Under a Watchful Eye

Under A Watchful Eye is a brilliantly told tale of terror and astral forces beyond our ken, and the usual high standard of writing that you'd expect from the pen of Adam Nevill. The three-part structure of the novel really worked for me. Initially it's a slow burn as the protagonist, successful writer Seb, experiences strange and terrifying visions which he is unable to understand or explain. The story then picks up pace as Seb tries to take control of the situation he finds himself in. There's something of a twist in the tale that I didn't see coming and leads to very satisfying ending. Plenty of fearful moments in this one- and a particular character that you may well find yourself worrying about once the lights are out. I did!

Adam Nevill is one of the few contemporary horror writers I not only avidly read the moment he has a new novel out, but one I love rereading. Immersing myself is one of his novels is a great, dark treat for me, and Under A Watchful Eye is no exception.At first I wondered if I was going to enjoy this as much as previous Nevill outings such as Last Days, House of Small Shadows or No One Gets Out Alive, but by the end I felt UAWE was up there with the best of them. Seb Logan, a successful horror writer living in Devon (like Nevill himself) is plagued by the return of Ewan, the kind of 'friend' from his student days that too many of us might have encountered at one time or another - grandiose, convinced of his own genius (and that the rules everyone else has to abide by don't apply to him), and a manipulative taker. Ewan wants Seb to collaborate with him on something new, based on real experiences. But those experiences involve something that comes back to haunt Ewan, and then Seb.Like Last Days (one of my favourite Nevill books) a cult built around a monstrous guru is at the heart of the darkness in the book, and Nevill continues to do what he's best at, which is to push the story in unexpected directions, beyond the expected conclusion, and into territory that's all the more disturbing for it. The cult's emissaries are the most creepy and frightening I've encountered in print for some time. And then there's the wonderfully-named Thin Len... but I shouldn't spoil things for readers. If you like slow-burning horror, this is for you.

Tense edgy and sometimes quite disturbing,you can't help putting yourself in the shoes of this reluctant host to the old friend from hell.Nerve tingling british horror from the new master.

Another excellent tale from this author, read in 2 sittings. I couldnt pit it down, and now, at night, my fridge freezer, the rain on the windowsills, the breeze through and the idiosyncracies of my plumbing system all sound suspiciously like a running stream... nice one, A.N.Everyone should read Adam Nevill before they dieWell, not immediately before, obv.

Yet another fantastic horror from Adam Nevill. An intense cloustrophobic thriller, full of paranormal entities and thick with atmosphere, this novel is heavily influenced by Adams previous book of short tales SOME WILL NOT SLEEP. In my view one of Nevill’s best stories since THE RITUAL. A great read!

Another terrifying tale from Adam Nevill. Under a Watchful Eye is a return to Nevill's earlier preoccupation with supernatural horror and is a genuinely scary read. The tension is maintained throughout, especially towards the end where Nevill's tendency to divide a book into halves here is used cleverly - almost playfully - as a plotting device. The horror is Jamesian in effect, due in part to the tranquil Devon setting. We have a horror writer to treasure here.

As always this author delivers. Slow building of horror , things not quite seen, atmospheric. A book I wanted to finish but then when I had, wished I'd got more to read.

Adam Neville has yet to disappoint me. He truly is the best contemporary author of horror.