You never saw him. But he saw it all. When a vibrant young woman is murdered while on a video chat, a small-town detective wades into a circle of friends and lovers with dangerous secrets—from the acclaimed author of the “enjoyably chilling” (The New York Times Book Review) She Lies in Wait. Aidan Poole logs on to his laptop late at night to Skype his girlfriend, Zoe. To his horror, he realizes … night to Skype his girlfriend, Zoe. To his horror, he realizes that there is someone else in her flat. Aidan can only listen to the sounds of a violent struggle taking place in the bathroom—and then the sound of silence. He is desperate to find out if Zoe is okay. But then why is he so hesitant to call the police?
When Aidan’s cryptic messages finally reach them, Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens and his team take the case—and discover the body. They soon find that no one has a bad word to say about Zoe, a big hearted young artist at the center of a curious web of waifs and strays, each relying on her for support, each hiding dark secrets and buried resentments. Has one of her so-called “friends” been driven to murder? Or does Aidan have the biggest secret of them all?
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This was a totally engrossing and fast-paced book with the central character being DCI Jonah Sheens, one of my favorites in police procedurals. Zoe is a young artist who is making her way in the world, working in a coffee shop and spending time with her friends. Then, she meets Aidan and her whole life seems to revolve around him. Big mistake! After all, he is a married man who keeps promising her that he is getting a divorce. No need for that once Zoe is found dead and Aidan thinks that he actually was watching and listening in when she was killed. The negative of this book was that there were so many characters and each was somewhat developed, but not completely. That meant, to me, that it was hard to figure out who the main suspect was in Zoe’s murder. There didn’t seem to be enough hints to account for all of the people with whom she interacted. That being said, I really did enjoy the book, the interplay between all of the characters and the investigating detectives. There is a new detective in this story named Hanson whom I expect to see more of in future books. Anyway, the pluses far outweigh the negatives, so I give the book a solid five stars. It kept me reading late into the night and kept me guessing all the way until the end. Fans of mystery, suspense and police procedurals will definitely not want to miss this one!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Aiden Poole is sitting with his laptop waiting to Skype with his sort-of girlfriend, Zoe. He’s waiting for her to get out of the shower, when he’s horrified to see that someone is in her apartment. Did she have company? Or is this an intruder?
He hears fighting coming from the bathroom … and then there’s silence … utter silence. . He is desperate to find out if Zoe is okay. But then why is he so hesitant to call the police?
DCI Jonah Sheens and his team take the case. The phone call they received was a little sketchy. The caller wasn’t sure of her address and he stated he had not seen the intruder’s face. He denied knowing if she was hurt.. or dead. It takes some excellent police work to track down her residence …. and find her body.
Sheens and his team can find no one who has an unkind thing to say about Zoe. According to family and friends, she was the one they turned to for help, support. Was she privy to something she should not have heard … or seen? . Has one of her so-called “friends” been driven to murder? Or does Aidan have the biggest secret of them all?
Nicely plotted, the story takes the reader from the here and now, following the police investigation, to the backstory of Zoe. Who was she really? What made her tick? Who would want her dead..and why? The suspense starts at the very first page and never lets up until the unexpected ending. Twists and turns will have you forgetting breathe.
Many thanks to the author / Random House Publishing Group – Random House / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction/psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Interesting and twisty
This book had great promise but to me fell short. I figured out who the killer was way early on and that just ruined it for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and just didn’t feel it like I should have. While I did finish it and thought it would have been a very good read if someone else would have been the killer that is just not what happened. It fell way short for me.
Not one of the characters seemed real to me. They all just seemed either way to weak, Angeline was way to clingy and seemed weak. I do understand that she would be upset over the loss of her friend but this was before that. When the story would go back to before Zoe was killed. Angeline depended on Zoe way to much and then seemed to be a person of interest later??? Maeve, I just didn’t like her for the same reason I didn’t like Zoe; dating a married man is just wrong. Wrong on way to many levels. None of the detectives did it for me and that was bad. I just could not seem to get into this book.
