A five star read for sure. Tension, excitement, a likeable main character, all the components required for a thrilling novel. Fast paced and exciting storytelling

I have to start by saying that I am a big fan of Kernick especially books such as Relentless and The Last Ten Seconds however this....not so much. The synopsis felt like a departure from my expectations of a Kernick novel so I was excited to try something a little different. Brook Conner is on her way home and is excited to see her daughter Paige. When she arrives she just knows something is off as her housekeeper Rosa is not there with Paige but her car is. Confused she calls Rosa to no reply fololowed shortly thereafter to her husband. It becomes all too clear that her daughter has been kidnapped.

Now right out the gate I admit I did not warm to any of the characters in this book. Brook, her husband, her lawyer, literally everybody! The storyline also bordered on the ridiculous. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against strecthing the realms of reality for a story, but it has to be a good story for me to be on board with it! I managed to trudge my way through this but it felt like a chore. Every now and then you can read a book by an author you love and just not gel with the book and this is one of those times.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

We Can See You by Simon Kernick is an enthralling and exciting thriller. The suspense builds up quickly, taking readers on a roller coaster ride full of unexpected twists and turns. The main protagonist is pushed to their absolute limits and readers are thrown right in to their inner struggle as they make difficult decisions.

We Can See You is a page turner that takes you on an unforgettable journey, delving into the hidden and sinister underbelly of life and its threats. Kernick’s masterful writing will keep you hooked until the very end. An absolute must read for any fan of the thriller genre.

WE HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER. WE KNOW YOUR SECRETS. WE CAN SEE YOU.

This is the new standalone thriller by Simon Kernick. A fast paced, action packed story about a successful author who's daughter and nanny have been kidnapped.

Simon Kernick is just such a fantastic storyteller! This is no exception. My heart was in my mouth at times I was so caught up in the chase!

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Wow this was a roller coaster of a read. I loved every single page and it kept me gripped from the very beginning. 5 stars.

Another cracking read from Simon Kernick. Fast paced, full of tension and hugely gripping. I couldn't stop reading! It's not the most realistic plot in the world but fine if you just suspend your belief while reading.

I’ve read many Simon Kernick books over the years, so was looking forward to this one. It is based in America, which was a surprise initially as most of the books I had read were UK based. This book takes us on the twisted tale of Brook Connor. She has, what appears, to be the perfect life – husband, child and success career. One day, she returns home and finds her daughter is missing, along with the nanny, Rosa. She has been left a note and a shocking present, with the note giving instructions not to involve the police and they will do if she does as they can see her. Hours later, her life is turned upside down and she finds herself being accused of murder. Who is trying to set her up, and why?

The book began with a shocking start of Brook returning home and finding her daughter missing. Told from, not just Brook’s point of view, but of the detectives investigating her. I found the switching between the characters and different timeframes a little confusing at times, and I found I really needed to concentrate to work out where I was in the story. I couldn’t quite work out what to make of Brook, at times liking her character and at others didn’t! Similarly, with some of the other characters, you start off believing in them because of who they are, but then swapping and changing your opinion of them as the story moves on.

As usual with this author, we are treated to plenty of twists and turns, high suspense and lots of tension. Personally, for me, I struggled to keep my attention focussed on the storyline due to the changes in characters. I would have enjoyed it more if I could have cheered on at least one of the characters, but found it difficult to connect with any of them. It was a book which I had to read because I’ve always enjoyed this author’s writing, but for me it wasn’t one of the best books he’s written.

We Can See You is a suspenseful, character-driven, domestic thriller that brings a mother’s worst nightmare to life.

The writing is excellent and adds to the drama with tenacious and well crafted characters. The plot unfolds into a tangled web of danger, fear, panic and jealousy, that quickly turns into violence, and murder.

We Can See You is an intricate mystery with enough twists to keep you guessing until the very last page. I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any fans of the modern psychological thriller.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately this Simon Kernick book wasn’t a patch on his others

It very far fetched and for some reason set in California when usually his book are set in the UK

I think he has tried to branch out and it hasn’t worked

Revert back to the old style please Simon

Typical Kernick: fast-paced, intriguing, action-packed and an easy read.
Book info:
You have it all. Success, a beautiful home, a happy family.

Until, in a heartbeat, it's gone.

We've kidnapped your daughter, and we know everything about you. Including the dark secrets from your past you thought were forgotten.

We tell you not to contact the police – and that we’ll know if you do. Because we can see you.

And now you know this is no ordinary abduction. It’s worse. Within hours you’re on the run, with only one thought in your head:

That you will stop at nothing to get your daughter back.

Even murder...

Standalone domestic noir thriller. California lifestyle coach Brook's day goes from bad to worse when first her daughter is kidnapped and she is then framed for the murder of her cheating husband. Thrills and spills aplenty.

3 for neutral. This book was not for me, but may be enjoyed by others. While I am a very moody reader, I don’t think this is one I’ll ever enjoy, since the writing seemed to jump way too much for my enjoyment, but also very moody when reading and will update if able to enjoy at a later time.

Compulsive reading, this is an addictive suspenseful psychological thriller like no other.

The plot is unpredictable with lots of twists and turns along with solid engaging characters.
There is also a sense of dread as the story deals with the deep and dark corners of the human psych.

I very much enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone!

I am a massive Simon Kernick fan and devour his books as soon as I get my hands on them but this one wasn't devoured as much as nibbled on over a couple of days whilst relaxing in the sunshine on my recent holiday.

It's well written, easy to read and a good story but I did find it a little predictable and, at times, stretched reality a little too much even for a work of fiction. The characters are well developed but I didn't find myself becoming invested in them as much I would have liked so wasn't particularly bothered what their ultimate fates would be.

There are the usual twists, turns and surprising revelations that Mr Kernick has a knack of smacking you round the face with which make you keep reading; it just didn't hit the mark quite as much for me as his other books have but it's still enjoyable and worth reading.

My thanks must go to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

Two stars! To be honest I only finished this because I need to keep my netgalley percentages up. It just didn't work for me, the story is clunky and the writing is clunky. I know, I know it's a thriller it shouldn't matter but I can't get invested in a story where the main character irritates me. I've obviously enjoyed Kernicks police / thriller episodes set in the UK maybe it's the California setting who knows ? My advice stick to his earlier books.

It’s a nightmare situation. You return home one evening to find that your daughter has been kidnapped and a note telling you not to call the police, because those responsible will know if you do. Such is the predicament that Brook Connor finds herself in when she returns home one evening to an unexpectedly empty house. Believe it or not, things are about to get a whole lot worse for Brook as she follows the kidnapper's demands and tries to get her daughter back. It’s hard not to admire Brook’s determination throughout the novel. She’s an imperfect character, but I couldn’t fault her resilience and resourcefulness as she tries to find Paige.

We Can See You is told predominantly from Brook’s perspective, with other points of view used sparingly to give a different view on Brook’s situation as well as more background on her character. I loved the scenes with Brook in police custody which are dotted throughout the novel. The reader knows that Brook is arrested four days after her daughter’s kidnapping (this isn't a spoiler, it's in the second chapter!), and it doesn’t take long to find out what she has been accused of. The situation seems extremely unfair given what the reader knows, but I found the hints at Brook’s activities, which the reader is as yet unaware of, extremely compelling – I wanted to know more about what she’d done and why. While the reader sympathises with Brook, the evidence against her is damning, and I wanted to know how events had escalated in such a short space of time.

I thought that the pacing throughout the novel was excellent. Like Brook, the reader feels an incredible sense of urgency to find out what has happened to Paige and who is behind it all, as well as finding out Brook’s ultimate fate. This is an incredibly fast-paced and action-packed novel, and once it starts it really doesn’t slow down until the final page. There were a few moments that I felt were a little over the top, but I read on wanting to know how it ended. And what an unexpected ending! I didn’t see it coming at all.

We Can See You. In a normal context, this sentence can fit in with different situations. Parents warning their kids they are watching them so they better not keep pulling at the flowers. A teen rolling her eyes because she spotted her parents snogging in the kitchen. Friends laughing at someone who tried to hide and give them a scare.

Simon Kernick gives We Can See You a darker, spine-chilling meaning. Rarely had a title been so openly threatening!

I had no idea what to expect when I began reading, as this was my first book by Simon Kernick. Well, he definitely knows how to lead his readers by the nose!! What better to turn a life upside down than an empty house, a missing child, and an alarming note?

In a matter of hours, Brooke’s seemingly perfect picture as a life coach and famous writer shatters and it is not long before she finds herself alone, fighting against time and the police to retrieve her daughter Paige. I truly enjoyed the narrative format, going back and forth between the present and the previous days, from different POVs. The feeling of urgency never left me as I was racing along Brooke to find answers, only to be met with secrets, lies, and people I wasn’t sure I could trust. Imagine a ball in a maze. It bounces on a wall, violently gets sent a different way, to be slapped again on another hard, cold surface. That ball is Brooke! Every step she takes seems to add more complexity to her task. Everywhere she looks, a surprise is waiting for her. No respite for brave people! We Can See You associates a parent’s worst fear, one of the strongest case of resilience I’ve ever seen, and a relentless sense of urgency. This is an explosive mix!

With twists galore and a woman who will not let anything or anyone stand in her way, We Can See You offers many heart-stopping moments. I particularly enjoyed a detail in the novel about Brooke and her daughter Paige (you need to read to know what I’m talking about! No spoilers here!) It kept me rooting for Brooke when I sometimes felt she was getting on my nerves or when I started doubting the number of situations she got herself out of. I could feel myself rolling my eyes whenever she mentioned her self-help books, but hey, when you’ve got nothing left, you cling to what you know, right? Anyway, despite Brooke sometimes appearing as a superwoman and not a regular mom, I couldn’t help but being 1) freaked out by the whole situation 2) completely addicted by the chase 3) in dire need to know who could have eyes everywhere!

Simon Kernick brilliantly portrays a desperate but resourceful woman who encounters many obstacles but never gives up. She meets a very diverse cast of characters, each of one adding spice and turns to the plot. I liked some, pitied a few, utterly loathed others.

Isn’t it unfair to fight faceless monsters who seem to always be one step ahead? As the title suggests, Paige’s kidnappers watch Brooke, and they seem to have no boundaries. I was so frustrated to see Brooke’s tries to save her family go to waste as every door was slammed to her face. Who has such power? ARGH! The closest you get to the end, the more claustrophobic this novel becomes, as the trap set to destroy Brook closes in on her. Every time I thought I knew where the book was leading me, I found myself proved wrong as more people added their own story to the plot. Without ever forgetting the core of the chase – Paige’s abduction – Brooke must deal with jealousy, deceit, people you should not cross path with, violence, and a ruthless tension.

There is no coincidence in this book. All the threads lead one a final moment you won’t see coming. I know I didn’t!!!
Suspenseful, We Can See You is a powerful rollercoaster with an explosive ending!