After a series of threats from an unknown “fan”, sitcom actress Meribel decided to uproot her life in LA and move with her daughter Honor to her old stomping grounds in Georgia. When Meribel left Georgia, she left behind her old life, including an ex husband. Which is scarier- living in fear of an unknown stranger or living with your past? The transition to a town with old ghosts that haunt her is challenging and gets even more complicated when ghosts of her present start to creep back in. Does moving to a new town mean that obsessive fans will stop obsessing? Or does it present a completely new set of challenges? Who can she trust?

This book kept me interested throughout its entirety and overall I I felt had a very well thought out plot and for the most part well rounded characters (minus Meribel and Marker Man whose motives and backstory left me with many unanswered questions).

This was a captivating novel. Part thriller, part womens fiction. I enjoyed Honor and Meribel very much. The mystery of the stalker was tight! I kept guessing who it could be throughout and was not disappointed at the outcome!
Thank you to the author,publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Author Joshilyn Jackson is new to me but I’m happy to admit that her novel is the first book that I finished reading via NetGalley. This novel is about an actress named Meribel Mills who decides to leave a town she loves to escape a stalker. Her packs up her things and travels across country from LA to Atlanta. The decision is not taken lightly given that Meribel’s daughter Honor is autistic but the stalker escalated from writing letters to breaking into her apartment. This novel is exactly what I needed to read. I’m a big fan of the Thriller genre. Though, I haven’t read any of her work prior to reading With My Little Eye. I’m glad that I did. Each twist was enough to keep me engaged. The authors choice to allow to use the third person point of view to tell the story for other characters while using first person for Meribel was a great idea.

With my little eye is worth a rating of four stars out of five for me. A definite must read for fans of thriller books and crime drama tV shows.

I remember Joshilyn Jackson visiting our library when her first book was published. It was so astounding, I couldn't wait for her next book. None of her other books have lived up to God in Alabama, until now. With My Little Eye was riveting and I kept guessing the whole time... never figuring out who her stalker was until she told me.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and somewhat quirky. It kept me guessing til the end who the stalker was. A few good twists and quite the wild ride at the end!

What a ride! This one took me a bit to get into, as I had a hard time relating to health conscious actress Meribel Mills. But once it picked up, it picked up! I kept thinking I had it all figured out and it threw me every time, which I love. My only complaint is that it ends a bit abruptly. I would have liked an epilogue.

Having a stalker is super creepy. Don't know who to trust. This story brings that home. Which guy is doing this to her? Which guy is pulling other stuff. Loved this book.

What a pulse-pounding thriller that will definitely keep you up at night!

This thriller opens with the ominous line “I never thought that I was famous enough to get murdered.” That’s Meribel, a recognizable but minor actress from a decades old TV show, who is approaching the dreaded career-killing age of forty. But she’s not that obscure to not have an escalating stalker, whose antics prompt a move from the West Coast back to her home state Georgia.

Ah, celebrity stalkers… something I really know way too much about. I worked in a place where we dealt with all kinds of famous people and their crazy followers, and we were trained by security expert Gavin deBecker (“bodyguard to the stars”). I learned there were 4 types of celebrity stalkers: two types were harmless, two weren’t — but you could trigger a harmless one to convert to a crazed one. The number one rule: do not engage.

Meribel does not engage “Marker Man” (his threatening notes and gory drawings are rendered in fruit-scented kid markers), but she does some of her own stalking of her ex-husband James (who she might be hallucinating about seeing him in the rain outside her apartment building) and his James’ Instagram-obsessed wife.

However, Meribel also has Cam, the security expert/part-time boyfriend she left behind in LA who suddenly appears in Atlanta, and Cooper, a neighbor with relationship issues of his own (like an on-again/off-again irritable ex living on the same floor and some other questionable past liaisons), who seems to be trying to establish a new relationship with Meribel. When an anonymous predator makes you paranoid, everyone takes a turn being a suspect. Meribel is also primarily trying to protect her nearly 13 year old autistic daughter, Honor, who has remarkable perception and is an amazing character.

I just had to know how this ended, so it was one of those power reads over two days. If you like tension building mysteries, this is for you. 4.5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES The main character, Meribel, has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But I was not amused by Cooper’s unrepeatable description of lantana’s fragrance (granted, it lands somewhere “between fermenting citrus and gasoline” according to ScienceX).

When a somewhat-famous actress is being stalked in Los Angeles, she moves with her autistic daughter to Atlanta in With My Little Eye by Georgia author Joshilyn Jackson due out in April.

The stalking began with letters created with scented markers to Meribel Mills followed by an invasion of her home. Dubbed Marker Man by Meribel, he continues the letters that start taking on postmarks from cities other than LA as he makes his way across country to find her. The letters have become more frightening over time with drawings of an unclothed Meribel tied up or cut into pieces.

