This is the stuff of nightmares right here. The book description already sounded frightening and like something I really wanted to read. But also, I’m a chicken, and it sounded frightening, and maybe it wasn’t something I wanted to read? In the end, I decided to go for it and read between my fingers if I had to 😉.

The event : There’s an intruder in your house.
The question : What do you do? Run? Hide? Fight?

Probably option four, which is surely just stand there like a deer in headlights.

The mother in this story remains unnamed. After all, this could happen to all of us, right? Yet, as the reader, I found myself questioning her actions. Like others did before. Her husband, her father-in-law. Seemingly innocent questions like “What did you do? Why did you say something like that?” The men don't come out looking particularly good. However, as the mother tells her story, doubt crept in with myself as the reader as well.

I found the first half of ‘Nightwatching’ a bit hard going. Obviously, there’s a high level of tension with this intruder lurking around the house. However, the glimpses into the mother’s past broke up the moments of sheer terror, which I found rather annoying. At the same time, these flashbacks turned out to be far more necessary than I had imagined. I also had a few niggles, but funnily enough they were all addressed by other characters at some point.

Halfway through though, I was suddenly pulled in so fiercely that my full mug of tea went ice cold before I even remembered it was right there on my coffee table. The action ramped up a notch. And still the questions kept coming. Is the unnamed mother a reliable narrator? Is she crazy? Paranoid? Seeing things that aren't there? What is she doing? What is going ON?!

'Nightwatching' most definitely tells a very tense and compelling story. At times, it's a nail-biter for sure. But I also expected it to be more scary than it actually was. And this is coming from a scaredy cat. That said, there is a bit more to 'Nightwatching' than that. It's about a woman needing to find her inner strength to stand up against the patronising and undermining men in her life. It's a cleverly crafted thriller, and it all plays out in a creepy, and very snowy, setting.

An impressive debut from Tracy Sierra and she's definitely an author to watch.

Nightwatching starts off with a bang! High octane tension, with the old house surrounding the woman and her two children in the middle of the night. The mother was up to her son and heard noises - other than old house noises - the sound of footsteps coming their way. She weighed their options and as soon as the intruder moved away from where she was, she picked up her son, quietly woke her daughter and they fled to the old part of the house where a secret room was, off her husband's office. They'd be safe in there wouldn't they?

This tension immediately tapered off, with flashbacks to the mother's past - which went on and on. The flashbacks intruded on my ability to remain focused on the tension surrounding the mother and her children, trapped in a small, dark room, not knowing what was happening in the rest of the house. Outside the house was blizzard conditions, with the temperature at freezing; the snow and ice battering the house and the chance of escape - with the three of them in their night clothes - minimal. So how will this stand off end? Will the mother's fragile nerves crack? Will she give up her children to this monster? Will they escape?

Nightwatching is my first by Tracy Sierra and with none of the characters named, it was extremely disappointing and off-putting. The fluctuation of tension was frustrating as well, as I waded through the reminiscing until I once again found myself with the mother in current time. There was also some repetition which was annoying. Not my favourite book of the year so far, unfortunately.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, wow, wow, what a debut novel. This is one that will have you completely engrossed, sitting on the edge of your seat, and biting your fingernails. If you dare read it at night you may lie awake for a while.

A mother and her two young children are home alone, a blizzard is blowing outside, it’s a long weekend, and it’s in the Covid times. Just as the mother has settled her young son back to bed after he had a nightmare, she hears a creak in the stairs. She freezes, knowing every single noise this old house makes. She stands frozen watching, she can see a shadow of a man, a very tall man. Despite it being dark there is night light lit low down behind the figure, she daren’t move because she doesn’t think he can see her. When he moves away in a different direction, she has to make a quick decision on what to do. How can she protect her son and daughter from this intruder, her phone is in her bedroom, the direction he has gone. There is one place they can hide if she can get her children there, but what does she do once they are there, how long will the intruder be there.

