Clare Mackintosh

I fell in love with Clare Mackintosh through her strong thrillers. Her sleight-of-hand twists never cease to amaze me. Except, After the End is not one of her thrillers. Instead, it is a deeply personal and heartrending story of parents forced to make an unthinkable choice and their lives after making that choice.

One sign that we left a typical Mackintosh far behind is how she tells her story. Told through the eyes of each parent, After the End has a bit of a choose your own adventure feel show more to it. Not only do we see the story through both Pip’s and Max’s eyes, but we also follow each of the two paths from the choice Pip and Max must make. Both versions are equally brutal in the constant emotional battering that occurs. It truly is a case of being damned if you do and damned if you don’t, and Ms. Mackintosh shows all of it without mercy.

Personally, I found nothing redemptive about either path. My heart broke over and over again as Pip and Max each weather their new normals, if only because I kept dwelling on what could have been had one thing been different. Because of this, either ending upset me because I could not accept them. I still want a third path, one which would be just as emotional and upsetting but which, to me, remains true to Pip and Max as a couple. Call me a romantic or someone seeking some form of happiness in this story that has little.

Intense in a completely different way, After the End is still an excellent read, if only because it makes you cherish what you have and improves your empathy skills for those for whom the story is their reality. Just don’t look for it to make you feel good or help escape reality. Ms. Mackintosh is a bit too good at what she does for that. show less

LET ME LIE is a dark and clever psychological thriller, and the perfect cure for my reading slump. This is the third book by Clare Mackintosh that I’ve read, and I always enjoy her writing. She has a talent for creating emotional, character-driven suspense with amazing twists that really mess with your head. She makes you love/hate/sympathize with characters, and then bam! A big twist comes along to make you question everything.

Anna Johnson is a daughter grieving over the suicides of her show more parents the previous year. Then she receives something that makes her suspicious, makes her think that maybe they were murdered instead. The story alternates between Anna and other players in this twisted tale, including a retired detective named Murray who checks into the Johnson’s case. I loved Murray’s character, and his relationship with his troubled wife was heart-rending. The book goes from a slow-burn in the beginning to a thrilling roller coaster ride at the end, and I enjoyed it all.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

I See You begins with a warning:

You do the same thing every day.
You know exactly where you’re going. You’re not alone.
Zoe Walker is on her commute home, going through her normal, everyday routine, when she sees something that derails her normal, everyday life: her face, in an advert in the newspaper, in a section used for escorts and phone sex lines. Who placed the ad? Why? The number listed isn’t real, and the website given goes to a blank page. Is this a prank, a coincidence, or show more something more?

Later, Zoe recognizes a face from a past advert–in a news story about a woman who was raped and murdered. Digging in to the ads, Zoe finds that several women featured have been the victims of crime. With the police finally involved, the real purpose of the ads is revealed, and Zoe may be the future victim of a mysterious and violent stalker.

This was a fantastic thriller. To me, the most compelling thing about the book is how Mackintosh takes the normal everyday paranoia that comes from being a woman traveling alone, and dials it to eleven. It’s always there, the constant push-pull of balancing alertness with reason: is it better to make eye contact with the stranger on the train or to ignore all the other passengers? Are there other people around or am I suddenly alone? Is he following me or simply on his way home? Are those running footsteps after me or simply someone late for the bus? The hyper-vigilance is routine, whether you’re traveling home on the bus after a late night of work or making your way through the parking garage at night. It is something not often discussed, but will provoke a visceral reaction when reading the book. This is your everyday life, if all the worst case scenarios floating around in your head suddenly come true.

Mackintosh is a fine writer, and her former career as a police officer stands her in good stead with the finer details of police procedure. Fans of Ruth Ware, Lisa Gardener, and Paula Hawkins will likely enjoy this book.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

"I see you, but you don't see me. Until I want you to."

....can I just say that I'm glad I don't take public transportation?

I was wary of reading this because I didn't enjoy I Let You Go all that much. It was - for me at least - a let down. BUT..this one? I loved it.
The concept alone is enough to creep anyone out. Imagine casually looking through the newspaper on the train and finding YOUR picture in a random advertisement. Then imagine discovering that other women whose images recently show more appeared in the same ad have fallen victim to some terrible crimes. This is the situation the main character, Zoe, finds herself in.
This book is written in a way that paints several characters as suspicious. That being said, I never once suspected the actual culprit. And that ending...brilliant.

I See You is part police procedural, part thriller. And it was fantastic. Also, creepy. Super creepy.
If you're a fan of psychological thrillers, I highly suggest picking this one up! show less