From the ARC-ives is a feature I created in an attempt to tackle those old ARCs on my TBR. Only time will tell if I fail or succeed, but with my deadline looming (OCTOBER…yeesh) [SPOILER ALERT – This was for 2019; I failed and haven’t done a challenge update yet!] I had better get my reading butt in gear! I have really buckled down on this, but I’m going to be honest. I don’t think 24 by the end of October is doable…even with the books I’ve read and haven’t reviewed yet that qualify for the challenge!
Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Publication Date: March 13th, 2018
ARC from Netgalley
Two years ago, Tom and Caroline Johnson committed suicide, one seemingly unable to live without the other.
Their adult daughter, Anna, is struggling to come to terms with her parents’ deaths, unable to comprehend why they chose to end their lives. Now with a young baby herself, she feels her mother’s presence keenly and is determined to find out what really happened to her parents.
But as Anna digs up the past, someone is trying to stop her. She soon learns that nothing is as it seemed.
| Book Review |
Clare Mackintosh is an author I’ve been sitting on pretty much since her debut novel – and you guys. Shame on me! The hype for this author is real, and it’s well-deserved! I enjoyed Let Me Lie so much; you better believe I’ll be making my way through her back list ASAP!
Anna is a new mom dealing with a lot of emotions as the anniversary of her mother’s death approaches. But when she receives a note hinting at the fact that her parents deaths may not have been suicides – a ‘fact’ she never believed – she can’t decide if her mental health is spiraling, or if she really received the letter. I thought Anna’s emotions were very well written and her doubts, then her certainties, then her doubts again, were depicted perfectly. The doubts she was having as a new mother were creeping into other areas of her life, which I thought was so realistic.I really liked her as a character, and I feel like this book was both character driven and plot driven. There was just enough of both so that I was invested in Anna and what she was going through, and I was dying to know what was going to happen next. The family dynamics were always interesting and a bit surprising, and I loved the addition of Anna’s uncle and particularly Monty, the gentleman who dives into this closed case and is facing a lot of problems of his own.
There were a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and I thought this book was very atmospheric. The author also did a good job building up to the end and keeping me on the edge of my seat while everything played out. When I wasn’t reading this book, it was all I could think about, and I couldn’t wait to pick it up again! I would say my only gripe is that the way things ended up with Anna felt more obligatory than anything; there was no build up or nothing to suggest things would go this way, and that was a bit of a letdown.
Let Me Lie was a book that I picked up while I was in the midst of a Mystery/Thriller binge, just like the books before it, I was not disappointed. It just solidified my love for the genre and made sure my TBR pile is bulked right up with them!
Every once in a while I like to read a thriller. After reading your review, I need to add this one to my list to try. It sounds good!
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I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 🙂
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Interesting how for the longest time she doesn’t know what is real or not. That can be fun with thrillers. Yay for getting to an older one off the pile and that it was a fab read.
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Yes! Cheers to getting to those backlist books!
This really was a good read, Sophia.
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I have really been wanting to read more in this genre so I will be looking into this author. And good for you tackling those old ARC’s. I need to work on those as well. It can be so difficult especially if you are a mood reader. But I need to be better too. Hope you get them all tackled.
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It really can be. I read this this summer and was a terrible blogger. I should have reviewed it way before now!
This was a great book to start with for this author.
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I have read at least one book by this author and really liked it. I will have to check my library for this one. Congrats on tackling one of those older review books!
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I listened to this one and really enjoyed it. Great review!
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Congrats on tackling an older ARC. I have a few that I need to get to. This sounds exactly like something I’d love! I’m wondering about the ending though. I’m off to see if my library has an audio copy.
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Oh it looks quite well done there for this one and I didn’t know about it
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Thanks for the great review. I hadn’t heard of this one before.
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Clare Mackintosh is an author I haven’t tried yet but I always hear good things about her books. This one sounds especially good so I really need to give her a shot soon.
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I’ve been wanting to trey Clare Mackintosh. And this looks like an awesome thriller, honestly.
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I love when the hype for an author is well deserved! This sounds like a fantastic thriller with all of the twists and turns, and the build-up of the end! I’m glad you loved it! Fantastic Review!
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