BETTER WATCH YOUR BACKThis is the first book in the 2-book Witness series.College student Courtney Hartford's worries are confined to doing well in school and having an active social life. That is, until she witnesses a murder.And then recognizes the murderer.His warning not to tell, coupled with his threat against her life and the life of her mother, pushes her to make a difficult decision--tell the police the truth, or let the people who are threatening her control her life.
Christine loves to read, but also loves to write suspenseful stories. She enjoys camping and hiking with her family and watching movies. Check out her website: christinekersey.com
3.5 stars. The actual suspense was well-written—I felt it! But the structure of the writing was…awkward, simplistic, choppy, I can’t put my finger on it. I flipped through another of her books in another genre to see if it was just this one, but I didn’t like that one either. It also basically ended on a cliffhanger, and I don’t feel the need to read the next one to find out what happens. (I somehow got added to a mass email list, so I’m reading a bunch of authors I’ve never heard of)
Really, really liked this story, it had me sneaking to read while at work.....having kindle works for those situations. Can't wait to read the conclusion of this two book series. The suspense was just good enough to make see and read what Courtney was going to do next. Definitely have recommended this book to my friends
To be honest I'm not sure how I felt about this one. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. The pace was good and the short chapters made the book fly by but I was left disappointed in the end. I was hoping for something more to happen or for things to take a different turn but it never did.
This is a suspenseful book about a young college girl Courtney who is Witness to a murder. And how her life is turned into a complete turmoil and fear because of it. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that is hard to put down. My only dislike is I am not a fan of the type of book that cuts off at the end of one book and you are left hanging until you get book 2. Which is what this is. I'm all for series books, but don't cut the book off at the end of a paragraph and then make us wait until book 2 comes out. Sorry my only bad comment. Love this Author.
One night, Courtney is a witness to a horrible event.
Flashback to 6 days ago, when Courtney narrates on her drab dating scene in college and would soon meet the guy she saw kill someone.
The narrative is kind of slow and a bit repetitive. She summarizes each and every step. I thought it would be more thrilling and engaging. She knows who the killer is, but she can’t say anything? Why? Just get him thrown in jail already. She just stays tense and nervous around the guy. The journal-style narrative is ok to describe Courtney’s thoughts and feelings, but it’s not good at exciting the reader.
Witness kept me turning pages as the action and excitement ratcheted up. The main protagonist, Courtney, witnesses a murder and finds her own life is soon in danger. Can she go to the police and tell them that she knows who the killer is? What about her mother's and friends' safety? Will they be in danger too?
This is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! This is book 1 of the series. I look forward to reading book 2. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy thrillers.
We all make stupid mistakes especially out of fear but Courtney made many! I enjoyed the book but wanted to say "how can you be so dumb?! Courtney witnesses a murder but never goes to the police and does not answer them honestly when she is questioned. She was being threatened but things just kept getting worse for her. This was a cliff hanger and we were left wondering if she is safe from the gang! I listened to Witness by Christine Kersey on YouTube and am ready for the next book in the series!
Boy what a story. A very riveting tale on love relationships, friends and gang members. Seeing a murder, and then the guy who did sure put a life in danger, as well as her friends and family. A very propelling story and very well written. I now must find the next in the series to see what happens to the two ladies involved. This is my review and mine alone. Norma Gorrill
Real life Actions! What would you do if you witnessed something, if someone was murdered and you saw it? What would be involved in your thought pattern? How would you weigh the options of talking versus not talking? This was a very good beginning to what could potentially be what any person could be faced with in their life. I look forward to book 2 with the continuation of what happens. Thank you, Christine Kersey, for a good story!
I used to read this genre of books ALL THE TIME, but I've turned into a chicken as I've gotten older, lol. I did like the book though even if it scared me more than it should have. I didn't like where it ended though. To get the full story, you have to read the second book as well. I haven't decided if I'm going to buy it yet or not.
Courtney wanted a simple life college dating having fun with best friend Shelby. Witnessed a murder by someone she recently met and her entire lifestyle changed. People she carried about were injured Courtney was shot at . I know I have to read book two in series along with all books by this author
Life in a big town or city with a gang problem, has to be a frightening prospect. None of the menace associated with those vicious criminals really got portrayed in this story. The writing style was more suited to teenage romance, or chick lit. At no point did I feel any genuine tension or suspense.
