You Let Me In: The No. 1 ebook bestseller, a chilling, unputdownable page-turner

Simply loved this book. The narrative technique, the plot structure and the suspense were too good. A Must Read for all lovers of psychological thrillers. Strongly recommended. Four stars for me.

I’ve read all of Lucy Clarke’s books prior to this one and have loved them. This one is too slow, has too many pages about being an author, writing blah blah blah. I skimmed at least 150 pages. Just didn’t care enough about the story or three more pages about insomnia. I was soooo bored. I would advise people to skip this one.

Ein sehr spannender Page Turner, den man nur sehr schwer wieder aus der Hand legen kann. Auch hier hat Lucy Clarke wieder zuverlässig abgeliefert. Gute Verpackung, schneller Versand - alles wie immer...

Imagine the subtle intrusion of someone into your life, your home, your mind. This is the deliciously creepy premise of Clarke’s novel, “You Let Me In.” The book masterfully plays on the very primal fear that someone has invaded our most private spaces. Anyone even mildly territorial and protective of their property will be unnerved by this story. If it’s read at night alone, you may find yourself turning on more lights and double checking the locks. Truly an unsettling tale. The book opens when Elle, a bestselling-author, takes a trip to France. She’s newly-separated from her husband, Flynn, and overwhelmed with work. She reluctantly agrees to list her home as an Airbnb rental while she’s away. She needs the money to offset the staggering renovation costs, but worries about the prospect of strangers living in her beautiful, cliff-top gem by-the-sea. It’s meticulously refurbished and decorated with artful, painstaking care, and Elle can’t shake her unease about unknown people inside her beloved hideaway. Elle’s sister, Fiona, assures her that her fears are unfounded, and offers to meet with the renters to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Elle is visibly relieved when she returns from her trip to find that all appears to be as she left it. She tries to relax, acutely aware of the looming deadline for her second book. She needs to laser-focus, but somehow, the atmosphere of the house has changed. Elle moves from room to room, conscious of an unseen interloper in her surroundings. Anxiety and insomnia pervade the once sun-filled home. Treasured possessions are suddenly missing or damaged. Elle can’t remember appointments and commitments with colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Odd events and circumstances make her question her every action and decision. Elle’s convinced that she’s being watched. Did the renter have a duplicate key made? Is someone inside or lurking about? She’s sleep-starved and haunted by disturbing dream fragments that she can’t decipher. Concerned family members speculate whether she’s unstable. Gradually, Elle’s carefully-constructed life of privacy and guarded secrets starts to unravel. She ruminates on writing stress and her floundering marriage, drowning under the weight of too much emotional pressure. Her cherished home was once a solitary sanctuary, but now it feels foreboding, distorted and unsafe. Elle’s plagued by doubts and fears that multiply at night. Everything seems to be closing in around her. Is someone out there waiting in the shadows, and if so, why? Clarke does an excellent job of spinning this chilling tale. The reader feels Elle’s palpable panic and dread as she struggles to determine what’s real and what’s not, what she knows, and what, if anything, she can trust. The seaside backdrop also offers up the perfect ominous and volatile environment for this dark offering. The story takes several hairpin twists and turns that move the narrative in unexpected directions. Pacing is superb as well. The book is a taut thriller with ratcheting suspense, but there are surprising moments of introspection, too. I found myself contemplating if I were in these situations, what would I do? It was gratifying to see that when several complicated truths were finally revealed, there was shading and nuance involved, and not just predictable black and white conclusions. I guessed the perpetrator early on, but that didn’t detract from the story at all, which is a testament to Clarke’s writing skill. Perhaps it is more important for Elle to uncover the source of her torment, and for the reader to witness that dawning realization. Even suspecting it as a reader, it’s still shocking. If you’re looking for a satisfying read for a dark and stormy night, this is it.

Excellent read, gripping