The Stalker

by Kate Rhodes

She thinks she understand stalkers. Until she becomes the stalked…  Elly is an expert in stalking – an academic at Cambridge University, and a talking head for TV and online, she knows the subject intimately – what motivates a stalker, what drives them, how to rehabilitate them. But when she starts to receive notes saying just ‘Me or you’ and realises she is being followed, she has become the victim herself.  The professional becomes the personal but Elly does not realise quite how personal it is. When she is put in hospital by a stranger pushing her in a crowd, and realises she is in danger, she goes into hiding. But somehow her stalker is still there, watching, waiting.   A terrifying cat-and-mouse thriller, told from the perspective of the stalker and the stalked – a roller-coaster ride with an ending you won’t see coming. 

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller

384 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2024

About the author

Kate Rhodes is a bestselling UK crime writer. Her latest books are the acclaimed ISLES OF SCILLY MYSTERIES, which have been optioned for TV. Kate has been nominated for the Crime Novel of the Year award and a Library Dagger.

Kate did many different jobs including working as a theatre usherette, a cocktail waitress, and an English tutor at a liberal arts college in Florida. She was born in London but now lives in Cambridge with her husband Dave, and works part-time at Cambridge University, as a creative writing fellow.
.

Reviews

[Jennifer (Jaye) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Vendetta*

When an expert in stalking becomes the victim, what happens? This is exactly what unfolds in this gripping tale. The story is narrated from the perspectives of both the stalker and Elly, with chapters titled “You or Me.”

Elly, an academic at Cambridge University, is well-versed in the mind of a stalker and possesses a media presence. We sense the tension she’s feeling, knowing that this person seems to know her intimately. Despite being married and having a son, this stalker remains hidden in plain sight.

Elly’s past is shrouded in trouble. As a child, she witnessed something at home and was sent away at the age of ten. Some of those details remain locked away in her mind, forming a chapter she’s kept closed. The heartbreak of being separated from her two younger siblings is a constant reminder of that past.

Elly embarks on a journey of self-discovery, trying to follow her own advice, but fails miserably. Mistrust gnaws at her as she suspects different people, but the betrayal comes when the stalker reveals themselves. This person uses someone weak to carry out their sinister plan, which involves Elly’s complete destruction.

At times, the story is frustrating, but the best part begins in the middle. Elly starts to follow her own advice, and the writing suggests numerous possible suspects until the shocking reveal.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elly is the UK expert on stalking, thousands listen and take her advice

She works at Cambridge Uni researching and writing ‘papers’ that the world take notice of and act on

She also appears regularly in the media

But then Elly discovers she herself has a stalker and got to say quite surprisingly ditches every piece of advice she has ever given to victims of stalking and literally does exactly the opposite in trying to find who they are, I thought this an odd turn for the book tbh but Elly, although herself finding it strange, was determined in doing so

The book went between Elly and her stalker and as Elly got nearer to finding out who the stalker was it did give a good ‘guessing game’ to readers and encouraged ‘I wonder if its them’ etc as I tried to fit the ( at times very jagged ) pieces together

This book took me a while to read, I read other books inbetween going back to it but go back to it I did as it intrigued me to know just who was stalking Elly and why

More than frustrating at times (but the best puzzles are I guess) equally fascinating at others there was a mixture of relief and admiration ( for the writing ) when finished

[Erin White · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending went from 0-100 really quick and I got a bit confused with who the stalker was but that doesn’t take much. I had suspicions about every single character apart from this one but I guess I wanted Eloise to have one unproblematic person in life lol

It’s one of those where you don’t want to say “oh yeah it’s got a massive plot twist” because you’ll probably guess who it is.

I did absolutely love the book and I couldn’t put it down but I do feel some parts were a little bit slow, I’m assuming it was to build tension which would’ve worked if it was a show/film but not in a book.

It really did keep me on my toes and had me thinking about the characters in depth and what their reasons would be

I enjoyed the change of perspectives between the stalker and Eloise especially at the end when it was all kicking off and the perspective changed every other page. It kept me on the edge of my seat and reading quickly

[Torinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, much more than my previous read, as shown by flying through it in 3 days.
This is an odd one because it's written in a way that on the surface of things feels as though it's 'too much', in a sense. Every single character is portrayed as a potential suspect, and it's written with constant continuous red herring style clues to make the reader start to think at one point or another that every single secondary character is secretly the Stalker. In any other novel this may feel disingenuous and over the top, but when the first person narrative is from the mind of a stalking victim with a subdural haematoma resulting from a physical assault from a stalker, it makes a lot of sense on multiple levels (the way in which post traumatic stress can influence how we perceive the world around us, but also in how brain injuries such as these can directly lead to changes in behaviour as well as increases in paranoia). Quite fascinating, and a very interesting perspective to read from.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elly is a successful academic who is an expert in rehabilitating stalkers. When she starts receiving strange notes and is followed she releases she is now in danger herself. How far will the stalker go and will she manage to unravel them?

