On My Father’s Watch: Is Knowing The Truth Always Better?

On My Father’s Watch is a thriller, yes, but it’s also a beautiful coming-of-age story wrapped in intrigue and heartache. Jack J. Amstel has written a novel full of secrets, slow revelations, and surprisingly touching moments. It starts with a murder and a mystery, but where it really shines is in the relationships and the emotional growth of its narrator, Teddy Deweyer.

Teddy’s voice is instantly relatable. He’s smart, self-deprecating, and just vulnerable enough to pull you in. One minute he’s recalling oatmeal breakfasts with his dad, the next he’s careening through the Swiss Alps chasing answers about a father who vanished without a trace. It’s these juxtapositions, memory and momentum, grief and discovery, that give the book its emotional punch.

Themes of family, loyalty, and what it means to grow up without closure are everywhere. Sjon, Teddy’s godfather, is larger than life, a mix of shady entrepreneur and devoted surrogate parent. When he’s killed, everything starts to unravel. As Teddy puts it, “We weren’t a normal family anymore,” and that line lingers.

But it’s not all heavy. The book has a lot of heart and humor, especially when Teddy is hanging out with Justin, his twelve-year-old cousin, who delivers some of the funniest lines in the book. (“My dad says golf is work too.”) Or when Marella, a feisty former classmate turned medical student, reappears in Teddy’s life and completely flips his trajectory. Their dynamic is filled with flirtation, banter, and genuine connection.

One of my favorite parts is when Teddy and Marella go to the Artis Zoo with Justin. It’s sweet, nostalgic, and subtly sets the tone for everything that follows. The moment when Teddy blurts out an invitation to go skiing together in Switzerland is spontaneous and oddly romantic, and when Marella accepts, it feels like a pivotal moment for both of them. That trip becomes the emotional center of the book.

There’s something charming about how much of the story unfolds through everyday moments, dinners with family, a funeral filled with gangsters and football fans, and awkward conversations at student houses. These are real, textured settings that make the stakes feel more intimate. Even when Teddy is piecing together secrets involving international banking and long-lost friends of his father, the heart of the story remains focused on love, loss, and the families we build for ourselves.

The writing style is crisp, witty, and full of great observational details. When Marella watches Teddy interact with Justin, she notices the way he points things out, how the two boys, though years apart, mirror each other. That kind of quiet insight is what makes this book feel special.

Amstel has created a novel that’s both a gripping mystery and a moving exploration of family. It’s about finding your footing in a world shaped by other people’s decisions, and learning to ask the questions that scare you the most. It’s about the power of chosen family, the weight of memory, and how sometimes, the truth is the only thing that can set you free—even if it changes everything.

Whether you’re into mysteries or love character-driven stories with heart and humor, On My Father’s Watch delivers. It’s not just about what happened—it’s about what we do next.