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?
Alyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and sci-fi romance. Her contemporary rom-com A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times' 100 Notable Books of 2018, and 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.
"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
"When No One Is Watching is romance writer superstar Alyssa Cole's debut thriller...It's a really creepy, smart page-turner." - Buzzfeed
"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
"[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
"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
"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 dangers of gentrification turn very literal in romance veteran Alyssa Cole's unputdownable new thriller." - Harper's Bazaar
"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
"...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
"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
"Suspense at its best... you aren't going to be able to put it down until you finish it." - Book Riot