I liked the sound of this book as it sounded like it would be a creepy read and I find books set around stalkers interesting. It took a while for me to get into this as it is a slow start but once it got going I found myself much more invested in the storyline and desperately trying to work out what was going to happen next. I also found some of the psychological elements really fascinating to read.

The atmosphere is written well and comes across unsettling and intense. The story was told in the voices of both the stalker and the victim which added to the mysterious feeling and provided extra intrigue. Although I enjoyed the majority of the story I did find that the main character was frustrating at times due to some of her decisions, which were questionable. I also found some parts slightly repetitive. Overall though this was a captivating slow burn story and good for those who like cat and mouse thrillers with well plotted twists. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

[mrsbookburnee Niamh Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those slow burning books that completely hooks you in, once it got going I had to know more.

I liked the POVs of both the stalker and the victim, I did find Elly slightly annoying over some of the actions she took/decided on. I completely felt for her, what an awful mother!

I really enjoyed how it all came together, I had someone else completely in mind.

[J Fearnley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eloise, Elly, is an academic at Cambridge University she is an expert on stalking. Nevertheless, when she finds that she is being stalked the reality is as she expects but her actions are far from being as she knows they should be.
This story is a fascinating observation of how stalking can affect a person and make them react or behave in a way that they know will escalate, antagonise and elicit anger from the stalker, how debilitating it is and yet they are unable to fully control their actions even though, and Eloise is an expert in this subject, she knows how she should respond.
What happens to Elly, how she responds to the situation and how those around her who know what is going on respond is at the heart of this tragic story but Elly wants to find out who the stalker is because she knows it won’t just be her they come after, it will be those she loves as well!
In this tense, gripping, powerful and impassioned story of how Elly journeys through the nightmare world of stalking the impact on her family, marriage, work and life is enormous – so will she finally be rid of her stalker?
Its subject matter is not for the faint hearted but stalking is an important issue which deserves to be given the attention it needs. It is an isolating experience and those who are targeted often find it difficult to prove what is happening and therefore very difficult to get the help needed from the police.
This was quite an intense read the ending leaves you with a shudder and an ominous sense of what the future holds.
Although something of a departure for author Kate Rhodes whose Hell Bay series and Dr Alice Quentin series I am a huge fan of I found The Stalker to be a fascinating, intense and taut read which may, for some, be an emotional experience but well worth the time and effort.

[Bloss ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 A very slow burn with an unlikeable, unreliable narrator, this wasn’t as thrilling or edge-of-your-seat as I’d hoped.

What I noticed as I was reading:
➤ I found the MC difficult to sympathize with as she refuses to listen to doctors and get medical tests done after a serious head injury, endangers other road users by driving with a serious head injury, and won’t take time to rest and recover. She’s obsessed with her job and lets her emotions guide her choices. She refuses to do the sensible thing at almost every juncture despite being a ‘stalking expert’. This character infuriated me consistently saying “I shouldn’t do [stupid thing] because [list of valid reasons]” and then does the stupid thing anyway… over and over again in every conceivable situation!
➤ The way it's written, I was worried this was a sequel as it felt like we were missing critical context about the MC’s relationship and history with her siblings.
➤ The liberties taken around psychological, legal, and technical terms grated on me. When words are just thrown in to sound technical, it dampens credibility and frustrates the reader. (Example: releasing a dangerous felon on the basis of ‘psychometric testing’; ‘suing’ people for criminal matters, ‘hacking’ into CCTV/access control databases remotely).
➤ I appreciated the language around suicide and reframing it from a ‘crime’ to simply as manner of death. I thought the commentary on this was conscious and thoughtful.
➤ Pacing was off, especially in the middle when the story really dragged. There were a distracting amount of uninteresting subplots (cheating husband, estranged family, weird son, repressed memories, job drama) that took centre stage at various intervals. I wasn’t as wowed by the ending as I’d hoped.
➤ The sense of place was well done. While I understand liberties were taken regarding the geography, I’ve never been to Cambridge so none of that impacted my ability to picture the buildings, place, and atmosphere as it was described.
➤ I hate the retaliatory cheating trope. An eye for an eye isn’t justice, it’s just two childish people being petty.

This is a fine way to spend a rainy couple of afternoons but I wanted more thrills and less melodrama than the book offered. Readers who enjoy slow burn crime fiction might enjoy this, provided you don’t need your characters to be particularly likeable or multi-dimensional.

I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted through NetGalley. Thanks, Simon and Schuster UK!

