Let Me Lie

Author: Clare Mackintosh
Genre: Suspense
Type: Trade Paperback
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Berkley
First Published: March 13, 2018
First Line: "Death does not suit me."

Book Description from GoodReads: In the newest psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of I Let You Go and I See You, Clare Mackintosh brings us a gripping story about how those who love us never really leave us...

Two years ago, Tom and Caroline Johnson committed suicide, one seemingly unable to live without the other. Their adult daughter, Anna, is struggling to come to terms with her parents' deaths, unable to comprehend why they chose to end their lives. Now with a young baby herself, she feels her mother's presence keenly and is determined to find out what really happened to her parents. But as Anna digs up the past, someone is trying to stop her. She soon learns that nothing is as it seemed.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Review: Clare Mackintosh, you have officially given me my first Book Hangover of 2018!

Last year I enjoyed Mackintosh's suspense read, I See You. So, last week, when the publisher sent me surprise book mail with this title, I jumped at the chance to dig into it before its publication date (my reaction 'may have' included a happy dance).

The overall feeling of this book is a slow, tantalizing building of tension and intrigue with twists thrown in to keep readers on their toes. Mackintosh provides many viable culprits and an overall story arc that slowly takes hold of the reader until they're sneaking off for 'just one more chapter'. I had several hypotheses about what was going on but the only thing I suspected correctly was that Mackintosh would pull the rug out from under me with a few final twists.

The story is told using multiple points of view and this approach worked well to build the tension and give readers insight into characters' motivations. Both the main and secondary characters have enough depth and backstory to keep things interesting and I couldn't help but have a soft spot for the investigating officer, Murray McKenzie, and his complicated relationship with his wife. 

Mackintosh has 12 years experience on a British police force, including time in the Criminal Investigation Department, and this experience shows in the details. She also examines some big issues with sensitivity while blending these issues deftly within her overall plot.

This gripping, psychological thriller is a complex, intriguing web of lies and deceit that will lead readers on a wild path and keep them reading well past their bedtimes. You've simply got to read this book.

Disclaimer: This ARC was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.