One of the great perks of being an advance listener with Libro.fm is discovering books and authors that I might otherwise miss. As someone who doesn’t steer towards true crime podcast, I hadn’t heard of Daphne Woolsoncroft–as an author or podcaster–but after reading Night Watcher, she is definitely on my radar.
Nola Strate is being watched, again.
After an encounter with a notorious serial killer in the Pacific Northwest as a child, Nola has grown up and tried her best to forget her traumatizing night with the Hiding Man. She installed security cameras outside her Oregon home, never spoke of her experience, and now hosts Night Watch, a popular radio call-in show her semi‑famous father used to run. When coincidences lead Nola to believe that she is being stalked, and a caller on Night Watch has a live incident with an intruder in the caller’s home—the description of whom is chillingly familiar—Nola is convinced that the Hiding Man has resurfaced and is coming for her.
With a mysterious next‑door neighbor lurking in the shadows, more people getting hurt, the police not taking her concerns seriously, and evidence pointing towards her own father, Nola decides to become, like her listeners, a Night Watcher herself, and uncover the monster behind the Hiding Man’s mask.
I’ll admit that I almost gave up reading early on in Night Watcher–as I was convinced I had figured out who the killer was within the first quarter of the book and felt let down by how obvious it was. However, I rarely abandon a book once I get into it, so I trudged along. To my surprise–and my lack of faith–I was wrong. What seemed obvious to me, ended up a great red herring.
As a debut author, one might expect the writing to feel a bit rough around the edges–but Night Watcher was impressively polished, making for an easy and engaging read. It’s clear that Woolsoncroft brings her background of true crime podcasting and her own personal connections to an unknown killer–as stated in the author’s note–to the story making for an engaging and realistic feeling novel. aphne also does a fantastic job developing her characters, especially our protagonist Nola.
The story was truly terrifying at moments, packed with suspense and a real sense of tension. After I was course corrected on who I thought the killer was, that story became genuinely gripping and thrilling–having me seriously hooked. While Woolsoncroft definitely saved the novel by avoiding the obvious suspect, my only minor gripe was the ending. I feel it couldn’t used a bit more of a impactful feeling, but still a thrilling and impressive debut.
Listening to narrators Helen Laser and Will Collyer was a fantastic experience. I found myself enjoying the Nola moments a bit more–narrated by Laser–she brought a bit more energy and excitement to her performance. That all being said, the overall production of the audiobook was stellar across the board.
Night Watcher is an exciting read and a fantastic debut for podcaster Daphne Woolsoncroft. It’s a great for true crime fans who want a dose of fiction to sprinkle into their reading lineup. The audiobook reading was genuinely excellent and enhance the overall reading experience. I will be keeping my eyes out for more thrilling tales from Woolsoncroft in the future!
Night Watcher hits bookstores everywhere on July 8, 2025 from Grand Central Publishing. The audiobook is available for preorder at Libro.fm!
