The Silent Watcher* by Victor Methos is a gripping and emotionally charged legal thriller that will have readers hooked from the very first page. Methos weaves an intense and complex narrative centered around Piper Danes, a dedicated attorney who leaves behind the glamour of a high-powered Vegas law firm to work as a guardian ad litem (GAL) for vulnerable children. Piper’s personal connection to the work shines through, adding depth and sincerity to her character as she fights for justice and safety for her young clients.

Methos brilliantly captures the emotional weight of Piper’s latest case—fifteen-year-old Sophie Grace, the lone survivor of a brutal family murder. The mystery surrounding Sophie’s trauma is expertly crafted, keeping readers on edge as Piper, along with the no-nonsense Judge Hope Dawson and the mysterious Detective Lazarus Holloway, navigates a world filled with dark secrets. The tension builds as the team hunts for “the Creeper,” a chilling serial killer whose elusive nature adds an extra layer of suspense.

What makes *The Silent Watcher* particularly standout is its seamless blend of heart and thrills. Piper’s unwavering determination to protect Sophie is both inspiring and heart-wrenching, and Methos doesn’t shy away from exploring the psychological and emotional toll of the case on his characters. The plot moves at a perfect pace, with twists that will leave readers guessing and a sense of impending danger that never lets up.

Fans of legal thrillers and psychological suspense will find *The Silent Watcher* a compelling read with strong characters, intricate plotting, and a powerful message about hope, resilience, and the fight for justice. Victor Methos delivers a story that is both haunting and satisfying—one that will stay with you long after the final page.

A big thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advance copy to review.

This was a good book, it had a great premise and it kept me hooked, it just did not leave me with a lasting impression, but it is not in any way a bad book.

I haven't read many "legal thrillers," but I really enjoyed this book. Piper's devotion to helping not only Sophie, but others who are at risk and struggling is heroic in a way, and the fact that she ends up in a search for a serial killer is amazing to me. I felt, throughout this book, that I was almost "part" of the investigation, and was trying to figure out all the details as I read them. This was definitely an unexpected 5 star read for me, and I was thrilled to see that it's the start of the series, and I"m interested to see how that develops.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

Another great book by my favorite author! Victor Methos can do no wrong!

This fast paced legal thriller will keep you on your toes till the very end!

Methos never disappoints! Tense, complex, and unique murder investigation woven with agendas, and lawyer games. Strong, well-developed characters and quite the gory and disturbed criminal. You won't put this down.

I stumbled upon this author whilst browsing for new reads, and this particular book caught my attention. Intrigued by the premise, I eagerly delved into this fresh release. The cover art vividly stood out to me, setting the stage for an immersive reading experience. The Silent Watcher proved to be a page turning thriller. I found myself engrossed in the unfolding story. There was a lot of depth to the characters, each with their own distinctive traits. The author proved his skills in crafting memorable protagonists. The Silent Watcher is a book that lingers in the mind, leaving readers with a lasting impression of its unique blend of suspense and character-driven storytelling.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this early. 👌🏻

Thanks for the ARC! This was a fun read. I always enjoy the Bosch / Micky Haller crossover books, where you get some courtroom drama, and some police drama, and The Silent Watcher covers that ground well. Piper and Lazarus are compelling characters, and I enjoyed following them around some of the darker parts of Vegas. Vegas is a good setting for this sort of story, and I hope we get some more books in this series! Definitely want to see what Piper and Lazarus get up to next.

Haven't ever read a book by this author I decided to give it a chance. This will definitely not be the last book I read of this authors. It was full of many twists and turns that kept me reading into the wee hours of the night.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

This was a quick read and a fast moving mystery. It's a great start to a new series that many will enjoy.

The perfect slump book for me. Just what I needed. The perfect mix of suspense and keep you on the edge with page turning and engaging. Don’t read at night in the dark cause it can make you scared of the mystery.

THE SILENT WATCHER raced off to a quick start with an immediate dive into the story. It was a thrilling start with a plot that was immediately compelling and characters that were easy to relate to. The pacing was a bit off though, as half the story was more thriller/mystery focused and the other half more legal in nature. It made the story drag towards the end and I was waiting for a big twist that never came. This was ultimately an enjoyable, if flawed, read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review THE SILENT WATCHER.

Another great Methos read! Thanks to netgalley for advanced copy.. I found the opening chapter extremely creepy and it kept me hooked the whole book. I enjoyed the short, fast paced chapters. The only lagging time for me was when the psychiatrist doctor was on the stand, but I understood why it had to be drawn out to explain the character of the killer. It really made me feel mixed feelings for the killer as well, and I didn’t know who to trust. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and looking forward to the next Methos book!

The blurb sounded interesting, and I do like this genre. However, it missed the mark a bit in execution. There was a bit more focus on the trial than I had anticipated. And it didn't take long to find the killer, which I found a bit surprising. I thought there would be more suspense in that regard. The ending seemed unfinished. Perhaps there will be a sequel. It also felt like he could have benefited from a bit of a tighter edit, as some parts felt a bit unnecessary.

Someone recommended me to try this author a while ago, and now I finally decided to give them a go.
The synopsis seemed interesting enough for my taste in thrillers, but the execution wasn't appealing enough to keep my attention.
I don't particularly love ficitional stories with serial killers, but I never refuse to read a thriller because of that.
My main issue with this book is that it ended up being too 'legal', too focused on a trial, and that is just not my thing. I did like the LA setting and vibes, though. In my opinion, it suits well a thriller story with a serial killer..
Anyway, it was not for my taste, but I'm sure other reader will enjoy this book.

Victor Methos is another thriller writer who in the UK at least operates well below the radar yet is a supremely gifted story teller whose characters and plots grab the readers' attention immediately.

He is also prolific in his work - how does he wrote s much, so quickly and yet so well? Who knows and indeed - who cares as it just means that the lucky reader has more material to engage with.

I won't go into the story but the author's legal knowledge also shone through with a gripping court seen. Despite the identity of the killer being known early on the interest never lags and the book is a real winner.

Highly recommended!

I've enjoyed the Desert Plains series by Victor Methos so I was excited to read this new release. The setting of the western US was displayed effectively with the cover and the title definitely aligns with the story. This solid thriller had just enough legal courtroom suspense which is this author's area of expertise. Most of all, I think his characters are what really help drive the story with unique personalities that stick with me both during and after finishing the book.

The Silent Watcher did take some time to grasp my interest but then it kicked in for the duration. I do wish it had a few more twists and turns in the end but it was still a very good book.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

I love Victor Methos books and once again he has written another fantastic legal thriller which seems to be the first in a new series, I really hope so. The book captures you from the first page and I was completely immersed in the story which is much darker than his other books and moves along at a particularly good pace.

Sophie Grace’s family is murdered, but somehow, she manages to escape from the killer, she is only fifteen years old, this was a horrific event for anyone to experience, let alone a teenager. Piper Danes is appointed by the courts as her legal guardian, she collaborates with Detective Lazuras Holloway and Judge Hope Dawson, (not a woman you mess around with by any means) but her main role is to provide support to Sophie as she tries to navigate through this horrific situation she has been placed in.

Lazarus is an interesting guy who has been working in the police force for many years, a cop with years of experience. Piper grew up in her grandmothers care and has a wonderful relationship with her, this is also why she is so good at her job, she has a deep understanding of what it is like not have your parents involved in your life and can relate so well to victims such as Sophie. Piper and Lazarus are developing a strong working relationship and respect between the two develops as they work on the case together and I am sure if the books do continue as a series that the author will then provide the reader with more information about the characters and their personalities, this I look forward to.

Owen Whittaker, the serial Killer at the heart of the story is now known as the ‘creeper’, a man who has grown up in foster care and has a horrific history of being abused which does make you feel a little bit sorry for him, but note I only said a little.
The author provides us with a lot of suspense and excitement throughout the book and at the end there was a definite oh my gosh moment that I had to go back and read again as I was hoping that what I thought I had read was not true.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own. Five stars

Methos is an author I’ve followed for several years and read many of his thrillers. This one was particularly interesting for me since I once worked for an Attorney who was occasionally appointed to be a Guardian ad litem. It’s a very important representation of a minor child, frequently in divorce proceedings. This story follows Piper as she looks out for the best interest of a teenager, the only survivor of her family’s horrific murder. Piper is well suited for the case as she is empathetic, principled and relentlessly. As often occurs, nothing about the case is straightforward, there are many obstacles to overcome. There’s are Judges with their own agendas, the Detective investigating the homicides, prosecutors, and a killer(s) to find. The legal aspects of the case are gripping, the Judges and court proceedings are compelling. There is political backscratching, favors expected and subtle blackmailing. I liked the background and personality of Piper, many well described characters in the story. Murder is a dark and evil subject with immoral, despicable perpetrators. The theme of this book is no exception. It is very well written, kept me hoping for justice, cheering for the victim to be able to move forward. Methos again demonstrated his knowledge of the law and I will certainly read more of his new series.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer, Victor Methos and NetGalley for providing an Advance Reader Copy of The Silent Watcher (Vegas Shadows #1). Publication expected 12/03/2024. These honest personal thoughts and opinions are all my own given voluntarily without compensation.

I should have known better than to start reading a thriller with a serial killer in the synopsis. Couldn’t finish due to gruesome scene.

NetGalley early release
Publishing date: December 2, 2024
Solid 3.5 ⭐️ There were a couple things that bothered me. First, I would’ve wished they took longer to find the killer. Like go through a couple of leads until the real killer pops up. Having finished the book though, I understand the author found him fast so that way he could escape at the end and have all of that happen. I still think both things could’ve happened to have a good story. Second, why did he have to go back and kill Pipers grandmother? Like what? Third, Judge Dawson gave me weird vibes from the beginning. And the ending? I’m assuming a second book is gonna be coming out. To be honest, not sure if it’ll jump to the top of my TBR list when that happens. I feel like it could’ve been at least 100 pages longer. Lastly, I feel like because the story could’ve been longer, a lot of things were rushed. At the end when Holloway was looking for the killer after he escaped, he went straight to the location where he thought his campsite was. He could’ve gone to other ones to make it more believable before finding the killers actually campsite. And the killer was supposed to like to eat people?!? It was such a prominent part of the story but all we got was that he bit Pipers leg when chasing her at the end. Put more of THAT in there, maybe I can bump it to 4 stars.

Also. Hated Russo. Go to hell.