"People lie for all kinds of reasons."

This isn't a bad seven-sentence teaser for Catherine McKenzie's thriller, I'll Never Tell. It's a story driven by secrets and lies. After the sudden death of their parents, the McAllister siblings return to Camp Macaw, their family's summer camp on a lake in the Canadian woods. They are there to learn the contents of their father's will and to host a memorial for their parents for the camp alumni.

The camp has a complicated past. One summer, twenty years before, there was a brutal attack on a counselor. The perpetrator was never discovered. In his will, their father reveals that he was never sure if his only son Ryan, was responsible. In order for a decision to be made about the future of the camp, all four of Ryan's sisters must agree that he is innocent. If they don't, the will states that Ryan's share of the camp will pass to a longtime employee, Sean, who has secrets of his own. There's plenty of sibling drama simmering below the surface.

I'll Never Tell is an Agatha Christie-esque mystery, where basically everyone is a suspect and there are plenty of red herrings. One challenge with this kind of set up is giving us enough information about all of the characters that they seem believable and equally interesting. I wasn't as invested in all of their back stories equally. Granted, the family is pretty damaged, so I don't think you're meant to really like the characters much. I did enjoy the sections "told" from the perspective of Amanda, the counselor who was attacked. This structure added suspense and another angle to the mystery. The summer camp setting is appealing and well-drawn, and it's not something I've come across in an adult mystery before. All in all a solid thriller that would be fun to read on a summer weekend, lounging in a Muskoka chair on the dock.

I was unsure of this one at first, as I was looking for a thriller that was nerve-wracking and the beginning was slow, but this camp-set thriller by Catherine McKenzie pulled through and delivered a final blow that shocked and disturbed me. In a good way!
I received this as an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley and I really appreciate getting to read this before its release date tomorrow.
The beginning was slow, as I said before, but not crazily slow for the amount of characters that each have their own perspective as they come together to read their parents’ will and hold a memorial over the weekend.
After the necessary exposition that grounded every character, the reveals started almost immediately. This was a reveal-heavy book, with a small reveal almost every chapter. Lengthwise, this book was the perfect length and was evenly split between two parts, with a giant reveal at the end of every one.
The best part about the book was the sections in the perspective of the victim of a horrific crime that occurred 20 years prior at the camp that their parents ran. The story from her perspective was haunting as she recorded the events leading to the crime.
None of the perspectives can be trusted as more and more is revealed about each persons involvement in the events leading up to and after the crime. Along the way the characters also reveal aspects of themselves, slowly but surely, revealing characters steeped in shadow. I thoroughly enjoy unreliable narrators and these were some of the best I’ve seen. Their family motto and the books title is “I’ll never tell” for a reason!
Everything in this novel was fantastic, I can’t think of anything I didn’t like: plot was fast-paced, setting was creepy, characters were interesting. I am now eagerly awaiting any new releases from this great author.

5 stars.

Catherine Mckenzie is an amazing storyteller. Her novels are always full of twist and turns, and you never know how it is going to end (no matter how much you try to guess) I'LL NEVER TELL does not disappoint.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon&Shuster Canada for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

My seventh Catherine McKenzie read was eagerly anticipated and did not disappoint. When the five McAllister children gather at their family camp for their father's memorial service and will reading, they are startled by his reference to the 1998 cold case of a murdered teenage girl. Pointing the finger at his only son, Ryan, the four sisters are left to decide whether or not they have been living beside a murderer all these years. But is it a far reach that Kate, Liddie, Margaux, or Mary may also be guilty? Or is it possible that long time employee and McAllister wannabe, Sean, is the culprit?

Told through the eyes of all six characters in the present and flashing back to the victim's final hours, Catherine McKenzie weaves a suspenseful tale. Although I read it in one sitting, I do find myself taking one star off for a few elements of the storyline that slowed down the storytelling. I won't delve into specifics since that would be spoilerish.

Add this to your beach reading list !

Publication Date: 04/06/19
Goodreads Review 01/06/19

This is a great suggestion for a summer mystery read. Set at a summer camp, 5 grown siblings have reunited and are forced to try to figure out what happened to a friend 20 years ago. She was found washed up on shore with a gash on her head and despite an investigation no one was ever charged with the crime. It is a book I will be happily recommending to my customers.

I'll Never Tell was an easy to read mystery that kept my attention. Rounded up from 3.75. This is my first book by McKenzie, but based on this book and the comments of others, I will definitely read more of her work.