This is a very tense read at times, keeping you completely engaged, but even with that happening the author manages to seamlessly take the reader back and forth in time as you learn more about the mother, her family and growing up, as well as her husband and his family, then switching back to the intruder.

I would highly recommend this book, but if you do scare easily do not start at night. The story is told through the mother, everything she feels you feel, it is literally like you are there with her at times. The characters are all relatable and believable. This is an outstanding debut from an author I will certainly be watching out for.

Thank you to @netgalley and @VikingBooksUK for an ebook and ARC of this novel all thoughts and opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

This book did not really grab me even though I love the psychological thriller genre. It seemed a bit lacking in content. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read it though.

This book was a very tense and gripping story.
A blizzard outside and a mother at home with her 2 young children. She can hear the creaking of the stairs, is there someone in their home? A mother’s worst nightmare, wanting to protect her children from a sinister intruder.
A chilling and suspenseful read and very creepy. I was hooked to this story.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

As soon as I read this synopsis, I knew that this was a book that I wanted to read as it follows a parent's worst nightmare. What would you do if you knew a stranger was in your house? Which child would you go to first? How would you get them to keep calm?

But then I saw a few of my followers post negative reviews, a few even DNFd, and this put a real dampener on my reading experience. I was no longer excited about it, and I spent the first part feeling cautious that my intrigue wouldn't last for long. But fortunately, my concerns were all very quickly diminished. The start of this book is very tense and it most definitely had my attention.

Up until the 30% mark, I wasn't sure where the story was going, and maybe that's where my fellow readers gave up early. But the story quickly gets to the point after that, as a few seemingly irrelevant scenes start to show their purpose as everything comes together to unravel a multi-layered story of fear and injustice.

By the end, I loved the angle of having a woman at the centre of a crime and the police dubious of her account of what happened. It's very similar to the recent American Nightmare on Netflix that many of us are loving at the minute. So if you like a true-crime type of story that looks at how the police handle certain situations and what has to happen for people (often women) to be taken seriously, then you're sure to enjoy the fast-paced twists in this one.

The only thing I didn't like was the use of the main character's vitiligo. As someone who has had this skin condition (90% of mine luckily cleared up), I didn't see the point in it being included, as nothing more was said about it other than people thinking that she was infected or irregular. It wasn't particularly offensive, just unnecessary without something more meaningful coming out of it. But that's a personal opinion that I'm sure most won't pick up on.

I initially rated this four stars because my apprehension definitely ruined the book for me slightly, but I've had a few days to think about it and I know that I would have rated this higher if I'd gone in with a more positive mindset, so I implore others to look forward this one too, as I'm sure you'll be impressed!

This psychological thriller is set in a creepy house at night in dangerous weather conditions, and a mother and two young children are home alone when someone sinister breaks in. It's atmospheric, claustrophobic and evokes a menacing ethos that immerses you in the woman's life. It's a multi-layered story which also reveals the woman's fractured family life, the abuse, blame and invisibility she endures, and this makes a relatable horror tale. Your empathy is always with the woman, but sometimes, you falter and wonder at the reliability of her narration. It's suspenseful and has a breathtaking intensity that resonates. I like the setting, the twisty plotting and the characterisation.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I made the mistake of reading this book when I was alone and there was snow outside. It wasn't long before I was petrified. The writing is atmospheric and totally compelling - I was desperate to know that the family was safe - and, at one point, too terrified to continue reading.

Thank you netgalley, Tracy Sierra and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Viking for the arc of Nightwatching.

This is my first book from Tracy Sierra and If you want a book that evokes all sorts of emotions and feelings then this one is for you! Nightwatching is a well paced narrative first person POV of a home evasion ( or a home that's broken in to ) Tracy gets straight into the story and immediately builds the suspense, the dread, the fear of being woken up to a strange noise in the house and seeing a figure in her bedroom doorway. Slowly, this mum of two children, overcomes her fear and gets her children to hide in a secret space while this prowler cajoles and threatens her to come out of hiding. What would you do? Hide? run?

