Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra

A mother is forced to the breaking point when her life and the lives of her children are threatened by an intruder

Home alone with her young children during a blizzard, a mother tucks her son back into bed in the middle of the night. She hears a noise—old houses are always making some kind of noise. But this sound is disturbingly familiar: it’s the tread of footsteps, unusually heavy and slow, coming up the stairs.

She sees the figure of a man appear down the hallway, shrouded in the shadows. Terrified, she quietly wakes her children and hustles them into the oldest part of the house, a tiny, secret room concealed behind a wall. There they hide as the man searches for them, trying to tempt the children out with promises and scare the mother into surrender.

In the suffocating darkness, the mother struggles to remain calm, to plan. Should she search for a weapon or attempt escape? But then she catches another glimpse of him. That face. That voice. And at once she knows her situation is even more dire than she’d feared, because she knows exactly who he is—and what he wants.

Published by Pamela Dorman Books
on February 1, 2024

Review:

“There was someone in the house.”

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the very first line. I love a pulse-pounding, locked-room thriller, and this book definitely delivers. This is a heart-pounding tale of a mother’s fight for survival in the face of unimaginable terror.

The book opens with a young mother of two checking on one of her young children in the middle of the night. It’s late, and it’s dark in the house, and when she looks up she notices a very large and imposing man standing at the top of the stairs. The man hasn’t seen her, but it’s only a matter of time before he does. She can tell he carries a weapon, and she needs to get both of her sleeping children out of the house.

But there are a few problems. A blizzard rages outside, she left her phone on her nightstand in her room, and the gun is locked in a safe. She manages to get both of her children down the back stairs, where they hide in a secret room. As the man walks about the house, calling to them and taunting them, she struggles to keep the children quiet and figure out a way to get help. But, as the man calls out to them and continues to threaten them, she suddenly realizes that she recognizes his voice – but she can’t quite place it. When it finally dawns on her who he is, she realizes that she must go to whatever lengths necessary to get out of that house.

The intruder is a chilling presence throughout the novel; even when he’s not in a scene, we can feel his presence. His calculated words and actions serve to unnerve both the protagonist and the reader, creating a palpable sense of dread. Sierra’s pacing is impeccable, weaving a sense of urgency into every word and sentence.

The mother’s unwavering love for her children is a central theme that resonates deeply with the reader, evoking a visceral response that lingers long after the final page is turned. Sierra deftly navigates the emotional landscape of parenthood, capturing the fierce protectiveness and vulnerability that comes with being responsible for the well-being of two young children.

The author does a great job of alternating between the past and present, giving us insight into this woman’s past with her mother and father, her relationship with her husband, and the extra-strained relationship she has with her father-in-law. The main character has vitiligo and is no stranger to being treated differently. She’s small and frail and doesn’t have much confidence, and as the novel unravels, we learn what has led her to be the insecure, meek person she is. Ever so slowly, we learn more about her, and after things take a turn about 50% into the book, we begin to wonder if any of this is real. There were times when I started to question my own sanity.

In a genre that often relies on formulaic plot twists and predictable endings, I feel that this book offers a refreshing change of pace. The conclusion is both surprising and satisfying, delivering a powerful but satisfying punch. I was surprised to learn that this is Sierra’s debut novel because the writing is impeccable, and the twisty plot is handled like a pro.

Overall, I loved this book. I was absolutely glued to the pages and, at times, found myself in need of a Xanax to calm my nerves. This book is filled with suspense and emotion and had me questioning everything that was going on. This book is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.