Tuesday 28 April 2015

Review: I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
Publisher: Sphere (Little Brown Book Group)
Release date: 23 April 2015
Rating:
Back cover blurb: A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn’t have prevented it. Could she? In a split second, Jenna Gray’s world is shattered. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape her past, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of the cruel November night that changed her life for ever. DI Ray Stevens is tasked with seeking justice for a mother who is living every parent’s worst nightmare. Determined to get to the bottom of the case, it begins to consume him as he puts both his professional and personal life on the line. As Ray and his team seek to uncover the truth, Jenna, slowly, begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating . . .

When five year old Jacob Jordan is tragically killed in a hit and run accident DI Ray Stevens and DC Kate Evans do everything they possibly can to catch the killer. The odds are stacked against them, the weather was appalling on that dark November night leaving it nearly impossible to trace tyre marks or other significant evidence from the vehicle involved. There are no witnesses (another result of the weather) and then his mother vanishes, believing that the police and local community are blaming her for her son’s death, for letting go of his hand on a main road.

Of course DI Ray Stevens and his team are doing nothing of the sort, and are in fact breaking the rules in an attempt to find a suspect. Asked to close the case down due to lack of evidence, Kate that she has been forced to abandon, determined to find an answer, and some justice for Jacob.

Kate works slowly, methodically but is still unable to find the answers she so desperately needs. Then in a twist of fate, the team are given the green light to run an appeal for more information on the one year anniversary of the accident, an appeal that leads them in a new direction and the ending of ‘Part One’ of the novel.

Others have expressed their shock at the ending of Part One, but I think it is something that I always saw coming. I had read far too many novels of this genre to not be suspicious about everything. Particularly if a certain character gives cause for suspicion as this one does.

However, even I was not prepared for the twists and turns that were to follow in Part Two of the novel. Nothing is quite as it seems and even the most avid readers will find themselves surprised at the brilliant, though provoking plot twists.

I can't say much more without giving the plot away, which I really don't want to do... I Let You Go is a book that needs to be on everyone's 'to be read' list this year. It is one of the best debut novels I have read recently and I shall certainly be keeping an eye out for Clare Mackintosh's next offering.

 I Let You Go is available to buy now from Amazon online and all good book shops.
 
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Thank you to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 comments:

  1. A great review of a fabulous book - it really is one that I will remember for some time, very well-written, I didn't want to put this one down.

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  2. Great review! I loved this book too except I felt like Ray's story wasn't concluded as much as I wanted it to be.
    I Let You Go made it to my top 5 thrillers that keep you guessing list, which you can check out here if you're interested: https://readbyjess.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/top-5-thrillers-that-keep-you-guessing.html

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  3. Loved this book. It's one of those thrillers that just keeps you guessing until the last page. Such a brilliant thriller for a debut! I wrote about it in a post that i made about my top 5 thrillers. You should check it out if you like the genre!
    Jess
    http://readbyjess.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/top-5-thrillers-that-keep-you-guessing.html

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