Cover Image: Let Me Lie

Let Me Lie

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Clare Mackintosh's Let Me Lie was an enjoyable book that had me glued to the pages until the very end.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let me Lie by Clare Mackintosh
Anna has had a rough time of it. First her dad commits suicide and then 7months later her mom does too or so she believes.
Anna has a new boyfriend and a new baby she’s worked hard to put the past behind her unfortunately it won’t stay in the past.
On the 1 year anniversary of her mothers suicide she receives a disturbing card that says “suicide? Think again!”
Anna doesn’t know what this means She can’t decide if somebody’s just trying to be cruel or if it’s just a bad joke.
What she doesn’t expect is everything that happens next!
This was an extremely clever thriller that was hard to put down!!
Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this arc!

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Let Me Lie is a book that sets up a good suspense novel. The main character's father committed suicide, and then her mother turns around and does the same thing. When Anna has a baby of her own she truly feels the loss of her mother. One day she gets a strange note that makes her question everything.

I felt like this was a book I found to be okay, but not amazing. Just when you think you know what was happening, there was one more twist, but in the end, it was slightly predictable. I loved, however, the connection to the real-life case that is similar.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Suspenseful & enjoyable thriller from Clare Mackintosh! I’ve read all 3 of her books now and have enjoyed them all very much! I had some theories throughout this one that ended up being accurate (and a few others that did not), so the OMG-twists kind of lost some of their punch there on me, but didn’t take away from the story overall, which I found to be very well done.

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Hi hey hello a one click author for me! I absolutely am obsessed with her stories. I had to go out and buy them all!

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Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Anna Johnson is figuring out how to live life without her parents. Within the same year, she lost both of them to identical suicides. Now, she's a first-time mum with her partner. On the one-year anniversary of her mother's suicide, Anna receives disturbing mail and takes it to the police. She just knows her parents did not commit suicide, they had to have been murdered. But taking the unsettling mail to the police leads to a proverbial can of worms that Anna didn't know would be opened. As Anna persists in finding answers more and more unsettling events happen that culminate in an outcome she never expected.

What I loved about this particular title was how Mackintosh put every character under suspicion and when she finally revealed the truth of the people and events I was amazed at the intricacy of the story. It was fantastic and I had gone back and forth between several characters and possible events never quite getting there on my own. Mackintosh had to expose it. I also really liked Murray, the retired CID who was doing civilian duty at the front desk of the local station. I was very taken with his character and storyline. Another amazing piece of work from Clare Mackintosh.

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I'm a fan of Clare Mackintosh's previous novels "I Let You Go" and "I See You", so I was excited to read this one. While I enjoy Mackintosh's writing, this one fell flat for me. It took me a few tries to actually start reading it because unlike the previous two novels, it did not immediately hook me. Once I started, I found it quite uneven. Some parts held my interest, but then there were long stretches that I had to push through. Overall, while I was not a fan of this book, I'm still a fan of the author and her writing.

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I was OBSESSED with I Let You Go, and although I didn't really care for her second release, I See You, I had to give Mackintosh a chance to redeem herself. All in the hopes I would enjoy this release as much as ILYG. Unfortunately, it became evident early on that this wasn't going to be a positive experience and I decided to bail. The story became a bit of a convoluted mess and many things didn't hold up to scrutiny. Sometimes, with suspense, less is more. Thanks for the access to an early copy.

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Clare Mackintosh is an author I’ve been sitting on pretty much since her debut novel - and you guys. Shame on me! The hype for this author is real, and it’s well-deserved! I enjoyed Let Me Lie so much; you better believe I’ll be making my way through her back list ASAP!

Anna is a new mom dealing with a lot of emotions as the anniversary of her mother’s death approaches. But when she receives a note hinting at the fact that her parents deaths may not have been suicides - a ‘fact’ she never believed - she can’t decide if her mental health is spiraling, or if she really received the letter. I thought Anna’s emotions were very well written and her doubts, then her certainties, then her doubts again, were depicted perfectly. The doubts she was having as a new mother were creeping into other areas of her life, which I thought was so realistic.I really liked her as a character, and I feel like this book was both character driven and plot driven. There was just enough of both so that I was invested in Anna and what she was going through, and I was dying to know what was going to happen next. The family dynamics were always interesting and a bit surprising, and I loved the addition of Anna’s uncle and particularly Monty, the gentleman who dives into this closed case and is facing a lot of problems of his own.

There were a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and I thought this book was very atmospheric. The author also did a good job building up to the end and keeping me on the edge of my seat while everything played out. When I wasn’t reading this book, it was all I could think about, and I couldn’t wait to pick it up again! I would say my only gripe is that the way things ended up with Anna felt more obligatory than anything; there was no build up or nothing to suggest things would go this way, and that was a bit of a letdown.

