I was guessing until the very end. There were so many twists and turns that I couldn't figure it out. I love when that happens. I liked how the book was from all the different perspectives which helped keep up the suspense. I'd definitely read another book by Catherine mcKenzie.

3*.

This was another book I downloaded over the summer but just did not read as much as normal and so it fell down on my to-read list. It is the first book by Catherine McKenzie that I've read and I enjoyed it, although there were aspects of the mystery that felt like they were folding in on each other and it left me having to go back to check my memory.

I"ll Never Tell is the story of the McAllister kids (Ryan, Margaux, Mary, Liddie, and Kate) returning to Camp McCaw, the summer camp the family ran on the border of the US and Canada for their entire lives, upon the death of their parents. Over 30 years ago something terrible happened to Margaux's best friend Amanda in the middle of the night at the camp and their lives were all changed because of it. It is also the story of Sean, the local orphan who has spent his entire life living and working at the camp. It is clear at the reading of the will that Mr McAllister believes that Ryan was responsible for Amanda's predicament. He leaves it to the rest of the family to vote if he is guilty and if he should inherit. There are plenty of mysteries discovered as the siblings try to figure out what happened and what they should do about it.

The story is told in turns by each member of the family, Amanda and Sean. I enjoyed the mystery and would look for more by this author.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This was the best book I have read in a while. Lots of characters, but written in a way that never got confusing. It had the perfect mix of nostalgia with mystery and twists that I would have never guessed.

I highly suggest this book!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for letting me review this book. This was a nice entertaining story. This book is full of surprises and twists, just the way I like it. What happened to Amanda? The narration had a creepy tone to it, which helped to get into the story fast and good. I look forward to more titles from this author!

The plotline of siblings coming together for the reading of their parent's will and the inheritance hinging on whether one of them hurt one of their childhood friends, was a perfect set up for an intriguing mystery. Unfortunately, after that, nothing really happened. This could have been a really good book if the author had enhanced on the plot and added twists and turns. I did still enjoy the book, but kept expecting more.

I didn't really care for this book. I thought it was kind of boring and the constant bickering between the family drove me nuts. Sorry.it jut wasn't for me.
#IllNeverTell #NetGalley

*Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!*

This was another miss for me (let's hope this isn't foreshadowing for another reading slump). The premise seemed interesting in the blurb, but in practice, wasn't great. It just felt like a bunch of plot devices that had been done before (group forced back together, ridiculous will requirements, secrets that are actually misunderstandings) all jammed into one book.

Another win for Catherine McKenzie! I have always enjoyed her books. She takes you on many twists and turns, you will never guess what is coming!

In this novel, after the directors/owners of a sleepaway camp die, their 5 adult children gather to find out about their inheritance of the camp - but it's complicated by the fact that their father has left a message that he believes one of them is responsible for the tragedy that happened to one of their friends/counselors 20 years before, a crime for which no one was ever charged. Catherine McKenzie started out writing contemporary women's fiction before moving slowly towards more suspenseful novels, and with this book she veers straight into Agatha Christie territory. And I think this was my favorite of her books that I have read so far (I'm still catching up on a few of her earlier books). The characters were flawed and interesting, and the mystery really kept me guessing.

As someone who loves mysteries/thriller I thought I’d enjoy this. The camp setting reminded me of The Last Time I Lied but this didn’t quite live up to that one.

I read an advanced readers copy of I'll Never Tell. Catherine McKenzie proves again to be a great storyteller. The reader will be drawn to Camp McCaw. This camp has been run by the same family for all the children's growingup years. The family children were expected to work at camp and keep an eye on everyone and all activities. A lot of the same kids attended camp every year and lifelong friendships were made. A tragedy occurred during one year and nothing was ever proven what happened or who caused the tragedy. The family children gather after their parents are no longer there to decide what should be done with The Camp. A solution to the mystery of long ago is finally solved. How do the siblings feel about each other today? Will anyone want to keep camp going? Great reunion for a lot of campers. The Good Liar will probably always be my favorite book by Catherine McKenzie, but this one is very good.