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Kate Rhodes mystery books set on the Scilly Islands so was excited to receive a review copy of “The Stalker”, a stand alone novel set in Cambridge.
Told from the point of view of Psychologist, Dr Eloise Shaw, an expert on stalking who is now being stalked by a mystery person- alternative parts of the book are told by the stalker without giving away who they are.
Eloise has had a difficult childhood, cast out by her mother after her father’s suicide and is still trying to come to terms with it.
Reunited with her younger siblings whom she has not seen for many years, she wonders if one of them could be the mystery stalker who is succeeding in ruining her life. As things go wrong at work and at home, Eloise becomes more isolated and she is forced to rely on her own knowledge of “stalkers” to try to work out who is targeting her.
This was a rather creepy book as the author really tries to lead the reader into the mind of the stalker who becomes more and more paranoid. She succeeds in conveying Eloise’s increasing isolation which is not helped by the lack of help offered by the police. Her only ally seems to be her teenage son who also has his own problems. As Eloise suspects those around her, so does the reader, trying to work out who the mystery stalker could be.
The style of the book took a bit of getting used to as the chapters flipped between Eloise and her tormentor but once I got used to it I found that the novel was a compelling read which even had a nasty sting in its tail..
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

[KathVBtn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stalker is a claustrophobic intense read full of unsettling moments and realisations.

Told from the perspective of the stalker themselves, chapters alternate between the viewpoint of ‘Me’ or ‘You’; the obsessive hyper focus of the stalker never far from our minds.

Ellie is a psychologist with long learnt expertise in stalling and working with offenders to address their behaviour. She works with criminals who want to change their ways, and shares tips and advice online about how to deal with stalkers. This has gained her some media coverage and she’s recently become the go-to media expert on stalking. She has attracted some unwanted attention as well but manages to keep the worry at arms’ length.

When she/ we realise she is being stalked herself, ending up in hospital following a collision in the street, the situation escalates, as unknown people appear in her hospital room, sinister gifts are left for her, and she doesn’t have a clue who might be behind it all.

The chapters told from ‘Me’ relish Ellie’s downfall, but it’s clear that their obsession isn’t going to stop there. The chapters told from ‘Me’ are hard to read at times, their fixation on every aspect of Ellie’s life is a challenge to understand but their unhealthy obsession is so well detailed.

It’s a story to take your time over, the detailed narrative and intense situations can’t be rushed. It’s a well told tale with plenty to keep you guessing along the way.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Stalker takes a good idea and goes to town on it. Elly is a respected psychologist, a media pundit, and a well-qualified and published Academic. Her work on Stalkers, who they are, and what they do makes her a target both online and in her real life.

She knows the signs to look out for, and how a stalker works. She knows that many of them have been developing their habits for years before they become a real threat to their victims. They could be anyone, another passenger on the train, a work colleague, or just someone you see every day.

When a Stalker makes himself known in her life, and reveals her secrets to her work colleagues and family members, there is a palpable sense of danger and tension in the book.

There are twists and turns in the novel that leave the reader on the edge. Can anyone in the story be trusted? As the denouement races ever closer, we don’t know what will happen, although little telltale signs have been there throughout the course of the narrative.

This is a crime novel that does not go in for gore, but there is a sense of unease throughout it. There is a sense of danger as the Stalker uproots everything in Elly’s life, her family and workplace are affected. The sense of a life and a career being derailed is well drawn.

As the book closes there is a sense of Elly’s family life and career resuming, although there will also be a sense of dislocation from what went before.

[Rog Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually read the hardback edition but this does not seem to be on Goodreads.

I struggled at first with this book as it took me four days to read it when normally I would read a book within twenty four hours. However when I got about a third of the way through I got more engaged with it and read right through to the end.

Most of the story is told from the first person perspective of the woman being stalked but there are also short chapters told from the first person perspective of the stalker. Dr Eloise Shaw is a psychologist at Cambridge University whose subject is stalkers. Ironically she finds that she has become the victim of a stalker and her life starts to fall apart. Eloise starts to suspect people of being her stalker and by near the end she thinks she may know who it is. However in a neat twist when the identity of the stalker is revealed it is a shock.

Worth persevering with as the second half of the book is a compelling read.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elly has achieved considered success in the academic and media spheres as an expert on stalking. But now the shoe is on the other foot, and she is the one being stalked.

And here's the rub: being an expert on this particular form of criminal behaviour, Elly knows exactly how dangerous the situation is for her.

With her marriage in difficulties, and her strained sibling relationships, there isn't much support available to her. The question is, in a situation where she feels she cannot entirely trust anyone, can Elly identify the stalker before it is too late?

This is a well-paced, tense thriller which does not give up its secrets easily, keeping you guessing until the end. It get 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Oundle Crime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elly is an academic, media pundit and an expert on stalking, who lives in Cambridge. She also has stalker who sends her notes and makes silent phone calls. Although she knows things will only escalate, she still ignores her own advice which is to tell people what’s happening. Elly’s stalker (who also tells some of the story) steadily tries to ruin her life and eventually things turn violent. Even though in places this is unbearably tense I couldn’t stop reading it. The descriptions of people and places are vivid and I really cared about what was happening to Elly. It’s one of those books where you badly want to find out what happens, but don’t want the story to end.
Review by Norfolk Gal, Oundle Crime

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Eloise Shaw (Elly) is a psychologist at Cambridge University and is married to Rafe and they have a son called Jamie. Elly is a prominent expert on stalking and the behaviours that lead stalkers to acting against their victims. Ste book is set in Cambridge and is told over different time periods. Elly, herself, is a victim of stalking with letters written with the words "me or you", silent phone calls and unwanted gifts. Elly has reported all of these to the police but fears there will be no action taken. All the sub plots come together with a dramatic conclusion, that I never saw coming. It is a page turner, nail biting, terrifying read with moments of gasping out loud!

[Sian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elly is an expert in stalking, its her job, her life and she knows all about how they behave, what motivates a stalker and how to rehabilitate them. But when it hits to close to home and someone starts to follow her, Elly's life is thrown into chaos.

Who is this person and what lengths will they go to, to get to Elly?

I like the premis of the book, there is chapters for both Elly and the stalker so you can get both views but I just felt it was a slow read, I found myself wanting to know who the stalker was because I couldnt be bothered to read on.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Rhodes is an author I am familiar with through her Ben Kitto books so I was intrigued to see what she could do with a standalone. This has her trademark wonderfully descriptive narrative as she takes us through this slow burn story featuring Elly and her stalker. A compelling and intense read that has you guessing right to the very end who the stalker could be. Why I didn’t dislike Elly, I also found it hard to like her, however that aside this was a very good read 4.5⭐️

[sugarlumps · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know if it was me being stuck in a rut with reading, or the book, however it was very monotone and flat until around page 250. I got really confused about the characters as well, I don’t actually know who her stalker was in the end. I really liked Rhodes’ other books, this one disappointed me a fair bit. It was good storyline though and it was nice to read a mystery book that wasn’t gory or overly violent.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I was looking for clues about who the stalker was the whole time, I kept being convinced it was one character or another and was definitely caught a bit off guard by the culprit.

I don’t think the “helper” made much sense tbh - it seemed really strange.

I was hooked the entire time, and I loved the perpetrator’s back story - even if it fell a little flat under scrutiny.

[Hannah Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book, I felt like I needed to find out who the stalker was. I did feel like there could have been more flashbacks to the past, the flashbacks that were provided were kind of underwhelming. Over all a really good read and it definitely got in my head, I was thrown around a lot by who the stalker could be.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character was likeable, although at times infuriating for making choices that would go against her better knowledge on stalking, considering she is an expert in the field.
Having said that, the book was Intense, and had me guessing all the way through. Was an enjoyable read.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read, and liked that the perspective switched throughout the book between the stalker and the stalked. It kept you guessing about who the stalker was and I think the twist at the end was great! Parts were a little slow but on the whole I did find the book gripping.

[Thanusha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was hmm, but I did enjoy reading most of it.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read if you like;
-Stalkers
-Dual POV
-Slow burn
-Suspenseful thrillers

QOTD; Some people are incurable? Do we believe that?

As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book. Because aren’t books about stalkers interesting! Initially the pacing starts off slow, which enables the tension and suspense to rise! Immediately you are hooked wanting to find out who the stalker is ?

The atmosphere is written so well, it definitely makes you feel unsettled! The story is told from the POV of the victim and the stalker. This adds another tense layer to the story, as you’re always wondering when the stalker is next going to appear!

Whilst, I enjoyed the story overall. I did find the MC a little hard to sympathise with. As she failed to listen to medical advice after serious head injury, putting her life and other road users lives in danger. Also the fact she didn’t listen to her own advice when it came to the stalker was a little frustrating. However, that frustration definitely added to the tension of the book!

I really enjoyed reading about Elly’s and Leo’s relationship! Seeing them build and become closure was just so hard warming!

I loved some of the quotes Leo said such as;
“There’s Nothing so broken it can’t be rebuilt”
I really resonated with that!

I also felt for him when he was trying to push his partner away. So that his partner didn’t waste his life looking after him! That is a very admirable thing to do!

Overall, a very captivating slow burn. Perfect for those cat and mouse thriller lovers!

[Celia Krenzke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner! The characters are well thought out, and the book keeps you guessing.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like Netflix series this book just went on and on and on. Why didn't I just put it aside?

[Jenn M Doyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Suzy Dominey · Rating 2 out of 5]

She didn't check out her close friends or make the husband tell who he'd slept with . All pointing to the stalker

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Ayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️