Are You Watching? By Vincent Ralph

‘Are You Watching?’ is the latest book by Vincent Ralph.

Ten years ago, Jess’s mother was murdered by the Magpie Man. She was the first of his victims but not the last. Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she’s using it to catch the killer once and for all. The whole world is watching her every move. And so is the Magpie Man.

If you like your Young Adult riddled with drama and suspense, then this book is the book for you.

Seen solely through the narrative of 17 year old Jess, she’s using the opportunity of being a vlogger to finally find the killer that murdered Jess’s mother when Jess was a child. Named the ‘Magpie Killer’, they have gone onto kill 12 more women after Jess’s mother. With having her short YouTube series, Jess is hoping to find some evidence and bring the spotlight back into the killer.

Jess is a strong and interesting young woman, she’s determined to finally bring the killer to justice and finally bring some peace to herself and her broken father. With each episode of her show viewed, she finds herself open to new drama and putting her own safety at risk, as new twists and secrets are revealed.

This book is aimed for young adults, but to be honest I found that the book suited all ages, the only time I noticed the younger element of the story was when Jess was in school with her best friends, Hanna and Emily, who coincidentally inject some humour into the tense thriller. The fact that the story revolves around social media is current, the responsibilities of the company as well as the impact social media can have on lives, it’s not always about the views to be a success.

Jess’s father added some poignancy into the story as well, a broken man who never got over the brutal murder of his wife, he lives in the shadows, hidden away but is there when it counts.

A story that travels at a fast pace that really pulls the reader in, with short chapters that made it impossible to put down. ‘Are You Watching’ is a gripping, murder mystery filled with suspicious characters and a determined protagonist that made for fantastic reading.

You can pre-order ‘Are You Watching?’ from Amazon and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 6th February 2020.