This is the second in the Jonah Sheens series. I really enjoyed the first book, but it took me slightly longer to engage with this one. Aidan Poole is attempting to Skype with his girlfriend when he sees someone entering her apartment and then it’s apparent something violent happens off screen. He reports the incident but for some reason, doesn’t give his name or contact info. Sure enough, she’s been murdered. Will the police believe him? And why the hesitancy about giving his name?

Part of my initial problem was that the book jumps back and forth between the investigation and Zoe’s life some 20 months before the murder and moving forward. I did feel sorry for Zoe, as most of her friends seemed to be real pain in the rear, needy sorts. But I also couldn’t understand why she continued to put up with all of them.

I enjoyed the investigation parts of the story, especially as we learn more about the team members. I especially liked learning more about Hanson. Sheens is impressed when she doesn’t get sick at her first postmortem. “Well, either you’re good at keeping it together under tough circumstances...or it means you’re a psychopath. But I’m sure there’s a place for you in the team either way.”

Good work, Ms Lodge, because I didn’t have a clue as to the murderer until the end. At various times, I was convinced it was each one of her friends.

Anyone that enjoys a well done police procedural will enjoy this one.

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this thriller. It kept me guessing and had my interest the whole way through. I didn't see the ending coming and it was a total surprise.

I would recommend this book.

Aidan logs onto Skype late at night to talk to his girlfriend Zoe and, to his horror, listens to the sounds of a violent struggle. But he doesn't immediately call the police. Once he does, they find Zoe dead in her apartment.

Watching from the Dark is multiple point of view, following Zoe, the suspects, and the police. There are two timelines, one present day and the other beginning over a year earlier from Zoes perspective as we get ever closer to the day of her death. Everyone plays fast and loose with truth, making the most of the multiple point of view by weaving varying truths together; some honestly experiencing events differently, some intentionally curating "facts" but all a slightly different perspective. This is a vivid portrait of the wide reaching ruination one person can wreck, and the ways people lie to themselves and others.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.

DCI Sheens is at it again in this brilliant sequel to She Lies in Wait.

Aiden is Skyping his girlfriend, Zoe. late one night and while she logs in, she heads straight for the bathtub. While he waits for her to come back, he ends up witnessing what he thinks is her murder...and is hesitant to let the police know. Why is that? Did he actually have something to do with the murder? Is there something else he is trying to hide?

Throughout the rest of the book, we meet Zoe’s friends and get a glimpse into Zoe’s life prior to her murder. We find out the cracks in her relationships with her friends, her boyfriend, her father, and realize anyone could have murdered Zoe - so who actually did it?

We also learn more about DCI Jonah and his team in this book. I loved getting into their heads and following up with them from She Lies in Wait. I hope there is a third book in this series because I am invested in this group of detectives!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this book!

WOW. This book was such a great thriller I had a hard time putting it down. Starting from the first Chapter, it dove right into the story plot and for the next 31 chapters, had me guessing who in their right mind would kill such a sweet, love-strucked Zoe. As I was reading this, I felt like I knew her and i felt her pain. I felt how compassionate she was with her friends, putting their feelings above her own. I felt the love she had for Aidan, and how she fell for his lies over and over again- because she was Zoe. She had a good circle of friends, and as the story was unfolding, I couldn’t guess who the killer was. “Watching from the Dark”.. I had to keep thinking.. who is this person? Gytha Lodge wrote this story so well that it could have been any of Zoe’s friends that could have motive. I didn’t suspect who the killer ended up being which made this thriller novel such a great one!

I give this book a 4.5/5 stars. I felt there were a bit too many people involved in this one case, some having their own side stories, which confused me a bit, and I had to reread the paragraphs again to figure out who Is as reading about. When I found out who the killer was, I was a bit disappointed at how easy everything unfolded coming from a “killer” after being caught. However, aside from that, this was a wonderfully written book! I look forward to more of Gytha Lodge’s other writings.

