The Watcher by Ross Armstrong

There is one slight problem about reviewing a book like The Watcher, you have to be really careful not to give the plot away. For me this is a bit of a conundrum because I do like to rabbit on when I write a review.

So I am going to try and waffle without revealing too much. (I'm not sure I am even capable of that *grin*)

It's written in first person, so initially the reader isn't sure whether the main character is a woman or a man. All they know is that whoever it is spends a lot of their time at the end of a pair of binoculars. Lily watches her surroundings, she watches her fellow humans, and of course the occasional bird.

The problem with secretly watching the people around you is that sometimes you see things you shouldn't see or weren't supposed to see in the first place. Things like abuse or perhaps even murder.

Lily finds herself in her very own Hitchcock scenario when she witnesses something shocking and starts to suspect her neighbours might be more than just harmless individuals. She does find some vigorous opposition in her husband and her father though. They both believe she is slightly obsessed with watching others.

Without delving further into the plot let me just say the author does a really good job of keeping the reader questioning the whole plot and perhaps even Lily at times. Has she got an over-active imagination or is there something nefarious heading straight her way?

The Watcher is subtle, sneaky and unobtrusive. The author manages to create an atmosphere of fear, suspicion and paranoia, It is certainly a different kind of read. Quirky, and yet strangely moving and personal.

Buy The Watcher at Amazon Uk or go Goodreads for any other retailer.