ARC Review: I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie

*I received an advance readers copy of this book from the publisher for review.  Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing for this review copy!  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  This post contains affiliate links.  I am an Amazon affiliate and I may receive a small compensation if you make a purchase through one of my links.

I'll Never Tell

by Catherine McKenzie

Publication Date:  June 1, 2019

by Lake Union Publishing

Genre:  Mystery, Thriller

Pages: 368

Source:  ARC from publisher

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 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?

An intriguing mystery, a summer camp setting, and plenty of dysfunctional family dynamics make I'll Never Tell an enjoyable and entertaining read.

I knew I wanted to read I'll Never Tell when I read the synopsis and it mentioned the story was set in a summer camp. Summer camp settings just seem to add a creepy environment to a story.  While this story isn't really too creepy, it's definitely a great mystery/thriller.     

This story is told from several perspectives, those of: the MacAllister siblings, Sean (the groundskeeper), and certain chapters are told from Amanda's perspective twenty years prior.  Multiple perspectives usually tend to confuse and overwhelm me, but I had no problem following along with the many narratives in this book.  I loved reading from all of these point of views, especially Amanda's perspective.  I also loved the short chapters in this book which I think made this a much faster read for me.

I really liked Catherine McKenzie's writing style, and I thought all the characters were pretty well fleshed out, with some being more relatable and likeable than others. My favorite character was Margeaux, who seemed to be the most reasonable and grounded of the MacAllister siblings.    

I'll Never Tell was a really good mystery with interesting characters and and an intriguing plot.  The mystery in this book kept me guessing, but I was just hoping for a little more from the ending.  It felt a little rushed to me.  

Overall, I'll Never Tell was a good mystery/thriller that I would recommend, and I look forward to reading more from Catherine McKenzie.  

_________________________