Watching You by Lisa Jewell
Published by Atria Books on December 26, 2018
Pages: 320
Goodreads
Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It’s not the sort of place where people are brutally murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret. And everyone is watching you.
As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all—including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with this thoroughly charming yet unavailable man. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenaged son Freddie—a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5—excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father.
One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. For one thing, he has taken a particular liking to her best friend and fellow classmate, and Jenna’s mother—whose mental health has admittedly been deteriorating in recent years—is convinced that Mr. Fitzwilliam is stalking her.
Meanwhile, twenty years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam…
I read one other book by Lisa Jewell and loved it, so when I saw Watching You available on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to request it. I was so excited when I was approved!
EVERYONE IS A SUSPECT. EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE.
Watching You opens with a murder in the exclusive neighborhood in Melville, Bristol. The reader only knows that someone has been killed and a red boot tassel has been found at the scene of the crime.
Joey returns to Bristol after four years away in Spain. She recently married Alfie, but she’s already unsure of her decision. Joey and Alfie have recently moved in with her brother, Jack and her sister-in-law, Rebecca. Then there’s Tom Fitzwilliam, who is the headmaster at a local school and lives with his wife and son, Freddie. Tom is kind of flirty with women and knows he has “a way” with them. When Joey meets her neighbor, Tom, she becomes totally obsessed with him, and she watches his every move while trying to come up ways to run into him.
The story goes back and forth between the people who live in the neighborhood as readers learn exactly what led up to the murder. It also provides “present time” where the police are interviewing potential suspects and witnesses. Ms. Jewell has delivered an intriguing and character-driven story that is well-written and well-plotted. The story is interesting and the characters are engaging and I loved how it was told in multiple points of view. I also enjoyed the police transcripts being intertwined into the story line too. This book was so addictive and it kept me intrigued throughout the entire story.
Read an excerpt HERE!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lisa Jewell is the internationally bestselling author of sixteen novels, including the New York Times bestseller Then She Was Gone, as well as I Found You, The Girls in the Garden, and The House We Grew Up In. Her debut novel, Ralph’s Party, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, and more recently her books have become #1 bestsellers in Canada and the UK. In total, her novels have sold over 2 million copies across the English speaking world. Her work has also been translated into sixteen languages. Lisa lives in London with her husband and their two daughters.
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I was provided with a complimentary electronic advanced reader copy through Net Galley in exchange for my post. I was not required to post a positive review. Thank you!
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