What do you think?
Rate this book
Bigler County #1
The Watcher
From Book 1: "Gripping. This book is a first-rate thriller." (NY Times Best-selling author Brenda Novak)
"A Terrifyingly Terrific Debut!" (Award-winning Author Loucinda McGary)
This psychological suspense follows forensic psychiatrist Kate Myers who believes the killer of two teenage girls in Bigler County, California, is the same man who savagely murdered her twin sister over fifteen years ago. Working with a single-minded tenacity, she sets out to prove it.
Deputy Sheriff Ben Slater hides his personal pain behind the job, but Kate's arrival in his county knocks his world on its axis and makes him believe in romance again. He wants to believe her wild theory, but the idea of a serial killer with the kind of pathology she proposes is too bizarre.
Together they work to find a killer whose roots began in a small town in Bigler County, but whose violence spread across the nation. A Janus-like killer, more monster than man, he fixates on Kate and wants nothing more than to kill the "purple-eyed girl again."
As this crime thriller builds to a conclusion, Kate finds herself in grave danger, while Slater uses his forensics skills to discover who the madman is and where he's taken her.
"A Terrifyingly Terrific Debut!" (Award-winning Author Loucinda McGary)
This psychological suspense follows forensic psychiatrist Kate Myers who believes the killer of two teenage girls in Bigler County, California, is the same man who savagely murdered her twin sister over fifteen years ago. Working with a single-minded tenacity, she sets out to prove it.
Deputy Sheriff Ben Slater hides his personal pain behind the job, but Kate's arrival in his county knocks his world on its axis and makes him believe in romance again. He wants to believe her wild theory, but the idea of a serial killer with the kind of pathology she proposes is too bizarre.
Together they work to find a killer whose roots began in a small town in Bigler County, but whose violence spread across the nation. A Janus-like killer, more monster than man, he fixates on Kate and wants nothing more than to kill the "purple-eyed girl again."
As this crime thriller builds to a conclusion, Kate finds herself in grave danger, while Slater uses his forensics skills to discover who the madman is and where he's taken her.
397 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2011
1346 people are currently reading
4069 people want to read
About the author
Jo Robertson
22 books51 followersLike many writers, I penned my first story at a young age. However, a family and a teaching career put my writing dreams on hold until my Advanced Placement seniors conned me into writing my first complete manuscript. That story, which subsequently won RWA's Golden Heart Award in 2006, was THE WATCHER.
From the moment I put my fingers to the keyboard, the barrier between my brain and the paper lifted, the story flew from my mind, and I fell in love with everything about the process of writing.
Raised as an Army brat, I lived in Germany as a child, Northern Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Idaho, and Utah before finally settling in Northern California. Whenever I visit my sister in Virginia or my brothers in North Carolina and Florida, upon returning home I remember again why I love Northern California, home of the ancient redwoods, the fecund forests and the rugged Pacific coastline.
From the moment I put my fingers to the keyboard, the barrier between my brain and the paper lifted, the story flew from my mind, and I fell in love with everything about the process of writing.
Raised as an Army brat, I lived in Germany as a child, Northern Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Idaho, and Utah before finally settling in Northern California. Whenever I visit my sister in Virginia or my brothers in North Carolina and Florida, upon returning home I remember again why I love Northern California, home of the ancient redwoods, the fecund forests and the rugged Pacific coastline.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 433 reviews
July 22, 2017
The Watcher
2 Stars
LAPD psychiatrist Kate Myers travels to Placer's Hill, California in search of the killer who murdered her twin sister 15 years ago. Kate must convince the local authorities, including skeptical detective, Ben Slater, that the killer at work in their community has been active for years, and that they must act quickly if they are to stop his psychotic descent into madness.
The prologue suggests this will be an intense serial killer thriller, but the remainder of the story does not live up to it's potential.
The serial killer premise is compelling and the killer's motivation quite original for this genre. The police procedural aspects start out well, but become contrived as if the author is trying too hard to make it all realistic and believable.
The finale is too drawn out and could have been more compact with about 50-75 fewer pages. Also, the heroine has a HUGE
The romance is the weakest part of the story mainly due to the fact that there is simply too much going on in the hero and heroine's personal lives that creates unnecessary and manufactured angst. Both Slater and Kate are very prickly with each other and keep secrets that ultimately come back to bite them.
