I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

A good crime thriller. It's dark, more than a bit creepy and a definite page turner thanks to the intrigue and suspense that's present in bucket loads.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

Crime fiction fans are sure to enjoy The Watcher, a pacy, gripping, shocking and twisted page-turner from fast-rising star, Kate Medina.

Rich, successful and the owners of a grand house in the middle of remote woodland, the Fullers lead a life most people would envy. The world is at their fingertips and theirs is a life which most people would love to emulate. Everything seems to come easy for this picture perfect family, but behind closed doors, the Fullers are like any other family. They have a secret. A secret so dark and deadly that they went to great lengths to keep it hidden. But all their efforts proved groundless. Despite of all the lengths they had gone to to ensure that their secret was never revealed, the inevitable happened and its discovery proved deadly for this perfect family.

Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn and DI Marilyn Simmons are no strangers to gruesome crime scenes, but when they are called in to the Fullers’ house, even they are shocked by the spine-chilling sight that greets them. They have never encountered a crime scene so disturbing and so creepy. But who could possibly want to commit such a barbaric act? What had driven a twisted killer to torture, abuse and murder somebody in this ghoulish fashion? And why? To all intents and purposes, the Fuller family seemed to lead a blameless and scrupulous life. But was this really the case? What secrets lay hidden behind the doors of the grand house in the woods? Were they threatened by a dangerous enemy with a score to settle? Or by someone very close to home?

Jessie and Marilyn are engaged in a race against time because the closer they edge to the truth, the more they realise that this is not a random act of violence, but a calculated undertaking by a twisted individual who will not hesitate to strike again and again.

The Watcher is my first Kate Medina book, but after racing through this gritty, sinister and menacing crime thriller, I can safely say that it certainly won’t be my last. An intricately plotted and deftly crafted tale of dangerous secrets, deadly obsessions and shocking revelations, The Watcher is a pulse-racing and spine-chilling read that grabs readers from the first page and will keep them engrossed and terrified throughout.

Dr Jessie Flynn is a brilliant heroine. Sharp, intuitive and compassionate, readers are sure to warm to her and will want to spend more time with her as she solves complex and complicated cases.

A superb crime thriller best read with the light on, Kate Medina’s The Watcher is a must-read!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Creepy !!
What a great read, had been hooked from the start until the end. First book by Kate and definitely not the last.
One of my new authors for the year. Highly recommend .

This is the fourth novel to feature DI Marilyn Simmons and psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn, but the first that I have read by this author. As such, I found that the novel works perfectly well as a standalone, but I did wonder whether some of the character building and back story is to be found in the previous three books. The character of DI Marilyn Simmons did not feel overly well-defined for me here.

The pacing of this book is perhaps a little uneven – we seemed to arrive at the denouement rather abruptly, but I do tend to find this is often the case with books of this genre. That said, there is also much here to admire. The murders are suitably grizzly, the plot kept me engaged throughout and I feel that the author has written a strong female lead in Dr Jessie Flynn.

A solid read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved all of Kate Medinas books. This one is no exception, dark, creepy and a real page Turner.

A twisting crime thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, not all is as rosy as it looks - the past does catch up with you

4-5 stars

Claudine Fuller let’s her husky Lupo out for a run on their large West Sussex property where she lives with her wealthy and controlling husband Hugo. Lupo is gone a long time but later that evening she hears scratching at the door.....This is the start of a series of brutal, horrifying murders that present a huge challenge to DI Bobby ‘Marilyn’ Simmons and Dr Jessie Flynn. Jessie is a criminal psychologist now working with Surrey and Sussex Major Crimes, she is convinced the motive for the gruesome killings is to watch, but why??

First of all, this is extremely well written with some really good visual descriptions. The characters are excellent, you can really picture Marilyn and the team as they doggedly pursue the perpetrator. It’s multilayered too as alongside the investment we follow the personal life of Jessie and her Redcap partner Callan especially with the impact of his brain injury received in the line of duty. We also get glimpses of Jessie’s past as she suffers trauma growing up which undoubtedly makes her so good at her job. Parts of the story are moving and sad as Jessie tries to help fifteen year old Robbie Parker who has a severe cleft palette and has been relentlessly bullied. You feel such abhorrence for the cruelty of some human beings and devastation for the impact of it on Robbie. As the story develops its becomes creepy in parts, it’s dark, there’s intense malevolence and the tension is taut. As the case deepens and worsens you feel the frustration and fear that sets in with the police team as Jessie desperately tries to give insights to help with apprehending the killer. The ending is good although maybe a tad rushed.

