Tag: Clare Mackintosh

Other People’s Houses by Clare Mackintosh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

It was a joy to be reunited with to be reunited with Ffion and Leo for the third of the books from Clare Mackintosh in the DCI Ffion Morgan series. And, this third one was just as good as I was expecting it to be, in fact maybe even better.

‘Other People’s Houses’ was a fantastic study of character, as well as being a great murder mystery/police procedural story. Each chapter is told from a different viewpoint, changing between Ffion and her case, Leo and his case, and Leo’s ex-wife and her attempts to find her position with the residents of a rather posh area of town, The Hill. Their experiences and stories all become entwined as two seemingly unrelated cases – a murder and set of break-ins – soon reveal that they have more in common than it first appears.

I find the books of Clare Mackintosh to be compulsive reading; I could not put this down, as I was not just intrigued by all the mystery surrounding the events in the book, but I was also keen to see how the relationships between characters would develop. There is, of course, Leo and Ffion, who we have followed through the previous two books. But now there is another dynamic with Leo’s ex-wife thrown more into the mix, also with how she interacts with all those who live on The Hill, and that interesting look at almost how ‘the other half live’. And, maybe, we should be careful what we wish for, or who we look up to.

No spoilers, as always, with a book that has something that needs to be revealed or has a twist. But this book had me on the edge of my seat as we got closer to the conclusion of the story. I had to just keep reading until I knew where we were going with the story.

I did not solve this one before the characters, but I worked out a couple of clues as we went, although not enough to reach the full solution – and I am okay with that. I do not read these books to try and actively solve them; if I spot some clues, then I am happy.

I really hope this is not the last we hear of Ffion and Leo; I think there is one more story in there for these two as their lives have changed from the first book to now.

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

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.

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

What. A. Thriller! I already knew that there was a chance that I was going to be a fan of this book as I have read other books by Clare Mackintosh. I knew I was going to get a well constructed thriller, with characters that you love, and that you love to hate – and a great twist or two. And I was not wrong with any of these predictions when I read ‘I Let You Go’.

Now, as this book has all the ingredients that you would expect from a good thriller, it does make it incredibly difficult to write a blog post about it, as I refuse to put spoilers in my posts. So, this may be a very short post that simply tells you that you should read this book.

Told as ‘Part One’ and ‘Part Two’, you know that a young boy called Jacob has been killed in a hit and run accident one rainy evening. And then you follow the police as they attempt to solve the case that seems to be impossible to solve and you follow some of those who have been impacted by this accident. Yet, you are not actually sure who you are reading about, which of course adds to all of the mystery of the story. There was one twist which I did not see coming and caused me to read past my bedtime. The other ‘big twist’ I think I had worked out as the story progressed, but I am not sure it was an intentionally hidden. Apologies for being mysterious, but that is the ongoing issue with the thriller genre: writing about it can be as difficult as trying to solve the mystery of the story.

This was very cleverly written and I especially enjoyed the importance of the characters in this book. This was as much a thriller as a study of people and relationships. And how shared experiences can impact the bonds and relationships you form with people – at home and at work – including how sometimes it is easy to be blind to the things that are right in front of you and sometimes you lose your way, but you can always find a way back.

I think this was also a successful book because this is a thriller you could believe in. Something that is not so far fetched that it is a simple work of fiction but something that was definitely rooted in the realms of possibility which probably made it even more addictive reading.

This book does need to come with some trigger warnings about relationships, so please do check that out before you read if it is something that you may find difficult to read. But, as a whole, if you like a well-constructed crime thriller then this is a book that you will enjoy (and I always like that an author has a backlist I can catch up on, so I do not have to wait for new publications).

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

When I spotted that ‘A Game of Lies’ was a bargain price on the Kindle, I knew that I had to read it. I discovered the books of Clare Mackintosh last year when I read ‘The Last Party‘ And as ‘A Game of Lies’ is the second book featuring Ffion Morgan, I thought it would be an excellent read to satisfy my thriller/crime fiction genre need.

‘A Game of Lies’ did not disappoint. I absolutley loved the concept of the Exposure reality TV show which eventually revealed the contestants’ deepest secrets and how horrendous this would be if it was a real show. But it fed beautifully into the backdrop of the murder mystery that was about to unfold on the pages. The contestants create quite a rogues’ gallery of potential perpetrators of the crime, and potential victims. But are they victims of a crime, or their own vanity and desire to have their fifteen minutes of fame?

I absolutely cannot reveal any spoilers as it is a thriler, but I can assure you that Ffion Morgan is still a fantastic lead female figure for this book. And her relationship with Leo is still something as a reader you are fully invested in until the very last page. This is as much part of the twists and turns as the mystery unfolding at the foot of the Welsh mountains.

This is a well-constructed, thrilling read; I did not solve it until Ffion Morgan and her team did, and I am okay with that, because I do not read these books to solve the crime – I read these books for the escapism from the real world. And if you want the chance to do the same, then pick this book up. I hope that we are going to meet her and Leo again, because they are a rather fantastic crime-fighting duo.

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have only recently discovered the books of Clare Mackintosh and I am so glad that I have as she writes a great thriller. And my thriller and crime phase does not seem to have left me yet – it must be the escapism of it all.

‘Hostage’ was a little bit of a slow burn of a book but once the pace picked up I could not put it down and needed to know what was going to happen next. I do not want to give any of this story away, it definitely needs to be read to be appreciated without any spoilers. However, I was impressed that the real twist came at the very, very end of the book. And it was a twist that I genuinely did not see coming; it was a very clever move by Clare Mackintosh.

I am not sure the characters were particularly likeable in this book but they were fascinating. You needed to find out more about them and try to understand the decisions that they make. I was often left contemplating what I would have done in some of their situations. It was definitely a strong study of human nature and emotion.

Despite this book having been published in 2021, it is one that still felt very bang up to date, with some of the references made to some of the social and political issues within the plot are ones that we seem to still be and possibly always will be facing in the twenty-first century.

Just with the last book I read by Clare Mackintosh (The Last Party), I am keen to read more. Maybe they will pop up in my summer reading over the next few weeks, although I must remember that I should be shopping my shelves – haha!