4-5 stars!
Will I find the beginning to be very riveting and engrossing, I also had a hard time keeping all the characters separate and defined. I didn’t realize until I had read some, that this was a follow up to to the authors last book, but I did enjoy it once I got all the characters down. I think that it was well written, chilling, thrilling, and shocking! Highly recommend to those who enjoy a good murder/mystery thriller!
Will make sure I buzz it up on all the different platforms!

Gytha Lodge has crafted an engrossing page turner of a read in Watching from the Dark. Well worth the read!

Thank you to Gytha Lodge, Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed "She Lies In Wait", so I was very excited to read "Watching From The Dark". I loved the creepiness of this story, and the different characters. I felt like it dragged on a little too long, and there were a couple of unresolved issues for me. Overall, a good book.

This is the follow-up to She Lies in Wait, Gytha Lodge's debut thriller. I gave that book four stars, so I was really looking forward to this sequel. And let me tell you, this book did not disappoint! From the opening scene, a man waiting to Skype his girlfriend who witnesses something shocking instead, to the final surprising revelation, I was absolutely hooked! The story went back and forth between the current investigation and the months and weeks leading up to the crime, which I enjoyed because it gave you a closer look at the victims and suspects and what was going on in their lives. At various points I suspected literally everyone, including the victim. Yet, I was still shocked at the discovery of the murderer, which is always a good thing in my book. But what I loved most was the team of investigators. Give me a great detective team and I am all in! DCI Jonah Sheens is a thoughtful, conflicted detective, in the same vein as Richard Jury and Adam Dalgliesh (two of my personal favorites) and I appreciated the further developments of the other characters. Ben Lightman especially stood out in the final scenes of the book, and yes, I might have a teeny little crush on him at this point. I give this five solid stars and I can't wait to read the next in the series! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars. Gytha Lodge previously wrote She Lies In Wait, a meticulous police procedural which was one of my favourite books in 2019. I was thrilled to learn that there was a second book featuring the same team of police detectives. Watching From the Dark proves that her first intricately plotted, complex novel which detailed the work necessary in solving crimes was not beginners' luck and places her among the top authors of slow-burning British police procedural/ psychological thrillers.

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The beginning is gripping and most intriguing. Aidan, a university lecturer, sits down at his computer to chat with his girlfriend, Zoe. She is a talented art student who has a small, dysfunctional circle of friends but seems well-loved by everyone she meets. Her group of friends look upon her for her cheerful, unselfish comfort and support.

As Aidan watches is the screen, he is puzzled that Zoe does not show up. He hears her in the bathroom. While he waits, he hears someone enter her flat. This intruder goes into the bathroom. He wonders if she has another lover. Then he hears what seems like a deadly struggle. The intruder leaves, but their image is not visible on screen. He is shaken fearing Zoe has been murdered.

After some hesitation, Aidan calls the police. He refuses to give his name or reveal where the crime occurred. Later he learns that her dead body was discovered in her bathtub. He is now prepared to reveal more to the police. He confesses that they were having an affair, but not that he has a wife. When Zoe discovered the existence of the wife, she was furious and broke up with him several times but then reconciled. At first, her death looked like suicide, but forensics showed she had been subdued by chemicals.

Detective Chief Inspector, Jonah Sheens and his talented team conduct a painstaking investigation which includes repeated interviews. Their work is careful and detailed but the truth is elusive. We see the importance of tracing phone calls, the use of computers and images captured on traffic and security cameras in crime-solving.

Among the suspects are Zoe’s close-knit group of friends:
Maeve, a moody outgoing young woman who professes Christian values, but who have been reported having an affair with her married pastor or stalked and harassed him into leaving his parish.
Angelina, a fragile girl, constantly demanding attention and comforting.
Victor, a hot-tempered Brazilian, who seemed jealous of Zoe’s affair with Aidan.
Felix, her older landlord, suffering from bouts of PTSD.
All these friends relied on Zoe for emotional support.
Why would any of them have a motive to kill this vibrant girl?
Then there is Aidan, prime suspect, due to his lies of omission to the police and his secrets. Was he angry because Zoe wanted him out of her life?

