They're Watching [Kindle Edition]

Gregg Hurwitz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Scott Brick has a subject worthy of his considerable talents in Hurwitz's hapless protagonist, Patrick Davis. The down-on-his-luck ex-screenwriter who's being sued by a film company, and whose wife is talking divorce, is notified one morning by an unknown but clearly sinister group that he's under their constant observation and must do their bidding or else. The author's cleverly complex tale puts Patrick through hell, and since the character is not merely its hero but also its narrator, Brick is under pressure to accurately reflect his feelings as the all-knowing watchers begin manipulating him to fit their hidden agendas. Brick brilliantly conveys Patrick's emotions as he pinballs from glum depression to confusion, from terror to a renewed sense of purpose. A tour de force performance from the always reliable Brick. A St. Martin's hardcover (Reviews, May 31). (July) (c)
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Here’s the backstory to this labyrinthine thriller: Patrick Davis, a would-be screenwriter, has finally managed to sell a screenplay. The movie, They’re Watching, is in production, starring a hot young actor. In a skirmish, the actor managed to hurt himself and accused Patrick of assaulting him. Patrick was fired from the film, charged with assault, and sued by the actor and the production company. Oh, and his marriage is on the rocks. As the novel opens, Patrick begins receiving DVDs in the mail, revealing that someone is secretly filming Patrick and his wife in their home. Soon there are e-mails instructing Patrick to do certain things, and from there the story . . . well, let’s just say it never quite goes in the direction we expect it to go. This is a very well constructed thriller, full of twists and turns and unexpected revelations. Hurwitz frequently sets us up to expect one thing but delivers something entirely different. He keeps us constantly on our toes, and—this is especially good—he keeps us guessing right until the very last pages about exactly who has targeted Patrick and why. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Dean Koontz, Linwood Barclay, and Harlan Coben. --David Pitt

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 602 KB
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1 edition (July 6, 2010)
• Sold by: Macmillan
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003P9WEN4
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Gregg Hurwitz is the critically acclaimed, internationally bestselling author of The Tower, Minutes to Burn, Do No Harm, The Kill Clause, The Program, Troubleshooter, Last Shot, The Crime Writer, Trust No One, They're Watching, and coming soon, You're Next. His books have been nominated for numerous awards, shortlisted for best novel of the year by International Thriller Writers, nominated for CWA's Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, chosen as feature selections for all four major literary book clubs, honored as Book Sense Picks, and translated into twenty languages.

Currently a consulting producer on ABC's "V," he has written screenplays for or sold spec scripts to Warner Bros., Paramount, MGM, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, and ESPN, developed TV series for Warner Bros. and Lakeshore, written Wolverine, Punisher, and others for Marvel, and published numerous academic articles on Shakespeare. He has taught fiction writing in the USC English Department, and guest lectured for UCLA, and for Harvard in the United States and around the world. In the course of researching his thrillers, he has sneaked onto demolition ranges with Navy SEALs, swam with sharks in the Galápagos, and gone undercover into mind-control cults.

Hurwitz grew up in the Bay Area. While completing a BA from Harvard ('95) and a master's from Trinity College, Oxford in Shakespearean tragedy ('96), he wrote his first novel. He was the undergraduate scholar-athlete of the year at Harvard for his pole-vaulting exploits, and played college soccer in England, where he was a Knox fellow. He now lives in L.A. where he continues to play soccer, frequently injuring himself. Feel free to email him at [e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, July 6, 2010

By 

Tina "Tina" (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: They're Watching (Hardcover)

I have stopped reading thrillers, with a few exceptions and author Gregg Hurwitz falls squarely in those "exceptions".

It seems as though each and every novel he has ever written has been not only suspensful, but so engaging that I could never figure out the "ending" before he chose to tell it to me.

In They're Watching, we, once again, find Hurtwitz is supreme shape - although I have to admit that I had my doubts in the very first chapters as I thought they were, to be honest, boring and drawn out.

However, having said that, I am incredibly happy that I persisted because the rest of the book is an absolute powerhouse of twists and turns that had me baffled and more than a little curious.

Patrick Davis, the main character is actually an interesting "main" because he is not all that likeable, which is also something that I like about Hurwitz - he is not afraid to write characters with flaws. When we first meet Davis, it is obvious that he quite miserable and that his marriage is in deep trouble. However, he hasn't seen nothing yet!!!

Hurwitz truly delivers in this one - like I said, everytime I turned the page, I had no idea what to expect next - and, in the end, the author somehow managed to make me say "how did he do that?" once again.

Loved, loved this book.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hurwitz Delivers, July 11, 2010

By 

Thriller Fan "David" (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: They're Watching (Hardcover)

A lot of thrillers these days promise nail-biting suspense and unrelenting tension but this one by Gregg Hurwitz actually delivers on all counts.

When screenwriter Patrick Davis receives a DVD of him and his wife going about their daily business he thinks it's an elaborate prank however things quickly take a much darker turn. From there the tension is cranked up as Patrick quickly finds his life unravelling.

Where this book really separates itself from the pack is in how brilliantly drawn the characters are, especially those who, in a lesser book, would be chewing the scenery in the background. The single mom detective, Sally Richards, stands out, as a particularly impressive creation who would merit her own series.

Above all, They're Watching, is exceptionally well written. If you like Harlan Coben, Robert Crais or any of the other top American thriller writers then do yourself a favor and pick this up. Then go back and read all of Hurwitz's previous Hitchcockian stand-alone thrillers starting with The Crime Writer.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top-notch thriller from a fantastic author, July 28, 2010

By 

Jeremy Taylor (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: They're Watching (Hardcover)

Patrick Davis had it all--a beautiful wife, a Hollywood home, and a screenplay that was picked up by a major studio and made into a movie with an up-and-coming star. But just when he's seemingly poised on the brink of serious success, he's suddenly on the verge of losing everything. With his marriage on the rocks, his career in jeopardy, and a six-figure lawsuit pending against him, his formerly storybook existence has turned into a horror movie. When he starts getting DVDs showing footage of him going about his daily life, he's at first confused, then alarmed, then angry. Patrick's entire life is being meticulously scrutinized. But why?

Then the phone calls begin. And the e-mails. And then the demands. Whoever is watching Patrick knows everything about him--what he does, where he goes, whom he talks to. He can't go to the police, and he has no choice but to do what is asked. But when the true intentions of his stalkers finally come to light, Patrick will have to decide whether to give up or fight back. In the process, he will learn what his true priorities are and how to value what really matters most.

They're Watching is a tightly constructed thriller. Author Gregg Hurwitz spins out the suspense in the first-person narrative little by little until the tension is so high there's nothing to be done but stay up all night and finish the book. The plot manages to avoid being formulaic while still giving readers the twists and turns they expect. The author is to be commended for telling a great story full of intrigue, betrayal, and high stakes without resorting to the graphic sensuality and violence adopted by many of his peers. Utterly entertaining, They're Watching is an ideal escape for mystery/thriller aficionados. With sympathetic characters, great pacing, and superb writing, this book should easily secure Hurwitz's place among today's premier writers in this genre.