What to do when the police insist that stalkers rarely become violent? Because of years in front of a camera, Meribel is convinced she has a superpower that allows her to know when someone is looking at her. She gets the feeling of bees inside of her skin that alerts her to the watcher.

Could it be her ex-husband James who is doing the stalking, or Cam, a lover she broke up with when she and Honor moved to Atlanta? Even her new neighbor Cooper gives her cause to wonder. When she least expects it, Meribel comes face to face with Marker Man, and the choices she makes next could cost her life and leave Honor an orphan.

This is the twelfth novel for Joshilyn Jackson, a former actress. Reader of the audiobooks of her work, she has been nominated for awards in this medium’s categories. Her novels have also attained accolades including the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance’s 2005 Novel of the Year Award for her debut novel, Gods in Alabama. Jackson won Georgia Author of the Year for her second novel, Between, Georgia. She lives in Decatur, Georgia, with her family.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting March 29, 2023.

I would like to thank William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

The premise of this book sounded so promising. Unfortunately, it fell flat. I found myself skimming over lots of pages as the details seemed irrelevant. I was close to DNF at 57% of the way through. The main character seemed annoying and was clueless. I did power through and finish it. It finally picked up for the last 10-15% of the book. Sadly, that didn’t make up for the other 85% being so meh that it took me a week to finish.

Big yikes! This one was a roller coaster of a ride with an aging Hollywood starlet with a very aggressive stalker. Add a private eye ex boyfriend, a flirty new neighbor, his jealous ex and a daughter on the spectrum who is coming of age and you have a cast of characters that has you all over the place trying to figure out who you can trust. Maybe it’s no one.

Meribel Mills, an actress, and a star in her youth, is being stalked by a man who is sending her pictures that he has drawn - showing her dead in many horrible ways. She fled where she was living to the hopeful safety of her hometown, with her autistic daughter, Honor, after taking an acting job there. As they begin to get settled and make new friends, and possibly enemies, it appears they may still not be safe.

Joshilyn Jackson, writes another novel, sure to be a hit. She sets the stage meticulously, as she helps the reader to fall in love with her spunky, interesting, and troubled characters. Meribel is easy to root for as she tries to provide a good, safe life for her 12-year-old daughter. She does an amazing job with Honor, as she describes what it is like to have an autistic tween and what it is like to be a tween with autism. She displays a young homeless girl with sharp detail. She creates relationships that the reader will root for and some that will cause the reader to pause. Ms. Jackson draws the reader into this world and this reader had to hold on tight with a book she wouldn’t let go, until the very end.

Wonderfully written, interesting, and creative - With My Little Eye was an exceptional novel.

Sadly, this book missed the mark for me. Too many characters and plot lines. I wasn't able to stay engaged (due to those issues, as well as a slow pace) or connect with the characters. The ending leaves the reader with questions. Perhaps there's supposed to be a sequel. The big reveal was lackluster.

With My Little Eye is a hard-to-put-down thriller with an age-old actress-stalking protagonist and enough flare to make a common storyline interesting. The writing is great overall. Perfect for suspense. Not too wordy. Just the right amount of dialogue.

There are lots of moving parts in this book to keep readers engaged. Actress Meribel Mills and her adopted daughter, Honor, flee Hollywood after a stalker sends “gifts” to Meribel. They move back to Georgia where Meribel once lived with her first husband. After a few weeks, Meribel feels eyes on her and believes her stalker has followed her. When a neighbor she meets in the coffee house, Cooper, befriends her and arrives at her apartment, dinner in hand, he finds a package at her door with several gifts. Meribel immediately knows the stalker has found her.

Enter several characters, ex-husband Jeff, ex-LA boyfriend Cam, neighbor lady and daughter, back-alley homeless girl, and various others. Readers quickly jump on the who-dun-it wagon, pointing a finger from character to character, attempting to identify the stalker, tagged “Marker Man.” (Because he signs his notes with flamboyant-colored, fruity-smelling markers.)

Without spoiling the plot, I’ll say the suspense the author created kept me turning pages. I tossed all my other books aside to quickly finish this one.

Jackson’s character development is exceptional. I loved Meribel; adored her daughter Honor (who was autistic, intelligent, clever, and humorous); liked Honor’s friends Sheila and Maxine; and felt the appropriate amount of suspicion for all others involved.

There is an unbelievable coincidence. (Would the lives of Cooper and Marker Man intersect in real life? I kept waiting for the author to link them together even in some minute way.) Some unimportant deliberating. (What was all that about her ex-husband, James? And Honor’s LA birthday-cake friends? I can’t remember their names.) And lose ends. (What happened to the LA friends and Meribel’s mother?)

Overall, a great read. Thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for this ARC.

