Book Review: Just Watch Me by Jeff Lindsay

You may not know Jeff Lindsay by name, but if you pay any attention to pop culture, you likely do know who he is – he’s the man who introduced Dexter (sociopathic blood spatter expert) to the world. I confess, I haven’t read the Dexter books. I have seen the television show, and it’s creepy and eerie and fascinating – like so many sociopath stories are – which left me feeling just familiar enough with the type of character that Lindsay creates to be intrigued by the prospect of a new series. I have a long-standing love affair with master thievery goes back to Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief, so I figured a blend of master criminal and masterful character development would be a good fit for me.

My instincts were good – this was every bit as entertaining and engaging as I thought it would be.

True, at times I found Riley Wolfe’s tendency to refer to himself in the third person a bit annoying. But self-aggrandizement and overweening self-confidence are probably stock-in-trade for master criminals, so I set my irritation on the back-burner and just sat back to enjoy the ride – and what a ride it was! I can already see the Showtime series that this one could turn into, and I’d watch it just as readily as I did Dexter. Lindsay is great at writing compelling characters who are endearing despite themselves, and then at throwing them into crazy capers that should feel unbelievable and eye-rollingly insane yet somehow come together into surprisingly tight narratives full of action and adventure that roll on with a momentum all their own… This was a fun read and I’m delighted to see that it appears to be the kick-off of a full-blown series. I’d follow Riley Wolfe around the world (at least, in books), and am looking forward to seeing where he takes me next!

Thanks to the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.