The character building was really good. We get flashbacks into this Mums life, her inner voice and the challenges that she faces during her relationship with her husband and his family. Which all drive her thought processes and how she faces the police investigation after they know she's experienced a home invasion. It's also interesting how the police handle the case. It keeps you wanting to turn the page till the very end.

4 star from me and ill be looking forward to reading more of Tracy Sierra's books

A book you shouldn't read when you're home alone with children! At times it seemed a little slow, but the plot raced by at others. There were various twists which made me question just what had actually happened that night, but at the same time annoyed at the way the police treated the incident. The ending brought everything to a climax well. I do admit to leaving the light on the night I read this book!!

A mother wakes up to the sounds of footsteps in her house. Gathering her children she goes to hide in the walls of her unique house. Who is after her and what do they want?

Nightwatching is a chilling read, I hadn’t really realised how much it was affecting me until someone dropped something in the room next to me whilst I was reading it and I jumped out of my skin! This book creeps up on you, reels you in and keeps you hooked. I really don’t want to give too much away as it really is best to go into the story without knowing anything beforehand.

The writing is superb and even the small details (such as the fact we never get to know the name of the mother or her children) makes for a well-crafted read. There are flashbacks dotted around the main story, where we get to know more about the main character and her life up to this point. This also means that small reveals and twists can be drip-fed to the reader in a nicely paced way. This also means that we feel like we really get to know The Mother and empathise with her, but are often kept on edge, unsure of what the next revelation will be.

Overall Nightwatching is a superbly crafted book – a thrilling debut and I’m excited to read another book by Tracy Sierra – certainly an author to watch! Nightwatching is a Kindig Gem for 2024 and thank you to NetGalley & Penguin – Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton and Viking for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A psychological thriller, Nightwatching (2024) by Tracey Sierra is an awakening nightmare of a tale. A mother and her two young children are home alone, during a snowstorm. When her son wakes during the night, the mother hears noises but it’s a very old house and puts him back to bed. Yet she senses danger and hears footsteps on the stairs, so rushes to the secret safety room. The man calls out for the children but cannot find them, and an opportunity allows for the mother to escape and run to a neighbour's house. The police arrive and can find no signs of the intruder, questioning the mother and believing she has imagined it. The narrative has many flashbacks to flesh out the family backstory as the unnamed mother spirals into a terrifying and bloody climax. Although there are attempts to ratchet up the tension, the story is more damsel in distress and only an average two and a half stars thriller read rating. With thanks to Penguin General UK and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

Nightwatching from Tracey Sierra is one of the most compulsive books I’ve read in years. I had to force myself to stop reading it so many times. It made my stomach clench and my breathing short. In fact it should come with a health warning. I can’t recall a book where none of the characters are named which I found interesting. Nightwatching is all about relationships - a mother’s with her two young children; her absent husband; her abusive father-in-law and her own unreliable parents. When a man invades her home what will the mother do to save her kids? The tension ramps up from the very beginning and as the story unfolds I was seething with the injustice and disbelieving at the disbelief. An extraordinary thriller with a heart. Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for the eARC.

Whooft! Nightwatching sucks you straight in from the first chapter; like a Shark vacuum sucking in a ball of fluff, you’re swallowed up before you know what’s happening. From a sharp, tense beginning, the pace and tension don’t let up and you find yourself fearful for this woman and her children, who never seem to have been cut a break.

We never know her name. She’s their mother, his wife, his daughter in law, or just ‘her’ if you’re the father in law. Mother to two lovely children and once in a loving marriage, her husband was, in the end, incapable of standing up to his father and so he disappointed both his wife and his father.

Now, in this draughty, ramshackle house she has to risk everything to save her children. In this pulse pounding story we feel the horror of a mother’s anguish as she tries to keep her children from harm. As they huddle together in their hiding place, listening to every noise, having to shush her children even as their fear makes them wet themselves, Tracy Sierra does such a good job of letting us feel what real fear is like.