One other element that grates on the nerves is the underlying misogyny not on the part of the killer (which is to be expected), but from every other male character. They ogle the heroine at every opportunity and even the hero's attitude is disrespectful. Moreover, Kate is the lone female character in the book aside from the killer's victims, and one has to ask oneself if this town had no other women capable of speech.
All in all, it is difficult to believe that this book won the RWA Golden Heart Award. I'll not be continuing with the series.
2 Stars
LAPD psychiatrist Kate Myers travels to Placer's Hill, California in search of the killer who murdered her twin sister 15 years ago. Kate must convince the local authorities, including skeptical detective, Ben Slater, that the killer at work in their community has been active for years, and that they must act quickly if they are to stop his psychotic descent into madness.
The prologue suggests this will be an intense serial killer thriller, but the remainder of the story does not live up to it's potential.
The serial killer premise is compelling and the killer's motivation quite original for this genre. The police procedural aspects start out well, but become contrived as if the author is trying too hard to make it all realistic and believable.
The finale is too drawn out and could have been more compact with about 50-75 fewer pages. Also, the heroine has a HUGE
The romance is the weakest part of the story mainly due to the fact that there is simply too much going on in the hero and heroine's personal lives that creates unnecessary and manufactured angst. Both Slater and Kate are very prickly with each other and keep secrets that ultimately come back to bite them.
One other element that grates on the nerves is the underlying misogyny not on the part of the killer (which is to be expected), but from every other male character. They ogle the heroine at every opportunity and even the hero's attitude is disrespectful. Moreover, Kate is the lone female character in the book aside from the killer's victims, and one has to ask oneself if this town had no other women capable of speech.
All in all, it is difficult to believe that this book won the RWA Golden Heart Award. I'll not be continuing with the series.
March 5, 2013
I stopped reading this book when a library book came in, but I'm not sure I'll pick it up again. I only got a few chapters in and I already felt like I was committing sexual harassment every time I read it. The main female character can't move a muscle without her male colleagues thinking its sexual.
If she ever bends or leans over to get something, you can be sure there's a comment about her butt or thighs or skirt riding up a bit, and there's multiple times the men are happy about finding a way to touch or view her body in a semi-sexual way without her noticing. Heck, there's even a scene where the main male character sees her talking to a male colleague about the case, gets all caveman jealous, and tells her to stop seducing him, when literally all she was doing was having the audacity to be both pretty and do her job! She sort of calls him out on it, but it's quickly brushed aside as of no concern.
If any of this was supposed to be romantic and sexy, I'm afraid I couldn't see it. The men in this book seem to have the maturity of high school freshmen and can only see their highly-qualified co-worker as a sex object whose right to touch, view, and talk to should be fought over. Frankly, it's rather insulting to both men and women.
If she ever bends or leans over to get something, you can be sure there's a comment about her butt or thighs or skirt riding up a bit, and there's multiple times the men are happy about finding a way to touch or view her body in a semi-sexual way without her noticing. Heck, there's even a scene where the main male character sees her talking to a male colleague about the case, gets all caveman jealous, and tells her to stop seducing him, when literally all she was doing was having the audacity to be both pretty and do her job! She sort of calls him out on it, but it's quickly brushed aside as of no concern.
If any of this was supposed to be romantic and sexy, I'm afraid I couldn't see it. The men in this book seem to have the maturity of high school freshmen and can only see their highly-qualified co-worker as a sex object whose right to touch, view, and talk to should be fought over. Frankly, it's rather insulting to both men and women.
January 6, 2016
Fans of Kylie Brant will probably like this romantic suspense. I was really liking it until the ending ended super abruptly and IMO a strange manner. Now if the 2nd book picked up where this leaves off, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but town of Bigler is the commonality of the series, not the people. darn it.
August 30, 2017
I’ll be the first to admit that books in the romance genre are not going to be my first choice in reading material. That said, I haven’t done a lot of reading in the Romantic Suspense sub-genre so when this book came up as a BoTM selection for one of my groups I decided to give it a try. It starts out well enough with a creepy serial killer who victimizes adolescent girls, thus setting an ominous tone. The story also introduces its male and female leads as two competent individuals. We get Ben Slater, who is second in command in the Bigler County Sheriff’s office, and Kate Myers, a criminal psychologist on loan from Los Angeles. As the serial killer’s peculiar motivations were slowly revealed, I found myself getting more and more interested. I had some slight niggles with some things, namely Kate withholding information that could be important to the case, a case that she’s supposedly been obsessed with for years. Having worked for years in the law enforcement field, she should really know better. Nevertheless, I was able to move past that particular annoyance. Then the male and female leads had sex and it just went downhill from there. They proceed to have sex for the next three or four chapters which would be fine…except that nothing else happens. Suddenly, catching this serial killer – which as I stated earlier has been Kate’s driving force for all her adult life – is put on the back burner and neither Ben nor Kate do any investigating at all. Then some contrived stuff happens dealing with a perceived betrayal (silliness, I tell you) and the crux of the resolution depends on even more contrivance. In the end I was glad I didn’t pay more than 99 cents for the story.
Read
December 12, 2023DNF
August 21, 2011
My Thoughts:
The Watcher grabs you from the first page and it doesn’t let up on the tension until the explosive finale.
This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in long time. The author doesn’t rush you through the story—you’re given time to get to know the two main characters and the villain—but everything you learn increases the tension and danger. The story skillfully weaves in past and present. There are a number of unexpected twists and turns.
I was truly impressed the author’s accurate portrayal of police investigation, criminal profiling and her ability to get into the mind of the villain as a result. The killer is disturbing (and very creepy) on so many levels but at same time the author creates some sympathy while not excusing the killers actions.
The personal relationship between Kate and Ben is also filled with tension—both sexual and as a result of their past secrets. It enhances rather than distracts from the focus of the story, which is catching the killer and it certainly ups the ante in this story.
The Watcher would make a great, on the edge of your seat, movie!
Impressive debut! I’ll be looking for the next book from Jo Robertson.
The Watcher grabs you from the first page and it doesn’t let up on the tension until the explosive finale.
This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in long time. The author doesn’t rush you through the story—you’re given time to get to know the two main characters and the villain—but everything you learn increases the tension and danger. The story skillfully weaves in past and present. There are a number of unexpected twists and turns.
I was truly impressed the author’s accurate portrayal of police investigation, criminal profiling and her ability to get into the mind of the villain as a result. The killer is disturbing (and very creepy) on so many levels but at same time the author creates some sympathy while not excusing the killers actions.
The personal relationship between Kate and Ben is also filled with tension—both sexual and as a result of their past secrets. It enhances rather than distracts from the focus of the story, which is catching the killer and it certainly ups the ante in this story.
The Watcher would make a great, on the edge of your seat, movie!
Impressive debut! I’ll be looking for the next book from Jo Robertson.
March 10, 2013
First I am not liberal with 5 star ratings and I give this high rating for different reasons as every genre has its unique characteristics. If you like psychological thrillers, you will want to read this book. It is a definite 5. A well written story with suspense, romance and surprises. It is the story of a female forensic psychiatrist hunting for a serial killer. Her quest brings her to a small town where the brutal murder of a teenage girl has similarities to others she has been investigating for years. She has a deeply personal reason for wanting to find the killer. She partners with a homicide detective who is skeptical about her theories but intrigued enough to stay involved until he too sees the connections. Both of them have dark secrets that make it difficult for them to trust each other. Their relationship develops into a tenuous, romantic and touching bond. The story is intense, scary at moments and brilliantly paced. I will definitely read other books by this author.
March 19, 2014
Dragged
I tried, I really did, but this story just dragged so much in some spots, I found myself skimming, I don't like skimming, but I had to in order to finish the book, I just really couldn't get into it, I mean the premise of the story was interesting, I feel the author could have done more with that, but it just dragged too much for me.
I tried, I really did, but this story just dragged so much in some spots, I found myself skimming, I don't like skimming, but I had to in order to finish the book, I just really couldn't get into it, I mean the premise of the story was interesting, I feel the author could have done more with that, but it just dragged too much for me.
May 24, 2019
Hooked from page 1
I never expected this story to go this way. Well written and engaging, it definitely was a good read. Recommend it for thriller lovers
I never expected this story to go this way. Well written and engaging, it definitely was a good read. Recommend it for thriller lovers
February 25, 2016
It was a good one but somewhere, it went the typical serial killer way.
So many mysteries remained unsolved like
The story lacked genuineness. It lacked thrill. The Watcher is a stereotypical story of a serial killer. Read at your own risk
So many mysteries remained unsolved like
The story lacked genuineness. It lacked thrill. The Watcher is a stereotypical story of a serial killer. Read at your own risk
October 5, 2014
I liked this book. Although I felt like Myers could have done a better job of presenting her case for a serial killer, in that she really didn't behave like anyone from an actual BAU Team, I still enjoyed this read. It was interesting, and was able to keep my attention even when the characters weren't chasing down the killer.
I wouldn't mind so much if this was a series, because I did like Ben Slater and Kate Myers as a team. I'd like to see them work more cases together.
I wouldn't mind so much if this was a series, because I did like Ben Slater and Kate Myers as a team. I'd like to see them work more cases together.
July 28, 2016
ehh this book would get interesting but then I couldn't read more it took me a while to finally read it. The characters weren't connected I felt like they were together then they won't, a yoyo really. The plot was interesting which is why I wanted to read it but I didn't feel connection to the characters.
June 27, 2016
Wow
Twists and turns and I couldn't put it down! If you like a psycho-killer mystery, this is the one. You won't be disappointed.
Twists and turns and I couldn't put it down! If you like a psycho-killer mystery, this is the one. You won't be disappointed.
Want to read
August 13, 2017Freebie 6/12/17
July 7, 2017
This novel was typical of many others I’ve read in this genre over the years. I’ve become inured to some of the tropes and read just for the differences. For example, how quickly would the male and female lead become romantically involved? Would the male lead be the typical arrogant alpha? How grisly and graphic would the violence be depicted?
I won’t spoil the answer to these questions, but will say that even with these clichés, Jo Robertson still does a decent job writing romantic suspense.
I enjoyed the main characters more than I thought I would, even given their damaged psyches and emotional fragility. Kate, especially, puts her training to good use, particularly in the "woman in danger" portion of the novel. And I have to praise the author for the uniqueness of the perpetrator. In fact, I felt the one single characteristic of the villain was a rare and even genius addition to "The Watcher".
However, that's not to say I didn't have problems with this novel. Firstly, even for a small town, I thought the scene where the culprit stumbles across Kate was a little too contrived. The scene was too clumsy for me to believe that John Smith could accidentally stumble upon Kate and that’s how she gets on his radar.
But a bigger problem I had with “The Watcher” were the passages where Kate essentially relives her sister’s murder through her sister’s mind and body. I know they were identical twins, and that generally, twins do share some sense of one another even when separated, but the extent to which Kate “witnesses” Kassie’s killing was much too detailed. Rather than feeling sympathy for Kate, I was rolling my eyes. Twins or not, there is just no logic that can explain the vividness of Kate experiencing her sister’s murder. Of course, conveniently, in all the nightmares of Kate reliving her sister’s death, not once does she get a clear view of the killer. That would just be much too convenient and considerably shorten the book.
[SPOILER!!] In fact, when Smith shows up at Kate’s apartment, she has a visceral negative reaction to him, but again, conveniently, she doesn’t recognize he’s the monster of her twin-bond nightmares. [END SPOILER]
Another major problem I have with Kate’s connection to the case at hand is this: since we know the killer stalks and watches his victims before he takes them, how could he remain ignorant of Kassie and Kate’s twin sisterhood? Indeed, he didn’t even know there was a sister at all!
What I initially thought as a weird change in tactic by the author became a little clearer almost immediately a few passages later. When the novel started, whenever Smith was presented, it was in his capacity as the sick sociopath of so many nightmares. Then, about more than halfway into the book, Jo Robertson switches gears and presents a fuller picture of the guy. He’s shown slowly descending into madness, and more of his family life was presented. It was just bizarre to me, that so late into the novel, the author would present other views of the villain. But, I then got an inkling as to why Uncle Mark was introduced and from then on, the switch made sense.
But, it was also the introduction of Uncle Mark and his subsequent absence so soon after his introduction that also gives us the Keystone Cops and soap opera portion of our story.
Keystone Cops:
[SPOILER!!] It was just too incredulous to me that supposed intelligent police officers could so easily believe a text purporting to explain the Sheriff’s withdrawal from active, headline-making criminal investigations! Seriously?! Not one single person in the entire sheriff’s department thought Sheriff Marconi’s “vacation” was little off? [END SPOILER]
When a novel changes from presenting protagonists as relatively intelligent professionals to naïve, trusting incompetents, I really take exception to it. The authenticity of all that came before becomes suspect, and my enjoyment level takes a hit.
Soap Opera: (sigh) The contrivances begin to become too much to take. Slater’s deliberate withholding of his past comes into play with tragic, but predictable results. It’s also the soap opera aspect of betrayals and fraught relationships that results in smart, capable law enforcement suddenly taking a dip into the stupid end of the pool.
I know that in this genre, the culprit is usually depicted as having above average intelligence. Even so, I call BS on Smith having the skills to re-route the ISP address of an email so that it’s shown as originating from a false location. How exactly would a mail room clerk acquire this skill? To me, it’s just lazy and forced when the villain is shown having specialized skills that isn’t connected to his profession or interests/hobbies, and is explicitly stated to have only held menial jobs. (sigh) But, as to those menial jobs, I really have to give the stink eye to how it’s possible Smith could have sufficient funds/income to live and purchase necessary items to facilitate his killings. It just didn’t seem feasible low paying jobs, and zero family wealth would allow Smith the freedom to indulge in his dark deeds. Furthermore, for a guy in deep psychosis, he sure seems to have an eidetic memory, able to remember details about his victims from decades ago. That’s another “convenient” aspect of this novel.
Overall, I thought this novel was well written in terms of grammar and vocabulary (with only a few mistakes), and the plot was decent. I didn’t care for the super-villain characterization of the culprit, and some contrivances were one too many, but this was still a fairly readable novel. 3 stars for me.
I won’t spoil the answer to these questions, but will say that even with these clichés, Jo Robertson still does a decent job writing romantic suspense.
I enjoyed the main characters more than I thought I would, even given their damaged psyches and emotional fragility. Kate, especially, puts her training to good use, particularly in the "woman in danger" portion of the novel. And I have to praise the author for the uniqueness of the perpetrator. In fact, I felt the one single characteristic of the villain was a rare and even genius addition to "The Watcher".
However, that's not to say I didn't have problems with this novel. Firstly, even for a small town, I thought the scene where the culprit stumbles across Kate was a little too contrived. The scene was too clumsy for me to believe that John Smith could accidentally stumble upon Kate and that’s how she gets on his radar.
But a bigger problem I had with “The Watcher” were the passages where Kate essentially relives her sister’s murder through her sister’s mind and body. I know they were identical twins, and that generally, twins do share some sense of one another even when separated, but the extent to which Kate “witnesses” Kassie’s killing was much too detailed. Rather than feeling sympathy for Kate, I was rolling my eyes. Twins or not, there is just no logic that can explain the vividness of Kate experiencing her sister’s murder. Of course, conveniently, in all the nightmares of Kate reliving her sister’s death, not once does she get a clear view of the killer. That would just be much too convenient and considerably shorten the book.
[SPOILER!!] In fact, when Smith shows up at Kate’s apartment, she has a visceral negative reaction to him, but again, conveniently, she doesn’t recognize he’s the monster of her twin-bond nightmares. [END SPOILER]
Another major problem I have with Kate’s connection to the case at hand is this: since we know the killer stalks and watches his victims before he takes them, how could he remain ignorant of Kassie and Kate’s twin sisterhood? Indeed, he didn’t even know there was a sister at all!
What I initially thought as a weird change in tactic by the author became a little clearer almost immediately a few passages later. When the novel started, whenever Smith was presented, it was in his capacity as the sick sociopath of so many nightmares. Then, about more than halfway into the book, Jo Robertson switches gears and presents a fuller picture of the guy. He’s shown slowly descending into madness, and more of his family life was presented. It was just bizarre to me, that so late into the novel, the author would present other views of the villain. But, I then got an inkling as to why Uncle Mark was introduced and from then on, the switch made sense.