Well written. It started out slowly, but the pace picked up and had plenty of action. The heroine was so real I could imagine she was my college aged daughter. I have already purchased the next book in the series. Well done.
This books was filled with suspense & drama , kept me interested , but as far as a relationship brewing between Courtney and Dylan ..I'm not sure that's such a great idea . Held my interest enough to read the next book to see what happens next.
I love this & I can't wait for more. I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon. And letting everyone know about it. So i gave it a 5 Stars.
Good read. Witness is fast pace and page turning book. The character of Courtney is well designed and short chapters style makes the book going fast. I recommend this book for people who like thrillers.
I have always enjoyed all of Christine's books, as she does a wonderful job of creating amazingly real and believable characters. Witness was no different! The main character, Courtney, was fascinating to read about and, as with all of Kersey's characters, her flaws made her so much more interesting to explore. The first person narrative was interesting and worked well with the book and story, as we got to see inside Courtney's head more, and her narrative and thoughts were one of the best parts of the book! The one thing that did bother me at first was how many of her thoughts were italicized, which is something I am not personally a fan of. However, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book and helped her thoughts to stand out clearly to the reader.
Courtney's internal struggle is what really makes this book worth reading. She is such an interesting and dynamic character without being over the top or at all unbelievable. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Wendy Mass or Agatha Christie stories, or anyone who enjoys a thrilling mystery and solid, believable, well-developed characters. If you enjoy Witness, you will probably also enjoy Kersey's other books- especially the Parallel trilogy and follow ups!
My rating: 4.5 stars *I was provided an ARC of Witness by the author in exchange for a honest review, all thoughts and opinions are mine!
Merged review:
I have always enjoyed all of Christine's books, as she does a wonderful job of creating amazingly real and believable characters. Witness was no different! The main character, Courtney, was fascinating to read about and, as with all of Kersey's characters, her flaws made her so much more interesting to explore. The first person narrative was interesting and worked well with the book and story, as we got to see inside Courtney's head more, and her narrative and thoughts were one of the best parts of the book! The one thing that did bother me at first was how many of her thoughts were italicized, which is something I am not personally a fan of. However, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book and helped her thoughts to stand out clearly to the reader.
Courtney's internal struggle is what really makes this book worth reading. She is such an interesting and dynamic character without being over the top or at all unbelievable. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Wendy Mass or Agatha Christie stories, or anyone who enjoys a thrilling mystery and solid, believable, well-developed characters. If you enjoy Witness, you will probably also enjoy Kersey's other books- especially the Parallel trilogy and follow ups!
My rating: 4.5 stars *I was provided an ARC of Witness by the author in exchange for a honest review, all thoughts and opinions are mine!
Witness is the first book in a two book mystery suspense series that centers on a young woman named Courtney, who finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.
Witness is a rather quick read that I breezed through in one sitting. Suspense isn’t a genre I venture into often, as I end up most frustrated with everyone more than enthused to see what they do next, and while that definitely did happened at points, I ultimately enjoyed it. Courtney witnesses a murder and when she accidentally startles the murderer, she gets a look at his face and knows who it is. Suddenly her life becomes one of secrets and unease as she tries to avoid his attention and battles with the decision to go to the police or protect her family. I enjoyed Courtney for the most part and while I didn’t truly connect to her, I liked being able to be in her head as she struggled to maintain a normal life AND live with the fact that she witnessed some so horrible. She was one incredibly frustrating girl, but all of her decisions came off as something real and believable for a newly independent woman in over her head. I really liked the role that everyone plays around Courtney as well, and thought it had a great little cast of characters.
Kersey’s writing style was pretty enjoyable and I think it matched well with the use of first person and the quick pacing. The story was definitely one that kept my attention but I find it to be one of those rare books that don’t make a clear lasting impression after a few days, so I’m not ultimately sure if I’ll pick up the second book.
Overall it was a nice read with plenty of tension and a engaging plot, and while it didn’t leave me with a need for more I did find to be a great little down time read perfect for recharging in between larger reads.