What happened to Amanda Holmes?

What better setting could there be for summer reading than a book set in summer camp? In author Catherine McKenzie's skillful hands, none.

Twenty years ago, Amanda was found in a rowboat at the MacAllister family’s Camp Macaw. She had been brutally beaten, but the crime stumped the police. No one was ever arrested or charged.

the elder MacAllisters have died tragically and suddenly, and now their children are returning to the place where they grew up. Their parents' will must be read and the siblings need to decide what to do with the property now that their parents -- primarily, their father -- are no longer around to run it. With real estate prices soaring and son Ryan facing financial ruin following the malfeasance of his business partner, a sale is the option he plans to lobby for. He has a wife forcing the issue, as well as three daughters he adores and needs to provide for. Ryan was the attractive, charming boy that the girls at camp, including Amanda, developed crushes on. Margaux, her childless marriage in trouble, is on the fence, but Mary adamantly believes that Camp Macaw should continue providing unforgettable summers to campers. Twins Kate and Liddie have opinions as opposite as their personalities. Sean Booth has lived at the camp year-round for most of his life, employed by the MacAllisters as a groundskeeper. For him, the camp is home and, although he believes he has nothing to say about its fate, he is adamantly in favor of keeping it open. He has nowhere else to go, an emotional attachment to the camp, and was extremely loyal to the MacAllisters who provided him security in his troubled childhood.

Mr. MacAllister's will provides a highly unorthodox stipulation. No disposition can be decided on until the siblings and Sean solve, at long last, determination who attacked Amanda.

Thus, the five siblings and Sean are thrown together at Camp Macaw, facing two challenges: Find out what really happened on that summer nights so many years ago and then reach a consensus as to the camp's fate.

In any other writer's hands, the ambitious premise of I'll Never Tell might have been doomed. But McKenzie growth as a novelist has been on display with each successive book, including her most recent, The Good Liar, and I'll Never Tell is a tautly-constructed, engrossing mystery told from the perspectives each sibling, along with Sean and Amanda, who describes exactly what happened to her on that fateful night. Additionally, two other characters loom large in the story: Mr. MacAllister and the camp itself. Despite the number of narrative threads, the story is easy to follow, thanks to the clarity of McKenzie's writing, and the depth and development of her characters through insight into their thought processes and feelings. A map of the camp is provided, along with a chart showing the location of each character at specific times on the night in question also help.

Plausibly, each sibling, along with Sean, is a suspect. McKenzie provides them each with a believable motive, as well as the opportunity, to have been with Amanda. Moreover, each is keeping secrets from the others, for a variety of reasons, and motives to wanting to sell the camp or maintain it that are not immediately apparent to the others. McKenzie keeps the action moving at a swift pace, revealing the truth incrementally, until it is all revealed in a stunning climax to the story that is sure to take most readers by complete surprise.

I'll Never Tell is a smartly conceived, expertly-executed thriller that may just be McKenzie's best novel yet. (And a perfect summer beach read.)

I'll Never Tell was engrossing and suspenseful! It is a story full of drama and so many secrets. The MacAllister family of five children spent every summer at their family's summer camp. But twenty years ago, something terrible happened at camp that changed their lives forever. When their parents pass away, they are forced to face what happened and try to piece together what really happened that long ago summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was my 2nd Catherine McKenzie book and it won't be my last. While it did have its slow moments and took a little bit to get into it I did enjoy this book. It moved pretty fast after about 50% and I didn't want to put it down. And there were a few moments when I thought I had it figured out but was way wrong. A great summer read, 4⭐⭐⭐⭐

I could not out this book down. I have read it at least 3 times already! There were twists I definitely didn't see coming despite being a self proclaimed thriller aficionado.

I really enjoyed this book! It had so many different ways it could have gone and I had never dreamt the ending that you wrote. Great job, thanks for this awesome book!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC!

I initially had trouble getting into the story trying to piece together the stories of 7 individuals - the 5 MacAllister siblings, Ryan, Mary, Margeux, Liddie, and Kate, that of Amanda - the victim of a terrible crime 20 years ago, and that of Sean, the long-term faithful family friend and employee at Camp Macaw. Once I began figuring out the various characters, I could not put it down. The majority of the characters are unlikeable, but their secrets are what kept the story going, causing me to second guess many of the characters by the end of the book. Why would someone want to nearly fatally wound a 14 year old girl during a happy summer camp, leaving her on life support the rest of her life?

