I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

"Watch Me" by Angela Clarke is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the dangers of the internet when manipulated by someone with a personal vendetta. From the very beginning, Clarke masterfully pulls the reader into a world where social media, secrets, and obsession collide in a chilling narrative. The novel delves into the lives of characters whose online personas are twisted, revealing just how vulnerable we all are in the digital age.

What truly impressed me about this book was how unexpectedly I became captivated by the story. The tension and suspense build steadily, leaving you constantly on edge as you try to predict the next shocking twist. Clarke’s writing is sharp and compelling, making "Watch Me" not just a cautionary tale, but a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Angela Clarke has proven herself to be a truly talented writer, and I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who enjoys suspenseful, thought-provoking narratives.

YOU HAVE SIX SECONDS TO READ THIS MESSAGE…

The body of a 15-year-old is found hours after she sends a desperate message to her friends. It looks like suicide, until a second girl disappears.

This time, the message is sent directly to the Metropolitan Police – and an officer’s younger sister is missing.

DS Nasreen Cudmore and journalist Freddie Venton will stop at nothing to find her. But whoever’s behind the notes is playing a deadly game of hide and seek – and the clock is ticking.

YOU HAVE 24 HOURS TO SAVE THE GIRL’S LIFE.
MAKE THEM COUNT.

A book that has been on my back list for far too long. What an enjoyable read this turned out to be. Not as gripping as I thought it was going to be but still an enjoyable read.
Watch Me is the is the follow on book to - Follow me which introduced us to DS Nasreen Cudmore and journalist Freddie Venton.

Follow Me
Watch Me
Trust Me

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

Watch Me by Angela Clark is the 2nd book in the social media murders series. Once again DS Nasreen Cudmore and journalist Freddie Venton team up to solve a deadly crime and catch the killer.

Watch Me is the sequel to Follow me and as I hadn't read the first book was this my first introduction to DS Nasreen Cudmore and journalist Freddie Venton. I optioned to listen to the audio version of the book and it was in hindsight perhaps not the best thing, Now both Nasren and Freddie are quite young, in the early twenties, and there is nothing wrong with that, it's just that Imogen Wilde made them sound like they were much younger than that. And, I'm sorry to say I just had some trouble taken them serious as a DS and an (ex)journalist. It's interesting how a narrator can affect the book in that way. I just want to stress that there is nothing wrong with Imogen Wildes voice. I just felt it didn't really suit this book.

As for the story. It was OK. The media angle, hacking, Snapchat, Facebook the constant awareness where you are through updates. That makes you an easy target. And, it's a perfect instrument for a crime plot. Nasreen and Freddie both know the effect of bullying and that makes this case very personal. It also gets a lot more personal when a colleague's sisters get kidnapped and they got 24 hours to find her.

I found the last part of the book the best when the pace started to increase when things started to both unravel and be revealed (keeping secrets is never good). As I wrote before I found the narrator not perfect for the characters, however, I did like Nasreen and Freddie and their friendship. It's a perfectly alright book and it's a series I would definitely read more from.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

I thought this book was going to be amazing, it was good, but not great. There were a few things that bugged me, bugged me enough that it ruined liking the book. Who gets a civilian to help solve a crime? I liked Nasreen but felt the author tried to hard to show the strife in the workplace and Nasreen made odd choices, choices that I feel would had made her lose her job in the real world.

All in all, it was good read and I did read it quite quickly. There was action and a good story line.

I will probably check out the next book in the series.

I quite liked this but found the plot a bit too unbelievable and the countdown a bit tiresome. Also the over reliance on "new" technology was overwrought. The story did crack on and I read it to the end

This is the second book in the series by Angela Clarke and I'm hooked. It was a brilliant read, and I can't wait for book number three!!

This second instalment in Angela Clarke's Social Media Murder series was even better than the first one Follow Me. I enjoyed how the two main characters Nasreen and Freddie developed in this book and the plot was quite gripping, with several twists thrown in. I will definitely be reading the next one in the series.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Back in February 2016 when damppebbles was still finding it’s feet and I was wondering what I had actually let myself in for by starting a book blog, I reviewed the brilliant Follow Me by author Angela Clarke, the first book in the Social Media Murders series. If you would like a recap or if you missed it the first time around you can read that review by clicking here. Please remember I was even more of a novice at this blogging lark than I am now…damppebbles wasn’t even a month old! Follow Me was a compelling read which I found fabulously dark and brilliantly disturbing. So earlier this year I was delighted to discover that the second book in the series had been published.

It was so good to be reacquainted with studious detective Nasreen Cudmore and bubbly, in your face Freddie Venton. Although I must say that I found it hard to recognise Freddie at first. I hate spoilers and I don’t know whether you’ve read the first book in the series so I’ll be as vague as I can and say that the events at the end of Follow Me changed Freddie and unfortunately not for the better.

