I can always count on a book written by Vargus and McBain to keep me reading long after I should have turned off the light. One more chapter........nope, it never happens. The Charlotte Winters character, along with her missing twin sister Allie whose voice serves as her guide and conscience, are favorites of mine. The community of Salem Island could easily be ny small town down the road from me. As Charlotte works her way through the clues, the reader sees the world as she does but can't quit predict the next step. I'll keep reading these books as long as they keep writing them.

This is the third book in the series featuring private detective Charlotte Winters. She works with her Uncle Frank who owns the agency and liases well with the local police department. Charlie’s twin sister, Allie, was abducted when they were teenagers and she holds a conversation with her in her head all the time. Emma turns up at the agency asking for Charlie’s help to track down a stalker. Someone has been in her house and taken a photo of her sleeping and left it for her to find. Charlie agrees to help her and as she starts her investigation Emma disappears and Charlie fears the worst. As her body is found another girl goes missing and she realises that they have a killer on their hands and they need to find him before he strikes again. The story follows Charlie’s investigation and ends in a violent showdown with the killer. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A book with the P. I. as a lead was a refreshing change especially one like Charlie Winters whose dead sister Allie spoke to her in her mind.

This had Emma as the victim who was being stalked, came to Charlie for help, then disappeared. Now it was up to Charlie and team to find her.

This was a fast paced action thriller where the dialogues and banter with the dead sister made the prose come alive. Overall, a fun read.

Charlie (and Allie) are back in action in another adventure on Salem Island. People are being brutally murdered and this one is hitting closer to home. Lots of fast paced action and excitement with a great ending. Another great book in the Charlie Winters series. Hoping to see more in the future.

Vargas is drawn into a twisted serial killer case leading to many many false leads until the ultimate showdown. Will she lose her life?
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

Watch Her Sleep is the third book in the Charlotte Winters series. Charlie is simply my favorite PI. I like how well she works with her Assistant, Paige and cop friend, Zoe. In this installment, a young woman seeks Charlie’s assistance as she believes that she is being stalked. The young woman, Emma, has tried to get help from the police but as usual, the police cannot do much unless there is proof that a crime has been committed. However, Charlie sees the seriousness of the issue and advises Emma to stay away from her house. Emma decided to quickly rush to her place to pick a few things before going to a friend’s. That turns out to be a fatal mistake.

This story has such a creepy vibe to it. The stalking made my skin crawl. It definitely had me looking over my shoulder and once outside my bedroom window though I am on my third floor. Can you imagine someone watching you sleep? I don’t care if it’s my partner or child, I’d still freak out if I found one of them watching me as I sleep. Now imagine a stranger watching you. Yikes!

This is such an engrossing, masterfully written story. I enjoyed the different POVs and the fact that the authors decided to amp -up the creepiness by including the stalker’s voice. I can’t wait to read the fourth book in this series.

This was another great read in the series. The mystery kept me hooked ans im lookimg forward to reading more.

It is nice to read a book and or series with strong female characters. Watch her sleep is the third book in the series. This book can be a stand alone but I think reading them in order helps you to understand how the character has progressed to where she is in the current book. Charlie (Charlotte) decides to take on a new case with Emma Jacobis believing she is being followed. Having been to the police and no satisfaction she then goes to Charlie for help. Charlie gives her advice to stay with friends and do not go home. Emma decides to run home for a change of clothes and other items, but before she can gather those things go horribly wrong. Charlie will need her "team" to help her find the the missing Emma and solve the case.

This is a great series and will keep you guessing until the end.

Charlie Winters is a fun heroine. She’s not perfect, and her dead sister talks to her all the time. In this third book by Vargus and McBain, Charlie is working to find the person or persons responsible for targeting vulnerable girls. This book will hold your interest and make you conscious of your surroundings, as you wonder who might be watching you. Looking forward to another book in this series. Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Intriguing thriller with very good characters and a fast paced storyline.. A killer fixated on and stalked a young girl ,can Charlie find him before another girl dies.

‘Watch Her Sleep’ by L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain is the third book in the Private Investigator Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Winters series which is set in and around Salem Island, Michigan. I am lucky enough to have read all 3 books in the series but, just so you know, they can all be read on their own.

Charlie has now settled into her relatively new role as a P.I in her Uncle Frank’s agency. She has a visit from Emma Jacobis who is certain she is being stalked and what she has to say certainly worries Charlie so she immediately accepts the case, as the police won’t do anything until a crime is committed. As they painstakingly go through the people in her life who could possibly be doing this, including her ex, Charlie tells Emma to stay away from her home until she has a chance to fit security measures. Emma makes the deadly error to go for some clothes.

Charlie realises Emma is missing and gets a search party, only to find her body with her throat cut. Then another girl goes missing…can Charlie find and stop this monster before another girl dies?

