Overview

Watch Your Back is a twisty modern thriller set in Edinburgh. Jo has rebuilt her life after her mother’s murder, keeping a low profile. Fifteen years on she receives unopened letters from the prison. When they are stolen, Jo must confront her past and the secrets people still hide to find the truth.

Writing & Voice

We found Christie’s style brisk and tense. The voice matches the suspense of the plot. The setting in historic streets gives a strong sense of place. Scenes shift quickly, keeping the pace driving and the stakes high.

Content & Perspective

The narrative follows Jo’s search for answers, moving between her internal fear and external threats. Characters around her hold pieces of the past. As the truth unravels, family ties, betrayal and hidden motives rise to the surface.

Themes

Watch Your Back probes guilt, memory, identity and betrayal. It looks at how people rebuild after tragedy and how the past can return with force. The book balances psychological depth with thriller pacing.

What Worked

• Strong setting in Edinburgh’s streets.
• Sharp suspense with twisty revelations.
• Empathic lead facing her past head on.

Minor Quibbles

• Some plot turns feel familiar within the genre.
• Pacing occasionally dips between twists.

Final Thoughts

Tense, readable, and grounded in Edinburgh, Watch Your Back worked for us as a personal thriller about how buried grief and unanswered questions refuse to stay quiet.

Rating: ★★★★ / 5