I Hear You Watching: A true story suspense novel about hearing voices

by Zachary Dillon

A riveting first-person dive into the mind of a voice-hearer, based on the author's personal experience.

"…this novel is utterly unique and, from a certain perspective, absolutely terrifying." — Goodreads review ★★★★★

"A gripping page turner. You won't put it down." — Amazon review ★★★★★

"The honesty of the author's story telling is disarming, uncomfortable at times, absolutely poetic, and profoundly human." — Goodreads review ★★★★★

Alex hears a voice out his window.

He believes it's his neighbors spying on him. Harassing him.

Are they skilled hackers? Government agents targeting him for a secret social experiment?

Are his friends in on it? The girl he met online? The police?

He'll turn his apartment upside-down to find their observation equipment. Search his own body for microchips. Confront his neighbors face-to-face. Will he hurt the only person who can help him?

Little does Alex know, the true culprit is much closer to home.

Based on the author's personal experience with auditory hallucinations, I Hear You Watching is a relentlessly interior psychological suspense novel about the abyss gazing back.

"A deep, soul-pulling dive with a satisfying end." — Amazon review ★★★★★

"It distills the experience of social anxiety and paranoia in such a harrowing and palpable way." — Amazon review ★★★★★

"Looking over the shoulder and through the eyes of our bewildered, then panicked, always exhausted and grimly resolute narrator, I triumphed as he found little ways to win, or to lose with some human dignity." — Goodreads review ★★★★★

301 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 20, 2023

Reviews

[Allan Batchelder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't want to give too much away, but this novel is utterly unique and, from a certain perspective, absolutely terrifying. I will say the author is much, much braver than I, as the story is partially based on personal experience, and the degree of detail and honesty is breathtaking. A seriously gripping read!

[Taylor Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

To anyone who may struggle with anxiety, paranoia, or even just fascinated by the human psyche, you will enjoy Zac’s fictionalized version of events with auditory hallucinations. He does a great job of building the tension, and as a reader putting you inside his mind through this bizarre sequence of events. A great story to read or share with friends or family who may be struggling with mental health, to gain understanding, or just the feeling of not being alone.

[Lisa Michaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

A haunting, heartfelt exploration of the mind’s shadows, Zachary Dillon’s I Hear You Watching is a masterful psychological thriller. Weaving a tapestry of suspense, I was hooked almost immediately into the labyrinthine mind of Alex. With every page, Dillon deftly blurs the line between paranoia and reality, crafting a narrative that pulses with unease where the question was: is this delusion, or something far more sinister?

At the heart of the novel lies Alex, a character so flawed I couldn’t help but root for the guy. Raw, human, and unapologetic, I was immediately drawn into his orbit. Dillon’s world-building prioritizes Alex’s internal landscape over the external, a choice that immersed me in what felt like a descent into madness and ambiguity, which kept the narrative moving forward with page-turning ease. The prose is vivid and evocative, capturing Alex’s frenetic energy with a precision that felt visceral with rich, sensory descriptions that conjured the feeling of being watched. His words hummed with a life, urging me at times to glance over my shoulder, wondering what that thump in the night was. (I read a large chunk of this home alone...the thump ended up being my cat, but still I jolted.) This immersive quality elevates the novel into a rare breed of thriller making it one that doesn’t just entertain but inhabited me, making me feel like I’d just spent the week with Alex.

The novel’s timeliness adds another layer of resonance. In an era where mental health is shedding its long-held stigma, I Hear You Watching emerges as a contribution to the conversation. Dillon approaches the subject with a blend of humor, heart, and honesty, offering a story that feels both deeply personal and completely relevant where I can only imagine the courage it took to write it, and the catharsis that followed.

This is a novel that begs for cinematic adaptation, and I hope one day we see it. Indie authors are hitting it hard these days with stories that feel off the mainstream grid. I’d love to see one of these stories come to life, starting with this one.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking over the shoulder and through the eyes of our bewildered, then panicked, always exhausted and grimly resolute narrator, I triumphed as he found little ways to win, or to lose with some human dignity. And of course the afterward sets things on a yet brighter path, IRL. Assuring, hopeful. Thank you, Zach.

I love the rather dark gen-x pop culture references throughout--the bit on sugary cereal box characters, madness burning in their eyes, made me laugh out loud on an otherwise quiet evening ride home on the Tube.

[Marius Müller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was fascinating in how real it felt. Mental illness is fiction is often exaggerated, here the author keeps the story low key, which often makes his experience more terrifying. This is a good book to recommend to someone who's struggling with mental illness themselves. You'll feel seen.

[Walt Croshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating read. I kept rooting for the protagonist to realize what was happening. The characters are very human and well developed.

[Shannon Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it very difficult to get past the first few chapters. It was almost a moral dilemma, but I’m glad I kept reading, because it did get better and it gave me an understanding of what it’s like to live with auditory hallucinations of schizophrenia. I am confident that if you read this book to the end you will be glad you did. It is a well-written work of fiction and will expand your understanding of the struggles of fellow-humans.

[Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superbly crafted suspenseful yarn that takes us INSIDE the experience of someone who is hearing voices and suffering the doubts and agonies of unknowing.

I was fortunate enough to catch a reading of the author giving a passionate, humorous and convincing rendition of his work and it was hufgely entertaining and moving.

But I can assure you that it's well worth picking up this book because that voice - personal, urgent and passionate - is there throughout. It's a tense tale, full of uncanny turns and events, which will leave you in turns biting your nails, giggling and gasping in recognition: hey, maybe I'm just like this character I might otherwise brush off as a nutcase?!

It's a work of radical compassion and empathy and a fascinating read. Highly recommended.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book manages something that always amazes me, which is telling a very specific, rare (and in this case true!) experience like you’ve never heard before and making it feel universal and strangely familiar. The honesty of the author’s story telling is disarming, uncomfortable at times, absolutely poetic, and profoundly human. You don’t expect a journey into paranoia and voice hearing to necessarily be relatable but it catches you by surprise (through impeccable prose) when it sheds a light on our shared darkness. What a wonderful read!

[Anja Peerdeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy novel !

Very well-written too. I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what would happen next.

The most unsettling thing about Alex’ slow decline into madness, due to auditory hallucinations, is that it is based on the experiences of the author with those exact symptoms. It must be decidedly scary to deal with.

Will definitely read it again!
And again and again and again….

[James Worth · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was very hard to read which i mean in the best way possible.

[Alex Shifman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow this book is absolutely terrifying and hilarious. It turns out there’s nothing scarier than having a mind, and the author makes sure you feel that.