Overall, this is a very compelling novel with a gripping plot which leaves you wanting to read more about this excellent team of characters. I look forward to the next one!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, Harper Fiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Wow! A real heart pounder! I loved this book! It was thrilling, it had intrigue, suspense, and lots of heart pounding moments! Lots of twists and turns!! Definitely some jaw dropping moments! I highly recommend reading this book! Its well worth the thrill! An author I’ll be looking out for in the future.

This is a solid plot with engaging characters and a clever premise but with too much, repetitive, unnecessary waffling for me. How many times does the author need to mention "elliptical angles? Or "electric suits"? And just how many times do characters get a "lump in the throat"?

What an incredible read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. It's the first Kate Medina book I've read but it will certainly not be the last.

What a find! I read Kate Medina’s debut novel ‘White Crocodile’ (Written as K.T.Medina) and thought it excellent but the series starring psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn and DI Simmons, nicknamed Marilyn, is new to me. They are a brilliant partnership. If you enjoy police procedurals that are really well written, capture your interest from the very first page and don’t mind gruesome murders, then you will enjoy this. The characters are so well written, it is well paced throughout and a really unexpected ending. I just have to read the preceding books! Highly recommended.
Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC, the opinions are my own.

The Watcher by Kate Medina is a thriller/procedural with a psychological twist. A quite good one, actually. And now I’m nervous about moving into a house that backs onto woodland!

Dr Jessie Flynn is the main character – a psychologist contracting with the police to get some insight on a couple of incredibly grizzly murders in a small village in Surrey. Grizzly indeed – almost animalistic. But an animal doesn’t act with that kind of precision… What follows is disturbing, karmic, and (sometimes) understandable – and provides a morality tale on ‘think before you speak’, as well as ‘speak no evil’.

Dr Flynn is a great character; feisty, confident in her skills, entirely relatable and with enough personal issues to sympathise with. DI Simmons is also relatable, but in a gruff, short-tempered kind of way. Oh, and DI Simmons is a man – Marilyn is a nickname.

The story flows through attack after attack with no link – well, none that we (or the cops) can see. There are small clues, sure; but the biggest clues only come in the last 10% – and came as a bit of a shock!

I enjoyed this one – and not just for the puppy-dogs. Ms Medina turns a lovely phrase, paints written pictures, and is a joy to read.

Recommended for fans of procedurals. The Watcher and Kate Medina will not disappoint!

This was a thrilling read that had me gripped from the beginning until the very end. I haven't read much by Ms Medina before, but I will make her one of my new authors. Recommended.
TB

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A gory, horror filled crime story, perfect for fans of the genre. The writing is good, with plenty of atmospheric tension being created. There are also plenty of twists and turns.
An OK read.

I enjoyed the 1st 90% of this book immensely and then felt let down by die ending. It seemed a bit rushed. I wanted more flesh. In saying so I still think this is a very enjoyable read that most people will enjoy.
A random (or so it seems) brutal killing, but a killer who showed compassion when it came to the dog. Is this a once-off crime or do we have something more sinister behind the killings? Also, who is breaking into the dog sanctuary and sleeping in the dog bed?!

If you like a nice gory read like me you will definitely enjoy this 1!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

The wealthy Fullers were killed and psychologist Jessie was called along with cop Marilyn. With the crime scene disturbing their psyche, they knew they had to find the killer. FAST.
I hadn't read the earlier books by this author so the characters were new to me. I enjoyed the POV of a psychologist as I felt it added to getting the forensic profile of the killer. At a steady pace, the atmosphere in the book was one of solitude. I didn't guess the identity of the killer and went with the flow.
Overall, a solid police procedural.

An enjoyable read and great addition to the series with a big twist at the end. A very thought provoking storyline highlighting the horrendous outcome of bullying.

The Watcher had me gripped from the very beginning. It’s a dark, disturbing crime book that kept me guessing until the end. The characters were relatable and seemed to jump off the pages. Not my favourite crime book but still a well-written, gripping story, definitely not for the faint of hearted!