2024 Book Review #17: I'll Never Tell

 

This is an author I discovered sometime last year and this is only the 2nd book I've read of hers.  If you like a fast-paced, short mystery or an easy beach read, this is for you. It's very well written with some interesting twists.  It's kind of like a "who done it?" 

STORY SUMMARY

The MacAllister family owns a family camp that is open in the summer months for teens from all over Canada. The name of the camp is Camp Macaw. The camp was passed down to Mr and Mrs MacAllister from their children's grandfather.  They have 5 children:  Ryan, Margeaux, Mary, and the twins Liddie and Kate.  They are all now in their 30s/early 40s.  Ryan is married to Kerry and has 3 little girls: Maisy, Claire, and Sasha. Margeaux lives with a guy named Mark.  Mary is single and her life revolves around her horses, particularly Cinnamon.  Liddie lives with a guy named Owen, a pop rock star whom she met years ago at camp, and Kate is gay and still longs for a real relationship with the older woman Amy who is the camp chef. 

Twenty years ago, there was a tragedy at the camp.  Margeaux's best friend Amanda was found bludgeoned in a canoe on one of the beaches at the camp.  She was found at dawn one morning. 

Now, it is twenty years later and the 5 siblings, plus the caretaker, Sean, are meeting with the MacAllister's lawyer, Swift.  Their parents have died in a tragic accident and there is the  reading of the will during this Labor Day weekend. They need to vote on what to do about this prime property that the camp sits on. Ryan and Kerry need the money so he wants to sell it. Margeaux has not made up her mind one way or the other. Mary thinks they should just keep it and leave it alone. Kate and Liddie have opposing views. Sean just hopes he still has a home (he's lived there since he was a small boy) when this is all over. 

It's not just a simple vote though.  There is a complication. The will says that until they unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda, they cannot settle the estate! Any one of them could have hurt her, and each one of them holds a key piece to this puzzle. Will they be able to work together to find out the truth of what happened? or will they, like always, allow secrets to tear them apart?? 

MY THOUGHTS

This is a very well developed story. The character development is so well done. Each chapter is a different voice...including Sean's and Amanda's. 

The book is mainly in the present but does go back to the past.  The author makes it clear in her chapter titles/description. 

The setting is so well described. I felt like I was truly in the woods of Canada.  I loved that the author includes a map of Camp Macaw in the front of the book to reference the various  buildings and beaches the camp is made up of.  It was fun to trace the path of each character. 

I love that this mystery is not predictable like so many contemporary mystery books are.  I thought it was going to be one person and it turned out to be the one I least suspected!! 

The ending is poignant......with a sad section. But also a happy section. 

There was a quote that jumped out at me because it's how I feel about having my own two daughters.  That quote is: 

" "You never know what love's like until a piece of you is walking around inside another person." "  (pg 253, I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie, c. 2019)

The main themes in this book appear to be: jealousy, sibling rivalry, secrets, betrayal, family relationships, guilt, inner secrets, character flaws and development.  I love that the author describes the thoughts and emotions of each character and how this develops them into adulhood vs their teenaged selves. 

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (due to some mature content)

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9. (would be a 10 but for the use of the F word which I just can't stand and find so crass and unnecessary..it's not constant, but still! )