Postmortem, did the MacAllister father guess correctly? Did Ryan, known to meet up with Amanda on the secret beach loose his anger? They have a weekend to figure out “who did it” and ultimately determine whether Sean or Ryan will inherent 1/5th of the family camp, or is it really that simple? The MacAllister sisters are supposed to vote on Sunday.

I usually can figure these stories out easily, but this one threw me off!

I recommend this one!

set of five siblings have lost their parents and are returning to the summer camp that their family owned to make some decisions and also maybe find some truth behind an incident that happened 20 years ago.

20 years ago at a summer camp, a friend of the family - Amanda was found unconscious floating in a canoe and all signs pointed to one of the family members being involved, but which one? In the will that their parents left the MacAllister kids, they must solve this open question before they can make a decision about the property.

This was such a twisty turny book that I couldn't feel confident in my thoughts about the clues almost until the end. I had my eye on one of them and then something would come out and I would change my alliance and then back and forth - I loved it! When I read these books and get to the end, I want to go back to the beginning and try again to see if I can find the clues and the resolution faster.

I am so glad I read this in summer in the midst of summer camp season. It also helped that I had been to a camp, so I could picture all of the things. I could feel how these adults felt years ago and how they covered for each other - I would do almost anything for my sibling and can't imagine how that amplifies when there are more than just two in a family.

I was already a Catherine McKenzie fan before this book and although this feels a little different from the rest of her books, I still liked it just the same.

I've been reading Catherine McKenzie's novels for years (eight, as my Goodreads has told me) and I have always marveled at how unique each story is. I eagerly look forward to her next novel as soon as I finish her last. I was especially looking forward to I'll Never Tell after absolutely loving The Good Liar last year (review is here if you missed it). Could her new one live up to her last (which was an instant bestseller, btw)? The short answer is: hell, yes.

Here's the synopsis:
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?
This isn't the first novel that features a dysfunctional family and a surprise in a will, and it won't be the last. But it's definitely going to be one that sticks with me for awhile. The MacAllisters are likeable enough (way more palatable than some families), they're just a bit messed up. And who isn't? It's hard to say if they really deserved to be dealing with their father's bizarre conditions even though it's pretty clear one of them is a murderer.

Speaking of murder and whodunnit - I had no idea. Every time the perspective changed with a new chapter (not as jarring as you might think), I changed my mind. Every sibling had motive and opportunity, though a few of them were immediately ruled out. Or were they? Yep. It's a twisted mystery and I loved it.

There's one thing that's been niggling at me since I finished the novel and it has to do with some choices Pete MacAllister made. I can't really say anything more because it's a hell of a spoiler if I do but his reasoning never made clear (not for the surprise in the will, that part was pretty clear). I guess I'm always just looking for more of an "everything wrapped up in a bow" situation than McKenzie was going for, especially for a character who is dead, but I feel like there's way more to him and his motivations than we got to see.

I loved that this books was set at a summer camp. I never went to overnight camp growing up so I don't have the kinds of memories that the campers at Macaw would but McKenzie does have that experience and, through that background and her great writing, I was able to understand what it was like and why the characters may have acted the way they did.

Also, I always thought the cover was so well suited to this novel - and I was very happy that McKenzie wasn't given an obviously feminine cover - but it wasn't until I inserted it into this review that I realized how perfect (and perfectly creepy) it really is.

I'll Never Tell is an amazing follow up to Catherine McKenzie's success with The Good Liar. It's an intriguing, complex, twisted story that she tells so, so well. I may have started reading her books because they were contemporary, fun, and relateable but I'm so happy with the direction she's taken because she's so good at writing thrillers. Pick this one up for your summer vacation!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

I’ll Never Tell is a thrilling ride! Bring your marshmallows and sit by the campfire with the MaCallisters. This family who dun it sucked me right in! Alternating povs- make it such a page turner ! Loved it- and the entire family !

I love me a good “campy” themed read and this one did the trick! It’s a combination of family drama at its worst & a murder(ish) mystery! I was guessing till the very end !

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars from me! If you don’t have this one on your tbr list- get it there now!

Thanks to NetGalley & Catherine McKenzie as well as Lake Union publishing house for a copy of this to read and review! I will be checking out ALL your other books ASAP Catherine ! ❤️😘

Grateful reader here always!

