Atmospheric, suspenseful, & compelling!

I’LL NEVER TELL by CATHERINE McKENZIE is an excellent, engrossing, and interesting domestic whodunit mystery/thriller that had me totally consumed with curiosity right from the very start. I was immediately hooked with the camp setting and the mystery to solve here totally intrigued me. I definitely have a fondness for books with camp settings, love dysfunctional familial dynamics and the slow unraveling of all the secrets and lies totally fascinated me.

CATHERINE McKENZIE delivers a character-driven, twisty, suspenseful, and well-written read here with quite the atmospheric setting that definitely set the mood for a claustrophobic and intense read. The story is cleverly written and told in multiple perspectives from each of the MacAllister family siblings and Sean who works at the camp as well as flashback chapters from Amanda from 20 years ago. I was never confused or lost with keeping the huge cast of characters straight.

The mystery here has this appealing nostalgic and classic feel to it that I am most definitely drawn to. And there is definitely something about CATHERINE McKENZIE’S writing style that I totally relate and connect to. I love her choice of words and how she weaves her sentences together. Another aspect of this novel that I thoroughly enjoyed was the addition of the timeline chart which definitely made me feel like I was solving the mystery right along with these characters. Also, the cool chapter headings! Loved them so creative and catchy.

P.S. - My favorite book growing up was The Secret Garden and I loved that this book was mentioned in this story. I also learned that it was a childhood favorite of Catherine McKenzie’s too from reading the interview in the back of the book. Cool! :-)

Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Ominous, sinister, appealing, suspenseful and immediately had me intrigued. A fabulous representation to storyline.
Title: Intriguing, suspenseful, meaningful and absolutely loved how the title played so fittingly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, engaging, captivating, descriptive, astute, and fluid. I have this connection with her writing style that I find totally relatable and irresistible.
Plot: Suspenseful, vivid, riveting, fast-paced, sinister, secretive, twisty, held my attention fully and extremely entertaining.
Ending: An unexpected ending that totally took me by surprise and left me feeling very satisfied.
Armchair Detective Skills: There were no real surprises for me along the way with all the multiple twists and turns until that final resolution. Loved piecing all those puzzle pieces together!
Overall: An irresistible, enjoyable, entertaining, suspenseful, and fabulous read! Would highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Catherine McKenzie and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book! It was an absolute pleasure reading this fantastic novel!

Toronto Star, online July 2, in paper July 6


https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2019/07/02/five-beach-reads-for-a-weekend-getaway.html



I’ll Never Tell, Catherine McKenzie
Here’s a deft domestic noir, focusing on five siblings, heirs to Camp Macaw, a summer camp where a teenager named Amanda was found bludgeoned to death in a rowboat 20 years ago. To inherit this lucrative piece of real estate, the MacAllisters — one brother, four sisters — must figure out who killed their friend. This is the Montreal lawyer’s ninth novel. The setting is similar to a camp she attended in Quebec’s Eastern Townships when she was young.

There was a lot of buzz about this book and the premise had me hooked. But unfortunately, it fell a bit short for me. While multiple POV's are my fave style of storytelling, this one became a bit dizzying with all the flip flopping of time lines and voices.

The thing that kept me going was wanting to get to the bottom of what happened to Amanda.

**Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my copy**

I absolutely love family dramas involving old secrets, and I'll Never Tell kept me hooked from beginning to end. It starts with the five adult McAllister children (black sheep Ryan, peacekeeper Margo, plain and quiet Mary, and twins Kate and Liddie) and the family groundskeeper Sean all gathering at the family's Camp Macaw to read the parents' will. A will reading is dramatic in itself, but this will has an unusual proviso: their father thinks but can't prove that Ryan may be responsible for an incident twenty years ago that has left Margo's best friend Amanda in a coma from which she still hasn't recovered. The other McAllisters must vote about whether or not Ryan should receive his share of the estate. If they vote against Ryan, his share reverts to Sean instead, but more than the money, the will's proviso forces characters to examine what they really believe happened all those years ago. Is Ryan innocent, and if so, whom among the rest of them was actually responsible?

The book feels like a locked room mystery in that there's a really small group of suspects. While Amanda's injury technically happened during camp, the story makes clear that one among the six main characters is responsible. I also really like the timeline that tracks character movements at the end of each flashback chapter, as this really added to the feeling of suspense. There are also some strong thrillerish elements, such as when characters admit that Ryan was low-key being held responsible for the injury all these years, and they realize that their current investigation into the incident may prompt whomever was really responsible to take desperate measures.

I'll Never Tell is very much a character-driven story, and McKenzie does a great job in exploring the emotions of each character. I love seeing how their current situations shape their motivations (e.g. Ryan wanting to sell Camp Macaw because of his family's finances, Mary wanting to keep Camp Macaw because of her horses), and I especially love how McKenzie reveals, layer by layer, glimpses into their childhood that also influence their motivations.

