It's been over a year since Anna's dad killed himself, and exactly 12 months since her mother followed in a shocking suicide that exactly matched her husband's. Now with a small baby, Anna is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her beloved parents. So when she receives an anonymous note suggesting that her mum's death wasn't suicide, she enlists the help of a retired police detective to help her investigate. Ex-cop Mackintosh is always particularly successful at writing her police characters, and Murray is by far the strongest and most likeable character here.

I absolutely loved Clare Mackintosh's hugely successful debut novel, I Let You Go, but was a little underwhelmed by the follow-up, I See You, which had a great premise and engaging characters let down by a disappointing and far-fetched ending. I'm glad to say that Let Me Lie is a return to form, with more twists than a rollercoaster and a plot that kept me continually guessing.

When I heard that Clare Mackintosh had a new book coming out, I was really excited because in the past year I have become a big fan of this author after reading her first two novels, I Let You Go and I See You, so I would like to thank Little, Brown for providing me with an early copy of the book.

The protagonist of LET ME LIE is Anna Johnson, a twenty-six-year old new mum. She and her partner Mark have a six-week-old daughter, Ella, and they live in her parents’ house that she inherited after her parents died a year before. First her father jumped from a cliff and then, seven months later, her mother killed herself from that same cliff. Now, a year later, on the first anniversary of her mother’s death, Anna receives a card that questions her parents’ suicide. Anna’s always found strange that her parents had killed themselves and this card seems to confirm her doubts, so she turns to the police.

Murray Mackenzie is a retired detective who works in the reception of the police station. He decides to help Anna and to investigate her parents’ deaths not only because, like Anna, he thinks that they look suspicious, but also to escape from his difficult situation at home. His wife’s Sarah battles mental health and she spends most of her time in a mental hospital.

The story is told from the point of view of Anna, Murray, and another unidentified narrator. I loved the use of multiple narrators, especially the unidentified one, who I tried to guess who it was – but I figure it out almost at the end –, because it makes the novel more suspenseful and gripping. I kept reading and reading because I wanted to know what was going on with the other characters.

The characters of the novel are ordinary people with complicated family dynamics. Anna is still grieving her parents’ deaths and, as a new mother, she especially feels the absence of her mother who she wishes had been there through her pregnancy. The author created a well-developed character in Anna and described in details her emotions, her grief, her guilt for keeping things from her partner Mark, and her confused feelings when she finds out the truth. But my favorite character was Murray Mackenzie. He goes out of his way to find out the truth, even if he risks to lose his job over it. Murray is a good person, he is patient, determined and diligent. He is going through a lot in his personal life and all I wanted to do was to hug him.

LET ME LIE is full of crazy twists. Just when you think that you know what is going on, something else happens that surprises you and then there is a shocking ending that I really didn’t see coming. It’s an intense, thrilling, and unpredictable novel about dysfunctional families, secrets, suicide, and mental illness, and you won’t be able to put it down until the last page.

I have loved both of this authors previous books so was desperate to read this one as soon as I possibly could! Clare Mackintosh writes so beautifully that I would probably be just as happy reading her shopping list but once I got my hands on a copy of Let Me Lie, I wasn’t going to put it down until I had read every last word.

Anna was just the perfectly drawn heroine for me. Devastated by the suicides of both her parents within a very short time, she still lives in her old family home but now with her partner and young baby daughter. On the anniversary of her mother’s death she receives something that is about to make her question everything she thought she knew about her parents. Once Anna became convinced that her parents had been murdered then she really started to open up for me. The slow development of her convictions is built subtly until the whirlwind of those final few chapters. Her dogged determination to prove that her mum and dad didn’t commit suicide leads her to civilian police employee, retired detective Murray. Interestingly, I found his life an even more fascinating story to follow and I loved the relationship he had with his wife Sarah although it did make me feel quite sad in places. Murray was actually the stand out character for me here and it’s the appreciation of his involvement within the storyline that I will take away with me from Let Me Lie. I would definitely be interested in reading more about him in future books!

In usual Mackintosh style nothing is ever quite how it appears here and the twists came thick and fast, some I had already anticipated, others came as OMG moments that completely floored me. And that’s what I have come to love and expect from this author. Her ability to shock her readers, even those hardened twist addicts like myself, time and time again is a gift that just keeps on giving!

