Cover Image: Six Weeks to Live

Six Weeks to Live

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Member Reviews

This was quite a compelling domestic suspense that was based on an extremely smart and intriguing concept. It was such a unique take on a whodunit that was filled with lots of misdirections and a rollercoaster of emotions.

I also love a good sibling rivalry storyline and this was was bursting with complex characters, jealousy, and dark secrets.

McKenzie did a great job of seemingly implicating everyone and finishing it off with a bang and truly sinister ending...

Would you have what it takes to solve your own murder?!

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Jennifer Barnes, mother of triplets was just told she has six weeks to live. At only 48 years old she’s determined to spend what’s left of her time with her grown daughters and her grandchildren. She then comes to realize that there might be a chance she was poisoned a year prior to her diagnosis. She starts to suspect her husband whom she is separated from.

A quick read with a lot of twists and secrets! I enjoyed the story, but the beginning was a bit slow. After that, it took off and I had to know what was going on. I often didn’t want to stop reading and couldn’t put it down. This was my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more of hers in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Six Weeks to Live is sort of a combination between a psychological suspense and a family drama. This is my fourth book by this author.

The story takes place in Surrey, British Columbia (Canada).

The book is divided into parts (six weeks to live, five weeks to live, four weeks to live...).

The main narrator is 48 year old Jennifer (1st person POV). The other narrators are her triplet 25 year old daughters Emily, Aline and Miranda (3rd person POVs).

Emily is a married medical student with twin sons. Aline is a scientist. And Miranda moved back home and teaches tennis.

It was pretty exciting to read about a main character with the same name as mine. But this book is a bit hard to read at times as Jennifer finds out that she has terminal brain cancer.

This book does have a mystery that Jennifer is trying to solve (which I really liked). But there is also a lot of family drama. There are tons of secrets. It was quite interesting to find out the answers to all of the questions that I had accumulated throughout the book.

I liked Jennifer. And I liked seeing the relationship between her and each child. And the triplet's relationships with each other. And all four women's relationships with Jake (the dad).

Some of the revelations were unexpected. And I think that the author did a good job telling this story. However, I wish that there had been more characters in this book. When there are only 10-11 characters of note then it makes it much easier to figure things out.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read. And I was satisfied with the ending.

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Catherine McKenzie never fails to deliver the psychological suspense in her novels, and she has done it again with Six Weeks to Live. Jennifer has been diagnosed with a terminal cancer, and the prognosis is dire... six weeks to live. And she wants to spend that time finding out who tried to kill her.

Filled with skewed family dynamics, multiple motives and opportunities, and subtle hints that lead the reader through the story like a trail of breadcrumbs, this book kept me guessing. And even when I finally guessed the killer, I did not anticipate the twist at the end. That ending sealed this book for me.

Yes, this review is light on details, because spoilers would be so easy. As a content warning, those people for whom terminal cancer is a factor in life may want to read with care.

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine McKenzie and publisher Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Ah! Great read. Lots of twists and turns that kept me guess right until the end!

A psychological suspense novel focused on Jennifer and her family as she comes to grips with her fatal diagnosis which leaves her with six weeks to live. As she tries to find closure, Jennifer discovers shocking test results. As she struggles to make sense of what she has found, years of family secrets come to light.

Recommended for all. I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for my honest review.

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First and foremost, a large 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.

Emerging with another unique psychological thriller, Catherine McKenzie shows why she is at the top of her her genre. Mixing mystery with real-life situations, McKenzie presents the reader with a story that will surely hit home for many. Recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, Jennifer prepares to live her final weeks with family. However, she comes to discover something odd in a past blood test result and wonders if the cancer might have had some ‘help’ emerging, leaving her to speculate who might have targeted her to die. Another winner for McKenzie fans and those who love books with slowly revealed ‘aha’ moments.

Jennifer Barnes could not have expected the news when she went to the doctor about a series of headaches. Told that she has brain cancer and only a handful of weeks to live, Jennifer tries her best to come to terms with it and make the most of her time remaining. With adult triplets and a few grandchildren, Jennifer is ready to bask in the love they have for her as she wrestles for answers inside herself.

However, among the papers her doctor handed over, there is an old blood test result that denotes a spike in lead levels, something about which she knew nothing. When the doctor’s office has documented proof that they called her for additional tests and she communicated by phone that she wanted a second opinion, everything thinks it has to be related to her forgetfulness and a bout of migraines from last year. Jennifer in not convinced and begins digging a little deeper.

