The daily commute's a killer in Mackintosh's 'I See You'

"I See You" (Berkley), by Clare Mackintosh

Zoe Walker's troubles creep beyond the financial woes on her desk, an overbearing boss, two aimless children who don't get along with her boyfriend and a boyfriend who's jealous of her ex-husband. Now she's dealing with a possible murderer on her trail in Clare Mackintosh's newest thriller, "I See You."

Zoe's commute is routine. She knows exactly where to stand on the Tube platform in London, just where to lean during the ride and which carriage positions her nearest the station exit once she's arrived. It's during this daily trip home from work one evening when Zoe discovers her picture is being used to advertise what appears to be a dating website in the back of a newspaper. Unable to trace the source, she attempts to brush it off. Each day, a new woman's photo appears in the ad, which seems odd but harmless, until one of them is assaulted and another is murdered. Someone is attacking the women in the ads, and the only thing the victims have in common is their daily commute on the subway.

Zoe shares narration with the police officer working the case and the killer, providing readers a 360-degree view of the crimes. While free of too many tangled side plots vying for attention, Mackintosh allots her characters the perfect amount of back story, allowing them to carry their own weight throughout the investigation. She also casts enough extras to keep readers guessing who could be behind these attacks.

With a theatrical ending, readers may find themselves wanting to reread this one, plugging in their newfound knowledge of the killer's identity into each twisted scene. It's easy to lock your doors, but what do you do if it's the person beside you on the train who's out for blood?

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Online:

https://claremackintosh.com/