DNF at 30%

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I struggled all the way through the first third of the book, the plot moved extremely slowly and was not keeping my attention at all.

The premise sounded super interesting so I’m pretty disappointed that the execution wasn’t there.

This thriller set in Yosemite Park is SO good! I devoured this book over the weekend. Every time I thought I had it all figured out, I realized I didn’t actually know anything. The dual timelines took some getting used to, but the way McKenzie uses it to set up the final reveal is just perfection!

I’m so happy to have discovered another Canadian author, and I can’t wait to read more of her backlist.

Highly recommend this book to all thriller lovers (please check the trigger warnings though as there is mention and suggestions of domestic abuse).

HAVE YOU SEEN HER by Catherine McKenzie


Cassie is a woman who is trying escape from her life in New York.

She returns to her previous job with the service and rescue team in Yosemite National Park.

This is the first Catherine McKenzie book I have read but it won’t be the last.

It is told in the then and now format, which I loved, and it had an interesting twist at the end, which I didn’t see coming.

I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to Atria books, Catherine McKenzie, and netgalley for the advanced reading copy .

This book was available June 27, 2023.

This is a multilayered thriller that definitely kept surprising me. The setting is Mammoth Lakes California where Cassie returns to work with Yosemite Search and Rescue. Once there she meets an interesting cast of characters. When a couple she has befriended goes missing it haunts her as it is reminiscent of a similar past search and rescue situation she was involved with. As Cassie is on the run from her previous life and hoping to keep under the radar it is always at the forefront of the story which constantly keeps you guessing. There is absolutely no shortage of suspense in this book. Overall another great book from this author that I highly recommend.

Cassie is leaving her life behind, going off the grid and returning to Yosemite Search and Rescue.
But when her past catches up to her, Cassie finds herself in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

This is a dual timeline story with “then” and “now” chapters. The “now” chapters drop little cliffhanger-thrill nuggets. But the “then” chapters drag out with seemingly endless filler storylines that will all make sense in the end.
This story felt like a mishmash of stories. Like the author had multiple ideas, for multiple books, but at the last minute decided to shove all the ideas into one book. This book was a weird combination of nothing happening and too much happening.

I’m not sure how I feel about a slow burn thriller, but the ending was clever, and did catch me by surprise which is always nice in this genre

this one was good! it takes a lot for me to gasp when I read something and this delivered. I think I was less invested in the entire book until the end though because it seemed a bit underwhelming and unrelated but suddenly had the aha moment and was like omg wait do i love this?!

First of all, thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the ARC.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book because Cassie, the main character, is extremely secretive about herself and her life. She leaves her life in NYC to go work ah the search and rescue at the Yosemite National Park, where we learn her friend went missing years ago. She also seems to be running away from her ex and we don't know why. My problem was that she was so secretive, I could not connect with her enough to care what the secret was. Once it picks up though it has a lot of twists and turns that are unexpected and very good and made it worth reading.

Extra points because the author is from Montreal❤️

A twisty new thriller from a fav Canadian author. If I'm completely honest I loved the setting of this book - Yosemite National Park in California - more than the plot itself (which felt kind of predictable).

Perfect for the summer, the book follows a search and rescue worker who's running from her past and the two women she befriends while working one summer. Told in alternating timelines, not all of the women survive.

Good on audio and great for your beach bag. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars

Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie is a psychological thriller about.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Cassie returns to Yosemite Park, near her hometown of Mammoth Lake California, and begins to work with the Search and Rescue team, just as she had 10 years before.  But this time she is running away from an abusive marriage, and fears that Kevin will find her.  However, she can't escape what happened here 10 years ago either.

Petal, is "soaking up experiences" and journalling, just like her teacher said she should.  She and her partner Sandy are living in an old trailer, and while Sandy works, Petal is watching everything that goes on in the park.

Jada, married to Jim, is detailing her cross-country exploits on Instagram.  They are planning on a lot of hiking trips in Yosemite.


My Opinions:
I may be in the minority on this one, but I struggled with the first 70% of the book -- way, way too long.  It did end up being okay, but....barely okay -- for me, anyway.  And it felt long.

