A Watch that Tells More than the Time . . .In a deserted park on a cold winter day, 27-year-old Kathryn Frasier is training for a marathon when she discovers a gold watch on a fencepost. Sensing that it was deliberately left for her to find, she sets out to solve the mystery behind the watch, but her orderly life is turned upside-down when it leads her to a dark family secret and a suspicion that … suspicion that her parents’ recent deaths may not have been an accident.
Thrown into the hunt for a possible killer, Kathryn peels back layer after layer of cryptic clues, and encounters an extraordinary cast of characters, including an actress with a talent for disguises, a politician with a secret of his own, and a handsome businessman who shows a sudden romantic interest in Kathryn.
But is the search for the truth worth risking her own life?
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The Watch on the Fencepost is an entertaining story by Kay DiBianca. It has mystery, romance, a puzzle, and a bit of suspense with characters I came to care about.
I liked Kate Fraiser from the get-go. She’d recently lost her parents in an accident that didn’t make sense to her, so when she started finding puzzle clues from her dad, she immediately thought the clues might help her discover what caused their accident.
I love puzzles, and Kay DiBianca did a great job of incorporating puzzles in the story. I enjoyed trying to figure them out along with Kate. DiBianca also did a great job with the characters and the behind-the-scenes look at a political campaign. I really liked CeCe and hope the second book features her again.
There was just enough romance in the story without it overpowering the mystery. DiBianca had me suspecting almost everyone in this story. It had a good ending, and I’m looking forward to reading the second book in the series–Dead Man’s Watch. I think readers will enjoy DiBianca’s story.
I worked with Kay as her editor on this book, and she was an absolute delight. So is her story! A fun read with engaging characters and an enjoyable mystery to solve.
So this was such a good listen, as I enjoyed this story as an audiobook, with great twists and turns that made this story a real joy. I haven’t read this type of mystery before, because I usually enjoy more action, but this book has completely changed my mind. I truly enjoyed the writing style, the story structure and the characters were likeable and relatable. The narrator did a great job with her portrayal of each character giving life to the story and making it an enjoyable listen. This was a good solid read and I would recommend to those who like light mysteries
[Thank you Kay DiBianca for the free audiobook]
Amazing story 5+
It is mysterious and unexpected with all sorts of surprises to keep you glued to the pages.
Such an intricate plot with so many puzzle pieces but “with time all things are revealed.”
The narrator did an awesome job – the characters were alive!
Highly recommend for your enjoyment.
I received an audio copy of this book; I was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions in this review are my own.
The Watch on the Fencepost is NOT a book that you can put down once you start. It’s a book that my mum read and told me (as she was reading it!) that I HAD TO READ this incredible mystery! And then I won a print copy of The Watch on the Fencepost in The Suspense Zone giveaway. (I highly recommend joining the mailing list!) Once I had the book in my hands, I COULD NOT put it down. Between the fascinating characters, the spellbinding storyline, and the intriguing mystery, a bomb could have gone off next to me and my response would have been, “Hmmm…. sure… whatever…” I hate spoilers, so all I’ll say, is this is a MUST READ book if you like mysteries that keep you guessing and totally entangled in the characters lives. I love how you are introduced to all of the main characters individually, with hints of relationship but nothing definite. It keeps you riveted till the very end!
Thank you Kay DiBianca and The Suspense Zone for the gift of this beautiful book, and a wonderful afternoon of entertainment!
A good read!
Even though the story was a little far-fetched, it was very enjoyable.
Very enjoyable reading. The story was wonderful, as were the characters. I loved how Kate and Cece truly became sisters once they met. I enjoyed the surprise visits in the story of Cece in disguise. A very good mystery as it unraveled from the clues her father left her.
Sometimes a novel not only grants insights to the author’s personality and intelligence, it issues a promise of books that haven’t been written yet. I think Ms. DiBianca has found a niche among readers of mysteries, who love puzzling them out, especially those who aren’t interested in visualizing graphic violence and sexual content.
Kathryn Lee Frazier, a runner and an orphan, is busy trying to get through each day in the wake of her parents’ untimely death when the unexpected comes looking for her. New people tumble into Kathryn’s quiet life, stretching her emotionally. As Kathryn reaches beyond the familial boundaries that have sheltered her, she discovers long-buried secrets and a trail of clues left by her father – her kindred spirit. This is heartwarming fiction at its best.
All in all, The Watch on the Fencepost is a wholesome, fun read. I look forward to more from this new author.
I would have read this book straight through if I hadn’t needed to pause to make connecting flights on my recent trip. The author’s use of a puzzle, clues leading one to another, as the heroine searches for the truth about her parents death kept me turning the pages and trying to figure out each clues meaning myself. The experience was made of the more enjoyable by the interesting characters DiBianca brought to life and made me care about. If you enjoy solving puzzles or hanging out with characters you’ll love, then this is a book you’ll enjoy! I’m ready for her next one!
The Watch on the Fencepost was an enjoyable story with plenty of action woven in-between the puzzle pieces. There’s not much I could share about the story without giving away spoilers, but it easily held my attention and kept me turning the pages until the very end. With short chapters, the “just one more” syndrome was real.
My favorite character in the story is Cece, but I don’t want to spoil anything about her. I especially liked her ability to “go undercover” in public and be completely believable as who she’s dressed up as. She’s an actual actress but she’s able to bring her talents into her real life for her own advantage. She has an interesting personality and is easily likable.
I struggled with the romance in this story because it evolved too quickly from where it started in my opinion, but I liked the characters themselves. The author did a great job of introducing everyone in the beginning chapters and then letting the story flow until their connections were made. There were enough directions that the story was taken in that you really weren’t sure how it would conclude until the very end.
This story contained plenty of action, suspense, and turning points to keep the reader fully engaged. It’s the debut novel for Kay DiBianca so my first time reading from her, but I’m curious to see what she comes up with in the future. I’d recommend this to mystery and suspense fans.
*I received a copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit Tours. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
This was a wonderful mystery. There was mystery and romance and a few twists and turns. I loved learning the secrets for the characters. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Kathryn Frasier finds a gold watch on a fencepost in the park where she often runs and her life changes forever when she discovers that the owner of the watch is actually a half-sister that she never knew existed. Soon, she and CeCe Goldman are involved in solving the clues left by Kathryn’s late father that will hopefully reveal the true events leading up to the car accident that killed him and his wife. A political campaign involving a politician with a secret and a threat on Kathryn’s own life are also a part of this intriguing story and there is even the promise of a romance between Kathryn and a young man that her father had known and respected.
This is Kay DiBianca’s first book and she succeeded in keeping my attention until the very end. I thought that I knew the guilty person but the motive was a complete surprise! Kathryn’s father loved to solve puzzles so the clues that were scattered throughout the story were the perfect touch and I loved how DiBianca even alluded to them in reference to Kathyn’s discovery of her half-sister. She and CeCe felt an immediate bond as sisters and Kathryn also experienced complete acceptance from Cece’s adoptive parents. Kathryn realized that “She felt a surprising sense of completion, as if someone had given her a final piece to a puzzle–a piece she didn’t even know was missing. (p.44)
The Watch on the Fencepost is a lovely story and and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries full of intrigue but free of excessive violence and gore.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit and I voluntarily chose to share my opinions in this review.
I probably wouldn’t have gravitated to this book naturally. It’s a cozy mystery with some suspense thrown in, and I usually lean towards less cozy and more suspense in my mysteries. But I’m really glad I read it. I thought it was a great first novel – gives me the courage to go back to my own books – and I really loved the puzzles and clues, the little seeds of doubt. The characters…CeCe is a riot and reminds me a little of Darcy from Dee Henderson’s True Honor (one of my favorites!). I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery. But my favorite thing about The Watch on the Fencepost was a character who wasn’t even there. Kathryn’s dad passed away months before the story began, but he is so present in this story! Not as a ghost – I’m not into that sort of thing (except maybe Obi-Wan’s force ghost), and not in flashbacks, but in the clues he left Kathryn. They were puzzling, dad-jokey, cheesy, and fun to try to guess. His love for his (not-so-little-anymore) girl before he died was so evident, and I think Kathryn gets to know her dad even more after he is gone. That’s definitely true of her mom, but her dad stands out more in the story. Makes me want to play scavenger hunt with my parents :). And yes, I did invite myself over to Mom and Dad’s for board games tonight.
Do you think maybe our heavenly father is like that, too? Some things he says to us directly, just so. But for other things, he leaves clues, because the joy is in the journey of discovery, and we get to know him more through the puzzle and mystery. That’s such a fun idea.
I received a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The watch on the fencepost
I thought this was a really amazing book. This is the first book by the author and I definitely hope she is writing more. I love the mystery and the way Kathryn’s dad had her trying to solve the mystery.
The book was written so that could really feel the characters and see the scenes. Like I was watching a movie. Actually I could see this on the Hallmark mystery channel. Also enjoyed that Kathryn had a dog.
I received a advanced copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write an positive review. This is my own opinion.
Kathryn has suffered a great loss when her parents die in a car accident. She decides to train for a marathon as a way to ease her stress. Along the way she notices a fence post with a gold watch draped there. Being the kind of person she is, she turns it in. What happens next starts an adventure of intrigue and danger. It’s not everyday that you find out you have a half sister but Kathryn is in for a big surprise. Her parents had kept a big secret from her in the name of Cece.
Meeting Cece seemed to help Kathryn not feel so alone in the world. They hit if off and I loved reading how they bonded as sisters. Kathryn’s dad has always liked puzzles and he has left clues that maybe will solve the mystery of Kathryn’s parents accident. I loved reading about the clues and how Kathryn and Cece worked together to figure out the puzzle. The story includes Jewish traditions which I loved reading about. The author does a great job of giving us background in what a Shabbat dinner is. Cece’s adoptive parents are such a nice addition to the story and want to help Kathryn anyway they can.
There is also a very important person in the story who is intertwined in Cece’s past. In the midst of everything else going on in the story we find a political race going on . An all important governor race is all the talk. What secret is the man running for governor hiding? Do Kathryn and Cece pose a threat to him? The secrets run deep in this story and I tried really hard to solve them. The author has a great job of giving readers little hints, but I was quite surprised at the outcome.
It’s a fast pace story with characters that keep readers entertained. I enjoyed getting to know more about Kathryn and why she has always been afraid to fail. That is a heavy burden to carry around and it does make it hard to take a chance on relationships. The ending is a heart pounding race to save Kathryn and I was on the edge of my seat. I loved the story and hope there is another book to follow.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
I enjoyed this book, a quick read that kept my attention, and had a lot of action, along with clues and puzzles.
I will admit that I figured out whom the culprit was early on, but had to keep going to find out if I was right. There are a lot of surprises offered here from beginning to end, you will be shaking your head as they unfold.
A sad loss of family, and a find of family, a surprise romance, and bullets flying, all offered and you need to pick this one up for answers.
I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.
What an incredible debut novel! I certainly look forward to reading more from this author. The mystery begins with a car going over the cliff on a straight stretch of road – an accident …. or foul play? The puzzle starts with a note in a very unexpected place, leading to several other surprising locations. Add politics, intrigue with a little romance and the results are a story you won’t put down until you are finished.
I received this book through CelebrateLit. These impressions and opinions are my own.
This was interesting and different! I enjoyed the plot through to the end!
It reads real slow