When the game is deception, nothing is as it seems in this novel of cunning psychological suspense by the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of I’ll Never Tell.Do you want to play a game?Twelve years ago Jessica Williams escaped a cult. Thanks to the private detective who rescued her, she reintegrated into society, endured an uncomfortable notoriety, and tried to put it all behind her. Then, at … tried to put it all behind her. Then, at an airport bar, Jessica meets a woman with an identical name and birth date. It appears to be just an odd coincidence—until a week later, when Jessica finds her bank account drained and her personal information stolen.
Following a trail of the grifter’s victims, each with the same name, Jessica gathers players—one by one—for her own game. According to her plan, they’ll set a trap and wait for the impostor to strike again. But plans can go awry, and trust can fray, and as Jessica tries to escape the shadows of her childhood, the risks are greater than she imagined. Now, confronting the casualties of her past, Jessica can’t help but wonder…
Who will pay the price?
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What are the lengths that you will go to to exact revenge? While I found some parts in the first half of the book to be a bit slow, I’m really glad I stuck with it because the second half of the book had me on the edge of my seat! I really liked how the story alternated between Jessica One’s current life and her life while in the cult, Land of Todd. As the story progressed, the author gave you more pieces to fit into the puzzle, resulting in a jaw-dropping ending. I also thought that Catherine McKenzie did a really good job with all the Jessicas and their various personalities. I especially liked military veteran, JJ.
Catherine McKenzie did it again! YOU CAN’T CATCH ME is a heart-pounding thriller that took me places that I never expected! I take great pride in being able to figure out “who-dunnit” and I thought the bread crumbs were there – the end was a shock. Loved it!
Catherine McKenzie gets better and better with every book. This one is a gem of a story, a suspenseful tale of a former cult member at the receiving end of identity theft. A fresh breath of sneaky, twisty air I couldn’t put down.
Catherine McKenzie’s latest novel, You Can’t Catch Me, is dedicated to a friend with whom she has traveled extensively. “Because my friend has a very common name, we kept getting stopped at the U.S. border,” McKenzie explains. “Someone with a similar name and the same birthday was wanted by the police.” At a book signing, she was asked her middle name. It turned out that the woman asking and McKenzie had identical names, spelled exactly the same way. “We even looked somewhat alike,” McKenzie recalls. “It occurred to me that someone could steal a person’s money because they were not stealing someone’s identity. They were the same person on paper. That was the starting point for the book.”
As the story opens, Jessica Williams has suffered public humiliation and the loss of her career. But she received a severance package so she decided to vacation in Puerto Vallarta — and announced her destination on social media. Awaiting her flight in the airport bar, the server attempts to deliver a drink to “Jessica.” Both Jessica and the woman sitting next to her claim it. They begin chatting and the woman tells Jessica, “I have this thing I do whenever I meet another Jessica Williams,” claiming that because she travels a lot it happens “often enough.” She says, “I call it Jessica Williams Twenty Questions. . . . It’s a way of seeing how similar we are.” Jessica agrees to play and the two women exchange details about their lives, including their birthplaces, where they lived growing up, mother’s maiden names, best friends, and schools attended. As they part company, the woman suggests that they exchange contact information by tapping their phones together. “Jessica Williams has been added to your contacts,” the message on her telephone announces. Jessica continues on to Mexico where she keeps her telephone turned off for a week while she relaxes, reads, and contemplates the next chapter of her life. It isn’t until she returns to her Greenwich Village apartment and turns her telephone back on that she realizes there is a problem. Numerous notifications from her bank advise her that she has withdrawn money and her spending has been much higher than is typical. Except Jessica didn’t make the withdrawals. Her bank confirms that $240,000 was wired out of her account, but can provide no details about the transaction. The bank does, however, obtain surveillance photos of the personal who withdrew cash using the ATM. It is immediately evident that Jessica Two, as Jessica has dubbed the woman from the airport, is the culprit. The police offer little hope because the crime is a low priority and it is unlikely that their resources will be devoted to apprehending Jessica Two.
