Review: WATCHING YOU, by Lisa Jewell

WATCHING YOU, by Lisa Jewell

Atria Books - Available December 26, 2018

Page count: 320

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lisa Jewell does it again!  Another taut thriller to keep us on the edge of our seats!

Melville heights is not the type of neighbourhood one would expect a murder to occur. This story begins with exactly that though.  

 A large part of the story revolves around Joey Mullen and Tom Fitzwilliam. Joey is a newlywed who has become infatuated with her neighbor Tom Fitzwilliam, the beloved school headmaster.  But Joey is not the only one who has developed more than a passing interest in him. One of his students has also turned her attention towards him - and it's not the first time that a student has had a crush on him.  Are Joey and Tom  having an affair?  Is his relationship with the student inappropriate?  Does any of this have anything to do with the murder?  

There is a large cast of characters in this book, but while that may seem somewhat daunting, the building of the story and the connections between characters is done so well, that it does all fall in place. Slowly, and with great precision, the intricate web of stories for each of the characters in the neighborhood are dispensed through the accounts of their own, those who make a habit of watching others, and police interviews. As the story goes on, the pieces start falling into place faster and faster until you finally see the events in their entirety, and you arrive at the the shocking and unexpected end.

The intricate web of this story is impressive and mesmerizing. Lisa Jewell has proven again that she can create a taut, gripping thriller with an impressively complex story-line. If you liked AND THEN SHE WAS GONE, you will thoroughly enjoy this book as well. 

Happy Reading,
Christine