The McAllister Children have all returned to their summer home, Camp Macaw. None of them have spent any time at the camp since their parents died. They have gathered at the camp for the reading of the will. Each of them has their own motives for being there, for wanting to sell the camp. And each of them is thrown for a loop when the will is read. The siblings have to come to terms with an incident from all those years ago. A friend and fellow camp counselor was murdered one summer. The police never found the murderer, but their father had his suspicions. Before they leave Camp Macaw at the end of the weekend they have to decide if their brother, Ryan, is guilty of killing Amanda. If the siblings vote Ryan "guilty" then his share of the camp reverts to Sean Booth, the groundskeeper. It will be a long weekend of memories, both good and bad. And at the end of the weekend, one of them will be revealed as a murderer. Will it be Ryan or someone else?

Nothing says summer like summer camp. I'll Never Tell puts a fresh spin on a classic camp story. I wouldn't say that the McAllister children are really close. Like most siblings, they are connected because of their bloodlines. Not because they genuinely like each other. I didn't really like the way their father was manipulating them and the situation from the grave. He didn't seem like a real "warm, fuzzy" kind of guy, which could explain all of the current personalities. As a reader, it was hard to like some of them, too. Ryan, for example, was a tough character to like. I couldn't quite figure out Sean Booth. The author goes back and forth between past and present. I understood "past" Sean better than I understood the "present" Sean. I often wondered if he was the person who murdered Amanda. -- CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS - I was surprised and pleased with the way things turned out. And I always love being surprised.

Bottom Line - Remember of all of those horror movies in the 80's that were set at summer camps? I got a real "80's horror movie" vibe from I'll Never Tell, and I thought it was great! I haven't always liked Catherine McKenzie's books, but I sure did enjoy I'll Never Tell and I am sure that you will, too!


Details:



I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie
On Instagram
Pages: 368
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
Publication Date: 6/1/2019
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the free book in exchange for a review.

The following review was posted on my blog (blogginboutbooks.com) on 09.12.19:

For the MacAllister kids, summers always revolved around Camp Macaw, the business their parents have run for years. Now that the elder MacAllisters have died, their children—now adults—are reuniting for the reading of their father's will and to figure out what to do with the prime property on which Camp Macaw sits. With varying feelings about the camp, their parents, and each other, the five MacAllister siblings have different ideas about what to do with the land. Prepared for some heavy debating, the kids are nevertheless shocked by the caveat their father gives in his will. Before any of them can do anything with Camp Macaw they have to work together to solve a mystery.

Twenty years ago, the bludgeoned body of 17-year-old Amanda Holmes was found in a rowboat at Camp Macaw. The crime has never been solved. Until it is, none of the MacAllisters can collect their inheritances.

As the MacAllisters dig into their collective past, they will unearth long-kept secrets that will either bring them together or tear them apart forever.

I love a good secrets-from-the-past-haunting-the-present story, so the plot summary of I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie instantly caught my attention. Unfortunately, the novel's execution doesn't quite live up to the promise of its tantalizing premise. The mystery is compelling enough, but the characters are almost wholly unlikable and the plot is predictable enough that I guessed the culprit almost from the beginning. Plus, the story is seriously depressing. Overall, then, I didn't end up loving this one. It ended up being just okay for me.

(Readalikes: A hundred titles should be coming to mind, but I'm drawing a blank. Help?)

Grade: C+

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, violence, depictions of illegal drug use, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of I'll Never Tell from the generous folks at Lake Union Publishing via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I've read all of Catherine McKenzie's novels and have admired how smoothly she transitioned from women's fiction to mystery and suspense. I'll Never Tell is the latest example of how she is a talented mystery and suspense writer.

I liked that there were multiple perspectives that were all trying to talk about the same tragic event. We got to see what was happening with Amanda on the night in question, and more secrets and lies kept building on one another throughout. There was even a chart to detail where everyone was at each block of time. The details were vivid and it was easy to picture people and settings. I liked that this took place at an overnight camp. It brought back some nostalgic feelings. The dialogue was realistic and helped keep the story moving along. It was easy to see the tension between certain characters and learn more about their backstories, as well. There were a lot of surprises I didn't see coming and Catherine kept me guessing up until the very end. The title fit in very well and had multiple meanings and uses.

