Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Watcher in the Wall
    The Watcher in the Wall
    The Watcher in the Wall
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Watcher in the Wall

    Written by Owen Laukkanen

    Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A heart-pounding new Stevens and Windermere thriller from the award-winning author of The Stolen Ones and The Professionals. Kirk Stevens and Carla Windermere of the joint BCA-FBI violent crime task force have handled shocking cases before, but this one is different. Stevens's daughter, Andrea, is distraught over a classmate's suicide, but what the two investigators find is even more disturbing-an online suicide club of unhappy teenagers, presided over by an anonymous presence who seems to be spurring them on. Soon, it becomes apparent that the classmate wasn't the first victim-and won't be the last, either, unless they can hunt down this psychopath once and for all.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 15, 2016
    ISBN9781501911682
    The Watcher in the Wall

    Related to The Watcher in the Wall

    Titles in the series (3)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Thrillers For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Minders

      Oct 7, 2020

      RELEASED OUT NOW! 448 pages | Paperback/ebook/audiobook Author John Marrs Publisher Del Rey John Marrs’s latest near future, high-concept techno-thriller isn’t so much a sequel to The One (DNA dating app has dark secret) and Passengers (autonomous ca

      1 min read

    • Article

      You’re The Dirty Rascal

      Apr 6, 2023

      You’re The Dirty Rascal
      5 min read

    • Article

      Karin Slaughter

      Jul 2, 2020

      This American crime author has sold more than 35 million copies of her books globally. This month she’s celebrating the release of her 20th novel in as many years. It’s also the 10th book in special agent Will Trent’s series. “It feels really great a

      1 min read

    • Article

      ‘It’s Time The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Grew Up’: Karin Smirnoff On Her Shocking Sequel

      Sep 5, 2023

      The introverted, anarchical punk-goth hacker heroine of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo novels had always intrigued Karin Smirnoff. In fact, the eponymous Lisbeth Salander was the reason Smirnoff read all six books in the series. So when the Swedish

      3 min read

    • Article

      Hear A Ticking Time Bomb

      Mar 15, 2020

      The five years that have passed since the hostage crisis at the Lindt Cafe in central Sydney are enough to clear this competent if not outstanding thriller of any charge of being exploitative. The author – a former family-law and criminal barrister i

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Four Best Audiobooks Of June To Take You Places

      Jun 23, 2020

      Hardboiled mysteries, obscure farming communities, and tales of home and family provide ample entertainment in June’s audiobook roundup.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Witness

      Jun 9, 2020

      My sister threw open the door so that it banged against the little console table she kept by the entrance. “Silas,” she said breathlessly, before even removing her coat, “I have to tell you something.” Which was enough to make me feel trapped, as tho

      25 min read

    • Article

      Daughters’ Bodies

      Dec 1, 2019

      WHEN I’M about to go away to college, my grandmother dies and my mother silently puts herself up for adoption. LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO ADOPT ME: Kind, lonely, beautiful woman in her 50s. Dead husband. No children. Cooks and cleans. 4’11 and 90 lbs. Gu

      20 min read

    • Article

      The DATING GAME

      Apr 2, 2024

      The DATING GAME
      8 min read

    • Article

      Dark DEEDS

      Jan 20, 2021

      Dark DEEDS
      9 min read

    • Article

      Lemon Trees

      Apr 10, 2024

      When her son walked into their townhouse, Zach’s darkb-rown curls shielded his eyes. It wasn’t the first time Stephanie thought the deflection looked intentional, but she hadn’t yet found evidence that her son’s aloofness hid anything significant. Sh

      16 min read

    • Article

      By My Side

      May 6, 2021

      By My Side
      5 min read

    • Article

      Who We Were WHO ARE WE NOW?

