Review: I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
My Thoughts
The perfect balance of thrills, chills and feels
with an epic twist both brilliant and compelling.
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Synopsis
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.
My Review
Clare Mackintosh’s poignant narrative grabs you from the very beginning with the story of a mother whose entire world shatters when her five-year-old son decided to race her home. Hers is a perspective laden with emotion, a broken woman who walks out of her home, out of her life, to the comforts of the unknown, to forget the sounds and sights that haunt her every minute. Not only does Mackintosh lace every word with feeling, but suspense mounts as the story unravels in multiple perspectives, building up to a twist so unexpected that the entirety of what you’ve read flips and morphs into something new, exciting and scary. As a frequent suspense reader, I’ve become quiet adept at predicting twists, but this one is so masterfully plotted and executed that I gasped the moment it happened. I Let You Go truly has it all—secrets, suspense, love, loss, chills and thrills. I couldn’t get enough, and even its end delivers jaw-dropping moments which makes the story linger long after the flip of the final page.
“What sort of bastard kills a five-year old boy, then drives off?…”
“That’s exactly what we’re going to find out.”
After 5-year-old Jacob’s tragic death, a mother loses everything while two Bristol detectives pledge to find the individual responsible for his death.
“Such a small impact on the world, yet the very center of my own.”
Jenna Gray moves to a small rickety cottage on the Welsh coast, to escape the reality of her life, of that horrible accident. The story follows Jenna as she attempts to survive each day, slowly opening up to those around her. The bitter-cold weather of the coast coupled with Jenna’s melancholic perspective, set a somber tone that makes her brokenness palpable.
“I want to fix an image of him in my head, but all I can see when I close my eyes is his body, still and lifeless in my arms. I let him go, and I will never forgive myself for that.”
Halfway through, Mackintosh drops the aforementioned twist that changes everything, and the rest of the story untangles with huge impact.
I can’t imagine anyone not loving this multifaceted, emotionally haunting novel. The character development is so rich, the plot so well thought out, the emotions so raw and real. There is just so much to consider… from the grave outcomes of momentary choices to the intricate, emotional relationships that often set the course of our lives. This book instantly became one my all-time favorite psychological thrillers—a must-read for readers of all genres.
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Jessikah Hope Stenson said:
Yes the feels! Like how you use quotes in your review, bringing me back to such a good book!
I Let You Go made it to my top 5 thrillers that keep you guessing 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