The final reveal made me sad, as did the way things unfolded after the reveal. I think this is a testament to McKenzie's writing and the characters she has created. She has made me care about the characters beyond their roles as potential killers. Rather, I cared about who they were, how what happened to Amanda was shaped by their relationships with each other, and how the event twenty years ago continues to shape who they are, and how they connect with the rest of the family.

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Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This review will go live on my blog on July 4, 8 am ET.

4 ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishers for an opportunity to read this arc

Although the book started somewhat slowly, it actually got really interesting a few chapters in and then was hard to put down.
Lots of twists and turns and family secrets. There are quite a few narrators in the story which makes it a bit difficult to keep everything straight, but i was quite enjoyable overall.

Great read with characters I could picture and believe. Very well written and plotted.. Kept me asking WHO? and WHY?

This book was pretty good. I Don't know why, but I was Always confused with the characters name… Every chapter, I had trouble remembering who was who and what they did. But overall, I liked reading it. I particularly liked the white board progression during the book.
I you are looking for a good mystery, a good summer read ( events happen in a summer camp, so it's all very summery) you'll enjoy this book!

A fantastic, thrilling, suspenseful novel with twists and turns to leave you on edge! Intense and well plotted! I loved it!

Thank you Netgalley for the copy of I'll never tell. I have always enjoyed Catherine McKenzie's books and this one just as good as her previous ones. The MacAllister children head to their family camp 20 years after a tragedy for their father's memorial. What happened to Amanda 20 years ago? The blend of past and present of the MacAllister children at their family camp was well done and seamless. The use of the time chart at the end of chapter was a fabulous idea. I was kept in suspense the entire time!

I normally find books that switch between past/present and different characters confusing or annoying; but with this book I found that it added to the suspense. I had no trouble following the timelines but still couldn't figure out the whole story. This story kept me interested and wanting more. I just had to finish it. The plot kept me pulled in and the interactions between the siblings and the people in their lives were intriguing. I would definitely recommend this book for it's suspense and mystery, and also if you like stories centered around summer camp.

*** Currently my blog is undergoing some maintenance, hence the delay. Here is a copy of the review, and the link as well for when it is back up next week.


My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Initially, the plot line of this book really had me curious. A family, a twenty-year-old unsolved murder, and the Camp Macaw setting all working together in what I had anticipated as a page-turning Canadian murder mystery.

Unfortunately, this book fell short. While I really enjoyed aspects of the 90's nostalgia, the Canadian references, and the fact that I wasn't able to easily figure out who the murderer was, (I live for trying to find out who the killer is in books/movies well before the ending) I would likely not recommend this book.

The chapters jump around from character to character, and there are many. Learning about them in addition to their partners, and their deranged parents (especially father) made it initially very difficult to figure out who was who. What made it even more difficult is that there really wasn't anything redeeming about any of the characters, so by the halfway mark, without any attachment to any of them, I didn't feel very motivated to keep reading. Thankfully, this was a mystery, so I was determined to find out "whodunnit".

I was equally as disappointed by who the killer was, and the ending felt rushed like it was wrapped up without any significant discussion from the family over who the killer was. After spending hours reading about the intricate relationships between each family member, it would have been nice to hear how they all would have reacted upon finding out who really killed Amanda.


Until next time,
OMPP

Another fabulous read! This fast-paced mystery will keep you wondering right to the end. Family drama, past and present stories all bring you back and make you long for summer camping.

This is the first book that I have read by Catherine McKenzie and the story was interesting. It was well paced and kept me turning the pages.

The plot had me intrigued and entertained, and the mystery of who hurt Amanda all those years ago kept me guessing. I suspected a couple of the family members at different points in the story, but by the end, the final reveal came as a surprise.

The chapters were told from multiple perspectives, but I didn't find it confusing or unnecessary. I enjoyed getting the point of view of each MacAllister family member, and trying to uncover who might be hiding what, who was telling the truth, and who was keeping secrets. The story had good character development, build up, and drama.

All in all, I enjoyed the suspense of I'll Never Tell and I'd be happy to read more work from McKenzie in the future.





**Complimentary copy for review provided by Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.**

A twisted tale of secrets and lies between brothers and sisters that unravel after the sudden death of both parents.

It's a quick read, kept me up late a lot of nights anxious to find out what happened next (but not necessarily in a good way). I found the narrative interesting, switching back and forth from each character as the story unfolds. I think I would have preferred reading this in book format over e-reader, because I wanted to flip back and forth in the story occasionally. And I think maybe I missed something in the beginning about creepy Sean and his mother, but it was too hard to find in the digital format.

