I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. It will be published 3/24/15.
Twenty-nine year old Bailey Carpenter seemingly has it all. She’s gorgeous, wealthy, and loves her job as the special investigator for a respected Miami law firm. During a routine investigation she’s the victim of a horrifying attack and Bailey’s life begins to unravel. Suffering from PTSD, Bailey is trapped in her own home and finds herself spying on some of the neighbors in a nearby apartment building. When she fixates on one particular neighbor she becomes suspicious of his actions and with increasing fear, wonders if he could actually be the man who attacked her. When no one will believe her she launches her own investigation, but will she survive when her credibility and sanity is being questioned by nearly everyone, including herself?
First, I have to warn you that there is a graphic rape scene which is really difficult to read. I actually found myself skimming it. It’s brief though, and it’s the set up for the rest of the book. Also, you need to suspend disbelief, because some of the things Bailey does in her quest to bring her rapist to justice will have you shaking your head. That said, this was a really enjoyable read. It’s 384 pages, but I finished it in one sitting. This was mainly due to the fact that I stayed up until almost 2:00 in the morning because I was so riveted. Bailey is a flawed, yet likeable character who simultaneously made me want to hug and shake her. She’s one of those people for whom her greatest strengths can also be her greatest weaknesses, but can’t you say that about us all? What she’s been through is truly horrible, but then Joy Fielding slowly reveals that her life before the attack wasn’t quite as perfect as it seemed. It’s only when she starts seeing a therapist after the attack, that she realizes she’s needed help for quite awhile. The best part of the novel though is her snarky and cynical teenage niece Jade, whose observations of people and life in general are hysterical. The relationship between her and Bailey is absolutely priceless. The plot itself is an obvious homage to Gaslight and Rear Window, and once you start reading I challenge you to try putting it down. As to the identity of the actual attacker, I had pretty strong suspicions before I was halfway through the book, but this didn’t lessen the impact when he is actually unmasked. I’ve had mixed feelings regarding some of Joy Fielding’ s books, but Someone Is Watching is actually one of my favorites. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she writes another book featuring the dynamic duo of Bailey and Jade.
