I'm normally not a fan of mysteries, but this novel grabbed my attention immediately, and the intrigue never lets up. All the characters were believable, and I was never sure what would happen next. Surprise after surprise keep you guessing all the way through. I truly enjoyed this edge-of-your-seat mystery and recommend it to anyone who wants to read a good whodunit. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy.

This was a good summer read. It was a quick whodunnit book that I thought I had figured out but didn’t. I enjoyed the description of the camp and it reminded me of summers long past. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

The events of "I'll Never Tell" circle around Amanda, a teenage girl who was the victim of a mysterious crime at a summer camp run by the MacAllister family. Twenty years later, the MacAllister children (now adults) gather together to read the will of their deceased parents. Instead of simply inheriting the camp they've grown up in, they're tasked with finding out who committed the crime so that the guilty party won't receive ownership of the camp. While I enjoyed the premise, there were way too many points of view for me (basically every main character) that switched back and forth every single chapter. It felt confusing to me to tell the four sisters' perspectives apart - I couldn't remember what events happened to which sister. This totally could be more of a problem with me than the writing, but I felt like the twist ending didn't land as hard as it should have because I couldn't fit all the pieces together beforehand. This still had some great red herrings, and I really enjoyed the chapters told from Amanda's perspective - so I'd still probably recommend this to suspense lovers.

Readers of a certain generation have much to connect with in I'll Never Tell. Catherine McKenzie's writing will ring familiar with some of the baby-boomer generation...

- It's easier to ignore than engage as if one can control the situation by trying to be invisible.
- Parents didn't believe in being friends with their children. They were there to support and discipline, liking you or not wasn't at issue.
- Keeping secrets is best, and never talk about unpleasant things.

There's much to like in exposing some truths. "Half a glass of anything bleached away your memories of the last time you drank too much, even if it were the night before. And the other half made the next drink beckon like a fresh lover." It sums it up so well doesn't it?

Family dynamics play out in this story in its dysfunctional best, but the characters become like friends as you get to know them through their viewpoint. Telling this story with so many voices is expertly done and easy to follow with each having a distinct difference, yet they all experienced the same event.

Readers needing a great beach read will find much to enjoy here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for sharing this book. My opinion is independently and entirely my own.

Murder mystery, years of lies, complicated family dynamic. Multiple view points. A crazy ride indeed. Not really my cup of tea, with so much happening, but I can safely recommend this book to others who enjoy this genre.

This book just wasn't for me. It had a lot of elements that I would normally like (set in a summer camp, family drama), but the back and forth point of view between all the siblings, plus a blast from the past from another character, it got to be too much jumping around for me. Told from one present and one past character probably would have been better for me. People who like a lot of POV, though, will enjoy this one, I'm sure.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I’ll Never Tell is a well-crafted mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I’ll Never Tell follows the MacAllister family on a suspenseful journey to bring closure to an unsolved murder of a former camper that took place 20 years ago. This time of year I need books that are easy to get into and also keep me hooked and this was a great fit.

I am always drawn to books that are based at a summer camp setting (I also loved The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager!) and McKenzie was able to bring me right there with the perfect description of summer camp life. The sights, smells, and memories were on point.

McKenzie’s character development which sometimes is lacking for me in this thriller type fiction was really well done. Although the characters and family were quite dysfunctional, I connected with them and could see their perspectives. I enjoyed how the story jumped back and forth between present day and “that night” and the alternating narrators helped move the story along at a great pace. If you are looking for an engaging and quick summer read, this would be a great one to add to your list!

As always, Catherine McKenzie brings us an excellent mystery filled with family and secrets and life. Each of her novels evolves from an insular world of mystery and personalities that shift with the winds of fact and time. Set in the wilds of Canada, I'll Never Tell features the MacAllister children - Margaux the competent; quiet, horse-loving Mary who considers herself the forgotten child; livewire identical twins Kate and Liddie of the conflicting, mirrored personalities; and self-indulgent handsome son Ryan, along with their contemporary returning camp-staffers Sean Booth and Amanda Bean.