Let Me Lie was a book that I picked up while I was in the midst of a Mystery/Thriller binge, just like the books before it, I was not disappointed. It just solidified my love for the genre and made sure my TBR pile is bulked right up with them!

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I really like Clare’s books because they always keep me guessing. She’s a master at creating sketchy characters that keep you guessing.

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Omg this was f***ing spectacular. I’m sorry for the cussing be this was so good!

I’m normally not a fan of suicide based stories, but this hooked me. The twists were incredible, and the mother! Whooee. The mother. Gosh this was a damn weird of a book.

The female dynamics and relationships in this book were complex and creepy.

The last two chapters fell flat for me unfortunately.

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Still a good book, but no, I Let You Go. That was one of the best books, I recommend it to everyone.

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The premise of this latest offering from Clare Mackintosh is completely enthralling, and the narrative told in alternative perspectives is mostly effective in its execution. Particularly at the beginning, however, the necessary vagueness of one narrative voice leads to confusion later in the story. The subplot involving Murray and Sarah is the novel’s strongest device and ultimately is the most intriguing. Their part of the story has untold emotions and multiple layers to explore. While the main thrust of the plot appears to be just as nuanced as this captivating subplot, it just doesn’t fully come together in such a way as to feel believable. It’s difficult to connect with any character (except Murray and Sarah) and motivations are often unclear, leaving the reader feeling at times confounded and, ultimately, unsatisfied.

first appeared on RT Book Reviews, March 2018

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Clare Mackintosh does it again! We have read and reviewed three of her books and one is better than the next! Her talent for several crazy plot twists is fabulous! I finished this book in under two days.
I can't even imagine how Anna must have felt coming to the realization that maybe her parents deaths were not suicide. Her life was turned upside down with one letter. It read "Suicide, think again"! Now she's on a mission to get to the bottom of how her parents died and if someone else was involved.
But then she finds out some important information that makes her realize maybe it isn't such a good idea to pry anymore! Will her life be in danger? How about her beautiful little daughter, Ella? Wha will she do to make sure her family is safe?
TRUST NO ONE!!! 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ we loved it!

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Clare Mackintosh is quickly becoming a go-to thriller author for me. I have read and enjoyed 3 of her books and I will continue to pick up what she writes. This story follows Anna in her quest to discover what happened to her parents. I enjoyed the way Anna's character was written. It looked at the life and hardships a new mom faces and it was done well. This time can be some of the hardest, yet must joyful moments that I don't think is often represented in fiction titles. Mental health themes are also well addressed in the book. It's hard to say much more so I suggest you just go in blind with this one and enjoy the ride. It was a little slower than her other 2 books, but I didn't mind that at all.

* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this early copy!

Review:


What I Liked:

Writing. This is my first experience reading Mackintosh and I now know that I enjoy her writing style.

Characters. Mackintosh introduced us to multiple characters (I won't be naming them all because of spoilers!) which I grew to love by the end of the novel. It is hard to say who my favorite is, just that Anna, and Murray (the retired detective trying to help her) were both great characters.

Suspense. The novel had a slow burn/pace but that did not take away from the overall suspense. I felt the tension/suspense all of the way throughout the novel, and it was an enjoyable read!

Slow Burn. I struggled with the pacing in the beginning but as the novel went on I appreciated the slower pace. I felt that the focus on Anna, her child and husband, with the added in chapters, made the ending even more shocking and good.

Twists. This novel takes you on a ride all the way up until the end. A big revelation takes place midway through but it is the last 50 or so pages that shocked me. I did not see any of the reveals coming at all and I felt that Makintosh did a great job of crafting a unique ending.

I recommend checking out this mystery, it does have a slow pace but it worth the read.

Rating:

5 Stars Out of 5 Stars

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Clare Mackintosh is a master os suspense and her newer book was so exception! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time reading this one. A definite must-read for thriller fans.

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I was unable to finish this book. I normally find British suspense enjoyable, but this was ponderous and not exgaging.

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I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second Clare Mackintosh book, and I have to say she is becoming one of my favorites. Her plots are face paced and keep you guessing. I definitely don't get bored as I'm reading. Her characters are well developed and always seem like someone you know. I love how you think you have just figured everything out, and boom, twist!

I recommend picking this up.

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Let Me Lie was a terrific edge of your seat thriller. Although I figured out one of the major twists in the first half, the second major twist definitely came as a big shock! It actually made me want to reread the novel again to see how I missed it. Crisp writing and the pacing was spot on—I never felt the need to skim pages of lengthy descriptions. Highly recommend to fans of domestic drama and suspense novels.

Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon

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