Twenty years before, something terrible happened to Amanda Holmes at summer camp. Following the death of their parents, the McAllister children have returned to the run-down Camp Macaw to hear the reading of their father's will. The property is worth millions, but they will need to figure out what happened to Amanda in order to decide who should share in the inheritance. The story follows the siblings over a three day period as they try to uncover what happened to Amanda and we also have flashbacks to what happened twenty years ago.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster, the author, and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

“Why the hell did he come over here?”
“You know why.”


My favourite read so far this year! I read this book a little over a week ago and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Catherine McKenzie, one of my favourite authors, crafted a perfect story, centred around the mystery of what happened to Amanda Holmes twenty years ago at Camp Macaw, a summer camp owned by Mr. and Mrs. MacAllister.

“Three simple words. Her family’s motto.
I’ll never tell.”


There was definitely an element of mystery around “what happened that night” but what really hooked me for this book was the dysfunctional family dynamic. The MacAllister siblings, Ryan, Margaux, Mary, Liddie and Kate, along with the camp caretaker, Sean, were back at camp for the reading of Mr. and Mrs. MacAllister’s will. Each of them had their emotional walls up, holding on to so many secrets – secrets that kept them at a distance from one another.

“If Liddie wrote a biography of her childhood, it would be called Nothing Was Ever Mine.”


I really enjoyed the way the story was told, revealing just enough information at a time so that your mind could speculate on potential theories about what had happened and why. It was fun trying to work it out as more and more pieces of the puzzle were filled in, keeping me turning the pages quickly to find out what happened next. But mystery aside, my favourite parts of the story were in getting to know each of the characters and their journey to the current moment in time.

“Why was his existence always such a surprise?”


I came away from reading this story, shaking my head and thinking about just how much harm well-intentioned secrets could cause, no matter that they came from a place of love. It made the story feel almost like a tragedy and the mystery surrounding Amanda, though always in everyone’s peripheral vision, often took a back seat to everything the MacAllisters and Sean were going through.

Similar to other favourite books of mine, such as Everything I Never Told You and Crow Lake, this story left me feeling emotionally rung out but totally satisfied. Simply put, I loved it.

Well that was certainly a great ride!
This book was highly addictive. I had trouble stopping for sleep and nourishment.
Being human is sometimes a hindrance.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fantastic summer read!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this story. Itcwas about a family that owned a summer camp. This family kept many secrets from each other, or at least they thought they did. Then something happened one summer, and 20 years later, the mystery has still gone unsolved. One of the girls has been brutally attacked and lays in a coma for all this time. Now the family that owned the camp, their parents have died. Their father has stipulated in the will that, whoever hurt this young girl, was one of them, He suspects his son. So his sisters have to decide if he should inherit with them or not. And so begins the unraveling. Your in for a ride. I would rate this 3.5 out of 5.

This is my second book that I have read from Catherine McKenzie and it definitely did not disappoint. I was kept intrigued and hooked from chapter one! I loved the narration switching between all the siblings and the added chapters in Amanda’s point of view. I enjoyed that the author added in the timeline as I felt it gave us readers a way to keep up with the comings and goings of all the characters involved.
I enjoyed the setting at the camp. I liked how the story came full circle.
I will definitely be recommending this book to all my friends who enjoy a great mystery!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of I’ll Never Tell in exchange for an honest review.

This was an intriguing book that I didn’t want to put down. At the same time, I feel like nothing happened. I read this so fast because the characters were compelling, the dialogue kept me engaged and the atmosphere was amazing (it maybe helps that I live close to where the fictional setting is located). However, I was left a bit disappointed by the mystery, I guessed it too soon and I just wanted to see how they were going to handle all that, but the ending was too easy, in my opinion, and a bit underwhelming. I still recommend it if you like thrillers, specially set in nature/camp, because the writing was great and I couldn’t put it down.

For some reason i adore books where the setting is a summer camp and this one fit right in. It was fast paced and the characters were fantastic. The story line was also great. I could not put this book down. I did find the "killer" a bit predictable but when you have a such a small pool of suspects that happens, it did not dampen my enjoyment of this book.

A good read. A family gathers at their old summer camp to hear their parents 'will. They must solve an old mystery and sort out their relationships to co.do to a conclusion. Recommended.

