I Am Watching You

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In the end this one was simply one of those books that to me was just an alright read that hadn't really grabbed me as much as I prefer. It wasn't that I didn't like it but more of one that I will find a bit forgettable once moving on from it since nothing really popped out to me or became overly exciting in my opinion. Perhaps other will enjoy it a bit more than I did with the style in which it was written though. We’ve had a look at the CCTV, Sarah. From the club.’ It is the detective’s voice now – firmer. ‘Some of the cameras weren’t working, unfortunately. But there are some things we’re not quite understanding, Sarah. Also, we’ve had a call from a witness.’

THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR — Matthew Hills is the private investigator hired by Ella. His main job was to help Ella figure out the person who sent her the threatening letters. Throughout the story, we can get a glimpse of her personal life as well as his investigating skill in handling the case. It wasn’t guilt anymore, but fear for her life. Someone was watching Ella. Who was it? Why? did happen to Anna? What do I Like about the Book?

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Only that it has become important. You need to watch, you see, because it is extremely important to work out the difference between how people behave when they know they are being watched and when they don’t. Ella Longfield was on her way home on the train when she notices two young girls flirting with two men that she is sure are just out of prison. Ella is of course concerned and debates on what she should do to make sure the girls are safe. Should she call someone? Approach them? But as the trip goes on one thing leads to another and Ella finds herself home without having done anything. The next morning she awakens to see on the news that one of the girls, Anna, had gone missing the night before. While I enjoyed the writing quality, there was room for improvement on the voice of each character. See, the following line had me convinced Ella was of the unreliable narrator variety and in fact didn't even have a husband or child and had something to do with Anna's disappearance: Honestly the whole book reads as repetitive as anything. Ella's sections are just her defending why she didn't get involved (she brings up Sarah having sex in the bathroom and her own son watching porn and reading magazines with a disapproving air) and then realizing she needs to get some help when she starts receiving mysterious postcards in the mail blaming her for Anna's disappearance. Matthew, is dealing with the fact he's about to become a new father and is still adjusting to his life after leaving the police force. Henry keeps going over the last thing Anna said to him. And Sarah is hiding a lot more than you would think about her home life. Anna’s sister had been sending the postcards at first, angry at Ella for not stepping in. Tim found out and started sending more, as well as watching Ella’s house. Anna had met Ella’s son Luke at some kind of camp, and Tim was afraid that Anna was interested in him. He applied for a job at Ella’s flower shop to kill Luke. Ella and her PI got there in time to save Luke. Anna was dead. The Review:

THE FATHER — Then, there’s Henry Ballard who is the father of Anna. Henry was a farmer and his own life was falling apart with the pile of bills he had to take care of and his marriage that was on the brink of separation. The story gives us a sense of the secrets Henry had been keeping relating to the disappearance of Anna. I am still relatively new to audiobooks but I'm starting to enjoy them. I find them perfect to listen to while doing chores or when I'm in the car. It's also nice to give my eyes a break sometimes.I found myself fascinated by the witness and how she was treated by the community. So many of us would have done the same, not taken the extra step to get involved, especially given she didn’t know the girls or even their last names. In fact, when we read so often of people directly witnessing crimes and not stepping in, her actions seem almost minor and definitely understandable. At which point my emotions begin to change and I am wondering instead how I came to be this out of touch, this buttoned up. This woman who evidently has not the first clue about young people. Or anything much.

A fairly well done mystery that takes place after a teenage girl goes missing while on a trip to London. It shows how everyone suffers the ripple effects from a single event. Told from multiple points of view, we hear from the parents, a friend, a witness and a private eye. All the immediate friends and family have secrets they are hiding which we are let in on bit by bit. The kettle screaming angry clouds onto the mirror while I am planning the calls in my head all at once.The next day one of the girls, Anna, is reported missing, and Ella is beside herself, wondering if she could have helped the girl instead of turning away. Anna's friend Sarah is saying much about what had happened to them the previous evening and the police soon run out of leads. But what is Sarah hiding? Who else in the girls' families are keeping secrets? And who is sending Ella anonymous postcards? The plot. I love how Driscoll keeps the reader questioning the answer to the mystery at hand. I kept guessing in every chapter about who might be responsible and involved in it. The secrets that every character serves in the story work perfectly well. It’s not a fast paced book by any stretch. It’s more of a steady Eddie. I really wanted to see what had happened to Anna, but I wasn’t enthralled by this one at all. And I was dissatisfied by the ending, which seemed a bit of a rush job after all the lead up getting us there.

Ella apparently got harassed when her name as a witness was released. People blamed her for not intervening. In the day of social media I can believe that something like this could have happened. It would have made sense if Driscoll showed that. Because a year later it seems most people have forgotten her except for Anna's family and the police. It keeps you on the edge of your seat (somehow) as well as in the dark; so that you don’t know what happened until the end. Well, unless you can read between the lines and take hints OR unless you are super intuitive. I just ended up losing interest in everyone. I only kept reading to see if I was right about the villain in this one. I was off, but honestly, the author doesn't even lay out any clues for you to get this is the bad guy/girl (being vague on purpose). It comes out of left field and the wrap up is just ham-fisted.

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Anna and Sarah’s friend Tim was the abductor. When Ella went to visit Anna’s mother, she recognized him in a picture and knew he had been on the train. He had been following Anna to London, abducted her, and kept her in one of his family’s apartments.