Jessica reaches out to Liam, a charming forty-two-year-old private detective with a side hustle as a fixer for prominent New York families, for help. Jessica grew up in a cult — the Land of Todd — in upstate New York. Liam rescued her when she was a teenager and guided her through the process of reintegrating into society. “One way or another, he’s taught me most of the things I know,” Jessica observes in the first-person narrative McKenzie employs.
McKenzie has “always been fascinated by cults. I have done deep dives into Scientology and watched many documentaries on cults. I even know two people who were brought up in cults. They left when they became adults.” In the Land of Todd, parents abdicated their role, relinquishing their children to be raised communally in accordance with Todd’s teachings and punishments. “A common thread is that cult parents probably start out with good intentions,” McKenzie observes. “They don’t join a group thinking they will turn into puppets. What does happen is that they eventually give over their autonomy to the leader. This leader becomes the parent over the adults and children. Part of what happens is the seduction of the parent. The leader is also usually the abuser.” That’s precisely the story McKenzie devises for Jessica, who harbors anger and resentment toward the parents she feels abandoned her, who remain members of the cult. As Jessica neared her eighteenth birthday, she was ordered to build a new cabin in which she was to reside alone. Most of the other girls in the cult lived together once they reached the age of adulthood. Jessica remains convinced that Todd had a particular plan for her, and her parents — especially her mother — were complicit. That was the point at which she took the chance to escape with Liam’s assistance, but she could not convince her best friend, Kiki, to go with her. She has always felt guilty about leaving without her.
Jessica enlists Liam to assist her by ascertaining Jessica Two’s real identity, tracking her down, and demanding that she return Jessica’s money. She devises a clever scheme to find other women named Jessica Williams with the same birthday, reasoning that Jessica Two may have scammed others. If so, she convinces Liam that those other victims will want to partner in her quest to bring Jessica Two to justice. Indeed, they locate other victims and Jessica sets in motion an elaborate plan to lure Jessica Two to the Grand Tetons where they will mete out justice. But Jessica Two is not easily intimidated, and her threatening messages are unnerving, as are the stories Jessica hears from the other women whose lives she has ruined.
McKenzie’s plot is inventive, engrossing, and Jessica’s narrative moves at a relentless pace. McKenzie’s continued growth as an author is evident as her deftly-constructed cat-and-mouse game proceeds in a credible, entertaining manner. You Can’t Catch Me also features well-developed characters. Jessica still bears the scars of a childhood spent believing that her parents did not love her because they abandoned her to Todd’s whims and failed to fight to keep her safe and secure, even allowing her to endure punishment like being banished to the forest for a week at a time with no food or shelter. She has always had feelings for Liam, who would not act on them when she was a mere eighteen years old to his thirty. But now the twelve-year age difference is no longer insurmountable. Among McKenzie’s intriguing supporting characters are the elusive Liam, the other Jessicas, Jessica’s parents, and the fellow escapees from the cult with whom she maintains friendships. They are a cohesive group with a shared history who provide supporting and compassion to each other.
McKenzie says she wants to read and tries to craft books that readers “don’t want to put down.” With You Can’t Catch Me, she has succeeded yet again. You Can’t Catch Me is full of shocking plot twists, surprising developments and revelations, and an ending few readers will see coming. At its core, the story is a compelling exploration of revenge fueled, in part, by erroneous assumptions. And an obsession with retribution designed to avenge a tragedy. McKenzie wisely leaves readers to draw their own conclusions about her characters and their motivations after all is revealed in this smartly-plotted. fast-paced, and highly entertaining mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
Wow! You know it’s going to be a good book when you are yelling to Jessica in the first chapter ‘Don’t do it!’ and then an uneasiness comes over you. Starts with a bang out of the gate and then come the twists, like the first part of a roller coaster. Ms. McKenzie throws small bones your way to make you feel comfortable and a little cocky as to what you have figured out. Then just as you know the end is in site and you are slightly disappointed cause you still have questions and it can’t possible end like this, you are brought crashing to a halt and everything is revealed.
Original storyline, great characters…some likable, others not so much. It’s a story within a story and I couldn’t figure out how or when it would come together. But it did….even though I wanted one part to work out. . Can’t wait to read this author’s next book!
Thanks to Ms. McKenzie, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
I was truly shocked by the ending of Catherine McKenzie’s thriller “You Can’t Catch Me”.
