WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING is a book that is described on the back cover as a cross between Get Out and Rear Window.  Combining those two films, I could already guess there would be themes or blending of social commentary, racial inequity, and paranoia.  Score!  This book explores all of those themes and more amidst the overarching practice of gentrification.  In an effort to understand more about her own neighborhood and the changes impacting it, young Sydney Green meets tour guide Theo and the two start to dive deep into this mystery before them.

Alyssa Cole can write!  She creates two strong characters from the start and her descriptions of the city and connections to Black history are remarkable.  The book toggles back and forth from Sydney and Theo's POVs with brief intermissions between each chapter consisting of comments/messages in a local neighborhood social media app.  It is quite interesting to see some of the new and old residents in this neighborhood being gentrified and how they interact with each other (one of my favorites is when this white woman says she will bring potato salad with raisins to the block party... lol)

I enjoyed this story but I either wish it had been shorter or had a quicker build up.  I enjoy all thrillers, but those with slower build ups tend to weigh on me and drag a bit.  I know many people adore that slow burn with a crescendo that burns hard, but I like a thriller that is constantly making me gasp as compared to one that just has me continually wondering when something is going to be right around the corner, so to speak.  The slow burn DOES work in this book and I can see why that was chosen over something more fast-paced.  Around 2/3 of the book we start to get pretty wild and that was what I was living for!  4 stars!