), many of whom are suspects in the case.

This is the second book in the police procedural series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens. If you insist on having the backstories of your detectives then you need to read the first book. However, that really doesn’t interest me and I thought that the first book went way overboard with backstory, so I was relieved to find it largely omitted here. I found the plot engaging and even though I am not a huge fan of police procedurals I liked watching the police following the clues. I didn’t like the victim or any of the people in her circle, but the book still entertained me. I would read the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Creepy, Eerie And Suspenseful!

Late in the evening Aiden Poole is on Skype impatiently waiting for his girlfriend to arrive when he hears her splashing in the bathtub and wonders why is she teasing him this way and then he sees a shadow across the room and a door quietly open yet still hears his girl in the bathroom. What's going on? Does she know she is not alone or did she invite a friend over to chat, or? It's very dark on the screen but now Aiden is hearing struggling sounds and the hairs on the back of his neck are standing ups straight and chills are running up and down his spine. She's in trouble! She needs his help. Silence on the dark screen now. Where are they? Where is she?
He should call the police, Now! Why is he waiting so long???

This was a delicious and enticing story for me to read. I enjoyed all the characters and their interplay whether I liked them or not This is my second book by Gytha Lodge and I enjoyed it even more than the first. What a terrific writer! The story-telling was excellent and I was on the edge of my seat most of the time thinking, he did it, no, she did it or did they do it or, I just don't know who did it! The suspense had me in a frenzy but in such a wickedly fun way.

This book is part of a series but it can easily be read as a stand-alone and I highly recommend it to any reader who enjoys suspenseful mysteries that are so well-written that they just leave you feeling satisfied yet wanting to read more!

I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing" and Netgalley for this complimentary copy and any opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.I

I have given this terrific book 5 Delicious 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

I loved loved loved this book it was awesome I really like the way this author writes and can’t wait to read her next book..

Woo! This one was a thrill ride for sure. While the idea has been done before, I appreciate the spin this one took. Make sure you start with plenty of time to finish!



I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

The description reminded me of a movie with a similar plot. However this book was more interesting. Kept me on my toes.

I was a fan of She Lies In Wait so HAD to get my hands on Watching From The Dark ...

Unfortunately I figured out the killer very early on in the story so the shock value just wasn't there for me. Regardless, I very much enjoyed this police procedural, the characters and the plot. I felt like everything wrapped up really well.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for my review copy.

I love a mystery that keeps me guessing from the start, and this was it! I had absolutely no clue who could have done it. I liked getting glimpses into Zoe's past in the alternating timeline. It lent well to the mystery.

I was a little worried going into this that I wouldn't be able to follow parts of the story because I didn't read the first, but it surprised me, and I found that besides a few moments of feeling like I missed something it was easy to follow!

Full of plot and character - I would definitely recommend this to mystery lovers! Thank you, NetGalley, and to the publisher!

One night during a video chat session, Aidan Poole witnesses what appears to be an intruder cornering his girlfriend in her bathroom and attacking her. Aidan reports what he sees to the police anonymously. When the police are able to determine her identity and location of her Hampshire apartment, Zoe Swardadine is dead. DCI Jonah Sheens and his team are assigned the case and are determined to wade through all the suspects to find Zoe's killer.

This is the second book in this series featuring DCI Sheens and his team members Domnall O'Malley, Juliette Hanson, and Ben Lightman. I enjoyed the first book, but it's not necessary to have read the series debut to enjoy this book. I love how well Jonah and his team work together and especially enjoyed the scenes between Juliette and Ben. Through the investigation and flashbacks told from Zoe's point of view, a complicated story emerges. At first glance, it doesn't seem anyone would want to harm Zoe, but the detectives are able to uncover several possible suspects. I wasn't able to identify the killer although there were some clues.

This is a well-written procedural. It is bittersweet because the reader gets to know Zoe through the flashbacks but knows her story doesn't end well. In spite of this, the ending is satisfying and leaves some questions related to the personal life of some of the detectives unanswered. I assume they will be addressed in a future book and I am eager to read the next one in this series.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Random House. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Gytha Lodge's latest, Watching from the Dark is one of the best books I've read lately. It's a thriller, but also what I call a police procedural. This book made me such a happy reader.

When the book begins, Aidan is waiting for his girlfriend to Skype with him when he sees someone dressed in dark clothing, stealthily climb the stairs to the bathroom where she is enjoying a bath....NOT something you want to see on Skype when you're essentially helpless.

The story explodes after that scene with friends, family and acquaintances considered to be suspects at one point or another. Just when I'd convince myself that person A had to be the one who did it, I'd begin seeing that it could have been person B, but wait! Maybe it was C?

If you are looking for a book that you truly do not want to put down, one that will make you question everyone and/or have you questioning what you'd do in a similar circumstance, this is definitely the book for you!

My only problem with this book? That book 3 is not already waiting for me to read! Gytha Lodge, please write faster!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for approving an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own and happily given.

Damn it, reading them again out of order. This is the second in the series, the first being She Lies in Wait. Fortunately it didn’t dampen my enjoyment of this psychological thriller mixed with a crisp police procedural featuring Detective Jonah Shields. A really engrossing plot this jumps right into action when a man is signing on to his regular nightly Skype call to his girlfriend and she is possibly murdered right in front of his ears, if not his eyes. The team is intrigued when they finally see the odd police report and investigate the possible crime. Can’t wait to order the first book in the morning.!

After I was approved to read this book on Netgalley, I realized it was the second of the series. Since I adore police procedurals and hate reading them out of order, I purchased She Lies In Wait to read first. I'm so glad I did. (see my separate review)
Professor Aidan Poole is skyping his girlfriend Zoe Swardadine late one evening. Though her computer is on, apparently she's not ready. She is taking a bath, Aidan can hear her, but not see her from the computer's positioning.
As he waits, he begins to hear strange noises. As if someone has let themselves into her flat and gone into the bathroom with her. Sounds of a struggle follow.
He is distraught, and needs to find out if Zoe is all right, but is resistant to calling the police. He finally makes an anonymous report.
Zoe is found dead in the tub, but it is not apparent if she was murdered or committed suicide.
DCI Jonah Sheens and his team of detectives, Juliette Hanson, Domnall O'Malley and Ben Lightman begin an investigation.
The narrative alternates between the inquiry and back twenty months before, when Zoe meets Aidan and their relationship progresses.
As the team gathers information and suspects, they finally learn the truth of what happened to Zoe.
This crime fiction/police procedural/thriller was outstanding. Cleverly plotted and well crafted, with superb writing. Gripping and suspenseful.
The characters really came to life and I cared about what happened to them.
So glad I found this great new series!
Thank you Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC via NetGalley.