Deeply buried secrets make for a disturbing family reunion in bestselling author Catherine McKenzie’s tantalizing novel of psychological suspense, named one of the Hottest Books of Summer by Goodreads.What happened to Amanda Holmes?Twenty years ago, she was found bludgeoned in a rowboat at the MacAllister family’s Camp Macaw. No one was ever charged with the crime.Now, after their parents’ sudden … crime.
Now, after their parents’ sudden deaths, the MacAllister siblings return to camp to read the will and decide what to do with the prime real estate the camp occupies. Ryan needs to sell. Margaux hasn’t made up her mind. Mary believes in leaving well enough alone. Kate and Liddie—the twins—have opposing views. And Sean Booth, the groundskeeper, just hopes he still has a home when all is said and done.
But it’s more complicated than a simple vote. The will stipulates that until they unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda, they can’t settle the estate. Any one of them could have done it, and each one is holding a piece of the puzzle. Will they work together to finally discover the truth, or will their secrets finally tear the family apart?
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You can never go wrong with a Catherine McKenzie novel. Consistently superb suspense that doesn’t disappoint. Stunning!
Wow. What a tightly woven, intricate story of family secrets and a twenty-year old, unsolved crime. I’ve read most–not all–of Catherine McKenzie’s books, and what I love is that each story is completely different. In this one, there are many moving parts and multiple POVs, but it all works seamlessly, as layers are excavated and each small piece of the puzzle is revealed. I’LL NEVER TELL is the quintessential definition of a page-turner.
Somehow Catherine McKenzie manages multiple points of view, different time periods, the threads of several stories, a great mystery, lovely language, and snappy dialogue in one great read. I never knew where she was going with the story, and I had to finish once I started. I can heartily recommend this one.
Thanks to Lake Union and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.
I’ll Never Tell is a smart and engaging mystery that mirrors Agatha Christie’s method for presenting each developing character as a potential suspect, and with seven characters that’s quite the feat. Plentiful secrets, intriguing relationships, and an eerie atmosphere allow Catherine McKenzie to successfully reach for Christie’s masterful talent as well. I am so excited to see McKenzie’s writing evolve over the years. Check her out and put this title high on your list!
I’ll Never Tell, a psychological thriller narrated in the third person with multiple POVs, is reminiscent of an Agatha Christie whodunit murder mystery. The MacAllister family’s (five siblings) past and present lives unfold as they try to figure out what happened to seventeen-year-old Amanda twenty years ago at camp Macaw?
Margaux, Ryan, Liddie, Kate, and Mary return to camp Macaw, managed by their adopted brother Sean also real estate owned by their recently deceased parents. They’re back after twenty years for the reading of their father’s last will and testament and to honor their parent’s memory. A night they’ve all tried to leave in the past comes back to haunt them after learning of the last will and testament’s stipulation, a condition that could tear them apart or bring them closer. Long suspected by their father of killing Amanda, Ryan can’t receive a share of the property until his siblings vote for his innocence or guilt. If determined guilty, Ryan’s share of the property goes to their adopted brother Sean.
As they try to determine what happened to Amanda that summer night on the lake, family drama, sibling rivalry, and secrets, and suspicions erupt. Using a simple chart to piece together everyone’s whereabouts that night―who did what, where, and when they arrive at faulty conclusions and assumptions made years ago.
Hauntingly, the author adds Amanda, the victim’s voice to recant her unfortunate experience that night to coincide or contrast the other character’s stories. Little by little Amanda reveals what she experienced, a night that should have been memorable, her first sexual experience, turns out to be her last when the assailant takes her life with a fatal blow.
The murderer could have been any member of the MacAllister family. Although evidence suggested one person, the author keeps the reader uncertain as more information arises. The unpredictable ending caught me off guard when the real murderer was revealed.
If you’re looking for a psychological thriller plotted like a whodunit murder mystery filled with suspenseful twist and turns then check out Ms. Catherine McKenzie’s novel, I’ll Never Tell.
Catherine McKenzie has done it again — she has provided her reader’s with a roller coaster ride of a story that will keep the pages turning until the surprise ending. She is one of those rare authors that consistently tells a great story that won’t disappoint her readers.
The MacAllister family is dysfunctional at best – the parents owned a summer camp and all the children have worked there over the years. The children – Ryan, the oldest and only male and his sisters, Margo, Mary, Kate and Liddie are all grown and have their own lives. None of them have been very close with the others throughout the years. After the parents are killed in an accident they are all brought together to the family camp for the reading of the will. Several of them want to sell the land, take the money and run, while others aren’t sure what they want. When the will is read, it isn’t just straightforward. Due to the mystery surrounding Amanda, one of the camp counselors from 20 years earlier, the will is based on what really happened to her. The family realizes that they need to find out who was responsible and start investigating the 20 year old mystery. As the story unwinds, it’s apparent that all of them know a little bit of the puzzle about Amanda but only one of them knows what really happened. Will they be able to work together to solve the mystery or will their suspicions of each other finally tear the family apart? The story takes lots of twists and turns before the surprise ending.