But, it was also the introduction of Uncle Mark and his subsequent absence so soon after his introduction that also gives us the Keystone Cops and soap opera portion of our story.
Keystone Cops:
[SPOILER!!] It was just too incredulous to me that supposed intelligent police officers could so easily believe a text purporting to explain the Sheriff’s withdrawal from active, headline-making criminal investigations! Seriously?! Not one single person in the entire sheriff’s department thought Sheriff Marconi’s “vacation” was little off? [END SPOILER]
When a novel changes from presenting protagonists as relatively intelligent professionals to naïve, trusting incompetents, I really take exception to it. The authenticity of all that came before becomes suspect, and my enjoyment level takes a hit.
Soap Opera: (sigh) The contrivances begin to become too much to take. Slater’s deliberate withholding of his past comes into play with tragic, but predictable results. It’s also the soap opera aspect of betrayals and fraught relationships that results in smart, capable law enforcement suddenly taking a dip into the stupid end of the pool.
I know that in this genre, the culprit is usually depicted as having above average intelligence. Even so, I call BS on Smith having the skills to re-route the ISP address of an email so that it’s shown as originating from a false location. How exactly would a mail room clerk acquire this skill? To me, it’s just lazy and forced when the villain is shown having specialized skills that isn’t connected to his profession or interests/hobbies, and is explicitly stated to have only held menial jobs. (sigh) But, as to those menial jobs, I really have to give the stink eye to how it’s possible Smith could have sufficient funds/income to live and purchase necessary items to facilitate his killings. It just didn’t seem feasible low paying jobs, and zero family wealth would allow Smith the freedom to indulge in his dark deeds. Furthermore, for a guy in deep psychosis, he sure seems to have an eidetic memory, able to remember details about his victims from decades ago. That’s another “convenient” aspect of this novel.
Overall, I thought this novel was well written in terms of grammar and vocabulary (with only a few mistakes), and the plot was decent. I didn’t care for the super-villain characterization of the culprit, and some contrivances were one too many, but this was still a fairly readable novel. 3 stars for me.
April 9, 2018
I've never read a book by this author before. I liked the way the story built throughout the book. The suspense built and built and I was just waiting for a break, then there was a twist which I didn't expect, however I found the ending rushed. I wouldn't have minded much if there was a chance for the story to properly finished in the next book in the series but I know that the second book in the series centre on different characters.
I really feel that this book could have been 4 maybe 5 stars if the ending had been a little more developed.
I really feel that this book could have been 4 maybe 5 stars if the ending had been a little more developed.
June 24, 2017
Enjoyed the book.
February 9, 2018
The watcher
Good read. Written well enough to surprise me on a few things. Would recommend. Got this free on either bookbub or free booksy.
Good read. Written well enough to surprise me on a few things. Would recommend. Got this free on either bookbub or free booksy.
July 23, 2018
Skimmed through a lot. I do not believe I will be continuing with this series.
January 6, 2018
Some parts are too focused on romance, which is, to me, surely weird when it comes to a manhunt type of story. But it does add a substantial tension to the plot, so I say, it's a good point. Damp, wet, unnerving, cut, calamity, composure, and abnormality are enough to sum up the whole story. I would give a 4.5 star, but will make it into 5, cos it looks better.
May 29, 2017
This is too trashy and disgusting for me.
July 16, 2015
In 1993 the seventeen year old Kassandra Johnston was abducted while walking the family dog; the dog returned but Kassandra didn’t. Preston, Idaho was shocked when the winter snows melted and the nude, mutilated body of the missing teenager was discovered in a derelict cabin. The rats and other animals feasted on her body, leaving little useable forensic evidence. Kassandra’s identical twin sister, Jennifer suffered the loss of her sister as only twins can. Kassandra’s death destroyed the Johnston family totally and completely.
Fifteen years later Jennifer Johnston is a forensic psychiatrist working out of the Los Angeles police department. When she gets a hit on the computer program she developed, she felt sure that the monster that had killed her sister was at it again in northern California. She heads north with the blessings of her boss in a hope to catch the man that had plagued her days and nights. She is welcomed by the county sheriff and attached to the detective duo of Benjamin Slater and Matt Bauer. After a rough and mistrustful beginning, Slater and Johnston were soon in a relationship neither one of them expected of (maybe) even wanted.
