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The Watcher
THE WATCHER
A spellbinding psychological thriller with a shocking twist by Dorothy Alter
Claire and Daniel arrive at the cottage full of hope. It's isolated, peaceful, and theirs. The garden is choked with weeds, the house needs work – but they're ready for the challenge. A summer of clearing, painting, and building something new.
Then they see the man in the woods across the road.
He doesn't move. He doesn't speak. He only watches.
Daniel dismisses it. A hiker, maybe. Someone local. But the man keeps coming back, always standing in the same spot, always silent. Then one afternoon, he speaks – to Claire.
His name is Peter. He seems harmless at first, even gentle. They talk. Nothing serious. But the more often she see him, the harder it is to forget him. He's steady. Quiet. Easy to be with. While Daniel throws himself into the renovations, Claire begins to wonder whether she belongs in the world he's trying to create.
The cottage changes day by day – walls scrubbed, windows replaced, furniture moved. The parrot in the living room mimics everything it hears, even things Daniel would rather not remember. And as the summer wears on, so does the sense of unease.
The marriage that felt so solid begins to shift.
And the man in the woods is always there.
The watcher isn't going anywhere.
And neither is the past.
Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, and psychological thriller readers who love a slow burn that explodes into a chilling climax.
A spellbinding psychological thriller with a shocking twist by Dorothy Alter
Claire and Daniel arrive at the cottage full of hope. It's isolated, peaceful, and theirs. The garden is choked with weeds, the house needs work – but they're ready for the challenge. A summer of clearing, painting, and building something new.
Then they see the man in the woods across the road.
He doesn't move. He doesn't speak. He only watches.
Daniel dismisses it. A hiker, maybe. Someone local. But the man keeps coming back, always standing in the same spot, always silent. Then one afternoon, he speaks – to Claire.
His name is Peter. He seems harmless at first, even gentle. They talk. Nothing serious. But the more often she see him, the harder it is to forget him. He's steady. Quiet. Easy to be with. While Daniel throws himself into the renovations, Claire begins to wonder whether she belongs in the world he's trying to create.
The cottage changes day by day – walls scrubbed, windows replaced, furniture moved. The parrot in the living room mimics everything it hears, even things Daniel would rather not remember. And as the summer wears on, so does the sense of unease.
The marriage that felt so solid begins to shift.
And the man in the woods is always there.
The watcher isn't going anywhere.
And neither is the past.
Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, and psychological thriller readers who love a slow burn that explodes into a chilling climax.
Kindle Edition
Published September 23, 2025
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 27, 2025
2☆
I am so disappointed, in so many ways, by The Watcher. It had potential but could not get out of the following ruts:
•Claire Elliot did nothing but whine, snivel, feel sorry for herself, blame everyone but herself, think in a paranoid manner, act selfishly and say, "I can't! I'm sick!" Pathetic.
•Daniel Elliot would not stand up for himself because he didn't want to upset Claire. She is sick!
•Peter, The Watcher, was too coy. He continually made strange, leading statements and left the scene.
For characters who were born and raised in the United States they used a lot of British vernacular. Given that, the setting would have been better in the UK.
The ending was completely flat. It felt as if the author ran out of energy to take the story any further. A more satisfying conclusion could have included a true showdown or two.
I received an advance review copy (ARC) for free, and I am voluntarily leaving my opinions of this novel. Thank you to the author, publisher and Goodreads for this opportunity.
I wish a more positive review could be given. The potential to make The Watcher a more suspenseful and fulfilling experience is there.
I am so disappointed, in so many ways, by The Watcher. It had potential but could not get out of the following ruts:
•Claire Elliot did nothing but whine, snivel, feel sorry for herself, blame everyone but herself, think in a paranoid manner, act selfishly and say, "I can't! I'm sick!" Pathetic.
•Daniel Elliot would not stand up for himself because he didn't want to upset Claire. She is sick!
