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Summary and Reviews of I See You by Clare Mackintosh

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

I See You

by Clare Mackintosh
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  • First Published:
  • Feb 21, 2017, 384 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Nov 2017, 400 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

The author of the award winning, smash bestseller, I Let You Go, propels readers into a dark and claustrophobic thriller, in which a normal, everyday woman becomes trapped in the confines of her normal, everyday world...

Every morning and evening, Zoe Walker takes the same route to the train station, waits at a certain place on the platform, finds her favorite spot in the car, never suspecting that someone is watching her...
 
It all starts with a classified ad. During her commute home one night, while glancing through her local paper, Zoe sees her own face staring back at her, a grainy photo along with a phone number and listing for a website called findtheone.com.
 
Other women begin appearing in the same ad, a different one every day, and Zoe realizes they've become the victims of increasingly violent crimes—including rape and murder. With the help of a determined cop, she uncovers the ad's twisted purpose...a discovery that turns her paranoia into full-blown panic. For now Zoe is sure that someone close to her has set her up as the next target.
 
And now that man on the train—the one smiling at Zoe from across the car—could be more than just a friendly stranger. He could be someone who has deliberately chosen her and is ready to make his next move…

Excerpt and Discussion Guide

1

The man behind me is standing close enough to moisten the skin on my neck with his breath. I move my feet forward an inch and press myself into a gray overcoat that smells of wet dog. It feels as if it hasn't stopped raining since the start of November, and a light steam rises from the hot bodies jammed against one another. A briefcase jabs into my thigh. As the train judders around a corner I'm held upright by the weight of people surrounding me, one unwilling hand against the gray overcoat for temporary support. At Tower Hill the carriage spits out a dozen commuters and swallows two dozen more, all hell-bent on getting home for the weekend.

"Use the whole carriage!" comes the announcement. Nobody moves.

The gray overcoat has gone, and I've shuffled into its place, preferable because I can now reach the handrail, and because I no longer have a stranger's DNA on my neck. My handbag has swung round behind my body, and I tug it in front of me. Two Japanese tourists ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. Do you commute to work on a daily basis, and follow the same routine when you do so? How much variation is there in your commute? If you take the train, do you always sit in the same car? How much do you notice about the people around you? Do you ever notice the same people in the same places?
  2. When Zoe first realized she was being followed, did you think she was being stalked by someone she knew or someone she didn't know?
  3. Once you realized it was someone she knew, did you develop a favorite suspect as you read the book? Or did you suspect different people? Who, and why?
  4. Do you think you could ever really know, or trust, another human being? How about your friends? Your own family members?
  5. Discuss Kelly's approach to victim ...
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Reviews

BookBrowse Review

BookBrowse

I See You is a well-written psychological thriller that builds beautifully to its surprising climax…The premise is hauntingly believable and I could definitely see this becoming a movie, not unlike The Girl on the Train. Would love to see this become a series with these multi-faceted characters. Loved it!..continued

Full Review Members Only (684 words)

(Reviewed by First Impressions Reviewers).

Media Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Although some shocking final twists don’t quite convince, Mackintosh scripts a hair-raising ride all the scarier because its premise—that our predictable routines make us easy targets—is sadly so plausible

Kirkus Reviews
The author's meticulous detail to investigative accuracy and talent in weaving a thrilling tale set her work apart from others in the field.

Library Journal
Mackintosh's second novel, after her acclaimed debut, I Let You Go, is a chilling addition to the mystery and police procedural genres. The twists and red herrings will attract fans of Tana French and Lisa Gardner

Author Blurb Fiona Barton, New York Times bestselling author of The Widow
Wonderfully sinister. Had me looking over my shoulder.

Author Blurb Jeffrey Archer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Was a Man
A brilliant second novel by one of Britain's most exciting newcomers.

Reader Reviews

Linda Z.

Is It Or Is It Not?
Kudos to Clare Mackintosh, Author of "Let Me Lie" for writing such a captivating and intense psychological thriller. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. There are dark deep secrets, betrayals, and lies, ...   Read More
Melanie B

Fast-paced suspense
Very good suspense thriller. The author plays on our fear of the unknown in a contemporary setting -- the internet -- and it leads to twists and turns through the end of the story and an interesting surprise.
Julie M. (Golden Valley, MN)

Mackintosh Proves Her Skill With Sophomore Offering
The success of her first novel, I Let You Go, made Clare Mackintosh wonder whether her second effort would measure up at all. She need not have worried! This novel grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let you go with twists and turns right up ...   Read More
Ilyse B. (Howell, NJ)

A Real Thrill
I was really looking forward to reading this book as I loved the author's first book, and let me say, I was not disappointed. The author is an expert at ratcheting up the tension in this thriller. I tend to guess a twist in a story, but this one ...   Read More

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Beyond the Book



Art on the London Underground

Map of The TubeThe world's first underground railway opened in London in 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon stations using steam engines to pull gas-lit wooden carriages along the almost four-mile, 6-station, route. In its first twelve months, almost 10 million passengers were transported. The early network was built in shallow tunnels and needed many vents to allow engine smoke and steam to escape. Then, at the turn of the 20th century, the invention of electric traction allowed for much deeper tunnels, and replacement lines were created. Today, The London Underground, known to most as the Tube, serves 270 stations and has 11 different lines that link central London to distant suburbs many of which, 150 years ago, were small villages separated by ...

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Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

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