Amazon Prime Free Trial
FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button and confirm your Prime free trial.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited FREE Prime delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
-46% $9.21$9.21
Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com
$7.62$7.62
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: Murfbooks
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Image Unavailable
Color:
-
-
-
- To view this video download Flash Player
- VIDEO
Audible sample
When No One Is Watching: A Thriller Paperback – September 1, 2020
Purchase options and add-ons
An instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
"I was knocked over by the momentum of an intense psychological thriller that doesn’t let go until the final page. This is a terrific read." – Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author
*A Marie Claire Book Club Pick*
Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…
Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo.
But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.
When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other—or themselves—long enough to find out before they too disappear?
Featured in Parade, Essence, Bustle, Popsugar, Elle, Shondaland, Marie Claire, Buzzfeed, Entertainment Weekly, Good Housekeeping, Brit + Co, Real Simple, Lit Hub, Crime Reads, Blavity, Ms. Magazine, Hello Giggles, The New York Times, Town & Country, Newsweek, New York Post, Refinery29, Woman's World, Washington Post, the Skimm, Book Riot, Bookish, Huffington Post, and more!
- Print length368 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWilliam Morrow Paperbacks
- Publication dateSeptember 1, 2020
- Dimensions5.31 x 0.83 x 8 inches
- ISBN-100062982656
- ISBN-13978-0062982650
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now
Frequently bought together
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
- People bury the parts of history they don’t like, pave it over like African cemeteries beneath Manhattan skyscrapers.Highlighted by 1,050 Kindle readers
- “Baby, if you wanna keep what’s yours, you gotta hold on to it better than that. Someone is always waiting to snatch what you got, even these damn birds.”Highlighted by 786 Kindle readers
- When I think of a Black community, the first thing that comes to mind—even if I don’t want it to—is crime. Drugs. Gangs. Welfare. That’s all the news has talked about since I was a kid. Not old people drinking tea. Not complex self-sustaining financial systems that had to be created because racism means being left out to dry.Highlighted by 664 Kindle readers
- Kim has a framed portrait of Michelle Obama in our living room, so she’s not . . . you know.Highlighted by 460 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
Customer Reviews |
4.0 out of 5 stars
7,787
|
3.7 out of 5 stars
407
|
---|---|---|
Price | $9.21$9.21 | $13.99$13.99 |
Editorial Reviews
Review
"What would fall be without a fantastic and nerve-wracking thriller? Enter When No One Is Watching... A fantastic choice for fans of Get Out, this is a compulsive, entertaining, and thought-provoking novel." — Shondaland (6 Best Books of September)
“When No One is Watching is a thriller, Hitchcockian in its essence (those brownstones have plenty of windows, and a love story emerges as well), but with expert character development that demonstrates Cole’s ability to craft a story, it’s just as much about people as it is about place. The themes Cole explores throughout—racism, white greed, sickness, addiction, encroaching gentrification—are ones that are acutely aligned with the current social climate.” — Parade
“To turn a knotty social and economic issue into a riveting psychological thriller is no easy task, but then again, should we really be surprised the extraordinary Alyssa Cole has done it? When No One Is Watching uproots the steady gentrification of Brooklyn and transforms it into an eerie horror story where 'revitalization' itself is the monster.” — Elle (The 40 Best New Books Of Summer 2020)
"Suspense at its best... you aren’t going to be able to put it down until you finish it." — Book Riot (Best Books We Read in June)
"This high-octane thriller hits right where it hurts, taking aim at gentrification and racism as conjoined forces of literary horror… Expect major palm sweat as the novel barrels toward its chilling and eye-opening conclusion.” — Esquire (Best Books of Fall 2020 for Those Long, Chilly Nights)
"From the first page of WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING, I felt like I was right there in the gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood, filled with sharply etched characters and dialogue that zings. Then bam! I was knocked over by the momentum of an intense psychological thriller that doesn’t let go until the final page. This is a terrific read." — Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author
“Masterfully written suspense. Beneath a seemingly ordinary setting, Cole weaves layers of dread, all building toward a shocking and satisfying conclusion." — Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of City of the Lost
“With a keen eye for details, Alyssa Cole deftly unspools a rich narrative with compelling characters who live and breathe against a vibrant backdrop. From the bold first line to the exquisitely subtle last, WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING is a top-notch page-turner!” — Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times bestselling author
"Dread builds and mutates into near-horror... It was eye-opening, sad, shocking, gripping, I devoured it in one go. I recommend SO HIGHLY." — Marian Keyes, #1 bestselling author
"this outstanding thriller... builds to a credible finale. This stellar and unflinching look at racism and greed will have readers hooked til the end." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[A] searing indictment of the inseparable evils of racism and gentrification wrapped in an anxiety-inducing thriller with elements of romance and horror… Cole expertly layers plot twists, raising the stakes until the dramatic finale, and readers will cheer when the real heroes are revealed. Cole is a sure-bet suggestion for romance readers, and When No One Is Watching will expand her already enthusiastic audience.” — Booklist (starred review)
"[T]his twisty tale tackles with a somber wit ongoing issues of race, class inequity, social injustice, and predatory housing practices... This sizzling summer thriller starts on low and heats up fast. Smart, sexy, and surprising, this suspenseful novel revealing the underbelly of urban gentrification will keep readers reading late into the night." — Library Journal (starred review)
“Combining the voyeuristic paranoia of Rear Window with the searing social commentary of Get Out, this thriller from Alyssa Cole turns gentrification into fodder for a horror movie.” — Entertainment Weekly (20 New Books Coming in September)
“When No One Is Watching is romance writer superstar Alyssa Cole’s debut thriller…It’s a really creepy, smart page-turner.” — Buzzfeed
“Cole is known for romance, but don’t let that fool you into thinking she can’t genre-jump with ease. Her first thriller, When No One is Watching, is a triumph. Sydney Green is a well-crafted protagonist and her paranoia is justified in this poignant story, which has a lot to say about racism and gentrification in America... It’s page-turning and engrossing all the while giving a history lesson on racial disparities and inequality. A timely read, and an incredibly smart writer.” — Crime Reads
“One of our fave romance writers is out with a psychological thriller. This buzzy fiction book follows a woman who's looking into the gentrification of her Brooklyn neighborhood. Turns out there's something a lot more sinister going on. Cue paranoia, suspense, and some ‘Get Out’ vibes.” — theSkimm
“When No One Is Watching is inspired by Cole’s own experiences, and examines gentrification via the erasure of Black people from Brooklyn’s history—with quite the suspenseful twist.” — Refinery 29
“The novel couldn’t be timelier, and it’s been praised as ‘Rear Window’ meets ‘Get Out.’ So yeah, you’re going to want to read it ASAP. No spoilers, but: holy plot twist.” — Hello Giggles (11 Best Books to Read this September)
"The dangers of gentrification turn very literal in romance veteran Alyssa Cole’s unputdownable new thriller." — Harper's Bazaar (43 Best Books to Read in 2020)
“…if “Rear Window” and “Get Out” got married and had a baby that was a book, it would indeed be “When No One Is Watching,” which takes place in contemporary Brooklyn and combines a page-turning thriller with shrewd social commentary on race, gentrification and greed.” — Seattle Times
About the Author
Alyssa Cole is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers and romance (historical, contemporary, and sci-fi). Her books have received critical acclaim from Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her many pets.
Product details
- Publisher : William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (September 1, 2020)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0062982656
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062982650
- Item Weight : 9.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.31 x 0.83 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #14,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #430 in Black & African American Women's Fiction (Books)
- #621 in Women Sleuths (Books)
- #2,024 in Suspense Thrillers
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Alyssa Cole is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of romance and thrillers. Her debut thriller When No One Is Watching was the winner of the 2021 Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Paperback Original and the Strand Critics Award for Best Debut. Her Civil War-set espionage romance An Extraordinary Union was the American Library Association’s RUSA Best Romance for 2018, and her contemporary royal romcom A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018. Her books have received critical acclaim from the New York Times, Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Shondaland, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her pets.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the characters' development and relatability. The gentrification topic is interesting and well-researched. Many readers describe the information as informative and relevant. However, opinions differ on the suspenseful aspect of the story, with some finding it enjoyable and suspenseful, while others feel the climax is chaotic and the ending is fantastical.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging with unexpected twists and turns. They describe it as a page-turner that keeps them entertained. Readers appreciate the buildup and relationships between the main characters. The writing is tight and engaging, never feeling stagnant or contrived.
