I’d like to thank Penguin General UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Nightwatching’ written by Tracy Sierra in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

After settling her son back to sleep the woman can hear someone moving around the house, where she knows every squeak and creak of the floorboards, and realises she and her children are not alone. She’s positive she knows him from somewhere, and her daughter calls him the Corner Man as he’s the person she sees in her nightmares standing in the corner of her bedroom. Paralysed with the knowledge that she won’t be able to get to her husband’s gun or her phone to call for help, she shuts them in a hidden cupboard until they can escape.

Although ‘Nightwatching’ is classed as general fiction/mystery and thriller, I’d call it a horror novel as it certainly had me spooked late last night. It’s cleverly-written with a well thought-out plot and is oh so scary with a predator who the children believe is a monster, but I have no idea how the mother can fall asleep while they’re being hunted? I thought it a pity that throughout no names are given to any of the characters except the Corner Man as I do like to be able to form a connection with those I’m reading about, but despite this it was a compelling and disturbing novel that kept me reading while looking in the corners.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy.

I’m not sure entirely how to rate this book. There are so many twists and turns and at every point you are questioning whether the FMC is right or whether there is something more.

It definitely had me on toes and once nearing the end, I couldn’t put it down.

I personally didn’t like the ending but that doesn’t take it away from how the book was well written with past and present events.

Nightwatching I would class as a bit of a horror, after reading the first couple of chapters I genuinely believed I was going to have nightmares, I have a lot of corners in my room haha, luckily I didn’t have nightmares though!
We start the book stood in the sons bedroom doorway when she realises there is someone in the house, fear paralysed her until she realises she has to get her and her children to safety if they are going to survive the night.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

Nightwatching is an incredibly tense and unnerving book, I loved the ambiguity around our narrator's reliability and felt the story had great pacing, it was a genuinely terrifying read at points!

If you're looking for a thriller that's going to have you looking round every corner and has you genuinely afraid to fall asleep, you have to get Nightwatching on your TBR immediately!
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Of all the books I've read, this is one that really stuck with me even in my dreams— everything I want in a psychological thriller. From the synopsis, I had a strong feeling this would be good but it was even better than I expected. The writing kept me completely gripped and I was obsessed with the unreliable main character; she had me questioning the events that occurred even as I was reading them happening, while also making me feel guilty for doing so.
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It's hard to say too much without spoiling anything but this was, without a doubt, one of the scariest books I've read. I'll admit it took the first few chapters to really become used to the writing style, what with the odd flashback and constantly reading our MC's inner thoughts (both of which I came to love), but before I knew it I was fully engrossed and became desperate to find out what was real and what wasn't.
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This is a perfect winter read as it's set during a snowstorm in the days leading up to Christmas; I also thought this was the perfect setting for this style of book and ultimately made it more spine-chilling. This was such a tense and creepy read, I need all fans of horrors and thrillers to pick it up as soon as it's out!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC!

Well this was a thrilling treat.

This was like reading a nightmare unfolding before my eyes and I was genuinely scared at points.

The characters were well written and relatable.

This suspense packed psychological thriller is guaranteed to cause your chest to tighten, your spine to tingle and your heart to pump faster. It’s every mother’s worst nightmares rolled into one.

A mother living alone with her two young children in an old, large and rambling house awakens to the sound of footsteps slowly creaking up the stairs. An intruder has broken in. Somehow, she needs to get her children to safety. Somewhere they can hide and wait while he burgles their house, takes what he wants and leaves. But this is not a regular burglar. The mother will need to be very smart indeed if she’s to find the courage to outwit him and keep her children safe.

Life hasn’t been easy for the mother lately. She has tried to get on with her father-in-law but he is always criticising her and her children. She did her best to help him with the recent illness and of his wife, but matters came to a head when his wife died and now she has refused to see him. Her husband blames her, saying she must have done something to upset him and this soon became a constant bone of contention, upsetting their previous happy marriage.

The family’s house is isolated, surrounded by trees and a long way from the closest neighbours in a newly developed estate. The mother and her husband liked it for that very reason and have always felt safe here, but now he’s not at home. It’s winter and a blizzard is raging outside, so there is no way she can drag two tiny children in just their nightclothes into that. She needs to keep them quiet and hidden and try not to frighten them.

The writing in this masterful debut novel is excellent. Right from the start the tension builds up relentlessly and at times is almost unbearable. The reader may find they need to put the book down occasionally just to take a breath. There are periods of respite where the mother reflects back on her life and marriage, their time living in the house and the problems with her father-in-law.

The mother is under so much pressure at times that her metal state becomes fragile and she starts to question if she is imagining the intruder, or wonders if it’s all just some horrific nightmare and she’ll awaken soon back in her bed. Although none of the characters are named, they are well drawn, particularly the fragility but also strength of the mother and the hideous nature of the intruder. The atmosphere is claustrophobic, extremely creepy and very intense and the plotting perfectly timed to keep the reader glued to the pages, needing to know how it will all end. If you enjoy spine-tingling psychological thrillers, don’t miss this one!

Do not read this book when home alone!

Nightwatching is an incredibly tense and gripping thriller. I made the mistake of reading it when home alone and I was petrified. The first chapter had chills running down my spine and it felt like I was right there with her. I cannot recommend this enough.

This was an ok thriller! I personally didn't find anything spectacular about it, and did find it a little predictable, however when reading it at night it did creep me out a bit and give me an uneasy feeling! I thought it was well paced and it did keep my attention. I would have just liked some more surprising twists and turns.

Overall I enjoyed this novel. I thought it was quite unique and different.
A little slow at the start but I stuck with it as the story and the background of the main character unfolded. I actually found it quite terrifying in parts like a horror movie! and could really picture the setting of the old house surrounded by woods in the snow. I could imagine this novel being turned into a movie or TV drama.
A satisfying ending too as the plot lines and twists were wrapped up. I’d recommend Nightwatching but maybe not to read it alone late at night!
Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an advance copy in return for my honest opinion. I have also published this review on Goodreads.

This is such a difficult book to put down!

Living an an old house means there are lots of creaks and noises. After settling her son back into his bed, a mother is standing in the shadows when she sees a man in her home; but she knows that he can't see her so she stays, unmoving, while her mind panics. When he goes into one room, she quickly gathers her children and takes them down another staircase, all the time impressing on them the need to stay silent. With a blizzard raging outside, it's unlikely they can get out - but the house has a secret hidey-hole which only she knows about. Will that keep them safe?

This is a heart-pounding, blood-pumping read which had me hooked within the first couple of pages and kept me there throughout. I had picked up on a clue, so expected it to end as it did but it is a gripping read- quite terrifying in places and as scary as can be! I never fail to be impressed at how brave some characters are! However, as a dog lover I always find myself thinking - both when reading and watching tv - that if they had a dog they wouldn't be in that position. Thank goodness, from a literary point of view, that not everyone has a canine protector! Thrilling beyond belief, this is an easy 5* and definitely one I would recommend.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

A mother is home alone with her two children during a blizzard when she realises that an intruder is in the home. After hiding her children she needs to try and find a way to escape. Does she know who the intruder is and will she manage to get help?

I saw a lot of high reviews for this one so was keen to read. Unfortunately I didn’t love this one. I appreciate that the story is written well and there is a creepy, tense atmosphere throughout, however I found that I was quite bored for the majority of the book. I couldn’t connect with the characters and found there wasn’t too much going on with the plot, with a lot of repetition. I can see why others might have enjoyed it but sadly this one wasn’t for me at this time. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in return for an honest review.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy

I had read about this book on social media where there were rave reviews about it so I was pleased to receive an ARC. It is the story of a woman trapped in a snowbound house with her two young children. She is convinced that there is someone in the house, someone who is after her daughter. Someone who she calls The Corner.

What I liked about this book. It's billed as tense and it's certainly that. The beginning of the book where she is hiding with her children in a space behind a wall, is heart pounding. The description of her father-in-law and his behaviour is very good.

What I didn't like. I didn't like the fact that characters weren't named. They were her husband, father and mother in law, daughter, son, the sergeant, the boyish police officer. This made it hard to relate to any of the characters. The flashbacks were very long, too long for the time she had to process them. I didn't like it that no one in authority took her seriously. Surely there would have been some dissenting voices?

Overall, a readable book which I'd recommend to those who enjoy tense thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Nightwatching was one of the scariest thrillers I have read for quite some time.

This was just incredibly chilling writing. Right from the start, I could not look away from this book. It was a fight or flight extreme situation that only seemed to get darker as the pages went on. The atmosphere was thick and choking. Sierra has crafted lightning in a bottle here. It is dangerous and deadly and slithers under your skin, leaving a mark and a deeply uncomfortable pit within your stomach. Every page oozes suspense. The plot starts with a bang and does not stop from there. For me, this is a book that rooted itself into my brain and has not left since. It is an exceptional debut and I will be devouring whatever Sierra writes next. She has a gift for thrillers that are terrifying and twisted and torment the reader but in a way that provokes questions.

This is a book you need to go into knowing absolutely nothing beyond the synopsis. It took my breath away several times reading, for both the horrifying scenes unfolding and the razor-sharp twists that often followed. It is so well plotted and impeccably paced. Things just go to unexpected and brilliant places. At its heart, you have the mother and her children and they are characters you root for instantly. I loved how Sierra does not include names - they are nameless, faceless victims. They could be anyone, anywhere and you can easily pick up aspects from the headlines. It is just such a clever narrative device that makes you relish the story so much more. Unpicking what is happening to them and why is sickening, surprising and such a thrilling ride to get there. Please, if you like a damn good thriller, just pick this book up.

Nightwatching was atmospheric, petrifying and pulsing with a danger that cuts close to the heart. It is incredibly written and one of the most chilling books I have ever read.

Alone in the house is a mother with two young children when a sound is heard - footsteps coming towards them.
What should she do? Will it be the right decision?
But who will believe her or save her.
This is a creepy read which will take you right to the last page for answers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for giving me the opportunity to read this book before it gets published in February 2024.

I am a no-nonsense kind of person and don't get scared by being alone, in darkness or scary movies, so when I read the cover reviews for this book (terrifying, a thriller to keep you awake, heart-thumping, mesmerising, gripping) I thought this may change, that I would read something that did it. Unfortunately, it didn't.

The story starts with the intruder already in the house and the woman quickly hiding with her kids in a hidey-hole. No time to grab useful stuff (torch, mobile phone, watch, food, etc), just hide, hush and wait. I thought that was a promising premise and wondered how it will develop. Will she outwit the intruder? Will they survive? Or get caught?

You get to know what's happening, the layout of the house, the creaks and noises; tension starts to build up, feelings of entrapment, fear, impotence and suddenly... you get the dreaded TV commercials, i.e. long flashback to her past to recall scenarios where she was treated like a lower kind of person, disregarded by others or not taken seriously. These flashbacks keep on breaking up the present story and make you forget she's in hiding, so you lose any thrilling gathered up to then.

The reviews say "scalpel-sharp, pulse-pounding" but it is not. Time trickles down because of these flashback interruptions (how long exactly she is in the secret space?), the intruder walks ever so slowly and takes hours (?) to search the house, she even dozes off with all the waiting. It gets repetitive in places (how many times can you stretch a robe, or hug your kids closer to you, when you just did it a few minutes before?).

Having the woman tell the whole story makes it a bit monotonous and doesn't allow for other people's opinions. She's not in a healthy state of mind so her view on things and herself is distorted at times. It seems that this is also how all the characters see her as well: unreliable, untrusted, guilty. Not sure if it's a coincidence or on purpose but all these other people who undervalue her (ex-boyfriend, husband, father-in-law, 2 police officers, intruder, even the alarm guys) happen to be male.

When nobody has a proper name in the story, why give the intruder a silly name like Corner? OK, it was the daughter's name for him but she said The Corner Man, which may sound a wee scary. However, the mother took it and shortened it, and each time she mentioned it images of a footballer throwing a corner kick came to mind.

All in all, it was a good book - notwithstanding the annoying bits, and I think less analytical readers may enjoy it more than I did and feel closer and empathetic to the characters.

At no point do you know the names of the mother and 3 children who are desperately hiding from the intruder in their house, but that somehow makes it all the more real - and terrifying. I wasn’t a huge fan of the flashback scenes but they did provide some welcome relief from the palpable tension and fear coming from the pages.

Slight spoiler: I’m so glad that the main character was vindicated but wish it didn’t have to come to that. Let’s believe women.

Home alone with her young children during a blizzard, a mother tucks her son back into bed in the middle of the night. Then she hears a noise - old houses are always making some kind of noise. But this sound is disturbingly familiar: it's the tread of footsteps, unusually heavy and slow, coming up the stairs...
In that split second, she has three choices.
Should she hide? Should she run? Or should she fight?

I thought that this had the makings of an excellent book but after a really bright start, it began to wallow in the middle. I liked the backstory moments but, at times instead of adding to it, they detracted from it. I found myself skipping pages to speed up the action which is never a good thing. Sadly, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

There’s no beating around the bush. From the first sentence you’re pitched into the heart of the action. It’s the middle of the night, a blizzard is raging and there are no nearby neighbours. A woman is home alone with her two small children and she hears an intruder in the house. Basically my nightmare scenario right there.

She is able to get the children to a safe hiding place while the intruder prowls around looking for them. But she has no way of summoning help and it’s clear that he isn’t going to stop looking for them.

Adding to the tension is that you start to doubt that the woman’s point of view is entirely accurate. Is this actually happening? And if it is actually happening, is her interpretation of what’s behind it reliable?

This was very much a one sitting read. It grabs your attention immediately and I was desperate to know how it was going to be resolved. If you want something gripping, this delivers. It has a genuine nightmarish quality to it. It’s scary, but not TOO scary (I don’t do horror).

One of my pet peeves is when thrillers leave loose threads hanging so I appreciated that while there are a lot of threads to the plot, they all get tied back in or explained.

What let the book down for me was the dialogue, which is laughably wooden in places, to the point where I sometimes felt like I was reading a poorly translated book. Also the decision not to name the characters was unhelpful – at one point there was reference to “the woman” and I had no idea which character it was.

But even with those bugbears, this is a thriller that genuinely thrills.

I received an ARC for review via Net Galley.