Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh Book Review

Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh Book Review

The lowdown from Goodreads

Publication Date March 8, 2018

The police say it was suicide.
Anna says it was murder.
They’re both wrong.

One year ago, Caroline Johnson chose to end her life brutally: a shocking suicide planned to match that of her husband just months before. Their daughter, Anna, has struggled to come to terms with their loss ever since.

Now with a young baby of her own, Anna misses her mother more than ever and starts to question her parents’ deaths. But by digging up their past, she’ll put her future in danger. Sometimes it’s safer to let things lie…

Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh Book Review

When I say I’m stoked to read & review this book, I mean I squealed when I received my copy. Clare’s debut novel, I Let You Go is my go-to recommendation when it comes to thrillers. To this day, it’s the only book I’ve ever GASPED while reading. I seriously had to turn the pages back to re-read the story because I was in such a state of shock. Clare’s second book, I See You is a great follow-up with a creepy voyeuristic tone. I loved it!  When I saw Let Me Lie, I had to get my hands on it.

Clare’s characters are relatable & believable & this is what I need from my thrillers. I’ve come to loathe the unreliable narrator. Although this story uses multiple narrators, I trusted each of them which always helps me buy into the story a bit more.

Meet the Characters – Anna & Murray

Readers meet Anna, who is a new mother & is still reeling from the loss of both parents to apparent suicides. Early in the story, she begins to think there is more to her mother’s death & wants the police to look into the case further. This is where we meet Murray, a semi-retired police officer. Murray is a really great character & I need a spin-off series centering around him- pronto!

As Anna & Murray are digging around in the past, it becomes VERY clear that someone wants them to stop. As it would with me too, this intrigues them further & they know they have to keep going to get to the truth.

Let Me Lie Gives You Twists, Turns & Thrills

A little over halfway through, this story really picks up speed. If you’re like me, you try to figure out the “bad guy” while reading. Clare ALWAYS gets me &  I never see the ending coming! Let Me Lie was particularly fun because there were several twists & turns. By the ending, I saw the book play out like a fast-paced action movie in my head.

Let Me Lie is also a really touching story in many ways. Anna is in a fluctuating state of grief while assuming her new role as a mother. There are moments where my heart ached for her. Her plight reminded me in some ways of Clara from Mary Kubica’s Every Last Lie. Murray is caring for his wife, who is ill. There’s also a painful little secret about unrequited love that comes to the surface that I felt was especially meaningful.

THE VERDICT

I am REALLY INTO Clare Mackintosh & I am Really Into Let Me Lie. Everyone has his or her own favorite author & Clare is “my person”. I’ve loved all of her books & can’t wait for the next one.

Special thanks to Clare Mackintosh, Berkley & NetGalley for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: CLARE MACKINTOSH

Clare Mackintosh is a Sunday Times bestselling author.

Clare spent twelve years in the police force, including time on CID, and as a public order commander. She left the police in 2011 to work as a freelance journalist and social media consultant, and now writes full time.

Clare’s debut novel, I Let You Go, was a Sunday Times top ten bestseller for 12 weeks, and was the fastest selling title by a new crime writer in 2015. It was selected for both the Richard and Judy Book Club and ITV’s Loose Women’s ‘Loose Books’, and has sold more than a million copies worldwide. In July 2016 Clare received the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award, and won the Cognac Prix du Polar for International Novel of the Year that autumn.

Clare’s second book, I See You, was published in the UK in July 2016, charting at number 1 in the Sunday Times hardback bestseller list. I See You was a Richard & Judy Summer Read in 2017, and won the readers’ vote. Clare’s books are translated into more than 35 languages.

Clare is patron of the Silver Star Society, a charity based at the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford which supports parents experiencing high-risk or difficult pregnancies. She lives in North Wales with her husband and their three children.