"Really great book! While this book is fictional, it hits incredibly close to reality...." Read more
"I was super excited to read this book since I had heard such great things about it...." Read more
"...The book IS engaging for almost all of it...." Read more
"This book was absolutely amazing! The twists and turns were unpredictable. The characters were so well thought out and developed...." Read more
Customers appreciate the well-developed characters and their relationships. They find the strong female protagonist relatable and likable, and appreciate reading about black characters from a black perspective. The book also features an unreliable narrator that will appeal to genre fans.
"...It is after the 3/4 mark that hits south. Sydney and Theo are likable and relatable enough, and they’re the only reason I cared enough to finish..." Read more
"...The twists and turns were unpredictable. The characters were so well thought out and developed. Every scene in the book was clearly portrayed...." Read more
"...I felt that every character was astutely fleshed out. I loved both main characters as well as the neighborhood as a whole...." Read more
"...One commenter described it perfectly: "The antagonists feel overdone and border on mustache-twirling caricatures lacking nuance...." Read more
Customers find the book's gentrification perspective interesting. They appreciate the historical data and facts about New York and gentrification. Some readers find the characters stereotyped, but overall the book provides an insightful look into issues of race, class, and marginalized communities.
"...However, this is not what we get here. A thriller on gentrification is awesome — and this premise brought me to this book...." Read more
"...of this thriller is the fact that it is about the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood...." Read more
"...I could not put it down it gives amazing and actual facts about New York and gentrification while also (to me) gobinv vibes of they cloned Tyrone..." Read more
"This was a really good/interesting read on gentrification...." Read more
Customers find the book informative, well-researched, and relevant. They appreciate the great concept and accurate facts about New York. The story is well-written and well-paced, though some readers felt it started slowly.
"...It was well developed but a little slow at the beginning, only to have a huge climax at the end that left you a little surprised at where she took..." Read more
"...The characters were so well thought out and developed. Every scene in the book was clearly portrayed. I didn’t want to put this out down...." Read more
"...I loved every minute of it. When No One Is Watching is informative, emotional, very suspenseful and at times, even humorous which really..." Read more
"...It was well written with facts that weren't shoved down your throat. The story was well paced and developed. A very good, fast read!!" Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some enjoyed the story and plot, finding it suspenseful and relatable. Others felt the climax was chaotic and difficult to keep up with. The ending was described as fantastical and not particularly plausible.
"Really great book! While this book is fictional, it hits incredibly close to reality...." Read more
"...It is a very timely book that deals with a subject matter that I think we all need to be aware of, regardless of your background or race. "..." Read more
"...Sydney and Theo are likable and relatable enough, and they’re the only reason I cared enough to finish this book. Downsides?..." Read more
"...Creepy, terrible, a challenge for USA white privilege folks to read with an open mind. But you should." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some find it perfect, with enough surprises and twists to keep them engaged. Others feel it starts slowly and takes a long time to get to the action. The ending can be described as too quick or too slow.
"...It is a very timely book that deals with a subject matter that I think we all need to be aware of, regardless of your background or race. "..." Read more
"I started this book mid-July, and the pacing was too slow, but not enough for me to put it in the DNF pile...." Read more
"...She masterfully set this book to a perfect pace in which kept me on my toes, with JUST enough tension and anxiety to keep me reading without having..." Read more
"...The story was well paced and developed. A very good, fast read!!" Read more
Customers have mixed reviews about the writing style. Some find it engaging and talented, with no errors. Others feel the dialogue is clunky and the book is hard to get through at times due to excessive foul language and race talk.
