I See You by Clare Mackintosh

About the book: (from the publisher) Every morning and evening, Zoe Walker takes the same route to the train station, waits at a certain place on the platform, finds her favorite spot in the car, never suspecting that someone is watching her…

It all starts with a classified ad. During her commute home one night, while glancing through her local paper, Zoe sees her own face staring back at her; a grainy photo along with a phone number and a listing for a website called FindTheOne.com.

Other women begin appearing in the same ad, a different one every day, and Zoe realizes they’ve become the victims of increasingly violent crimes—including murder. With the help of a determined cop, she uncovers the ad’s twisted purpose…A discovery that turns her paranoia into full-blown panic. Zoe is sure that someone close to her has set her up as the next target.

And now that man on the train—the one smiling at Zoe from across the car—could be more than just a friendly stranger. He could be someone who has deliberately chosen her and is ready to make his next move…

About the author: Clare Mackintosh, the international bestselling author of I Let You Go, spent twelve years on the police force in England and has written for The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, and other publications. A columnist for Cotswold Life and Writing Magazine, she is the founder of Chipping Norton Literary Festival.

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Genre: Fiction/Suspense/Thriller/Women’s Fiction

[bctt tweet=”Another stunner from @ClareMackint0sh. Don’t miss her soph suspense #ISeeYou. ” username=””]

My take: One weekend. That’s all it took me to consume Clare Mackintosh’s latest thriller, I See You. You may remember Clare Mackintosh as the author of last year’s enviable hit debut with its impressively stunning mid-novel twist. {You can read my take on I Let You Go here.}

So — does her sophomore offering measure up? The fact that I read it in barely more than two sittings should give a clue. Granted, Mackintosh did set the bar rather impossibly high with her first, so I can’t say that this one delivered quite the same thrill. But it came awfully darn close. I liked it very much, from its creepy, claustrophobic essence to its array of characters, which provided a satisfying source of red herrings and misdirections. It’s been years and years and years since I’ve read a Mary Higgins Clark novel, but I cut my mystery/suspense/thriller-loving teeth on those, and so I will always have a soft spot for their ilk. This one reminded me of those, for its creep factor and the shifting POV narratives — but with a bit more grit and for a twenty-first century crowd.

Toward the end, some of the explanations for motive struck me as a tad thin, and I would have liked a wee bit more closure for one of the key narrators. But these are minor quibbles. My overall reaction is satisfaction. I altogether enjoyed this impressive suspense in which the author manages to weave yet another surprise, what I’m beginning to consider her signature twist ending.

Just so you know: Some profanity, mature themes.

Thanks to Berkley for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.

After words: Have you read Clare Mackintosh’s debut, I Let You Go?