A gripping read lots of twists and turns keeps you guessing all the way thorough the book. I love the characters Murray and Susan not the usual detective story.

I was gripped with Let Me Lie from the first few sentences. I just had to sit reading well into the night as I could not put it down.
Great twists and turns throughout and a fab ending. I will be recommending this fab book to my friends and family.

Clare Mackintosh's third novel has everything you'd expect from her: pace, twists, skilful plotting and good characterisation. However, I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd anticipated. Maybe I've read too many thrillers lately, but I found this one to be quite predictable. I guessed the main revelation early on in the novel and I was hoping to be proved wrong.

The story follows Anna, a twenty-something who lost her parents to suicide. She's also recently had an unplanned baby with her fairly new partner, Mark - her counsellor after her parents died. Hints appear that her parents did not willingly end their own lives. Anna convinces a retired police detective, Murray Mackenzie, to look into the case again. Murray's wife Sarah, who is in poor mental health and is regularly in hospital, helps him to investigate.

I liked the author's handling of some serious topics: grief, suicide, mental health, family bonds, lies. I also appreciated the details of police procedure, although I did find the repetition of information a little dull, as different characters discuss things we already know about. The sense of place was excellent and I could see everything so clearly, with the level of description being just right. I did find the novel to be slightly too long, but bear in mind that I say this about most novels.

In summary, I think Let Me Lie is a well-written page turner but it's no match for I See You.

Many thanks to the publisher Little, Brown Group for the review copy via NetGalley. 

NB. Review to be published on my blog on 20/01/19.

A gripping and shocking read which draws you in from the first chapter. Really enjoyed this book with twists and turns a plenty

Another brilliant psychological thriller from Clare Mackintosh. Anna is still struggling tocome to terms with her father committing suicide followed by her mother a few months later. On the anniversary of her mother’s death she receives a card which suggests that her death wasn’t suicide. Anna has always had difficulty in accepting that her parents committed suicide as they had a successful business, no money worries and seemingly no other problems. So when Anna receives the card she enlists the help of a retired CID officer Murray McIntosh to help in finding out the truth. The story is told from multiple viewpoints and is built upon secrets and lies and no one can be trusted. I thought I had worked out what the twist was but I was wrong again. A highly recommended read. I can’t wait for Clare’s next book.
Thanks to the NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Clare Mackintosh is brilliantly skilled in many areas of crime fiction writing: she weaves great plots; she is queen of suspense and her attention to police procedures is second to none. What is equally impressive is the way Mackintosh can change her approach to writing with each novel she creates, resisting that fall into a niche that is very much overly populated with similar plots and cliffhangers.

Anna Johnson is 26 and has recently given birth to her first child. Just over a year and a half before this book opens, Anna's father, Tom, jumped off a cliff at Beachy Head in England and, seven months later, Anna's mother, Caroline, followed. The police ruled the deaths as suicide but Anna has other ideas.

If you read the blurb on this book, it is short and concise but actually quite revealing:

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

So, straight away we know both suicide and murder are out. Hmmm...what else could it be...? What I'm getting at here is the BIG SHOCKING TWIST isn't so shocking. I figured it out, you probably will too. But even if you do, this is still a very good story. The highlights for me are the attention to detail around Anna's early days of motherhood (the breastfeeding, the baby's routine, the complete and utter exhaustion, the postpartum roller coaster of emotion); the character of retired detective Murray MacKenzie and his story, particularly his grappling with his wife Sarah's mental health. The latter, in fact, is handled very well and is especially moving, and is certainly one of the most commendable things about this book.

Mackintosh's dealing of the subjects of suicide, anxiety and depression are particularly impressive and although I preferred I Let You Go, finding this offering too much of a slow burn, I am still eager to see where she takes us next.

Recommended to fans of Mackintosh and anyone who loves a good thriller. 2.5 - 3 stars.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really like this book struggled a bit at the beginning but had a great twist.

"They say sudden goodbyes are easier. Less painful. They're wrong. Any pain saved from the lingering goodbyes of a drawn-out illness is offset by the horror of a life stolen without notice. A life taken violently".

"It hurts to cry for a mother who isn't coming back".

"You reach a point where the pain you feel inside is simply sadness. And there's no cure for that".

Anna Johnson is doing her best to just make it through the day; she's trying to manage the stress of a new-born baby, with a partner she barely knows, whilst trying to deal with the grief of losing her parents to suicide so close together. However things are not what they seem; on the one year anniversary of her mother's death Anna receives a card containing one line that will change her life; Suicide? Think Again. Anna struggles to understand what this means, and as she begins to probe further, Anna begins to question whether she is going mad, or whether someone is out to get her.

