Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC of I'll Never Tell.
I am a sucker for bad seed books, and that is what this appears to be from the start. Without giving too much away, this novel shines in its own light and glory while having you think you have it figured out I dare for you not to be moved by the story of Alessia her past.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc of this book. I enjoyed this book and thought the characters, while not likable, were good. The story was interesting and easily led me down the wrong path! I did wonder about some things, like why did the husband have no idea about her past? Maybe I'm idealistic but keeping big secrets from a spouse seems wrong. Why was Harriet so slow in the end to intervene?
The writing was good and kept me reading, first to prove my theory was right, then to find out what happens! 3.5 stars rounded up to four.

YES!!!!! This was a page turner! I was reading late into the night needing to know how this was going to end!

This is my first book by the author. Very eager to see what other books are available from Amazon

My first book by this author and I must say that I am pretty impressed with the twists peppered throughout the plot.

At the young age of twelve Emma-Jayne was implicated in the murder of her step-father. Despite her repeated pleas that her friend Sarah was the actual culprit, no-one believed her. Now twenty years later, she goes by the name of Alessia, and lives with her doting husband, Carl and adorable toddler, Jacob. But her past seems to have caught up with her, when she begins to receive threatening notes and parcels. Alessia realizes that Sarah is back and that she has to protect her family from her at any cost.

This was a quick read that managed to get me confused a few times. By about halfway through, I thought that I had the story all figured out, instead was pleasantly surprised when the plot twists proved me wrong. The book addresses child abuse, trauma and mental health issues, without going into much detail and yet keeping it as the core theme of7 the story.

The protagonist, Alessia/Emma-Jayne, initially comes across as an unreliable narrator, but as the story progresses, this trait is justified. Harriet turned out to be my favourite character in the book as she is shown to be a compassionate friend and an astute cop. The teeny bit of romance that was depicted at the beginning of was quite cheesy and almost movie-ish, easily becoming my least favourite part of the whole story.

Overall, a quick read with surprising twists. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm writing this in a little under 24 hours after having finished the book. I've needed to wait that long because if I'd had to give an opinion straight away, I don't think I'd have been capable of coherent thought or speech.

'I'll Never Tell' is the first novel by Casey Kelleher that I have read, and it's one that I requested from Netgalley on the expectation that I was going to like it. But I had no idea that by the time I'd reached the final chapter, my eyes - yes, the eyes of a cynical middle-aged man who never cries at anything - would be brimming with tears and that even after I'd dried them, I'd re-read that chapter in amazement only for exactly the same thing to happen all over again.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I should first of all mention the initial three chapters. In Chapter One, a young woman makes a late night visit to her childhood home for the first time in years. Without it being said in so many words, we know that her childhood was traumatic. In Chapter Two, a young girl is being interviewed in a police station but is too traumatised to speak. And in Chapter Three, 32-year-old Alassia is happily married with a young son who means the absolute world to her. Again, without having been told explicitly, we know that the three events are connected. Which is why we feel every ounce of Alassia's terror when a brick is hurled through her window, accompanied by a note 'Found you'.

So, that's not just one hook, but three. All of which found their target. I was loath to put the book down at any point from there, and none of the remaining chapters cut any slack on any of the reels. Issues including child abuse, and mental health conditions including dual personality disorder are dealt with so compassionately and so sensitively that even if, like myself and (hopefully) most other readers, you're made to understand and sympathise. And these issues give the perfect - that's the second time in as many reviews I've used this word, but there's no other that will do - support to the plot as it absolutely nails the 'double twist'.

I'll spare any details to avoid giving away spoilers. But the first revelation is one that I kicked myself for not having seen coming, because the clues were there and it's not the first time I've read about that subject. But after being allowed to think that this is the truth for a further eleven chapters, the reader's perceptions are once more turned upside-down when it's revealed that this is wrong, too. The real truth is worse than we had been allowed to imagine, and yet there is somehow a sense of relief that the character we'd been supporting throughout the book is actually more sane than we'd feared. This, I think, is the reason for my tears at the end: my mind had been blown so much that it knew of no other way to react.

And that's just me, having read what I know is a work of fiction in just a few days. But the characters had become so real that I couldn't help but try to imagine what it must have felt to a young girl to have that happen to her over a lifetime.

My only criticisms of this book are so small, and so irrelevant to my enjoyment of it that I really hope you ignore them. There's the point that, in common with many psychological thrillers, the chapters set in the present and the past are generically titled 'Then' and 'Now'. Perhaps this is very astute to ensure that the book stays timeless, but I think I'd prefer to see actual dates in order to make the story more unique.