At the time of her aforementioned migraines, her husband had begun asking for a divorce, the next step after he had admitted having an affair and left the marital home. Might he be responsible for the anomaly in her blood test? Could he have wanted to kill her all along?The plot thickens as more is revealed and new layers of the family drama come to the surface.

While Jennifer’s time is running out, she refuses to take it sitting down. She must learn the truth and who has been trying to harm her over the last year. While the cancer progresses and she must make amends with the life she has lived, Jennifer refuses to die before knowing what really happened last May and who within her circle she can truly trust. Chilling and emotional at the same time, Catherine McKenzie keeps the reader guessing until the very end.

I have been a fan of Catherine McKenzie and her work for a few years now, having discovered her books while reading other reviews. Each of her books that I have taken the time to read proves to me that she is the real deal and knows how to spin a tale that will captivate the reader wholeheartedly. This is another stunning piece that seeks to weave a tragedy within a mystery and encapsulate it in a psychological thriller, where the protagonist cannot tell who can be trusted. A stellar piece, if ever I have read one.

Jennifer Barnes plays the presumptive protagonist throughout, offering the reader an insight into her life and how she’s come to have only a few weeks left. Her struggles as a mother, a wife, and a victim of adultery all come to the surface, while she refuses to lay down and let her world come crashing in on her. While she has only a limited time left, she is determined to discover the truth behind her lead poisoning and who could have acted so brashly as to try to kill her. McKenzie creates moments where Jennifer exposes the relationships she has with each of her triplet daughters, her own mother, and the husband who betrayed her, leaving everyone as a potential suspect, even if one name rises to the top throughout.

The collection of secondary characters are, to a degree, not as supporting as one might think. McKenzie’s storytelling is such that all three daughters could share the limelight with their mother and it not be a stretch. There is much to learn about them and their differences, even though they share a birthdate. Deception and duplicity are mixed with moments of compassion, as McKenzie contrasts how each connects with both parents in different ways. The story is richer for it and the twists even more impactful. This is the sign of a really great piece of fiction, where lines are blurred and the reader must decide who to like and hate.

The story itself was fantastic, which might help explain how I was able to read it in a single day. McKenzie tells things in such a clear manner within getting too wrapped up in the frivolous details. There is so much to learn and it comes out in a strong narrative that forges ahead, alongside great character development and quick dialogue. As is McKenzie’s style, there are many twists that the reader might not expect, which keeps the reader on their toes as they push forward to discover the truths that await them. Telling a multi-layered story is not easy, but Catherine McKenzie does it with ease, without revealing too much and letting the reader guess what is to come. I cannot say enough about this piece or the quality of Catherine McKenzie’s writing.

Kudos, Madam McKenzie, for another winner. You hooked me with the opening chapter and I could not stop reading from that point onwards.

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The story was propulsive and I read it in two sittings. Overall, a well-crafted domestic suspense brimming with uncertainty and foreboding that will make you feel glad these aren’t your family members.

I did struggle with the premise relying on a woman's fractured mental health as both a catalyst and plot device for the story as well as the overuse of the word "fork" in place of other language but this could be personal preference.

My first Catherine McKenzie but certainly not my last. She is obviously an experienced writer and I would not hesitate to read another.

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My, Oh My, talk about a page turner. Not in a million years, did Jennifer expect the news that she just received from her doctor. Six weeks, Jennifer was told that that has terminal cancer and she only has six weeks to live. The best thing she can do, is get on top of it. Jennifer needs to tell her family and get all her affairs in order. HOWEVER, why does she keep getting this nagging feeling that something isn't right.
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About a year ago, Jennifer thought she may have been poisoned. Is it possible that this poisoning caused her Cancer? And if so, who poisoned her? Was it her (separated) husband? That seems like the most logical choice but to could also be her new boyfriend? No, he doesn't have a reason too. What about the triplets? Could they have poisoned her?? No, no it must be the ex. Can she prove it though. Talk about a twisted friggen family, like holy. Once I hit the second half of this book, it picked up SO much. I couldn't put the book down and I needed to know who exactly did this to Jennifer. I definitely had my suspicions, but like Jennifer, I couldn't figure out why they did it. When the why was discovered, I was left with my jaw hanging wide opened

