I’ll Be Watching You

by Deborah Masson

He watches you constantly.
He sees everything. As a CCTV operator, Casey can travel at speed through the streets of Aberdeen and keep people safe, all from the comfort of his chair.

He knows your secrets.
You are one of the people he likes to follow. He keeps an eye on you, notices every detail of your body language, even in your most private moments, when you think no one is watching.

But now he wants more.
There's a reason he knows your routine like the back of his hand. It's because he wants revenge. And when you know as much as he does, it’s easy to take advantage…

Praise for Deborah Masson
'Terrifying, edge-of-your-seat stuff' - Emma Curtis
'A genuine rising star' - Denzil Meyrick
'First-class crime fiction' - Marion Todd

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 26, 2026

About the author

Deborah Masson was born and bred in Aberdeen, Scotland. Always restless and fighting against being a responsible adult, Deborah worked in several jobs including Secretarial, Marketing, Reporting for the city’s weekly freebie newspaper, and a stint as a Postie - to name but a few. But through it all, she always read crime fiction and, when motherhood finally settled her in to being an adult, maybe even a responsible one, she turned her hand to trying to write what she loved to read. Deborah started with short stories and flash fiction whilst her daughter napped and, when she later welcomed her son into the world, decided to challenge her writing further through online courses with Professional Writing Academy and Faber Academy. Her debut, Hold Your Tongue, was the result of those courses. She’s since published Out For Blood.

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be watching you…
Casey Carter certainly will be in Aberdeen where he works as a CCTV operator, watching who skulks in the shadows to try to keep people safe. His colleague Robbie is the only one who knows who he really is, he knows about his past whose “skin” he has been trying to shed. There’s one person Casey has been very closely observing because he has one thing on his mind – revenge with a capital R. They have to pay.

It’s creepy, creepy, creepy as Casey plays a calculated and invisible cat and mouse game which is chilling, claustrophobic and disturbing. It’s fascinating trying to figure out who the real Casey is as he has submerged himself, has he ceased to exist? The answers clearly lie in the past and as the plot unfolds it becomes increasingly intense and dark with so many different elements going on which makes for gripping reading. The deeper it goes the evidential storm clouds lift and the hazy truth starts to reveal itself and I have so not predicted THAT. The author has me looking in all different directions and I thoroughly enjoy it’s unpredictability. It’s powerful, shocking and surprising with twists that keep on coming and it’s unsettling as Casey sets about enacting his violent revenge.

Deborah Masson always delivers intense and suspenseful novels and this is no different. It’s very well written, it’s hard to put down and takes me through a whole rollercoaster of emotions.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[Diane Elizabeth Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel immediately plunges us into the unsettling world of Casey, a young man outwardly affable, wanting to protect Aberdeen in his role as CCTV operator.
We soon learn, however, that he is inwardly consumed by control and manipulation.
Casey's meticulously constructed new life, following his mother's brutal death, unravels to reveal a chilling, almost unbelievable end goal.
The narrative is a breathtaking exploration of grief's powerful grip, demonstrating how profound loss can twist a person into something unrecognisable.
The storyline is exquisitely crafted, painting a picture where darkness and malevolence are ever-present. Despite its disturbing depths, the book is remarkably enlightening, providing a memorable portrayal of the human psyche's resilience and fragility.
The ending provides a deeply satisfying, albeit unsettling, conclusion to this unforgettable journey that will sit with me for some time. That, for me, is the sign of a fantastic book.
Highly recommended for those who appreciate literary darkness with profound emotional resonance.
My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This is my own opinion.

[Sarah Faichney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Deborah Masson’s writing and characterisation, having followed her DI Eve Hunter  crime series from the beginning. ‘I'll Be Watching You’ is a standalone novel. It's chilling and impossible to put down, with some very satisfying twists and turns. The city of Aberdeen almost takes on a character of its own in all of Masson’s work and that's partly why I enjoy it so much. A great read from one of Scotland's finest crime writers!

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Casey is not who he seems to be - and very far from the person that his colleague and friend Robbie believes him to be. In a previous life, he was the notorious Butcher's Boy, the son of a man convicted for slaughtering his wife and hanging her on a meat hook.

Since then, he has reinvented himself, changing his name and falling in love with Beth whilst progressing from barista to CCTV monitor.

But things have not worked out quite as Casey planned. He lost Beth and has been spiralling ever since, heading in a very dangerous direction indeed.

This is a story about intergenerational trauma, obsession and revenge. It is suspenseful and original, but is only recommended for those with a strong stomach, as it comes with trigger warnings and graphic violence.

It took a while for me to get into it, but was a gripping road thereafter. If it had not been for the slow start, the book would probably get 4 stars instead of 3.5 stars.

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

[Roz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casey has tried hard to move away from the past that haunts him. His father a viscous bully who murdered his mother, the media dubbing him “butcher’s boy”. Years pass and looking back from the present day Casey works monitoring his neighbourhood as a cctv operator. However his watching extends to more extreme situations and results in a group of strangers being kept captive and being forced to tell their truths.

After a slow start this book really ramps up the suspense and terror of being watched and stalked by someone you have no idea is doing so. The reveal of why and how is brilliantly written and very thought provoking. The author has a good style of writing which I very much enjoyed and the book kept my interest with the pages turning as I couldn’t wait to see what the outcome would be.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Big Bertha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be watching you is a thought provoking read that will have me looking over my shoulder next time I walk down the high street.

The CCTV control room has eyes everywhere and those that work there save lives, protect us from violence and bear witness to everything we do. Casey is good at what he does, day after day he spends his shift scanning the crowds watching and waiting.

Short, sharp chapters with good pacing made this thriller easy to get into, its multi-layered characters adding depth and intrigue. A well written thriller that gathers momentum as it progresses, building tension and atmosphere as Caseys obsession becomes a reality.

My thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for the early read, all opinions expressed are my own

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of ‘I’ll Be Watching You’ by Deborah Masson, due to be published on 1 January 2026 by Random House UK, Transworld Publishers.

Casey works as a CCTV operator, watching the streets of Aberdeen, keeping the city safe alongside his colleague, Robbie, who is the only person in his life that knows who he really is - the Butcher’s Boy - son of a notorious killer convicted of killing his wife and hanging her body from a meat hook in his shop.

This is a story of past trauma, a man seeking revenge, a man who is unhinged. The descriptions of his intense stares add a layer of creepiness and his location for his revenge plot to play out gives an unsettling claustrophobic edge to the storyline.

A deeply dark and disturbing tale, that leaves a lasting sense of unease. Recommended read.

[Lovetoread2023 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll Be Watching You is a chilling, dark thriller that definitely got under my skin. Masson creates an eerie, unsettling atmosphere that made me feel genuinely uncomfortable at times—a real creepy read. It took a little while to warm up to the story, but the slow burn ultimately added to the tension and gave the plot more weight.
While it wasn’t a brilliant read for me overall, it was certainly effective. The author does an excellent job of delivering moments that are disturbingly memorable. A solid choice if you enjoy thrillers that leave you feeling just a little bit on edge.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of I’ll Be Watching You by Deborah Masson

This is a dark and unsettling psychological thriller set in Aberdeen. The story follows Casey, a CCTV operator whose familiarity with the lives he observes slowly tips from vigilance into an obsession. The tension builds steadily and touches on the level of monitoring and the impact on privacy in our society. While the pacing occasionally follows familiar thriller beats, the concept kept me engaged to the end. A solid and absorbing read that earns a rounded up four stars.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all of Deborah's other books and this was quite different.
I've never really thought before about CCTV cameras when out and about, but now I am. I wasn't at first sure where this was going and then things started to fit into place and it really wasn't what I expected.
This was totally weird and I wasn't sure at first, but when I put things together it became very thought provoking.
Would I recommend - yes, but don't expect it to be like Deborah's other books.

[Claire Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a thrilling read!

I loved the flip of the narrative, having the main character as the ‘bad guy’ really added a new dimension to the storyline.

Excellent writing and brilliantly constructed characters. I read this book in just over a day and could not put it down!

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.