      Apr 8, 2020

      Who We Were WHO ARE WE NOW?
      7 min read

    • Article

      Someone To Watch OVER ME

      May 25, 2022

      Someone To Watch OVER ME
      9 min read

    • Article

      Turn Out The Lights

      Sep 1, 2023

      Turn Out The Lights
      21 min read

    • Article

      The DATING GAME

      Aug 3, 2022

      The DATING GAME
      8 min read

    • Article

      The Shape Of A Person

      Oct 20, 2022

      The Shape Of A Person
      25 min read

    • Article

      A Gentle STIRRING

      Mar 13, 2024

      A Gentle STIRRING
      6 min read

    • Article

      Birdie

      Jan 14, 2020

      Birdie
      24 min read

    • Article

      LOVE, Virtually

      Feb 16, 2020

      LOVE, Virtually
      5 min read

    • Article

      Who Had I Married?

      Feb 15, 2024

      Who Had I Married?
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Drawings That Trapped A Paedophile

      Oct 18, 2022

      Sitting cross-legged on the living room floor after school one day, I giggled away as I watched my favourite cartoons. But when I heard the sound of footsteps behind me, my laughter suddenly stopped. ‘Come sit with me,’ my stepdad David, then 32, whi

      4 min read

    • Article

      Rediscover THIS DAY

      Apr 1, 2021

      Rediscover THIS DAY
      4 min read

    • Article

      Reading

      May 1, 2023

      Reading
      21 min read

    • Article

      Hell Is A City in Texas

      Jun 14, 2021

      Hell Is A City in Texas
      10 min read

    • Article

      Pieces of A LIFE

      Sep 3, 2020

      Pieces of A LIFE
      4 min read

    • Article

      Welcome to Reliance

      Dec 1, 2021

      Welcome to Reliance
      11 min read

    • Article

      Nightmare On My Street

      Oct 20, 2022

      Nightmare On My Street
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Watcher in the Wall

    4/5

    35 ratings10 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      I've read two of Laukkanen's books and enjoyed them. In "The Watcher In The Wall" he has come up with a compelling story about a depraved individual responsible for a number of deaths across the country and how the FBI develops a suspect and pursues the investigation. For the most part the plot was intriguing, however, toward the end of the book it began to drag in a way that I refer to as a "the Perils of Pauline" scenario. By way of background, years ago (1914) in silent pictures, there was a series so named, in which Pauline was constantly placed in danger, and ultimately rescued at the last moment week after week. Usually it has been wrongly associated with a woman being tied to railroad tracks by a Snidely Whiplash type scoundrel, who is saved each time from Snidely's evil in some fashion, but that was actually Barney Oldfield's 'Race for a Life". Nevertheless, when a story line starts to bog down with too many near misses by the authorities to capture the suspect the 'Perils of Pauline' comes to my mind. I think Laukkanen could have wrapped up his novel with a couple fewer near misses. Strangely enough, although I might have missed a reference early on, I found it weird that I did not discover that the protagonist, Carla Windermere, was black until 20 odd pages before the novel ends. I found myself reading almost the entire book envisioning the character as a white woman and they suddenly learn otherwise, not that it matters one way or another, but it was disconcerting, and I wondered why this was not integral to the character development early on. Also, I found the description of the bad guy throughout the book did not comport with his abilities described as he was eluding arrest, it just didn't ring true, and will not elaborate so as to avoid spoiling the story line. I would have preferred to have the plot line tightened up as it took too long to come to a conclusion. The character of the antagonist was much more developed than that of the investigators, who came across as flat, and one-dimensional. For these reasons I was not able to rate "The Watcher In The Wall" higher than 3 stars.
    • 4/5
      I found this hard to read....just so gruesome but I have really liked his other books so I kept going and I'm glad I did. The Acknowledgements were particularly important because Laukkanen describes how this book came about---in part because of his own experiences with depression and suicidal thoughts. It explains a lot about FBI agent Windermere's thinking --- why don't all of us make the effort to stand up for what we believe is right when we see things that are so definitely wrong? I'm late to the fact that Stevens and Windermere are in his former books and maybe I began with the wrong one.
    • 4/5
      In the fifth book of a series featuring agents, Kirk Stevens and Carla Windermere, aare pursuing an Internet troll who encourages teenagers to commit suicide, while recording their final moments on a webcam to sell on the dark web. Adrian Miller, tired of being tormented at school, hangs himself while home alone. One of his schoolmates is Steven's daughter, who begs her father to hold someone responsible.

      In the beginning Stevens and Windermere aren’t sure a crime has been committed. They soon realize that they have an online predator on their hands, and it looks like the he is already working on two more victims who are ready to kill themselves. If you are a parent who is afraid of who your children are socializing with online, this novel will only make you more nervous. Windermere is almost out of control in this book because of her own culpability in an incident in her past, where she stood by as a fellow classmate was bullied in school. Laukkanen based the book on the real-life case of online predator William Melchert-Dinkel, a Minnesota man whose online emails drove an Ottawa teen to commit suicide in 2009, and who is suspected of entering into fake suicide pacts with at least five other victims.

      Laukkanen continues his tradition of quick, short chapters with high-octane action that compel the reader to keep turning pages. I'm a big fan of this series but this was probably my least favorite of the five books. Stevens takes more of a backseat in this one, because the case is so personal to Windermere. For much of the book she is almost out of control, even threatening a judge in order to get a search warrant. I don't recommend this your first look at a Windermere/Stevens book but fans will find it an intriguing story with emotionally invested characters.
    • 5/5
      [The Watcher in the Wall] by Owen LaukkanenStevens & Windermere series Book #55&#9733'sFrom The Book:Kirk Stevens and Carla Windermere of the joint BCA-FBI violent crime task force have handled shocking cases before, but this one is different. Stevens’s daughter, Andrea, is distraught over a classmate’s suicide, but what the two investigators find is even more disturbing—an online suicide club of unhappy teenagers, presided over by an anonymous presence who seems to be spurring them on. Soon, it becomes apparent that the classmate wasn’t the first victim—and won’t be the last, either, unless they can hunt down this psychopath once and for all.My Thoughts:It appears that there is someone encouraging teenagers on a suicide website to enter into a pack with the administrator of the site to not only kill themselves but are encouraged to film their death. This person leads them to believe that they are also suicidal and will die with them. Stevens and Windermere realize that there is a very sick and evil internet predator that is preying on susceptible youngsters and selling these recordings on the black websites. A back story is taking place at the same time. A 15 year old boy is brutally abused by his alcoholic step-father. For some reason he feels that he has the right to prey on his step-sister and encourage her to kill herself. He has been watching her for several months and seeing her die is the high point of his life and he tries again and again to reach this high point again by watching others die.If you haven’t figured it out by now, the reader needs to be aware that it is a vey, very dark topic. You will want so badly to tell the 16 year old girl that is on a bus from Tampa to Louisville to meet, what she believes is a 16 year old desperate boy named Brandon…to just turn around and run…DON”T get off the bus. Unfortunately the story has so much truth to it that it should scare every parent to watch what and who your child is meeting on line. Don’t be too busy or too trusting…they are children and don’t always have good judgment.
    • 5/5
      Holy Moley! This book was a definite 10 on the reader scale for me. Some of the characters wer4e hard-core FBIies, others were very very scary predators and victims.In the world of snuff films, there aren't many good people and the main character of this book certainly isn't one. His childhood was horrible, we get that - but some kids end up okay. Not Randall Gruber, who - at fifteen - made his step-sister commit suicide as he watched. That was the beginning.FBI agents Stevens and Windermere are brought into it by Steven's high-school daughter who knows a boy who had just killed himself and she had done a little searching. What she found will create a new kind of hell for Carla Windermere and several victims of this predator.Couldn't put it down.
    • 2/5
      Mediocre writing, a plot that wasn't very credible, an unbelievable ending.... other than that, not a bad book. It had plenty of action and moved along at a relatively brisk pace, but several of the sequences seemed forced and sort of 'made for TV', so instead of adding to the drama they just extended the book and had me asking myself whether what was happening was even physically possible.

      'The Professionals' was a good start to this series. I don't know where 'The Watcher in the Wall' fits into his catalog, but the writing and plot are both significant steps back from his first novel. That one seemed pretty real and well thought out, this was a stretch. The biggest disappointment was the lack of development of the characters of Stevens and Windermere. What seemed like the beginning of a great team hasn't really moved forward from his initial writing in the series.
    • 3/5
      A very disturbing look at teen suicide using social media as the method a psychopath uses to convince vulnerable youth that they no longer have a reason to live. Windermere takes the lead in the book to track down the perpetrator as she finds the criminal feeding a personal demon she has lived with since her teenage years. The book is quite different from the earlier books in the series but does bring a serious topic to our attention.
    • 3/5
      Another fast page-turner from Laukkanen. I was glad to see all the Stevens/Windermere romance/relationship stuff not in this book. That never really felt right and it gives so much more focus to the store. Which, for me as the mother of a tween, I found more than a little disturbing thinking about teen suicide. But it was still a great book and again I'm back to waiting for the next installment.
    • 4/5
      Stevens and Windemere are still wrapping up their last case when a student in Stevens' daughter's class commits suicide. Adrian had been communicating with a girl in a suicide chat room and the FBI team is determined to find her before she can harm herself. The new case raises an ugly memory for Carla Windemere about a classmate being bullied who later committed suicide. Carla's lingering guilt over the incident is a bit hard to believe but the case is a compelling combination of technological methods of investigation, the psychology of abuse and teen suicide, and the hideous prospect of people who profit from the pain of others. Disturbing subject matter but a fast-paced, action-packed crime/psychological thriller.
    • 4/5
      I've been a fan of Owen Laukkanen right from the beginning, with the release of his debut novel, The Professionals. His newest book, The Watcher in the Wall, is the fifth in the Stevens and Windermere series. (It can be read as a stand-alone)Kirk Stevens and Carla Windermere are partners on a joint FBI and BCI task force. It's Stevens' daughter who brings their latest case to them. A classmate has committed suicide. Tragic enough on its own, but the death is being shown on the internet. The boy was a member of an online suicide forum, where members share their thoughts, tips and ------ encouragement.A bit of a difficult and dark premise, but one that is unfortunately real. The antagonist that Laukkanen has created is truly despicable and twisted. And just like the suicide forums, not that far from the truth. Who are you really talking to in chat room? And how do you know that photo is real? Ugly, chilling and oh, so very creepy.The relationship between the two lead characters has evolved and changed over the course of the books. They have very different personalities which bring a different view, attitude and approach to their cases. The Watcher in the Wall sees Windermere take the lead - and some risky moves. This case has become personal for her, triggering memories from her teenage years. (But I have to admit, the cooler headed Stevens remains my favourite)The action doesn't stop and the pacing is frantic as the pair race to save another teen before they make a terrible, final decision. As I read the final run up to the ending, I was envisioning an action film. (and it would make a good one) But, some of the final plot situations do ask the reader to suspend disbelief. So, I did. Here's an excerpt of The Watcher in the Wall.The author's notes at the end were compelling:"The Watcher in the Wall is inspired very loosely by real-life incident, but it's also a fairly personal book for me. I've dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts since I was a teenager, and it's only now, two decades later that I've started taking real steps to deal with it. In some ways, this book is a response to the dark stuff......Please don't suffer in silence. There's no shame in speaking up and I promise, you're not alone."There's a nice little cover blurb from John Sandford..."Laukkanen is slam-bang brilliant." And yes, if you like Sandford's books, you're going to like Laukkanen.