I’m a bit hot and cold with Catherine McKenzie’s novels. I’ll Never Tell was not my favourite. Five adult siblings are called to return to the children’s camp owned by their recently deceased parents to hear the reading of their parents’ wills. This takes them back 20 years to an unresolved tragedy at the camp. Over a period of three days at the camp — with lots of flashbacks — the mystery is resolved. I liked the setting — a camp in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. But overall I didn’t find myself particularly taken by the story. The characters weren’t particularly likeable and the mystery wasn’t that intriguing. I won’t give up on McKenzie because I have liked some of her previous books. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

I'll Never Tell is the MacAllister family motto. Each sibling is holding onto secrets and lies in order to protect themselves and to protect each other. When they are all forced back to the summer camp where they all spent their childhood summers, they must come to terms with what happened at this camp over 20 years ago.
Very suspenseful and keeps you hanging right to the very end. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a little bit of mystery and suspense.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Its no secret that i'm a fan of Catherine McKenzie so when I heard she had a new book coming out the beginning of June i knew i had to get my hands on a copy to read.
I'll Never Tell,  McKenzie's newest book did not dissappoint it had me hooked and interested in the story since page one.  The story takes place at a camp that was owned by the MacAllister family that a tragic event took place at. The 5 MacAllister siblings have all come back to the camp 20 years after the tragedy for a memorial of their parents and to decide as a family unit what will happen to the camp. First they need to determine what happened the night of the accident and who is to blame. As they are uncovering the pieces of that night twists and turns kepr poping up. It was a wild ride, i kept thinking i knew who the culprit was. However McKenzie had me again with an ending i didn't expect and a family creating a much bigger bond then when they first arrived back at camp Macaw.
This is definitely a book you'll want to add to your summer reading list! Definitely 5🌟

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster Canada, Simon &Schuster and netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review


You can also find my review on Instagram www.instagram.com/teatime_with_a_book and goodreads

Every family has a secret, but maybe not as big as this family. Who was the last person to see amanda ? Are they the ones who hurt her? What exactly did the twins see? Was it Ryan after all? All these questions are ones that I asked myself throughout this whole book. Family secrets are secrets you take to the grave with you, but when the will is brought out the Macallister children have to remember back to that night Amanda was hurt and try to put everything into place. Chapter after chapter we get to see exactly what everyone was doing leading up to that night. Who seen what and how it has damaged their family all of these years. Everyone thought they were keeping a secret for eachother but no one actually knew the truth. When the actual person was revealed I was shocked. I didnt see it coming at all. It took me by surprise and I loved it. Everytime I thought I knew which family member did it I was proven wrong. That is the kind of book I enjoy.

This is the first book in this series that I have read, but it won't be the only one. Catherine McKenzie has crafted a masterful story full of twists and turns. The wonderfully developed characters continually provide surprises as the story unfolds. I couldn’t put this unpredictable novel down until the very last page. Definitely a five-star effort Catherine!

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine McKenzie, and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I love Catherine McKenzie soooo much! I've read 4 of her books and this one is unputdownable too!

The story has multiple characters, and goes between past and present. It could've been complex to read, but it was like watching a movie. It's a simple comparison, but I would've been sitting at the edge of my seat and biting all my nails for 2 hours if this book was a movie. Instead, I did exactly that for 4 days!

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the early e-copy of this book through NetGalley.

This psychological suspense novel revolves around an unsolved incident at a summer camp and a disturbing family reunion 20 years later.

20 years ago:

Amanda Holmes was found bludgeoned in a rowboat at the MacAllister family camp. What really happened to her that day and why was no one ever charged with the crime.

Present time:

After the death of their parents, the siblings return to the camp for the reading of the will and to settle the estate. But the will stipulate they need to unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda before they can inherit.

My thoughts:

“I’ll Never tell” unwraps its mystery drop by drop and lets you wonder till the very last page how deeply buried is the family secret…..It is told with deftness and surety as we are placed in the middle of the family drama. Grown up the siblings fight as they did as kids and while they reminisce their time at the camp years ago we feel part of the scenario. The story goes back and forth from one sibling to another, from secondary character to another, from the present and in flashback to the pass. This may seem a bit confusing at times and may be hard to keep everyone in place, since each brings a different perspective and more secrets. But the excellent narrative, the driving force here that pushes the plot forward and eventually everything meshes nicely and falls into place…as results I never guessed who was behind….what a satisfying ending.

I have to admit, at first I found this story way too slow and somewhat boring but I fast changed my mind as the story progressed. I was deeply into it mid-way and found it hard to put it down since I wanted to know what really happened to Amanda. Those tidbits of information just kept me going…nicely done.

“I’ll Never Tell” is a gritty mystery that kept me guessing and wondering till the very end. This latest has to be Ms. McKenzie’s best so far.