Clare Mackintosh

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Thoughts on Books (#27): THE FAMILY GAME • THE LAST PARTY • AT SUMMER’S END

The Family GameTHE FAMILY GAME by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

BOTM pick from December (’22)

THE FAMILY GAME was wildly entertaining! Harriet (who goes by Harry) was orphaned at age 11. Today, she’s a successful, newly published author who’s engaged to the man of her dreams. The one wrinkle is that Edward is estranged from his uber-wealthy, mysterious, old money family, and Harry hasn’t met them. Yet. When they do meet, it’s clear that the Holbecks want Harry to help bring Edward back into their fold. Edward’s intimidating father slips Harry a tape containing what sounds like a shocking confession, which gets her wrapped up in a deadly family game.

The first half of this book was a slow burn, but I was riveted. I loved watching Harry’s dive into this bizarre family’s world. The last part was crazy fast-paced and heart-pounding as Harry uncovers the disturbing secrets revealed on the tape. Yes, it was over the top, but so fun to read! I was left with a few unanswered questions, but overall it wrapped up with a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended!

The Last Party (DC Morgan, #1)THE LAST PARTY by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a BOTM club pick for November (’22), and unfortunately it was a struggle for me to get through. It’s about two detectives investigating the murder of a has-been singer in Wales.

What I liked:
• The Welsh setting. I love reading about Wales, and I don’t come across many books set there (maybe I’m not looking hard enough!).
• The relationship between the two main characters, Ffion and Leo. They were two flawed and compelling characters, and I enjoyed their exchanges.

What I didn’t like:
• The story was very slow-paced with too much filler and too many time jumps.
• The victim was repugnant and I didn’t care why he was killed.
• There was a huge (HUGE!) cast of characters to keep straight, and most were unlikable or dull.

I’ve read and loved previous books by this author (I LET YOU GO is one of my all-time favorites), but THE LAST PARTY wasn’t for me.

At Summer's EndAT SUMMER’S END by Courtney Ellis
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Being a woman artist in the 1920s was far from easy. Bertie Preston is thrilled when an invitation arrives from the Earl of Wakeford, asking her to spend the summer painting at his estate, Castle Braemore. She’s surprised to find a family still suffering in the aftermath of WWI, especially the earl who fought in the war, and now remains isolated in his chambers. The family is also hiding painful secrets that Bertie will soon uncover.

I was drawn to this book by the nod to the Beauty and the Beast fairytale. Bertie is a unique and compelling character for the time, a woman wanting to live independently as an artist. AT SUMMER’S END is a beautifully written historical romance that brings post-WWI England to life.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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LET ME LIE by Clare Mackintosh {Review}


Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: March 13, 2018
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★★½

The stunning new novel from Clare Mackintosh, the international bestselling author of I Let You Go and I See You.

The police say it was suicide.
Anna says it was murder.
They’re both wrong.

Last year, Tom and Caroline Johnson chose to end their lives, one seemingly unable to live without the other. Their daughter, Anna, is struggling to come to terms with her parents’ deaths, unwilling to accept the verdict of suicide.

Now with a baby herself, Anna feels her mother’s absence keenly and is determined to find out what really happened to her parents. But as she digs up the past, someone is trying to stop her.

Sometimes it’s safer to let things lie…

LET ME LIE is a dark and clever psychological thriller, and the perfect cure for my reading slump. This is the third book by Clare Mackintosh that I’ve read, and I always enjoy her writing. She has a talent for creating emotional, character-driven suspense with amazing twists that really mess with your head. She makes you love/hate/sympathize with characters, and then bam! A big twist comes along to make you question everything.

Anna Johnson is a daughter grieving over the suicides of her parents the previous year. Then she receives something that makes her suspicious, makes her think that maybe they were murdered instead. The story alternates between Anna and other players in this twisted tale, including a retired detective named Murray who checks into the Johnson’s case. I loved Murray’s character, and his relationship with his troubled wife was heart-rending. The book goes from a slow-burn in the beginning to a thrilling roller coaster ride at the end, and I enjoyed it all.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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I SEE YOU by Clare Mackintosh

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Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: February 21, 2017
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★★

The author of the New York Times bestseller I Let You Go propels readers into a dark and claustrophobic thriller, in which a normal, everyday woman becomes trapped in the confines of her normal, everyday world…

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…

Clare Mackintosh’s debut novel I LET YOU GO was one of my favorite books last year, so I was excited to read her follow up. I SEE YOU is an intriguing blend of psychological thriller and police procedural told from different POVs in alternating chapters.

The story grabbed my attention right away. When Zoe sees her photo advertising a mysterious website, she is understandably concerned. Her concern turns to panic when she realizes other women whose photos have appeared in the same ad have become victims of terrible crimes. Who is behind this awful site, and is she the next victim?

I flew through this book quickly. The chapters alternated between Zoe, Kelly (a cop investigating the case), and a mysterious third person. The author did a great job of building suspense by ending chapters with mini cliff hangers. I had to cheat several times and peek ahead.

The premise of this book was an interesting and unsettling concept, especially in the social media age, though maybe not entirely plausible. While I was quite surprised to learn who was behind the website, I was a bit let down at the reasoning behind it. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book, and it kept me guessing about who the baddie was until the end.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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I LET YOU GO by Clare Mackintosh

ILetYouGo
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★★★

The next blockbuster thriller for those who loved The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl… “a finely crafted novel with a killer twist.” (Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train)

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 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. Elizabeth Haynes, author of Into the Darkest Corner, says, “I read I Let You Go in two sittings; it made me cry (at least twice), made me gasp out loud (once), and above all made me wish I’d written it . . . a stellar achievement.”

Wow, I LET YOU GO is an amazing psychological thriller. I finished this book a couple of days ago, and I’m still processing all of the surprising twists. It’s not often that a book messes with my mind like this one did, gets me to think about things one way and then pulls the rug out from under me. What an emotional roller coaster ride! While reading this book, I was either crying, angry, or had a knot in my stomach – a sure sign of well-written suspense. I’m not going to say anything about the plot, because I don’t want to risk revealing spoilers. If you’re a fan of this genre, I highly recommend moving I LET YOU GO to the top of your reading stack. Haunting!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.