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A review by ymckendry
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
3.0
3.5 - 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was good, the descriptions real, the dialogue on point. The dialogue especially was one of my favourite aspects of the novel. The language was sparse in that way that evokes so much by using so few words and I noticed Clare MacKintosh's knack for great dialogue was most pronounced during the scenes between Ray (the lead detective) and his wife Mags. There was so much great tension read between the lines of what they were saying to each other and it made for some great reading moments.
I liked that this book wasn't your typical 'who done it' mystery. There is a tragic hit and run accident that kills a 5 year old boy and the case quickly runs cold. More than a year passes in this book as a mother grieves and the detectives try to persistently track down the culprit. The year that passes gives readers insight into very different lives - that of a mother without a son, trying to put the fractured pieces of her life back in order, and that of a frustrated (in more ways than one) detective struggling to balance the demands of his job with his home life.
I really enjoyed reading about these characters and became invested in their stories. I especially liked the journey I was led on reading about Jenna, who abandons her life in England for a life on the coast in Wales after the death of the 5 year old boy. I liked seeing her slowly move from an isolated, grief and guilt stricken woman to a woman slowly trying to pick the pieces of her life up and start fresh.
Ray, the detective on the hit and run case was likeable at first and for the most part. His ongoing obliviousness where his home life was concerned became tedious towards the end because I just wanted him to get a clue already and realize how he was ignoring the people closest to him. The depiction of the marriage between Ray and Mags felt so real though and the tension really well achieved.
My only bone to pick with this book is that once Part 2 comes along and the pieces of the puzzle concerning the hit and run are beginning to come together, the slow build up of drama and intrigue achieved in Part 1 was abandoned for a bit of a soap opera drama feel in Part 2. The subtly I'd so enjoyed in the beginning of the book seemed to be pushed aside for a rushed and sort of clunky finish. There were a few parts in particular right towards the end that seemed a bit over the top and 'slasher movie' ish and it made me feel as though I was reading a different book. It's hard to say without giving spoilers but one aspect of the plot went overboard for me and was unnecessary.
Otherwise, I would definitely recommend this book and felt it was unique in pace and the perspective it chose in order to tell the story.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was good, the descriptions real, the dialogue on point. The dialogue especially was one of my favourite aspects of the novel. The language was sparse in that way that evokes so much by using so few words and I noticed Clare MacKintosh's knack for great dialogue was most pronounced during the scenes between Ray (the lead detective) and his wife Mags. There was so much great tension read between the lines of what they were saying to each other and it made for some great reading moments.
I liked that this book wasn't your typical 'who done it' mystery. There is a tragic hit and run accident that kills a 5 year old boy and the case quickly runs cold. More than a year passes in this book as a mother grieves and the detectives try to persistently track down the culprit. The year that passes gives readers insight into very different lives - that of a mother without a son, trying to put the fractured pieces of her life back in order, and that of a frustrated (in more ways than one) detective struggling to balance the demands of his job with his home life.
I really enjoyed reading about these characters and became invested in their stories. I especially liked the journey I was led on reading about Jenna, who abandons her life in England for a life on the coast in Wales after the death of the 5 year old boy. I liked seeing her slowly move from an isolated, grief and guilt stricken woman to a woman slowly trying to pick the pieces of her life up and start fresh.
Ray, the detective on the hit and run case was likeable at first and for the most part. His ongoing obliviousness where his home life was concerned became tedious towards the end because I just wanted him to get a clue already and realize how he was ignoring the people closest to him. The depiction of the marriage between Ray and Mags felt so real though and the tension really well achieved.
My only bone to pick with this book is that once Part 2 comes along and the pieces of the puzzle concerning the hit and run are beginning to come together, the slow build up of drama and intrigue achieved in Part 1 was abandoned for a bit of a soap opera drama feel in Part 2. The subtly I'd so enjoyed in the beginning of the book seemed to be pushed aside for a rushed and sort of clunky finish. There were a few parts in particular right towards the end that seemed a bit over the top and 'slasher movie' ish and it made me feel as though I was reading a different book. It's hard to say without giving spoilers but one aspect of the plot went overboard for me and was unnecessary.
Otherwise, I would definitely recommend this book and felt it was unique in pace and the perspective it chose in order to tell the story.