A disturbing dark crime thriller featuring psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn. Invalidated out of the army, Jessie is now working as a police consultant. Again, helping DI "Marilyn" Simmons, she is called out in the middle of the night to the gruesome double murder of a married couple at their huge country home. The husband has been stabbed through both eyes while tied to a sun lounger. A tense and creepy read.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins. HarperFiction for the arc of this book.

3 star read for me this was a well written and good book to read this was a quick read and great plot, characters and storyline, i recommend this to all whom wants a great book to read.

⭐⭐⭐

Jessie Flynn is a psychologist working with a major crimes team and DI Simmons.

One night they are called to a horrific crime scene where a wealthy couple have been murdered. The beaten, mutilated bodies and the violence perpetrated on them seems to show this may have been personal.

And so the investigation begins.

This is a dark, psychological with a really creepy atmosphere which adds to the tension. If you like your thrillers on the darker side, you’ll love The Watcher.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of The Watcher. This is my honest and unbiased review.

I hadn't read any other books by Kate Medina before this. Although I read this as a stand alone novel, it is actually the fourth in the series. This has encouraged me to backtrack and read the other books in the series.
Overall I really enjoyed this fast paced, and thrilling book which I quickly read in a couple of days. There are enough twists to keep you guessing and I often found myself changing my mind about what was happening. The tension in the book increases slowly and I found myself in that position of wanting to keep reading but not wanting it to end! If you are a fan of absorbing psychological crime thrillers then this is definitely the book for you.

I read this for a blog tour.

This was a twisted, complex and disturbing thriller, with a killer whose motivations are rooted in the past, but the police can't see it as it's so obscure.

Forensic psychologist Jessie, and Detective Simmons, (known as Marilyn for his heterochromia (different coloured eyes) - although I would have thought David Bowie was more obvious) are stumped. The extremely violent nature of the killings, which seem personal, appear to have been committed by a giant dog.

A series of strange break ins at the local dog rescue seem to be completely separate but could they be connected?

This was a really gripping read, with twists and red herrings that kept me guessing.

I hadn’t realised The Watcher was part of an ongoing series and that Dr Jessie Flynn had appeared in previous Kate Medina books. It certainly did not stop me enjoying The Watcher and it made me keen to go back and read the books which lead into this one. As a reader there is no better feeling than enjoying a book by a “new” author then learning the author in question actually has an established back catalogue for me to get stuck into.

The good news for new Kate Medina readers (like myself) and committed fans of Jessie Flynn and DI Simmons is that The Watcher is a terrific read which perfectly hit the balance of psychological thriller and strong police procedural. The murders in the book were twisted and nasty which is what I enjoy in crime stories and when I finally realised the driving force which prompted the murders I felt there was a very satisfying build up to the reveal.

I don’t want to encroach into spoiler territory but Jessie is asked to assist DI Simmons (Marilyn) when he is called to a double murder of a successful couple in their luxurious home. The attending police are deeply unsettled by the vicious nature of the attacks and Jessie is asked to share her thoughts on potential motives behind the sadistic attacks. Her initial conclusions are not entirely accurate and before long the killer strikes again to give further confusion to our investigators.

Kate Medina has done a wonderful job in pacing out The Watcher. It read so smoothly and I flew through the chapters as I always felt the story was enticing me to keep reading. There is a steady investigation progression, the threat of danger over some characters looms large and you want to know how that turns out. There is a fascinating side story around Jessie’s boyfriend and a problem he has been experiencing (something returning readers will very much appreciate) and I enjoyed the side story about the kennels – which you need to read to understand!

In brief, The Watcher was a hit with me. I want to read more in the series as I loved the characters. The book is deliciously dark, creepy when it matters and it gave me a fair chance at working out killer and motive (but I didn’t).

The Watcher is perfection! It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything half as good.

If you love a good twisted tale then this is for you!

Every time I thought the mystery was solved we were thrown another curveball and it was brilliant.

I absolutely loved this tense, addictive and frightening read. It’s going to be a hard book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

Firstly I absolutely loved the main character Jessie who I warmed to instantly and enjoyed following throughout the book. She was a fascinating, highly original character and I liked that the author included some of her personal life into the story so the reader gets more of an idea about what she is really like. I think it’s fair to say she’s been through quite a lot and it was quite poignant to see how she was dealing with all of that on top of her job.

