Audiobook Review: The Watcher by Bella Jewel

Pub. Date:	May 30, 2017
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrators:	Maxine Mitchelle Joe Arden
Length:	7 hrs 11 min
Source:	Publisher

This will be a quickie mini review as I'm still traveling and continue to find myself pressed for time. I listened to this audiobook at the beginning of my road trip, and it made the miles fly by. Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell did a good job with the character performances and held my attention quite well throughout the story.

Marlie Jacobsen was a tortured and sympathetic heroine. Surviving a horrible tragedy and being taken advantage of by her mother, Marlie's ability to cope with her life was admirable. When her sister goes missing in an eerily similar way to Marlie's own sadistic disappearance, Marlie doesn't hesitate (much) to go back to the place of her nightmares to save her family. She showed determination and a great strength of character to be involved in the investigation, which made her face her past and recurring nightmares.

Kenai Michelson is a dangerously good-looking private investigator, who got into the business of finding missing persons after his own family tragedy. He doesn't want anything to do with Marlie Jacobsen, the woman who profited from her tragedy when so many never make it home. But Kenai jumped to many incorrect conclusions about Marlie and he had to open his eyes and stop believing everything he hears or reads. Other than the quick jump conclusions, I enjoyed Kenai as a hero. He was a somewhat broody alpha, but his understanding and protective instincts were slowly transformed as he got to know our heroine. 

The budding relationship between Marlie and Kenai was entwined with a truly horrific suspense plot. It appears that Marlie's own tragedy has come back to haunt her, and the pair is racing the clock to save Marlie's sister, while trying not to get killed themselves. While I found the identity of the villain to be predictable, it didn't bother me overmuch because the author really got into the head of the dark and twisty (and psychotic) bad guy. There were also a few unexpected revelations about the story that made the situation and nature of the killer so much worse. I think this story contributed to the bad dreams I had in the unfamiliar hotel room the first night of my road trip!

If you are a fan of the darker romantic suspense stories, then I definitely recommend this book to you. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Tantor Audio.