I really enjoyed Let Me Lie. It grabbed me round the throat and it didn’t let up the pressure until the very end. It was easily addictive, thoroughly entertaining and I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended by me!

I enjoyed Claire Mackintosh’s previous two books so was excited to receive this one to review from NetGalley.
It’s about Anna whose parents have both committed suicide by throwing themselves from Beachy Head. Her Father goes first and then seven months later her Mother leaving Anna all alone, living in the family home.
Gradually Anna puts her life back together, starts a new relationship with Mark and baby Ella is born. Then suddenly just before the anniversary of her Mother’s death she receives a card implying that there is something strange about what happened. Have her parents been murdered?
She approaches retired detective Murray at the police station where he is now working as a civilian and he decides to investigate, partly to help Anna and partly to distract himself from his wife’s
mental health issues.
I really liked Murray and his chapters in the book; he is such a great character- in fact I’d love to see more of him in future novels. He is a real old fashioned detective and gradually worked out the whole story by using his investigative skills.
I found the other characters interesting but their motivations were not quite as believable as they might have been. In fact some of their actions and reactions were rather odd.
Like many thrillers this one moved between different characters in different chapters, Anna, Murray and someone unknown who gradually reveals themself as the novel comes to a climax.
There were several twists as the novel progressed and I must admit I did guess a couple of the major ones but then I do read a lot of psychological thrillers!
This was an enjoyable read which I whizzed through in a couple of days. If you like this sort of book it would be well worth you giving this a go.

I really like Clare Mackintosh's books. Her first one was amazing and its twists left me breathless. However, this one seemed forced. The story was not very believable even though at the end of the book you can see where the author's inspiration comes from. I found the twists interesting but predictable and it seemed to be that Murray didn't have any evidence against Laura or Caroline Johnson. It was all feelings till they came to the flat to find Anna or till they found Tom's body in the garden. Also, Anna's story with Mark and her uncle didn't add anything to the story so yes, it was an entertaining read but i was expecting more.

One year ago, Caroline Johnson chose to end her life brutally: a suicide planned to match that of her husband just years before. Their daughter, Anna, has struggled to come to terms with their loss ever since. Now with a young baby of her own, Anna misses her mother more than ever and starts to question her parents deaths. But by digging up their past, she'll put her future in danger.

Anna recieves cryptic notes in the mail and begins to question the suicide notes her parents left. There are many twists to this story and Anna seeks out help from a former police detective. There is a lot of information to take in in this book, at times it feels like information overload. The pace is steady. The ending left me a bit a bit disappointed.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK and the author Clare Mackintosh for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just over 18 months ago Anna Johnson's father committed suicide, 7 months later her mother, unable to cope with the grief of her husband's death, does exactly the same at the same notorious suicide spot.  Struggling to cope with both her parents deaths and the birth of her baby daughter, Anna is preparing to deal with the first anniversary of her mum's passing and still cannot believe that her parents would actually do what they did, so when she receives a card through the door with a cryptic message she begins to question what did actually happen and decides to look into it further, but nothing prepares her for the truth.

Clare Mackintosh in her true inimitable style shocks the reader time and again during this book with her WTF moments and each time had me flipping back to make sure I had read it properly, and the twists keep on coming right to the end.

This particular story hit a nerve with me as i experienced many of the issues here with a member of my own family when I was younger and I think the author covered all these subjects superbly.  It was a tough one to read at times but definitely worth it and I would highly recommend you do.  I would like to thank Little Brown Book Group UK for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

“The police say it was suicide.
Anna says it was murder.
They're both wrong.
One year ago, Caroline Johnson chose to end her life brutally: a shocking suicide planned to match that of her husband just months before. Their daughter, Anna, has struggled to come to terms with their loss ever since.”

This is a brilliant story that had me hooked from the first few chapters.
Anna is trying to move on with her life with her partner Mark and their newborn baby, but someone decides that the secrets of the past shouldn’t stay hidden.
Anna tries to understand who is targeting her and calls upon a retired detective to help.
This book is full of twists and turns and I loved it.
I can’t say anymore about the story as I really don’t want to spoil it for you.
If you like a good psychological thriller then you’ll love this.
Thanks to Sphere and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

What a story, what a book. Can I just start by saying that I really, really enjoyed this. A lot. Picking up a Clare Mackintosh book is like sinking into a sofa, pulling a comfy blanket over you and snuggling up to enjoy a really creepy, eerie, tense and sometimes startling movie. You have the best of both worlds - the absolute security of the blanket, as we all know they stop even the most ardent serial killer in their stacks, the knowledge that you are in for several hours of entertainment, this time in the hands of a brilliant wordsmith. Does that make sense? No? Well - just take it as read (no pun intended) this is a fabulous book, okay?