I found this to be quite a creepy read which had me at the edge of my seat at times. This is definitely not a book to read on your own at night as the scenes describing people being watched in their homes really got into my head and made me very paranoid. I had to get up and shut the curtains whilst reading as I kept thinking someone was watching me too.

Overall I really enjoyed this fast paced, creepy read which I sailed through in a couple of days. The many twists kept me guessing and I often found myself changing my mind about what was happening. The tension in the book is slowly increased until it becomes almost unbearable and I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what happens but also wanting to stop as I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to know. If you are a fan of creepy, absorbing crime thrillers then this is definitely the book for you!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper Collins for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

A wealthy & seemingly perfect couple are found murdered. Brutally murdered. The quiet Sussex village is rocked but the assumption is that it is a one off killing, possibly something to do with business. However psychologist Jessie Flynn isn't so sure & detective "Marilyn" is determined to find the killer.
I am not a big fan of police procedural books. However, I did enjoy this book. The main protagonist isn't the police detective, Marilyn, but rather the psychologist Jessie. This looked at the situation from a slightly different point of view than many police books. We follow Jessie's home life and what she does outside the immediate investigation as well as following the investigation.
This is obviously one of a series which I didn't know when I decided to read it. It was quite apparent throughout the book that I was missing out on some parts of the long term story. There are mentions of people and events that I didn't know about. Although I was aware of this, the book did read well as a stand alone book. However, I am tempted to go back & read the series from the beginning.
The book was generally well written though I felt the ending was slightly rushed. The main characters were very 3D and interesting. I did find myself getting mixed up with some of the lesser detectives but this may be because I hadn't read the previous books in the series. On the whole it was a good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Unfortunately I will not be writing a review for this one as I was unable to finish this one and it is unfair to the author.

And she does it again!

One of my favourite series and as always I was not disappointed. Kate Medina always does a superb job of hooking you in, keeping you engaged and wanting more,

A complex deep and disturbing case which is written with skill Kate really goes deep in her writing she gets to the root (nitty gritty) and inside the mind of the characters that she is portraying and she captures them to perfection.

The Watcher by Kate Medina is a psychological thriller that is the fourth book in a series that features Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn who works for the Surry and Sussex Serious Crimes unit with DI Bobby Simmons, who is known as Marilyn.
The story starts with a double murder of a husband and wife in their remote home. The husband has unusual and significant so Dr Jessie Flynn is called in to what may be an interesting case. It soon becomes clear that the husband wasn't the nicest of men so there are soon plenty of suspects in this case but no leads to be had. Jessie and the team soon realise these murders have to be part of a bigger issue but wirh no leads they are stuck.
I really liked the pairing up of Marilyn and Jessie, a grumpy police officer and the much younger Psychologist working together so well, when they both have their personal issues to deal with.
The setting for The Watcher is perfect, a large remote house, no one for miles creates a chilling, creepy feeling that is not an easy one to shake when reading the book. This is the first book in the series that I have actually read and just fell into the story so easily, it makes me want to begin at book one and work my way through Jessie's journey with the team. This book is a brilliant, edge of your seat thriller that, just when you think you have worked it out, Bam, along comes the twist.
Thank you goes to Anne Cater @RandomTTours for inviting me along for todays blog post and to NetGalley for the copy of the book.

‘The Watcher’ is the latest book by Kate Medina.

The Fullers are the picture-perfect family, a wealthy couple with a grand home in the middle of remote woodland. But even they have something to hide – and it will prove fatal. Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn and DI Marilyn Simmons arrive at the Fuller’s home to find a suburban nightmare. A crime scene more disturbing than anything they have ever encountered. Jessie knows that this is no random act of violence. And if she can’t unlock the motivation behind the crime and shine a light into this killer’s mind, the Fullers won’t be the only family to die.

Like anyone else, I enjoy a good crime and police procedure book, but I have to admit that I did find ‘The Watcher’ to be an extremely unsettling and somewhat sad story.

