Monday, July 14, 2014

Review: Eyes on You

Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Kate White comes a riveting psychological suspense in which a media star must battle a malevolent enemy who may be disturbingly close to her.

After losing her on-air job two years ago, television host Robin Trainer has fought her way back and now she’s hotter than ever. With her new show climbing in the ratings and her first book a bestseller, she’s being dubbed a media double threat. But suddenly, things begin to go wrong. Small incidents at first: a nasty note left in her purse; her photo shredded. But the obnoxious quickly becomes threatening when the foundation the makeup artist uses burns Robin’s face. It wasn’t an accident—someone had deliberately doctored with the product.

An adversary with a dark agenda wants to hurt Robin, and the clues point to someone she works with every day. While she frantically tries to put the pieces together and unmask this hidden foe, it becomes terrifyingly clear that the person responsible isn’t going to stop until Robin loses everything that matters to her . . . including her life. -- Harper

I read a lot of very entertaining books when I was at the Outer Banks so expect to see some reviews for some great reads over the next couple of weeks! One of the books I couldn't wait to read was EYES ON YOU by Kate White. I've been a big fan of Ms. White's Bailey Weggins series as well as her stand-along thrillers for years, and I consider myself an even bigger fan after getting to meet Ms. White at the Harper Collins' party at BEA. She was so gracious (and beautiful!), and it was definitely one of my BEA highlights!

EYES ON YOU is her latest thriller and it tells the story of television host Robin Trainer. Robin has worked hard at her career and it's finally coming to fruition with the success of her talk show and the release of her book. Everything is seemingly perfect in Robin's life... until it's not.

Robin has some "strange" things happen to her. First, she finds a mean note in her purse but Robin doesn't think too much of it. Then, she finds her books on the floor with the covers torn and her stage makeup tampered with. Now she's starting to think that someone might really be out to get her. These incidents keep ramping up until Robin feels as if her life is at risk.

At first, Robin isn't sure who would want to harm her; however, the clues seem to point to one of her co-workers. Robin attempts to discover who is responsible for these incidents while at the same time trying to hold on to her success that she's worked so hard for. Can Robin get to the bottom of this before time runs out for her?

EYES ON YOU was the perfect beach read. In fact, I read it in one day because the action was so fast-paced. It's a relatively light thriller in the sense that you are disturbed but not uncomfortably so, and it also keeps the reader guessing with its many twists and turns. I can't say that I was entirely surprised with who was responsible for making Robin's life a nightmare, but I thought the way it was revealed (and by that I mean the rising tension of the scene!) was fantastic.

There were quite a few things that I enjoyed about EYES ON YOU. One thing I especially appreciated was how well Ms. White brought Robin's fear and terror to the reader. This novel wasn't a traditional whodunnit. Rather it was more of a psychological thriller with most of the complexity taking place inside Robin's mind. In addition to being terrified for her life, Robin was having a hard time coping with these scary events because it brought to life things from Robin's childhood that she worked hard to repress. I liked how there was an additional layer of complexity to Robin's character.

Another thing that was really fun about EYES ON YOU was the glimpse it allowed me to have into the lives of the New York media. There were tons of references to not only their rich lifestyles including popular restaurants, shops, and fashion but also to the world of high stakes media... and ratings! It was a new "world" for me to see behind the scenes at a network, and one that I found extremely interesting (albeit a little cut-throat!)

Overall, EYES ON YOU was a fun-filled, action-packed read and perfect for trip to the pool or beach! Definitely recommended for fans of mysteries and thrillers.

Make sure you come back tomorrow for a fantastic guest post from Ms. White along with a chance to win your own copy of EYES ON YOU.

Thanks to the publisher and Saicheck Publicity for a review copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read. Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.

1 comment:

bermudaonion said...

I can't believe I haven't tried her work yet because I love books like this. And, you're right - Kate White is gorgeous!