But Nightwatching is not just a home invasion story; rather it is a story of a marriage and of woman who has to stay strong because no-one ever believes her or takes her side. It is a tale of not being believed, of being suspected and scrutinised and even judged for her failure to give into a bully.

In Nightwatching, we see how the police can convince themselves that their own explanations are the correct ones; there’s no such thing as a reliable woman. But how reliable is our narrator? In the absence of anything concrete in the way of evidence, how much should we believe?

Written in the third person, Tracy Sierra writes an atmospheric, creepy and nerve tingling chiller of a psychological thriller. Focussing in on the agency of women and how easy it is for women to be stripped of any power they may have, Sierra’s descriptive powers lend themselves well to focussing in on a woman at the end of her tether.

It is chilling, frightening and carries the clear ring of lived truth. Nightwatching is a fast paced read and my goodness it cuts a clear path to the top of my thrillers list so far this year.

Book description sounded good but sadly I couldnt get in to the story. Sorry but I couldnt get into it but I'm sure others will love it

This is a great creepy debut not to be missed I did not know where this book was going to go one minute thinking is the mother imagining these things the next is she crazy a 4 star read that I would definitely recommend

OUTLIER ALERT!
When this started, I had high hopes for this book. It began by jumping straight into the story (something I love) and for the first 10% I was enjoying it. But unfortunately the more I read the less I enjoyed it.
This is written in the third person which is not my favourite as I find it distances me from the characters and that was what exactly happened here. This wasn't helped by the fact that none of the characters have names. The only character who sort of gets a name is the Corner. I found this 'name' to be so ridiculous that every time it was mentioned I rolled my eyes.
The story also seemed to wander off in parts. All the backstory parts (most of which you don't need, as they have no bearing on the story) I found them really boring and just wanted the story to get on with it.
When I read the blurb I thought I was going to get a tense, fast paced, action packed thriller. That wasn't my experience. This felt more like literary fiction/thriller.
By the halfway point I had lost all interest. I just couldn't connect to the story or the characters.
If this hadn't been an ARC I probably would have DNF'd.
There are so many great reviews for this book, but it just never worked for me.

Nightwatching left me disappointed. I found the plot repetitive and disjointed, and didn’t like the writing style. This one wasn’t for me.

Set in the depths of winter, ‘Nightwatching’ is a slow paced, creepy and atmospheric novel. The scenario is every mother’s nightmare. An intruder in the house. A threat to the safety of your children.

Such is this terrified mother’s plight one night when she hears the creaks and groans her house makes and knows her children are tucked up in bed. Her first instinct is to find a safe space where they can hide until the intruder goes away.

Because she hushes and hustles them into it with speed, there’s no time to gather more than the bare minimum necessities. So they huddle together, cold, hungry, thirsty, and scared. They have to be as quiet as possible and not draw unwanted attention to themselves.

While they sit out the intruder’s presence, we’re privy to the mother’s thoughts as she reflects back on her life and how she has appeared to others. These lengthy musings can be distracting because they take the reader away from the action.

Some things seem unbelievable or unrelatable. For instance, the intruder takes an inordinate amount of time to trawl through the rooms. None of the characters are referenced by name, which makes the narrative a bit clunky in places.

The mother is considered to be an unreliable narrator by the police and male family members. This doesn’t help her cause, especially when her life is at risk. I thought the children were extremely well behaved under the circumstances they faced, which seemed unlikely.

These issues aren’t huge but they took away some of the credibility and enjoyment of this promising story for me. It had an excellent start and satisfactory finish but was muddy in the middle. Grateful thanks to Penguin General UK and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

One very long night hidden away in fear of your life and that of your children. The very essence of a psychological thriller. Add the atmospheric still best of a snow covered winter scene , silence abounds until you hear noises that could be someone you know trying menacingly to find you. You must keep yo and your children safe . The stuff nightmares are made of