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McKenzie is a successful Montreal author of many novels. Previous books include "The Good Liar", "I'll Never Tell" and her most recent "You Can't Catch Me", which has been optioned for television. This new release is another psychological suspense. It features Jennifer, who is the mother of 25-year-old triplet girls and has been separated from her husband, Jake, for several years. The book opens with her being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, most likely caused by high lead levels they had found in her blood a year earlier. she immediately suspects Jake, as he has been hounding her for over a year for a divorce so he can marry his new girlfriend, who is twenty years younger. As she investigates and the family rallies around her, all sorts of secrets come out. This is a great recommendation for fans of the genre. It is a quick, riveting read.

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Wow Catherine Mckenzie has done it again,  I've been a huge fan for awhile,  she's become an auto buy author for me and I've greatly enjoyed everything I've read by her.
Six weeks to live was no exception. I quickly got sucked into the story and was interested and intrigued by the family dynamics and drama through to the end.  The book is told in multiple points of view from the 3 daughters and mom in sections of Six weeks. If you love Highly addictive crazy plot twist endings with added family secrets and drama you need to read this one.

Jennifer is separated from her husband and is denying him a divorce. They have triplet daughters. Jennifer has just found out she has brain cancer and the book unfolds into her last weeks and the secrets that she's held onto finally surfacing. We get view points from each of the triplets on how they deal with the news of cancer and the secrets that unfold along with Jennifer's.

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Jennifer is a 48-year-old mother to adult triplets. After some health concerns that lead her to the doctor she is diagnosed with Glioblastoma. The diagnosis is terminal and she has approximately 6 weeks to live. During this same appointment she discovers she had high levels of lead in her blood a year before. This leads her to believe she has been poisoned and someone has tried to kill her. Jennifer automatically focuses her suspicions on her (soon-to-be) ex-husband. Her daughters doubt their father would do this to her, but if not him, who?

This novel is fast paced and twisty. It is full of family drama, sinister characters and mystery. The story is told from multiple perspectives, Jennifer and her triplet daughters: Emily, Aline and Miranda. In some moments throughout the book the daughters each were annoying and came off unsympathetic, but that added to the unpredictable nature and thrill.

This was an entertaining and unique read which had me on the edge of my seat! The chapters were short and kept me reading “just one more” to find out what would be revealed next.

My first read by author Catherine Mackenzie but won’t be my last!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for a copy of this book.

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Jennifer is a woman who is a mother, grandmother, soon to be ex-wife and has a happy life until she learns she only has six weeks to live due to a malignant tumor. She believes that her tumor is due to elevated toxins from lead poisonings in her bloodstream and she goes on an expedition to find out who would want to poison her.

This book had so much twists and turns and I enjoyed it immensely. Her initial thoughts on her dying is so human like as the 5 stages of grief set in. Her daughters were annoying for most of the book and I didn't find most of them compassionate or empathetic but that just shows how the author was able to characterize properly
All in all, I would give this a solid 4 out of 5.

*Thank you to Netgallery and Simon and Schuster Canada for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

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A woman is told she has cancer and only six weeks to live. She also discovers that someone may have poisoned her.... I found this book fast paced and the countdown really keeps pulling you through. The multiple point of views were easy to follow, kept the plot going; and kept you guessing. I really enjoyed this book with its imperfect characters and their flaws showing. I've only read one other of Catherine's books and will definitely read more.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you Simon & Schuster, Catherine McKenzie and Netgallery for an advanced electronic copy of this novel to read in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be published on April 20, 2021.

Brief Synopsis:
Jennifer is given the news that she has 6 weeks left to live after a diagnosis of a brain tumour. If that isn’t hard enough to hear, Jennifer starts to have a suspicion that this was the result from someone poisoning her. Was it her ex who wants a divorce? And can she convince her daughters to help her find out before her time is up?

My Thoughts/Opinions:

I love it when books have a ‘countdown’ sometimes because I’m the type of person that NEEDS to know what’s going to happen. I’m impatient as hell, I’ll admit it LOL.
The story was written from multiple characters throughout the novel as well as breaking up the timeline into ‘6 weeks left’, ‘5 weeks left’, etc. The novel made it feel like you were the detective while reading it, as you try and figure out who the killer was…or if there even was one?!
The family is full of drama, which kept you hooked as well!

This is the first book I’ve read by Catherine McKenzie and would look forward to her future ones as well!