In Follow Me I felt Freddie took the limelight, and rightly so. I really like Freddie’s character as she’s everything I’m not. In Watch Me it was Nasreen’s turn to steal the show and she does a brilliant job. This book focuses so much more on the detective’s side of the investigation with Freddie making the occasional contribution. This really worked for me as I feel I’m much more ‘Nasreen’ than I am ‘Freddie’ (in the same way that I’m much more ‘Monica’ than I am ‘Rachel or Phoebe’).

As in the first book the subject matter was current and handled with great care and respect. I felt slightly uncomfortable that the victims of the attacks tended to be teenagers but I get the feeling this is what Clarke wants the reader to feel. I can understand why the author chose to make one of the victims 15 years old as this demonstrates that age is no barrier to this particular crime (in fact, it’s probably more likely to happen to younger teenagers wanting to prove they are all ‘grown up’) but it did make me feel uncomfortable. I applaud the author for having the courage to make her readers squirm. I, for one, can confirm that this is a book I won’t forget in a while.

I would definitely recommend that you read Follow Me before making a start on Watch Me. The characters back stories are beautifully laid out in this book and you get to learn everything you need to know about them, apart from what actually happened at the end of the first book. It’s alluded to throughout but you will be left wondering about the exact details if you haven’t read Follow Me. Plus I will always recommend that you start with the first book in the series and work your way through.

I loved the conclusion. It was such a surprise to me and everything I want in my crime thrillers. Great pacing with a fantastic build up, that feeling that you know exactly what’s going on when you haven’t a clue. Brilliant.

Would I recommend this book? I would but please make sure you read Follow Me first as otherwise you’ll be left wondering exactly what happened at the end of the first book. I hold a great deal of affection for Nasreen and Freddie and I can’t wait for more from Angela Clarke. A great series that all crime fans should make a point of reading.

Four and a half out of five stars.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Watch Me. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Sooooo I now gotta read the first book seeing as this one was so good!!!

The book is the 2nd in a series but worked fine as a stand alone novel but I must have the first one now!!!

This was centred around the internet and how it can be used against you, revenge porn, cyber bullying it's all in here.

It was a totally gripping read from start to finish, love Freddie and Nasreen what a great duo they make, cannot wait to read the 1st one!!!

This review is from: Watch Me (Kindle Edition)

Great 2nd book about Social Media. I would recommend reading Follow Me first as it will help with the main 2 characters but you could read as a stand alone. A real page turner that keeps you interested from page 1 to the end
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Great story - looking forward to more by this author

Thanks for the chance to read this in advance

Watch Me

This is the second book in Angela Clarke's Social Media series and wow, I loved it!

Watch Me is a fast paced thriller that can be read as a standalone. Covering issues that are very relevant in today's society, it highlights how dangerous the internet and social media can be. It's especially relevant with everything that's currently in the news about the dangers of games on Snapchat.

I enjoyed this book and will go back and read the first one. This book is a real page turner and I can't recommend it enough! 4*

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

Follow DS Nasreen Cudmore and her old pal from school, Freddie Venton in this British crime thriller that involves revenge porn and social media. Watch Me is the second book in this series but can be read as a standalone.

I have NOT read the first book in Angela’s Social Media Murders series called Follow Me. But this is not a problem as Watch Me can be read as a standalone AND bit by bit through Watch Me, you are given the gist of Follow Me and the #hashtag murderer. It irritated me how this novel kept going back to the first novel. It seemed as though you were only getting half a new novel and I suspect readers who had read Follow Me would feel short changed.

This novel does explore what can go wrong with social media and how images can be used for a wider audience. The plot is a little far fetched but together Nasreen and Freddie have the skills to catch the bad guys. However, this buy one, get one free style of policing is a little hard to believe. Nasreen gets her police salary but her old school pal Freddie can work unpaid alongside the police team to get the result. Freddie is even given a lanyard to wear, calling her a consultant, so she can stroll around the police station at will. Pull the other one, Angela.

The characterisation of Nasreen and Freddie develops at a fair pace. They have a long standing and cosy relationship that is easy for the reader to play along with. But for all the seriousness of this novel, including suicide or perhaps murder, our crime solving duo come across just like those charming television presenters Mel and Sue.

As I read through Watch Me, I could not get the image of Mel and Sue out of my mind. Even the way the evidence was presented seemed so much like an episode of The Great British Bake Off. Regular police work involves a lot of disciplines and tools but good old Freddie needs just the one tool to solve the case, her blasted smartphone. I read so much about Freddie using her wonderful smartphone, I just hoped she would trip on the stairs and her internet enabled mobile would crash up her backside.