The story takes us into the world of Anna Johnson, a woman who has suffered immeasurable loss in the fact that both of her parents committed suicide in quick succession, leaving her alone and broken. She found solace in the arms of her former therapist and is now a new mother, still struggling to come to terms with what has happened, especially as the anniversary of her parents death is looming. And as the anniversary approaches strange things start to happen, things which cause Caroline to question everything she thought she knew.

Now the pacing in this book is not fast and yet at times the tension still sky rockets, and there are certain scenes, particularly towards the end, which will have you on the edge of your seat. I would say this book is driven more by the suspense and the fear of the unknown rather than high-octane action, but there is still something about it which draws you in. The largest proportion of the story is told from Anna's perspective as she tries to make sense of a series of apparent threats which are made on her and her family, and questions people around her as to whether they believe that her parents really killed themselves. She is an interesting character, both strong at times and yet vulnerable, and still young to have to deal with the loss of her entire family. What happens changes the entire course of her life and she falls quickly and unexpectedly into a new life with her partner and her new baby.

It is hard to talk too much about the other people in this book without giving too much away. Whilst most of the story is Anna's there is a secondary perspective, one of someone who remains unidentified for a large proportion of the book, but who clearly has links to what has happened. As their story slowly unfolds you start to understand more of what is happening and what has happened. Add into this the elements of the story that follow Murray, the retired police Detective who decides to investigate Anna's harassment and claims about her parents on his own time, and you have an intriguing mixture which draws you in and compels you to read onward. Murray has his own troubles and the investigation is a welcome distraction to those, but you cannot help but be moved by his story. I can't help admitting to shedding a little tear for what happened.

One of the best things about this book is the way in which the author creates tension through not only the pace but the setting. The description of the area, particularly the location at which both of Anna's parents decided to take their life, really adds to the undercurrent of despair which runs through the novel. There is always something lurking just beneath the surface, something you can't quite put a finger on, that causes a sense of unease, and the narrative feeds this near paranoia, both through Anna's actions and the text.

Was the book quite as surprising as its predecessors? Perhaps not. It didn't have quite the same killer twist but then I don't think it needed it. It kept the story more grounded in reality and worked perfectly for the premise that had been set up. I really enjoyed this and would heartily recommend it to anyone, especially fans of the author.

A very well plotted, taught storyline which we’ve come to expect from Claire Mackintosh. I had a gasp out loud moment and then spent the next 20 minutes mentally rewinding through the book. Excellent. It dropped a star for me because I found Part 1 was verging on the supernatural/ghost story, which for me was a bit hard to accept (obviously all became clear later)

I'm sorry, but this book didn't deliver a good thriller in my opinion. The book started very slow, dragging on and on. And I felt all the 'surprises' were build on purpose for the sake of it. I know this is a mystery, thriller. But, in the end the plot didn't make any sense, so all these twists became idle.
I didn't like the female protagonist too. If you ask me, everything was very clear, but she had no idea.
It's not only those though. There is more.
The characters are not built well as well. I won't go through them here as I don't want to spoil anything. It's tricky with thrillers.
So, if I need to summarise the book. The beginning was boring. Then the pace took off, but the end was a crash. So, it wouldn't be my pick when it comes to reading a good thriller, that's well thought through and well plotted.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

I had great hopes for Let Me Lie after reading the authors first book, I Let You Go. Unfortunately I really struggled with this book and felt like abandoning it half way through. The story just seemed so drawn out in places and lacked any kind of pace. It promises to be a psychological thriller but I felt it fell slightly short of the mark.

I didn’t really warm to any of the characters apart from Murray.

Having said that I was glad I stuck with it as towards the end some good twists and turns are thrown in. I would give the book 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sphere and the author for the chance to review.

I feel i have to say that firstly i'm a massive fan of Clare Mackintosh, i loved her first book (that twist though), book two i wasn't as much of a fan of but then this book and i'm back in love with this author.

