Let Me Lie

February 5, 2018
This taut, emotionally complex thriller from British author Mackintosh (I See You) centers on 26-year-old new mother Anna Johnson. Anna’s father, Tom, jumped off the cliff at Beachy Head, England; seven months later, Anna’s mother, Caroline, followed suit. The coroner’s suicide decrees have always bothered Anna, and her doubts only deepen when, on the first anniversary of Caroline’s death, someone sends a card that reads, “Suicide? Think again.” Anna’s partner, Mark Hemmings, dismisses the message as a cruel joke, but Anna becomes convinced that Caroline was murdered. Her theory captures the interest of Murray Mackenzie, a retired detective turned civilian desk clerk at the Lower Meads police station, but when Murray begins an unofficial investigation and Anna starts receiving anonymous threats, she must decide whether the truth means more than her baby’s safety. Mackintosh cleverly subverts readers’ expectations while capitalizing on the complicated nature of parent-child relationships. Shocking twists share the page with meditations on love, loss, marriage, and mental illness, and though not every revelation feels earned, the overall story amply satisfies. Author tour. Agent: Sheila Crowley, Curtis Brown (U.K.).

Deception is the theme of this thriller, narrated in soft, gentle tones by Gemma Whelan. She draws listeners into a haunting story about Anna, who is frozen in her grief after the suicides of her parents. Then, she receives two shocking messages: "Suicide, think again." and "Don't involve the police." She begins asking questions, and questions are also asked by Murray Mackenzie, formerly CID, as he investigates the couple's deaths. Using subtle shifts in tone and pacing, Whelan shifts between characters and narrative. Brief pauses separate the chapters, which shift in point of view, moving between Anna, her parents, and Mackenzie. Whelan's steady reading follows the convoluted story, which is interspersed with backstories and flashbacks that are sometimes disorienting and most definitely filled with hurtful lies. M.B.K. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine