There was something about this story that was terrifyingly bone-chilling. It leaves its reader with a sense of being watched, looking over your shoulder at night, and twitching your curtains at every little sound. The antagonist was impressively eerie with a memorable mask and a haunting presence. The atmosphere was full of dread, and the delivery was brilliant. Attempting to think of anything I would want changed or any flaws will just leave me grasping at straws. Four solid stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing, for this ARC.

3.75 🌟

The story is inspired by the author, Daphne Woolsoncroft's aunt, who was murdered at the young age of 20. Her murderer was never charged with her death and went on to kill other women. What an absolute tragedy. Apparently, Woolsoncroft is a podcaster, which I didn't realize before reading the Author's Note. I'm interested in checking out her show.

I thought this was a pretty solid thriller. Even though the FMC made a few questionable choices that had me yelling at my book, I still liked her as a character. It was a creepy story and had me hooked from the beginning. I was slightly annoyed at the reveal, but due to spoilers, I won't mention why. This is definitely a respectable debut novel from Woolsoncroft.

Recommended for fans of thrillers about serial killers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.

OMG this was absolutely terrifying! A spooky little town had a serial unaliver 20 years ago, and they might be back and watching Nola again? I’m sweating just thinking about it. Night Watcher is a MUST read slasher thriller of this summer. I physically couldn’t put it down!! I gasped, I screamed (more than once), and I may or may not have fallen off my chair in sheer shock. There are no jump scares, but the level of unease had my skin crawling. Daphne created such a chilling, tension filled atmosphere that every single page had me on edge. I literally felt like I was being watched myself 👀

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this INSANE thriller! As a constant listener of " Going West". I was so excited to read Daphnes debut novel and knew it would be twisted. Girl showed up!!!! This story genuinely kept me up all night convinced someone was watching me. Nola is a radio host who survived a brutal attack in her home years ago. When the murderer threatens to " Always be watching her" she thinks it's just an empty threat...until girls in her neighborhood start getting brutally murdered. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't get enough of these characters ... and I will say I was GENUNELY surprised by the ending.

Night Watcher had the elements of a book I'd usually like: a past/present timeline, a main character who is a radio host but also narrowly escaped a serial killer who killed her babysitter twenty years ago. All of this was giving me 90s horror movie vibes.

On the positive side, the set up was really interesting. Nola is the host of Night Watch, a call-in radio show. And one night someone calls in and says she feels like she's being watched. By a guy who matches the description of the guy who killed Nola's babysitter. That's creepy! There's also a second narrator: Jack, the detective who was on the serial killer case until the murders just .... stopped.

For me, the book didn't live up to the promise of this premise. The twists and turns in the story were minor, with one red herring suspect. The killer's reveal was a bit underwhelming. The overall vibe felt flat.I was hoping for more wrap-up at the end as I was left with MANY questions.

Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy. I will keep an eye out for more books by this author as her next book might be a better fit for me.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫, 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞: 𝐇𝐢𝐦. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞.

Unless you're a female, I'm not sure you can fully understand the genuine terror of knowing on a cellular level that you are not alone in your home. By all accounts, you should be. You either live alone, or perhaps your partner is working late. It begins as a quiet, worried voice, urging you to flee, and then it becomes a roar that is impossible to ignore.

Set in the rainy, atmospheric Pacific Northwest, Nola Strate survived an encounter with the notorious serial killer The Hiding Man as a child. She's now an adult and has taken over her father's well-known call-in radio show, Night Watch, in which callers discuss everything from odd encounters with the paranormal to local folklore. It's a slow night on the show when a terrified caller has a chilling live encounter with an intruder in her home, and the description she gives of the stranger's mask is shockingly familiar. Nola feels certain that what the masked stranger murmured to her so many years ago--"I'll be watching"--has reached its climax and that he's out of hiding and is coming for her.

I refrained from reading this at night because every little noise was amplified, and the sense of dread and unease that the author created was just too vivid for nighttime reading. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this early copy. Look for this one on July 8, 2025.

Ooooh this one gave me the creeps in the best way! It was so unsettling, and the idea of someone lurking in the background made my skin crawl. The tension builds slowly but keeps you on edge throughout. I swear it felt like someone was staring at me while I was reading. Such a chilling ride and I definitely enjoyed it!

3.5 stars

A serial killer stole her childhood innocence. Now he’s back for more.

At just eight years old, Nola witnessed the gruesome murder of her babysitter by a mysteriously masked man. Linked to multiple murders with the same circumstances—a fatal cut to the throat—the notorious serial killer became known as The Hiding Man. Despite it haunting her for twenty years, a disturbing call to her late night show prompts Nola to solve the mystery of The Hiding Man once and for all.

I may be biased since I don’t read thrillers that often, so take this review with a grain of salt. Night Watcher, a ‘who done it’, started off slow. Nola’s desperate search for the Hiding Man wasn’t about jump-scares. It had build-up from her past, multiple POVs, and some suspenseful unease thrown into the mix. The trail of clues definitely had me thinking I knew who the killer was before second-guessing myself. I’m giving this 3.5 stars because I wanted more thriller (vs. suspenseful) and the ending felt a little too rushed / convenient.