For me, this was a perfect suspense story. While reading the book, I changed my mind over and over about who the guilty sibling was. Just when I was sure it was a certain one, new information would come to light to show me how wrong I’d been. It kept me turning the pages to find out who was responsible for what happened at the camp 20 years earlier.
My one problem with this book is that I didn’t like all of the main characters. I knew that they had secrets but I didn’t like the way that some of them interacted with the rest of the family. But even the characters that I disliked were very interesting and the secrets that they all had made this an exciting book to read.
I’LL NEVER TELL by Catherine McKenzie is a thrilling and suspenseful mystery that kept me guessing right up until the very end. Upon the sudden death of both their parents, the five MacAllister siblings, now adults, are called back to their family’s summer camp, Camp Macaw, for a reading of the will and a memorial service for their parents. When the four sisters and one brother come together, they all have different recollections of their time at camp and in particular of a tragic event that occurred 20 years prior. To resolve their parents’ estate and decide the fate of the Camp, they must unanimously agree about who committed the terrible crime all those years ago and everyone is a possible suspect. What follows is a gripping tale where long-buried secrets and lies are uncovered and ulterior motives are revealed. The story unfolds as each of the main characters reflects on their own version of what happened that fateful night. The author captures the emotions of the characters and the complex family dynamics perfectly. I enjoyed the clever plot and atmospheric setting and highly recommend this riveting book.
When it comes to psychological thrillers, lies and dark family secrets are the very best kind, and Catherine McKenzie handles them both with skill in I’ll Never Tell, a riveting story of siblings linked by long-ago tragedy. Suspicions swirl, and the truth is revealed in steady, page-turning increments that culminate in a whopper of an ending. A smart and surprising story you won’t want to miss.
With its blend of can’t-put-it-down suspense and sharp psychological insight, I’ll Never Tell compels as both whodunit and family drama. As much as I wanted to solve the mystery at the heart of the book, I was sorry to reach the end and say goodbye to the characters—a fascinating, complicated family whose heartbreak, regret, and love leap off the page. This might be my favorite of Catherine McKenzie’s books yet.
Secrets are the coin of suspense, and Catherine McKenzie spends them better than anyone. I’ll Never Tell builds incredible tension in a braid of a family’s past with its present, and what five siblings, set against each other by their father’s last will and testament, will do to secure their future. Twisty and brilliant!
The suspense is riveting on each page of this novel as each one of the MacCallister children come home to the reading of their parents will and find them struggling and plotting to know who will be the one to preserve the family owned land and camp. They learn they have to first solve the mystery of who murdered their dear old friend Amanda whose body was found in a rowboat washed ashore. Each one, Ryan, Kate, Liddie, Margo and Mary could be suspect and have their own shocking secrets they have held onto for years. Jealousy and greed play back and forth and suspicions rise as events bring them closer to the truth of what happened one night. Was it Ryan the oldest who wants to sell and make money, or was it the groundskeeper who has been there all along? Or was it one of the twins who had tales to tell… I was constantly going back and forth and just when I thought I had it figured out the shocking ending came and I was so surprised I think I gasped. This book will keep you up till the late hours, it is truly another amazing book by Catherine Mackenzie, it just might be her best yet. I loved it!
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I don’t know how she did it, but Catherine McKenzie managed to take 7 different viewpoints and make them all clear and unique in the engrossing novel I’ll Never Tell.
What it’s about: The MacAllister children are all grown up and back at Camp Macaw after the sudden death of their parents in a train accident. Now the 5 of them – Ryan the oldest, the twins Kate and Liddie, Mary, and Margaux – all need to hear their parent’s will being read and decide what to do with the camp. Out of all of them, Ryan is the one that most wants to sell, while the other 4 would rather hold on to their parent’s legacy. The groundskeeper Sean who has been at the camp since he was little, just doesn’t want to have to leave. But when the will is read, they find out they are going to have to do more than make a quick decision. In order to decide what to do with the camp, they must first figure out who committed a long-ago crime when they were younger. Margaux’s friend Amanda washed up in a rowboat at the camp with a blow to the head, but no one was ever charged with a crime. The siblings are all hiding secrets from that time, and any of them could have done it. . .
I have to say that I have really enjoyed every McKenzie book that I have read so far. She really knows how to craft a story, and she is adept at giving characters unique voices, even a bunch of them, while not confusing the reader. There is a grand total of 7 viewpoints in this book so you would think it would be confusing, but they all felt very clear to me and I was able to picture each character individually.
I love the route that McKenzie takes with exploring family dynamics in I’ll Never Tell. I found it really interesting to read about a family of 5 siblings, especially when they all have things to hide from each other. She really brought their stories to life in this book as well as the setting at the camp. I think this would make an excellent beach read with the camp setting, plus the mystery and family dynamics make for very beach-appropriate reading.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Let You Down by NF
Final Thought: If you are looking for a fast read, I’ll Never Tell is going to be a good one. Even though it has over 350 pages I was able to read it in about 4 hours and 15 minutes. It has taken me much longer to read shorter books so I think that is a testament to how great the flow is in this book. The 7 perspectives made everything go quicker as well, and there was a fun table that I hope makes it into the finished copy. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and as always, I am looking forward to reading many more books from McKenzie!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Told from multiple points of view, I’ll Never Tell is the story of family secrets, lies and betrayal, of the past getting mixed up into the present, of denial and deception. It’s been a very long time since I stayed up well past my bedtime to read a book, but McKenzie captivated me with every page. And while I didn’t figure out every twist in the tale — and certainly not the ending (as I often do) — the clues were fair, square, and totally there. A must-read for anyone who loves to unravel a mystery with a bit of suspense.
