Everyone Is Watching

I have been a fan of Heather Gudenkauf's suspense books for many years. Her latest book Everyone Is Watching has a different feel to it as the author delves into the world of reality television with a story filled with secrets and grudges.

What would you do for $10 million?

One Lucky Winner is a reality TV show, set at a luxurious Californian estate that has five competitors, each given nicknames for the show - the Confidante, The Senator, The Boyfriend, The Best Friend and The Exec. They compete in a series of intense, potentially deadly and outrageous challenges that will test them mentally, physically and psychologically. 

Readers get POVs from the five competitors and the TV assistant who is keeping the show running, doing all she can to ensure that each episode goes viral. Everyone is hiding something and tension increases with the harrowing competitions and as Gudenkauf reveals the characters' secrets, backstories, motivations and how everything is connected. The pacing and tension kept me turning the pages - the only thing that gave me pause was the ending that didn't sit well with me.

With its locked room vibe and luxurious setting, this is Big Brother at a whole new level. While on the outrageous side, it is an original take on the thriller genre that also explores secrets, deceptions, long-held grudges and a reminder that you cannot outrun your past.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for the digital advanced copy of this book which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Heather Gudenkauf

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Park Row (Harlequin Trade)

First Published: March 26, 2024

Book Description from GoodReads: The Best Friend. The Confidant. The Senator. The Boyfriend. The Executive.

Five contestants have been chosen to compete for ten million dollars on the game show One Lucky Winner. The catch? None of them knows what (or who) to expect, and it will be live streamed all over the world. Completely secluded in an estate in Northern California, with strict instructions not to leave the property and zero contact with the outside world, the competitors start to feel a little too isolated.

When long-kept secrets begin to rise to the surface, the contestants realize this is no longer just a reality show—someone is out for blood. And the game can’t end until the world knows who the contestants really are…