This is a book with everything…….mystery, sex, violence and enough action to sedate even the most extreme murder junkie. An estrogen fueled Alex Cross with a personal axe to grind; Jennifer Johnston refuses to take the back seat to any super-hero. I don’t think she should either. This book came as a BIG surprise and I can’t wait to read more from the pen of Jo Robertson.
January 10, 2018
3.5 Stars
I picked this up a few weeks back, maybe even months now that I think about it, when it was listed as free on Amazon. No familiarity with the author at all, but since it sounded like the type of book I seem to be binge reading lately, I took a chance and here we are.
I enjoyed most aspects of this story. The crime itself that brings Kate to town, and just how deeply she's involved in it from a personal standpoint, it was all flushed out pretty well and I could understand her motivations, as well as those of the officers she works with once she's there.
The serial killer was unique in that I haven't read a lot of stories featuring the issues that he struggled with and what made him who he was so I have to admit, I was deeply ingrained in anything regarding this particular killer and how it would all play out in the end.
What I couldn't seem to wrap my mind around was the romance here. This book, I believe, on its own without the romance involved was quite a gripping tale and could have easily stood on its own. I didn't feel the need for Kate and Slater to be involved at all, past their working relationship, but it happened and for this reader, it took a bit away from what I really interested in as far as the plot and characters went.
I think fans of suspense, and heck, maybe even romantic suspense will enjoy this. It really was an interesting story, almost like an episode of a police procedural style show. I just didn't connect to the romance as much as I would have liked here.
I picked this up a few weeks back, maybe even months now that I think about it, when it was listed as free on Amazon. No familiarity with the author at all, but since it sounded like the type of book I seem to be binge reading lately, I took a chance and here we are.
I enjoyed most aspects of this story. The crime itself that brings Kate to town, and just how deeply she's involved in it from a personal standpoint, it was all flushed out pretty well and I could understand her motivations, as well as those of the officers she works with once she's there.
The serial killer was unique in that I haven't read a lot of stories featuring the issues that he struggled with and what made him who he was so I have to admit, I was deeply ingrained in anything regarding this particular killer and how it would all play out in the end.
What I couldn't seem to wrap my mind around was the romance here. This book, I believe, on its own without the romance involved was quite a gripping tale and could have easily stood on its own. I didn't feel the need for Kate and Slater to be involved at all, past their working relationship, but it happened and for this reader, it took a bit away from what I really interested in as far as the plot and characters went.
I think fans of suspense, and heck, maybe even romantic suspense will enjoy this. It really was an interesting story, almost like an episode of a police procedural style show. I just didn't connect to the romance as much as I would have liked here.
March 1, 2013
Extra star for this having a serial killer that was unlike any I have ever read before.
Fifteen years ago a young killer takes his first victim. Now that young girl’s twin sister Kate Myers is a Forensic psychiatrist and has been looking for years for similar murders that have happened since to find the man that killed her sister. She thinks she’s found a connection with the latest killing in Bigler County. After getting herself assigned to assist them she butts heads with the lead detective assigned to the murder.
Ben Slater has been put in charge of running the investigation of the murder of a young girl. He doesn’t understand why the LAPD assigned some Forensic psychiatrist to his case. Ben is a pretty brooding man along with not totally believing the real reason Kate is there. After Kate comes partially clean that she thinks they have a serial killer on their hands the two finally start working together both on the job and off.
The serial killer who’s POV we get throughout the book is whacked. And the reason he is whacked is not something I’ve ever read before in a romantic suspense which made this so much more exciting to read.
The author did a great job of balancing the police procedure, romance, and mind of the serial killer and also with Ben and Kate’s tragic past. I loved this book for having something original and different to bring to this genre – which is my favorite.
Fifteen years ago a young killer takes his first victim. Now that young girl’s twin sister Kate Myers is a Forensic psychiatrist and has been looking for years for similar murders that have happened since to find the man that killed her sister. She thinks she’s found a connection with the latest killing in Bigler County. After getting herself assigned to assist them she butts heads with the lead detective assigned to the murder.