I found Watch Me to be an okay read, it has it’s faults but passed the time. It has a happy ending and can serve as a warning to new users of social media. But for reading pleasure, Watch Me gets the middle score of 3 stars from me. Having read this, I will not bother to read the first book as I get the general idea. I would not be surprised that as more social media platforms are launched, Nasreen and Freddie will embark on another half crime solving adventure that repeats Follow Me and Watch Me in book 3. When authors write a series, each book should have new content and not rely on previous work.

Watch me by Angela Clarke.
YOU HAVE SIX SECONDS TO READ THIS MESSAGE…
The body of a 15-year-old is found hours after she sends a desperate message to her friends. It looks like suicide, until a second girl disappears.
This time, the message is sent directly to the Metropolitan Police – and an officer’s younger sister is missing.
DS Nasreen Cudmore and journalist Freddie Venton will stop at nothing to find her. But whoever’s behind the notes is playing a deadly game of hide and seek – and the clock is ticking.
YOU HAVE 24 HOURS TO SAVE THE GIRL’S LIFE.
MAKE THEM COUNT.
Fantastic read with brilliant characters. I loved the story. Really had me on the edge of my seat. Completely enthralling. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

A really intriguing book cover but sadly struggled to get into this one.

Adventure two for Freddie Venton & Nasreen Cudmore and like the last it revolves around Social Media and Murder. This book could be read as a stand alone novel but there are a lot of references to the last book that might leave you wondering.

The subject matter for this book revolves around Revenge Porn or a rather light version of it. The story is fast moving, interesting and at times gripping. It also shows us the worst side of the Internet and what can happen if those cheeky nude shots you felt the need to take whilst using the bathroom somehow find their way onto the Internet.

The characters were mostly unlikable to me. Nasreen was all over the place and I had trouble working her out. One minute she was the Goody Two Shoes of the Police Force next she was a maverick Chuck Norris. However the story was so engrossing and strong it didn't really matter.

Watch Me is the second book in the series that features Nas and Freddie. It could be read as a standalone but I would advise that you read the first book Follow Me before reading. They are strongly linked.
Both Nas and Freddie are emotionally damaged from the events that happened in Follow Me. Nas has moved to a different department within the police where she feels that she hasn’t been welcomed by all that are in it. Freddie is unemployed and back home with her parents trying to forget and recover from an injury she received. When the sister of Nas’s superior officer is abducted she asks Freddie for help.
I did enjoy Follow Me last year but liked this one a lot more. Both characters are more developed and more likeable. I know nothing at all about the social media site Snapchat which features in the book, but I have heard about the damage that such sites can cause when a user is so inclined. Some of the scenes described regarding the abuse that Chloe received were quite upsetting and totally believable.
Nas doesn’t make life easy for herself. Remorse over events eight years earlier and struggling to get past the young, pretty, female and ethnic police officer image and prove that she was good at her job. You could understand to some degree the frustration that her fellow officers felt. Freddie, despite her injury, emotional problems and civilian status is much more level headed and practical. I thought the ending was very clever and different to what I expected it to be.
A good second book in the social media series and I hope it continues. I can certainly see potential for more books and I’m sure it is one I will enjoy keeping up with.

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received via NetGalley.

Watch Me is another nail biting thriller in the Social Media series from Angela Clarke.This time the focus is on Snapchat rather than Twitter, and is equally as terrifying at identifying just how dangerous online usage of social media can be.

When the body of a 15 year old girl is found, along with a suicide message posted on Snapchat, the Met Police are sure it's just another teen suicide. But when another teen is reported missing (having posted a near identical snap chat message) with connections to someone in the Met, the tables are suddenly turned.

For the Snapchat message is sent to everyone on the investigation of the previous victim. And this time, there's an additional message;

'YOU HAVE 24 HOURS TO SAVE THE GIRL’S LIFE. MAKE THEM COUNT'.

DS Nasreen Cudmore knows that there is only one person she can call upon to help the investigation. A civilian and her life long friend, Freddie Venton who has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of social media.

Freddie is at first reluctant to join forces with the Met again, she is still shaken from the last time, when they were hunting a serial killer via Twitter - dubbed the hashtag murderer. At this point its's probably worth me mentioning that if you haven't read Follow Me, I wouldn't worry, as Watch Me can be read as a stand alone. However, it comes highly recommended and I do think that we get to see different sides of both Nas and Freddie in this novel.

But Freddie, being Freddie cannot resist the pull of helping out her childhood friend Nas, and bringing another sick criminal to justice.

Watch Me is an addictive novel that I raced through to find the killer's identity. I had absolutely no idea who it was going to be, I just enjoyed the pace of the story, as it came to its natural conclusion. I can't wait for book 3!