Yet another intriguing and creepy case for Charlie to deal with. Another excellently written, enthralling book from these two talented authors. I found this book the most disturbing of all the series up to now as the stalker gives us his point of view in this story and we get a glimpse of his very distorted mind.

I was hooked from the beginning as we are immediately thrown shown the victim and the stalker in a scene that almost gave me goosebumps. As I always find with this series; the twists and turns really heightened the intrigue and suspense of the story making me feel like I needed to know what came next and I started to turn the pages faster! As the series progresses the characters are developing well, to the point that I welcomed another book in the series so I could catch up with Charlie.


I’m looking forward to the next instalment of P.I. Charlotte Winters and can’t wait to see what our talented authors come up with next.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This is the third book in the Charlotte Winters series, it would easily be read as a standalone book, but the series is so good you’re going to want to read all of them. This character, Charlotte (Charlie) gets better with each book, I love the side characters as well and was happy to learn a little bit more about Charlie’s assistant, Paige.

When Charlie is approached by Emma who thinks someone is following her, and the police won’t do anything because there is no evidence. Charlie advises her not to go back home that night, but Emma makes a quick trip alone back to get her stuff and goes missing. When her body is subsequently found, Charlie takes it personally, it makes her think of her sister, Allie (a constant voice in her head). Her uncle Frank and bestie Zoe, are always a welcome presence in the book, love them too.

This was a creepy, fast paced race to find the killer before anyone else goes missing or worse; and the crime starts to hit too close to home when she feels that her assistant is in danger. I loved that it kept me guessing and trying to figure out who the killer was. Great book, cannot wait for the next in the series to see where things go next with Charlie’s personal and professional life.

A young woman arrives at private investigator Charlie Winters' office. She fears she is being stalked, that someone has been in her home. Charlie begins her investigation but then Emma's body is discovered and Charlie becomes even more determined to avenge her and protect other women..
Watch Her Sleep is the third book to feature PI Charlotte Winters (I have reviewed First Girl Gone and Girl Under Water). Her uncle is in remission from cancer, she has an enthusiastic new assistant. Oh, and her dead sister with a fiery wit keeps her company!
Charlie is such an interesting character as she coexists with her murdered twin Allie. Allie adds an extra dimension to the series which I really enjoy. The goodnatured ribbing between siblings feels very realistic. Charlie is negotiating being a PI, a boss, a niece, a solo twin, a friend to cop Zoe and there is also the potential for romance. She grew up in the town so there are memories and relationships which feed into the narrative at various points.
The book is written in the third person, sometimes showing us the detectives and sometimes the killer. The chapters are short which drives the plot onwards and makes us keep reading (just one more chapter...) The final quarter of the book is high in drama and action but I'll give no spoilers!
I really enjoy the quirkiness to this series which makes each crime thriller book unique. I find the style of writing engaging and the mystery of the killer's identity kept me intrigued until the end. Watch Her Sleep is a great new story for Charlie and her team.

A furtive, well written narrative. This is the third book in the Charlotte Winters series and can be read as a stand alone. Readers are led down a dark, creepy path as they are given glimpses into the mind of a sociopath as Charlie investigates the murder of a young woman. We still see Winters struggling with her alter ego, presented as the voice of her dead sister, which is less off putting in this novel than the others. Vargus/McBain really show some of the grit that they are know for in this book and it pays off. #keepthelightson


Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #WatchHerSleep which was read and reviewed voluntarily by Wayward Readers Book Blog. All thoughts and opinions are my own.



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From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the third book in L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain's new series and it was really good! I love crime thriller series and this is proving to be a fun, thrilling series to read.

Once again we have a fast-paced, suspense-filled read that kept me flipping the pages from start to finish. I was completely engaged right from the start and the short chapters give this one that 'just one more chapter' mentality. Of course, my favorite aspect of this series remains to be the voice that Charlie hears in her head. It happened in the first book and it continued to happened throughout this latest installment. I love this - I find it to be a unique part of the story. It is both humorous at times as well as quite telling in regards to Charlie as a character. I do wonder if this is ever really going to be explored in depth...why does she hear the voice at certain times and then at other times there is radio silence???

While this book can be read as a stand-alone, I do feel it's best to read the series in order. There are threads that are carried through and I really do feel that the character development that has happened over the course of the series really gives you a better feel for who Charlie is. But, if this is the first book you are picking up, perhaps it will entice you to pick up the other two after.

This book has such a great, creepy feel to it. A stalker that haunts their prey, someone watching and waiting. I love books like this and I love that we get the stalker's point of view from time to time. Of course I was trying to figure out if I could guess the stalker/killer's identity before the final reveal and I did...right before it was revealed. Not much of a lead time there, but it's all good. This one really kept me on my toes and I loved how it all plays out in the end.

This writing duo is fantastic. They push the envelop, they take chances and they give an all-out gripping, exciting read. I am so excited to see what comes next for Charlie...and I really hope that at some point, we get some closure on her sister's murder that happened 20 years ago.