This is a good book to read while sitting next to a roaring campfire (preferably while eating s'mores) on a chilly autumn evening. A home fireplace or fire pit would also work well to set the mood. Of course, it can be read anytime and anywhere and still be just as captivating.

Movie casting suggestions:
Margaux: Kristen Bell
Ryan: Justin Hartley
Kate and Liddie: Kate McKinnon
Mary: Anna Paquin
Sean: Seth Green
Amanda: Natasha Calis

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, but the characters started to wear on me towards the end, and I thought the ending was a bit of a stretch (and a predictable stretch at that). Overall, a fun ride, though, where everyone is a suspect!

I’ll Never Tell by Catherine Mckenzie
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20 years after a camp tragedy that was never solved, the players from that eventful night gather together again. Will they unravel the mystery of what happened that night so many years ago? Will they finally find the answers they need to move on? Or will the secrets they each refuse to tell continue to haunt their lives?
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I REALLY enjoyed the twists and turns in this one. Just when I thought I had it figured out something else would click into place and totally change my mind on what had happened.
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The pieces of the puzzle from each persons narrative and timeline were phenomenally done. Loved the camp life setting.

Secrets, secrets hurt someone…

Wow this family had a LOT of secrets! Secrets they kept to protect themselves, secrets they kept to protect others, and secrets that can threaten to destroy everything. Suspenseful, salacious, and thrilling—I loved Catherine McKenzie’s I’ll Never Tell!

When the MacAllister children—now adults—return to camp after their parents’ sudden deaths, they hope to mourn their parents, sell the camp land, and move on finally from the place that they feel unable to escape. But their parents won’t make that easy...

The death of a teenage camper, best friends with eldest daughter Margaux, many years earlier has left a shadow over the family. Now, in their father’s will, he says that he thinks eldest son Ryan committed the murder, and the other kids must discover the truth in order to unlock the land and money.

But as they begin to sort out the details, it seems all of them have been keeping secrets. About that night and beyond...

This mystery is phenomenal. Narrated by each of the five McAllister children, the murdered girl Amanda, and the camp caretaker Sean, this one had me gripped as I tried to figure out what exactly happened to Amanda. And all of these siblings hold secrets and information about that night that they aren’t willing to share.

But of course, that is why the clause written by their father is so compelling—they’ll need to share in order to unlock their rights to the property and finally move on. And the secrets do start to come out… And lies are exposed… Someone is responsible for what happened to Amanda, and the journey to discovering the truth was SO much fun.

I won’t say more other than that the ending of this one is delicious and delightful!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Amazon for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of I'll Never Tell. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Twenty years after Amanda Holmes was found bludgeoned at the family's summer camp, their parents sudden death has brought the MacAllister siblings together. When the reading of the will does not go according to anyone's plan, will the questions of the past finally be answered and put to rest?

The author approaches the telling of Amanda's story through a series of flashback chapters that are scattered throughout the book. This does allow Amanda's voice to be heard, but really ruins the flow of the novel. As I'll Never Tell is supposed to be a mystery, the story of a teenager severely hurt under questioning circumstances, the constant change of perspective does not help to heighten the suspense. Overall, I have read many novels not unlike this one and did not think that I'll Never Tell brought anything new to the table. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend this novel to other readers.

I’ll Never Tell is the first Catherine McKenzie Book for me. It will not be the last. It is a perfect summer read. Especially for anyone who has been to a summer camp as a child, it brought back fond memories for me. This is a perfect “who did it” novel. The parent’s will have set up certain conditions for who is to inherit the camp. This is where the mystery and intrigue starts. So many secrets. Enjoy unraveling what happened. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the suspense of this thriller, it kept me guessing who done it until the end. It’s downfall was the characters, they just weren’t likable or well developed to me. I would read more from this author, and appreciate the arc