The Death Watcher

By: Chris Carter

Narrated by: Thomas Judd

Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The 13th chilling and adrenaline-packed Robert Hunter thriller and Top Ten Sunday Times Bestseller.

‘Gruesome but utterly riveting – and all the more so for being at least partly true’ Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail

'Dark, chilling and full of clever little plot kinks designed to send the reader off on a wild goose chase – and succeeding.’ Crime Fiction Lover

‘Prepare to be terrified’ Crime Monthly


When a routine autopsy on what looked like a straightforward hit-and-run leads the LA Chief Medical Examiner, Dr Carolyn Hove, to discover some puzzling inconsistencies, she calls in Detective Robert Hunter of the LAPD Ultra Violent Crimes Unit. Not only did Dr Hove discover that the death wasn’t caused by a hit-and-run, but she also found indications that the victim had been severely tortured prior to death.

What no one realises is that what Dr Hove has stumbled upon is just the tip of the iceberg and it will lead Hunter and his partner, Carlos Garcia, on the trail of a twisted and clever killer who hides in plain sight. A serial killer no one even knew existed – a killer who has always operated under the radar, expertly disguising every gruesome murder as an accidental death.

But with no leads as to why the victim was targeted, the investigation comes to a standstill, until another body is discovered with an alternative cause of death.

What becomes clear is that this serial killer isn’t going to stop – unless Hunter and Garcia can get to him.

But how do you investigate a murder when you have no victims? How do you catch a killer who leaves behind no crime scene? How do you stop a ghost who no one can prove even exists?

©2024 Chris Carter (P)2024 Simon & Schuster, UK

Another amazing book!

Maybe less intense than the others, but this book is just as great! I devoured it in few days!

Just a little flat

Unbelievably, I've given a Chris Carter book only 3 stars. The main reason is how irritating the protagonist, Robert Hunter, has become at times.

I first noticed this in his previous book, Genesis, where his constant toying with his superior officer and partner became intolerable. If he is as intelligent as we're led to believe, why do others have to ask him 3, 4, or 5 times to be forthright? I don't understand why authors sometimes make their protagonists such unsavory characters.

Carlos's character, on the other hand, makes up for it. He seems like the kind of guy I'd like to share a beer with—Robert, not so much.

The story itself was good but not as clever as Genesis or others. It felt a bit thin, with pacing that was a bit slow. The sequence of events towards the end, where the outcome is known before it actually describes what led up to it, was not compelling.

If you haven't read Chris Carter before, you might think this is a great book. He is a good writer. However, Carter is a victim of his own success, and I was a little disappointed that the story didn't build up to a great conclusion. It just didn't meet my lofty expectations from such a great author.

In conclusion, the writing is great, but the storyline didn't do the subject matter justice compared to his previous books. 3-3.5 stars.

The narrator, Thomas Judd, is fantastic and makes up for some of the disappointing points raised above. Along with Sean Mangan and Ray Porter, he must rate among my favorite narrators.