That being said, you may love it. Lots of others have. I won’t say it’s not for anyone because it just may be a great book for some readers. But in my opinion, if you like a good thriller and like figuring out who did it, this one is just not it. It was way to easy. But still, read for yourself. The author did do great with descriptions and scenery. Toward the end there was a scene with the killer and a DI that was intense and had me holding my breath. But I also knew he would be ok. Would not be killed. There was no reason for it. It would have been better if the killer would have taken their own life though. That may have made me like it better. Also taken their partner’s life too. Since it was partly the partner’s fault what happened.
For someone to not even call the cops and scream at them that they believe someone they are suppose to care about may have been hurt bad is beyond my comprehension. To do that because you might get in trouble is just cold. This person was unfeeling and to me very unlikable and a jerk. He knew someone had entered the apartment. But then again, he had things to hide didn’t he??? That part when it came out was good. There are good and bad in this book. Read it and decide for yourself.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #RandomHousePublishers, #GythaLodge for this ARC. This is my own review.
I gave it 3 stars. I didn’t really enjoy it but I do recommend you read it for yourself and decide. It could just be that I read lots of this type of book and expect more.
“Watching from the Dark” is about observation — who is observing, who is being observed, and what happens after the observation. This is book two in the series, and while this case stands alone, new readers are dropped into the middle of an existing situation. Some things are quickly summarized, but readers are plunged right into the action with the assumption that new booklovers will catch up. There are contextual references to other people and past cases, and the main character Jonah’s last name or position is not given until later.
As is typical in a police procedure novel, the “body” shows up early, however Lodge created a scenario that is anything but typical. A caller claimed that his girlfriend was murdered while he was talking to her on Skype, but he did not see the killer. DCI Jonah Sheens almost let the call go without a report or investigation, and later he wondered what difference it would have made if he had.
Initially, there was little information about the crime, but the investigation proceeded in an orderly, structured manner. The evidence was inconsistent, and everywhere the team looked, a new suspect popped onto the scene. The most obvious suspect was the married boyfriend who called in the crime. “That’s how it is when you’re having a bloody affair. You learn to be a constant liar.”
“Watching from the Dark” is filled with deliberate lies and false leads that complicate the investigation until it is hard to tell who is a victim and who is a diabolical killer. I received a review copy of “Watching from the Dark” from Gytha Lodge and Random House Publishing Group. It is well written and compelling. It also offers valuable advice – cover your webcam with tape, you never know who is watching YOU from dark.
Gytha Lodge’s latest, Watching from the Dark is one of the best books I’ve read lately. It’s a thriller, but also what I call a police procedural. This book made me such a happy reader.
When the book begins, Aidan is waiting for his girlfriend to Skype with him when he sees someone dressed in dark clothing, stealthily climb the stairs to the bathroom where she is enjoying a bath….NOT something you want to see on Skype when you’re essentially helpless.
The story explodes after that scene with friends, family and acquaintances considered to be suspects at one point or another. Just when I’d convince myself that person A had to be the one who did it, I’d begin seeing that it could have been person B, but wait! Maybe it was C?
If you are looking for a book that you truly do not want to put down, one that will make you question everyone and/or have you questioning what you’d do in a similar circumstance, this is definitely the book for you!
My only problem with this book? That book 3 is not already waiting for me to read! Gytha Lodge, please write faster!
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for approving an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own and happily given.
Aidan logs onto Skype late at night to talk to his girlfriend Zoe and, to his horror, listens to the sounds of a violent struggle. But he doesn’t immediately call the police. Once he does, they find Zoe dead in her apartment.
Watching from the Dark is multiple point of view, following Zoe, the suspects, and the police. There are two timelines, one present day and the other beginning over a year earlier from Zoes perspective as we get ever closer to the day of her death. Everyone plays fast and loose with truth, making the most of the multiple point of view by weaving varying truths together; some honestly experiencing events differently, some intentionally curating “facts” but all a slightly different perspective. This is a vivid portrait of the wide reaching ruination one person can wreck, and the ways people lie to themselves and others.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.