There's also one chapter that I felt could have done with just a little bit more work. I quite understood, and accepted that a visit to an important scene from someone's childhood could have the effect of bringing a whole load of previously repressed memories to the surface with sudden, terrifying clarity. But at almost the same time, the person in question had to be calm, focused and 'in the moment' in order to keep someone else out of danger. The effect is to transform a character who had previously been vulnerable - and all the more real to the reader for that - into someone almost superhuman, and it just felt a little bit too much of a stretch.

And finally, there's the point that similar issues - essentially, mental health disorders brought on by intolerable and sustained levels of childhood trauma - are also raised in 'I Looked Away' by Jane Corry. This is a book that absolutely blew me away when I read it a couple of years ago, which means that my memories of it may be slightly rose-tinted. But my recollection is that it is just a tiny bit better.

Is any of this enough to warrant a lost star for 'I'll Never Tell'? Not a bit of it. What I've just done is picked on one single chapter that's maybe 8 out of 10, when the other 47 should all rate 9 or higher. And to be able to compare the book so closely to one of your top 5 reads of 2019 is a bit like saying that your husband is mostly a Brad Pitt lookalike, but that he's not quite as attractive because of a mole on his nose. You'd still be more than happy, wouldn't you?

It remains, then, only for me to offer a huge, massive congratulations to Casey Kelleher and to reveal that I have some more good news. I've just discovered that I have a copy of her other psychological thriller, 'Mine', on my Kindle. I have no clear recollection of how it got there. But I'll definitely be reading it soon.

My thanks to the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book, which I have reviewed voluntarily and honestly. I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

Woah this was one suspenseful, binge-worthy book. I really enjoyed how the story unfolded, switching through then and now chapters and including the supporting characters POVs sporadically. Also, the author did a great job discussing the long-term affects of child abuse and psychological trauma and how it affects ones mental health. Loved the ending!

Reading a Casey Kelleher book means you are in for a gritty gangland crime. Because I don't read blurbs anymore, I was convinced she would take me in this direction again. Boy oh boy was I in for a surprise. She served me a splendid psychological thriller I thoroughly enjoyed. 

How would you feel when your normal, happy life is suddenly deeply disturbed. When the first incident happenes, you sweep it under the carpet and you convince the people around you it's nothing, but deep down you know it's far from innocent. You know the secrets you have been hiding for a long time and you just don't want them to come to the surface.

When you feel the heat being turned up, it's time to act and to put a stop to it, once and for all before it's too late.

From the very beginning I was intrigued and the more I read the more confused I got. What was going on? What was real and who or what should I believe?

A great story. I loved the characters the author created and I felt for what the main role player had to endure.5 stars.

Thank you

This was such a great thriller. Perfectly paced and written to make you feel everything Alessia feels. There’s also some great misdirection and red herrings that keep you guessing throughout. And even you do guess the twist? Well it’s actually just A twist, and you won’t be guessing the next one. This left no loose ends even while dealing with so many threads to begin with. “Unputdownable” is more than apt. I can’t wait to read all of CK’s back listed and future books if this is the type of thriller I’m going to get. Just so well done.

“When I was young my friend Sarah and I did a terrible thing - but it was only me who paid the price.”

Sarah and Emma Jayne spend all their free time at the “fall house”, an abandoned cabin in the woods. One day things go terribly wrong.

Alessia’s has a great life. A loving husband and an energetic toddler. But her past is starting to make itself known and her husband, Carl, is starting to wonder how well he really knows his wife.

Omg this book should definitely be on your list in December. You won’t be able to put this one down. It’s full of twists that will leave you shocked.

So bingeable and juicy. I finished it in a day!! Loved the dark and twisty journey- a solid suspenseful read!!!

Another absolutely fantastic book by a queen that we know and love.
This is gripping and completely captivating! Kelleher has thrown an absolute gem at is with this one!

This is beautifully written, moves at the perfect pace and is just completely fantastic! I have loved it!!

Dark and twisty, lots of creep factor! Loved the characters (or loved to hate some of them) Suspenseful and powerful.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Alessia is happily married to the love of her life, loves being a devoted new mother, and is a good and caring friend. Alessia carries it off fabulously – until the brick with the note smashed through her window.

The unnerving note sets off a series of emotional triggers and a long-buried secret can no longer be kept concealed. The heartbreaking tragedy of her cheerless past; what she tried so hard to forget, returns to confront her. Memories of what Sarah did but Emma Jayne paid for, terrorizes Alessia’s delicate balance and she begins to unravel; slowly at first, then at a disastrous pace.

Alessia must find out how she was found and who has come back to threaten her… but the only person she suspects, disappeared over 20 years ago.