As the detectives delve deeper into the lives of the many suspects, they learn that any and all of them might have reason to kill Zoe. How will they solve this twisted and complicated case?
Recommended to readers who enjoy a slow-burning British police procedural with complicated and needy characters.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this engaging mystery in return for an honest review.

A fun, twisty, psychological thriller! It started off with a bang, lagged in the middle, then finished strong. The lag in the middle was a bummer, I was not invested and not keen to pick it up and continue reading. I’m glad I did, as the conclusion was a fun and fast paced ride! I wish the author had filled in more backstory from book one, it was merely a mention. I enjoyed both books in this series and will look forward to the series continuing! 3.5 ⭐️ Thank you to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

“Watching from the Dark” by Gytha Lodge is the second book in the DCI Jonah Sheen series.

The opening scene is a man waiting to chat with his girlfriend on Skype and hears someone attack and murder her.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author in the last year, and while I find the plot intriguing, parts were just a bit unbelievable.
I did find this a quick, entertaining read.

This was a very good book. Zoe is a young lady who has friends that she helps out. These friends all seem to have some kind of trouble in their lives and turn to her. When something happens to Zoe, each friend is investigated to see what they know. Throughout the whole book, I had ideas who might be the one responsible. I was very surprised at the end to find out who that was. I would recommend this book.

Loved this book! It kept me guessing the entire time. The story follows DCI Sheens and his team as they investigate a potential murder and the cast of characters was just great. The author brought the suspects to life and I love the squad of detectives.

Watching from the Dark is the 2nd book in the DCI Sheens series, and is another hit. This is a stand-alone story, and a classic whodunnit. The pages fly by as the story unfolds, and you’re guessing along with the detectives as each clue leads down another path and another suspect. Easy to follow plot, great characters, and a great read. Looking forward to more in this series. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an excellent read: I enjoyed it even more than the first in the series (about which I can now remember only bits and pieces - story of my life!) Adrian watches what he believes to be the murder of his girlfriend Zoe over Skype, but is only willing to report this to the police anonymously...

There were chapters detailing Zoe and Adrian's relationship over the previous 18 months interspersed with the present day police procedural chapters. I liked police officers Juliette and Ben (I see from my review of the first book that I was hoping to get to the bottom of the mystery that is Ben, but he remains an enigma). Jonah's relationship with Michelle is something my memory has clearly decided to jettison, but none of the personal lives of the detectives really intruded into the plot: I thought the author had that well in balance.

I was sure different people were the murderer at different stages of the narrative and was guessing until the very end. The Zoe chapters did an excellent job of portraying her mindset on the last day of her life.

Highly recommended.

When I requested this book, I didn't realize it was part of a series.
I haven't read the first DCI Jonah Sheens mystery. However, this is a good standalone novel.

The premise intrigued me: A murder witnessed via Skype. The murder itself was a short-lived affair that takes place off screen in the bathroom and lacked the drama I would personally have liked from a murder scene. That being said, the investigation into the 'who' and 'why' had an interesting setup and lead to a very satisfying ending that I didn't see coming.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So when I read the description of Watching From The Dark I was immediately drawn in and couldn’t wait to read it. I did not realize at the time that it was the second in the DCI Sheen series. I found myself easily pulled in to the story and to the team of characters without having to have read She Lies in Wait. Although now I will definitely go back and read it! I do hope that this not the last of this series. I thoroughly enjoyed this police procedural novel. And look forward to what lies ahead for DCI Sheen and his team. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

I was hooked on Gytha Lodge when I read She Lies in Wait. The second installment of the DCI Sheens saga Watching from the Dark is even better than the first. Lodge's ability to weave the split timeline and the current status of her characters so seamlessly is a gift. It creates a flow that makes it so easy to sit down and read her writing for hours. I highly recommend Watching from the Dark. If you haven't read She Lies in Wait, I strongly recommend that as well.

This book was just okay for me. I agree with what others have said about it being a little too predictable and I also did not know this was part two in a series.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review