When No One Is Watching (Harlequin Romantic Suspense) by Natalie Charles

When No One Is Watching (Harlequin Romantic Suspense) Reviews

• 
  Lynn Spencer

  I'd give this a B-, so 3.5 stars This book is one that starts off very well, but then all the plot threads knot up a bit at the end. It's not enough to derail the much-anticipated HEA but it did get a tad distracting.
  
  This is one of those suspense novels that starts with all the clues pointing in one direction and yet, somehow we just know that this is not the right answer. So, what are we missing?
  
  In this case, profiler Mia Perez's fingerprints are all over a murder weapon used in recent killings and she has no great explanation for how they could possibly have gotten there. And police have no great explanation for why this respected psychologist would be involved in murder.
  
  Mia is an interesting character. She is obviously smart, and her confusion over how she came to be tied to a crime scene appears genuine. I don't normally like profiler characters, but I did like Mia because she didn't make profiling look like magic. I also empathized with her because, while she is trying to assist the Boston PD in finding a killer, she is also recovering from the recent disappearance of her sister and physical attack/beating on herself. Throughout the story, we see her wrestling with her own emotions as she also focuses on figuring out the mystery.
  
  The hero, Gray Barlett, is a police detective and while he starts off suspicious of Mia, he grows to respect her. At first Gray put me off a bit because he seemed to be playing games with Mia. However, as the two grew closer, I started to like him more.
  
  The mystery takes readers through a variety of twists and turns and I mostly enjoyed this book, especially the first half. The author introduces a number of curveballs into the second half, some of which worked better than others. However, with so many new revelations and plot threads, what had been a fairly streamlined plot started to lose focus a bit. Even so, I'd definitely read this author again. I checked around online and it appears that she may no longer be writing, which is a shame, because this was a promising read.
• 
  Paula Legate

  I really enjoyed this book. The suspense was really good, and kept me guessing on who may have kidnapped or murdered Mia's sister. I was shocked in the end on how the story played out. Natalie Charles is a very talented author.
  
  Mia's sister went missing. Blood was found in her apartment, so it is believed she is dead. Her sisters body has never been found. Shortly after the disappearance, Mia was attacked. Her injuries were so bad, she went into a coma. After she woke up some of her memories were gone. She wants to find out who hurt her sister. She starts working with the police department on some of the crime scenes. Valentine is a serial murderer, and Mia thinks he is behind her sister's death. She was invited to one crime scene by a officer she had worked with in the past. When she gets there she is quickly introduced to Gray who is a gruff investigator. He gives her 5 minutes to look at the scene. He is impressed by how much information she was able to process in just a few minutes. He knows she could help him with the case. The two made a good team, until someone attempted to frame Mia. Now Gray has to chose his job, or Mia who is falling for. You will have to read to see how the story plays out. this book has lots of twist and turns, and the story moves quickly. This is a Great book. I loved how all the questions were answered in the end, and didn't leave me hanging.
  
• 
  Amelia

  Natalie Charles is quickly becoming a favorite romantic suspense author of mine. Her stories are filled with danger, complicated plots and much emotion, where every scene is believably portrayed with realistic details. Ms. Charles is an actual attorney, and her knowledge about police procedures makes scenarios seem even more convincing. WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING has one twist after another, and each clue is cleverly constructed to cause much speculation.
  
  When Lieutenant Gray Bartlett gets to the location where a body has been found, the Boston police officer immediately wonders if an unidentified killer has struck their area again. Before any facts are learned, a woman arrives at the crime scene. Mia Perez, a university professor and criminal profiler, informs Gray that she has worked similar cases in the past and might have an understanding into the person who committed the crime. One reason Mia is so invested in the potentially connected cases is her missing sister may have been a victim though no body was ever found. Also, she was attacked by someone shortly afterward, causing her memories to be unclear since the incident.
  
  Though he is not impressed until she makes several perceptive observations, Gray comes to the conclusion her services might be helpful and asks her to work with him. The need to find out what happened to her sister compels Mia to accept his offer. But when there is physical proof linking her to two murders, he wants answers yet she says her hazy recollections keep her from knowing the truth. As Gray and Mia look for answers, there is no way he is going to push her away. He knows her insight is invaluable, plus he is beginning to feel personally protective of her.
  
  When an author can keep me guessing about numerous aspects until the very end, then I feel extremely satisfied when the book concludes. Many facts are kept hidden until several opinions are conveyed, and then whatever conclusion I made from their views often kept changing. Ms. Charles ingeniously made my mind work overtime in WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING, and I thoroughly enjoyed each perplexing moment. Amid all the uncertainty, there is a feeling of impending danger that could take place at any time and this kept my anxiety level high. Peril comes across as conceivable, as the author draws the reader into the moment with true-to-life reactions.
  
  The relationship between Gray and Mia is definitely tricky. They are challenged by a large number of factors, and how this couple faces these issues just made them all the more real. Careers, personal desires, known facts and undetermined truths all play an important part in how these two respond at times, and their thoughts about a matter came through clearly. Though the longing they feel for the other is not wise, sometimes inner feelings cannot be held back and must be passionately expressed. Gray is a wonderful hero, someone who has dedicated himself to protecting those he thinks are innocent. The way Mia treats anyone that she thinks deserves her compassion made her even more likable, and her feisty streak added to her appeal. Natalie Charles has created a top-notch novel with endless unknowns. Lots of intrigue is caused by the countless mysteries in WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING, making the story exceedingly difficult to put down.
  
  CataRomance review
• 
  Pam

  When No One is Watching is by Natalie Charles. It is a romantic suspense. It deals with serial killers, missing women, and muggers.
  Mia Perez is a criminal profiler who works with the Boston PD at times. She is a psychologist and has a photographic memory. She is also very beautiful but not particularly socially adept. Right now, she is suffering anxiety attacks when surrounded by people. This started after her sister disappears and is assumed to be dead and after she was attacked in the park and severely beaten. She cannot remember anything about the attack or the attacker.
  Boston PD Lieutenant Gray Bartlett is in charge of the Valentine case. Valentine is a serial killer who had stopped killing and has started up again or so it seems. A news reporter has been found killed down by the Charles River. At first, they believe it might be Valentine; but quickly decide it is a copycat killer. Unfortunately the press releases this information and Valentine strikes again. However, at the scene of the news reporter’s death, a gun is found which was used in this murder and a previous one of another news reporter. It has Mia’s prints all over it. Mia, however, hates guns and doesn’t remember ever handling one in her life.
  As she and Gray Bartlett pair up to find Valentine, they also fall in love. This complicates things tremendously and can cause Gray to lose his job if it interferes in the investigation. It could easily do that when Mia is taken into custody for questioning after she receives an email supposedly from her deceased sister telling her to back off the Valentine case. Now they have to prove her innocence, find Valentine, find her sister’s body, and keep Mia alive. Can they do it?
  
• 
  Marsha

  The central mystery about a serial killer on the loose and a missing girl are what form the basis for criminal profiler Mia Perez and Boston P.D. Lt. Gray Bartlett’s initial contact. Gray is the type of crass guy who really gets on the nerves. Unwilling to accept Mia’s expertise on a subject, he gives her a hard time at one crime scene and tests her competence at another one. And, of course, he won’t apologize for tricking her since he feels he’s done nothing wrong. Classy.
  
  But this rough start gets pushed aside in their determination to get to the bottom of girls dead at the hands of a serial killer dubbed “Valentine”. There’s an even deeper mystery about Mia’s missing sister (ooh, this novel has layers) and preys on her mind. While she’s attracted to Gray and he to her, theirs isn’t presented as a runaway romance of heated passion. Instead, they find themselves wanting to help and comfort the other and their obvious intelligence makes conversations between them stimulating to read.
  
  But Mia is a person of interest in two murders and Gray’s attraction to her complicates matters. It’s Mia who makes the rational decision to send him away lest his involvement with her compromises his job. Such real-world problems aren’t brushed under the rug in favor of pushing the affair and that lifts this novel above your run-of-the-mill love story.
  
  Ms. Charles is a capable writer with a gift for penning troubled characters, tense situations and criminal activity. I’d propose this novel for readers who like crime bringing their romantic leads together.
  
• 
  Kathy B. (NE)

  What would you do if your sister had been missing for more than a year and presumed dead, but no body was ever found? I’m betting that all of you would do everything in your power to find that missing sister. This is exactly what our heroine, Mia Perez, is determined to do, but due to an assault the previous year, her memory of the time of her sister’s disappearance is fuzzy.
  
  When No One Is Watching is the third Harlequin Romantic Suspense book by Natalie Charles. I enjoyed the previous two, The Seven-Day Target and The Burden of Desire, and her latest entry is just as good. Ms. Charles weaves a tale that is cloaked in shadows and, at times, I felt like I was trying to navigate a maze. There were lots of red herrings and I couldn’t guess who the bad guy was! Mia, a criminal profiler, and our hero, Boston P.D. lieutenant Gray Bartlett work together to try and catch a serial killer, but soon realize that mixing business and romance jeopardizes the careers and lives of both of them.
  
  This is a fine example of romantic suspense, my favorite genre. It is a stand alone book, so dive right in, and don’t worry that it is part of a series. Thanks for another great read, Natalie!! I eagerly await your next book.
  
  (I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the author in exchange for my honest review.)
  
• 
  Maria Elliott

  I received this book in advance in exchange for a honest review of the book. I truly enjoyed this book. It was a page turner the whole way through. Natalie Charles does a great job keeping you turning the pages to see what happens next and how it turns out. Can't wait for her next book to come out. Move over Catherine Coulter. This book is well written and I truly recommend it to all who enjoy suspense/romance books, even to those who just like suspense. It is well worth reading. Keep up the great work Natalie.
• 
  Emily Higgins

  Psychologist Dr. Mia Perez’s sister Lena has been missing and presumed dead for nearly a year. Mia herself was attacked in a different incident so she has gaps in her memory. Pita is working with detective Gray Bartlett to try to find Lena’s attacker. In the meantime, Mia herself is implicated in another killing.
• 
  Ashley

  I got vibes of the early seasons of Bones with the opening of this book. This has one of the more complicated, what is going on, plots of the Harlequin books I've read so far. For plot's sake the hero bends the rules quite a bit for our heroine multiple times so if you'd rather not read about cops who don't follow the rules then this might not be the book for you. I don't want to give too much away because a lot of little things than don't seem important build towards bigger and more important things later in the book. Charles won big brownie points with me when it came to creating a heroine who could take care of herself and fought for her place on the all male investigation team and won. This is the story of a woman who's been through hell and is still standing on her own two feet without a man's support and it's nice to see that level of girl power represented in a romance book that puts the heroine in quite a few dangerous situations.
• 
  Lee

  Loved this book! It set my heart pounding, scared what was going to happen next. This is a very suspenseful story, with plenty of twists and mysteries. Mia's story leaves you wondering what's going to happen, and whether she's going to be all right. Helping her figure out what happened to her sister is Gray, the cop involved in the case. Romance blossoms between the two, and it makes for a compelling story. Thanks to the author for providing the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Dísir

  Very well-written story given that Natalie Charles is quite a master at an intricate suspense plot. I couldn't buy into Gray as a hero though; I thought he was too hardened, too unyielding, arrogant and too unsympathetic to be likeable as a hero, not just in his interactions with the heroine, but also with his colleagues.
  
  If anything, I was left wanting by what could really be a story on its own - of Joe and Lena.
• 
  (;Missy.Lala;)

  This book failed to capture my attention in the beginning, but as I began to skim towards the middle, the suspense and romance was killing me, and I just had to find out who the suspect was... And I didn't expect it at all!!! Wow!!!!
• 
  Harlequin Books

  "Good, strong storytelling and flawed characters are the highlights as Charles expertly weaves an intricately complex mystery filled with intrigue, suspense and romance. A thrilling read" (RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars).