What do you think?
Rate this book
Watched
Darkness turned to light as the full moon lost its potency. The cold light of dawn crept over the horizon as the three-second flash from the lighthouse dimmed. The valley was still and quiet in the frosty morning air.
It was shortly after half past nine when Anna Roche drove carefully past the neighbouring house, wary of the black ice on the road, around the sharp bend, and down the steep, bumpy laneway.
Something caught her eye as she neared the bottom of the lane. A piece of red material fluttered in the wind, stuck on the low, barbed-wired fence at the edge of the field. Then she saw the body, huddled at the base of the fence. She slammed her foot on the brake. Her heart was pounding as she opened the driver's door and got out. There was blood, a lot of blood, pooled around the body. She screamed and ran as fast as she could for help.
The bloody, lifeless body was that of Alexandra Kingston, an artist of international acclaim. Alexandra was a regular visitor to Hook Head, the sleepy fishing village in County Wexford, Ireland. She loved the wild remoteness of the place, where she went to escape her hectic lifestyle, and spend some much-coveted time alone.
She told her fiancé she would be leaving Hook Head the following day, December 31, just in time to welcome in the New Year with him in London, but she never made it home…
Also available as an e-book at Amazon.
It was shortly after half past nine when Anna Roche drove carefully past the neighbouring house, wary of the black ice on the road, around the sharp bend, and down the steep, bumpy laneway.
Something caught her eye as she neared the bottom of the lane. A piece of red material fluttered in the wind, stuck on the low, barbed-wired fence at the edge of the field. Then she saw the body, huddled at the base of the fence. She slammed her foot on the brake. Her heart was pounding as she opened the driver's door and got out. There was blood, a lot of blood, pooled around the body. She screamed and ran as fast as she could for help.
The bloody, lifeless body was that of Alexandra Kingston, an artist of international acclaim. Alexandra was a regular visitor to Hook Head, the sleepy fishing village in County Wexford, Ireland. She loved the wild remoteness of the place, where she went to escape her hectic lifestyle, and spend some much-coveted time alone.
She told her fiancé she would be leaving Hook Head the following day, December 31, just in time to welcome in the New Year with him in London, but she never made it home…
Also available as an e-book at Amazon.
118 pages, Paperback
First published February 23, 2013
3 people are currently reading
892 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 12, 2013
I received a free download of "Watched" by Joanne Clancy in exchange for a honest review.
Alexandra Kingston, a 37 year old artist lived in London, but also had a holiday home in County Wexford,Ireland which she visited several times a year.She had spent the evening of December 26th at the Four Seasons Hotel in London for a masquerade ball for charity, with her fiance, David Hennessy, a celebrity lawyer.Alex was completely exhausted. She'd been working for months without a break to get her paintings finished on time for the exhibition in New York.Alex needed peace and quiet to recharge her batteries.She asked several people to come to Hook Head,Ireland with her, but after Christmas everyone had plans.
On December 27th Alexandra left her apartment for Dublin and arrived later in the day.Anna Roche and her husband were the only year round residents that lived on the laneway, where Alex's house was located.Mrs. Noeleen Byrne was a local woman who acted as caretaker of her house in her absence. Alex received numerous telephone calls that evening to ensure of her safe arrival.She promished her fiance that she would be home for New Year's Eve.
The next day Alex drove to Duncannon, the nearest town for supplies.But someone was watching her...Was she alone?
Anna Roche on her trip into town saw a piece of red material fluttering in the wind...and then...a body.The brutal murder of Alexandra Kingston sent shock waves through Wexford communities of Hook Head and Duncannon.There was a killer on the loose...and nobody felt safe until the killer was behind bars.
This was a fast paced mystery thriller that I couldn't put down...until I knew.I have read all of Joanne Clancy's novels and this one was another amazing novel.Don't miss out on this one!
Alexandra Kingston, a 37 year old artist lived in London, but also had a holiday home in County Wexford,Ireland which she visited several times a year.She had spent the evening of December 26th at the Four Seasons Hotel in London for a masquerade ball for charity, with her fiance, David Hennessy, a celebrity lawyer.Alex was completely exhausted. She'd been working for months without a break to get her paintings finished on time for the exhibition in New York.Alex needed peace and quiet to recharge her batteries.She asked several people to come to Hook Head,Ireland with her, but after Christmas everyone had plans.
On December 27th Alexandra left her apartment for Dublin and arrived later in the day.Anna Roche and her husband were the only year round residents that lived on the laneway, where Alex's house was located.Mrs. Noeleen Byrne was a local woman who acted as caretaker of her house in her absence. Alex received numerous telephone calls that evening to ensure of her safe arrival.She promished her fiance that she would be home for New Year's Eve.
