Thanks to #netgalley and #atriabooks for an early copy of this! This was really exciting, with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing.

Synopsis: Jennifer Barnes, 48-year-old mother of adult triplets, learns that she has an inoperable brain tumor, and has about 6 weeks to live. She is convinced that her estranged husband poisoned her because she refused to grant him a divorce, and desperately sets about trying to prove it with the little time she has left. 

This was a really interesting concept, and it moves relatively quickly as it's told through alternating POVs - from Jennifer herself as well as her three children. I really enjoyed all the daughters and their backstories and relationships (I've been curious about how triplets bond differently than twins!)

I did figure out the ending pretty early on, but it still kept me engaged because enough happened to convince me I was wrong multiple times, and actually learning about WHY it happened the way it did was just as interesting.

My only real negative was that I found parts of it to be repetitive. The same issues keep coming up, and maybe that's pretty true to real life when families are trying to address deep-seeded issues, but it dragged some.

But overall, I'd definitely recommend! This was exciting and also had some interesting takes on a variety of mental health issues.

CW: Cancer, post-partum depression, mental health

This book was so dang twisted! I loved it! I think this is my first Catherine McKenzie, but it definitely won't be my last!

Wow. This book threw me for a loop. I’m usually pretty good at guessing how thrillers are going to end, but this one had me on the edge of my seat. The middle was a little slow going, but it picked up quickly. The intricacies of the family dynamic with Jennifer, the girls, and Jake were so interesting.

When Jennifer Barnes finds out she has six weeks to live, she decides to spend time with her family. She is separated from her husband but has triple daughters who she loves. When she finds out that she was poisoned with lead her first instinct is to blame her bitter ex husband. She tries to tell her family her suspicions but they think her brain tumor is to blame for these thoughts. Slowing over the next six weeks family secrets come out and memories of growing up and family life can be felt and remembered differently.
This book had me glued to the pages. Although I was expecting a mystery this book was so much more than that. It drew me in and made me happy, sad and surprised.

Jennifer Barnes receives the news that she has brain cancer and has just Six Weeks to Live. While at her doctor's office reviewing the results, she also finds that she had high levels of lead in her blood from a blood test a year ago. She's convinced that someone was trying to kill her and enlists the help of her 3 daughters - Emily, Miranda, and Aline.

The story is told from the POV's of Jennifer and her daughters, all of which are very unlikeable. Jennifer thinks her soon to be ex-husband Jake may be responsible since he wants a divorce she won't agree to. If you take some of the unrealistic medical stuff out of the story, I found the story compelling to read. I kept wondering if Jennifer was imagining things, if she did it herself, if her daughters did it, or if Jake did it as she believes. I didn't see the twist at the end coming as it played out and the family drama and secrets were over-the-top. Overall, a good read.

An interesting premise turned into 400 pages of familial bickering and airing of laundry that failed to hold any intrigue aside from possibly finding out if the main character had or had not been intentionally poisoned. When it comes to mystery/thrillers, I don’t hold the bar incredibly high, not because I don’t enjoy them, but because it really has to be particularly cumbersome for me to outright not recommend. Reading this was just an endless stream of eyerolling at the stupidity of each character’s actions, annoyance at the constant attention drawn to the triplet sisters’ differences and individual personalities. The mother was whiny and unlikable and the father was deplorable. Disliking characters in and of itself doesn’t cause me to dislike a book, it’s often a trait of a great writer to cause a reader to feel so greatly in any way about a character, but when the entire cast is difficult, it becomes a challenging read. The unfolding of the mystery itself was its only redeeming quality, with a bit of a twist that, had it been presented differently, could have made a terrific book.

I received an advanced copy of this book from its publisher. The opinions are my own.

First time reading this author and I enjoyed the story. The twist definitely took me by surprise. I did feel some parts were a little repetitive. Everyone in this book has flaws and at times can be very unlikeable and that’s what I loved about the story. No one was truly innocent and it made the story more suspenseful. My heart did go out for Jennifer towards the end. Will definitely read more books by this author.

