Someone is Watching You by Tess James-Mackey

An abandoned prison. A deadly game. How far would you go for a dare?

Nia would do anything to win the approval of her boyfriend Scott and his friends, especially mean girl Olivia. When Olivia dares Nia to explore an abandoned prison, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to prove herself. Facing dark tunnels, distant noises and creepy mementoes left behind by incarcerated criminals will surely all be worth it.

But it isn't long before Nia and her little sister, Kayla, find themselves trapped inside. And then Kayla vanishes.

Suddenly, this feels like more than a game gone wrong. Someone is hellbent on making Nia and Kayla the prison's last inmates . . .

An utterly compelling, terrifying thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, from remarkable new author Tess James-Mackey.

---

Teen thrillers are edging out of have to solve a murder and into have to not be murdered, and if this book in indicative of the quality of them, I'm all for it. Someone is Watching You is a tense, well written book. It's hard to believe that most of the events in it take place over just a couple of hours.

The flashbacks here and there are well enough signposted that it wasn't confusing, and they add to the story rather than distract from it. I thought the twist was kind of surprising - I can see, looking back, where it was flagged, but at the time I didn't pick it out!

The prison makes for a very atmospheric place to be trapped, and I felt the claustrophobia at times. Nia's desperation to be part of the group is familiar to anyone who's ever been a teen, and I cheered when a certain thing happened! 

I very much hope there's more planned for these characters - the end seems to imply it, and I would love to read the next part. Whatever Tess writes, though, I'll be happy to read. She's going to do very well.

Someone is Watching You publishes on the 2nd of February, 2023. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.