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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…
The stunning, twisty new psychological thriller from number one bestseller Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go and I See You. Let Me Lie
FOUR STARS
With a smidgen of optimism, I finally decided on a 4 star rating for LET ME LIE. But, in all fairness of honest disclosure, at certain points in the book I felt the dreaded THREE STAR rating looming in the distance.
My queen of plot twists, Clare Mackintosh, does not disappoint in the department of surprise. She rules the world of shocking revelations! Where her second novel I See You crossed the line of believability, this new novel only briefly straddles the line. Cross that line more than once and forgeddahboutit...I can't squelch the urge to roll my eyes and give up caring about the story. That didn't quite happen, but almost did.
There is a big twist in the structure of the book that will remind you plot twist lovers of The Wife Between Us. It's exciting and crazy, but it’s this particular twist that was too unbelievable for me to handle. I actually think the story would have been better without it. AAAAH, I’m on tiptoes with the plot, I apologize for making no sense at all here!!! I think you will know what I mean when you read it :-)
Aside from the (many) shocking plot reveals, Mackintosh brings her flair for sensitively portraying emotional human narratives in this novel. I particularly adored the character of Murray, a retired cop who agrees to look into the deaths of Anna’s parents, after they have been ruled as suicides. His relationship with his wife of 25 years is touching, tender. Together, they have endured and persevered through her mental illness challenges. Oh, I want more Murray! What an endearing character! Please bring him back, Clare Mackintosh!!
Mackintosh's strongest suit is her undeniable writing talent. Aaaah, I could read her words all day long. Charming and utterly engaging use of language, I really love her style! As with her first book, I flew through this addictive story. Being a former policewoman, she truly knows her crime stuff, but she also knows how to write like the pros.
Mackintosh's third book rates somewhere in the middle of her two previous ones. Whew! After that blockbuster gorgeous first book, I Let You Go I was seriously wondering if she even wrote the second one, I See You. She has redeemed herself with LET ME LIE.
Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book! Clare Mackintosh Some authors are a one trick pony; they continue to write the same type of stories for the duration of their career, sometimes successfully and other times not so much. Clare Mackintosh is no such pony; while all three of her novels fall clearly in the crime fiction genre, the style, flow, and thematic elements vary drastically. I highly respect this move-it's ballsy for an author working within such a rigid genre and she does it beautifully. In fact, I can't think of many other authors who have been able to carry off such a diverse set of novels and applaud her with the greatest of respect. If you enjoy psychological thrillers that contain aspects of the police procedural realm, these books will be right up your ally.
Three may keep a secret, it two of them are dead.
-Benjamin Franklin
The blurb for Let Me Lie is short, and for good reason. Like the author's previous novels, this one entices the reader initially with it's vagueness and ends with a shocking twist, so shocking in fact that a handful of people have messaged me with a Wait, what just happened? and I was in that same boat as them. I had to flip back to a certain scene in the story to see what I had missed. For this very reason I'm not going to rehash the summary; you already know that the police think Anna's parents committed suicide and that she thinks it was murder and the publisher says coyly BUT IT WAS NEITHER MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I did guess the what (meaning what happened to Anna's parents) before I even picked up the book, but I didn't understand the why or how until I had made good progress in the story. While Mackintosh's debut I Let You Go will always be a tough one to top in my rating scale, I did find Let Me Lie even more enjoyable than I See You.
You may be surprised that I found the mental health representation my favorite aspect of the novel. While the mystery at hand was nice, I was particularly drawn in to Murray's personal side story with his wife and her struggles with her diagnosis, as well as the general, overall themes dealing with suicide, anxiety, and depression. I was incredibly moved by this, along with some of the more sensitive details, such as Anna's journey as a new mother and all the bittersweet parts that go along with it (breastfeeding, exhaustion, postpartum emotions, etc). These components alone deserve a 5 star rating, and her own experience as a mother was evident in her tender, moving writing of Anna's inner monologue.
My only downside to this one was that it is a very slow burn, and while I expected it to be a slow building suspense, at times I found myself putting it down because I could sense my attention span waning. A few parts dragged and felt like filler to move the story along with no real purpose, but otherwise the story was solid. I'd like to insert that my issues with the slowness and disinterest at points might be due to a looming slump of crime thrillers at the moment. Let Me Lie might simply be the latest victim at no fault of it's own. Again, the last 25% was classic Clare; her writing had me grasped by the collar of my shirt and I couldn't swipe the pages fast enough. The final twist was a really nice touch, reminiscent of her first novel and it warmed me down to the bones. If you're a fan of Mackintosh's novels, definitely give this a go. Another entertaining mystery from a seasoned vet and I'm looking forward to seeing where she takes us next.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy. Clare Mackintosh 4.5⭐️
Anna is trying to come to terms with her family’s tragic past. You see, she lost both parents to suicide. Adding to the unbearable pain, it was only within 7 months of each-other. Both having taken their lives in the very same way.
