I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn’t have prevented it. Could she?

I Let You Go follows Jenna Gray who, after a tragic accident changes the course of her life forever, decides to move to a remote Welsh village where everyone knows everyone else. But Jenna wants to keep to herself, to try to come to terms with the enforced change to the course of her life – a life far from the one she’d hoped to live.

However, as she slowly integrates into the close-knit community, she begins to believe that her life could begin again.

Of course, life is never that simple (at least in books) and Jenna’s past is about to catch up with her….

 

I will admit, I found it a little difficult to get into this novel and I revisited it a couple of times. And then, about 25-30% in, bam! I was hooked. This sometimes happens, of course, and when it does, I’m always thankful that I persevered. Of course, not every novel rewards you in that way, but luckily for me, this one did.

I loved Jenna. I really took to her, even though she couldn’t be more different from myself, but the author did such a good job, I felt her pain, as if I were living her life right alongside her. And the point where her past does catch up with her was a real Gasp-Out-Loud moment, one of those moments when you expel the air from your lungs really quickly, often accompanied by a ‘No!’ or a ‘It can’t be!’

My husband used to ask me what was wrong at those moments; now he sees Kindle firmly clutched in hand, and my specialised impression of a fish out of water, and he simply rolls his eyes.

Although slow to build up, when the novel gets going, it is relentless, and as Jenna’s life unfolds before the reader, it is heartbreaking at times and shocking at others.

As is often with psychological thrillers, it’s difficult to write a detailed review for fear of giving away part or all of the plot. Therefore, I’ll summarise by saying that, despite the slow start, this novel is so worth the effort to get over that hump and into the real story. Be prepared for some difficult chapters/scenes that will have you clenching your fists and feeling fear/anger/outrage/disbelief/sadness. A real gamut of emotions.

Just what every reader wants to experience!

A gripping four stars from me.