(There are grammatical errors. I didn’t begin noting until the third mistake. I’ll mention here for the proofreader but not on other sites. Only because I appreciate when someone does that for me.): I’m going pop down—I’m going to pop down (2168); the second I saw I saw her—I saw her (2528); “Why I don’t make—why don’t I make (2882); huge pool was that made waves—huge pool that made waves (3090); body wanted thrash—body wanted to thrash (3145); meant that meant Honor—meant that Honor (3544); added in way—added in a way (3688); Cat was or hurt or dead—was hurt or dead (3950); more factors in play here then there—more factors in play than there (4258); I dream that plate—I dream of that plate (4393); enough about to her—enough about her (4786).)

I usually enjoy reading this author...but this felt unorganized and all over the place. I understand she wanted to slowly give us information about the characters, but some of it seemed like it didn't match. The story itself was interesting--actress being stalked, so she moves far from LA with her autistic daughter. Also, the ending seemed rushed and left us hangin a little bit. I would have liked an epilogue!

With my Little Eye - Joshilyn Jackson

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

Meribel Mills, an actress whose adopted daughter is autistic (she is "on the spectrum") moves to escape a stalker. Ultimately, Meribel's stalker finds her (or there wouldn't be a novel) and the struggle is on for Meribel to protect her life, and her daughter's...

I am not entirely sure what it is about stalkers that we find so fascinating, as they are such undefined lost souls. Perhaps some of the fascination is that it is so random - sure, you hear about celebrity stalkers, but really these criminals can become just as attached (as firmly as a leech) to any of us, and escalation in violence upon rejection is almost their modus operandi.

Admittedly, reading and watching shows (both true and fictional) about stalkers is one of my "guilty pleasures", although I am still unsure why I find these stories so fascinating.

Regardless, Joshilyn Jackson does a great job of slowly building the tension up to a fever pitch in this stalker novel (with, of course, a twist or two in the mix to keep your interest dialed up to the boiling point).

Until next time, watch out for those who are overly enthusiastic about your mere existence.

When increasingly disturbing letters written in fruit-scented markers are sent to actress Meribel Mills, she turns to the police for help. Yet without a name, the police can do nothing to help. After realizing he's been in her home, Meribel desperately moves her and her teenage autistic daughter to Atlanta. But Meribel can still feel eyes on her and begins to question the motives of every man she meets: her ex-husband, her ex-boyfriend, and her new neighbor, wondering if they might be the crazy stalker who refuses to give her up.

Usually I can count on Joshilyn Jackson for a compulsively readable escapist thriller, but With My Little Eye was just so unsatisfying. More than anything, Meribel was irritating. Although she's a good mother, the entire book is dedicated to her thoughts on the men in her life. To make it worse, the chapters from the deranged male characters' point-of-view were off-putting. I will say, the one bright spot of the novel was Meribel's daughter, Honor. She was a fantastic character brilliantly written and was the absolute highlight of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the electronic copy for my early review and opinion.

This book was fast paced and kept me turning the pages, but the clues were a bit too obvious and the twists frustrating. I liked the story and the characters for the most part, but then the book got frustrating. Suddenly characters who were good took a sinister turn and the who-done-it came out of the blue with a brand new character. I don't like mysteries that are solved from out of the blue. This ruined the book from being a decent one to ridiculous by having to wrap up quickly. Suddenly Cooper was a bad guy with no indications he was not stable- just one page he was bad. The ending would have been fine without the demise of Cooper, or the entire book decent without his story line. Just wrapping up who the stalker was would have been an OK ending. Having both bad guys was unrealistic and the two unrelated events happening simultaneously was eye-roll worthy. Both did not need to be included. It was a very abrupt ending. The book was fine for entertainment value, but not one of Jackson's best works, and I'd recommend a different thriller/mystery. This one was a little too much absurdity at the end.

This book is another amazing thriller! Joshilyn Jackson does it again! With so many twists and turns, you’ll never want to put this book down! One of my all time favorite books this year!

Joshilyn Jackson delivers some serious suspense in her new thriller, With My Little Eye. I was pretty creeped out by this stalker drama - Jackson's latest novel has the highest "creep" factor of all her previous books. This author always gives the reader interesting and unique characters, and I loved those she invented for this story. I think she did a brilliant job portraying an Autistic tween girl. Indeed, she brilliantly renders all three teens/tweens in the book. This book hooked me immediately, and I read it almost straight through. Thriller readers want unexpected reveals, and I was surprised multiple times as the story unfolded. The ending was abrupt, and an epilogue would have been nice, but it also left room for the reader to imagine the long-term outcome.

If you are already a fan of Joshilyn Jackson, you'll enjoy this book too. If you're new to this author and like thrillers with a lot of character development and a backstory, you'll also enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.