have to admit that Hunter Shea is one of my favorite horror authors. His books have never disappointed me including "We are Always Watching".
The Ridley family just can't get a break. The father, Matt, was in a devastating car accident that left him an invalid. Due to severe financial difficulties, the Ridley family is forced to move back to a place where Matt swore he would never return. Matt, his wife Debi, and their son West move back to Matt's childhood home with his father, Abraham. There the Ridley family is forced to face "The Guardians" who have been tormenting the residents of Buttermilk Creek for many generations.
The main character of the story is West and the horror that unfolds is seen through his eyes. The most colorful character has to be Grandpa Abraham. He really is a crusty and nasty old man and that is putting it mildly.
The story does seem to be partly a coming of age novel which I enjoyed very much. The characters were all very well developed and I really got a kick from the developing relationship and bickering between West and his grandfather. I did find the story a bit predictable but the characters and skilled writing made it a really enjoyable read. Hunter Shea is a master at setting the stage in his books. Definitely recommended. ( )

We Are Always Watching is different from what I have come to expect from Hunter Shea. Usually, Shea throws me right into the action pretty early on, but not this time. This time the story built slowly, both in tension and in plot. I thought I had a rough idea what to expect after reading the blurb, turns out I was wrong. We Are Always Watching morphed into something completely different and went down a different path than I was anticipating.

We Are Always Watching was a slow burner. At times it felt like nothing of great importance was happening outside of getting to know the characters, their surroundings, and their general day to day lives - with little tidbits thrown in to whet the appetite for what was to come. For the first half of the book, I thought I knew where the story was going as it was still within the box that is the blurb. Then, almost as if someone had flipped a switch, the box was obliterated. All of a sudden all my expectations were thrown out the window and I was re-analysing what I'd already read. I found myself thinking back and reflecting on everything I'd read up to that point, re-looking at all the events, the sounds, and the clues, from a different angle.

I did enjoy this turn of events, but I have to say that I was also a little disappointed that it wasn't what I was expecting it to be. I'm purposely being very vague here because it would be extremely easy to ruin this book for those who have yet to read it. Once you get to this point in the book things really take off. Before you know it the slow burn is in your rear window and the story hurtles towards the conclusion at breakneck speed.

The character growth was portrayed well and the changing dynamics and tension felt believable, but I have to say, it was the visual aspect that shone for me. I could picture the surroundings and the buildings easily and it added a whole new level to the reading experience.

I like when a book surprises me and is something other than what I was expecting it to be. But, We Are Always Watching came to a fork in the road, one turn being one of my favourite horror scenarios, and the other being a lesser liked horror scenario, and it took the lesser turn. Of course, this is in no way a negative thing, it's just my personal preference and I still thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend it. ( )

Review copy

Due to dire circumstance, Matt Riley, his wife, Debi, and their fourteen-year-old son, West had to move in with West's Grandpa Abraham. Grandpa insisted the place where he lived was haunted. That was fine with West, "(he) devoured horror books like they were M&Ms." I loved the mentions of popular horror podcasts and magazines, as well as a number of today's most read writers within the genre. It's not long before the Ridley's realize something is not right about their temporary home. For West, it began with a message on the ceiling of his bedroom.

WE SEE YOU.

Other notes with similar messages appear throughout the house and Grandpa Abraham reveals the legend of the Guardians. The activity intensifies and the notes become more and more threatening.

The family dynamics in We Are Always Watching are perfect, so believable.

"Mothers were so exasperating. Every stray animal had rabies, every lawn had poison ivy laying in wait, and Halloween candy was full of razors and poison."

BTW, Grandpa Abraham is one of my favorite characters so far this year. The word curmudgeon doesn't begin to do him justice. Matt's boyhood friend, James sums him up nicely.

"A kinder, gentler Abraham Ridley is an actual sign of the apocalypse. I literally just read that in Bible study class."

To say more would give to much of the story away and this is one you really should enjoy for yourself. Just let me say, Hunter Shea is a dependable author for a solid horror read.

This is one book I can thoroughly recommend.

We Are Always Watching is available in both paperback and e-book formats from Sinister Grin Press.

From the author's bio - Hunter Shea is the product of a childhood weened on The Night Stalker, The Twilight Zone, and In Search Of. He doesn't just write about the paranormal - he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself.

Hunter is an amateur cryptozoologist, having written wild, fictional tales about Bigfoot, The Montauk Monster, The Dover Demon and many new creatures to come. Copies of his books, The Montauk Monster and The Dover Demon, are currently on display in the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, ME.

Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he's happy to be close enough to New York City to get Gray's Papaya hot dogs when the craving hits. His daughters have also gotten the horror bug, assisting him with research, story ideas and illustrations that can be seen in magazines such as Dark Dossier. ( )

Hunter Shea, better known for his imaginative spins on cryptic legends like The Jersey Devil, Bigfoot, and the Montauk Monster, goes "old-school" in the ominous and terrifying "We Are Always Watching".

A family tragedy and ensuing financial hardship forces the Ridleys to leave their New York home and move in with Grandpa Abraham Ridley at his creepy old Pennsylvania farmhouse. 14-year old West Ridley is less than thrilled with the move because he's left all of his friends behind and grandpa is less than welcoming. All in all, though, West begins to like the fresh air and mystery that the old house presents, especially after finding out that his grandfather thinks it's haunted. He begins to enjoy his surroundings even more after he meets a beautiful young neighbor who seems to be to good to be true.

Things start to take a strange turn however, when West discovers the words, WE SEE YOU, written on his bedroom wall. His mother and dad play it off as nothing, but grandpa reacts differently and tells West a little more about the history of the house and its location. As West gets to know his new friend better and the baleful messages become more threatening, the story takes off with a number of twists and turns.

Shea slowly amps up the suspense while drawing well-developed and believable characters. As the plot continues to slowly simmer into a well-crafted and satisfying ending, one will go away from this experience with a greater appreciation of Shea's imagination and ability to write some scary supernatural horror. Highly recommended to all of Shea's fans and horror aficionados alike. ( )