Slow burn family dramas are not my thing. But there’s something about McKenzie’s writing that really draws me in. This is my second book by McKenzie and I’m glad to say neither have disappointed. She really does a great job of writing twisted, dysfunctional families full of secrets. I really liked how the daughters were triplets, but there was a set of twins plus a fraternal sibling. It was really unique and created an interesting dynamic between the triplets, as well as their relationships with their parents. I had an idea of who it might be, but the why absolutely blew me away. Another great story from this Canadian author. Next on my TBR by her is You Can’t Catch Me and I can’t wait to read it!

I had such high hopes for this book.

I love this author, and the premise sounded so good. But it just didn’t work (for me)…at all.

Jennifer just got the dreaded news. She is dying from cancer. A glioblastoma. One of the most aggressive of all Cancers. She is given six weeks to live.

During this office visit with her doctor (a primary care physician – not an Oncologist or a Neurosurgeon) she discovers her levels of lead in her system are high.

Jennifer believes she was poisoned…which may have led to her brain tumor.

In fact, Jennifer is more focused on finding who poisoned her than on the fact she is dying. Hmmm🤷🏻‍♀️

Ok, here is my mini-rant on why I lacked a connection with this book:

✅I am an RN who works with patients with Glioblastomas every day. The portrayal of her symptoms and supposed decline were far from accurate.

✅The countdown to her death Six Weeks To Live was ludicrous. Nobody has a crystal ball and dies on an exact date given by a physician.

✅ Also, every character in this book was unlikable. Including Jennifer herself.

There are many positive reviews out there. So I am sure I am an outlier island.

I was just the wrong reader for this book!🙋🏻‍♀️

A buddy read with Susanne.

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books.

Predictable and extremely far-fetched, “Six Weeks to Live” by Catherine McKenzie consumed hours of my life that I’ll never get back.

Why the fork did I bother?!

Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer to that question.

Perhaps I found it interesting enough to keep reading. That must be it.

Alas, I am only one reader and there are lots of other reviews out there for this book that are much more positive than mine, thus I urge you to check those out.

This was a buddy read with Kaceey, who sadly, shared (some of) my views on this book.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the arc.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.

Jennifer walks into the doctors office a healthy 48 year old woman and walks out with a cancer diagnosis and a sneaking suspicion that someone poisoned her... but she only has six weeks to prove it.

Six Weeks to Live follows Jennifer and her three daughters as they question relationships and uncover family secrets. This one is said to be “gripping psychological suspense” but I found it to fall a little flat. It’s mostly family drama with a little mystery and it just didn’t blow me away. Maybe if you don’t frequent the genre you might be more into it!

Thanks to Atria books for the #ARC. Six Weeks to Live will be out on May 4.

Catherine McKenzie's "Six Weeks to Live" is a gripping psychological thriller with a most unusual premise. 48-year-old Jennifer Barnes is horrified to be told that she has a brain tumor and only 6 weeks left. Adding insult to injury, she becomes certain that she was poisoned a year ago.

As her condition deteriorates, Jenn's investigation brings all sorts of family secrets to the surface. The story alternates point of view between Jennifer and her daughters. Its resolution was a real shocker, very unexpected!

Wow, an ending I didn’t see coming. I was hooked from the first page and had to know the answers - was she poisoned and if so by who? Family drama with so many hidden secrets and lies, felt very close to real life in many ways. The characters all had their flaws but still felt relatable and human.

I received an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review


Creepy and weird, better than expected twisted family tale. I really enjoyed reading the book but at the same time I wish I had because it was so disturbing. Pick this one up when you’re feeling maudlin and want to be spooked

A huge thank you to Netgalley & Atria books for this eARC of Six Weeks to Live by Catherine McKenzie. This will be published May 4!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I devoured this book! I was hooked from the very first sentence & was fully invested throughout the whole story. This is told from several pov’s about a Mother suddenly diagnosed with terminal cancer & living out her final days with her family & friends. However, she doesn’t think this is all a coincidence. I was skeptical at first but as the story developed, it just worked! I don’t want to say too much about this, but trust me, just dive in and enjoy the ride!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria and Catherine McKenzie for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Synopsis: Jennifer finds out at a routine doctors appointment that she has terminal brain cancer. She has to tell her three triplet daughters: Aline, Emily and Miranda, the news. Even her ex-husband. But, she’s worried someone poisoned her? Who could it be?

Genre: Psychological suspense
Rating: 4.5/5

Ok, I just loved this book! The plot was so unique and I love anything medical! A big plus that the diagnosis of anomic aphasia was explained correctly (my profession!)

