Review: I See You by Clare Mackintosh

Title: I See You
Author: Clare Mackintosh
Pages: 372
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Source: Free ARC from Berkley

Rating: A+

Note: As stated under the Source (above), I received this book for free from Berkley via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review (and trust me, honest is always what you’ll get).

Summary: Completely by accident, Zoe Walker comes across an advert in the paper that happens to have a picture that appears to be of her. This discovery is strange and discomfiting, but it doesn’t really show her face and family is convinced it can’t be her because, why would it be? But it eats at her and she keeps checking the papers, seeing pictures of other women in the same advert, with similar pictures. Then one of the women has her keys stolen on the tube and Zoe contacts the police about the adverts. Then another of the women is murdered. Zoe doesn’t know what’s going on, but she doesn’t feel safe anymore. Who is doing this and why? And why have they chosen her?

Review: One of my worries about this book was it wouldn’t hold up against I Let You Go (which I loved!). But it was brilliant. BRILLIANT!!! Clare Mackintosh is so very clever. The tales she spins are intricate and tricksy, so many amazing misdirections that I was never solidly sure who the perpetrator was. Her characters are well developed and easy to connect with. In fact, I’m left hoping that there is a chance at this being a first in series. There was certainly a door left open for it, and I enjoyed the pairing of PC Kelly Swift and DI Rampello. I would love to see them in future books.

While I don’t know if I’d use the word intense, I would say that I picked it up intending to read for only an hour, and instead found myself finishing it just past midnight without realizing what I was doing. Putting it down simply wasn’t an option once I started.

As much as I loved I Let You Go, I loved this book even more. So I’ll just be sitting here champing at the bit for the next one. No pressure, Ms. Mackintosh. No. Pressure.