I clearly decided I wanted to end my 2024 reading year with a bang, even if I did not realise it, and picked ‘I See You’ by Clare Mackintosh. What a wild ride of a read, and one that I could not put down.
This is a true chilling thriller and that was what kept me hooked and picking it up at every moment that I could. It left me a little unerved, because it was one of those thrillers that you can actually imagine (potentially) happening, and that always makes it that little more chilling as you read.
Zoe spots a familiar photo in the classified ads of the London Gazette; in fact, it is a little too close to home, and she has no idea how it got there. However, she starts to notice that there is a connection between photos of women appearing in the classified ads and crimes that are being committed against women in the London area. I can not give away any more than that because this is a spoiler-free review – but what I can say is that this is an incredibly well-constructed thriller. You are left trusting nobody and you feel the fear that Zoe feels as the story progresses. There are twists and red herrings and a thrilling conclusion as we reach the end of the story – or is it really the end of the story?
I did not work out the full conclusion to this tale, which is something that makes a good thriller. On the final page, some of my suspicions were confirmed, but I had many before the final twist was revealed and they certainly had not all been correct.
I think that this could be my favourite of Clare Mackintosh’s books; I think I like it even more than ‘I Let You Go‘ and I know that is a particular favourite of many thriller fans. Clare writes excellent female characters and really draws you into the world of the central characters, which makes you feel like you are living the experiences with them. I really liked that, in this book, there was an insight into our perpetrator at points, and these left you pondering who exactly that may be. It is so skillfully done that you consider it to be so many characters. In fact, these sections were some of the most chilling to read, as you can imagine, and I think that the villain was one of the most unnerving that I have read in a recent thriller.
So, this is a book that any thriller fan should pick up if they are looking for a new read. It certainly made the end of my 2024 reading year a fantastic one, and I will be recommending this to everyone who asks for a thriller recommendation, as it was an absolutely brilliant read from the moment it started.