Goodreads

Release date: July 8, 2025

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Nola Strate, a late night call-in radio host in Portland, Oregon, listens to stories of hauntings and cryptic sightings for a living. But one foggy, wet evening, when a caller describes an eerie scene that triggers memories of Nola’s escape from a serial killer years before, she becomes fearfully aware that he’s back to finish what he started.

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.

Review:

If you’re looking for a listen that will leave you checking your locks Night Watcher might be your next obsession. This was a chilling, emotionally charged thriller that had me completely hooked. From the very first chapter, there’s a creeping sense of dread that never lets up, and I found myself holding my breath more than once.

The story centers on Nola, a woman haunted by a terrifying event from her childhood. She’s tired of living in fear, and her inner strength really shines through as the story progresses. What made her especially compelling was how real she felt, flawed, anxious, but determined. I was rooting for her the whole way.

The audio version absolutely heightened the experience. Helen Laser’s narration was phenomenal as always and she nailed Nola’s vulnerability and quiet strength, and her delivery added a visceral layer to the fear simmering beneath the surface. It felt like I was living inside the story, which only made the tension that much harder to shake.

Woolsoncroft’s background as a true crime podcaster clearly shows, she understands the anatomy of fear and builds suspense in a way that feels unnervingly plausible. Fast paced, addictively eerie, and deeply unsettling, I flew through this in a single day, because once I hit play, I couldn’t stop.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.