We follow Anna whose parents both committed suicide over the past two years, first her father and then her mother. We catch up with Anna on the fist anniversary of her mothers death when things start cropping up that suggest to Anna that one or both of the suicides are not what they at first seem. Anna is then determined to find out who killed her parents even though all her family and friends tell her to just let it all lie. She gains the help of a retired policeman who starts to look into everything firstly as something to entertain him, and then as he too becomes hooked on finding out exactly what happened.

As with all Clare's books i really don't want to go too far into the actual story or i will inevitably give away some of the plot twists, of which there are many. There is the usual giant twist in the middle of the book but don't worry there are plenty more to keep you on the edge of your seat. The downside of reading one of Clare's books is that you go in just looking for the big twist because you know from previous books that she is going to hit you with it. I'm sorry to say that i had figured out the big twist but a lot of the littler ones did have me blindsided so it is very much worth reading even if you think you've got it all figured out.

Along with these twists there is a lot of emotional content, so much so that i admit to reading the last few chapters with tears in my eyes and streaming down my face. Clare just makes the reader attach themselves to the characters that there are just some highly emotional scenes at the end of this book. I found myself personally liking a lot more of the background characters rather than Anna, who i found to be a little annoying at times but that's my personal opinion.

Overall i would say that Clare is back to her best with this book and i really cannot wait to read any further books from her.

LET ME LIE BY CLARE MACKINTOSH BOOK REVIEW
When I say I’m stoked to read & review this book, I mean I squealed when I received my copy. Clare’s debut novel, I Let You Go is my go-to recommendation when it comes to thrillers. To this day, it’s the only book I’ve ever GASPED while reading. I seriously had to turn the pages back to re-read the story because I was in such a state of shock. Clare’s second book, I See You is a great follow-up with a creepy voyeuristic tone. I loved it! When I saw Let Me Lie, I had to get my hands on it.

Clare’s characters are relatable & believable & this is what I need from my thrillers. I’ve come to loathe the unreliable narrator. Although this story uses multiple narrators, I trusted each of them which always helps me buy into the story a bit more.

MEET THE CHARACTERS – ANNA & MURRAY
Readers meet Anna, who is a new mother & is still reeling from the loss of both parents to apparent suicides. Early in the story, she begins to think there is more to her mother’s death & wants the police to look into the case further. This is where we meet Murray, a semi-retired police officer. Murray is a really great character & I need a spin-off series centering around him- pronto!

As Anna & Murray are digging around in the past, it becomes VERY clear that someone wants them to stop. As it would with me too, this intrigues them further & they know they have to keep going to get to the truth.

LET ME LIE GIVES YOU TWISTS, TURNS & THRILLS
A little over halfway through, this story really picks up speed. If you’re like me, you try to figure out the “bad guy” while reading. Clare ALWAYS gets me & I never see the ending coming! Let Me Lie was particularly fun because there were several twists & turns. By the ending, I saw the book play out like a fast-paced action movie in my head.

Let Me Lie is also a really touching story in many ways. Anna is in a fluctuating state of grief while assuming her new role as a mother. There are moments where my heart ached for her. Her plight reminded me in some ways of Clara from Mary Kubica’s Every Last Lie. Murray is caring for his wife, who is ill. There’s also a painful little secret about unrequited love that comes to the surface that I felt was especially meaningful.

THE VERDICT
I am REALLY INTO Clare Mackintosh & I am Really Into Let Me Lie. Everyone has his or her own favorite author & Clare is “my person”. I’ve loved all of her books & can’t wait for the next one.

Special thanks to Clare Mackintosh, Berkley & NetGalley for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

I really didn't like this book.
It seems like the whole structure is built to surprise us. As if it's written just for the sake of the 'twists' and nothing else matters. Also the first part of the book is a real drag. the story develops rather slowly.

OK, I get it, it might seem a good idea to shock the reader. But when all is revealed the plot is so unrealistic and silly, giving us yet another very baffled and idiotic female protagonist, who has no idea whatsoever going on in her life, in front of her nose. Is it only me or did other readers wanted to yell to Anne, who had no idea what was going on in her family. Sorry but if a person is ignorant and clueless beyond human capacity, how could she feel so affected by her parents suicides? Get a life, Anne.
It's not only those though. There is more.
The characters are barely there. You don't get to know the characters rather than their superficial thoughts or conversations. You have your baffled female Anne, nice husband-plus sense of humour(a must have in domestic drama to imply the level of middle class reached) Mark, supportive side-kick Laura with no visible life or worries of her own, a golden hearted ex-policeman with a bipolar-disorder awareness element wife.
Hey, did I mentioned the chubby car salesman uncle Billy, who seems to be pinched in to add the number of suspects in the game?