Thanks you to GCP and NetGalley for the ARC; Night Watcher comes out July 8th, 2025!

tw: murder, blood, infidelity, stalking, violence

I had no idea that Daphne Woolsoncroft had a podcast. I originally heard of Night Watcher from Summer Sizzling Reads for Grand Central Pub influencers. I enjoyed this one! The story is told through the perspectives of Nola, Jack, and Him, offering layered, flawed characters that kept things interesting. Just when the culprit seemed obvious, another twist would shift everything. The slow burn and eerie atmosphere really build as the story unfolds. While the beginning starts off a bit slow, the suspense picks up fast and doesn’t let go. Highly recommend giving this one a read!

⭐️ 5/5
First person POV, multi narratives
Linear timeline
Setting: Portland, Oregon (moody, foggy, and just the right level of creepy)
FMC: Nola Strate
Genre: Thriller, Horror-lite

This is one of those thrillers where you read it in one sitting, and then sleep with the lights on. The pacing is on point, with short, snappy chapters that keep the tension building in that “I’ll just read one more and oh look it’s 2am” kind of way, which I absolutely did.

We follow Nola, a late night radio host who receives A disturbing call during her show, and it stirs up memories of a childhood trauma she’s tried to bury. She survived an encounter with a masked serial killer known as the Hiding Man, and now it feels like someone’s watching her again. Is it paranoia, PTSD, or is the nightmare actually starting all over?

The atmosphere of an eerie Portland makes a perfect backdrop for this kind of slow burn unease. The way the author described the setting was full of adjectives and super realistic.

There’s also an emotional weight I really appreciated. Nola’s relationship with her father is complicated, and it adds a grounded, psychological layer to the story. It gave the book just the right amount of depth without distracting from the thriller arc.

If you love books that feel like a slasher movie, but smarter, and just realistic enough to make your skin crawl, Night Watcher delivers. Super creepy, fast paced, emotionally layered, and packed with tension.

Thank you Grand Central Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own!

Night Watcher is the debut novel from true-crime podcast producer, Daphne Woolsoncroft.

"Nola Strate is a late-night call-in host, listening to callers share haunting and creepy stories. One night a caller shares a familiar story and is murdered during the call. So much reminds Nola of that night twenty years ago when she came face-to-face with the killer known as The Hiding Man. And now it looks like he's back."

This debut feels like someone took their time with it. There's not a whole lot of characters. It's not dual-timeline, but you get some backstory. The killer is a mysterious but scary guy. There are some red-herrings but they don't overwhelm the story.

It seems like more people are venturing into the book space from other content creation areas. This book is a worthy entry from a debut author. It'll be interesting to see what direction Woolsoncroft chooses next.

Wild ending in this one.

This was my first time reading anything by Daphne Woolsoncroft.

The story follows Nola Strate, a late-night radio host whose world gets shaken when a caller brings up something that drags her straight back to a traumatic night in her past, the night her babysitter was brutally murdered. As new crimes start popping up around the city, Nola can’t shake the feeling that history might be repeating itself and 'The Hiding Man' is back.

There’s a good mix of mystery and some tension here. The story of the past slowly unraveled and showed parallel similarities. I read this one in a mix of audio and Kindle, both formats worked really well. The audiobook narrator added some emotional weight to the tense moments. That being said, something felt just a little off, it was intriguing, but not fully immersive for me. I wanted a bit more punch or surprise from the ending. Still, it was a satisfying read overall.

Thanks to Hachette Audio for the audiobook and Grand Central Publishing for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Believe the hype, believe the reviews - this book is a STANDOUT!

I went into this one not really knowing too much about it and I think that's part of the reason I loved it all the more. Let me give you a super brief overview -

Nola had an encounter with a serial killer when she was a child. Putting it behind her, she has gone on to become a successful radio show host but when a caller rings in and describes what her intruder looks like live on air, Nola knows that The Hiding Man has come back for her.

What do you think? Sounds exciting right? This book was so creepy. I found myself holding my breath often as I read on in anticipation. Told through dual timelines and multiple POVs, the author has masterfully crafted a tale that left me gasping right until the end. The best part of all is that this is a debut book - I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an ARC of Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft in exchange for an honest review.

This book absolutely delivered everything I love about a great thriller. Night Watcher is chilling, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling in the best possible way. From the very first page, Daphne Woolsoncroft creates an eerie tension that lingers, making me feel like I was being watched right along with the characters.

The story follows a woman who realizes that someone may be stalking her, and the paranoia, fear, and uncertainty that ripple through her life are captured so well. Woolsoncroft writes with sharp precision, blending suspense and emotional depth in a way that kept me hooked and fully invested in the character’s journey. The pacing is excellent, never dragging, with perfectly timed reveals and twists that genuinely surprised me.

What really stood out to me was the author’s ability to capture fear in those quiet moments—the ones where nothing is happening, but everything feels wrong. The setting, often dark and rain-soaked, almost becomes its own character, amplifying the creeping dread throughout the story.

