I Let You Go - Clare Mackintosh

I Let You Go is Clare Mackintosh's debut novel......and oh boy is it good!

I'm always on the lookout for my next 'psychological thriller' read. Taglines such as...."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)".....definitely catch my eye. The comparison has been used on quite a few books since last year - sometimes living up to the promise and sometimes not. I Let You Go absolutely hits the mark!

The starting point of the novel is the hit and run killing of a five year old boy. DI Ray Stevens and his team, including newcomer Kate, are given the case. The mother is heartbroken, the public is outraged - and the team is struggling to find anything leading to the identity of the driver.

Jenna Gray provides another POV. Devastated over the accident, she retreats to a small Welsh village and an isolated cottage. " I never thought I would run away. I never thought I would need to." What secrets is Jenna holding on to?

Mackintosh had me hooked from the first pages. But it was the ending of Part One, that had me shouting out loud - What!? Mackintosh had completely bamboozled me! And I loved it! I ended up going back and rereading a few chapters, just to see when and where the wool was pulled over my eyes.

With the amount of mysteries and suspense novels that I read, I find I can almost predict how some novels are going to progress. Not so with I Let You Go. And so finding out the rest of the story kept me up 'til the wee hours. That first 'gotcha' is not the last - there's more than one twist to this tale.

I do have to mention the antagonist of the story as well - he is a piece of work. His chapters just made my skin crawl. I'm being deliberately obtuse in this review - I simply don't want to give anything away - the unexpected turns need to be - well - unexpected. But, if you want to - here's an excerpt.

Mackintosh spent 'twelve years in the police force, including time on CID and as a public order commander'. Her descriptions of the investigation and the team have the ring of authenticity. I also enjoyed the secondary plot line involving Kate and Ray. The title? Almost every character can use the line "I Let You Go" in their lives.

You can connect with Clare Mackintosh on her website, find her on Facebook and connect with her on Twitter. Mackintosh's next book is I See You, due out in July.  Can't wait!

The Blue Hour - Douglas Kennedy

The Blue Hour is the newest (#12) novel from author Douglas Kennedy. For me, it's the first time I've read Kennedy.

Robin Danvers is a successful accountant. But, she's not so successful at love. Her first marriage failed, but she remained hopeful that she would find someone to love and build a family with. Two years ago, she believed she had found that with Paul, one of her clients. Paul is artistic, 'bohemian' and terrible with finances - all quite the opposite of Robin. With her fortieth birthday behind her, Robin's biological clock is ticking quite loudly and there are cracks appearing in their marriage. When Paul suggests a month in Morocco Robin agrees. They arrive - and Paul disappears. Was it foul play? Did he stage his own disappearance? Did he just leave her alone in a foreign country? Where is he? And so begins Robin's search.....

The title? "Neither darkness nor light. The hour at daybreak or dusk when nothing is as it seems; when we are caught between the perceived and the imagined." The Blue Hour. The description perfectly mirrors Robin's state of mind and Kennedy's plot. Nothing is quite as it appears on the surface.

The novel is completely set in Morocco. I really have no knowledge of this country and found Kennedy's descriptions of the land, the people, the customs etc. rich, evocative and quite fascinating. The setting itself is a character in the book. Robin too, has no knowledge of the country which adds to her sense of danger, frustration and vulnerability.

As Robin searches for Paul, that danger increases - she is treading into the unknown. But here's the thing - I just didn't like Robin - I never connected with her. Despite her circumstances, I found her annoying at many turns. (And honestly, I just didn't get her devotion to Paul after some revelations) I wanted to see what happened of course (and quite a bit does) but I was not along side her, rather I was a dispassionate observer. I think using a first person narrative amplified this feeling as well.

But despite my dislike of Robin, I was caught up in Kennedy's tale - especially as it was unpredictable. Some of it seemed a bit far fetched, but had me envisioning The Blue Hour as a movie. And I loved the last two lines of the book - which I'm not going to spoil.

Read an excerpt of The Blue Hour. You can connect with Douglas Kennedy on his website, find him on Facebook as well as on Twitter.