I was instantly lured in with the horrible things that happened to Jessica Williams from page 1.
There were quite a few unexpected turns in this novel all the way to the end.
Page turning and mysterious, this was definitely unputdownable.
You should definitely pick this one up and see for yourself what could possibly happen when you run across someone with the same name.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for fair and honest review.
4 stars
The book started off with a bang. Jessica Williams was fired (worked out a lucrative agreement including a week in Mexico) for plagiarizing an article. At the airport, she just happens to be sitting at a table next to another Jessica Williams. They talk and exchange contact info on their cell phones. When Jessica arrives home after her trip, she finds her bank account was depleted. Jessica had a hard time growing up as she was a member of a cult, I had a little problem with the two story lines meshing together at first. I did roll my eyes a couple of times. The book was mostly fast paced and I did not guess the ending, perfect vacation read. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ok, I have had the great fortune of reading some of the best books ever lately and this one is again my new favorite of Catherine McKenzie. She has taken this story and written it in a way that you will not be able to put it down. You will want to know what happens. You will have to know who did what to whom. This is a big, huge, page turner from the very beginning to the explosive ending that will leave you in both tears and shaking your head.
Jessica Williams has come into some money from her past job. Jessica Williams has been scammed and all of her money stolen. Now Jessica is on a quest to get to the bottom of where the person who has the same name and birthday as her is and where her money is. She wants it back and she is determined to get it back. Jessica has had a pretty horrible life since the very beginning of her childhood. Living in a cult, taken from her parents, and raised by a crazy man who seems to be grooming her for something she does not quite understand yet. But she will. She will do whatever it takes to get away. The one thing she wanted more than anything was for her cousin, Kiki, to come with her. To get away. But Kiki refuses. She’s afraid and does not think it’s a good idea for her to leave. This is after all the only life she has ever know.
Jessica falls for her savior, Liam. Liam is not a bad guy. He’s a person who saves people. He does not want Jessica that way. Or does he. Is he secretly falling in love with her but afraid of letting her know? He is after all a few years her senior. There are many people from TODD, the cult where Jessica was, that Liam have saved. Friends of Jessicas. People she grew up with. They all know what was going on in the LOT, LAND OF TODD. It was not the happiest of life and the best thing to happen to them all was Liam saving them. Jessica does not care for her parents as she blames them for going to the LOT anyway. How could they do that and keep her there. How could any of the parents. Kiki’s parents and Jessica’s parents should have done better. They should have done something. But could they have truly? Todd was a maniac after all. A true cult leader.
This book was so well written. It was told with such intensity that you will definitely feel the pain that Jessica feels. All the pains she has had to endure. The characters are so well written you will feel like you know each one personally. The places told in descriptions that make you feel like you are right there. Whether it’s in the woods with the cult followers or in NY with Liam and the others he has rescued. Or on a trip with JJ to find the Jessica who cheated them both out of all their money. It’s a beautifully written story that will touch your soul. And then you have that ending. The one that ties it all together and reveals things that you would never have guessed. The things that made this book so good. Through many tears I read the ending and felt so much turmoil for Jessica. All she had gone through.
This is such a good book….
Thank you to #NetGalley, #CatherineMcKenzie, #LakeUnion for this ARC. This review is my own. Written from my heart.
A huge 5 stars and the very highest recommendation ever.
Whew! This was a book full of twists. You will be drawn into the story and wonder where it will end up once you’ve turned the last page. There are almost two stories woven throughout … the history of Jessica and her life while living in a cult and after she leaves. And the twisted psychological second story line that has you sucked in as the three Jessicas…yes, I said three…go on the hunt.
You will be sure you’ve figured out what’s happening. But hold on to the edge of your seat because you’ll find yourself gasping in shock. You just thought you knew where things were headed! I loved the twists and turns, the relationships, and tension between characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
(4.5/5) Jessica Williams escapes from a cult, a few years later is fired from her job as a journalist and has her identity stolen….what else could possibly go wrong in her life? Well, you will all have to read this one to find out as it is quite the page-turner with plot twists that I didn’t see coming. A riveting psychological suspense that will grab you from the start. Very well done!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
Slick, smart, and ultimately heart-wrenching. McKenzie’s at the absolute top of her game in this suspense that takes the cat-and-mouse genre to a whole new, mind-bending level.