After reading the first two instalments In the series, I needed to know more about detective Charlotte and how she’s always on top of her assignments.
To say this one was an easy read , it’s definitely not true. It’s full of twists and shocking turns, moments when I literally shouted out at the characters for making some stupid mistakes as I knew that something big was going to happen to them.
Pulse racing, addictive thriller that fulfilled my cravings for a great book.

Private Investigator Charlotte (Charlie) Winters never expected to be returning home to Salem Island, Michigan, but she came back to look after her uncle’s PI business, A1 Investigations, after he became ill. When Emma Jacobis, a waitress at The Laughing Raven bar, requests her help believing that she is being watched and clutching a threatening note with a drawing of herself on the front, Charlie is keen to help in any way she can. As Charlie and Emma try to pinpoint those who might warrant investigation, including Emma's ex-boyfriend Tyler Nelson, a student at UCLA, Charlie's warning to Emma not to go back to her apartment before Charlie can install hidden cameras goes unheeded. Emma returns home to pack some essentials, and soon after, Charlie finds that Emma is missing and a search party is arranged. Emma's body is discovered in a thicket, a deep gash at her throat with flies buzzing around the wound. When another girl also vanishes the investigation steps up in its intensity.

Charlie's own sister, Allie, was abducted from the small town when they were teenagers and ever since Charlie has heard her sister's voice in her head. Charlie is determined to grab the opportunity to bring about justice even if it means putting herself in grave danger.

In this third book of an exciting series by LT Vargus and Tim McBain, I continue to connect with their combined writing style and I liked the sharp dialogue throughout. As in the other instalments, acerbic Allie has some biting and darkly amusing things to say to Charlie, adding a lighter touch to the proceedings and occurrences. I like Charlie’s character who's smart, a bit of a loner and is a great lead. The plot is well thought-out and I enjoyed the progression to the surprising, action-packed, explosive finale. This novel - Watch Her Sleep - was as good as the first two in the series - First Girl Gone and Girl Under Water. Entertaining and attention-grabbing throughout, it will be extremely interesting to see what LT Vargus and Tim McBain have in store for Charlie in the next instalment. Overall, a fantastic continuation of a very promising series that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Favorite Quote:

“Not bad for a last-minute costume,” she said. “I guess it’s alright,” Allie said with a sigh. “A little underwhelming in the bust department, if you ask me. You only have so many good boob years left, Charlie. You really should try to make the most of it.”


My Review:

I was sucked right into this intense, intriguing, and twisted tale. I was feverishly gripping my Kindle from beginning to end. This missive was ingeniously plotted, thrummed with tension, and was rather gruesome and chilling while oddly also wicked funny and packed with the dark wit and clever snark I’ve come to expect from this dynamic duo of raconteurs.

This sly pair of authors has uncanny word wizardry. Their writing style is of an unusual craft with emotive and evocative details that engage all the senses and pull vivid imagery to mind. I could hear the characters’ labored breaths, see through their eyes, and absorbed their agitation, excitement, and exhaustion. Each scene was complete and kept the film reel scrolling smoothly through my rapidly sparking gray matter. I wanted to savor each word yet I couldn’t read fast enough to keep up with all the action.

The storylines were eventful and full of divinely riveting twists that kept me on edge yet there was also frequent smirking at the sardonic humor, that is, when I wasn’t anxiously gnawing at my cuticles. These two have mad skills!

This is a completely engaging and addictive read which I have devoured in one fantastic sitting. I absolutely need more after this one.

This is a well-written novel which has captivated me and left me wanting more. I have not been disappointed by this exciting plot and I have to say I am a huge fan of this series.

The cover of this one is beautiful and really does catch the eye of the reader. You cannot help but be drawn to this book. This is completely unpredictable. I have been unable to guess where this book was going.

I adore Charlie as a character and this has been an absolute pleasure to read. This is a definite five star read which I have been unable to put down.

I highly recommend this book.

Watch Her Sleep by L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain is a suspenseful mystery with strong female characters. Watch Her Sleep is the third book in the Detective Charlotte Winters series. This book can be read as a standalone, but parts of the previous books are revealed. I recommend reading the whole series. All of my favorite characters returned in Watch Her Sleep. Charlie is strong and determined to solve the case. The case she is working on is a woman that is being stalked. Charlie is reckless at times. Paige, Charlie’s assistant starts working in the field rather than just working on her computer. Zoe is back to help and joke around with Charlie. I was glad that Will returned in this book. Will is looking for forgiveness. The book grabbed my attention from the first page with action and suspense throughout. The story is told from Charlie, the victim, and the perpetrator’s perspectives. I loved the different viewpoints. This was my favorite book yet in the series and the ending had me very stressed out. I love when I can’t figure out the ending, and this one I only figured out in the last few chapters but was still wondering what would happen next. I recommend Watch Her Sleep to anyone that likes suspenseful mysteries.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGaley for Watch Her Sleep.