I will be posting this on my instagram handle, @brindlebooklover, closer to the publication date!

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Imagine finding out you have only six weeks to live while also believing someone else has caused this. This is the predicament Jennifer finds herself in when she is diagnosed with brain cancer. Rather than spend the little time remaining living her life she gets fixated on the fact that she believes someone, namely her ex husband, set out to poison her.

Jennifer has three adult triplets born as a set of identical twins and one fraternal twin. As children they garnered the spotlight in the media for their rare birth and were offered commercial spots and trips to Disney World. When a set of quintuplets were born a few years later, the spotlight dimmed on the three sisters. It was also around this time that the girls were sent to live with their grandmother Bea for six months while Jennifer recovered from an illness. Now adults, the siblings are brought into the puzzle of their mother’s diagnosis.

I really enjoyed this book and was impressed with the author’s ability to give each sibling a distinct voice. The pace was steady with no real climaxes but still satisfying. The chapters are uniquely named after song titles which I thought was very clever. The culmination and ending were not shocking but the why was interesting.

In the beginning of the story there is a brief mention of some of the horrible side effects of brain cancer including difficulty finding words and personality changes. I expected to see the symptoms increase throughout the story but they seem to have been forgotten a bit and only came about in some scenes of self doubt. I was expecting personality changes to be part of the main plot and possibly the twists, if you will, but this is not what the author chose to do.

This book could be very triggering for individuals dealing with cancer, post partum depression or significant mental health difficulties. I don’t want to be too specific as it would spoil the story some.

Overall I was very happy to have read this book which I devoured over a couple of days. The writing quality is superb and I would not hesitate to recommend it to others.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonschusterca for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Six Weeks to Live publishes April 20, 2021.

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Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine McKenzie and Simon & Schuster Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what exactly I was getting into with this one since the main character is going to die in six weeks, but there is so much story to play out before that. There were way more twists in this one than I would have thought and you suspect all the members of her family. I think I suspected everyone at one point, including the main character herself. I really enjoyed the many perspectives and trying to figure out who the culprit was before she dies. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending that I never saw coming! Definitely one I would recommend.

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I'm so glad I got an e-arc! Catherine McKenzie never fails to disappoint. This is my third book by her and probably my favorite. The story keeps you guessing all the way until the end and has so many twists, you don't see them coming! I mean that in a good way; the twists and ending weren't confusing or unrealistic. Would highly recommend this book and author to mystery thriller lovers.

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Catherine McKenzie is an author I really like and so it's no surprise that I liked this book and flew through it! I found it very fast paced and read this over two days.

The story is about a woman who finds out that she has a terminal brain tumor and only has six weeks left to live. She decides to spend the majority of her time with her three grown triplet daughters. Through some routine appointments, she finds out some results to a blood test that led her to believe she was poisoned a year prior, therefore leading to this cancer diagnosis. Is it all in her head, or does someone really want her dead?

This story was quite sinister and had a fair bit of family drama, which I enjoy in a book. The sisters were kind of bitchy and all had very different relationships with their mom. I had a few theories while I was reading and at a certain point I did have the ending figured out. The fact that I was able to figure it out didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. As someone who reads alot of thrillers/suspense novels this one was mildly predictable and didn't have a huge, dynamic twist. But it was still a great read and gets four stars from me! I will continue to read books from this author!

Special thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for my review copy.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read Six Weeks To Live

Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cover Ratting : 🌟🌟🌟 💫
Genre: Mystery/ Suspense

Jennifer has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has 6 weeks to live. She also realizes that the cause of her cancer seems to be related the lead poisoning she suffered from the previous year. But who poisoned her ? Is she right to think that it’s her husband who has been pushing fir a divorce ?

✔️ a slow burning family drama shrouded in mystery and suspense
✔️ The family dynamics were quite interesting. Especially the triplets - where two were also identical twins . There’s not one likeable character in this family, but you still want to find more about them.
✔️✖️ I liked the ending, but I am not a big fan of final chapters/ epilogues that tell me exactly what happened.

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Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Catherine McKenzie for a copy of SIX WEEKS TO LIVE.

This book is a fast paced psychological thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed! The characters are well built and described. The plot is easy to follow without being predictable. This book was a great quick read when I needed a change of pace. Catherine McKenzie will now be a writer I look for to add to my shelves!

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