Catherine McKenzie never disappoints, and this is her best book yet. Her writing is fluid and absorbing; the characters are fully realized; the plot twists and turns with expert precision; and underlying it all is a growing sense of dread that I couldn’t shake until the book’s terrific denouement. Highly recommended for fans of psychological suspense.
In You Can’t Catch Me, Catherine McKenzie serves up a riveting tale of stolen money, stolen identities, and stolen childhoods. First a victim of a cult and now the victim of identity theft, Jessica undertakes a harrowing search for justice and healing. It’s a breathtaking journey.
What happens when two women with the same name and same birthdate meet by chance in an airport bar? They get to know each other. That’s what happens to Jessica Williams on her way out of town for a much-needed vacation after a mistake derails her budding career as a journalist, though she managed to get a nice settlement on her way out. After going offline for a week, she comes back to find that “Jessica Two” emptied her accounts using all the information she garnered from their conversation and her cellphone. Jess has already escaped a cult and isn’t about to let someone take anything more from her, so she starts tracking down other victims, and possible victims, to catch the thief and get their money back.
Full of twists and turns, I enjoyed the ride until the very last page and the shocking and unexpected conclusion. YOU CAN’T CATCH ME by Catherine MacKenzie was a well-written story with a fully developed main character and interesting secondary characters. The premise was original and gripping. This is MacKenzie’s tenth novel, and my third by her. She has quickly become a “don’t miss” author for me because her novels are original and always keep me tight in their grip until the end.
Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
#YouCantCatchMe #LakeUnionPublishing #CatherineMacKenzie
Grabs you fast and simply won’t let go. With breakneck pacing, a cast of compelling characters, and razor-sharp intelligence on every page, this puts all of McKenzie’s skills on full display.
Catherine McKenzie proves once again she is a master of the psychological sleight of hand. Reading You Can’t Catch Me is like being blindfolded and spun around so many times that when you finally see straight, you can’t tell who’s good, who’s bad, or who holds the cards. Unputdownable.
Will the real Jessica Williams please stand up? (for those who remember To TellThe Truth)
Fast paced, convoluted story about a bizarre identity theft. Actually, multiple identity thefts of women named Jessica Williams.
A few have said that the story is a little far fetched. It may well be but the entertainment factor makes up for that in my mind. I read to be entertained. This book is definitely entertaining.
Interesting back story about a cult and how one of the Jessica’s escaped from it. And, it actually all comes together.
I truly admire someone who can dream up such a twisted plot and keep it all logical in their mind. This book is definitely plot driven.
Great read!
Catherine McKenzie has really outdone herself with You Can’t Catch Me. I have read most of the author’s books except for her earliest titles (which I still plan to read) and enjoyed all of them. But her latest novel has more twists and turns than readers will ever anticipate. I highly recommend this book.
McKenzie Strikes Again. I first began reading McKenzie a couple of years ago with The Good Liar, and she continues to amaze me with the stories she is able to craft. There’s all kinds of things going on here. We’ve got discussions of images and cancel culture. We’ve got discussions of plagiarism and cults. We’ve got … other things that would be a spoiler to reveal. All in a fairly taut mystery with enough action to be awesome. Oh, and absolutely do not read the end first or you’ll spoil everything, moreso than in most books. Very much recommended.
This story grabbed me from the start, with everyone’s worst nightmare happening to Jessica. Her identity is stolen and all of her money is gone. And all from an innocent encounter in an airport bar. But is it really just a happenstance meeting?
As Jessica tries to get her life and her money back, she sets out an elaborate plan to bring the guilty party to justice. As her plan moves forward and more people become involved, the plan and the story take some unexpected twists and turns. Those twists and turns are what kept me flipping the pages of this amazing, complicated, exciting adventure.
And then there was the ending! Totally not one I saw coming but one that I loved. I had to sit and think about it and savor the satisfaction I felt when it was all over.
You Can’t Catch Me is definitely a book that you will want to check out. It’s the perfect page-turning thriller to read this summer!