The story is primarily is seen through the perspective of Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn, as she tries to get into the head of a killer who has killed 5 people in a disturbing and gruesome fashion, with their eyes being removed and time is off the essence to prevent them for making another killing. But every time Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn and DI Marilyn Simmons, think that they are getting somewhere with the case, they are thrown another curveball preventing them from making an arrest. The story is also seen from the perspective of the victims of the murderer and every time a new person is introduced, I found myself tensing up preparing for their unfortunate end.

This is the fourth book in the Jessie Flynn series but it’s actually the first book for me, but the author thoughtfully included some back story to the characters, so the reader wasn’t lost. Jessie is an interesting character and has had her own experience with tackling with mental health and that’s probably, why she chose that particular career path. But it’s obvious that this case isn’t going to be an easy one to solve, especially as the murderer doesn’t leave any clues behind. But as Jessie looks into building profile of the killer, she discovers that the killer has a connection with animals particularly dogs and she ends up adopting a Huskie called Lupo who was the pet of the killers’ first victim and this quiet dog becomes part of her small family and helps her solve some clues along the way.

Kate spent 5 years in the Territorial Army and studied Psychology and she has used her knowledge for both areas in this dark, psychological story. The story is filled with police procedures and a deep insight into the human psyche and what makes a person react in such a cruel way. This book is a tense and gruesome story from the start, with unlikable and sympathetic characters that made for disturbing reading but equally I found it hard to put down. A story of revenge and morality, ’The Watcher’ is a cleverly crafted story that is a perfect for fans of police procedures, but be warned, it’s not for the faint hearted!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Not sure how to review this book as although it was good it did not grip me, not too sure about some of the characters either hence only 3 stars from me.

I’ve heard of the author but have never read her work. I thought The Watcher was a terrific read. I will be checking out the author’s back catalogue. I read a lot of thrillers. The Watchers has a lot in common with the best thrillers; fast paced, lots of action, twists and turns and engaging on every level. What makes this stand out is the unique signature of the killer. I can’t go into detail as it’s a major spoiler but it’s fair to say I’ve never read about a killer quite like the one in this book. Jessie and Marilyn are great characters, two very different women who clash almost as often as they agree and they initially have very different ideas about the killer and their motives. It’s great to read a book with two good female leads.

This had been an interesting read, with some horror references and painful deaths, The Watcher is not a read for faint hearted, believe me!
This book is part of the Jessie Flynn series, but you can read it as standalone, there is chemistry between Jessie and his working partner that you can feel during all book, but you don’t feel lost between the characters and all the relations are well explained. But believe me, after reading one book of this series you’ll be addicted to the characters and will want to read more about them.
As I said this is quite a gore case, the killer tortures the victims, first the woman and next the husband, enjoys watching their pain. But there’s something disturbing about the killer, seems that he is taken from a horror movie, so don’t worry if you have nightmares after reading this story, it will be normal.
I really liked the main character of this story, Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn, her way to see the crime scene taking a step back from the victims and see it from the killer’s perspective, it is a quite original view from the reader, more personal and scary than ever. I liked that she didn’t try to be brave and talk to the suspects alone, she is always on DI Bobby ‘Marilyn’ Simmons side, they make a great partnership, their trust and friendship made the story more real and the perfect human touch on this terrible case. There are some abuse and psychological trauma related to the case, but you feel that Jessie and Marilyn will try to understand the killer’s mind, the motive and the situation, it will not be easy, but sometimes “karma” is real.
I felt a little bit lost with Jessie personal life, the problem of not having followed all the series, but it made me want to know more about her and how Callan’s situation will progress, I really can’t wait to read the new case, I am sure it will be a must read.
Ready to be “The Watcher”?

When people say about a book ‘I couldn’t put it down’ or ‘I devoured it in one day’, it always sounds a bit cliched, but in the case of The Watcher both these statements are true. Admittedly I had a day off with very little to do, but having started on a Saturday night and having read about 10% I then continued on the Sunday and carried on till I’d finished. Each time I tried to stop, I’d get to an exciting bit and have to carry on.