I guessed a few of the twists before they occurred but then BAM- a shock!! I wasn’t sure what to but this book outdid itself!

Highly recommend for my medical drama lovers: fans of Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Med, etc! AND anyone who likes suspense/mystery/ thrillers!

Jennifer Barnes , mother of three grown triplet girls and a husband now separated has found devastating news. She has cancer and doctors give her only six weeks to live. She spends the next six weeks trying to find out who poisoned her with lead as she believes this is how the got cancer.
This was a very sad book, with a lot of family secrets that were revealed. A very unique story which Catherine Mckenzie has always written
I do love her books.

”I’m dying. My life has a countdown clock. And it starts now.”

Jennifer is a 48-year-old divorcee, finally dating again. Her triplet daughters, now grown, all live nearby, and her twin grandsons bring her tremendous joy. Her life hasn't been without its bumps and bruises, but things are, overall, pretty good - until she receives a devastating cancer diagnosis and a prognosis of only a few weeks left to live.

”You can’t imagine how differently I would’ve done so many things if I could. But life doesn’t work like that. You’re only given the one chance to do it right.”

Further test results indicate that Jenn's terminal cancer is the result of toxic lead exposure, and she's convinced the poisoning was intentional. Now, with mere days left of her life, she's determined to figure out who is responsible. Early signs point to her ex-husband, Jake, but no one else in Jenn's life believes that he could have done something like this. In fact, no one believes Jennifer at all...

”What’s the point? I think I’m right. You think I’m crazy. But it doesn’t matter, because either way I’m going to be dead soon.”

I went into Six Weeks to Live expecting a twisty psychological thriller, and while there was certainly some of that, it read more like a family drama, taking deep dives into the triplets' relationships with their mother, their father, and each other, and dredging up their past memories & experiences.

”A month ago, if you’d asked me whether I thought I knew my daughters, I would’ve given an emphatic yes. But now, as the layers peel away like discarded clothes after a long day, it turns out that I don’t know them at all.”

The twists that did appear were absolutely unexpected - I would not have predicted where this story was going to go! But, they didn't exactly sit well with me. Without revealing too much in the way of spoilers, it bothers me a little bit when mental illness becomes a plot device, when thriller writers want to throw a curveball with minimal effort. "Ha ha, tricked you with crazy!" Like, okay, you definitely surprised me, I didn't see that coming, but I'd have loved for that topic to be handled a little more delicately than just as a instrument for shock-and-awe.

”Nothing she’d thought was true actually was, and everything she thought could never happen, had.”

I was also really saddened by the way all of these people treated each other. Literally no one in this story is likeable; everyone is beyond awful to everybody else; and I finished the book realizing that I really had no one to root for, which is kind of a crappy way to feel about a book. So, even though it was definitely engaging and kept me on the edge of my seat at times, it was just a lot more depressing than I thought it would be. (And I thought I had adequately gauged the depression-level of this book by understanding that it was about a women dying of brain cancer... Turns out that part wasn't the biggest bummer of all.)

——

Thank you to Catherine McKenzie, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This one fell a little flat to me and I didn't find myself very invested in what was going on. The characters seemed on dimensional and not very realistic. I really enjoyed the twist at the end but the first two thirds of the book didn't grab me. I would have loved more of the moms history when the triplets were little, maybe in the form of flashbacks but then I guess it wouldn't be so much of a mystery in that case. Overall I did end up liking the end but I think the book as a whole wasn't for me.

I’ve been reading such a strong string of thriller/mysteries that I won’t sugarcoat it.. I was disappointed with this novel. Catherine McKenzie is a fantastic writer, and although this story was well written it just lacked the “oomph” of the other novels I’ve read from her (and I guess come to expect).
The storyline was definitely different (although had some aspects I’ve read before). Again, McKenzie is such an effective and talented writer I could visualize the setting and characters throughout the novel.
Perhaps my high hopes of this being a fast-paced thriller was just me being presumptuous. If you go into this novel with the knowledge it is more of a family drama with some secrets and twists, you may enjoy it much more than me.
Overall, this was a quick read that confirmed to me Catherine McKenzie is an author who’s books I will continue to read- no matter what the storyline.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC, I was so glad to receive this for review prior to release!