Brimming with intense characters and a storyline loaded with sharp twists, Kelleher delivers some sensitive issues on child molestation, Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and stalking, in a most respectful and refined narrative in her sensational psychological thriller, I’ll Never Tell.

A smashing, outstanding, often emotionally crushing must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for Casey Kelleher’s read of, I’ll Never Tell.

Opinions expressed are my own.

A great psychological thriller that had me gripped from the first page. A bone chilling story that had plenty of tension and suspense,I couldn’t read it quick enough but I also didn’t want it to end. Casey is one amazing author and I highly recommend this book and author.

Thank you to Bookouture and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.
This book is a thrilling, suspenseful story! I couldn't stop read until I reached the end. The author does a great job of building up the story and keeping the reader's attention. I found myself asking "What is going on?" numerous times throughout the story. That's the kind of book I like-always wondering what comes next. I highly recommend this book if you like stories filled with suspense-lots of twists and turns, especially the ending!

My Review:
Wow, wow, wow!!!!! My mind is blown. This has to be one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. This author is new to me so I had no idea what I was walking into when I picked up this book. Boy am I sure glad I did though. The first thing that made me want to read this was the Cover and that wonderful Blurb. I have to say this publisher always does an awesome job with both of those. The Blurb is just enough to make you want to know more but not enough to spoil the book for the readers. Once I got started on this book I could not stop. I read well into the night until I finally couldn’t see the words anymore. It was just that good. Now let’s talk about my favorite part of the book, the ending. I don’t want to give too much away so all I can say is what you think you know, you don’t really know. That is all I’m going to say about that shockingly great ending. It was so dark and twisted but in a good way. That ending is what made this book. Casey Kelleher thank you for being such a great writer and I am looking forward to reading more of your books.

Lastly, the characters, plot, and the ending of this book made this an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend this book and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Allesia is married to Carl with a son Jacob.
Emma-Jane and Sarah who are 2 friends that play together.
A terrible tragedy happens and Emma-Jane is committed to a secure unit until she is an adult. However, as she gets older, things are not what they seem and not as clear as she remembered.
This story was so clever and had you guessing the whole way through. It's definitely one of Caseys best books and I'd highly recommend it.

Oh my Goodness I feel like I’ve been thrown around in my tumble dryer for the last 3 hours!! Casey Kellerher’s second psychological thriller is heartstopping read full of twists and turns and I was glued to my sofa all afternoon reading it! It’s one of those books that you race through because you’re desperate to know what happens but as you near the end, you slow down as you now don’t want it to end! I had no idea when I started I’ll Never Tell just how gripped I would become by this brilliant book but by the end of it I knew that this is the authors best book so far!

When Alessia starts receiving threatening notes and gifts, she knows straight away who they are from and why she’s getting them because many years ago Alessia and her friend did a bad thing…and that’s all you probably need to know about the plot of I’ll Never Tell because I am also NOT TELLING!! This book took me on an emotional and shocking journey with some mind blowing revelations as the narrative took me to places that I hadn’t been expecting to visit. Alessia was a complex character creation, perfectly crafted with a disturbing backstory that didn’t seem to want to leave her alone. As the ending approached I truly didn’t know what to believe until all the threads perfectly knitted together to give a stunning finale to Alessia’s story.

A brilliant 5 star psychological thriller that is one of my December #hotbooks and I can highly recommend getting it on preorder now!

I’ll Never Tell is out on 3rd December and is published by Bookouture.

BOOM! A cracking addictive physiological thriller.
Alessia and son Jacob are home alone when the living room window exploded she was filled with a sense of dread who would throw a brick through it? husband Carl is working away and a piece of brown paper with Found You wrote on, now she is scared bringing everything back to what happened way back then it's something she would rather forget when she was known as Emma -Jane, a new life now that does not include her best friend Sarah and more is yet to come, that will freak her out and will freak readers out too. MPD multiple personality disorder plays a big part in this story that leads to so many twists that I just couldn't put it down, Amazing once again from this author, best friends are forever and for keeps cracking end to the book. Me a Booklover just loved it.

This is my first book by Casey Kelleher so I am not familiar with her other books but she truly has a gift of writing bone-chilling, spine-tingling Psychological thrillers.

The story starts when the main character, Emma Jayne, is just twelve-years-old, and the tragic events that happen at the Doll House with her friend Sarah that changes her entire life forever.

The story does an incredible job of going between past & present and really got you more invested in the story and the characters. Don't even get me started on the twists and turns because they were shocking.

This is a dark read that keeps you on your seat and saying 'just one more chapter!' which of course means just reading the book in one sitting like I did.

An Incredible story and an even more incredible author!

Thank you to Netgalley and Casey Kelleher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.