The mystery actually takes place on July 22, 1998, when the seven staffers are in their teens. They are the third generation to run the summer camp, Camp Mccaw, which was founded and built up by their Grandfather MacAllister, Pete's father. During summer camp of 1998, Amanda is found crumpled in the bottom of a boat on Secret Beach, struck down with an oar. There is never enough evidence for the police to make an arrest though Ryan and Sean are initially considered persons of interest. The timeline is ambiguous and marred with secrets not shared with anyone by the kids. The following summer there is an accident with a vehicle being used by Ryan, where female camp staffer Stacy is killed. Again, Ryan is cleared by the skin of his teeth. Strike Two.

We return to contemporary time, twenty years later. The MacAllister parents, Ingrid and Pete, are killed in a train wreck during the winter on the first vacation they have taken in years. Pete was a very micromanaging man, who has to know everything about everybody. The extent of his sins of invasion come to light after his death.

Pete's father left him Camp Mccaw and the priceless 200 riverfront acres it entailed with the stipulation that it could not be sold for any reason during Pete's lifetime, a restriction that kept him frustrated his whole life. Ingrid, though the mother of five, was not maternal nor personally involved with her children. Her unemotional handling of the children coupled with Pete's parsimony and need for complete command of every situation made the children feel like they were just around to man the camp and entertain themselves at school in Montreal in the winter. Sean, orphaned as a child, spends all year at the camp handling maintenance and security, even after Pete and Ingrid moved to the camp full time.

The MacAllister children, one at a time, were weaned off into city life as they finished high school and began college or career in the city, with the exception of twin Kate, who managed the camp for her parents until her 27th birthday, when her father announced that she wasn't emotionally strong enough to actually manage the camp in their absence. And Mary, who bought her own small farm near Camp Mccaw, where she lives her quiet life, houses her horse Cinnamon, and winters the horses of the camp.

Pete's will is ambiguous, and their old family lawyer, Swift, is reluctant to share it with the children. Pete's first demand was that the camp must be run through the summer following his death. He leaves everything to wife Ingrid, but because they die together, the land will go to the children. With many stipulations. They are all to gather at the camp on Labor Day weekend after the closing of summer camp for a memorial including all the old repeat campers, that to be followed by the complete reading of the will. And all six of the third generation of Camp Mccaw come with different expectations, conflicting needs, long hidden secrets. Though not one of them expects the monkey wrench father Pete tosses into the mix. Even from the grave, he must control the family and the camp.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Catherine McKenzie, and Lake Union Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this mystery of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

Emotional Drama Built on Exposing a Web of Lies and Misperceptions

I’ll Never Tell finds the five MacAllister siblings (Margaux, Ryan, Mary, Kate, and Liddie) and a groundskeeper (Sean Booth) trying to solve a 20-year-old, cold case – the bludgeoning of Amanda Holmes on the grounds of the family’s camp, Camp Macaw. Why? Because their father’s will stipulated that until they unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda, they can’t settle the estate. That sentence alone should tell you one of the concerns I have about this book – the plot is contrived. What kind of man would saddle his five children with solving a case that the police couldn’t? What kind of man would task his children with something he never did when he was alive? Of course, every author gets one gimme and this could be it, except the pattern repeats quite often. For example, in a backstory, Ryan takes the blame for “killing” a young woman when, in fact, it was an accident. There is no blame to be taken, no one to protect in an accident, and so, the whole scene ends up feeling convenient – a way for the author to increase drama and little more.

But even with the contrived feel of the main plot and many of the scenes, it’s easy to see why the book is popular – the twists and character development. The latter is facilitated by the chapters’ different points of view. Each one takes the perspective of one of the seven figures mentioned above. Yes, there are seven different POVs. And from them, we learn that these people are not a particularly likable bunch. They are the kind who would fake a bad phone connection rather than have an uncomfortable conversation with a significant other (to pick one simple example). But while they have largely withdrawn from each other and in some cases, from the world, they have steadfastly hidden what they believe are secrets about Amanda to protect one another. Or maybe that’s why they’ve withdrawn?

Twists in the story are the second driver of this tale and most revolve around omissions or lies about the assault on Amanda. But the author takes it a step further because often the lies are only hiding a misperception of events rather than the truth. So, a secret revealed means little until its verified and you’re left guessing what really happened until the next secret, and so on. Unfortunately, even an excellent writing hook can be overused and this one is. I found myself fascinated by how the author would spin each incident but at the same time, numbed to the drama. And until you’re on the last page, why give any reveal much credence?

Overall, the plot is contrived and the drama somewhat overplayed, but character development and the twists make I’ll Never Tell a worthwhile read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Catherine McKenzie for the digital ARC I received. I elected to write a review.

Ok, here is the thing...I am not sure if I liked this book or not! I have been thinking about this book for past 24 hours because I really want to give it a fair review. So here it goes.

Things I liked:

The setting: I really enjoyed the summer camp on the lake setting. It had an eerie and sinister feel to it. However, I wish there was more description of the camp and the island, I think it would make a difference for me if I had a better “picture” of the landscape (and NO, the map of the camp at the beginning of the book was not enough for me). I think it would make the whole story more real and believable
.
Story told from different perspectives: I think the author did a great job in interweaving stories of 7 different characters to paint a clear and suspenseful tale. Often times novels written in multiple POVs can be confusing and distracting, however this was not the case.

The suspense and mystery of the plot: Yes, I found this story suspenseful and intriguing even with the plot being less than perfect. The question of “who did it?” kept me going till the end and at one point I think I suspected almost every character in this book, which in my opinion makes a good mystery book.

Now the things I did not love.
Honestly I thought the overall idea for the story was good, but I found that there were some things in this book that were just “thrown in” to make it more shocking for the reader, but instead it actually became distracting, unnecessary, and less believable. I will not list the things that, in my opinion, were written for a “shock effect” as not to include spoilers.
Another issues for me; the characters had no depth and I hated all of them equally. Yes, I know!...not every book has likable characters, but ohh man, was I struggling to connect with any of them. I didn’t even feel bad for the victim (*gasp*) as I did not like her character at all! Usually I find at least one character that I can connect to at some level, and here we have 7 main characters and not one of them makes me feel...well...anything really.
So after long hours of pondering this book and trying to give it a genuine review, I will give it 3 stars. It was just average for me. However, I will read more books from this author as I am curious if this one was just one off for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, Lake Union, for giving me an opportunity to read a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'll Never Tell has all the summer vibes that a summer camp thriller should. More of a mystery than thriller, siblings are reunited at their family- run summer camp for a reading of the will when their parents are killed in an accident. The will states that one of them is responsible for an accident involving one of the campers from years ago when they were just teens and adolescents. The siblings must decide if they think that the person presumed guilty should be an equal shareholder in the camp.

I like how readable and quick I'll Never Tell is. I also enjoyed the dynamics between the siblings. It is strained and a little weird. It feels real, considering their upbringing. Each character is written with their own unique personality. It is easy to keep track. That's so helpful with a big cast of characters.

I do wish that more information about their dad had been explored. I would have liked to know more about the strange man that raised these quirky adults.

The mystery/clue/Agatha Christie nod of the story is fun. I enjoyed meeting each character and them being forced together until the problem is solved.

Overall, it is a quick summer vibe read that I would recommend to fans of Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware.

I’ll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie is a mystery/thriller that focuses on a death that occurred twenty years before. The story is told from multiple points of view switching with each chapter and occasionally between chapters you get the POV of the victim jumping back the twenty years.

Amanda Holmes had been attending Camp Macaw which was owned and operated by the MacAllister family. One morning it was found that Amanda never returned to her cabin at the camp the night before and a search was called on to find her. Amanda was soon found bludgeoned to death and left in a rowboat but the killer was never found.

Now, twenty years later the MacAllister siblings are all grown up and have gone their separate ways. When both of their parents pass though the question of who inherits the family camp brings them all back to Camp Macaw for the reading of the will which finds the siblings with the dilemma of figuring out who the murderer was.

I’ve always had a thing for a creepy summer camp story. The idea of heading off to camp for the summer was always appealing but something I never got to experience so instead I’ve been drawn to the setting for a lot of campy horror. Even with this one being a twenty year old crime it still had that creepy camp vibe with a bunch of questionable characters. I wasn’t overly surprised with some of the twists and outcome but it was still a fun read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the second book I've read of Catherine's and I absolutely loved it!! Halfway through this book -- it went from amazing to oustanding!! That is the biggest compliment I can give her!!