Anna is starting over. She has a new boyfriend and a new baby. New beginnings...unfortunately, the past won’t stay in the past!
On the anniversary of her mother’s death she receives an anonymous and disturbing card:
Suicide? Think again.
Is this someone trying to be cruel? A really bad joke? Or is there something more to her parents deaths/suicide? After all, Anna never really believed either one was capable of taking their own lives.
A diabolically clever thriller loaded with twists you’ll never see coming. I had several shocking moments that left me speechless all the way to the last page! I truly thought I had this one figured out (several times in fact) but once again, I was led down the wrong path! Well done Clare Mackintosh! I tip my detective’s cap to you!!🕵🏻♀️
There are a lot of mixed reviews for this book. So much so I had left it sitting on my shelf for quite some time. Now I’m kicking myself for waiting! I hope you’ll have the same reaction I did if you decide to read this one!!
A fabulous twisty read with Susanne!🤗
Thank you to Edelweiss for an ARC to review. Clare Mackintosh My first Clare Mackintosh novel...
There were moments when I was really enjoying it, but at other times, I was simply trying to make it through. I was a little unsure as to where it was going.
I know a genre-mashup can come off fantastic at times, but to me, this wasn't one of those times.
The most positive aspect of this was the literary sleight of hand played on the Reader.
Certain elements lead the brain in one direction which, at least for me, ended up being flipped completely on its head.
That I enjoyed and applaud the construction of that within the greater story arc.
We follow multiple perspectives, but the main two are Anna and Murray. Anna is a young woman who recently lost both parents to apparent suicide.
Murray is a semi-retired criminal investigator, who ends up looking into their cases. Both Anna and Murray suspect foul play, or are at least willing to entertain the idea.
There were plenty of twists and turns, however, the end was so dumb WILD it teetered on the brink of ridiculousness.
With this being said, and ridiculously far-fetched plot points aside, I can't deny it was entertaining. It did keep me engaged; I was particularly drawn to the chapters from Murray's perspective.
Although his chapters were not as wrought with turmoil as Anna's, there was something very likable about his character.
Another positive for me was the way this book took classic gender roles and challenged them. It challenged what the Reader would typically expect to happen.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
I had some fun with it and would definitely be willing to check out more of this author's work. I think perhaps this plot just didn't work for me, although it had some good bones. Clare Mackintosh My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
2.5 Stars!
I read I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh a few years ago and LOVED it. The author’s second novel I See You has been on my TBR for a while and I am looking forward to reading it too. However, when the opportunity came up to read Let Me Lie, I was thrilled and couldn’t wait to get reading.
The police say it was suicide.
Anna says it was murder.
They're both wrong.
Anna Johnson is trying to adjust to life without her mother and father. Her mother committed suicide a year ago, just a few months after Anna’s father killed himself.
Although Anna still mourns her parents, she has a distraction…a new baby with her partner, Mark. They will soon be celebrating their daughter, Ella’s first Christmas. She wishes her parents were there to celebrate with them. She doesn’t understand how her mother, after seeing how devastated Anna was after the loss of her father, could put her through it again a few months later. She struggles to believe either of them could have done this. “ They were the last people you would expect to give up on life”.
So why did they do it?
Then on the anniversary of her mother’s death, she receives an anonymous card in the mail, with a message that is impossible to ignore. This message raises even more questions and Anna is determined to get some answers. But not everyone is happy with Anna digging around in the past, and she could be putting herself and her family in danger.
Detective Murray Mackenzie is technically retired but works as a civilian at the police station, dealing with things like lost pets. The station has been so quiet lately and he's been feeling rather useless. Then Anna Johnson walks into the police station. Will the detective be able to help Anna find out what she wants to know? What if she doesn’t like what she finds?
So many secrets….so many lies.
I found the first part of this novel pretty slow, but the story eventually pulled me in. There were some well-timed twists that really surprised me, though I did see a few of the others coming. I was also somewhat baffled by the ending. I'm not sure if I am over-analyzing it, but I’ve read it a couple of times and I’m still unsure.
