Book Review: When A Stranger Watches

Kathy Oram Peterson's new mystery, A Stranger Watches, is full of twist and turns as well as a slow-burn romance. Perfect for snuggling up with on a cold day.

As with every good mystery, we see the murder first, but not who the murderer is. Poor Kyra's father has been estranged from his daughter and is on his way to make amends. But before he can leave, he's murdered. But who did the deed?

Kyra Fletcher hasn't heard from her father in too long. He sent a strange birthday card, but she knows something is wrong, so she travels to see him with her dog Boo. Almost from the moment she arrives, strange things are happening. Her dad's almost ex-wife is acting threatening toward Kyra---more so than just "stepmother" issues. Even her dad's lawyer seems unhappy about her arrival. Sheriff Shane McQuire steps in to help, but he's got a problem teenaged daughter of his own to deal with. But as their investigation goes deeper, Kyra and everyone she's come to care about are in danger. Can they figure out who the killer is before Kyra becomes the next victim?

I thought this was a well-done mystery and I didn't guess the killer until right before it was revealed. There were some really great red herrings! I really thought it was one character and was surprised that it wasn't. The small town was easy to imagine and the characters were memorable. At times the pacing was slow and the chemistry between the hero and heroine just wasn't there, (the hero was in law enforcement years ago and saved the heroine when she was a young girl at a youth camp, which sort of made it seem like he was much, much older than her which was hard for me romance-wise) but I did like the ending and how our hero and heroine dealt with the danger. I was glad the heroine was smart and didn't make questionable decisions. It made the mystery that much better. I great "spooky" read for October!

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Here's the back copy:

Something is wrong. Despite the fact that Kyra Fletcher hasn’t seen her estranged father in five years, the peculiar birthday card he sends in the mail is out of character—and alarming.

Determined to put her mind at ease and mend their relationship in person, Kyra travels to her father’s Wyoming lodge. She finds it well kept but vacant, and according to the people in town, her father has been gone for months. Kyra is certain something has happened to him and turns to local Sheriff Shane McQuire for help. As the pair works together to investigate her father’s whereabouts, Kyra finds herself becoming more and more comfortable with the town—and its sheriff. But she is unaware of one deadly detail: someone is watching her, and as she draws ever closer to the answers she seeks, that person will do anything to ensure her silence.