All of this was probably because I didn't like ANY of the characters.  Cassie was too obviously secretive, Petal was too nosy (even under the guise of her writing experiences), and Jada just too needy of attention.  As well, I didn't like the romance angle -- it really didn't fit the circumstances.  Most of the males were just bullies, except Ben -- who was a little too gullible.   I couldn't get behind any of the characters.

However, I did like the way the author used different media to tell the story.  Besides Cassie's version, there was Petal's journals, Jada's Instagram feed, and newspaper articles.  This was done very well.

Overall, it didn't wow me....but as always, I'll try this author again, cause you never know!

Thank you Simon and Schuster for an earc of this book in exchange for my honest review

I loved this book. I finished it in one day because it got me so hooked. I wanted to know more, I wanted to unravel the mystery and I am so glad I did because I did not expect the plot twist. I almost wished the book was longer because some areas did feel rushed and I wanted more information. But otherwise this was a really good mystery book and I will definitely be checking out other books by this author

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I preferred Please Join Us.

My second read from this talented author; this is a twisty, sinister story that cannot help but evoke echoes of the atmosphere and tension of the terrible true-life crime story of Gabby Petito.

With a spectacularly intimate feel, aided by the first-person POV voice of our main protagonist, Cassie Peters (or Adams, or Biggs), this book drops the reader into a world filled with menace and unanswered questions as we observe (but don’t yet understand the backstory of) our heroine on the run, - her many-monikered past only one of a long chain of mysteries the author hints at, surrounding her.

As Cassie surreptitiously travels across multiple U.S. states to land in her summer job, a climber and search and rescue (SAR) team member in the gorgeous (and potentially deadly) Yosemite Park, the pacing continues to build to an almost claustrophobic pitch as, still traumatized from a ten-year-old missing-person case involving a teenage couple that Cassie encountered during her last posting to this very same national park, it looks like the past may be repeating itself.

With the help of her colleagues, including the sweet and even-tempered Ben, the mean-spirited Garett, and her sometimes-prickly supervisor Jenny (with whom Cassie appears to have shared a complicated past), the SAR team handles cases of escalating tension and danger, both to the victims, and to the SAR team themselves. The author appears to have fun dangling a multitude of loose ends until the plot is fully peppered, - never revealing too much, too soon; dropping hints and clues with wild abandon, each of them as maddening and impenetrable as the next.

I enjoyed the immersive pace and pull of this read and was sorry to see it end. Tight, well-written and multi-layered, this story is guaranteed to keep a reader guessing, as the plot builds and winds and doesn’t let up for a second, - right up, in fact, to the doozie of an ending, which this reader came nowhere near predicting.

A great big thank you to the publisher @simon&schusterCA for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

3.75/5

I liked this book a lot. I loved how I wasn’t able to tell what and when the twist would be until it truly happened. I was also not able to get even close to guessing what was gonna happen. Although, I did not like the characters and plot as much. I would still recommend this book especially if you’re getting into thrillers and want something easy and thrilling.

This book follows Cassie, who is on the run from her past and working a job in Yosemite National Park. She becomes friends with some of the other seasonal workers, but soon finds that she isn't the only one running from her past. When some of these friends cross paths, the past begins to catch up with Cassie.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines with this one. It was a mix of POVs, diary entries, social media posts, and video transcripts. It made me feel like I was apart of the detective work of the story. It was a good paced plot and had some really interesting characters.

I enjoyed this one right from the start. The ending felt like a bit of a let down, but overall it was a great read.

Intense, unpredictable, and gripping!

Have You Seen Her is a tortuous, cunning mystery that takes you into the life of Cassie Peters, a young woman who, after fleeing a controlling marriage, finds herself back in Mammoth Lakes, California, working once again for the Yosemite Search and Rescue until the actions and behaviours of two random women trigger the past to collide with the present, long-buried secrets to finally be revealed, and the truth of what really happened on those fateful, tragic days ten years ago to finally come to light.

The prose is taut and gritty. The characters are vulnerable, ruthless, and impulsive. And the plot builds and unravels nicely into an intricate tale full of lies, deception, abuse, desperation, manipulation, coercion, troubled pasts, unusual friendships, scheming behaviours, violence, and murder.

Overall, Have You Seen Her had everything I’ve come to expect in a Catherine McKenzie novel and more. It’s a sophisticated, crafty, enthralling tale that, in my opinion, is a must-read for anyone who enjoys an exceptionally eerie, edgy thrill ride written by a great Canadian writer.

So at first, this book was kind of slow for me and I couldn’t really understand petals writing. But once I got into the book and started understanding this book took my breath away! Absolutely made me sit here being like “wtf”.
4.5⭐️☺️

Thank you netgalley and publishers for a E-copy of this book! ☺️

This is such a wonderful read. My only complaint is that there are elements to it that are a little cliche, but there's only so much you can do with some elements of a story.

Some of the things that I really enjoyed:

-- the way the three POVs were written to make it clear who was talking to us and when
-- not knowing whose the body was or what had happened for a good amount of time in the book
-- the twists throughout (won't go into details to avoid spoilers)

This is a quick read. I would have finished it in one night had it not been for a library book that I needed to get through at the same time. Have You Seen Her is just such an easy and enjoyable read. I didn't quite feel the thriller aspect of it, but definitely the mystery part.

I'm actually giving it a 4.5 stars out of 5. It was just the cliche elements that made me roll my eyes, but again, there's just so little that you can do about them at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance copy of HAVE YOU SEEN HER in return for my honest review.

This is one of those thrillers that will hook you from the very first page, with one of the most captivating first chapters I’ve ever read.

With nothing but a backpack and a burner phone, Cassie Peters flees her life in New York City to start over in her hometown of Mammoth Lakes, CA. But rejoining the Search and Rescue team in Yosemite Park may bring up darker secrets than she left behind in NYC when a couple goes missing in the beguiling mountains.

I LOVE an adventure thriller. This one has it all - breathtaking wilderness, climbing culture, camp fires, bears, and survival.

“It’s deep twilight now, the world fading like a watercolor left in the sun.”
Mackenzie’s writing paints vivid pictures of the devastating beauty of Yosemite. I loved being able to look up the places she captured so perfectly with words - Wild Willy’s hot springs, El Cap, Tenaya Lake, Devils Postpile.

This is a survival story - against the elements, as well as the secrets behind closed doors. With dual timelines that will keep you on your toes, this is a twisty thriller with unpredictable turns.

Did I predict the ending? NO!
Was it realistic? Not really.
It was a clever twist, but as a reader who doesn’t need ALL the answers from a thriller, I found the ending a bit too elaborate.


Read this book if you like…
🤫 Dark past secrets
👥 Missing in the wild plots
🎥 Free Solo
🏕️ Camping
🧗‍♂️ Hiking and climbing
🏞️ Atmospheric novels
🎁 Endings wrapped up in a neat little bow

4.5⭐️ The plot twist was mind blowing! I honestly did not see it coming at all and my jaw literally dropped. It took me about 20% to really be sucked into the story, but once it had me, it didn’t want to let go.
This book also featured all my favourite things: whodunit, multiple POV, dual timelines and story told through other ways such as social media posts and journal entries.

This must be one of Catherine McKenzie’s best mysteries. They just keep getting better and better. Have you seen her touches on domestic violence and a woman’s plan to escape it. I read it in one sitting. It was that hard to put down and far from predictable. Told from both the past and the present, the story has a faster pace to it. There’s an interesting mix of characters throughout the story, including the other search and rescue workers and campers.

I’ve never been to Yosemite, but the way this story is written it’s really easy to get an idea of what it would be like. The author paints an interesting picture of how easy it could be to get lost and the things you could encounter. It really brought the story to life. There’s also elements that touch on real-life true crime that have happened that brought a real feel as well. the story was just a wild ride I wish I could read for the first time again, over and over.

Overall, I think this is a must-read for thriller lovers and mystery fans. It hits all the right notes and is wrapped up really well in the end. It does not leave anything left unresolved.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.