The Silent Watcher

Excitement abounds when there’s a new series from Victor Methos. The Silent Watcher begins the Vegas Shadows series. Set in Las Vegas, Nevada, this legal and crime thriller features attorney Piper Danes and Detective Lazarus Holloway. Piper was once an endangered youth who is now a court-appointed representative who acts on behalf children or vulnerable adults in legal proceedings.

Piper is good at connecting with children. She’s empathetic with victims, smart, curious, kindhearted, and driven. Lazarus is blunt, logical, sees the world as a puzzle to be solved, and passionate about his job. Judge Dawson is smart, has both a medical degree and a legal degree, and comes from a wealthy and influential family. Despite these traits, each of the main characters has flaws that make them more realistic and relatable, but not always likeable.

The fact that the lawyer (Piper) was neither the prosecutor nor a defense attorney added a different twist on the usual legal thriller. Additionally, a grant allows for a different way of approaching cases involving juveniles. Juvenile court judge Hope Dawson, Piper, and Lazarus team up on a case. Sophie Grace is the sole survivor when her family is murdered. The hunt for the truth and the murderer leads the trio on a suspenseful journey.

This medium-paced story gripped me from beginning to end. The author does a great job building suspense until it culminates in a volatile conclusion. Shocking scenes and information provide a counterpoint to the suspense, investigation and trial. It’s a story with plenty of layers, some of which are quite dark and disturbing.

This gritty thriller is a fantastic, but disquieting and scary-to-think-about start to the series. The author’s experience as a lawyer added to the authenticity of the courtroom and other legal aspects of the plot. Gripping scenes and a well-crafted and riveting plot hooked me from the very beginning. It is unsettling at times, but this is balanced with thoughtful moments of Piper with her grandmother and with Sophie as well as some emotional scenes. The book was a page-turner that kept me engaged throughout the storyline. My only quibble was with the ending. While the case is resolved, I didn’t like some aspects of it and there were a couple of loose threads.

Overall, this thriller was uncomfortable at times, suspenseful, tragic, and intense. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. Combining a police procedural, child advocacy, a mystery, charged and intense courtroom scenes, and an action-packed ending makes this novel a must read for those who enjoy legal and crime thrillers with a dark twist.

Thomas & Mercer and Victor Methos provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for December 01, 2024.