I loved this unputdownable book!
It was a thrilling, unnerving read. The characters were realistic. The plot was gripping and fast-paced. Run, do not walk, out to get this fab book.
Thank you NetGalley.

This book was addictive.... i had a hard time putting it down. I haven't been impressed by this author in the past, but I really enjoyed this book, and will look for future publications.

Summer camp is supposed to be full of fun memories and laughter. But one year stands out in the McAllister kids minds, as the summer of secrets. When one of the campers is attacked, left in a vegetative state, they are left wondering who was responsible and why.

The many secrets come back to haunt them after their parents deaths, and the questions are once again brought to the surface, as their father believes he knows who was responsible, but didn't have the proof. It is up to the siblings to decide which is guilty, and who will inherit the camp.

A good read, but I did figure out, "who done it," about halfway through the book, it was just one of those, yeah that makes the most sense moments. While the book was an enjoyable read, there were a few times where it felt as though it drug just a little bit, but then it would pick back up - rinse and repeat.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
The mystery was superb! I was always second-guessing myself as to who I thought was the killer. The family drama was spot-on and the character development was solid.

Title: I'll Never Tell

Author: Catherine McKenzie

Genre: thriller

Pages:380

What happened to Amanda Holmes?



Twenty years ago, she washed up on shore in a rowboat with a gash to the head after an overnight at Camp Macaw. No one was ever charged with a crime.



Now, the MacAllister children are all grown up. After their parents die suddenly, they return to Camp to read the will and decide what to do with the prime real estate it's sitting on. Ryan, the oldest, wants to sell. Margo, the family's center, hasn't made up her mind. Mary has her own horse farm to run, and believes in leaving well-enough alone. Kate and Liddie—the twins—have opposing views. And Sean Booth, the family groundskeeper, just hopes he still has a home when all is said and done.



But then the will is read and they learn that it's much more complicated than a simple vote. Until they unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda, they can't move forward. Any one of them could have done it, and all of them are hiding key pieces of the puzzle. Will they work together to solve the mystery, or will their suspicions and secrets finally tear the family apart?


My thoughts

rating: 4.5

Every family has secrets but are they the ones that protect the innocent or are they protecting the guilty one , that's the question you ask yourself while your reading this book because each of the characters all have a piece the puzzle about what happened that night to Amanda , that they never told anyone not even to each other . But like all secrets there is a time and place for them to come out and let the true be known . The story is told in by each of the MacAllister children as well as Amanda , and as your reading it you get to piece the puzzle together along with them , the story comes together in a way that one minute you think you got an idea of you done it but then in a flash , you start to second guess your self , which is what I loved about this story so much , so if your looking for a story that will keep you guessing towards the very end then this is for you , with that said I want to say thanks to Netgalley for letting me read and review it.

What a book! Catherine Mckenzie seamlessly weaves together this tale told from seven different perspectives. Not only do we get the perspective of the five siblings, but we also get that of Sean the camp caretaker and Amanda the victim of the tragedy years ago. Each character was skillfully crafted with their own unique voice, characteristics, and quirks. The character development in the story was exceptional I felt as though I had a personal relationship with each of these characters. This was a complicated story about family drama, family secrets, and family history. Each of the siblings had something to hide. Really makes you wonder how well do you actually know your own siblings?

There were definitely some twists and turns in the story and an ending I did not see coming. But what truly drove this book was the characters and their relationships to one another. This really is my favorite kind of book. The kind of book that completely draws me in, the kind of book that I can fully escape into, the kind of book that gets me completely invested in the characters lives. Another well told story from Catherine McKenzie! An author who is A definite autoread for me!

This was a fun beach read type thriller with excellent pacing.

Though the solve is somewhat predictable and the characters are hard to like, the pacing and structure of the story mostly make up for it.

The premise is a good one and the setting (Summer camp!) is excellent.

Great thriller if you’re looking to be entertained without having to think too hard or feel too much.

