Four and a half stars! This book made me angry and I loved it. While this is labeled as a thriller, it definitely is not just that. It is a stark discussion on race relations and gentrification as well as a modern day mystery. It made me nostalgic too for the days when neighbors really knew each other and looked out for each other.

This book was so well written. I guessed a few of the small twists but didn’t know what exactly would happen. I highly recommend this one and will be keeping my eye out for others I’ll be into by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. Outside of "Get Out," I dont think I have see this type of racism and gentrification tackled in such a smart, unique way. The plot kept me guessing until the end, and I enjoyed that the characters felt fresh. I understand how the ending left things open for sequels, but I would have liked a little but of follow-up regarding the characters at the end. Did people recover? Did they end up having a block party to celebrate? Either way, fun, interesting read.

I found this book to be a little slow paced for a thriller- no real “action” occurs until the book is half over, and then the storyline just becomes too absurd. I think I would have enjoyed a novel about gentrification, minus the thrills, better.

When No One Is Watching is a solid 3.5 star book for me. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. The story is told from the points of view of Sydney, an African American woman, and Theo, a white man. The setting is a neighborhood in Brooklyn undergoing gentrification, or the more nefarious term, rejuvenation. As neighbors sell, they also start disappearing. Nothing is as it seems, events or people. The story has a creepy vibe, which is good for a thriller, but it’s so slow, especially the first half which made it hard for me to be interested. I didn’t really get Sydney and Theo as a couple, that romance needed more build up to make it authentic to me. I did love all the history of New York and specifically Brooklyn, and the racial aspects were very interesting to me and I appreciated the way Ms. Cole threaded them throughout the story. I also enjoyed the social media posts at the end of most chapters.

Overall, a good story told fairly well. Thank you to #netgalley and #harpercollins for the advanced e-copy of #whennooneiswatching!

Oh boy this book is a wild ride. About half way through I was questioning the A Thriller that was on the front of the book. But wow this was such a terrific book. It will enrage you too.

"When No One is Watching" is a creepy psychological thriller in which systemic racism is the root of the unfolding horror. As the story goes on, paranoia builds slowly and then comes to a head with a fast-paced and shocking conclusion. It’s one of the most relevant thrillers of 2020, taking on subjects like performative allyship, redlining, and racist policing — and seamlessly blending those heavy themes with mystery, romance, and a hint of humor for a thought-provoking, unputdownable read.

When neighborhoods are gentrified, what happens to those who were there? Sidney sees her neighborhood changing mysteriously and begins questioning recent events. Plagued with insomnia, can she trust herself? A real page-turner.

This book wasn't what I was hoping it would turn out to be. Alyssa Cole's first foray into thriller writing was a flop for me, mostly because I felt that it would have been better classified as horror. For a thriller, the pacing was way too slow and the twists came more than 85% of the way through the book. I know that we're supposed to wonder if the main characters are reliable, but it didn't even feel like anything was really happening until the book was nearly over. Then when things did start happening, it came to a close without a satisfactory ending (hints at a larger conspiracy without explaining what was happening in the current setting fully).

That being said, this book is well-written. The characters are well-developed and the descriptions of the setting are rich. The details about gentrification and the depth of emotion that Cole infuses into her writing are compelling. Many people seem to be thoroughly enjoying it, but it didn't hit the right notes for me, despite a compelling premise.

When No One Is Watching breaks the mold of a typical thriller novel. Romance novelist Alyssa Cole's first thriller is about gentrification in Brooklyn, NY, anti-Blackness, racism, and white supremacy. This book is more than just a thriller, there are romance and horror elements and lots of interesting history about Brooklyn and its neighboring communities. This was the first novel I have read by Alyssa Cole and I loved everything about it!

If you're an Alyssa Cole fan, read it. If you're not, definitely skip it. I like her writing, but this is not her best effort. It's very clear that this a new genre for her. The whole thing kind of falls flat. It just misses the mark.

Also, was I the only one annoyed by Theo and Sydney having sex, after Sydney describing that there was graveyard dirt caked under his nails??? 😕

Alyssa Cole brings reality into fiction with new release, When No One is Watching. Sydney Green is born and raised in Brooklyn. But "For Sale" signs are popping up everywhere and the neighbors she grew up knowing are disappearing. Sydney teams up with a neighbor, Theo, to organize a walking tour: "Displaced: A People's History of Brooklyn." While digging into history and channeling their frustration, feelings turn into fear. Where do people really go when gentrification pushes them out?

Characters are key to the success of a story. When No One is Watching is told from alternating points of view: Sydney and Theo. I found one character's narration way more interesting than the other. I believe the story could have been told with just one POV. Although, I understand why the author chose this writing style. This was my only dislike.