I loved Detective Murray Mackenzie's story. His relationship with his wife, Sarah was incredibly heart-warming. How he helped Sarah with her struggles, how she helped him with his cases. A wonderful detective and an amazing husband, he was honestly my favorite character.
While “ I Let You Go” is still my favorite novel from this author, I thought “ Let Me Lie” was an enjoyable read. I am looking forward to seeing what Clare Mackintosh comes up with next!
I'd like to thank Berkley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. Clare Mackintosh
Clare Mackintosh and I have a very interesting relationship; I have strong opinions about her novels....and she has no idea who I am. When I started reviewing thrillers, one of the first big stories I reviewed was I See You, and it just wasn't my favorite story. I do know that the author spent over a decade on the police force and it has become some sort of a muse for her widely popular thriller novels. When I received my advanced copy of Let Me Lie from Berkley (thank you!), I wanted to give Ms. Mackintosh a second chance. Let me tell you, I am so happy that I did!
Let Me Lie is a deep, emotionally-driven thriller that successfully juggles many real-life dramas that can happen to anyone. What makes this story so enthralling for me was that while I was reading, I felt that this could happen to anyone. These realistic themes not only make the story immersive, but also very enchanting. In Let Me Lie wdeal with suicide, family conflict, mental illness, and betrayal. Anna Johnson is coping after a year of chaos and depression from the suicides of her mother and father. Both parents chose to end their lives in the same way within a short span apart from each other. Anna is now a mother, raising her newborn Ella with her partner Mark, and she is still struggling with the aftermath of their deaths. She misses her parents immensely, but on the anniversary of her mother's death she receives information that could change the magnitude of everything.
Let Me Lie is a story that if you know any more than the blurb I provided, it could potentially spoil it for you. Go in blind, I'm warning you now. Anyone who tells you more about this story is a bad friend and should be excommunicated immediately. While I was reading Let Me Lie, I did note many similarities to I See You that I wanted to comment on. With this story, we do receive multiple POVs that alternate mainly between the main character and the police officer investigating the crime. I believe what makes Let Me Lie a more robust story than her predecessors is that we have an interesting back story for both narrators without deviating too much from the main plot. The story this time around is concentrated on a centralized theme and we really don't get any irrelevant potholes. My only concern with this novel is that in the first 1/3 of the story, it stays pretty stagnant in terms of plot development. We hear accounts from Anna and the people in her life and how they dealt with the suicides of Caroline and Tom Johnson. I grew a tad impatient when starting this story because I knew that it was going to deliver more action. Before any real action took place, we kept hearing about the emotional status of everyone around her. It just felt a little repetitive to me and I caught myself itching to skip around. However, I stuck with it and I am glad I did because as I read on, everything made sense to me. If you find yourself feeling like this is a slow-burn without any golden nuggets, keep going—I promise it'll all make sense. Ms. Mackintosh set the stage expertly and you'll catch yourself going ah-hah! at the perfect moment.
Clare Mackintosh, I'm back on board the super-fan train. I'm excited for what you have next in store. Let Me Lie will be released on March 8, 2018 everywhere. Thank you again Berkley Publishing for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm much more fun on Instagram | @scared_str8 Clare Mackintosh 2.5 stars rounded down
First off I want to mention that I absolutely loved I LET YOU GO and was absolutely WOWED by that book and subsequently will read anything that CLARE MACKINTOSH writes! Even though this one didn't quite work out for me I will still read future books by this author.
If I am rating this solely on my review rating system this book gets no more than 2.5 stars from me which I have decided to round down. It was just okay and for the most part it wasn’t an enjoyable read for me. For all of you who follow my reviews I think you all are pretty much aware that I pretty much love and enjoy most of the books that I read and I hand out a lot of 4 and 5 star ratings. Endings in books are a huge deciding factor for me in what I will rate said book. With that being said I was really disappointed with the way that this one played out.
LET ME LIE by CLARE MACKINTOSH was an interesting enough psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns to be had here and there was definitely something about this book that did hold my interest enough to keep me wanting to read to the end. There were just a few too many things included in this storyline near the end of the book that just didn’t work for me and just left me feeling disappointed with the outcome.
CLARE MACKINTOSH does know how to write though and I really do enjoy her writing style so I definitely had no issues there. I must also say that I absolutely love that cover and the best part of this book for me were the chapters told in the perspective from retired cop Murray. I really loved the characters of Murray and his wife Sarah!
Thank you so much to all my fellow Traveling Sisters for another wonderful discussion!
Thank you so much to Edelweiss for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review!
Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley. Clare Mackintosh Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.
Truth be told, Let Me Lie didn't do much for me. As psychological thrillers go, this was tepid to the point of going cold. Doubly disappointing as I thoroughly enjoyed the author's first novel, I Let You Go.
Mistakes are made, accidents happen, lies are told. So many lies, it becomes exhausting. A new mom is still mourning the suicide of her father. A few months later, her mother follows suit. Questions remain.
The writing was fine, the best thing in the book to me was the time spent with retired cop Murray and his wife. For seasoned readers of thrillers, this probably won't bring anything new to the table. Clare Mackintosh 3.75 Stars* (rounded up)
Anna Johnson’s parents are gone.. it has now been over a year since she lost her mother and more than that since she lost her dad. She lives each day for her little girl, Ella and her partner Mark. Thank goodness she has them. Everyone, including the police think her parents died by suicide, but Ella knows differently.. she just feels it. When on the anniversary of her mother’s passing, she receives a note in her mailbox which says “Suicide, Think Again” - Anna feels somewhat vindicated and she goes to the police. Detective Murray Mackenzie helps by investigating, even though he is semi-retired and everyone else in the department has closed their cases. Thereafter, bad things start happening to Anna - things that should stop her from moving forward with the investigation. She needs answers, however and she will do whatever it takes to get them. Detective Mackenzie doggedly works the case to the bone - and he doesn’t give up - even when told to do so.
“Let Me Lie” is a twisty turny suspense novel that kept me glued to the pages throughout. Certain parts of the mystery were somewhat predictable, while other parts were completely unexpected. The ending, for instance, took me by surprise. Detective Mackenzie’s character was extremely likable and heartwarming and the side storyline involving him and his wife stole the show.
I read this with my GR sister Kaceey and we both liked it a lot.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Penguin Publishing Group and Claire Mackintosh for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Edelweiss, Goodreads, Twitter and Amazon on 5.13.18.
Clare Mackintosh Something to ponder.......Your tickets are marked Disney World.......only your final destination turns out to be a neighborhood carnival. More on that later.
Anna Johnson looks into the sleepy eyes of her newborn daughter, Ella. (Clare Mackintosh writes this passage in achingly beautiful prose.) But Anna's motherly joy is suppressed by her heavy grief. It's coming up on the one year anniversary of an unspeakable tragedy. Both of her parents committed suicide.....one right after the other.
You don't get to walk away from the impact of such a shocking reality. You wake to it each and every morning. And when you close your eyes, it visits you each and every night. You wear it like a second skin.
Baby Ella was an unexpected gift of an unexpected relationship with Mark. Mark, a professional psychologist, began counseling Anna after her parents' sudden deaths. He recused himself as he became attracted to Anna and they soon moved into Anna's family home. Anna refused his marriage proposals and still remained single in their relationship.
But the wheels on this fast track will start sliding in a different direction. Anna receives an anniversary card in the mail with a shocking phrase written on the bottom of the card: Suicide, Think Again.
Anna bundles Ella up and rushes to the police station. It is here that we meet Detective Murray MacKenzie. He promises to look into the year old case. There just doesn't seem to be enough evidence to go on. But it is the dogged nature of this individual who breathes life into this story.
What exactly is behind these questionable suicides? Could it be murder as Anna suggests?
Let's get back to those tickets, shall we? They are also stamped with a wee bit of disappointment. Clare Mackintosh can write with a quill made of angel feathers. She's proved that in her first offering, I Let You Go. (A masterpiece of mystery/thriller writing) Let Me Lie lacks the thrill. We'd need Michael Jackson to do a walk through. (Ah, Thriller!)
Excellent writing and sound police procedures are not the concern. Mackintosh's plot points suffer from being well-worn and already carried through on many a shelf. The twists had a foot sticking out of the bushes. We followed the breadcrumbs, but then the birds ate most of them. And the path we traveled went on and on. The satisfaction factor seemed to fade even in the very contrived excitement at the end.
Clare Mackintosh shined brilliantly in her descriptors of Detective Murray MacKenzie. We felt the incredible love he had for his wife, Sarah, who suffered from mental illness and spent most of the time institutionalized. No matter how powerfully he loved her, nothing could break through her mental issues. Mackintosh makes you feel every beat of their hearts. It was an exceptional thread in this storyline.
And that's what we need to experience in the next offering from this superbly talented author. She knows the makings of the human spirit. Move away from the stilted storylines and give us, once more, the purity and the essence of I Let You Go. If you write it, Clare Mackintosh, we most certainly will come.....again and again.
Clare Mackintosh