I love suspense reads, so the cover shot of Alyssa Cole's new novel, When No One is Watching and that tiny "A Thriller" non the front door definitely caught eye.Gentrification has come to Sydney's Brooklyn neighbourhood. Neighbours that have been in their homes for forty years are selling up and disappearing. Sydney is also feeling the pressure from aggressive real estate agents. She is determined to hold out and hang on to the neighbourhood she knew. She finds an unlikely partner with Theo, a new resident.
Right off the bat, I have to say how disgusted I was with the new white people moving in this predominantly Black neighbourhood. Their comments and actions are so disgusting - and yet sadly are true. A timely take on race and privilege. So that's one bit of this book. But there's also some romance - also well done. Cole's previous books have been romance reads, so they come off well. History plays a part also, with details of Brooklyn and New York past. And last but certainly not least - the thriller part. Completely unexpected! There was no way to predict this plotline at all. And I'm not going to spoil it for you at all. Things do end on a bit of a rushed note, but it was hard to stop flipping pages at the end.
A great read on so many levels. Cole is a talented wordsmith, weaving together many threads. See for yourself - here's an excerpt of When No One is Watching.
2 comments:
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this one! It has captured my eye on several other blogs, but the element of timeliness that comes from the racial injustice standpoint has me even more eager to give it a read.
Yes Ethan, there are many plotlines, but it is the racial injustice that speaks the loudest.
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