I'll Be Watching You by Deborah Masson

Description from Goodreads:

"He watches you constantly.

He sees everything. As a CCTV operator, Casey can travel at speed through the streets of Aberdeen and keep people safe, all from the comfort of his chair.

He knows your secrets.

You are one of the people he likes to follow. He keeps an eye on you, notices every detail of your body language, even in your most private moments, when you think no one is watching.

But now he wants more.

There's a reason he knows your routine like the back of his hand. It's because he wants revenge. And when you know as much as he does, it’s easy to take advantage…"

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Watching from the shadows

I have been a fan of Deborah Masson’s DI Eve Hunter series for a while now, so I was really looking forward to picking up her latest book, I’ll Be Watching You. This one is a bit different as it’s a standalone thriller rather than a police procedural and I was keen to see how the author handled a shift in focus.

The story follows Casey, a CCTV operator in Aberdeen who spends his days watching the city through the lenses of his cameras. It’s an unsettling premise, especially because he doesn’t just watch to keep people safe – he’s obsessed with learning routines and harbouring a desire for revenge.

I’ll be honest, this was a bit of a slow burn for me. I didn’t find myself feeling quite as invested in the characters as I have with the Eve Hunter books in the past. That said, it definitely delivered on the twists and suspense that I was expecting. The idea of being watched when you think you’re alone is a really creepy thought, and it kept me turning the pages to see where it was all heading. While it didn’t quite capture me in the same way her previous books did, it was still a solid thriller that held my interest.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers that make you look at your own surroundings a little differently, this might be one for you.

Many thanks to the author, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this book.

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From The Ashes (DI Eve Hunter #3) by Deborah Masson

 

💥💥💥Due to be published 18-Aug-2022💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"As the house burns, the hunt for a killer begins...

In the dead of night someone starts a fire in a home for underprivileged children in Aberdeen. The flames spread quickly, and one person doesn't make it out alive.

But the victim wasn't found in their bedroom; they were discovered locked inside a secret basement underground. As DI Eve Hunter and her team search the blackened ruins, the case takes them into even darker territory.

Soon Eve unearths a horrific discovery at the heart of the property - one that turns the whole investigation on its head. Everyone in this home has something to hide, but who has a secret worth killing for?"

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I have read the first two books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed them so was itching to get my sticky little fingers on this the latest instalment and I wasn't disappointed.  Please be reassured that you don't have to have read the others in the series , as this can be read as a standalone quite well although I would recommend you do so.

Once again, we are treated to an excellent and gripping story which although deals with a difficult subject, does so without being over-the-top.  An arson attack on a children's home results in the death of a young boy and DI Hunter and her team are quickly mired in the investigation.  What was he doing there and are there further dark secrets to be unearthed?

Meanwhile, whilst on his way to work, DI Hunter's colleague, DC Scott Ferguson, witnesses a car accident where a young man is seriously injured.  Scott promises the young man he will be there for him but this takes him away from the arson investigation and creates tension within the team.  What is it about the young man that has affected him so much?

I raced through this book; I was totally hooked from the start.  I really enjoyed the gradual unveiling of secrets which had me wondering what was going to happen next and definitely kept me guessing as to who the arsonist was.  The chemistry and loyalty DI Hunter and her team have with each other felt believable and natural; the characters are strong and credible and the pace was just right for me.

All in all, a really good book and a great addition to the series and I have to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for enabling me to read From The Ashes and sharing my thoughts.

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Other books by Deborah Masson I have read and reviewed:

Hold Your Tongue (DI Eve Hunter #1)

Out For Blood (DI Eve Hunter #2)

Out For Blood (DI Eve Hunter #2) By Deborah Masson

 

Description from Goodreads:

"A young man, the son of an influential businessman, is discovered dead in his central Aberdeen apartment.

Hours later, a teenaged girl with no identification is found hanged in a suspected suicide.

As DI Eve Hunter and her team investigate the two cases, they find themselves in a tug-of-war between privilege and poverty; between the elite and those on the fringes of society.

Then an unexpected breakthrough leads them to the shocking conclusion: that those in power have been at the top for too long - and now, someone is going to desperate lengths to bring them down...

Can they stop someone who is dead set on revenge, no matter the cost?"

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After reading and enjoying the first in this series, Hold Your Tongue, I was looking forward to getting my teeth into this one and I wasn't disappointed.  I will say that although you don't necessarily have to have read the first, I do think you will enjoy this second one more if you do.

This is a gritty police procedural set in Aberdeen, Scotland which delves into the seedy and repulsive world of human trafficking but what does the death of a privileged young man and the apparent suicide of a young woman have in common?  On first impressions, absolutely nothing however, DI Hunter and her team set about investigating and what they find is worse than they expected.

Mainly written from Eve's perspective interspersed with other characters and those of an unknown young woman, this gave insight from all the important protagonists in this book and provided a well-rounded view of the situation from all angles.  The characters are well developed and believable with the relationships between Eve and her wider team excellently portrayed.

The story is a difficult one to read in parts but, I felt, was dealt with respectfully but with no holds-barred which made it feel authentic making me feel both sad and angry in equal measure that these things are likely to be happening to someone right now!  The pace is good, it does start off a little slow but increases as the story develops and this follows the pace of the investigation, again making it feel believable and, once again, the author manages to keep the identity of the killer well hidden which kept me guessing and second guessing throughout.

Overall, I have no hesitation in recommending this to others who enjoy a cleverly written and gripping police procedural and I look forward to reading the next instalment in what is a great series with DI Hunter fast becoming a favourite character of mine.

I was fortunate enough to have been invited to read an advance copy by Transworld Publishers, part of Penguin Random House UK, via NetGalley in return for an unbiased and unedited review and for which, I am thankful.

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Hold Your Tongue (DI Eve Hunter #1) by Deborah Masson

Blurb taken from Goodreads:


"A brutal murder.

A young woman’s body is discovered with horrifying injuries, a recent newspaper cutting pinned to her clothing.

A detective with everything to prove.

This is her only chance to redeem herself.

A serial killer with nothing to lose.

He’s waited years, and his reign of terror has only just begun . . .

Introducing DI Eve Hunter, HOLD YOUR TONGUE is your new obsession."

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This is what I call a slow burner and a very creditable debut from this new British author.  It did take me a while to get into it and to get used to the writing style but once I did, I was hooked.

DI Eve Hunter is returning to work under a cloud after being injured in the line of duty which saw her colleague paralysed.  She walks into the gruesome murder of a young woman and so begins the hunt for a brutal killer by her and her team and so begins this dark, gruesome and gritty police procedural set in the Scottish city of Aberdeen.

Mainly written from Eve's perspective interspersed with sections from members of her team and those of the killer, this gave insight from all the important characters in this book.  The characters are well developed and believable with the relationships between Eve and the wider team excellently portrayed however, and this is my main criticism of this book, it took an awfully long time to get to the bottom of what happened with Eve and her colleague; you get snippets of the story here and there but, for me, this ended up annoying me slightly as I just wanted to know!  In my humble opinion, this should have been explained close to the beginning of the book (maybe in a prologue?) so that the actions and reactions of Eve and her fellow officers would have been better understood.

I must applaud the author for keeping the identity of the killer well hidden amongst several red herrings; I changed my mind about who the person was a couple of times and was still caught out when the reveal happened ... excellent twist.

Overall, although I did find the first half of the book a little slow, the second made up for it and I am very much looking forward to what I hope are more outings for DI Hunter and her team.

My thanks go to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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