If I summarise this read I'd say:
The initial 30% was such a boring read. Then the story took a turn and got into an okay speed before literally driving the novel off the cliffs.

Sorry! Just didn't work for me.

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of this author. Having absolutely loved her previous two books, I was very excited to get an early review copy of this, her latest offering. As with all authors I love, I was a tad on the scared side as I started it. Would I love it as much as her other books? Would it live up to the already high standard I have her at? I mean, her first book I Let You Go is the book that I would most like to un-read and read again from cold (if you get what I mean)!
Anyway, cutting to the chase. Yep, enjoyed this one too. Not as much as I Let You Go or I See You as I thought this one was a little too busy, and a wee bit predictable, but a good solid read nevertheless.
Anna's parents both committed suicide. In the same way, at the same place, only a matter of months in between. In the days since their deaths Anna has found love, and has a young baby. She has never quite believed in the fact that her parents both took their own lives. Her mother especially being as how she knew how the death of her father affected Anna. She is certain there is much more to it than the police believe but no one is listening to her. When we first meet Anna, it is the first anniversary of her mother's death and she receives something through the post that unnerves her. Opening up old wounds that have never quite healed. Determined that the suicide ruling isn't the right conclusion, she throws caution to the wind to try to get the investigation opened again. Aided by ex-cop Murray who is now working on the desk in a civilian role, can she cut through the noise and get to the truth? However devastating that truth may be.
I've already said that this book is a little busy. It does seem to contain all the twists and then some which, for me, were a few too many. I think that the author has basically been earmarked as a twist specialist - well the one in her first book was sheer brilliance - and I think that she feels obliged to go bigger and better in every subsequent books she writes. Which is a pity really as her plotting, writing and characterisation really are good enough without having to resort to this kind of thing. There's also the inclusion of Murray's wife who is suffering from a mental health issue. Now, although this is handled really well in this book and actually made for some very good reading, I am not quite sure the reason for its inclusion. Certainly not a plot development point as far as I can see. Maybe just a distraction from the convoluted nature of the main narrative; I don't know. Although, that said, with statistics saying that something like 1 in 4 people suffer mental health issues, I guess by the law of averages... why not?
The characters were well drawn as usual and, within their roles, played their parts believably to perfection. Obviously with a book of this nature there are a lot of secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour but it is the motivation behind all that that is key in this book. And although most of the motivation was justified, there were a couple of things that happened that didn't quite sit right with me.
All in all, although not her best book, this was a good solid read overall, which wasn't too taxing and which left me mostly satisfied at the end. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another great read by Clare Mackintosh with many twists and turns throughout.. It sets off at a cracking pace and doesn’t let up until the final page has been turned. Fabulous! I can’t wait to see what this fantastic author comes up with next. A thrilling 4 stars.

Clare Mackintosh has done it again!
I don't know how she consistently keeps on writing these psychological thrillers with killer stings in the tail, but she does and I enjoyed this novel immensely.
Anna, is still recovering from the suicide of both her parents, as well as nursing a new baby, when she receives a mysterious card on the anniversary of her mothers death. This makes her start to question everything and soon her whole world begins to unravel.
Anna is an interesting character and one that I didn't entirely feel sympathetic for, but it an odd way this made me enjoy the book more. I was questioning her motives and emotions when she did things and when she was shocked by various revelations I took great glee in it rather than feeling sorry for her.
The story is a split narrative between Anna, Murry (the retired policeman investigating) and a mysterious first person narrative that is only revealed at the end.
It reads exceptionally well, face-paced and never lets you get too comfortable. The pages whizz past you as you desperately look for answers. Mackintosh again throws in a killer twist in the way that only she can.
Uncomfortably good!

I have read some emotionally driven thrillers in the past, but boy oh boy what the heat on in this one.
I am definitely not going to go into this complex and cleverly written thriller.

You need to go in blind with this one and enjoy the dynamics of this great book.

About 3/4 of the way in you may think, nothing is happening, its like having your camera pointing at something that is times to come near and you want to snap it before you miss it, this was the case in this book, you are poised, waiting, waiting, waiting and then BANG the explosion happens.
Stay with it, its well worth the suspense.

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK via Net Galley for my copy