In true Catherine McKenize style I’ll Never Tell takes an ordinary day and an ordinary life and makes it a throat catching, jaw dropping, have you on the edge of your seat, unforgettable book. The tradition of summer camp is amped up a notch in this adult sibling who done it version. You will think you know all the answers but just when you think you have it all figured out you’re thrown for a loop like none other.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. Lots of complex characters and an interesting setting and premise. Most everyone seems a little unstable so you have lots of options for suspects. The only reason I'm not going with 5 stars is because a couple of the characters weren't as well fleshed out as others and I felt they were important and should have been. A good follow-up to her debut novel, I look forward to the next.

Twenty years ago Amanda was found in a rowboat, beaten and bloody, at Camp Macaw, the MacAllister family camp.
Now the family is gathered at the camp after the deaths of their parents, to decide if they will sell it or keep it.
But before they can do that, the will dictates that the girls in the family: Margaux, Liddie, Kate and Mary, must decide if they think their brother Ryan is guilty of the crime against Amanda.
They investigate as they prepare for their parents memorial, along with the camp groundskeeper Sean, who has lived there since he was a young boy.
The story alternates between the different points of view, past and present.
We begin to find out the secrets they have been keeping through the years, that lead back to who was responsible.
This was a creepy, suspenseful mystery and I enjoyed the nostalgia of summer camp that it brought back.
A great mix of characters with very individual personalities and an interesting look into the family relationships.
A fast, fun summer thriller!
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

3.5*
The MacAllister children are all gathering together. A reunion of sorts at their family-run summer camp. But this particular reunion is far from a joyful one. In fact, all five kids would rather be anywhere else.

This is a reading of a will, followed by a memorial for both their parents. Their father left some very strange caveats in his will. Looming the largest of them? In order for all the children to inherit equally they need to all agree that one of them wasn’t responsible for the crime against Amanda Holmes.

A cleverly laid out, suspenseful read that I quickly flew through in just a few days. You’ll be kept guessing as the night Amanda was attacked plays out.

My one issue was with the five family members, a bit confusing keeping them straight. Two characters were highly descriptive and I immediately clicked with them. The other three daughters were somewhat interchangeable and I’d continually have to pause to recall which character was narrating that particular chapter.

This is the third book I have read by Catherine McKenzie with The Good Liar remaining my favorite of hers to date.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Catherine McKenzie for an ARC to read and review.

I've never read a book by Catherine McKenzie but have heard so many great things about her books that I wanted to try one to see what I was missing. Well, apparently I've been missing a lot. I'll Never Tell was the perfect summer read for me: not too serious, super quick, a nice mystery and interestingly quirky characters. What more could a reader ask for in a summer book?

The MacAllister siblings grew up at Camp Macaw, the typical summer camp with cabins that surround a lake, stories re-told over and over, sports, games and art workshops. What wasn't typical was the summer that Amanda, a popular counselor and friend of the siblings, washed ashore dead in a rowboat. The police never found the killer. When the siblings' parents die and the will is read, they discover that the only way they will inherit the camp is to solve the mystery of Amanda's death. However, what once was an unsolvable murder mystery is now shrouded in closely guarded family secrets as well. None of these siblings is who they appear to be.

I've come to love domestic noir especially when it is done well and I'll Never Tell does, in fact, handle this genre very well. There are six points of view - yes six - which could get muddled and confusing but McKenzie deftly moves back and forth between the chapters and personalities so that never once does the reader lose focus on who is who. The book also jumps back in time through Amanda's point of view but this also adds to the dimension of the story rather than detracts. We are able to put into perspective the tales that the siblings are weaving from the actual facts as they happened. This does not, however, give the reader a clear cut view of the actual killer. There are so many twists and possibilities that I was clueless until the very end. Literally, it could have been any of them, or all.

I'll Never Tell is a well written "whodunnit" and a great mystery, perfect for any season but even better for summer because of its setting. I highly recommend it and will be pursuing other McKenzie books for myself.

This was a great read!

I wasn't able to figure out the ending beforehand, which is always a plus when there's a mystery.

The sibling relationships rang true and I was rooting for them to come together and solve the murder of their friend.

I received an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book. It was an interesting way to tell the story, very clever with so many POV's that really kept you guessing as to who committed the crime!
I changed my mind several times as to who I thought attacked Amanda...and was wrong every time!

A family of 7 owns and operates a summer camp for youth. One year after the parents have passed the children are asked to gather for the reading of the will to learn what will happen with the camp itself. In reference to a horrible event in the past, the children are asked to decide who was responsible for the attack on a camper and friend. Based on their decision, they will decide if their brother or the long term camp employee will be included among the family heirs.

An intense family drama will have you entwined in the inner workings of each siblings relationship with the other. The story takes place in both the present time and one summer of the siblings youth. Despite the story being told in 5 peoples perspectives, it is fairly easy to tell the characters apart.

A great summer read! I love Catherine McKenzie's books and would pick up anything she had written. That being said, if you haven't read any of her books, this is a great one to start with.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank You for a copy!

I'll Never Tell is a "who-dun-it" domestic mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. Just when you think you figured out the killer, another loop is thrown in making for a captivating read!
Catherine McKenzie, as always, does a well written story, a great plot and an interesting assortment of dysfunctional characters that were so real, they somehow seemed like some of the people I know!

This is a must read book! 4 stars

Catherine McKenzie has done it again -- she has provided her reader's with a roller coaster ride of a story that will keep the pages turning until the surprise ending. She is one of those rare authors that consistently tells a great story that won't disappoint her readers.

The MacAllister family is dysfunctional at best - the parents owned a summer camp and all the children have worked there over the years. The children - Ryan, the oldest and only male and his sisters, Margo, Mary, Kate and Liddie are all grown and have their own lives. None of them have been very close with the others throughout the years. After the parents are killed in an accident they are all brought together to the family camp for the reading of the will. Several of them want to sell the land, take the money and run, while others aren't sure what they want. When the will is read, it isn't just straightforward. Due to the mystery surrounding Amanda, one of the camp counselors from 20 years earlier, the will is based on what really happened to her. The family realizes that they need to find out who was responsible and start investigating the 20 year old mystery. As the story unwinds, it's apparent that all of them know a little bit of the puzzle about Amanda but only one of them knows what really happened. Will they be able to work together to solve the mystery or will their suspicions of each other finally tear the family apart? The story takes lots of twists and turns before the surprise ending.

For me, this was a perfect suspense story. While reading the book, I changed my mind over and over about who the guilty sibling was. Just when I was sure it was a certain one, new information would come to light to show me how wrong I'd been. It kept me turning the pages to find out who was responsible for what happened at the camp 20 years earlier.

My one problem with this book is that I didn't like all of the main characters. I knew that they had secrets but I didn't like the way that some of them interacted with the rest of the family. But even the characters that I disliked were very interesting and the secrets that they all had made this an exciting book to read.

I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie is a mystery/thriller, and my first book by this author. Twenty years prior a girl, Amanda Holmes, was found dead in a row boat at Camp Macaw, and the crime was never solved. Mr. and Mrs. MacAllister owners of the camp die suddenly, and the children,5 of them, are meeting for the will reading. The estate can not be settled until the murder of Amanda Holmes is solved. Captivating, suspenseful, entertaining novel! This exciting thriller kept me on the edge of my seat while I was reading it! Would highly recommend to those who enjoy this genre.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Lake Union publishing. Thank you.

Indian Summer Meets Agatha Christie (TW suicide)

This reminded me of the film Indian Summer had it been siblings and wrapped in a mystery. The five MacAllister children return to the summer camp their family ran to listen to their parents will. They’re already expecting to have to make a decision on what to do with the camp and ready for that fight. What they’re not expecting, nor prepared for, is to be thrown into a mystery where the camp’s fate, and their futures, hinges on them solving a twenty-year mystery involving what happened to Amanda Holmes–one of the daughter’s best friends. And by solve the mystery I mean one of them is literally accused, and it’s made clear if they didn’t do it then one of the other siblings must have… Told in present day following the siblings, and their current life dramas, we also get to know Amanda, twenty years before, on the night of the mystery… This hit that perfect level of entertainment for me, while giving me family drama, and a summer camp setting.

Catherine McKenzie never fails - Her books have heart and always always always have a great plot twist. While I never went to camp so I couldn't relate, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this family - the different character aspects and points of view gave a interesting twist to the story