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I Let You Go
Unavailable
I Let You Go
Unavailable
I Let You Go
Audiobook12 hours

I Let You Go

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

On a rainy afternoon, a mother's life is shattered as her son slips from her grip and runs into the street...

I Let You Go follows Jenna Gray as she moves to a ramshackle cottage on the remote Welsh coast, trying to escape the memory of the car accident that plays again and again in her mind and desperate to heal from the loss of her child and the rest of her painful past.

At the same time, the novel tracks the pair of Bristol police investigators trying to get to the bottom of this hit-and-run. As they chase down one hopeless lead after another, they find themselves as drawn to each other as they are to the frustrating, twist-filled case before them.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 3, 2016
ISBN9780804195096
Unavailable
I Let You Go
Author

Clare Mackintosh

With over 2 million copies of her books sold worldwide, number one bestseller Clare Mackintosh is the multi-award-winning author of I Let You Go, which was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and the fastest-selling title by a new crime writer in 2015. It also won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2016. Both Clare's second and third novels, I See You and Let Me Lie, were number one Sunday Times bestsellers. Her first three thrillers were selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club, and together have been translated into forty languages. After the End was published in 2019 and became an instant Sunday Times bestseller, and in 2021 Hostage flew straight into the top ten. Her new crime series, featuring Welsh detective DC Ffion Morgan, has been critically acclaimed, with both The Last Party and A Game of Lies hitting the Sunday Times top ten. Together, her books have spent more than sixty-five weeks in The Sunday Times bestseller lists. Clare is patron of the Silver Star Society, a charity based at the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford, which supports parents experiencing high-risk or difficult pregnancies. She lives in North Wales with her husband and their three children.

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Reviews for I Let You Go

Rating: 3.9939189610810812 out of 5 stars
4/5

740 ratings96 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Two by this author is enough for me.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. A domestic thriller with a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. Of course, like all thrillers, there is that moment you think WHY? But then you realize the book would have ended and it wouldn't have been as exciting. I would recommend this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have a thing for blue covers. Admittedly, the last six or so books I’ve read have had covers and spines that fall somewhere between sky and prussian. So naturally I was thrilled when Clare Mackintosh’s I Let You Go was proposed as our book club selection. I heard something about unsolved mystery and hot summer read and was good to go! But when I fully read the synopsis on my tablet while downloading the title on my Amazon app, (sorry, no $22.00 new-release hardcovers for me unless they are from one of my must-read authors, are the next in a series I’m obsessed with, etc.), I realized that the title, at least in part, refers to a mother letting go of her child, resulting in said child’s death. (Insert audible sigh). As the mother of a selectively wild and reckless two-year-old, this was the last type of literary world I wanted to immerse myself in. But I gave my little man a squeeze, skimmed the intro. so I wouldn’t be unnecessarily traumatized, and began my journey of confusion and eye-rolling.To be fair, the plot is solid for a crime thriller. This is not my favorite or even fourth favorite genre, but I like to keep an open mind and diversify my reads. So without giving away too much, we have a child killed in a hit-and-run accident, lots of cop jargon and behind the scenes stuff, a remote beach village in Wales, and a darker sub-plot involving domestic violence and the extremes it can lead victims to in order to escape from their tormentors. The settings are well-described and I actually found myself enjoying the cliffs, the simultaneously isolated and intimate sea-side town, and the names and messages scrawled in the sand. However the limitations of the piece made it impossible for me to become fully lost in it.I expected to be confused in the beginning of the journey, before all the clues came in, but the revelations came with further confusion in some instances and ultimately disappointment. For a realistic crime thriller, some elements of the story are just too “coincidental” and seem cheaply slapped together. I would have settled for less dramatic happenings over soap opera-esque “aha!” moments. There is something to be said for subtlety. I also felt deliberately mislead by certain sections of text in order to create more surprise further on and rather than interpreting it as “mystery”, I couldn’t help but view it as less-than-stellar writing.I found nearly all of the characters a bit hollow and off. I tried to tell myself that it was a British thing or a crime author thing, but ultimately I couldn’t forgive it as either. The cast is simply unremarkable and not fully fleshed out. with the exception of the lead detective’s wife, I found no characters sympathetic or relatable. And I really tried, considering the sad subject matter.I don’t regret reading this book. It was a foray into a genre I tend to ignore and overlook. I appreciate the knowledge of the UK criminal justice system Mackintosh brings to the table. I simply like my reads a bit more, dare I say, literary.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a psychological thriller which surprised me, again and again. I am ashamed to say it has been sitting on my shelf for some time. And guess what it belongs to my mum! She loves well written murder mysteries and thrillers (the more gruesome the better)  but can't watch anything remotely scary on TV. She cracks me up! So mum, you'd be proud of me, I loved this, even though some passages made me draw a shocked breath in, thankful that I wasn't the main protagonist in the story.

     Read I let You Go if you enjoy tense, fast-paced (particularly in the second half of the novel,) thrillers with a twist that surprises. There is plenty to get your teeth into with this clever novel: emotion, grief, trust, blind love, overcoming fear, a mother's love, guilt ...

    My rating:
    Overall 5 stars. The first half of the novel is perhaps a little slow (a four star,) but well worth hanging in there to reach those middle to end chapters that sky rocketed this novel up to five stars.  

    Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I listened to the audiobook and finished it shortly after listening to Mackintosh's "I See You". This review will suffer some because I enjoyed the other book much more. In comparison, I didn't feel like this book was as suspenseful or surprising. The classic plot twist of a mystery/thriller still existed, and I felt that this one came earlier than usual which was actually great. However, I didn't feel that all of the characters were developed as well as they could have/should have been, which made the ending a bit unfulfilling.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5 stars. 4 stars for part one....in fact, the end of part one startled me to where I reread it a few times to see if I had properly comprehended!! I knocked off a half star b/c by the time it ended I felt like there were just one too many "twists" or "reveals." I enjoyed reading this book very much...just got a bit predictable and twisty at the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent story. Sometimes hard to understand motivation of characters
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hit and run accident leaves a little boy dead and a mother devastated. A hunt is on for the driver. Jenna leaves the area as she is tortured by the memory of the accident. A big twist in the middle of the book turns things around and the reader becomes riveted to the story. Be forewarned there is violence and abuse is story which makes it hard to read at times. The end may leave you speechless! Recommended for those who like mystery thrillers!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    OMG THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!! The twists and turns had me stumped. I can usually figure plots out but this one had me baffled. The end of part one left me speechless. I highly recommend this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    TRIGGER ALERT for victims of domestic violence. Written from multiple points of view, including a very skillfully rendered first-person narrative by a psychopath.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A horrific hit-and-run accident leaves a young boy dead and a mother devastated. Jenna Gray moves to a dilapidated coastal cottage to put her life back together and begin again. But the past has a way of creeping in when it is least expected . . . . The writing is compelling and the characters are well-drawn, but the much-overused situation played out between Ian and Jenna detracts from the expected [and mostly ignored] story of the accident. And while a completely unexpected twist changes everything readers thought they knew, the number of far-too-coincidental events stretches the limits of believability and may leave readers shaking their heads in disbelief. The undercurrent of implausibility coupled with far too much graphic violence creates a tale that is likely to leave many readers disconcerted and disappointed.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Good. Kept me interested. A nice twist midway through.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I listened to the audiobook and finished it shortly after listening to Mackintosh's "I See You". This review will suffer some because I enjoyed the other book much more. In comparison, I didn't feel like this book was as suspenseful or surprising. The classic plot twist of a mystery/thriller still existed, and I felt that this one came earlier than usual which was actually great. However, I didn't feel that all of the characters were developed as well as they could have/should have been, which made the ending a bit unfulfilling.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A powerful book with superb writing and a riveting storyline. What an amazing read!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a very gripping story, especially with the current news of spousal abuse in the news---talk about timing! The CD was read by Nicola Barber and Steven Crossley and Crossley filled the bill for the rather terrifying voice of the husband.! And, such a surprise ending which I was not expecting.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Two minutes sooner, two minutes later....it would have made a difference.Two minutes sooner, two minutes later....it would have saved the horrible pain.Two minutes sooner, two minutes later....it would have saved Jacob's life.Two minutes sooner, two minutes later....it would have kept Jacob's mother from seeing a car hit her son, kill her son, and see the driver run from the scene leaving her with this unending pain.We meet Kate and Ray the detectives, Jenna who leaves Bristol after the accident, and a town in Wales where everyone would want to live and where Jenna goes. We learn about Jenna's life past and present, and we learn about the lives of the police detectives both personal and professionally. Jenna's past life was not a pleasant one. I LET YOU GO takes off like a speeding train and doesn't stop with the suspense until the last page. I LET YOU GO is a thriller with many twists and some unpleasant surprises and revelations. It addresses domestic abuse and its disastrous effects.Most of the characters were believable and likeable, but one of them was definitely evil. I flinched and feared for Jenna as she dealt with this evil character. I never guessed the twist at the end. Ms. Mackintosh wrote a brilliantly crafted, chilling debut that you won't want to put down.Do not miss reading I LET YOU GO, but be ready for some disturbing situations in this overall excellent thriller. 5/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation from the publisher in return for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A novel that kept me reading. You know there is something more going on but the plot twists are great and there are a few !!! There was quite a bit of gritty realism in the Bristol police detectives and Jenna ( Jennifer) is a terrified woman that you root for even when she is arrested for a terrible crime.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Drama and suspense that keeps you guessing (and turning pages)! The audio version is very well done.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Chilling. I don't usually bother trying to work out whodunnit, but I didn't need to try for this one because the plot was obvious from very early on so it was just a matter of letting it play out. Domestic abuse is not a topic I read, and although this novel was a page-turner, the details were so harrowing that I stopped reading with about forty pages remaining. It will take someone braver than I to finish it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I gave it three stars but maybe it's four. I was engrossed but there were some stylistic choices I didn't like and some of the characters were a bit cardboardish. But good story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The crime, a fatal hit and run that killed a five year old boy. Covered from several points of view we follow the detectives in their frustrating search for the driver. Clare Mackintosh cleverly creates several threads that appear to connect in one way but then...beware of making assumptions. The tension increases as the story arcs begin to coalesce. A well written British detective novel that avoids all the standard cliches.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have read some so so reviews on this book, but I quite liked it. It had a very unexpected twist. I was kind of blown away when it was revealed. I didn't see that coming. A couple other twists I saw/guessed at, but there was a a major one I didn't see. Once it was revealed I had a hard time putting the book down. I really liked how her style of writing changed depending on the POV. I really felt a connection to one of the characters and could really feel a difference depending on who was talking. I think this book is beautifully written. It wasn't quite what I was expecting when I bought it, but I am glad that it wasn't
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Interesting story/thriller. The beginning of the book is a bit confusing as we are not quite sure who the narrator is. Once we start the second half, then everything seems to make a bit more sense. Plenty of twists and turns that will keep you interested till the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really good suspense novel with a totally unexpected twist
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4 1/2! This is a very difficult book to read, but well worth the effort. Ms. Mackintosh fully understands the psyche, suffering and anxiety and deep fear of a battered wife. Ms. Mackintosh spent 12 years in the police force, and then has worked as a free-lance journalist since 2011 before she became an author full time. This is her debut novel, and it is an outstanding accomplishment. The book shows clearly how a person's life can change in a split second, and how decisions made and comprises adapted to can affect everyone around you. Ms. Mackintosh's character building skills are extremely good, and she knows how to carry a plot. There are lots of unexpected catastrophic events during the book, and her portrayal of Jenna Gray's world and her reaction to everything that happens to her because of a split second decision on a rainy November night, make the book move forward fairly quickly. I found myself rooting for Jenna during her recovery from living in an abusive relationship. Even Ms. Mackintosh's villain is well-portrayed, and I was chilled to see the monster as he was revealed bit by bit in the story. The story that Ms. Mackintosh pens is so eerily realistic that it will make you look at everyone twice. What secrets are people hiding from the world? I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy psychological thrillers.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wait. What just happened? I seriously missed something, that or the author tricked me... Either way I feel like I need to go back and re-read some of this book to see exactly what happened in my brain. I'm wording this carefully so I don't give anything away but if your read it, you know!I really felt like I read two books here which really messed with the rating I gave it. I just can't ignore the fact that I really didn't like Part 1. I was really struggling then... Part 2 happened and that's the book I was waiting for the whole time.I also didn't care for the cops, they weren't very well developed in my opinion making them feel forced, shallow and predictable. STILL after part 2, I was tempted to give this book 5 stars - that says a lot about part 2.I'll definitely recommend this one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.I absolutely love a book that turns everything on its head halfway through the story (see Gone Girl), that takes everything I thought I knew and changes it completely, and does it in a way that makes total sense looking back.I Let You Go does just that, and does it brilliantly. When I got to the twist, I actually gasped out loud.I Let You Go is the story of a hit and run accident that leaves a little boy dead and his mother grieving. It is the story of the police who are searching to find the driver. And it is the story of so much more, but I honestly can't say any more for fear of giving something away. Trust me, you want to go into this book knowing just the basics, so you can be as completely shocked as I was.All you really need to know is I Let You Go is really, really good, and you can get a copy of it now to read yourself.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Police in Bristol investigate hit and run. Young child is run down and left. First they have to find the right car and then find the culprit and the motive.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Not quite the unexpected drama I was expecting, but perhaps I have simply read too many books to be caught off guard by something like this. So much of it was typical and expected, the characters fairly cookie-cutter and the writing trite - this beginner style was particularly noticeable because I read it immediately after Tony Parson's The Murder Bag, which has a similar British cop perspective but was written with more sophistication and and polished style. 15 years ago I Let You Go might have gripped me, but now I just raced through it to get to my next book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a great thriller. It does have a couple of holes and a bit of a slow start, but all in all a great book with several twists and a quick read (great for travel!). The premise is solving a hit and run, but I can't say much more without giving away one of the key twists. If you liked Gone Girl and Girl on a Train you should like this one too.