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Under a Watchful Eye
UNDER A WATCHFUL A gripping crime, Mystery Thriller and Suspense Series - Book 1.
Sarah Johnson has always lived in the shadows of a hidden town, where strict curfews and silence are law, especially for women. In a place where the fathers of the land wield ultimate control, young girls are treated like property and forced into arranged marriages to preserve the town's twisted traditions. At sixteen, Sarah faces a nightmare—an impending marriage to a man three times her age. Desperate for freedom, she makes a bold escape, but the confrontation with her Papa sets off a chain of events that shatters everything.
Years later, now a seasoned detective specialising in missing persons, Sarah thought she'd left the horrors of her past behind. But when girls start disappearing, she is pulled back into the dark world she fought so hard to escape. The trail leads her to a chilling a sinister network that preys on vulnerable girls, and it’s up to Sarah to take them down before more lives are lost. Detective Sarah Johnson will have to face her past head-on.
The stakes have never been higher. Can she save the girls before it's too late?
Sarah Johnson has always lived in the shadows of a hidden town, where strict curfews and silence are law, especially for women. In a place where the fathers of the land wield ultimate control, young girls are treated like property and forced into arranged marriages to preserve the town's twisted traditions. At sixteen, Sarah faces a nightmare—an impending marriage to a man three times her age. Desperate for freedom, she makes a bold escape, but the confrontation with her Papa sets off a chain of events that shatters everything.
Years later, now a seasoned detective specialising in missing persons, Sarah thought she'd left the horrors of her past behind. But when girls start disappearing, she is pulled back into the dark world she fought so hard to escape. The trail leads her to a chilling a sinister network that preys on vulnerable girls, and it’s up to Sarah to take them down before more lives are lost. Detective Sarah Johnson will have to face her past head-on.
The stakes have never been higher. Can she save the girls before it's too late?
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2024
25 people are currently reading
1757 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 29, 2024
I seen her defeated post on FB and my heart broke for her. I had just finished a book and was ready to read my next on my list. I grabbed her book and it grabbed me right from the beginning with her FORWARD. I was so afraid for Sarah throughout the book. She lives in a small town where young girls are treated like property. This infuriated me. Can’t wait for your next book.
READERS I know it’s hard to leave a review. I feel like my reviews are from a child. If you enjoyed the book you just read a positive review would mean so much for the author. They rely heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations to reach new readers. Please consider leaving a review, even if it’s only a sentence.
READERS I know it’s hard to leave a review. I feel like my reviews are from a child. If you enjoyed the book you just read a positive review would mean so much for the author. They rely heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations to reach new readers. Please consider leaving a review, even if it’s only a sentence.
January 1, 2025
I was hooked from the foreward. Emotional and captivating. Full of twists and turns.
February 15, 2025
This was the first book I've won through an ARC giveaway.
The premise is very intriguing. Sarah is a private detective who escaped a cult/sex commune as a young teen. Years later, she's tasked with finding two missing girls not much older than she was when she escaped. The trail leads her back to the commune that she long left behind.
Overall, I liked the story, but it felt somewhat disjointed because of the short chapters and the back and forth flashbacks. Some of the events throughout the story moved at such a lightening quick pace (we're talking final season of Game of Thrones fast), I would often have to go back and re-read parts. If several of the shorter chapters were aggregated into larger chapters, that would help with the pacing.
I also think the characters could be fleshed out more. Physical descriptions, additional details about their backgrounds, and more dialog would help. It's hard to connect with the secondary characters because outside brief discussions about the case, there's not a lot to go on.
Thank you to the author, Melissa Wand, and Good Reads for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Under A Watchful Eye, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
The premise is very intriguing. Sarah is a private detective who escaped a cult/sex commune as a young teen. Years later, she's tasked with finding two missing girls not much older than she was when she escaped. The trail leads her back to the commune that she long left behind.
Overall, I liked the story, but it felt somewhat disjointed because of the short chapters and the back and forth flashbacks. Some of the events throughout the story moved at such a lightening quick pace (we're talking final season of Game of Thrones fast), I would often have to go back and re-read parts. If several of the shorter chapters were aggregated into larger chapters, that would help with the pacing.
I also think the characters could be fleshed out more. Physical descriptions, additional details about their backgrounds, and more dialog would help. It's hard to connect with the secondary characters because outside brief discussions about the case, there's not a lot to go on.
Thank you to the author, Melissa Wand, and Good Reads for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Under A Watchful Eye, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
January 14, 2025
I won this book in a giveaway and was pretty excited to read it! I thought it was great and left off on a really good note. The book did jump around a lot but not in the point of the back and forth time span. Sometimes I was rereading just to be able to grasp what I had just read. The book however had a great story. Hope to be able to read the next one soon!
April 8, 2025
It was a little confusing sometimes, it felt like she tried to rush it one sentence to next you are in a different timeline or it sound like you a week a head but it’s actually just one night sometimes felt like she forgot what she wrote a few sentences ago then writes it again I don’t know it was a difficult read for me. But a good story line and will definitely finish the series
December 29, 2024
Watchful Eye
Pretty good book but at times jumps around too much and I had to go back and reread section which is highly unusual for me. One of the storylines is almost identical to another in a book I previously read. Lime I said some confusing areas but would recommend.
Pretty good book but at times jumps around too much and I had to go back and reread section which is highly unusual for me. One of the storylines is almost identical to another in a book I previously read. Lime I said some confusing areas but would recommend.
December 29, 2024
I couldn’t put the book down! I loved the story and can’t wait for more from the author.
March 24, 2025
Such a great read.
I loved the short chapters and the time jumps, it kept things intriguing and so fast paced.
I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!
I loved the short chapters and the time jumps, it kept things intriguing and so fast paced.
I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!
January 7, 2025
“Under A Watchful Eye” by Melissa Wand is a bit of a slow burn—definitely not my usual pace. The plot builds gradually, but once it starts to pick up, you can see the potential for a really solid murder mystery.
Wand’s writing is sharp and atmospheric, and she does a great job of setting the mood and developing the characters. The mystery itself is interesting, with enough twists to keep you guessing. It feels like there’s room for this story to grow into something even more complex, especially with the way the ending leaves things open.
Overall, not my favorite style, but it’s well executed, and if you’re into slower, more character-driven mysteries, it’s definitely worth a read.
Wand’s writing is sharp and atmospheric, and she does a great job of setting the mood and developing the characters. The mystery itself is interesting, with enough twists to keep you guessing. It feels like there’s room for this story to grow into something even more complex, especially with the way the ending leaves things open.
Overall, not my favorite style, but it’s well executed, and if you’re into slower, more character-driven mysteries, it’s definitely worth a read.
January 3, 2025
Just finished Under a Watchful Eye by Melissa Wand, and wow—what a ride. From the very first page, I was hooked by the eerie atmosphere and the relentless tension woven into every chapter. Sarah Johnson is a protagonist you can’t help but root for—fierce, determined, and haunted by a past that refuses to let her go.
What I loved most was how Melissa balanced heart-pounding suspense with raw emotional moments. The twists hit hard, the stakes felt real, and the story stayed with me long after I turned the final page. If you love mysteries with strong female leads, dark secrets, and a plot that keeps you guessing, Under a Watchful Eye is an absolute must-read.
What I loved most was how Melissa balanced heart-pounding suspense with raw emotional moments. The twists hit hard, the stakes felt real, and the story stayed with me long after I turned the final page. If you love mysteries with strong female leads, dark secrets, and a plot that keeps you guessing, Under a Watchful Eye is an absolute must-read.
January 2, 2025
A little jumpy but I liked it overall. It is very suspenseful and full of twists.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews