I Let You Go

Honestly when I first decided to read this it was because I was looking for a new author to try out and this book had good reviews by established authors such as Paula Hawkins’ who I fell in love with after reading The Girl on the Train. I figured if Hawkins liked it then it must be good. She was right.

Once I started this I could not put it down. Clare Mackintosh’s experience in law enforcement very much shines through in her police/detective characters, scenes and dialogue. I’ve read some books, especially lately, where the characters are talking and all I can think is there is no way people in these positions would actually talk like this. What makes this author even better is she makes these scenes interesting! You know how, show more and you can admit this because we’ve all done it, you have that tendency to skip or blow through scenes involving police so you can get to the ‘better’ parts of the novel? We do that because who the heck really cares to read about police procedures and all the stuff they’re doing to help the victim/track down the criminal; all we want to see who is do it and why/how. Mackintosh writes these areas so well that in reading them, which was thankfully not boring, you learn more about what motivates these characters to do the job which end up playing an important part towards the end.

As much as there was a ton of action scenes, mystery, the necessary crime and criminal, most of this story is character driven. Thank the heavens Mackintosh actually succeeds at character development. I have to admit, as a mother, it was incredibly painful reading the opening of this book because I’ve been in those shoes where you are holding your kid’s hand then the next second they let go out of excitement and you can feel your heart jump into your throat. She wrote about this in such a detailed way even though I knew my kids were sleeping safely in their beds I still went to check on them and today as we were heading out to the car I kept them practically in a Vulcan death grip because it only takes those few seconds. She just captured the nightmare of every parent.

In another area she deals with domestic violence and that too was very hard to read. Once long ago I was in a relationship where I felt like I couldn’t leave and no one saw my bruises or the reality of what was being done to me. Again, the author just captures the details of what it’s like to be in something like that and the nightmare when no one is there to help you, not even the police, so accurately there was a part of me that felt some vindication that at least someone on this planet understands this stuff happens; someone knows the nightmare is real.

When Part 1 concluded the way it did I felt complete shock because everything I thought was true got completely upended. She knows how to write the perfect thriller that will keep you from guessing the truth until the very end and even then you will still feel shocked at how the events unfold.

She is definitely an author to watch out for and pre-order the next book she releases. show less

The shocking twist was pretty much exactly what I expected it to be from the reviews. This book made me angry - not because it wasn't well-written (it was), but because the story it was telling was so damn realistic and infuriating.

Most of the reviews are trying so hard not to spoil the twist that they don't tell you anything about the book, but I think it's unfair to surprise people with a book about brutal domestic violence.

This wasn't an emotionally easy book to take in. Saying that it's heavy would be an understatement, but it's one that is such an incredibly crafted story that I know it's one that will stay on my favorites list for years to come.

Jacob, a young boy, has been hit by a speeding car on a dark and rainy night. The driver, rather than stopping, speeds away leaving the boy's mother traumatized and distraught. Not knowing how to handle her own grief, she flees in effort to escape everything that has just unfolded.

Who killed Jacob that night? Let me tell you, it wasn't at all who I thought. This book had me guessing literally through the last lines of the epilogue.

It's books like this that keep me coming back to the thriller genre over and show more over again.

What did I think?: This is one of the best books I've ever read and the authors ability to craft such a unique web of circumstances is truly an amazing thing. After this, I'd read anything she writes.

Who should read it?: This is the best thriller I've read in such a long time, so if it's a genre you enjoy you can't miss this one. I can't wait to discuss it with others who I feel are bound to love it as much as I have. show less

On his way home from school, a little boy lets go of his mother’s hand, runs out into the street, and is killed by a hit and run driver. Detectives Ray Stevens and his new assistant Kate are assigned to the case, but their investigation stalls when the boy’s mother suddenly leaves town. Jenna Gray travels to a remote caravan park on the Welsh coast and moves into a tiny cottage. She keeps to herself, slowly and tentatively meeting locals and, in time, beginning to heal.

Then, suddenly, a major plot twist made me question everything I'd read to that point. A new narrator appeared to tell another side of the story, and things got creepy and sinister. In this debut novel, former police officer Clare Mackintosh teased out the rest of the show more mystery in a way that kept me turning the pages and finding every opportunity to read just a little more. I also enjoyed getting to know Ray Stevens through a subplot about his marriage and family troubles.

I Let You Go has all the makings of a good series. I hope the author has more of these books up her sleeve. show less

Wow, I LET YOU GO is an amazing psychological thriller. I finished this book a couple of days ago, and I’m still processing all of the surprising twists. It’s not often that a book messes with my mind like this one did, gets me to think about things one way and then pulls the rug out from under me. What an emotional roller coaster ride! While reading this book, I was either crying, angry, or had a knot in my stomach – a sure sign of well-written suspense. I’m not going to say anything about the plot, because I don’t want to risk revealing spoilers. If you’re a fan of this genre, I highly recommend moving I LET YOU GO to the top of your reading stack. Haunting!

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

This book had been on my wishlist for a while, so when it was featured as a Kindle deal at an awesomely discounted price, I couldn’t resist. It’s another book where I went in cold – I knew only that many of my Goodreads friends really enjoyed it. (If you haven’t already, add me on Goodreads, I want to see what you’re reading!)

Let me begin by saying that this book is an emotional roller coaster. And just because you think you know what’s going on, doesn’t mean you do. The plot twist at the end of part one caught me completely by surprise, as in totally blindsided – not only did I not see it coming, the option never even crossed my mind. I love love LOVE when that happens, but it doesn’t happen nearly often enough.

From show more that point, in part 2, the book takes a much more sinister turn. A dark, uncomfortable, I don’t want to be on this road alone at night bend that makes you consider certain characters and their actions in an entirely different light. I really had a hard time not giving spoilers away in this review, but I’d hate to rob other readers of that breathless, hit hard feeling. This is a debut novel by what promises to be a formidable author! Five stars! show less

If you're a fan of those devastating plot twists that turn the whole thing inside out, this is for you. At one point the detective investigating the central crime berates himself for not following his instinct, and at that point I was thinking the same thing, as I had had an inkling from an early stage what might actually be happening, but allowed the book to fool me. But I'm glad about that because there's nothing like a jaw-dropper halfway through. Maximum respect to the author for pulling off what must have been a complicated piece of writing, as well as coming up with an impressively ambiguous title. There was a twist towards the end too, which I thought the book could have stood without: it just felt like a coincidence too far, but show more that's just my opinion. show less