A mysterious stranger arrives in Dundee, Scotland, with a mission to find a new Chosen One to punish. His inner voices guide him to Nicole, a ruthless business woman with a weakness for the husbands of other women. One of Nicole's paramours is found hanged and everyone assumes he has committed suicide. However, his estranged wife, Julie, knows better and blames his death on Nicole. Obsessed with the need to punish Nicole, Julie stalks her, unaware that there is another stalker, the deranged and dangerous Night Watcher.
Who will exact punishment on Nicole first? What price will Nicole have to pay for her misdemeanors? Will Julie's mind games drive Nicole over the edge? And what price will Julie have to pay for her obsession?
Only the Night Watcher knows!
The Night Watcher is Chris Longmuir's second crime novel. Her first, Dead Wood, won the Dundee International Book Prize in 2009. A print edition was published by Polygon and was so successful the first print run was exhausted within four months.
Sooooo ..... after being locked out of my Kindle app I've decided to have a bit of a clean up in my various "Books Read" lists. I'm onto my Couldn't-Get-Into-It-May-Try-Again pile now, which is where I will, in the future, slot books that I couldn't get through first read for whatever reason. I'll then go back to the list after a good length of time and either DNF it or put it into a new list.
As of 7th May 2022 I've decided this isn't a book for me, so I'm moving it to a new list of It's-Not-You-It's-Me pile. I've also changed my rating to 2.5 🌟 instead of 3, which I think will be my standard rating for all books that come under that list.
Original Review:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this book in the sense that it's well written and has an interesting premise, but it's completely lost my attention. At almost half way through I've given it a good try but every time I go back to it I find an excuse to read another book ...... or 4 or 5. So into the "I couldn't finish it" pile it goes!
On the streets of Dundee, a woman is bent on revenge, while a psychotic killer seeks to satisfy the voice in his head. Two women are not what they seem and when one of them becomes convinced she’s being stalked, the police aren’t helpful. Unpopular Nicole wins no prizes in the popularity stakes, but when she meets Julie, it looks like she might have found a real friend. Trouble is, Julie has an ulterior motive - she wants payback from the woman she thinks stole her husband. Can DS Murphy sort out what’s true and what isn’t before the killer strikes?
This is the first book I’ve read by Chris Longmuir and is the first in her Dundee Crime series. Part police-procedural, part crime thriller, her characters are interesting and well-written with a fair chunk of tension simmering throughout the story, keeping the reader on edge. Being set in Dundee, it was good to read about places I’m familiar with, as it gives the book another level of interest. Though at least one of the characters is utterly unpleasant (which can occasionally be off-putting) the book is an easy read and doesn’t expect too much from its audience.
Wow another cracking read, drawn in from page one until the very last. A very edge of the seat type book and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Nicole is not liked. No surprise as she is not a nice person. In fact, it could be said that she is hated. Her work colleagues despise her, her husband treats her like she is worthless and she does not have one person she could call a true friend. That is, until she meets Julie. However, Julie is not all she seems and Nicole mistakenly places her trust in Julie when she fears she is being stalked. Julie it seems has her own agenda to make Nicole’s life a misery and is fuelled by revenge. Julie believes that Nicole is responsible for the death of her husband and will stop at nothing to ruin Nicole’s life. However, Julie herself soon gets caught up in events that spiral out of control, putting her in danger also. Despite the fact the no-one really believes that Nicole is being stalked, she is in more danger than she or even the police realises. Someone is waiting and watching in the dark with a purpose and a ‘calling.’ He is hell-bent on completing his ‘mission’ and has Nicole firmly set in his targets. But, just who is he? Is it someone Nicole knows? It seems that all the characters, even those who seem innocent, have their own agendas. Who will stop at nothing to gain the advantage over Nicole in work, love and life itself! Chris Longmuir creates a very atmospheric story in this book and provides us with some insight into the mind of the ‘Night Watcher’ which serves its purpose – to make the reader look over their shoulder every now and again just to make sure they are alone! I could not fault this book at all except to say that made me sit open mouthed at the end and I looked like an idiot! The book is superbly written and Chris Longmuir is extremely talented, drawing the reader deeply into the story and guessing right to the end. This is a psychological thriller with so many twists and turns it takes your breath away. I so look forward to reading more by Chris Longmuir. If you want a book to take you on a roller coaster of a ride and make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end then this is the book for you. All thriller lovers and amateur detectives will consume this book with gusto. I simply could not put it down. It’s not hard to see why Chris Longmuir is a prize winning author.
The first in the Dundee Crime Series, Nightwatcher is about revenge, obsession, and stalking. But far from the stereotyped 'psycho man stalks helpless women' scenario which is all too familiar, Longmuir has created a set of flawed, suffering yet sympathetic characters, and the stalking is not all by men. A lot of the time we see things from Julie's point of view - a nice woman who's been knocked into a kind of psychopathic state by the apparent suicide of her beloved and unfaithful husband. She chooses to blame 'the other woman' and to seek revenge. But there is a more deeply disturbed night watcher at large... Nicole, the other woman, is seen as a home wrecking bitch by some characters, but we see other sides to her - her abusive marriage and damaged self-esteem, yet her real abilities at work. The scene is set for bad things to happen, and they do. I looked at the kindle percentage at the bottom of the screen early on, thinking how is this going to be sustained for a full length book? A small group of suspects and characters, just how many permutations can there be of victim, killer, innocent suspect? But Longmuir has the ability to keep the reader circling and guessing, as layer after layer of the story is peeled back. Who can we, and the other characters, trust to be what they seem? Julie is such a powerful protagonist, a self-proclaimed 'villain' from the start, yet we wonder will she be able to carry through her awful plan? There is a strong police procedural strand to the novel, and we meet some all-too-human officers, including DS Bill Murphy who is no Sherlock Holmes or Spenser - a basically caring man who gets too involved with victims of crime, but who is a bit slapdash about official procedures. The stage is set early in the book, and the drama plays out, keeping the reader firmly seated and gripped until the end.
Having just finished Dead Wood, I had couldn't help but compare it to Night Watcher. But then I found out that Night Watcher is a prequel to Dead Wood and I immediately made it through that hurtle. The book is in an intense, but fast read, with twists and turns taking you in every direction. At the center of things is a Night Watcher, who's directed by unseen voices to hunt down evil women. Creepy, huh? Then there's Julie, a jilted wife whose unstable mental state propels her into a life change that has her stalking her dead husband's ex-mistress, whom Julie blames for his death. Throughout the book, Julie is watching everyone, but so is the Night Watcher. And he has his eye on Julie, too.
Longmuir gives us another suspense-filled storyline packed full of powerful and intriguing characters. Again, the research and time put into the book is obvious. When you combine that with compelling characters and a powerhouse storyline it's one book that you'll want to pick up this holiday season.
I received an advance copy of Night Watcher, however, this in no way influenced my opinion of the book.
Chris Longmuir weaves a tale filled with suspense that keeps the reader guessing about the outcome throughout.
In Night Watcher, a woman named Nicole has multiple enemies. The question is not so much "is she going down"as it is "who will be the one to do it." Longmuir's characters are well-developed so that the reader's attraction and revulsion are not clear-cut. I appreciate this in characters, as this quality mirrors real life. People have reasons for their behavior, and so do the characters in Night Watcher. I often found myself disliking the actions of a given character while simultaneously understanding that she/he was behaving in a certain way for a reason. To develop flawed characters in such a way that the reader can see past the flaws yet not excuse the behavior is a great skill, and Longmuir does it well.
Night Watcher is the first in the Dundee Crime series, and I'm looking forward to reading more (especially as the police department, and detective Bill Murphy in particular) are fixtures in this series.
The creepy Night Watcher sent shivers down my spine! I loved the way we got inside his mind, got to see what he was thinking, how he saw the outside world and why he was doing what he was. He certainly was a creepy character although, I have to admit, he was quite fascinating. I even felt a bit sorry for him at one point.
There was insight into the lives of the people involved in the the story, making the characters real, giving them a rounded feel rather than just standing alone in the main plot line.
It was great the way the watcher was watching another watcher – the way the plot wove together. I wasn’t entirely sure who was responsible for the going-ons. Was it the Night Watcher or was it Julie? Maybe the husband or a colleague? Lots of tension and suspense from the first to the last page.
I don’t like the dark or basements at the best of times, I like them even less now!
GREAT THRILLER I thoroughly enjoyed this story. At first I thought it was just going to be another psycho who listens to voices telling him to kill people, but no, there was a twist. The intended victim had yet another enemy waiting in the wings. The characters well well defined and I cared about what happened to them – even the manager who was so nasty to everyone else – I cared about her as well.
I love a murder mystery and Night Watcher ticked all the boxes for me. I loved the way Chris made sure the reader knew all the characters. Was I scared, no, but I look behind me and listen out for unusual noises just in case! A great read.
I have read all the Kristie Campbell cases, as well as the historic romance saga (Salt splashed cradle), and whilst I liked those books, I devoured Night Watcher. The writing style does not change from the other books (which is good, as I really like her style of story telling), but the case itself is more caputing. I found myself annoyed at times, that I could not solve the puzzle, but eventually realised that I was right (and wrong) all along. The final twist, relating to the highly dislikable game developer, however, had me quite confused. His character was well executed and made me dispise him from the first minute, but I did not quite undertand his presence at the end of the book. Apart from that, which may very well be my own lack of understanding, the story unraveled brilliantly and I cannot wait to get my hands on the final 2 Dundee Crime Series books.
DNF @ 82 pages for a variety of reasons...to list some -
I don't know if it's because I know them but there is such an oversaturation of naming what streets someone is on or going down....it is very much making sure you know the author knows it's Dundee...but then has a fictional department store? (but in the place of where a big department store used to be...).
I also don't really care about the characters.
I really don't want to potentially read about the ick of a 41 year old man being in a relationship with a 21 year old woman "who looks 14".
There was a mention of rats and I flipped through the book to see if I wanted to continue....and there is more scenes of rats...and I'm good, that scene from Lady and the Tramp scared me enough thanks.
This is a tense and atmospheric stalking story and I confess I didn’t know who was the stalker till the very end. Someone feels he is acting out God’s purpose by getting rid of the Chosen Ones. There are intricate overlaps of people’s lives and their extra marital affairs. Nobody seems entirely blameless yet we don’t understand The Watcher’s criteria. I really enjoyed this book and found plenty to think about, especially at the end. Highly recommended.
This took a little while for me then caught me. I didn’t feel particularly sympathetic towards any of the characters but they had depth and interest, and the ever-expanding chain of the people affected by one person’s decisions was realistic and intriguing. The ending was satisfying but with just a little cliffhanger that intrigued, too. Will it be followed up in another book, or not?
His mission is to find the Chosen One. Then he finds her - Nicole Ralston, business woman and ruthless. When her latest lover is found dead, it is presumed to be a suicide, but his wife Julie does not agree. She comes to Dundee to get her revenge on Nicole. An interesting, well-written mystery
farfetched, stretched and not very interesting ......for me. Story is just a bit to far off and the characters a weak. Not to mention the guy who is doing Gods work ......hmmmm ?
Eyes in the dark, a watcher in the night... or is it just the wind?
Do you ever feel like you are being watched. Your head whirls around, the shadows creep toward you, your heart beats louder, rising in your chest, but you see no one: no pair of eyes from within that darkened veil of night, no watcher in the shadows. How foolish you feel, how silly, but the paranoia mounts until you reach the comfort of your home. Only then, does the fear subside... mostly. That house of your, that home, that haven of safety still has windows, those panes of glass like two-way eyes in the darkness which cloaks the sky, and your house, in an invisible haze.
If you have ever felt like this, you have felt like Nichole (the protagonist) who is stalked by the Night Watcher... or is it just her imagination?
The Good:
Night Watcher is a crime mystery. Think, police procedural, but then forget that you ever thought that. Chris Longmuir pulls the reader into the lives of her characters, and there is almost more about the people involved than the mystery itself. The point-of-view jumps around like a happy-go-lucky rabbit, but this is not a bad thing. Often lots of POV changes can leave the reader confused or uninterested, however, Longmuir seems to have a knack for it. By jumping between characters, the reader gets a chance to be inside the head of almost every character involved. This works well because the scenes are short and to the point, keeping things moving so that one character POV is not left hanging for too long. The internal thought processes mixed with a hopping POV give this book a great flow, as well as developing the characters well.
There are just enough back-story-reveals to round out the characters, keeping the reader interested in what is going on. Often with mystery novels, the author holds things back to let the suspense build. Longmuir takes the completely opposite approach. The reader gets to experience the unfolding story though the eyes of victim, police, lover, friend, enemy, villain, and much more. Instead of not knowing what is going on, Longmuir open up the mystery for the reader, while still allowing the villainous moments to be just as thrilling. The "night watcher," for which the book is named, gets his time in the lime light, but his curious ways are still shrouded in enough mystery to keep things interesting. The night watcher's POV moments were not over-powering, but delightfully speckled throughout, building suspenseful/dark moments into otherwise dramatic events.
The Bad:
After finishing this book, I am surprised at its length. It gives the reader that poppy teen feeling, which often will translate into a shorter book. Night Watcher is not incredibly long, but it runs over 300 pages. Though it is packed full of characters and plot, there is not a whole lot of writing to go with it. Every now and again, the reader is struck by a wonderfully crafted scene, but for the most part I found the writing a little dry and lacking flavour. The story and characters hold potential, but it is sadly unrealised.
The book moves quickly, but not necessarily because of what is happening. There are brief what-is-going-to-happen-next moments, but mostly it is a story about a bunch of characters living out their lives: going to work, going home, and fighting with their spouse (yes there is lots of drama in this book). Though a fast pace can be good, sometimes I felt like the book moved a little too fast, not letting me stop and breathe in the scene. The pacing is artificially inflated with a lack of words instead of artfully enhanced through flavourful description. Such lack leads to a lack of emotion within the scenes, thus a lack of connection with the characters.
Most scenes lack description of any kind, and the ones that do have description are few and far between. The characters spend most of their time talking to each other, or talking to themselves. Though this is delightful, it lacks scene/emotion building. As a reader, I felt like an innocent bystander, watching events unfold, instead of being drawn into the story.
POV changes to minor characters adds flavour, but the reader isn't given enough time to actually get to know/care about them. Though the POV changes inform the reader about some of the other characters and the struggles they are having at home/at work, it comes across as unfocused. Many of the POVs were well done, but a number of them added little or nothing and could have been left out entirely, approaching the scenes from a different angle to enhance the flavour.
Conclusion:
Night Watcher is wonderful for the reader who likes crime mysteries and lots of drama. It is packed full of characters and the story is wonderfully crafted. It moves at a fast pace, but sadly lacks the emotional punch that draws a reader in. If you enjoy crime mysteries, this book is for you.
The Night Watcher is a killer he has killed before and he will kill again. He hears voices in his head and he believes he is on a mission to seek out and find a new chosen one to punish. He is now in the city of Dundee and the voices have guided him to Nicole Ralston.
Nicole is married to Scott. He is overbearing, opinionated and he often makes Nicole feel worthless and like a child again. She should be happy with Scott but there is a void an ache that constantly needs to be filled and she does this through casual affairs with other men that are often married men, to boost her self confidence.
When one of her married lovers David Chalmers is found dead hanging from a stairway and is suspected of committing suicide, his estranged wife Julie thinks that if it had not been for Nicole, her husband would still be alive, she plans to get revenge on Nicole. Nicole was not going to get away with stealing someone else’s husband and driving him to his death. Julie is going to make sure she pays and she comes up with a plan to exact her vengeance.
With both The Night Watcher and Julie stalking Nicole which one will reach their prey first? Will this be far more dangerous than Julie could ever imagine and is she putting her own life in danger?
If you like crime/ thriller novels that are packed with suspense and a fantastically gripping storyline, with an interesting cast of characters that keep you entertained all the way through the book. Then this is the book for you. I really liked reading this book and I could not wait to find out what would happen next. I would really recommend this book it is an excellent read. I will look forward to reading more of Chris Longmuir’s work.
Chris Longmuir was born in Wiltshire and now lives in Angus. She writes short stories, articles and crime novels. Her first book Deadwood won the International book prize.
Wow, what a great mystery! I really couldn’t put it down once I started, and that’s a sign of a truly great book. It all starts with a ‘night watcher,’ a stranger, who finds an ‘evil’ woman Nicole and decides to stop her from hurting any more men, who she uses as her entertainment. We don’t know much about the watcher himself or his reasons for it, however, we get to know Nicole and the rest of the characters better and better; soon their true colors start showing, revealing truly evil sides like greed, corruption, violence and lies, and the good ones, like compassion to a former enemy like it happened in Julie’s case. All the characters get entangled into one net of mystery, self-serving goals and games each of them is playing, and the watcher uses it to his advantage. When the murder finally does take place, you will have a few good chapters to go through to find out who was behind it, and I applaud the author’s ability to keep me on the edge to the very last page. Definitely a five star, gripping read!
This such a well-written novel, I felt like I was walking in the dark and wet streets of Dundee. Not only that but I felt like I was being watched! How would you know if someone was so good at stalking you that they were watching your every move? One thing I liked about this story is that although I didn't very much care for most of the characters (some I totally disliked) I still cared to read on to find out what was going to happen to them. No one likes to see any one come to a bad end, I guess but in one or two cases, I was prepared to make an exception.
I was hooked from the start of Night Watcher and was pleased to find a well written novel. It is evident Chris Longmuir loves her craft of story telling and moulding her characters. All is not as what it would seem in Dundee and the author has the reader walking the dark streets and deciding who id what. All what a good mystery should deliver.
Chris Longmuir writes in a realistic manner, keeps her characters grounded and dialogue believable. I am looking forward to the second book in the series.
Absolutely loved it! Chris drew me in to the story right away and kept me there until the very end. Even when I thought I had it figured out, Chris threw in one final twist.
I had trouble following it at first, but once I got pass the first chapter it started to flow for me. I enjoyed the book and would and have referred to others to read.