•Peter, The Watcher, was too coy. He continually made strange, leading statements and left the scene.
For characters who were born and raised in the United States they used a lot of British vernacular. Given that, the setting would have been better in the UK.
The ending was completely flat. It felt as if the author ran out of energy to take the story any further. A more satisfying conclusion could have included a true showdown or two.
I received an advance review copy (ARC) for free, and I am voluntarily leaving my opinions of this novel. Thank you to the author, publisher and Goodreads for this opportunity.
I wish a more positive review could be given. The potential to make The Watcher a more suspenseful and fulfilling experience is there.
September 6, 2025
I can’t say I truly enjoyed this book. The central relationship between Claire and Daniel, the young married couple at the heart of the story, felt overwhelmingly negative and only grew more so as the book progressed. They withheld things from each other, treated one another poorly, and their dynamic made it hard to root for them.
The premise had potential: they sell their sleek Boston home and buy 'Blackstone Cottage', an old country property 4hrs away they plan to flip (renovate). But the project quickly unravels. Financial setbacks pile up, debts mount, and regret sets in. Alongside this, the novel explores heavy themes—Claire suffers a depressive episode and revisits memories of childhood abuse when visiting her dying father. Daniel spirals into drinking and his own depression, yet Claire often comes across as unsympathetic. Added to this are further tragedies: illness, death, and a worrying stalker.
While the plot was interesting, I struggled with the main characters. Claire, in particular, often struck me as selfish and cold—for instance, choosing not to accompany Daniel when his mother was gravely ill, instead prioritizing a part-time job over supporting him or helping with the house!
Overall, I thought the plot was ok but the ending i felt was over the top. For me, it was a bleak and rather depressing read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The premise had potential: they sell their sleek Boston home and buy 'Blackstone Cottage', an old country property 4hrs away they plan to flip (renovate). But the project quickly unravels. Financial setbacks pile up, debts mount, and regret sets in. Alongside this, the novel explores heavy themes—Claire suffers a depressive episode and revisits memories of childhood abuse when visiting her dying father. Daniel spirals into drinking and his own depression, yet Claire often comes across as unsympathetic. Added to this are further tragedies: illness, death, and a worrying stalker.
While the plot was interesting, I struggled with the main characters. Claire, in particular, often struck me as selfish and cold—for instance, choosing not to accompany Daniel when his mother was gravely ill, instead prioritizing a part-time job over supporting him or helping with the house!
Overall, I thought the plot was ok but the ending i felt was over the top. For me, it was a bleak and rather depressing read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 17, 2025
I really wanted to love this book. But unfortunately, I just couldn’t.
It starts with a very promising premise — I truly thought it was going to be a great mystery from beginning to end, with characters full of secrets and schemes. But none of that happened. The ending wasn’t bittersweet, it was just anti-climactic…
I definitely expected more character development… I hoped Chloe would be more than just a broken woman with no real will to live, not even knowing who she married… and Daniel feels like he’s not even from this world, with a surreal level of naivety that doesn’t make sense given the narrative.
The storytelling is confusing, told in two voices, and at times it feels completely disconnected from reality… and for a story set in the US, there’s way too much British jargon…
The ending leaves so much to be desired that I really hope this is just the first in a series…
Thank you for the opportunity to read!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
@bibliotecamil_insta
It starts with a very promising premise — I truly thought it was going to be a great mystery from beginning to end, with characters full of secrets and schemes. But none of that happened. The ending wasn’t bittersweet, it was just anti-climactic…
I definitely expected more character development… I hoped Chloe would be more than just a broken woman with no real will to live, not even knowing who she married… and Daniel feels like he’s not even from this world, with a surreal level of naivety that doesn’t make sense given the narrative.
