“On a rainy afternoon, a mother’s life is shattered as her son slips from her grip and runs into the street . . .”

I Let You Go by Clare MacKintosh

About this book: (from the publisher) I Let You Go follows Jenna Gray as she moves to a ramshackle cottage on the remote Welsh coast, trying to escape the memory of the car accident that plays again and again in her mind and desperate to heal from the loss of her child and the rest of her painful past.

At the same time, the novel tracks the pair of Bristol police investigators trying to get to the bottom of this hit-and-run. As they chase down one hopeless lead after another, they find themselves as drawn to each other as they are to the frustrating, twist-filled case before them.

About the author: Clare Mackintosh 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 and lives in the Cotswolds with her family.

Genre: Fiction/Suspense/Women’s Fiction/Book Club

If this book were a movie, I would rate it: a mature PG-13 for some profanity and adult themes

Reminds me of: No One Knows by J.T. Ellison; What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross

[Tweet “Brilliantly executed suspense to keep you glued to your reading chair #ILetYouGo @ClareMacKint0sh”]

Reflection: How do I talk about a book I can’t talk about? If I told you much at all I would give away so many of this book’s lovely surprises. Since the pleasure of reading is largely in the discovery, I cannot and will not do that to you, dear readers.

Here’s what I can say: I Let You Go arrived on my doorstep accompanied by much fanfare. It was already an international bestseller when it released here in the States last month, and I’d seen all the comparisons to The Sixth Sense, Gone Girl, etc. etc.  I had been told to expect a jaw-dropping twist about halfway through. And so here’s what’s amazing: even knowing all of this and being very leery of all the hype, my jaw literally dropped at the halfway point at a twist I did not see coming—even having been told there would be a twist I would not see coming!

Here’s what I can talk about: I liked how this suspense was relatively clean–a few scattered f-bombs, but they didn’t drop gratuitously — with characters I loved (or really, really didn’t), lots of dark atmosphere and depth of character, and just an overall terrific, unforgettable read. Again, I’ll try not to say too much, but I also liked the introduction of a new voice along the way, which — while it took me a few pages to screw my head back on — added even more depth to the story. If you’re at all a fan of psychological suspense, you will certainly want to add this one to your list to read the next time you have a cozy weekend to yourself. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Berkley Books for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine.

After words: Do you enjoy psychological suspense? What are some good ones you’ve read lately?