"...(dense, descriptive writing and very little action)...." Read more
"...It was well written with facts that weren't shoved down your throat. The story was well paced and developed. A very good, fast read!!" Read more
"...Also, this book is for adults. Mature language, mature themes, and a sex scene...." Read more
"Let me say this was well-written. The subtle breadcrumbs. The micro aggressions. The intensity...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the book's racism. Some find it well-written and addressing issues like racial tension, sexism, classism, and social injustice. Others feel it contains too much foul language and race talk, and seems to promote racism and segregation between all races.
"...It deals with racism and the way different people are treated in this particular neighborhood. "..." Read more
"...It's a story that dives deep into racism and the horrifying process of gentrification. What I loved: *..." Read more
"...Creepy, terrible, a challenge for USA white privilege folks to read with an open mind. But you should." Read more
"...This is a take no prisoner's look at racism and gentrification...." Read more
Reviews with images
Amazing book and what many communities of color go through minus the sinister plot
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2024Really great book! While this book is fictional, it hits incredibly close to reality. Especially given the actual historical facts included in the storyline. Black communities were treated horribly as they were gentrified, and in this book, Sydney and Theo experience first-hand the extent that some will go in order to get what they want.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2020I was super excited to read this book since I had heard such great things about it. Plus, for an October thriller read, it fit what I was looking for. I haven't read Alyssa Cole before, but from what I understand, she writes more romance and it was evident even in this thriller.
When No One is Watching is a story about a neighborhood in Brooklyn that is "up and coming". You know the neighborhoods. The ones that people have said weren't safe and 'dangerous' and are being bought up for gentrification reasons. Well, that's what Ms Cole focuses her story on. This was the part I really enjoyed. The history of a neighborhood and how people are pushed out of their homes. It deals with racism and the way different people are treated in this particular neighborhood.
"Given what I'm reading about your people, maybe you're here to claim it as your own."
The first part of the book was pretty slow for me. It was a build up of the story and the characters. Told from Syndey and Theo's POV, we get the two sides of gentrification. Kind of. Because then we get an unexpected relationship between the two when Sydney asks Theo to help research for her tour of the history of her neighborhood she plans on developing.
The second half picked up for me and I found myself flipping those pages and not wanting to put the book down. It was way faster paced than the first part. The ending was a bit over the top, but I liked how everything connected to what we had been learning about the characters and the history.
Alyssa Cole did a good job with her first thriller and I look forward to reading more books in the genre by her. It was well developed but a little slow at the beginning, only to have a huge climax at the end that left you a little surprised at where she took the story. Overall, the relationship between the characters and the history aspect is what pulled me to leave a 4 star. It is a very timely book that deals with a subject matter that I think we all need to be aware of, regardless of your background or race.
"In all the times I'd moved in New York, I'd only thought about how safe the area was for me, not what my presence meant for people in the neighborhood. Not about what advantages I had that they didn't."
- Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2021Sydney loves Brooklyn. She’s lived there her entire life — it’s where her mother owns a home. Sydney knows the history of her neighborhood better than the pretentious tour guides swarming her area. Slowly, she has witnessed her neighborhood’s transformation. More and more white elite types move in, changing stuff around. Now she’s an undesirable asset in her own hood, and she has all of those “colonists” to blame. Things are moving faster than usual though. Gentrification is not just easing its way in, it is forcing entry in an alarming quick rate. Her old neighbors are gone. Literally. They disappear out of the blue, with zero knowledge of their whereabouts. Strange things continue to occur in her neighborhood, and she wonders if she’s losing her mind. Her ex-husband used to tell her she was crazy all the time, after all, and then there’s her mother’s illness... Perhaps Theo, the cute white neighbor across the street, the one she watches from her window from time to time, may help her figure things out, but should she trust him?
WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING is marketed as “REAR WINDOW meets GET OUT.” This intrigued me. I love both Alfred Hitchcock and Jordan Peele, and a combination of these two masters of horror would be too exceptional for words. However, this is not what we get here. A thriller on gentrification is awesome — and this premise brought me to this book. Many people view gentrification as a good thing. After all, they’re bringing beauty and prosperous businesses in otherwise poor neighborhoods. How could that be a bad thing? Except that the new arrivals drive many people out of their childhood homes, their memories bought off like some insignificant thing. And gentrification does not guarantee long-term success for the neighborhood. In Downtown Los Angeles, apartments and condos, once going for $4K or so a month, are now worth half of that. Why? Because people can’t live there anymore (because of the pandemic), and those who can pay for it don’t want to live there, with all those tents and boarded up businesses dominating the area. Downtown LA is an excellent example of how gentrification could go terribly wrong. I thought I’d read a smart thriller about gentrification and the Karens that take over. Instead, I get a conspiracy thriller with a touch of sci-fi. Not a fan of those, and I had a hard time finishing this book, because the twists are just so ridiculous. What a way to ruin what could have been a subject for enlightening conversation! The book IS engaging for almost all of it. It is after the 3/4 mark that hits south. Sydney and Theo are likable and relatable enough, and they’re the only reason I cared enough to finish this book.
Downsides? What I mentioned above, and also people complaining about the foul language. What foul language? I mean, yes, there’s some colorful language here, but not more than the usual. I read a modern thriller version of JANE EYRE recently, and it was like F-bomb city in almost every paragraph. That wasn’t the case here. I have a feeling that most of the people complaining about the “foul language” had only read the opening chapter. I give WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING three out of five caffeinated green smoothies!
- Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2024This book was absolutely amazing! The twists and turns were unpredictable. The characters were so well thought out and developed. Every scene in the book was clearly portrayed. I didn’t want to put this out down. Definitely recommend!
- Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2021I have never read anything like this. And that's saying a lot, as I read on average about 1.5 books a week.
Alyssa Cole really has set the bar high for any other thriller I'll read hereafter. She masterfully set this book to a perfect pace in which kept me on my toes, with JUST enough tension and anxiety to keep me reading without having a real life panic attack. I loved every minute of it.
When No One Is Watching is informative, emotional, very suspenseful and at times, even humorous which really helped keep me suspended without actually scaring me away. The plot was constructed extremely well, and is much different from any other book I've read (in a very good way). I felt that every character was astutely fleshed out. I loved both main characters as well as the neighborhood as a whole. The story was a wild ride from start to finish, never feeling stagnant nor contrived. I would 100% recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
Alyssa's writing has really impacted me. I am now going to purchase her other works and will be looking forward to any other work she puts out in the future. If you are on the fence about this book, please do yourself a favor and purchase it already🖤🖤🖤
Top reviews from other countries
-
Bruno CostaReviewed in Brazil on December 6, 2022
2.0 out of 5 stars Produto danificado
Livro frágil veio com várias marcas de danificação prévia. Parece usado
Bruno Costa
Reviewed in Brazil on December 6, 2022
Images in this review - Kimberley ClarkeReviewed in Canada on December 10, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK IS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT!
I anticipated a traditional thriller when I ordered this book. However, I got so much more! I got educated, I got disgusted by humans, I became suspicious of corporations' motives, and I learned that in all these things, in this work of fiction, some serious, gut-wrenching truths. I am still shaking my head at how skillfully written and different, in such a good way, this story is told. Thank you Alyssa Cole for holding a master class in creative writing.
-
T. M.Reviewed in Italy on January 29, 2021
1.0 out of 5 stars Thriller
Purtroppo l'ho trovato noioso.
- ju-depommeReviewed in France on December 5, 2020
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing.
Disappointing. Need to get to the last quarter of the book for any real action, only for it to be, quite frankly, not very believable. Some interesting historical facts though, worth digging into.
- TeresaReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Unsettling thriller
Alyssa Cole is one of my favourite writers and I had high hopes for this book. It didn’t disappoint. I read it in one day. An unsettling thriller, and a timely one.