Hailed for her “excellent prose” and “beautifully drawn” queer characters, the award-winning author of The Scamp introduces a new series with an unforgettable female detective (Lambda Literary). A searing literary noir set in upstate New York about what it means to live on the margins of society—and what happens when no one is watching?Pearl Jenkins is a nobody. She was a woman who lived as a hermit in the woods. One day, she’s nowhere to be found, and all that's left behind is a pool of blood and a child no one knew existed, raised completely off the grid and in the grip of Pearl’s manic paranoia.
Kateri Fisher is used to being an outsider. Now, she’s the only female detective in the tiny upstate New York town of Spring Falls, where everyone knows everyone, but no one will talk. It’s fitting that she takes the case that no one else wants. But as Kateri struggles to navigate the harsh rules of a new town while trying to learn the truth about the Jenkins family, only one thing becomes clear: neither she nor Pearl are as invisible as she first thought. Someone's always watching.
From the award-winning author of The Scamp, Jennifer Pashley is back with a searing literary noir about what it means to live on the margins of society and what happens when no one is watching...
Pearl Jenkins is a nobody. She was a woman who lived as a hermit in the woods. One day, she's nowhere to be found, and all that's left behind is a pool of blood and a child no one knew existed, raised completely off the grid and in the grip of Pearl's manic paranoia.
Kateri Fisher is used to being an outsider. Now, she's the only female detective in the tiny upstate New York town of Spring Falls, where everyone knows everyone, but no one will talk. It's fitting that she takes the case that no one else wants. But as Kateri struggles to navigate the harsh rules of a new town while trying to learn the truth about the Jenkins family, only one thing becomes clear: neither she nor Pearl are as invisible as she first thought. Someone's always watching.
Praise for The Watcher:“Pashley is an excellent prose stylist and a compelling storyteller, but the triumph of this novel, The Watcher, is her ability to create beautifully drawn characters.”
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Lambda Literary “A solid start to this new series...Well placed twists and turns keep the reader engaged.”
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Red Carpet Crash“Pashley's seamless, yet meticulous writing pulls the reader into the bleak world of rural upstate New York…Atmospheric and dark, yet emotionally compelling,
The Watcher is simply
phenomenal on all counts. Jennifer Pashley is nothing short of
a rising star.”
—Wendy Walker, bestselling author of
All is Not Forgotten and
Emma in the Night“
The Watcher is a taut literary thriller about desperation, desire, and what people are capable of when they’ve got nothing left to lose. Pashley’s
masterful prose makes your heart ache and your pulse pound for every single character populating this chilly, unforgiving—and
unforgettable—world.”
—Layne Fargo, author of
Temper“The characters in
The Watcher will rip your heart out…There is hope at the heart of this novel, and also redemption and justice. You’ll find yourself reading faster to discover what happens next and slowing down to wallow in the
beautiful prose. Pashley writes about the people on the fringes of society with clear-eyed compassion and grace. It’s
a gift.”
—Tiffany Quay Tyson, award-winning author of
The Past is Never“Do not miss this dark and
gorgeously told mystery that combines both the literary and noir.
I was completely enthralled…You will not be able to turn away from
The Watcher.”
—Vanessa Lillie, Amazon bestselling author of
Little Voices and
For the Best 