Is When No One is Watching the book version of Get Out? Could be! The gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood is a sinister thrilling read that I definitely recommend. It kept me flipping the ePages, reading all day because I wanted to see where in the heck the story dummy mission was going. The suspense build-up was excellent with a crashing end that earned a "Woop Woop" yelp from my dropped jaw. There's room for a sequel too!🤞🏾

LiteraryMarie

When No One is Watching is an engrossing psychological thriller about racism and gentrification. Sydney's beloved, predominantly Black neighborhood in Brooklyn is changing before her eyes. New condos are being built, long-time residents and local businesses are leaving, and white people are moving in. A big pharmaceutical company is opening a branch in the neighborhood, which makes the residents very weary.

To hold on to the neighborhood and it's history, Sydney decides to organize a walking tour. She reluctantly teams up with her new neighbor, Theo, to research and plan the tour. But the more they learn about the neighborhood, the more sinister all the recent changes appear. And it looks like the pharmaceutical corporation, with the support of the government and police, is behind the changes.

When No One is Watching reads almost like a dystopian thriller that's very close to reality. In the current social climate, where racism and corporate greed are so prevalent, with the government that keeps abusing Black communities, the story portrayed in the book doesn't seem so farfetched. When No One is Watching is a thought-provoking, sinister and timely thriller, and I cannot recommend it enough!

This started a little slow for me, but once I got into it, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had read that it had similarities to Get Out, which I loved, but at the beginning, I just couldn't figure out why people had said that in reviews I had read, but now I get it. This seems like something that could totally happen in today's society, and possibly it does happen to an extent for all I know. I will be recommending this to friends, as it is very timely with all that is happening in the world at this time. I would recommend this book, just give it some extra time to in the beginning.

Holy cats y'all. You know that saying, the worst monsters are real? Yeah. This book is solid proof of that.

I've got a bold proclamation to make. This is up there with my favorite thrillers ever. 😱 It had everything- a smart MC, believable dialogue that even found ways to make me laugh amid the calamity, surprising twists, and a very satisfying ending. I am DELIGHTED!! Do yourself a favor and pick this one up

I was unable to relax when reading this book. I worried so much about the safety of Sydney and her neighbors. The pacing is superb. I think I’ll soon see it on a big screen. Its perfect for a movie.

This book kept me up all night. I liked the viewpoints between the two characters. It was a good thriller

Alyssa Cole is a talented romance author, so I was intrigued to see her write a thriller. This was ‘entertaining’ as well as thought-provoking for this white woman. As an urban dweller, I’ve considered gentrification a good thing - revitalizes the area, raises property values, etc. Shamefully, I seldom considered the impact on the people and businesses that previously called the area home. Where do they go? How do they manage? Can they maintain decades-long relationships?

This novel is all about contrasts: community vs progress, history vs future, Black vs White, good vs evil. It is so timely as our nation finally begins to reckon with racial injustices. It has a slow start, an intriguing middle as the circumstances slowly come into focus, and the ending is rushed and unbelievable, literally. But I’ll never see an urban construction site through my old lens.

That's it, I'm convinced: romance writers are the best thriller writers out there.

This book was phenomenal from start to finish. From an immersive sense of place that made me long for the years when I used to live in New York (even if I shudder to think about how my old neighborhood would be changed if I ever went back) to the creeping sense of dread that reaches a fever pitch of terror, to the delicious side element of romance (which I'd argue is more of a HFRN — Happy For Right Now — than anything else), Cole has served up one of the best thrillers of the summer.

I definitely understand the reader complaints I've seen about pacing; it does feel like the book accelerates very quickly at the end in terms of tying up all its loose ends, but given everything else it does so well, this is for sure a 4.5 rounded up to a 5-star read for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

QUICK TAKE: I had never read an @alyssacolelit novel before WNOIW, but I prioritized it when my friend @shellys_book_corner_ told me it was one of her most-anticipated reads of the fall, and wow am I glad I did.⁣
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If you haven’t heard of this one yet, #WhenNoOneisWatching is “Rear Window meets Get Out”, a deeply unsettling thriller and revenge story centered around Sydney, a Black woman who moves back to her Brooklyn neighborhood to care for her ailing mother only to notice the neighborhood slowly changing. Is it her paranoia that she believes there is a conspiracy to push her and her Black neighbors out of the community, or is there something a bit more insidious behind the move to “revitalize” the neighborhood?⁣
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The book is a fast-paced, psychologically twisty read, with sharp writing and characters I found myself instantly rooting for (I consistently found myself comparing myself to Theo, Sydney’s “woke” white neighbor who helps uncover the mysterious happenings). And, what really elevates the book is how scarily relevant it is; the gentrification storyline might seem a little extreme, but Black people are being pushed out of their neighborhoods and communities in an alarmingly similar way right now in America. This is one of those books that is extremely entertaining, but also forces you to confront and confront systemic racism (and if you’re like me, you might spend an afternoon down a gentrification rabbit hole).⁣
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Home is where the heart is. In America, it’s also where we store a lot of our wealth – not just the stuff inside the house, but the investment it represents in and of itself. Home can also be a source of great danger, which is the theme of When No One Is Watching.

A difficult divorce finds Sydney Green back in the Brooklyn neighborhood in which she was born and raised, but a lot has changed in the short time she has been gone. Slowly but surely the area is being gentrified, with the Black residents being pushed aside to make way for young, up and coming white couples who are eager to renovate the historic brownstones for which the community is famous. When Sydney takes a walking tour through the district to discover just what is being said about the region, her temper is pushed to its limit. The guide speaks of the distant past when the neighborhood had belonged to white families with nostalgia and respect and mentions nothing of the successful Black homeowners who have made the precinct their own. Sydney starts to add tidbits of information to every spot they stop at, making sure the full history is represented. Some of the tourists complain about her interruptions but she finds an unexpected ally in her new neighbor Theo, a guy with dirty-blond hair and “ridiculous cheekbones” who seems to find her additions genuinely interesting.

Theo had moved to Gifford Place with his girlfriend filled with excitement about the diverse, multicultural subdivision and the home they would refurbish and in which they’d build a life together, but their relationship imploded shortly after they moved in. He lost his job and burned enough bridges on the way out that future employment prospects look slim. His girlfriend responded by cheating on him, belittling him and forcing him to live in the part of their home that has no working water or air conditioning. To add insult to injury, she has increasingly displayed a growing hostility and disdain for the Black denizens of their community, making him extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable. Now they are barely civil housemates and he has a feeling even that won’t last much longer. He doesn’t want to leave his new home – he loves it – but she put up the majority of the down-payment and he is certain she will either want him to give her money he doesn’t have or get out.

Determined to enjoy his time there while it lasts, Theo attends a planning meeting for a block party and runs into the beautiful, dynamic young woman from the tour. He’s seen her around the neighborhood before but this is the first time he and Sydney have had a chance to do more than exchange casual greetings. When she mentions guiding a walking tour as part of the festivities so that people can learn the Black history of the area, he quickly volunteers to help her with the research. What they discover will put them both in greater danger than they could have possibly imagined.

The star of this story is the history surrounding Black displacement and erasure. Having recently read The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein (as well as several other texts on segregation), I can give full credit to the research the author did into the horrific accounts of injustice from the past (and present) upon which she bases her fictional but believable tale. I also appreciated Ms. Cole’s careful use of location. By placing her narrative in New York City, she highlights the North’s deep participation in racist practices.

The character of Sydney serves as a perfect focal point for this urban horomedy. A local gal who has just recently returned to Gifford Place, she is able to immediately grasp the changes occurring right before her eyes. Many of the residents have been blinded by the gradual pace and practical explanations of the neighborhood’s evolving demographics, but with her fresh yet well-informed-by-past-knowledge eyes she quickly grasps what is going on. I liked her no-nonsense style and her strong, capable personality as well as the vulnerability she displays. Her ex essentially gaslighted her, her mother (whom she calls mommy) has been slowly dying before her eyes, her neighborhood appears to be dying alongside mommy, and all of that has led to Sydney’s insomnia. There are moments when our clear-eyed, clever and insightful heroine doubts herself and we find ourselves fearing she will question all she is seeing. This folds perfectly into the tale since it adds an eerie sense of uncertain terror to what is happening.

Theo, like Sydney, feels that life has bottomed out from under him. He’s worked hard to leave his former – not so great – life behind, and is eager to build something new in Gifford Place. Losing everything he’s built up all at once knocked the wind out of him and he’d crawled into a drunken hole to lick his wounds, and he’s been heavily dependent on endless inebriation to get him through the day for some time when we meet him. He gets to know Sydney just as he decides he’s wallowed in self-pity long enough and is taking tentative steps to take control of his existence, but it isn’t an easy relationship. She is naturally irritated by and resentful of anyone who has moved to the neighborhood as part of the gentrification process. Having a racist ex doesn’t aid his budding relationship with her.

I liked that their relationship is a slow burn. Both of them have dark edges in their history and wounds that need to heal, so it works that while the attraction is instant, the love definitely isn’t. They bond slowly over their interest in history and their growing concerns over what is happening in the neighborhood they love.

I liked less that the mystery was also a slow burn. In fact, it was essentially non-existent for the first fifty percent of the book. Combined with a romance that was moving at a near-glacial pace that meant the start of the story read more like general fiction, describing life in a New York neighborhood, than it did a romance or thriller. Fortunately, at the fifty percent point, everything gels and the narrative becomes riveting. The sales blurb promises that ‘Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller” and the second half of the novel definitely delivers on that promise.

When No One Is Watching is a timely, pertinent tale that I think is a must read, the story just too relevant to this moment in history to be missed. The slow start might make it a bit imperfect but the important history and insight into the perspective and emotions of those whose voices have been silenced in our country for far too long more than make up for that.