The Silent Watcher

Vegas Shadows, Book 1

By: Victor Methos

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

The bestselling author of A Killer’s Wife delivers a haunting legal thriller, plunging the reader headlong into the search for a deadly stalker—and a quest to bring a young victim peace.

Far from the neon glare of the Vegas Strip, attorney Piper Danes walks away from a hotshot law firm to work as a guardian ad litem (GAL). Piper was once a vulnerable youth herself, and a GAL gave her hope when she needed it most. Now she’s committed to paying it forward.

Her latest case is unlike any other: fifteen-year-old Sophie Grace is the sole survivor of a gruesome family murder. Teaming up with the formidable Judge Hope Dawson and enigmatic Detective Lazarus Holloway, Piper delves into a world more sinister than she could have imagined.

Their hunt for the truth leads to a serial killer known only as “the Creeper,” a predator who hides in the shadows. But as the team inches closer to unveiling the murderer, they find themselves in the crosshairs. Trapped in a web of lies, Piper will do anything to protect Sophie and stop the killer…before she becomes his next victim.

©2024 Victor Methos (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Saskia Maarleveld is an outstanding narrator. When the audiobook begins, Maarleveld is subtle and understated as she details the developing relationship between Danes and Grace. But once the killer is caught, there are twists around every corner. Maarleveld gives a versatile performance, whether as Detective Lazarus Holloway, who aids Danes in her efforts, or as the attorney defending the killer. The precise and well-drawn characters express the right intensity at every turn. When the novel reaches its surprising conclusion, Maarleveld is at her finest.”—AudioFile Magazine

“This book is a creepy thrill.”—Leslie Zemeckis, Montecito Journal

“This gritty thriller is a fantastic but disquieting and scary-to-think-about start to the series. The author’s experience as a lawyer added to the authenticity of the courtroom and other legal aspects of the plot. Gripping scenes and a well-crafted and riveting plot hooked me from the very beginning. It is unsettling at times, but this is balanced with thoughtful moments of Piper with her grandmother and with Sophie as well as some emotional scenes. The book was a page-turner that kept me engaged throughout the storyline.”—Pam Guynn, Mystery and Suspense Magazine

I loved this book

It was so interesting and creepy as well . I loved the characters . I might have cried a little too

excellent characters, fast-paced story, but...

This could have been totally excellent but it seemed like the cannibalism angle was just used for sensationalism. It made the story a little disjointed and awkward.

Dull and Slow

I typically love Victor’s books, but I found this one very dull and slow. Honestly it was background noise after a certain point because I just wanted to finish it.

Bone chilling!

I was pleasantly surprised of the riveting story and finale. Loved listening to this story as I drove to and from work!

Great story

Learned so much about the GAL program. Believable characters and story teller with proper intonation.

Great book

The author has done another fantastic job With the start of the series. Is something about the way he writes in his story she tells that keeps me glued to the book and continuing until it’s done. I love the characters. A young lawyer was a guardian of the children in the season detective whose on the fourth has given him an edge. I can’t wait for more of this series! The narration is great also!

sick

Not what I expected. quick read about a very sick subject, The thing humans do to each other.

RECOMMENDATION: READ IT

Narration caused confusion. Voices of characters kept changing.

It was ok. The storyline may have been better than the narrator made it. She had the same tone/voice for numerous characters and sometimes mixed the voices up, speaking female characters using her male voice, and visa versa.

Quality

I liked the quality of the reading and the sound. It was all well done.

Expecting more

The courtroom drama and second half were great. Good story just took awhile to get interesting.