The ending? Perfect. It was satisfying, believable, and still left me thinking about the choices we make when fear takes hold. Daphne Woolsoncroft’s background as a true crime podcast host shines through in her attention to detail and her ability to craft a story that feels grounded, terrifying, and entirely possible.

Night Watcher is a must-read for fans of dark thrillers, psychological suspense, and stories that leave you sleeping with the lights on. I can’t recommend it enough.

Nola Strate is the host of Night Watch, a popular talk radio show in Portland, where listeners call in to share their scary or paranormal experiences. One night, a female caller describes a spooky feeling that someone has been watching her and moving things around in her house, a person wearing a white mask with stitching around the eyes and mouth. This stirs up some traumatic and terrifying memories for Nola, because 20 years ago, a serial killer known as the Hiding Man (who wore a mask matching the exact description) murdered her babysitter while Nola called 911 from her upstairs bedroom. Now Nola is convinced the Hiding Man has come back to finish what he started all those years ago.

Holy cow, what a banger! Daphne Woolsoncroft can WRITE – and it’s her debut too! This book is tense, it’s twisty, and it had me absolutely riveted from start to finish. It’s totally atmospheric with an eerie ribbon of dread that runs through the entire plot. The creepy vibes are so spot on that I honestly felt a delicious little pit of anxiety in my stomach the whole time I was reading!

If you love serial killer thrillers or thrillers that border on horror, you don’t want to miss this one, but I’m warning you now – don’t start this one at night! Not only because you’ll want to stay up half the night bingeing it like I did, but also because this book is so unsettling that you’ll be afraid to look out your window into the darkness in case the Hiding Man is standing there watching you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me an advance copy of this book.

"Night Watcher" is a pulse-pounding, spine-tingling thriller that I could not put down. Whatever you do, do not start this right before bed because you won't be able to stop reading. The story is told from the perspectives of Nola, a radio host, and Jack, a local detective. I really enjoyed the dual POVs because I didn't know who to trust. The flashbacks to Nola's experience of escaping a serial killer when she was a child were so descriptive that I could not sleep after reading them! I had many theories about who the killer was, but I was still surprised when the reveal came. I think in the end I just wanted a little more. Overall, an amazing debut!

Thank you to NetGalley, Novel Suspects, and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

👀 M U R D E R O U S M O N D A Y review 👀 featuring “Night Watcher” by Daphne Woolsoncroft!

MY RATING: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

20 years ago, Nola Strate escaped a notorious serial killer who murdered her baby sitter. The Hiding Man wore a creepy mask and is known to stalk his prey before he attacks them. He is obsessed with revenge, power, tracking and terrorizing women as part of his twisted game when choosing his victims. Nola grew up haunted by her kiss of death and the fact that the killer has never been found.

Now Nola is the host of a popular late night radio show called The Night Watch which allows people to call in to discuss their hauntings and supernatural sightings. When a woman calls in confessing that she thinks she is being watched and then an intruder wearing a mask enters her home, Nola gets triggered by her past experience. It sounds similar to what she went through all those years ago and she is terrified that The Hiding Man is BACK.

OMG 😱!! I got CHILLS, they’re multiplying!! This book is absolutely WILD and TERRIFYING and TO DIE FOR! I was completely creeped out and even had trouble going to sleep! As a reader I felt like I was being stalked behind the pages and I couldn’t stop picturing the creepy mask in my head! Bravo to Daphne Woolsoncroft on a deliciously deranged debut novel!

Thank you kindly to @daphne.woolsoncroft @grandcentralpub @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on July 8, 2025 … RUN, don’t walk to get your copy!

Night Watcher starts out with a bang and kept my attention all throughout. Nola has a call-in show where callers tell their spooky stories and sightings. When a caller describes someone matching the serial killer that Nola escaped years before, she's afraid he's back to finish what he started. I did really enjoy my time reading this and really enjoyed Nola as a main character. My only complaint is with the ending and how it felt a little rushed and not very satisfying. Overall, it was a very solid read, and I definitely recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The Literary Lovelies read Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft in June and we had such a great discussion about this debut thriller. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and TheBookClubCookbook for the #galleymatch and advanced copy of this book that comes out on July 8th.

Nola hosts a call-in radio show about hauntings and cryptic sightings in Portland. When a caller describes an eerie scene it brings back memories of a serial killer from twenty years earlier - The Haunting Man and she knows he's back and she's in danger.

The beginning of this book is super creepy as you are first introduced to The Hiding Man and I'd recommend reading the beginning of this book during the day. Once you get past the creepy chapters it's a fast-paced mystery. We had a great discussion about the creepy factor, the ending - where I wasn't a fan and who we all thought did it.

If you're looking for an atmospheric psychological thriller you'll enjoy this!

This is a fun, suspenseful book using the background of a true crime podcast. Nola saw the serial killer who killed her friend and never got caught when she was a child and now she has reason to think he's back -- or is he? The Hiding Man has only been seen by her and one other person she finds when she starts investigating. What really happened all those years ago? What does this have to do with her family? Thanks to NetGalley for the early reader's copy