I am definitely a fan of Catherine McKenzie, having previously read "Spin" and "Arranged", but I sadly didn't connect with this book and its characters.

For starters, it's only 3 months after the sudden/tragic death of both parents in a train wreck, but not really any fond remembrances or grief from their children the first time they are all together since the funeral? Even though they come to discover that their Dad had been "investigating" them over the past 20 years, they really had no reason prior to this discovery to not grieve their parents. Hardly any reference to their mother, who just apparently just floated through their camp lives taking photographs.

I get that the accident involving Amanda Holmes at the camp back in 1998 scarred them all for life, and left them all detached and stuck in the past...but still...

And yikes, is this what camp life is really like? It's portrayed as an essential coming-of-age experience, but I guess I just kept seeing it from a parent's point of view and was horrified and uncomfortable with everything that happened under this family's watch.

I don't want to give away too many spoilers, it is an entertaining story, but I guess it was a little far fetched for me and the characters too unlikable, so I had trouble buying into it.

20 years ago there was a terrible accident at the MacAllister’s family summer camp that no one was ever held accountable for. Now all five of the MacAllister siblings are back at Camp Macaw and the past has resurfaced in a big way. Not only is this a captivating mystery but it is also about family dynamics and secrets. I loved the character development throughout this story, I felt like I knew everyone so well - and I was suspicious of almost all of them at different parts of the story. I never was able to correctly guess the guilty party either. I read a lot of mystery/thrillers so when I am stumped it makes me very happy. This is another great summer read to add to your list!

The grown MacAllister children will come together again at the summer camp that their parents owned for a memorial for their parents who died in a tragic accident. They will also hear the reading of the will. Ryan, the only son, Margaux, Mary, Liddie and Kate the four sisters all arrive at the camp unsure of what will happen. Not only have they lost their parents but the presumed death of their friend Amanda some twenty years ago will also come back to haunt them. Along with Sean who has been a part of the family and still lives at the camp, they will have to face their fears, their insecurities and their faith in their family over the next few days. The story twists and turns until the very last page as you wonder what really happened to Amanda and how each of the MacAllister children played a part that horrible night.
I absolutely loved this story and the way that Catherine McKenzie wrote each character. The story mixes in present day and back in time to that tragic night so long ago. The story is told from the view point of each character along with Amanda’s story. I found it riveting trying to unravel the mystery along with the characters in the book. This is the first book I have read by Catherine McKenzie but it definitely won’t be the last. Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review.

Catherine McKenzie is one of my favourite authors and I was excited to be able to read her newest book. I read the book in two days, I couldn't put it down! I loved the setting of the summer camp and the fact there was more going on than what appeared on the surface. Even as little pieces of the story were revealed throughout the book, I was kept guessing until the end about what actually happened to Amanda Holmes that night twenty years ago at Camp.

I will highly recommend this book to any library patron and have written a teaser for the book for my library's blog.

3.5 / 5 stars

I'll Never Tell is a mystery/thriller. This is my second book by this author (I previously read The Good Liar).

The book is set at a camp in Quebec. The story is about five siblings and them getting to the bottom of something that happened to a 17 year old girl twenty years before. The book has six 3rd person POVs in the present (the 5 siblings plus the camp groundskeeper). There are also some chapters set twenty years before from Amanda's 1st person POV (she is the 17 year old girl).

The siblings are: Ryan, Margaux, Mary, Kate and Liddie. The groundskeeper is Sean.

Usually I am not a big fan of so many 3rd person POVs. But in this case it did not bother me. As the POVs were very organized. I didn't really enjoy Sean's chapters. But I found myself very interested in all of the siblings' POVs.

The siblings return to their family's camp for the reading of a will. I found what was mentioned in the will to be very intriguing. And I liked seeing various groupings of people try to figure out what happened all those years ago. Plus most of the siblings had interesting secrets, that I enjoyed discovering.

Overall, this was an interesting mystery. But I would have preferred if there had been more characters that could have been guilty.

This book had me sitting on the edge of my seat chapter after chapter. At the end of every single chapter I was left with so many questions! This was such a quick read and I really enjoyed this book. I am excited to read more books by this author. I loved her writing style. This is a story about siblings that go back to their families camp to hear the will of their deceased parents. Previously there was a tragedy at this camp that was never solved. This story is told in multiple perspectives which I loved! I highly suggest reading this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've always loved Catherine McKenzie's romance novels but I'm glad I was able to read and review I'll Never Tell.

It was really good and kept me sucked in all the way through. The plot twists and all the secrets that came out just made it for me.

I will continue to pick up Catherine Mckenzie's novels, and more of her thrillers.

This is one to check out and keep on your radar.