It was so good. A definite 5 star read and I rarely give 5 stars to serial killer stories (as I’ve said before) as there are so many, but this one is so well written with such insights into the minds of not just the killer, but those tracking him/her as well. Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn and DI ‘Marilyn’ Simmons are just brilliant. They have nothing in common but they make such a great team. And then there’s Lupo who is now officially my favourite character in the book! OK so he’s a dog, but he’s very important to the plot.

Many years ago (maybe 1970s) I remember seeing a film in which the victim was stabbed through the eye with something like an ice pick – I can’t remember now – and the ‘horror’ of it has always stayed with me. If you find that as awful as I did, you will find some of this story even worse but don’t let that put you off. The method used to kill the victims (gory but not gratuitous) is integral to the killer’s motive – but who has a past that leads them to kill and what is the connection between the victims? That is what Jessie and Marilyn must find out and it’s far more complicated than it at first appears.

I just loved this book. Most serial killer books are all about the action and the chase as the bodies pile up, but The Watcher is so much more. The author uses wonderful language, descriptions and metaphors, more in the style of a literary piece than simply another police procedural. If you like murder mysteries then I can’t recommend this enough.

Many thanks to @annecater for letting me be part of #RandomThingsTours and to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed catching up on the last two books in this series over the last couple of weeks, and I like the direction in which Kate Medina has taken the series.

The Watcher is book number four in the Dr Jessie Flynn series. The case in this book is one of the most complex Jessie has taken part in, alongside the investigative team. A couple is found murdered at their home, but what is even more disturbing is that it is believed that the husband was forced to watch his wife being murdered. The strange thing about it though was that the perpetrator seemed to take great care of the couple’s dog. Is this just a one-off killing? The police don’t want to cause panic by releasing details about the killer too soon. But when another murder takes place in very similar circumstances, they know that the killer is on a mission and that they won’t stop.

Jessie realises very early on that these killings are personal. It is the chilling way in which the killer forces his victims to watch or listen to their loved one being tortured that prompts this idea. But what grudge could the killer have against their victim that is so powerful that means they are willing to resort to murder?

I found this book really chilling as I was reading it. It was the killer’s motive that I kept questioning. Along the way, I was able to guess who the killer was going to be, but I was wrapped up in the mystery. I wanted to understand the reasons why they were doing this, which Kate Medina doesn’t make clear until the final pages. When she does, she wraps the book up in a devastating finale.

I really liked the addition of Lupo, a white husky, in this book. When the first murder takes place, the couple’s dog is taken to an animal shelter. After Jessie visits it, she decides to adopt Lupo, although her partner Callan isn’t particularly keen on taking a dog in. But Callan is quickly won over by Lupo. Kate Medina continues to explore their relationship, which was on a rocky path in the last book, and I’m glad that they seem as solid as ever here.

The Watcher is a pacy, tense and chilling read. If you’re yet to read this series and if you enjoy thrillers with a psychological aspect, then I would highly recommend it.

A dark, creepy and gripping thriller that kept hooked till the end.
It's a well written story, the cast of characters is well thought and interesting, the solid plot, full of twists and turns, kept me guessing till the end.
I loved Jessie and Marilyn as they are strong and relatable characters.
It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an advance copy of The Watcher, the fourth novel to feature clinical psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn.

Jessie has resigned her post with the army and is now a consultant psychologist with the Surrey and Sussex Police. In the middle of the night she is called to her first case by DI Bobby “Marilyn” Simmons. Hugo and Claudine Fuller have been horrendously killed in their remote, luxury home. With no apparent motive all Jessie can surmise is that it is personal and the Fullers won’t be the only victims.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Watcher which is a standard procedural with many unusual details. I think that these details make the novel stand out from the run of the mill serial killer novels, although I’m not denigrating this latter as I like the genre. The novel is told from various points of view and while it’s not distracting it makes it more difficult to work out who fits where, their role in proceedings and guess the perpetrator and their motive. There are hints along the way but, personally, I didn’t pay enough attention to them. As a result, although it makes perfect sense, the ending came as a surprise.

The novel revolves around Jessie who is a nice, likeable protagonist. The case brings back her difficult teenage years when she was bullied unmercifully but also proves how far she has come. I like that she is caring and smart but uncertain at times as it makes her an everyday protagonist.

The Watcher is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.