I’ll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie

Brief Summary: Twenty years ago, a camper was found in a canoe with a gas to her head and no one was ever found responsible for the assault. After the tragic death of their parents, the McAllister children return to camp to hear their parents will and determine the fate of camp. No was is prepared to solve to crime in order to resolve their parents’ last will and testament.

Highlights: As a former camp counselor, McKenzie did a great job bringing summer camp to life. I found myself missing the campfires, outdoor activities, pranks, gossip, relationships, and friendships from my own camping days. I could also relate to the role of camp in people’s lives, the work it takes to run a camp, and the love they have for it. The characters were perfect for the plot; none of them are close, they all had secrets, and at times I suspected them all of the crime.

What makes this book unique?: For me, it was the camp setting. Otherwise it’s a pretty typical thriller

Explanation of Rating: 4/5 The story engaged me but didn’t really suck me in until the end.

Psychology Factors: seasonal affective disorder is mentioned but it’s not a prevalent part of the plot. It definitely would have made the character who has it more interesting and given us more insight about him/her.

This book will be enjoyable to anyone who appreciates the magic of camp; a great gift for to your favorite camp counselor or director.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Twenty years ago, young and beautiful camp counselor Amanda Holmes ended up washed ashore in a rowboat, unconscious from a blow to the head. The crime was never solved, but rather the case was closed due to a lack of evidence. Years later, the adult children of the camp owners are back to settle their recently deceased father's will. Once the terms of the will are laid out, the MacAllister children are shocked. Their father had clearly never gotten over the heinous crime that occured on his family property. He believes one of his five children is responsible. But who? And why?

As the children grapple with the mystery and try desperately to solve the crime, they turn the tables on each other. Old jealousies and terrible accidents are unearthed, and it seems that no one can be trusted to reveal the truth of what happened that summer night so long ago. Who tried to hurt Amanda, and what lengths will they go to to keep their secret hidden?

Really solid mystery. It brings to light the secrets that so many families hold close to their chests. The story alternates between the perspective of all five children, as well as the family groundskeeper, Sean, who appears to have secrets of his own. I'll Never Tell is not a story to be missed....would make for a great summer/beach read.

Five siblings reliving their experience at camp. The camp was owned by their parents who are now deceased and they reunite there for the reading of the will. The story reveals they’re adventures and their secrets.

For those of you who like the current genre of “lies and secrets,” this is your book! This is the story of a weekend family reunion of 5 siblings who have gathered at the family owned camp which is their legacy now that their parents are deceased. Four of the siblings are girls, including one set of identical twins. In addition to the five siblings there is a slightly older man who was taken in by the parents upon his mother’s death when he was 8. He has remained at the camp as caretaker and general handy man.

The purpose of the reunion is to hear the terms of the will which involve ferreting out just “what happened to Amanda”. Amanda’s thoughts and memories share chapters along with the siblings and handyman, making seven different memories or points of view of just what happened 20 years ago.

The book is well written and held my interest even though I do not like this whole new genre of lies and secrets. The portrayal and development of the characters was quite well done also.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Lake Union, in exchange for an honest review.

A great whodunit, but it was more than that. What were the reasons behind the request of the will? Who knows what really happened on he night Amanda washed up in a boat? Will they reveal all? Each character is flawed and with secrets. This is a book that kept me up til all hours.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’ll Never Tell is full of the juicy secrets Mackenzie does so well in her writing. Here, five siblings meet to determine the fate of the family’s summer camp – and in doing so, are tasked with solving a decades-old tragedy. Each of the siblings, without knowing it, has a piece of the puzzle, and as they delve into the past, it’s clear that their secrets also have a hold on the present. The past-and-present timeline ramps up the tension leading to a shocking conclusion.

𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀. 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝘀.

Catherine McKenzie has crafted a stellar who done it with dynamic characters and a creepy setting. Siblings Ryan, Margot, Mary, Kate, and Lydia have gathered for the reading of their fathers will. The family owns a camp and the will will determine its future, but it is far more complicated than that. 20 years ago Amanda Margo’s best friend was found bloody and bludgeoned in a boat washed up on the shore of the camp. It is the siblings job to vote and determine whether or not Ryan the oldest sibling is guilty of this tragedy. So what happens when your siblings are your judge and jury?

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!

*** huge thanks to Lake Union for my copy of this book ***