Reviewed: “They’re Watching” by Gregg Hurwitz

Need a good thriller to read? Try They’re Watching by Gregg Hurwitz.

I read thrillers, sometimes. But they aren’t really ‘my’ genre of choice. In search of something new and different to read, I came across this book and the summary on Amazon sounded interesting enough to catch my attention. I figured it’d be a good choice to pass the time.

It was so much more than that.

Patrick Davis, the main character, is a failed screenwriter who is being stalked, although the term is too light for what happens in the book, by mysterious figures who seem intent on either driving him crazy, framing him for murder(s), or killing him. Or maybe all of the above.

From the start, the story seems as if it could be trite, boring, and even overdone. It isn’t.

It kept me on the edge of my seat. It was one of those books where you want to draw it out so it won’t be over so fast but, at the same time, you want to read it really fast to find out what happens. A double edged sword type of thing, really.

I read it in one week.

I had to. I kept guessing what was happening and what the outcome might be. I was always wrong. And I didn’t even care because the reality of the story was that good.

You can’t help but feel for Patrick and his wife, Ariana. They really are ‘every couple’ in that they have their ups and downs. They would have been a compelling couple in any story but when ‘every couple’ is being stalked and threatened, you feel even worse for them. I was never not sure if I liked them, I always did. Other likable characters included the people Patrick works with.

For the rest of the characters, though, you aren’t ever quite sure where their loyalties lie. There were times when I was firmly in someone’s corner only to find myself, a few pages later, saying “oh my god, did he really just do that?!” And there were other times when I thought I knew why I didn’t like someone only to end up wondering why bad things happen to good people. That’s a mark of a truly good story for me.

When it’s all said and done, if you like thrillers, espionage, cliffhangers, relatable characters, and downright good stories … They’re Watching is the book for you. I definitely plan to read it again and I’m 99% sure I’m going to read more by Gregg Hurwitz.