One family, one accident, and so many lies. McKenzie weaves a story so well that you just can’t put it down. The McAllister family is reunited at their family summer camp after 20 years to hear their father’s will. The strange conditions of the will lead the siblings on a journey to find the truth behind the accident that tore them apart. Twists and turns keep you glued to your seat reading this one. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I’ll Never Tell” is the first book I’ve read by Catherine McKenzie. It centers around a group of siblings who have come together to solve the mystery of what happened to Amanda Holmes, a young girl that was found dead twenty years prior. I loved how this novel consisted of various points of view and how it weaved the past and present together. I loved the setting, but the characters left just a little bit to be desired. I did not feel a connection to any of them. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

* I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I have to say this book fell flat for me. I'm a huge fan of thrillers and mysteries and of course anything that revolves around a summer camp is even better! I was not a fan of any of the characters and felt I couldn't relate to any of them. This was a disappointment.
I felt the ending was very interested, however there were too many fingers pointed at who the "killer" was. In the end when you found out who the "killer" was. I felt it ended up being this particular person just to make it different and that fell flat for me.

Thank you to the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I thought it was a well written book with a lot of family drama, secrets and a mystery mixed in.
I enjoyed the summer camp backdrop of the story.
It’s a page turner that will keep you interested the entire book.
I’d love to read the next book by Catherine McKenzie.

3 Stars.

Family Dysfunction and Murder. Oh What a Tangled Web it Weaves!

Five Adult Siblings are called to the site of a Children’s Camp owned by their now deceased parents. All are waiting for the reading of their parent’s will and expect to inherit a piece of the property and/or the right to sell it. Not so fast!

The camp was the scene of an unsolved crime many years ago involving a young teenage girl named Amanda and now the five siblings are brought together to figure out who dun it. What?! You heard that right!

Secrets, guilt, jealousy and dark festering resentment lie at the heart of “I’ll Never Tell” by Catherine McKenzie. It’s a mystery that delves into the relationship between family members and how easily the truth and lies can get muddled when protecting those you love. “I’ll Never Tell” is a page turner that’ll be sure to keep you entertained for hours.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Catherine Mackenzie for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 6.19.19.

Quick, easy read for the summer. While this is a light mystery, family drama book, the "mystery" is paint by the numbers with an unfulfilling ending and the family members are hard to keep track of as each character chapter has the same voice (aka hard to decipher who was narrating). Three stars because I enjoyed reading it, but I wouldn't recommend for someone looking for a more well thought out novel.

While McKenzie has had some serious subject matter as plot points in most of her books, she seems to get darker and darker as time goes by. However, she's not just writing cookie cutter domestic suspense. As four siblings gather for their parents' memorial at the camp where they grew up, McKenzie paints vivid portraits of each of them as children and then as adults. As if their complex psyches aren't enough, the atmosphere of the camp, which should be a sunny memory, is actually quite dark and foreboding. While discovering who was responsible for the assault on Amanda 20 years ago is a compelling mystery, untangling the family relationships and personal demons is even more so. Definitely recommended.

This well written book has some odd family dynamics, which made it very interesting, however, I would have liked it better if the narrative had more flashbacks of the MacAllister children growing up, with summers spent at the camp their parents owned and ran. The setting was so beautiful and familiar, if you have been to the mountain lake region of Quebec, north of Montreal.
The family seemed like the kind that Ann Tyler writes about - the parents themselves sounded interesting and unusual. I would have liked to have learned more about their motivations and desires. In fact, I think the story could have been just as good without the murder mystery to solve - after a while, I didn't care who did killed Amanda, the girl who washed up in a boat on the lake.
This is also a "coming of age" story with some steamy sex scenes.
Overall, it was OK and I would recommend this as something to read at the beach.

This wasn't what I was expecting, but I still really enjoyed it. I love the whole "who-dun-it" scenario, and this was definitely a good one. However, with how much I love thrillers, I wouldn't say this one was Wendy Walker level awesome by any means. On the other hand, I enjoyed the whole "girls summer camp" backdrop quite a bit and was still eager to know how this one ended. A little predictable for me also, to be honest, but that is to be expected sometimes.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy in exchange for my honest review!

She never ever disappoints. Absolutely pick up this winner of a book. Make sure to make plenty of time because once you start your won't want to put it down. Happy reading!

Most of us have memories of summer camp, but what about a summer camp where something terrible happened? 20 years ago camper, Amanda Holmes body washed ashore, but no one was ever charged with a crime. Now, Camp Macaw is having a memorial after the people who ran it passed away. It was a family run camp, so who will inherit? Everyone is suspicious of each other. The writing style is reminiscent of a classic Agatha Christie, who-done-it. Lots of taut suspense. Thank you to the author for the ARC. #IllNeverTell #NetGalley