Multi-layered family drama. Everyone has at least one secret but when families reunite, how many are spilled? And who’s responsible for the tragic end of a friend. For anyone who loved camp when they were growing up, this is a behind-the-scenes of one family who are inextricably linked to this place. They are required to expose the secret of who hurt Amanda and why over the course of a weekend. There are many secrets and lots of drama.
Catherine McKenzie has a suspense filled….page turning….dark secrets book with a deeply flawed family of characters that I just had to figure out. If that’s possible! Each character has their quirks and hidden secrets upon hidden secrets that, as siblings and camp workers, they had no clue what each other was hiding. As secrets start being exposed, the doubts and suspicions start escalating. It seems even the deceased father was suspect. “There was always drama when the MacAllisters were around.” The story has the question of “happened to Amanda in 1998”? Who was with her last? Who is responsible? Who isn’t telling the truth and who is? Who saw what?
The story concept of each chapter is from the POV of a different character. I liked, also, that there were chapters from Amanda’s POV in 1998 and the events that led to what happened that night. I would think I had this mystery solved and had my suspicions of who did what…just to have it blown out of the water in the next chapter. I had to keep turning the pages, keep reading, and keep pondering how they kept things hidden from each other like they did. I was totally shocked by the ending!
I enjoyed this book so very much and want to thank Lake Union, Netgalley and Ms. McKenzie for the ARC of this book. Totally a 5 star read for me!
I was always told “What happens at camp, stays at camp”. How true!
This is an incredible suspense, mystery and family story.
It takes place at a camp, where a memorial service and the reading of the will are planned for the two people who owned and loved this beautiful refuge. Their five children all grew up in this environment and will attend.
There will be friends and of course the “lifers” who loved the camp summers and want to rejuvenate the memories of their younger days.
But… This book is OH so much more!
There was a terrible crime twenty years ago, that still needs to be solved.
The twists and turns forced me to read well in to the nights.
Each character is keeping secrets, slowing being revealed as the story unfolds.
I had no idea who was responsible for this mystery until the last chapter.
Anyone who has worked at a camp or has been a camper, will find this is spot on!
My own memories of working, swimming in the cold lake and the scents of the woods, dining room, and art room all came flooding back!
Excellent!
I’ll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie is an interesting, twisty story with a plot that drew me in quickly, as I’ve come to expect from her books.
I was surprised by the ending and at the many secrets that were divulged as I read. This was a good examination of family life, sibling rivalries and the way someone that’s done some pretty terrible things can still manage to hide in plain sight. Just another normal person like the rest of us, except they aren’t.
While the story was very good and I enjoyed the secrets and seeing how and why something happened to Amanda, I will say that most of the characters were hard for me to like or care for. I’m not sure why, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book in the way that unlikable characters usually do. Maybe it was me, who knows?
I’d definitely recommend this story for anyone that enjoys mystery, suspense and/or family drama. It will keep you turning pages long into the night.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for approving my request for an ARC. My thoughts are my own.
Thank you to the author & publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I loved it ! Thought incorrectly twice that I knew who it was, and yet both times I was incorrect ! Original story full of quirky characters. Likable and some not likable. Each character has their own story and their own secrets, but in this book they all come out at once ! I am a huge fan of Catherine McKenzie and her books. If you have not read her yet, you should ! LOVED this book !
Wow! What a great book. This one has twists and turns at every chapter. Just when I thought I knew what I knew, it turns out I knew nothing ! I couldn’t put this book down, reading into the night !
20 years ago, something or someone hurt Amanda !
Each member of the MacAllister family has their own interpretation of what may or may not have happened !
This book is written from each persons point of view and goes back and forth in time, I loved the writing and the personalities of each family member ! A definite must read!
Wow. I had a hard time putting this book down, and now that I’ve finished it, I can’t stop thinking about it.
The setting – an aging summer camp on Labor Day weekend – was absolutely perfect. The sights, the smells, the feelings – all the memories. Even though I’d never been to that camp, I felt it all.
“If you remember one thing from what I say today, one thing about this place, it’s that we learned and grew and tested and failed and succeeded and loved and moved on, touched by what we experienced here in ways we can’t even begin to explain. We have been shaped by it, and that shape is permanent.”
And all those MacAllister family secrets that just kept coming out! Just when I’d think I knew what happened and/or who did it, I’d find out that I was wrong. Because something else would come to light. I did not see that ending coming – though looking back I can see the hints and the clues; I just didn’t know they were so important at the time.
Just, so good! Thanks to Catherine McKenzie, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC. I loved it! And I’m seriously thinking about starting all over again at the beginning and reading this one again…