A thriller, when it works, defies your expectations. But when it really works, it continues to surprise you as you get deeper into the narrative. Gregg Hurwitz’s THEY’RE WATCHING really works. Keeping you consistently surprised is only one of the pleasures of this smartly-written page-turner.
For a while, it looked as though Patrick Davis, the novel’s protagonist, had not only followed his dream, but achieved it. An aspiring writer, he sold his first screenplay, which went immediately into production, but a silly altercation with the film’s egomaniac star resulted in the studio suing Davis and firing him from it. So he now lives out his days teaching screenwriting at a California State University, and his nights suffering through the strained remains of his marriage.
One day, a DVD arrives with his morning newspaper. When played, the crude images reveal that someone is watching Davis and his wife. More DVDs arrive, and Davis finds that he and his wife are being stalked by cameras hidden in and around his house.
Before long, e-mails arrive with specific instructions for Davis — and what appear to be ominous threats. Desperate to find out who is doing this to him and why, he carries out the instructions while using every available resource to understand what is happening to him. At first, it appears as if his dictated actions are benevolent; they actually seem to be helping a few people in dire need of a miracle. But then Davis is directed to a rundown motel, where he discovers a dead body. And to make matters worse, evidence at the scene point to him as the murderer.
Readers of his previous works know Hurwitz can construct a complex, but entertaining tale. Having the extra dimension of playing on our ever-shrinking sense of privacy, he certainly does not disappoint here. What is surprising is the amount of depth and intelligence the author brings to each of his characters. The cops, the next-door neighbors, the fellow faculty members and practically everyone else in THEY’RE WATCHING speak and act with a richness and roundedness rarely found in thrillers.
This is especially evident in the scenes involving Davis and his wife. Rather than the icy abruptness we would expect from their forced relationship, Hurwitz instead slyly uses the disruption of the plot conflicts to bring the couple closer together and rediscover why they are important to each other. Similarly, Davis comes to realize what is truly important to his life and his work as eventually learns why he’s been made a victim and who is responsible.
Pop-culture references — of movies especially, but also hit songs and even a few works of fiction — frequently pepper the prose and dialogue from start to finish. These sometimes come dangerously close to being narrative shorthand. But Hurwitz is too good a writer for such laziness and manages to pull the reins in before they get out of control.
THEY’RE WATCHING might end up being one of the best thrillers of the year. In any event, it is without question another winner for this talented and seasoned writer. —Alan Cranis
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• THE CRIME WRITER by Gregg Hurwitz
• LAST SHOT by Gregg Hurwitz
• TRUST NO ONE by Gregg Hurwitz
Related posts:
- The Crime Writer
- Trust No One
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Watching the Detectives
- Last Shot
- The Price
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That sounds a lot like the French movie CACHÉ with Juliette Binoche!