As the city sleeps in the early hours of September 10, 2001, the killer waits and watches, unaware of the cataclysm to come. Even the nightmare of 9/11 will not postpone his private reign of terror.

Allison Taylor adores her adopted city, New York, loving every minute of the invigorating urban hustle. But on a bright and clear September morning, the familiar landscape around her is savagely altered—and in the midst of widespread chaos and fear, a woman living upstairs from her is found, brutally slaughtered and mutilated.

For Allison . . . for her neighbor, James "Mack" MacKenna, desperately searching for news of his missing wife . . . for homicide detective Rocky Manzillo, hunting for a monster called "The Nightwatcher" amid the smoking ruins of a devastated city, this tragic day will hold a special horror. Because a different kind of terror has entered their lives . . . and it's coming to claim Allison Taylor as its next victim.

Review

Allison Taylor has overcome tragedy in her childhood and is now living the life she has always dreamed about. She left the Midwest and her bad memories behind for a career in the fashion industry in New York City. While Allison’s love life could be better, she is proud of all she has accomplished in her life and is making friends in her new city. Allison is devastated when one of those friends is brutally murdered at the same time the whole city experiences a terrorist attack that the President calls “an act of war.” As the city recovers from the 9/11 attacks, Allison is giving her neighbor “Mack” a shoulder to cry on when it appears his wife was killed in the terrorist attack. However, Allison is afraid to get too close to someone she doesn’t know very well since it’s clear there is a murderer on the loose and Allison is afraid she may be the next victim.

Nightwatcher is written with a strange, but effective mixture of a scary story of a serial killer with details of the true tragedy of 9/11. Allison is the main character, but we also see the story from the point of view of some of her neighbors, as well as the police officer and FBI agent who are involved in the murder case. The first part of the book is excellent and I enjoyed the parts of the story about the murder and also those dealing with the aftermath of 9/11. I became so involved in the story, I didn’t want to put the book down. The descriptions of what the residents of New York City went through in those dark days are outstanding, but sometimes hard to read because of the sadness. Seeing some of these events through the eyes of Allison, police officers who lost co-workers and friends, personalized this horrible tragedy. This was my favorite part of the book and will be something I won’t forget.

Unfortunately, as the story proceeds, the portions related to the serial killer aren’t as well-done. The violence is sometimes hard to take and the plot regarding the killer ultimately takes a bizarre turn. Some of the clues are there, but are confusing, so I was blind-sighted when the true identity of the killer is given. I had expected some twists and turns, but was surprised at some of the things that were revealed. By the time the book ends, the reader knows most of what really went on during the story, but not everything is resolved for all characters. There is a sequel called Sleepwalker coming out in October that continues the story, so I assume it will give closure to the characters concerning some of the questions still puzzling them. 

The book is a wonderful tribute to the victims of 9/11, but the serial killer storyline is a disappointment. However, anyone who wants to see the 9/11 tragedy through the eyes of New Yorkers or fans of Mary Higgins Clark that don’t mind a little more violence will appreciate this thriller by Wendy Corsi Staub.

Reviewed by Christine

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