The next day Alex drove to Duncannon, the nearest town for supplies.But someone was watching her...Was she alone?
Anna Roche on her trip into town saw a piece of red material fluttering in the wind...and then...a body.The brutal murder of Alexandra Kingston sent shock waves through Wexford communities of Hook Head and Duncannon.There was a killer on the loose...and nobody felt safe until the killer was behind bars.
This was a fast paced mystery thriller that I couldn't put down...until I knew.I have read all of Joanne Clancy's novels and this one was another amazing novel.Don't miss out on this one!
May 9, 2015
This was a good idea for a story but it's poorly executed and does not go into enough depth.
March 29, 2016
The author is an admitted plagiarist. Google Eilis O'Hanlon Joanne Clancy and read the article.
March 25, 2013
Just the title gave me chills up and down my spine along with the dramatic cover so I was very eager to read this psychological thriller, for I’d seen that it was already a bestseller and had been in the top 100 on the UK Amazon Kindle site. And if that many people are buying it then it has got to be good. Having read it, I’d say that it’s way better than good; it’s powerful and edgy with a brilliant portrayal of a killer as we get inside his mind and witness the brutal slaying of a beautiful woman (both inside and out) at the beginning of the book. It was disturbing to think that the killer then went home to the woman he lives with and she was willing to help him cover up the heinous crime, but it was also clear that he was an evil man when the demon drink takes hold and quite capable of killing her as well. The story was gripping as much as informative while the death was horrific and the absorbing way that the story was written was something that I couldn't stop reading, because I wanted him to pay for this atrocity which had not only affected a loving family but a whole community and nothing will ever be the same again. It felt real and it felt like it could happen to you or I and it felt like nobody is ever really safe from people like him, if he’s watching.
In this engrossing tale we get to know the characters thoroughly through the eyes of a PI who is hired by the family so that Alex, the poor young woman who was murdered wasn't just another unsolved murder case but she was a person and she was respected and she mattered and you wanted her killer brought to justice just as much as they did. Sadly after five years he is still on the loose and free to kill again if he so chooses, having being brought in twice for questioning but never arrested since they don’t have enough evidence to convict. The killer did end up in court, only shockingly it was not for the homicide that he’d committed. But would it lead to his downfall after all, or would he literally get away with murder? To find out, I heartily recommend you read this book because I know you’ll be captivated too by the fantastic writing talent that is the author, Joanne Clancy.
In this engrossing tale we get to know the characters thoroughly through the eyes of a PI who is hired by the family so that Alex, the poor young woman who was murdered wasn't just another unsolved murder case but she was a person and she was respected and she mattered and you wanted her killer brought to justice just as much as they did. Sadly after five years he is still on the loose and free to kill again if he so chooses, having being brought in twice for questioning but never arrested since they don’t have enough evidence to convict. The killer did end up in court, only shockingly it was not for the homicide that he’d committed. But would it lead to his downfall after all, or would he literally get away with murder? To find out, I heartily recommend you read this book because I know you’ll be captivated too by the fantastic writing talent that is the author, Joanne Clancy.
April 3, 2013
What a strange little book. Written in a very dry style (think 48 Hours or Cold Case) the reader is lead through the murder and its investigator to a reveal final piece of evidence which points to the killer. The murder is very compelling, but nothing really connects after that. The characters move around without much motivation and spark of life. In the end, the killer is found not because of the work of the investigator, but just "because."
The book starts out telling you everything about the murder reserving only the name of the perpetrator: who, what, when, where, how and why are all covered in the first quarter of the book.
Next it skips ahead 5 years when the victim's family hires a private investigator. Maggie, to figure out who killed their daughter. Thus, the original police investigation is discussed and the facts the police uncovered are revealed to the reader, but the perpetrator is still not named.
THEN, through no action on the part of Maggie (who really isn't shown doing anything more than reading reports already compiled by the police and talking to the family, comparing what they say now to what she read in the newspapers at the time), the killer comes out and sues the press, thus revealing who he is (to the reader at least.)
Finally, the killer nailed because someone comes to Maggie (NOT the police) with some evidence, but not because Maggie has done anything on her own. In fact, Maggie didn't even talk to the whistleblower before (how did the whistleblower know about Maggie? Never answered.)
A small epilogue shows the guilt the killer feels about the killing.
The book starts out telling you everything about the murder reserving only the name of the perpetrator: who, what, when, where, how and why are all covered in the first quarter of the book.
Next it skips ahead 5 years when the victim's family hires a private investigator. Maggie, to figure out who killed their daughter. Thus, the original police investigation is discussed and the facts the police uncovered are revealed to the reader, but the perpetrator is still not named.
THEN, through no action on the part of Maggie (who really isn't shown doing anything more than reading reports already compiled by the police and talking to the family, comparing what they say now to what she read in the newspapers at the time), the killer comes out and sues the press, thus revealing who he is (to the reader at least.)
Finally, the killer nailed because someone comes to Maggie (NOT the police) with some evidence, but not because Maggie has done anything on her own. In fact, Maggie didn't even talk to the whistleblower before (how did the whistleblower know about Maggie? Never answered.)
A small epilogue shows the guilt the killer feels about the killing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2013
Alexandra Kingston, a strikingly beautiful woman and proclamed artist is engaged to a very successful 'celebrity' solicitor, David Hennessy. Alex decided that after a gruelling trip to New York where her art was exhibited and now at a charity ball with David, she would go to her holiday home in Hook Head located in Dublin to unwind before New Year's Eve. She arrived on December 27th and was alone as her friends and family had other commitments between Xmas and New Year's. The morning of December 31st, a neighbour of Alex's saw something out of the ordinary on her way down the lane. When she got closer, she realized it was the mangled body of her English neighbour Alex Kingston. Five years later the police were still no closer to finding the culprit responsible for this heinous act. Finally Alex's parents decided to contact a Maggie Rowan, owner of Covert Eye Private Investigations to help them in finding their daughter's murder where the police have failed.
Author, Joanne Clancy tells a gripping story of this crimer/thriller with such clarity that I could feel all of the emotions each person was feeling. The fear, pain, sorrow and total frustration waiting for the police to put an end to this case and give everyone a sense of peace again. But it was the final few chapters that had me on the edge of my seat with anticipation!! Excellent work!!!
Author, Joanne Clancy tells a gripping story of this crimer/thriller with such clarity that I could feel all of the emotions each person was feeling. The fear, pain, sorrow and total frustration waiting for the police to put an end to this case and give everyone a sense of peace again. But it was the final few chapters that had me on the edge of my seat with anticipation!! Excellent work!!!
August 16, 2014
I should start off by saying the author sent me a free copy of the book in exchange for a review.... Having said that.... Wow. This book was awesome!! It was more crime related and some tragic story lines, and they went together quite well I think. I believe I have now read all of this authors books and continue to look forward to the next one!
This book begins with a murder, the murder of artist Alexandra Kingston. Throughout the whole book we see what took place after the murder, leading up to it, and during it, but not in that order. We get most of the story through the viewpoint of Maggie, the private detective who is trying to help the grieving family find closure, and help find the murderer. But it has been 5 years since the murder, will Maggie be able to find new evidence that the Irish detectives, English detectives, and all the other townspeople who knew her, had missed?
This book was really hard to put down. I found myself finding time to read this on work breaks and lunches no matter how short or long they were. Would recommend to all of my friends.
This book begins with a murder, the murder of artist Alexandra Kingston. Throughout the whole book we see what took place after the murder, leading up to it, and during it, but not in that order. We get most of the story through the viewpoint of Maggie, the private detective who is trying to help the grieving family find closure, and help find the murderer. But it has been 5 years since the murder, will Maggie be able to find new evidence that the Irish detectives, English detectives, and all the other townspeople who knew her, had missed?
This book was really hard to put down. I found myself finding time to read this on work breaks and lunches no matter how short or long they were. Would recommend to all of my friends.
Read
November 22, 2015I just finished Watched. I have to say; it took me by surprize. I was expecting more of a mystery and it was more of a crime solving type of book. I enjoyed being in Maggie's shoes, trying to put together bits and pieces from others stories and the police case. It was not your normal view, but very refreshing and entertaining. It took me awhile to finger the killer. A good book all the way around. Great job Joanne!
August 5, 2016
I managed to get this as a free download and, to be honest, wasn't expecting that much but I have to say that I quite enjoyed it. The only negatives were that the description of profiling was a little long-winded and I would have liked to have read more from the perspective of the killer but other than that it was pretty good.
March 29, 2013
I thought this was predictable and a little strange. It's written as a historically factual book (like In Cold Blood), but it's purely fiction.
September 24, 2015
so not what I expected. loved it!!
April 19, 2017
BEWARE!!!! DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!!! With "Watched" Joanne Clancy plagiarized "Death In December" by Michael Sheridan. She stole Sheridan's work!!!
http://www.independent.ie/entertainme...
Why is this book even still listed here on Goodreads???
http://www.independent.ie/entertainme...
Why is this book even still listed here on Goodreads???
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews