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DI Melanie Watton #2
The Watcher
How do you solve a case when there isn't a crime scene?
When DI Melanie Watton and her team are called in to investigate a video recording that surfaces in a local school, they realise that they have a complex case on their hands. When the recording is studied by the Medical Examiner, it becomes apparent the team are now faced with a gruesome recording of a murder. Over the course of several minutes, the killer administers drugs before suffocating a man on camera. With no known crime scene, the team have nothing more than the video evidence in front of them and face a challenge to identify both the victim and the killer. But when a suspect is discovered Melanie and her team are up against a killer who is more evil than anyone could have imagined...
The Watcher can be read as the sequel to Charlotte Barnes' mystery thriller, The Copycat or as an unmissable stand-alone. If you are a fan of detective stories by authors such as Helen H. Durrant and Angela Marsons, then you'll love this unmissable police series. Charlotte Barnes is also the author of the critically-acclaimed psychological thriller, Intention.
When DI Melanie Watton and her team are called in to investigate a video recording that surfaces in a local school, they realise that they have a complex case on their hands. When the recording is studied by the Medical Examiner, it becomes apparent the team are now faced with a gruesome recording of a murder. Over the course of several minutes, the killer administers drugs before suffocating a man on camera. With no known crime scene, the team have nothing more than the video evidence in front of them and face a challenge to identify both the victim and the killer. But when a suspect is discovered Melanie and her team are up against a killer who is more evil than anyone could have imagined...
The Watcher can be read as the sequel to Charlotte Barnes' mystery thriller, The Copycat or as an unmissable stand-alone. If you are a fan of detective stories by authors such as Helen H. Durrant and Angela Marsons, then you'll love this unmissable police series. Charlotte Barnes is also the author of the critically-acclaimed psychological thriller, Intention.
264 pages, ebook
First published April 6, 2020
27 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 5, 2020
PLAY is a mystery thriller by C.S. Barnes.
A report from a local school of a video circulating around that the head teacher is concerned about, and DI Melanie Watton and her team have been asked to take a look at it-a video of a murder! Melanie sent DS Carter and DC Burton from her team to check it out. They soon realize they have a complex case on their hands. A woman murdering someone!
When the recording is studied by the Medical Examiner, it becomes apparent the team are now faced with a gruesome recording of a murder. Over the course of several minutes, the killer administers drugs before suffocating a man on camera. With no known crime scene, the team have nothing more than the video evidence in front of them and face a challenge to identify both the victim and the killer.
The police have reason to believe the murder they are investigating is linked to characters who are using the dark web. They have video footage of someone being stifled and it could be a snuff film that may have been arranged through a dark web forum.
A deadly game of cat and mouse…to find the killer.
While this a much slower paced read than I normally read, and a little harder to get involved in, I found the latter half of the book sped up and I was totally drawn into the reveal of the killer.
Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for my digital copy.
Publication Date: April 6, 2020
A report from a local school of a video circulating around that the head teacher is concerned about, and DI Melanie Watton and her team have been asked to take a look at it-a video of a murder! Melanie sent DS Carter and DC Burton from her team to check it out. They soon realize they have a complex case on their hands. A woman murdering someone!
When the recording is studied by the Medical Examiner, it becomes apparent the team are now faced with a gruesome recording of a murder. Over the course of several minutes, the killer administers drugs before suffocating a man on camera. With no known crime scene, the team have nothing more than the video evidence in front of them and face a challenge to identify both the victim and the killer.
The police have reason to believe the murder they are investigating is linked to characters who are using the dark web. They have video footage of someone being stifled and it could be a snuff film that may have been arranged through a dark web forum.
A deadly game of cat and mouse…to find the killer.
While this a much slower paced read than I normally read, and a little harder to get involved in, I found the latter half of the book sped up and I was totally drawn into the reveal of the killer.
Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for my digital copy.
Publication Date: April 6, 2020
April 6, 2020
4.5 STARS
It starts with some teenagers passing around a video during class. What they watch is a woman killing a man ... generally called a snuff film.
DI Melanie Watton and her team are called in to investigate. There is no crime scene...there is no body that they can find ... they aren't even sure if this is the real deal or a video that's been manipulated into looking like the real thing.
This is a well written police procedural that takes the reader into the world of the dark web. Not everything ..and everyone ... are to be trusted. What they find is a complex puzzle that leads them to a suspect with a motive almost unheard of.
It's a real page turner filled with non-stop action. The characters are deftly drawn, warts and all. I enjoyed how a bit of private life among the crime solvers emerged and melded into their professional lives.
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
It starts with some teenagers passing around a video during class. What they watch is a woman killing a man ... generally called a snuff film.
DI Melanie Watton and her team are called in to investigate. There is no crime scene...there is no body that they can find ... they aren't even sure if this is the real deal or a video that's been manipulated into looking like the real thing.
This is a well written police procedural that takes the reader into the world of the dark web. Not everything ..and everyone ... are to be trusted. What they find is a complex puzzle that leads them to a suspect with a motive almost unheard of.
It's a real page turner filled with non-stop action. The characters are deftly drawn, warts and all. I enjoyed how a bit of private life among the crime solvers emerged and melded into their professional lives.
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
April 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this book as it was something different.
Whilst it’s a Police procedural the murder was something I’ve never come across in a book before.
Some boys at school are passing around a phone in class with a video on it, and when it reaches the teacher he realises it’s a snuff movie.
Unsure if the murder is real he reports it to the Police.
Melanie and the team are suspicious at first, thinking it’s a hoax but when an expert looks at it, they decide it’s real.
The hunt then begins for the body and they appeal to the public with a photo to see who the victim is.
I really liked the way the investigation came together and the way the team bounced off one another.
This is a great crime thriller with a difference.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read this book.
Whilst it’s a Police procedural the murder was something I’ve never come across in a book before.
Some boys at school are passing around a phone in class with a video on it, and when it reaches the teacher he realises it’s a snuff movie.
Unsure if the murder is real he reports it to the Police.
Melanie and the team are suspicious at first, thinking it’s a hoax but when an expert looks at it, they decide it’s real.
The hunt then begins for the body and they appeal to the public with a photo to see who the victim is.
I really liked the way the investigation came together and the way the team bounced off one another.
This is a great crime thriller with a difference.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read this book.
April 25, 2020
This is the second book to feature DI Melanie Watton, but can also easily be read as a stand-alone.
Play starts with a video being passed around pupils in a school, but when a teacher sees it he realises this may show a murder and so calls the police.
DI Melanie Watton and her team begin the investigation by trying to identify the man in the video, but things get dark when this is identified as real, a snuff movie. This takes them to the dark web and worry that this may not be an isolated murder.
Wow….this is a police procedural with a really dark edge, it has up to date tech, great likeable characters and a twisted, complex plot to keep you gripped from start to finish. Dark, disturbing and utterly engrossing and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.
Thank you to C.S Barnes for the opportunity to read this for free. This is my honest and unbiased review.
Play starts with a video being passed around pupils in a school, but when a teacher sees it he realises this may show a murder and so calls the police.
DI Melanie Watton and her team begin the investigation by trying to identify the man in the video, but things get dark when this is identified as real, a snuff movie. This takes them to the dark web and worry that this may not be an isolated murder.
Wow….this is a police procedural with a really dark edge, it has up to date tech, great likeable characters and a twisted, complex plot to keep you gripped from start to finish. Dark, disturbing and utterly engrossing and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.
Thank you to C.S Barnes for the opportunity to read this for free. This is my honest and unbiased review.
May 7, 2020
Fantastically well researched and written; intriguing enough to keep me gripped and powerful enough to shock. Liked the small personal touches too, a welcome addition. A light enough read for these times of trouble.
April 5, 2020
The blurb for this sounded so good that I couldn’t resist this book. Sadly, it didn’t really work for me.
The characters were okay and the plot was good but I am afraid I found it quite tame and not enough going on. It felt like they spent most of the time just looking at computers and not enough leg work.
The story did pick up near the end but overall I’m afraid it was too little too late.
The characters were okay and the plot was good but I am afraid I found it quite tame and not enough going on. It felt like they spent most of the time just looking at computers and not enough leg work.
The story did pick up near the end but overall I’m afraid it was too little too late.
April 12, 2020
The storyline alone is worth three stars but this could have been so much more. The characters need a great deal of development and using just surnames for others but first name for the lead - confusing to say the least.....
...... And then there is the end. Trite, silly and so, so, annoying.
April 13, 2020
When a video is found circulating around a local school of what appears to be a murder, DI Melanie Watton doesn’t take any chances. She immediately dispatches two of her best; DS Carter and DC Burton to collect the device and speak with the students in question. Could this video just be an elaborate hoax? But something just doesn’t sit right and after reviewing the footage it slowly starts to dawn on them that this gruesome video may in fact not be a hoax at all. The odds are stacked against them because without a body how can they prove there was even a murder? And who are the people in the video? This could be one of their most challenging cases to date and as the pieces of this very complex puzzle start to fit together the team never imagined that they would face a killer so volatile.
I thought this was a great story and perhaps a good lesson to be mindful of what information we so easily share without knowing where the content originated. I did have a bit of a hard time at first with the characters as the author kept switching between first names, surnames and ranks but as I became familiar with them it was an easy read.
I thought this was a great story and perhaps a good lesson to be mindful of what information we so easily share without knowing where the content originated. I did have a bit of a hard time at first with the characters as the author kept switching between first names, surnames and ranks but as I became familiar with them it was an easy read.
April 3, 2020
DI Melanie Watton and her team are faced with an alarming task – tracing the source of a “snuff video” that has been doing the rounds of the local secondary school, working out whether it is real or staged and identifying and tracing the participants.
It’s really difficult to say more about the story without giving anything away, but this is a classic police procedural story brought bang up to date with the use of technology to access the Dark Web to help with solving the case.
I particularly enjoyed the characters, and the dynamics, both professional and personal, of the team working on the case which became clear as they worked and interacted rather than having any lengthy explanations or back-story. This means that there is no need to have read Barnes’s previous book in order to get to know the players. I’m always much happier with a book that can stand completely alone.
Although a good story with a satisfying conclusion, a few things left me a little puzzled. Maybe it’s because I’ve never actually been a teenage boy, but I can’t understand why they all wanted to watch the video and were sending it on to each other. It doesn’t sound to me like the kind of thing anyone would want to watch.
And although by the end of the story the actions of the parties involved in making the video are explained, I really couldn’t fathom out WHY at least one of the participants chose to take part. Or why the contract was stored in a highly secure, almost unhackable folder, when the participant wanted the details to be known? Or why that same participant did want them to be known? Or why the solicitor had been given the wrong address for an important contact? I think I’m going to have to read the book again with the benefit of hindsight to see if I’ve missed any salient points that might help me to clear up these questions
It’s really difficult to say more about the story without giving anything away, but this is a classic police procedural story brought bang up to date with the use of technology to access the Dark Web to help with solving the case.
I particularly enjoyed the characters, and the dynamics, both professional and personal, of the team working on the case which became clear as they worked and interacted rather than having any lengthy explanations or back-story. This means that there is no need to have read Barnes’s previous book in order to get to know the players. I’m always much happier with a book that can stand completely alone.
Although a good story with a satisfying conclusion, a few things left me a little puzzled. Maybe it’s because I’ve never actually been a teenage boy, but I can’t understand why they all wanted to watch the video and were sending it on to each other. It doesn’t sound to me like the kind of thing anyone would want to watch.
And although by the end of the story the actions of the parties involved in making the video are explained, I really couldn’t fathom out WHY at least one of the participants chose to take part. Or why the contract was stored in a highly secure, almost unhackable folder, when the participant wanted the details to be known? Or why that same participant did want them to be known? Or why the solicitor had been given the wrong address for an important contact? I think I’m going to have to read the book again with the benefit of hindsight to see if I’ve missed any salient points that might help me to clear up these questions
April 5, 2020
Play centres around a complex investigation and Barnes brings in some interesting and detailed aspects of police procedure to explore this. This novel is my first experience of Barnes' writing, which means that I am coming to the DI Melanie Watton series as a new reader and I believe I would have got more from this book having read the series from the beginning. I felt that I would have benefitted from knowing a little more of the characters' back stories as they definitely have interesting lives that I felt I could relate to.
The investigation begins in a classroom where the material investigated by Watton and her team is shared by teenagers. I found this a really interesting starting point as it highlights the role that technology and social media have in our lives and allows Barnes to explore some interesting themes. I was especially interested in the aspects of the investigation that led the team to look into the Dark Web: Barnes has researched this well and I enjoyed the way it was incorporated into the plot.
As it takes the team some time to find some promising leads, Play is a little slower paced than other novels in this genre. However, this does mean that the reader is given lots of clues to the killer's identity and they have the opportunity to follow the investigation alongside the team.
The investigation begins in a classroom where the material investigated by Watton and her team is shared by teenagers. I found this a really interesting starting point as it highlights the role that technology and social media have in our lives and allows Barnes to explore some interesting themes. I was especially interested in the aspects of the investigation that led the team to look into the Dark Web: Barnes has researched this well and I enjoyed the way it was incorporated into the plot.
As it takes the team some time to find some promising leads, Play is a little slower paced than other novels in this genre. However, this does mean that the reader is given lots of clues to the killer's identity and they have the opportunity to follow the investigation alongside the team.
April 22, 2020
*****
How do you solve a case when there isn't a crime scene?
When a snuff video appears on the phone of a student DI Watton and her team face a challenge. Is this a real video? Where is the scene? Where is the victim? Where do they even begin with something like this?
This is a fascinating premise for a novel. As usual, Barnes does not disappoint. Thrust straight into the action she doesn't mess around. The pace is relentless. As with Copycat, even the slower police procedural scenes are handled well, keeping us interested and entertained. We see the chemistry of DI Watton, DS Carter and DC Burton develop. These are characters that warrant a whole series, so richly developed are they.
The conclusion of the novel is deft. Unpredictable, stylish and innovative. This is a crime thriller not be missed.
Copies of Play available from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Play-complet...
or contact Charley Barnes via her website:
http://www.charleybarneswriter.com/ab...
How do you solve a case when there isn't a crime scene?
When a snuff video appears on the phone of a student DI Watton and her team face a challenge. Is this a real video? Where is the scene? Where is the victim? Where do they even begin with something like this?
This is a fascinating premise for a novel. As usual, Barnes does not disappoint. Thrust straight into the action she doesn't mess around. The pace is relentless. As with Copycat, even the slower police procedural scenes are handled well, keeping us interested and entertained. We see the chemistry of DI Watton, DS Carter and DC Burton develop. These are characters that warrant a whole series, so richly developed are they.
The conclusion of the novel is deft. Unpredictable, stylish and innovative. This is a crime thriller not be missed.
Copies of Play available from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Play-complet...
or contact Charley Barnes via her website:
http://www.charleybarneswriter.com/ab...
April 29, 2020
This book has an interesting storyline however its possibly more suited for a television programme. A film that's being passed around on a mobile phone in a school classroom is confiscated by the teacher however once the footage is watched it's apparent that a very serious crime has been involved and its quickly escalated to DI Melanie Watton and her team. It appears to be a snuff film with a man being killed by an unknown woman. On further investigation it is not the first time this woman has killed.
The story plays out somewhat slowly and sometimes becomes confusing with the use of surnames within the investigating team. Overall it is still a good book to read but do not expect an all action book.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC which I've reviewed voluntarily.
The story plays out somewhat slowly and sometimes becomes confusing with the use of surnames within the investigating team. Overall it is still a good book to read but do not expect an all action book.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC which I've reviewed voluntarily.
April 5, 2020
This is my second book by this author, I enjoyed it as much as the first one if not more. It is a well written story with characters that brought the story to life. They made me feel as if I was right there with them. I enjoyed being pulled into the story right from the beginning and engaged to the end. Melanie is called in to verify if the video being passed around is real or a fake murder. The twists and turns kept me turning pages just waiting to see what would happen next. I highly recommend reading this book, will they find out where this video started from and who the victim is?
April 6, 2020
Having read Copycat, and enjoying the relationships between the characters, I was excited to read Play.
The characters still have that same chemistry which keeps a reader engaged and hoping for the best outcomes.
This book was interesting, in that I learned quite a bit about snuff films and the Dark Web, and I love learning new facts, so that is always a positive for me.
There were parts of the story which I found to be a bit slow, but I kept going, and I'm glad that I did.
All in all, this was a good read and I'll be on the lookout for future books with the same characters.
The characters still have that same chemistry which keeps a reader engaged and hoping for the best outcomes.
This book was interesting, in that I learned quite a bit about snuff films and the Dark Web, and I love learning new facts, so that is always a positive for me.
There were parts of the story which I found to be a bit slow, but I kept going, and I'm glad that I did.
All in all, this was a good read and I'll be on the lookout for future books with the same characters.
April 8, 2020
Overall 3.5*
I was looking forward to reading this book however it does take some time to get into it and for me that means I can lose the plot at times. When DI Watton and her team are called to look at a video, they discover it is a murder one with no idea who was killed or by whom. It is a good story and picks up at the end, however some people may have given up by then. If you want to read something a bit different then this would be the book for you.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.
I was looking forward to reading this book however it does take some time to get into it and for me that means I can lose the plot at times. When DI Watton and her team are called to look at a video, they discover it is a murder one with no idea who was killed or by whom. It is a good story and picks up at the end, however some people may have given up by then. If you want to read something a bit different then this would be the book for you.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.
April 3, 2020
This is my second book by this author; the first being Copycat which blew me away. So I was really excited to read this, but I'm sadly a little disappointed.
A much slower paced read that didn't draw me in as most books usually do, and it took me a while to get into it.
That being said, with so much of our lives based around media it opens your eyes to some of the scarier darker stuff that's out there.
I will still definitely be looking to read more by this author.
A much slower paced read that didn't draw me in as most books usually do, and it took me a while to get into it.
That being said, with so much of our lives based around media it opens your eyes to some of the scarier darker stuff that's out there.
I will still definitely be looking to read more by this author.
November 11, 2020
When this book started off it was of a snuff video being watched by kids in a school classroom. I didn’t know at all how dark it would get. I’ve never heard of snuff films but I found myself, quite a few times being genuinely disturbed. Massive praise for C.S.Barnes on yet another fantastic book. I’m a slow reader but I read it all in three days and didn’t want to put it down. It was so nice to see the characters again and I can’t wait for the 3rd instalment next year.
April 4, 2020
Melanie Watson and her team are called in to try and find out if the video passed around a school is an actual 'snuff film' or an actual murder. This takes the whole team down the dark web to try and find out where this video started from and who the woman is and who the victim is. This is a very dangerous path to try and follow. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Bloodhound Books.
April 4, 2020
This is a different take on a crime thriller, no body for the police but a plausible video recording that showed the victim and the killer.
I quite enjoyed the book and it is easy enough to read. My only criticism was that I found the pace to be a little slow, but balance that against it being a little unusual and it is still worth a go.
I quite enjoyed the book and it is easy enough to read. My only criticism was that I found the pace to be a little slow, but balance that against it being a little unusual and it is still worth a go.
May 26, 2020
A well written, well paced crime novel that feels authentic throughout.
This isn't Hollywood Police work, there are no bombs on the bus. The strength of this book is in taking an ordinary detective team and having them deal with a crime that, while extraordinary, is still believable.
I loved it.
This isn't Hollywood Police work, there are no bombs on the bus. The strength of this book is in taking an ordinary detective team and having them deal with a crime that, while extraordinary, is still believable.
I loved it.
April 6, 2021
Retitled 'The Watcher', this is an ingenious plot, setting out a myth and then disproving it with a strong team of detectives working all hours. A consuming read that kept me on the edge, wondering whether this killer would be brought to justice. Horribly believable.
September 22, 2021
The police procedural elements were again far too heavy for me, although the underlying storyline was better than in Copycat. There's just not enough action, characters etc outside of the police station.
July 15, 2020
Book Review!!⠀
Play by C.S. Barnes⠀
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⠀
⠀
I want to firstly thank this gem for sending me a copy of her novel. It came from far, far away, so when it arrived I was super excited! ⠀
⠀
This novel was such a quick and easy read, something I think we all need from time to time. I was kept on my toes throughout, and found myself shocked at more than one point. ⠀
⠀
You could tell this novel was immaculately well researched, and I myself really appreciated the forensic/coroner type scenes. I’m a weirdo, I know! But being in the death care industry, I like to look over those types of things with a fine toothed comb. ⠀
⠀
Again, thank you to Charley for sending me your novel, it did not disappoint! 🥰⠀
⠀
(@fyebooks on Instagram)
Play by C.S. Barnes⠀
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⠀
⠀
I want to firstly thank this gem for sending me a copy of her novel. It came from far, far away, so when it arrived I was super excited! ⠀
⠀
This novel was such a quick and easy read, something I think we all need from time to time. I was kept on my toes throughout, and found myself shocked at more than one point. ⠀
⠀
You could tell this novel was immaculately well researched, and I myself really appreciated the forensic/coroner type scenes. I’m a weirdo, I know! But being in the death care industry, I like to look over those types of things with a fine toothed comb. ⠀
⠀
Again, thank you to Charley for sending me your novel, it did not disappoint! 🥰⠀
⠀
(@fyebooks on Instagram)
July 1, 2021
A huge improvement on the previous book, the narrative flowed more naturally and the story became darker with more twists as it went on. The characters have developed and are generally well rounded - although I do wonder why DI Watton is always curt (a word used too many times). Looking forward to the next one.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews