Gripping murder trial drama
I really enjoyed the Guardian Ad Litem angle to this novel, an interesting main character perspective that I’ve not come across before. The majority of the book is the trial, and the courtroom scenes were very interesting. It fascinates me how agitated one can become at reading how the prosecutor and defence teams use the evidence to their own ends. I read that the author is a lawyer and this is evident in the portrayal of the case.
Characters involved in the murders and affected by them are written really well, it’s good to love some and hate some. The book was well paced, very gripping at times, and it’s good to see it’s the first in a series. I look forward to more and recommend this one.

The Silent Watcher by Victor Methos The beginning was like something from a cheap horror film. But I stuck with it and it did get better. I liked the new position in an investigative mystery of the court appointed guardian and seeing from their perspective. Overall it would be a pass for me because I felt the need to skip over so much. Thank you Net galley for the chance to read.

Very enjoyable legal thriller. The prologue of this book was one of the scariest I have ever read and really pulled me in. Looking forward to more in this series

This was my first read by Victor Methos and it was such a pleasant surprise. This book hooked my from the first page, it keeps you intrigued and wanting to know what is going to happen next.
It’s a slow build but it keeps the interest on wanting to keep reading.
I enjoyed the story line and the characters, how they are all so different but work together so well.

I can not wait for the next book in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

You know when you read a book and you know for a fact that someone has a background in what they're writing (and not a police background)? This book manages that really, really well, and I was not surprised in the slightest when I got to the end and found that the author is a practicing lawyer. This story is written really, really well, and you can tell it is based in actual due process, which is brilliant.

Piper is a really strong protagonist, and there's no weird focus on her being a woman, which is fabulous. She does her job, does it well, and does it well in tandem with Detective Holloway, who is also written very strongly. This book makes for a fantastic thriller, with a host of twists, turns, and suspects that turn out to be fake-outs. For a while there it really had me guessing, and I thought that it was going to be a character who had nothing to do with it who was going to end up being responsible.

The courtroom elements of this book are real highlights as well - they are realistic and I found myself really cosying in to enjoy the realism of them. I thought this was a brilliant mystery - very keen to see the next in the series when it comes out!

I had the fortune of finding this group recently and thought that I would share a review for the latest legal thriller that I has just read by Victor Methos.

The Silent Watcher was another digital ARC that I was fortunate enough to receive from the fine folks at #NetGalley, the publisher Thomas and Mercer, and the author, Victor Methos in return for a fair and honest review.

Set on the Vegas Strip, this is the first in a new series by the author. This legal thriller follows attorney Piper Danes who works for vulnerable youth as she is assigned to a 15-year-old victim, Sophie. Sophie is the sole survivor of a gruesome attack on her family. Piper joins forces with Detective Lazarus Holloway, a grizzled veteran homicide detective, who believes a serial killer murdered Sophie’s family.

The Silent Watcher is a creepy thriller/police procedural that follows Piper Dane, a Guardian Ad Litem lawyer who represents the needs of those under the age of majority in the Nevada legal system. in addition to being a pure legal procedural, the story adds the twist of including Piper’s character to the mix. While the characters are stereotypical, and the material’s a little gruesome, the police investigation is the story's highlight. Great characters - complex but real and relatable. Great story. I hope this is the start of a new series.

On a five-star scale, I feel that I could easily give this a solid five-star rating (probably because I am partial towards legal and police procedurals) and believe that this would be a solid favorite for those who are aficionados of gritty police procedurals. I would love to see what happens next with Piper, Lazarus, and this new unit put together by the Judge.

As with all my literary ramblings, this is my five cents worth.

Piper Danes is an attorney who works as a guardian for juveniles, and she’s assigned a case where her ward, fifteen year old Sophie Grace is the sole survivor whose family was brutally murdered. Piper joins forces with Detective Lazarus Holloway, a grizzled veteran homicide detective, who believes Sophie’s family was murdered by a serial killer. The Silent Watcher is a creepy thriller/police procedural with the twist of adding Piper’s character to the mix. While the characters are stereotypical, and the material’s a little gruesome, the police investigation is the highlight of the story. However, the courtroom scenes involving the testimony of a mental health expert is where the plot gets severely bogged down, as there’s pages upon pages of detailed medical dialogue that almost brings the story to a halt, and this book would have been better served by a condensed version of that testimony. Instead, it saps the suspense but thankfully gets back in the groove once the scene shifts to the pursuit of the killer. Overall, probably not the best start to a series, but the characters are interesting, especially Piper, so I’m curious to see how the next book in this series develops. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Im giving this book⭐ 4 i really enjoyed this book i was really enjoyed the mystery and this book really got me hooked for the beginning of it and overall im really enjoyed it and really loved this book

Shout out to Victor Methos and his newest legal thriller! Great characters - complex but real and relatable. Great story. I hope this is the start of a new series. I I would love to see what happens next with Piper, Lazarus and this new unit put together by the Judge.

Thank you #netgalley and #thomasandmercer #apub for the eARC.

The Silent Watcher by Victor Methos is a thrilling first in a promising series, blending suspense and legal drama, The characters are well-developed and relatable and the plot is expertly paced with twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Piper Danes teams up with detective Lazarus Holloway to uncover the horrific actions of a serial killer known as The Creeper. Well-written court scenes with the defense attorney displaying brutality in her pursuit to win not because Owen Whittaker aka the Creeper is innocent but because she hates to lose. Piper Danes skillfully demonstrates that she has the legal expertise in her defense arguments. Highly recommended and looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley, Victor Methos & Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to preview the book.

Victor Methos's latest book is a fast-paced, entertaining thriller. I would have liked more character development throughout it the story, but The Silent Watcher was more plot-driven than character-driven so the lack of development wasn't a huge issue. I'm looking forward to the next entry in the series.

Overall, this was a solid 4-star read.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Silent Watcher is an engrossing, suspenseful and hard hitting crime thriller that pulls no punches. The opening scene grabs your attention right until the last page.
Having been a vulnerable youth Piper Davies trains as a lawyer and becomes a Guardian ad litem (GAL) to support young victims and ensuring any court cases are fair and just and their voices are heard.
When Sophie’s family are slaughtered and Sophie escapes from the killer Piper is appointed her GAL, she is teamed up with world weary detective Lazarus Holloway and the horrific actions are discovered of a serial killer known as The Creeper.
I found Lazarus’s character difficult to connect with, some of his background has been revealed and an old case he worked on has affected him but this gave rise to more questions than answers to help understand him. He and Piper work well together but no spark between them, no real bonding as such. Perhaps this will be developed in future books.
When the creeper is apprehended the court scenes are brilliantly written and the revelations and finale are jaw dropping. Another winner from this author.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

My Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ great new series by a great author!!

Piper Danes is a GAL - guardian ad litem and works with vulnerable youths, just as she once was. Her GAL gave her hope when she needed it most and now she is committed to helping others.

Her first case is a gruesome one, Sophie Grace is 15 and the sole survivor of the murder of her whole family.

Pipe teams up with the formidable Judge Hope Dawson and Detective Lazarus Holloway. As they delve into a sinister world of a killer things get worse than they could imagine and lead to a serial killer known only as The Creeper.

Piper will put it all on the line to keep Sophie Grace safe - but will she end up risking more than she bargained for?

I was really excited when I saw this book, I really like Victor Methos and his legal thrillers. This one is quite a bit darker than I was expecting and I was pleasantly surprised by it.

The writing is great and the story is banging right from the start. I really liked all the characters as well. Piper is determined and a bit shy, Judge Dawson is odd and powerful but sure of herself and Detective Holloway skirts the line between good and bad like only a Vegas cop can.

I thought I had it all figured out but I didn’t even though we know who the killer is… the legal battle is actually one of the best bits of this whole novel. I was really into it and you can tell that the author is a lawyer and knows his stuff. He writes the courtroom so well and the defence attorney was brutal in her pursuit to win while knowingly trying to get a killer off a charge. I can just imagine it really does play out like this.

I had a few edge of my seat moments and I really blasted through it. I am pretty confident that Methos has set this up as a new series and I am really excited about that. I will absolutely be reading the next in line. I do suspect though that these will be best read in order.

I was really wrapped up in the writing - here excerpt of one that pulled on my heartstrings….

Then they spotted a chew toy in the corner and dashed toward it. One of them managed to sink its teeth into it, and the other one bumped into the first, emitting a playful bark, trying to assert dominance, which made Sophie giggle.

Her laughter was soft and sweet but evoked sadness in Piper.

Sophie gently rubbed Bruiser’s head and whispered, “You’re alone just like me, aren’t you?”
Suddenly, the young teen lowered her head over the puppy, clutching it tightly. She closed her eyes in an attempt to hold back tears, but the sobs overtook her, and she couldn’t stop them.

As Sophie wept, Piper joined her on the floor and wrapped one arm around the girl, and they sat with Sophie crying and the puppies wrestling.

Ahhh I’m not crying you are!!!

There are some funny bits in this one as well and I really just was here for the whole thing. It might not be a traditional 5 stars for others but I had no complaints. Any minor issues can be put down to it being a fiction police procedural/legal thriller and nothing is perfect but I really loved it and was actually disappointed when it finished.

I would also recommend his other books particularly The Killers Wife.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley and Victor Methos for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this read! A very taboo subject written about so very well! I loved the characters and I am looking forward to the next one to continue finding out more about them and their past. I am new to this genre but I will definitely be sticking with it after reading this!

I am a real fan of Victor Methos. I truly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the relationship that is building between Lazarus and Piper. This book links an older detective with a case that haunts him and a guardian ad litem for a girl that was a witness/victim to a crime that links them. This was an engaging thriller that takes us from the crime scenes to the courthouse to the bar and then into their homes. I loved turning each page to see what was going to happen next. I will be awaiting the next book in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book in advanced.

This was a very good book. I enjoyed it and found it very entertaining. I recommend it for all fellow readers.

3.8!
Thanks to Netgalley, Victor Methos & Thomas & Mercer for providing this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Set in Vegas Strip, this is a first in a new series by the author. This legal thriller follows attorney Piper Danes who works as a guardian ad litem (GAL) for vulnerable youth as she is assigned to a 15-year-old victim, Sophie. Sophie is the sole survivor of a gruesome attack on her family.

Working together with the sharp and formidable Judge Hope Dawson and enigmatic Detective Holloway, Piper comes face to face with an evil called the Creeper. Their hunt for the truth leads them to dark depths.

Having always been a die-hard thriller fan, usually from the perspective of either a soon-to-be victim or a grizzled detective, The Silent Watcher was quite the eye-opener. Turns out, lacking knowledge of the law can mess you up more than forgetting your spouse's birthday. This story made me appreciate attorneys so much that I almost sent a thank-you card to my local law firm. Lawyers are often portrayed as obstacles to justice, but this book showed they're more like the unsung heroes, in the quest for legal redemption.

It’s amazing how courtrooms can make or break a case. Turns out, words can indeed be mightier than a gun or a fist—unless you're really bad at Scrabble, then all bets are off.

The characters? They didn’t develop much because this story was more plot-driven than a GPS navigation system. Yet, it didn’t break the flow. The characters were sketched well enough to make me care about them. Since this story is part of a series, I’m banking on character development unfolding like a slow-cooked stew across the books.

The author juggles multiple POVs like a pro circus performer, making it feel like I was binge-watching an episodic drama. The chapters were Goldilocks-perfect—not too long, not too short, just right. But sometimes, the dialogue got as tangled as my earphones after a run. Especially with same-gender conversations, it was tricky to figure out who "she" was. And speaking of earphones, I’m more of a practical listener than a theoretical one, so occasionally the pacing slowed down for some info-dumping, which was like hitting the brakes too hard on a road trip.

Overall, this book turned out to be an enjoyable read, kind of like finding out your plane seat actually has extra legroom—unexpected and delightful.

Authentic! Another good one by Victor Methos; he doesn't disappoint. The setting, the prose, the dialogue everything rang true in this one. The Silent Watcher is a real haunting legal thriller that will make you question your own safety; in the place you're supposed to be the safest.... your own home. Sophie (a minor) is the sole survivor of the brutal murder of her family. While detective Holloway is a good guy to have on her case (he's haunted by a previous case and driven to close this one), her biggest supporter is her guardian ad litem, Piper Danes. Piper uses her unique upbringing and experience to become a fierce advocate for her charges, undaunted by the detectives or any law enforcement she has to work with; Sophie's wellbeing is her focus, and she goes to great lengths to protect her. The eccentric nature of the villain Owen Whittaker, and his ability to live an "invisible" life added an unexpected layer to this novel. Owen's upbringing may garner some sympathy, but there is no mistaking the evil that lurks within him. The book is a great first in what promises to be an exciting series. I wasn't too thrilled about the ending, but I guess it sets up the opening for the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Silent Watcher by new to me author V. Methos, published by Thomas & Mercer, is a full length stand alone. An unputdownable thriller of its finest. Gripping, bloodthrilling full of unexpected twists and turns, this is hands down one of my few fav reads in 24.
Blurb: Far from the neon glare of the Vegas strip, attorney Piper Danes walks away from a hotshot law firm to work as a guardian ad litem (GAL). Piper was once a vulnerable youth herself, and a GAL gave her hope when she needed it most. Now she’s committed to paying it forward.
Her first case is unlike any fifteen-year-old Sophie Grace is the sole survivor of a family murder. Teaming up with the formidable Judge Hope Dawson and enigmatic Detective Lazarus Holloway, Piper delves into a world more sinister than she could have imagined.
Their hunt for the truth leads to a predator who hides. But as the team inches closer to unveiling him, they find themselves in the crosshairs. Trapped in a web of lies, Piper will do anything to protect Sophie and stop the killer…before she becomes his next victim.

The Silent Watcher is a top notch crime thriller. Author Victor Methos takes us to Las Vegas, where the interesting characters he has created work to solve multiple murders. My favorite was Detective Lazarus. The plot unfolds in a credible fashion and keeps drawing the reader in.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.