We Are Watching

by Ivan Skilling, Igor Andrich (Illustrator)

Too little love can hurt. Too much love can kill.

Hot-blooded policeman, Thomas, is restless. Stuck handling petty crimes in his quiet hometown, he craves a real case to show his mettle. Then, his old schoolmate Sandra returns, trading the spotlight of her stalled singing career for a teaching job. Her arrival shakes up his routine, giving him something to look forward to.

But her return doesn’t go unnoticed. Scandals swirl and a shadowy stalker lurks. When a shocking death shatters the peace, Thomas is thrown into a whirlwind investigation. As he digs deeper, he realizes Sandra is hiding more than she is letting on.

In a town where secrets fester behind closed doors, Thomas must decide. Will his feelings for Sandra blind him to the truth or will he uncover the mystery before more lives are lost?

446 pages, Paperback

Published May 18, 2025

About the author

Author also writes under Lark Cayling

Ivan Skilling loves to stay indoors and put on his adventurer's hat when crafting new worlds and thrilling action plots. Living vicariously through his strong and complex characters, he explores different genres from the perspective of a Southeast Asian storyteller, drawing deeply from the experiences of his culture. When he's not writing or devouring a new book, you can find him at the foosball table.

Currently publishing short stories, novellas, and novels on Amazon Kindle, Books2Read, and Gumroad.

Reviews

[Pheadra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is told from different points of view. Sandra, a washed-up singer surrounded by scandal with a sense of entitlement, returns to her home town, to have a break but brings with her damage and drama. As a teenager, Thomas, now a jaded policeman in town, was in love with Sandra. Will his investigation of a murder be clouded by his unresolved feelings for Sandra?
Disturbing recount of the damage bad choices and relationships bring and the collateral damage caused. 4 stars

[Angela Nagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had such mixed emotions as I read this book and I’m honestly still processing. There was so much to digest and untangle, but not in a bad way. An overprotective son, a lot of angry folks, and some people who are haunted, aggressive, and quite possibly emotionally unstable littered this book. I veered toward the higher end of the scale because the characters and the relationships between them was eloquently delivered and it really added to the context and beef of the book making it complex, enjoyable, and thought provoking.

I received an advance copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sandra returns to her home town after being in the spotlight and rumour of her having an affair with a prominent politician.
Thomas is a policeman in town and was madly in love with Sandra when they were teenagers.
After a death in the community all secrets are revealed and Thomas finds it hard to believe and is blind sighted by the evidence to find the truth.
An easy to read book.
Thanks to Booksirens for the ARC and I give my honest review

[Clarkfamilybooks]

Darkly compelling thriller, We Are Watching is told from multiple Pov's. It's a twisted ride in the lives of Sandra and Thomas. Sandra is an ex-celebrity who has committed murder while Thomas is the policeman investigating. Are his feelings for her going to keep him from seeing who and what she really is?

[Carolyn Valdez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was very compelling and intriguing. There were several points of views and a lot of twist and turns. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. I will definitely be looking for more of Mr.Skilling stories.


I received an ARC from BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Geraldine Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really thrilling book, written in the perspectives of various characters.
It was rather dark and had a lot of drama in it.
I found it very compelling reading.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[benn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eerie and unsettling, this story really gets under your skin. It was tough to guess who the murderer was, and the twist at the end sent chills down my spine.

[Pam Watmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandra, in her mid thirties, returns to her home town for a break to lie low for a few months after some embarrassing events as a celebrity. She catches up with her old school friends and takes a teaching job at her old school and rents her old family home .

Her old boyfriend. Mark, from school days married her best friend, Lynn, and she catches up with them and their son. Sandra is running away from a high profile affair and the news gets out, she abuses her position as teacher and friend by having an affair with Mark and his son and this leads to horrific consequences from the fall out. The book is about the damage done by relationships both in the past and present. It also highlights the vanity of an ex celebrity and the way she is "entitled" which leads murder. It is a book worth reading and enjoyable but Sandra is an annoying character.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tash Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed emotions with this, at the start it wasn’t really for me.. there was too many povs for me to process that I felt myself getting lost.
You’ve got an overprotective son, angry people and a few emotionally unstable characters within this book.
Mainly the story revolves around Sandra after a scandal involving a married politician she moves back home to restart and have a break but she brings a lot of drama too.
Thomas now a policeman has to investigate a murder but his investigation uncovers things that could cloud his judgment due to his unresolved feelings for Sandra.
If you can wrap your head around the multiple povs mixed with online forum chats then I would recommend this.

Trigger warnings.. r*pe and sexual harassment.

I received an advanced copy of this book and leaving this review voluntarily.

[Edwin Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel frames itself as a psychological domestic thriller and a whodunnit mystery but its essence focuses on the frightening ways in which bad parenting can affect a child's future. Three perspectives are shown - from a school counselor, a policeman, and a washed-up singer. Each perspective brings different color and urgency to the story. I particularly enjoy how real each character seemed, almost as if they were inspired by actual people observed in a busy restaurant. The focus on possessive love is also a good lesson in defining boundaries and educates people about the psychology behind celebrity-chasing. That being said, I strongly recommend this novel especially if you want a realistic story about love, passion, and its downfall.

[Savannah Shacklebolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel caught my eye because of that creepy shadow in the door. And that creepy vibe was really sustained throughout the whole story. I can't count the number of times I got goosebumps reading! The tension between the characters was so well done. The family dynamics was realistic, the pining and jealousy was tantric, and the obsession scenes were especially bloodcurling. I did find Thomas a bit annoying at times because of his stubborn and impulsive nature but I ended up rooting for him in the end. 10/10 would recommend if you like thrillers with emotional chaos!

[HC · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a domestic thriller, this book hits all the good points - lots of family problems, small-town secrets, and brewing tension. The whodunnit mystery had quite a lot of red herrings and plot twists. I was pretty confident with my suspect list and I got it right at the end but there were a lot of clues that made me change my mind sometimes. I wish more drama had happened towards the end with the interviewing of suspects but then again, maybe small towns have less office politics to talk about. I recommend this book if you're a fan of dramas like Twin Peaks.

[vish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three main characters tell the story of how family upbringing can cause parents and children to sink into behaviors that cross moral boundary lines. When people start to die, tensions rise and it becomes clear how fragile human relationships are. Although the story is dark, I like how there's still hope and a relatively happy resolution at the end of the book.