The storytelling is confusing, told in two voices, and at times it feels completely disconnected from reality… and for a story set in the US, there’s way too much British jargon…
The ending leaves so much to be desired that I really hope this is just the first in a series…
Thank you for the opportunity to read!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
@bibliotecamil_insta
September 15, 2025
I was so looking forward to reading The Watcher, however, I began to find myself very disappointed early on. The number of grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes alone made me want to stop reading. There is a clear lack of attention to detail and editing.
Still, I pushed through. There is so much redundancy throughout the story and the plot was rather dull and predictable. I'm not sure how it can be considered a "thriller" at all. There is nothing in this story that unnerved me.
I was also disappointed in the shifts between character POV. If it were not for the name change and references, you would not be able to tell the difference at all. There is very little character development.
I received an advance copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Still, I pushed through. There is so much redundancy throughout the story and the plot was rather dull and predictable. I'm not sure how it can be considered a "thriller" at all. There is nothing in this story that unnerved me.
I was also disappointed in the shifts between character POV. If it were not for the name change and references, you would not be able to tell the difference at all. There is very little character development.
I received an advance copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 23, 2025
2.75
This book had tons of promise! We follow Daniel and Claire, and from the outside they appear to have it all. They are successful, the just decided to buy a cottage farther out in the country and flip it. When they first move in, there if a strange man standing across the street, just watching...
As we dive into the story we see that Daniel and Claire have way more issues than it looks like on the surface and with this new exterior influence, the Watcher looming over them, what turmoil will it bring?
Honestly sounds griping, but unfortunately there were pacing issues and for a thriller, the big reveal was easily guessable within the first 40% of the book and it seemed like you were lead so many ways in the book and got nowhere in the end.
This book had tons of promise! We follow Daniel and Claire, and from the outside they appear to have it all. They are successful, the just decided to buy a cottage farther out in the country and flip it. When they first move in, there if a strange man standing across the street, just watching...
As we dive into the story we see that Daniel and Claire have way more issues than it looks like on the surface and with this new exterior influence, the Watcher looming over them, what turmoil will it bring?
Honestly sounds griping, but unfortunately there were pacing issues and for a thriller, the big reveal was easily guessable within the first 40% of the book and it seemed like you were lead so many ways in the book and got nowhere in the end.
September 13, 2025
I was thoroughly enjoying this book until the very end. For me, the book ended too abruptly. The writing was a bit different for me, as this was a couple from Boston but the words they spoke and thought were not at all Americanized. I could absolutely tell the author is from England. Having lived just outside of Boston for three years, this is not how Bostonians speak. It was a great book, I was just very disappointed by the quick ending.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 6, 2025
ARC Review: DNF at 21%
I struggled with this one. The concept is awesome but the execution wasn't there for me. The characters' internal monologues felt immature and redundant. I finally gave up when the FMC was seeing a doctor for depressive symptoms and the doctor did not respond to the situation in a realistic manner. Additionally, the book is set in the US with American characters, but they use a lot of British vernacular, which bothered me.
I struggled with this one. The concept is awesome but the execution wasn't there for me. The characters' internal monologues felt immature and redundant. I finally gave up when the FMC was seeing a doctor for depressive symptoms and the doctor did not respond to the situation in a realistic manner. Additionally, the book is set in the US with American characters, but they use a lot of British vernacular, which bothered me.
September 11, 2025
I received this as an ARC.
It's the first book I've read by the author. Some parts seemed a bit simple. How the characters would think something, then say exactly that, so it seemed almost like it was written for a young age, so they'd understand more. I found it difficult to like either of the main characters, & found the ending a bit unfulfilling.
It's the first book I've read by the author. Some parts seemed a bit simple. How the characters would think something, then say exactly that, so it seemed almost like it was written for a young age, so they'd understand more. I found it difficult to like either of the main characters, & found the ending a bit unfulfilling.
August 22, 2025
This was a great thrillers. It kept me on my toes right to the end of the book. A page turner . I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
September 29, 2025
Weird. Characters are supposed to be from Boston, but they narrate and speak in a way that feels British. Very disjointed story
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews