If you like police procedural books then this book is for you. It cleverly weaves the story together by bringing in stories from the victims past life. It continually points the finger at a different suspect. It might not be who you think it is! A good read.

I read and enjoyed Gytha Lodge's first book. While I wasn't blown away by it it was a decent crime read and I did like a couple of the characters in it. One them was DCI Jonah Sheens and this book finds him involved in another puzzling case. Aidan is on his computer late at night to call his girlfriend Zoe on Skye. He realises that there seems to be someone else in her flat and then hears a violent struggle taking place. It all goes quiet and he wonders if Zoe has come to harm. Given that why is he reluctant to call the police and when he eventually does why does he not hand over vital information? It strikes Jonah that all is not as it seems with this case.

The book follows Jonah and his team's investigation into the case. The book switches between this and events in Zoe's past. These narratives gradually come together by the end of the case. Much of the investigation is around Zoe's friends and Aidan. I confess I didn't find any of the characters outstanding but they were not bad.

Ultimately the chapters on the current investigation held me better than the historical ones for some reason. I guess Zoe's past life and incidents with her friends simply were not as interesting as the actual case. I think overall I prefer the previous book however I did find parts of this - particularly towards the end - very compelling and quite powerful. In the end I would call this something of a holiday read. I'd probably read another book about Jonah and his team in the future.

Terrific! This book gripped me from page one and did not let go until the very cleverly constructed ending. It is a book without unnecessary description; every paragraph adds to the story. The detectives are well drawn characters with enough about them to contribute to the progress of the story but without unnecessary or irrelevant detail about their personal lives. This may be a tale of solving a murder but it is delivered with great expertise. I strongly recommend this book. Get reading!

3.5 stars

Nice follow up to she lies in wait,setting up Jonah and a solid team behind him.
Interesting beginning with the possible murder being witnessed on Skype call..
It unfolded at a good pace,and every character became a suspect,leaving me thrilled to know I actually liked my friends...something that doesn't always seem to be happening in this type of book.
I think it was fairly obvious who the murderer was ,well before the end of the book,but by then I was busy figuring out how.
Very enjoyable.
Already looking forward to book 3

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, for the ARC.
This is #2 in the DCI Jonah Sheens detective series and I enjoyed #1 - She Lies in Wait. Watching from the Dark is a detailed police procedural with a hint of psychological menace, especially the opening scene.

A Thursday evening and Aidan is waiting for his girlfriend Zoe to connect on Skype, except the chair in front of her computer is empty and he has a limited view of the rest of her room. From sounds only he hears her taking a bath but, ominously, he believes someone has entered the flat and gone into the bathroom, locking the door. He believes Zoe has come to some harm. Aidan has secrets so he anonymously calls the police.

DCI Jonah Sheens and his team investigate and think at first Zoe has committed suicide - but all is not what it seems at the scene - and neither is the relationship between Aidan and Zoe.
Zoe's friends all come under suspicion until the real truth is revealed.

Throughout, the narrative takes the reader back 20 months to when Aidan and Zoe met, and charts the course of their relationship forwards to the present, together with their interactions with Zoe's circle of friends.

Now, even though I had read book #1, I found the first several chapters very hard to get into. The ranks of the police team weren't given, I had no sense of the geography and comparative distances being covered in the investigation, nor understand Zoe's or Aidan's situations until words such as student, college and university were dropped into the narrative many chapters too late. It all felt sort of disconnected and didn't flow at all well.
However, having said that, it has a complex, though a little-predictable, plot, and I still enjoyed the interactions of the police team.

This was an excellent police procedural and although I hadn’t read the first book in the series it in no way spoilt this one and in fact it can be read as a stand-alone in my opinion. The team of detectives led by DCI Jonah Sheens are plunged into a murder made to look like a suicide and from then on there are plenty twists and turns as the team struggle to find out who the perpetrator may be. I have to say it fooled me right to the end even though I read a lot of mystery thrillers.
The writing of the book is superb and the cast of characters are believable it’s a book that kept me wanting to read just a few pages more every time I was forced to put the kindle down. I really look forward to reading the next in the series and it’s a book I can highly recommend and heaps of praise to Gytha Lodge.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved She Lies in Wait so I was very excited to start Watching from the Dark.

Aidan is a fantastic character, so much depth and thought has gone into him and it’s clear to see! It took quite a lot for me to get into the story, the first 15% doesn’t flow very well but it’s worth sticking with!

A strong sequel.

Watching from the dark by Cynthia Lodge.
A very enjoyable read. Kept me Glued from page 1. Very well written. I had to find out who it was. It wasnt who I thought it was. 4*.

I loved Gytha Lodge's first novel and her second is just as compelling - we have the same detective team but as with the last book the story is mostly driven by the group dynamic of the characters caught up in a murder...

Zoe dies, watched in part from afar by someone with a lot to lose should he report it - from then on in we have a beautifully plotted and presented mystery with insightful twists and turns, an eclectic and absorbing set of darkly intriguing suspects leading towards an unpredictable outcome. 

Gytha Lodge does an excellent mash up of psychological thriller, police procedural and character study which is why the stories engage me so thoroughly.

Very excellent

Highly Recommended.