The Hostage by Clare Mackintosh

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - as able over 3 days

Pages - 381

Publisher - Sphere

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

You can save hundreds of lives. Or the one that matters most.

A claustrophobic thriller set over twenty hours on one airplane flight, with the heart-stopping tension of The Last Flight and the wrenching emotional intensity of Room, Hostage takes us on board the inaugural nonstop flight from London to Sydney.

Mina is trying to focus on her job as a flight attendant, not the problems of her five-year-old daughter back home, or the fissures in her marriage. But the plane has barely taken off when Mina receives a chilling note from an anonymous passenger, someone intent on ensuring the plane never reaches its destination. Someone who needs Mina's assistance and who knows exactly how to make her comply.

It's twenty hours to landing. A lot can happen in twenty hours.


My Review

Operator call, prologue and onto the chapters..... Ooft what an opening, we start with a call to the emergency services, one page with the caller and emergency operator dialogue and you are hooked because you NEED TO KNOW! We have short chapters which I mention every time I have them but I LOVE this generally in books and more so when my brain is mush and struggling to keep tabs.

The book flips between Mina (the airhostess), Adam (her husband) and passengers referred to by their seat number within the flight. The book jumps around between the viewpoints and perspectives as things are progressing. Now multiple characters can absolutely be distracting, hard to follow and not everyone's cup of tea. However with so much tension and the plane scenes are over the span of twenty hours you are already heart in your mouth because of the opening call.

The book has so much going on, so many issues intertwined as we know there is a hostage situation but the action going on outside with Mina's husband Adam and their little girl Sophia honestly it has plenty to keep you hooked. Marital issues, parental issues, everything that comes with a hostage/work/flight situation and some other curve balls you aren't expecting because you think it already has so much packed in. I have read one of Mackintosh's books prior to this and have another on the tbrm and will need to bump it up 4/5 for me.

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I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 5 days

Publisher - Sphere

Pages - 364

Blurb from Goodreads

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

In a split second, Jenna Gray's world is shattered. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape her past, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of the cruel November night that changed her life for ever.

DI Ray Stevens is tasked with seeking justice for a mother who is living every parent's worst nightmare. Determined to get to the bottom of the case, it begins to consume him as he puts both his professional and personal life on the line.

As Ray and his team seek to uncover the truth, Jenna, slowly, begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating.



My Review

A child is killed, as quick as a blink of the eye. Her only hope is to leave everything behind to try and start over. The police are seeking the hit and run driver. The chapters are split between Jennifer, DI Ray Stevens with the investigation and later Ian. The police are seeking justice for the death of a child, Jennifer is seeking some way to start over and Ian well Ian you will find out about as you get deeper into the story.

The first half of this book is a bit confusing, you feel like your missing something and the tale moves between the characters, mainly Jennifer and the police investigating the little boys death. It centers just after the accident and follows Jennifer as she cuts all ties and runs. The second half of the book is very dark, abuse, violence, secrets, relationships and lies are just some of the topics that are covered. We get a closer look at Jennifer and the events leading up to the accident. You start to make sense of what has happened, revelations are made and I personally didn't see the twist coming. Quite a few people have said they weren't too sure about the book when they start it but definitely keep going, it all falls into place.

A story that shows you can never outrun your past, actions or lack of have consequences and sometimes the past can destroy your future. This is the first time I have read this author and I would certainly read her again. 4/5 for me, a story that lulls you into thinking one thing then throws a curve ball and packs a punch!

The book is quite gripping, particularly I felt the second half when things start to fall into place. The chapters are quite short which I always like in a book

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