I've been a fan of Clare Mackintosh for a while, having read her other books I Let You Go, and I See You, in quick succession. Both of which had me gripped, and kept me guessing as to what is going on. This book was no different; throughout the book I kept making guesses about what was going on but the author always shocked me, and my guesses were never right! I really enjoy her writing style, and the differing perspectives in this book; we mostly follow Anna and Murray - the retired detective looking into her parents suicide, and really found myself empathising with both of their individual journeys.

**Spoiler Alert**
The only thing that baffled me about this book was the ending; Anna receives a card from Laura with one word, Suicide?, based upon other people's perspectives they think this alludes to the fact that Anna actually pushed her mother off the balcony, not that she jumped - this seems to be the most likely conclusion but having read back this section the police entered prior to her going over the balcony so this baffled me!!

Other than that I enjoyed this book and it is one that I will be looking to add to my collection!

Thank you NetGalley and Brown Book Group UK for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

This was a slow start but did pick up pace and I found I enjoyed it, few twists and turns along the route. Well written

I enjoyed this book very much but it was overlong. Anna’s parents both committed suicide and different times.she was angry with them for leaving her. That was until she thought her parents were murdered, she then started to uncover the mystery of her parents life which was not as ideal as she had always thought.
The book got very exciting once you got through the first half.
Thanks for letting me read this book, even though it was overlong.

Clare MacIntosh does it again, what a belter of a book.

The story was told in the POV of three characters, the first being Anna who is trying to come to terms with the deaths of both her father and her mother to suicide 7 months apart, a two month old baby and with the first anniversary of her mothers death looming, she receives a card and written inside “Suicide? Think again!”, this sends Anna into a tailspin, surely this is someone’s sick joke?

Enter POV of Murray MacKenzie, a civilian retired policeman who was manning the desk when Anna reported the card, she now believes that it is possible that her parents were murdered and has intrigued Murray enough that he carries out a side investigation despite not being a warranted police officer any more. Murray needs a distraction from his personal life, his wife is in Highfield Mental Institute albeit voluntarily, she suffers and has suffered most of her life with borderline personality disorder.

POV No. 3, is this Anna’s mother or her father? Perhaps someone else entirely? Not clear until you move further along the book so I’m keeping stumm!!!

I started this book last night and devoured it again today, I felt like I was on the waltzers, my head spinning with all the twists, a truly gripping psychological thriller you will not want to put down.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

One year ago, Anna’s mother chose to end her life following the suicide of her husband just months earlier. Anna is now trying to live her life with a new born baby and a man she hardly knows whilst trying to come to terms with the loss of her parents. However, things aren’t all what they seem. Let Me Lie, follows Anna’s journey through finding out the truth behind her parents deaths whilst deciphering who she can trust and who she cannot.

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of this book through Netgalley. When I first looked it up on Goodreads I was apprehensive to start this book as it didn’t have the best reviews. However I actually really enjoyed this book. I really connected with the writing style and with the characters, especially Anna and Murray. I felt like the author managed to send me down the wrong track several times. I was convinced I knew how it would end but I was wrong! There were so many twists and turns throughout, and even to the very end of the book I found that I was surprised! I did find that some parts of the book dragged and felt unnecessary but all in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

I was not surprised at how fantastic this latest novel that Clare Mackintosh has delivered.
She has this amazing talent to write in such a way that you are sucked into the books and you wil, not be an,e to leave until you have finished it,
This book is no different. You have no idea which way this book is going to turn. You are take. On a rollercoaster ride with some unknown journeys along the way.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Littlebrownbookgroupuk for my eARC of this wonderful book . This is exchange for my honest unbiased review

My 5* review for Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh, another brilliant psychological thriller that certainly kept me guessing, on the edge of my seat, unable to stop reading it at night and looking forward to getting back into it the next night. the turmoil that Anna was going through, to see if I could solve the puzzle before she did?!

"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. 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. Sometimes it’s safer to let things lie…"

I loved Anna right from the beginning and she was so well written that I felt her anguish and pain and was totally embroiled in the turmoil that Anna was going through, and was desperate to see if I could solve the puzzle before she did?! However, ultimately I had not a chance! The twists, turns and drip feeding of suspicion, intrigue and mystery made this an all consuming story that makes you suspect everyone, believe no-one and even doubt Anna's own sanity. The ending was superb and everything I was hoping and wishing for, and the final chapter was one that you needed to read twice just to believe your eyes and digest all the clues coming together and finally to breathe again.

I am recommending this book to everyone and I am waiting for her next one with baited breath.

I really enjoyed this book. I love Clare Mackintosh's writing and thoroughly enjoyed the complex plot with it's many twists and turns.
I was gripped by this story from start to finish, a brilliant twisty thriller with some surprises along the way.
I have no idea how Claire keeps producing such impressive stories, but I am already keen to read her next book.

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.

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. Sometimes it’s safer to let things lie…

Well Clare Mackintosh does it again. After the huge success of 'I Let You Go', you'd be forgiven for wondering if this book would be to the same standard. I can confirm it definitely is. Yet another intricately woven plot that keeps you guessing right until the end.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Netgalley and Clare Mackintosh for the chance to read and review this book.

Wow! Clare Mackintosh blew me away with this sensational novel. I had never read one of her books but a number of people had recommended them to me saying I would love them. They weren’t wrong. This book got it’s hooks into me from the mysterious opening chapter which left me with a thrilling sense of foreboding. I couldn’t put it down as I needed questions answered and the truth revealed.

Anna Johnson is slowly coming to terms with her parents’ deaths the year before after they committed suicide within a few months of each other. Although initially reluctant to believe they took their own lives, she is learning to accept it and to enjoy life thanks to her partner, Mark, and their new baby, Ella. Or at least she was until the card came containing the words “Suicide? Think again.” Now Anna is convinced they were murdered and takes the card to the police asking them to investigate. What she doesn’t know is that doing so has put her on a course that puts the lives of her and her family in danger.

Reading this book was like putting together a complicated but fun jigsaw puzzle: I could see the pieces being laid out to fit together but I had no idea where they went as some were missing and others kept changing. As we discovered more about the well hidden truths of Caroline and Tom’s marriage and people that seemed to have a motivation for wanting them gone revealed themselves, I began putting the puzzle together. But I was being mislead: some things were not at all what they appeared and the truth changed the final picture. Each time I thought I knew what had happened or who was behind something I was wrong. There were so many incredible twists, turns and illusions in this book that I’m in awe of how the author was able to disguise them in such magnificent ways and keep the shocks coming right until the final sentence.

This multi-faceted and exciting story is also interlaced with emotional moments that deal with the pain of grief, the complexities of grief when someone dies by suicide, and the heartbreaking truth of what life with a mental illness can be like for both the person with the illness and their partner. The latter two things were dealt with in a sensitive manner that would help anyone who hasn’t experienced them have a better understanding and empathy for what it is like to go through them. I lost one of my best friends to suicide and she had the same mental illness as Sara. Reading the passages that Sara was in was painful, but I was thankful that she was a well rounded and likeable character; someone who you were reminded was very sick but not just a sick person. I also found it very emotional reading how Murray felt and went through living with and caring for his mentally ill wife. His narrative brought me close to tears at times and he was my favourite character because of his love and devotion to Sara no matter what she was going through, and because of his dedication to helping Anna find out the truth about her parents.

Let Me Lie is an easy to read thriller that I couldn’t put down. It had me saying “just one more chapter” both nights I read it and was so captivating that the second night I read the final three quarters of the book. As I said earlier this was my first book by this author but it certainly won’t be my last. I’ve never seen so many different twists in a story that are truly a surprise when revealed. This book more than earned it’s five star rating and I recommend it whatever your favourite genre may be.

Let Me Lie is another engaging thriller that matches and at times exceeds the previous 2 excellent books from Clare Mackintosh.

Without giving away any spoilers be prepared to change your mind throughout the book as the twists and turns keep coming

Thoroughly recommended.

I had really enjoyed Clare Mackintosh's first two books and was excited to read Let Me Lie. It did not disappoint.

When I think of all the books I have read this year, I'm not sure any have gripped me as quickly as Let Me Lie. Clare Mackintosh has the wonderful ability to get the reader hooked right from the outset and to keep you enthralled to the last page. There are so many twists and turns which keeps the book moving at a fast pace and makes it very hard to put down.

The story is told largely, but not entirely, in two voices. Firstly there is Anna who is coming to terms with the fact that both of her parents have recently committed suicide. On the anniversary of her mother's death she is surprised and touched by how many people remember and acknowledge the anniversary, however she receives one card which throws her into turmoil. Was it suicide?

The other narrator is Murray, a retired detective. When Anna approaches him with her doubts about the verdict of suicide he decides to do a little personal investigation, so that he has some more concrete evidence to pass to the busy investigation team. I felt Murray's character really added some warmth to the story. His wife has mental health problems and you feel his joy on her good days and his pain when, despite his best efforts, he can't help her through her suffering. You also become very aware of his isolation; missing the camaraderie he used to have at work and coping on his own with his wife's poor health. He is probably in a situation many people can relate to - struggling somewhat with every day life, but putting on a brave face. And it's not that people don't ask after her, but he can sense their relief when the subject moves onto 'safer' ground.

There is a third voice in the story, but this one is for the reader to discover.

If you are usually a 'one chapter a night' reader, beware - with this book you may just find yourself reading into the wee small hours...

Like all of Clare Macintoshs books I really enjoyed this book. The twists and turns kept me guessing. It wasn't the happy ending I was expecting and the final twist wad unnecessary but overall a very good read.