Ben Slater has been put in charge of running the investigation of the murder of a young girl. He doesn’t understand why the LAPD assigned some Forensic psychiatrist to his case. Ben is a pretty brooding man along with not totally believing the real reason Kate is there. After Kate comes partially clean that she thinks they have a serial killer on their hands the two finally start working together both on the job and off.
The serial killer who’s POV we get throughout the book is whacked. And the reason he is whacked is not something I’ve ever read before in a romantic suspense which made this so much more exciting to read.
The author did a great job of balancing the police procedure, romance, and mind of the serial killer and also with Ben and Kate’s tragic past. I loved this book for having something original and different to bring to this genre – which is my favorite.
April 30, 2014
THE WATCHER, A Psychotherapist's Dream?
Giving Robertson 5 stars came easy for me. Though this author was new to me at the time I read it, I feel certain that will be the case no longer! As a psychotherapist, it was clear to me this author did the homework to develop this diagnosis as well as the behavior of such an individual. Psychological Thrillers and Romance are two of the most intrinsically intertwined themes to pen as well as read and follow well. This author, however, did so beautifully from my perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a page turning read, not to mention those of us in the field who are also true romantics at heart. I loved every page and read well into the night from the first page. I was intrigued from the onset and didn't have to wait for several chapters to unfold before I was able to get locked into the story line or character development. Brilliantly written, for sure!!!
Giving Robertson 5 stars came easy for me. Though this author was new to me at the time I read it, I feel certain that will be the case no longer! As a psychotherapist, it was clear to me this author did the homework to develop this diagnosis as well as the behavior of such an individual. Psychological Thrillers and Romance are two of the most intrinsically intertwined themes to pen as well as read and follow well. This author, however, did so beautifully from my perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a page turning read, not to mention those of us in the field who are also true romantics at heart. I loved every page and read well into the night from the first page. I was intrigued from the onset and didn't have to wait for several chapters to unfold before I was able to get locked into the story line or character development. Brilliantly written, for sure!!!
August 6, 2012
This was my first Jo Robertson book that I decided to read. I love romantic suspense and love that there was a perfect balance of both in this story.
Ben Slater, deputy sheriff in the county has a tragic past that ways heavily on his mind and heart. When a possible serial killer hits close to home, he works with forensic psychiatrist Kate Meyers in the attempt to understand and find this killer.
With Kate's own tragic past, one that led the direction of her life, it all comes together on this case. Ben and Kate's growing relationship throughout was believable and memorable. I loved these together and hated when they were apart.
The brief flashes into the mind of the killer were both alarming and just the right information to keep a reader guessing on what would happen next.
Great story and characters. Can't wait to read more about them in the next book of the series.
Ben Slater, deputy sheriff in the county has a tragic past that ways heavily on his mind and heart. When a possible serial killer hits close to home, he works with forensic psychiatrist Kate Meyers in the attempt to understand and find this killer.
With Kate's own tragic past, one that led the direction of her life, it all comes together on this case. Ben and Kate's growing relationship throughout was believable and memorable. I loved these together and hated when they were apart.
The brief flashes into the mind of the killer were both alarming and just the right information to keep a reader guessing on what would happen next.
Great story and characters. Can't wait to read more about them in the next book of the series.
July 3, 2012
This is an interesting psychological thriller, although I'd have to say the ending was a bit predictable. That said, the characters were multi-dimensional, particularly the perp. The author also was tricky in that the central characters were far better educated than would have been normal for the relative positions they have in the story. Being smart though adds to the ultimate outcome though. I'd recommend the book as a great carry-along on a coast to coast flight. It surely makes the time go by quickly.
June 20, 2013
While I really enjoyed the story line enough to give the book 4 stars, I only gave 2 stars because I feel that the author did an extremely poor job researching the XXY condition. Seriously, just a little bit of research would have shown the condition is referred to as 47XXY or Klinefelter's Syndrome, not just XXY. And most of the information presented in the book about the condition was wrong or incomplete.
February 3, 2017
The basic storyline is good but the ending feels very rushed . I felt that there was far to much concentration on the romance between two of the main characters , I really don't want to continually read about about their sexual exploits . This becomes tedious and rather boring and I actually struggled to finish this book due to this .
October 19, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 433 reviews