I’ve read and enjoyed all of Simon Kernick’s previous novels so I was excited to receive this review copy from NetGalley.
Simon’s books are always full of twists and turns as well as being exciting, reads and “We Can See You” is no exception.
Life coach, Brooke Connor, is accused of several crimes she has not committed and spends the whole book trying to clear her name, one step ahead of the police and one behind the real kidnappers and murderers.
Brooke’s daughter, Paige, has been kidnapped and in the two time lines of the novel, Brooke is explaining to the police and readers, what has happened in the immediate past to drive her to the awful position she is in, as well as trying to find her missing daughter in the present. These two strands tie together well and serve to ramp up the tension in the novel.
Brooke was a strong female character and as the novel progresses, the reader feels more and more sympathy for her predicament.
Somewhat unusually the author has set this book in the US whereas all his other books are about organised crime in the UK. Maybe he is trying to appeal to an American audience with this one.
I would recommend to all crime thriller fans- it is a fast paced adrenaline fuelled read which I finished over the course of a couple of days.

I have really mixed feelings on We Can See You, the first part of the story is brilliant, it pulls you in and has a good pace going but unfortunately it just falls flat. Brook is an annoying, stereotypical strong woman character and the end storyline is predictable but also doesn't make much sense. Writing style is good and it's a thrilling quick read, I just wasn't for me.
2.5/5

It wasn't really to my taste. It was a little far fetched, and also a little predictable. I don't really like books where the main character turns detective themselves, and follows the leads. It followed the same format / theme of some other plots.

I think it will appeal to a lot of other readers, it was an easy read with a little bit of suspense, enough to keep you reading, but not too much that it was hard to follow.

I cannot believe that I wasted my time on this book! It is insanely ridiculous. The abduction of their daughter, We Are Watching! This incredibly expensive home; did not have an adequate Security System? We live in a Gated Community, apparently with a better Security System; as do our neighbors, and we do not live in Carmel! The other major problem for me is, why all of these extraneous details of Brook's clients; when her child is missing? Why didn't they search the house for all these supposed cameras? I would have! Of course, this book has been written for feminist; Brook has to be the hero. If she had gone to a store, picked up a Trac phone, she could have called the FBI! I am sorry, there are too many overly contrived scenarios which make this book a waste of time. I probably should have given it a two.
I do not recommend! Thank you Netgalley!

I'm a massive fan of Simon Kernick's novels but I have to admit I was more than a little apprehensive about reading this given I have decided to stay away from many domestic noir titles due to predictability. I shouldn't have worried though, and although this is part family drama it has many of the thrilling characteristics of proper crime fiction too. The pace gallops along, the author is one of the best in the business at creating a tension you can feel in your bones for the entirety of the story and action-packed. I was surprised every time a twist came around and blindsided me and I found this incredibly refreshing given that I seem to be able to predict many developments in crime fiction ahead of time. Not here and that illustrates exactly why I love this author so much.

Full of high-octane thrills and spills it had my adrenaline-pumping throughout as it's impossible to know who to trust in a cast of characters that are fabulously shady. The author plays on the notion that most parents would go to great lengths to protect their child, and Brooke certainly does everything in her power to retrieve her daughter from the kidnappers. She is a likeable and strong character who you really get behind in her search for answers. Kernick has cleverly written a standalone novel here that will not only please those who enjoy thrillers but also fans of domestic noir and more generally crime fiction as there are elements for everyone. From the moment I opened the book to reaching the truly explosive conclusion, I was glued to my Kindle. Superb!

Many thanks to Century for an ARC.

In an essence, this story is one hell of a wild goose chase. A lot of things happen that have nothing to do with the killers motives, but that's what makes it intriguing, right?

People die when the heroine barks up the wrong tree. One of whom I'll forever feel sorry for.

The show down between the heroine and Tony took a fair amount of suspension of belief for me, but once I reminded myself this is fiction, I went with it.

I'm not sure I've ever read a story with so many characters who are cheating or being cheated on. At times it felt like overkill but others might feel differently.

The writing is solid with very few errors and copious commas.

Fantastic to read!

The story is gripping and full of tense moments. Twists and turns await every page! I really enjoyed reading this a lot and can highly recommend it.