Author: Catherine McKenzie

Catherine McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. A graduate of McGill University in history and law, Catherine practiced law for twenty years before leaving to write full time. An avid runner, skier, and tennis player, she’s the author of numerous bestsellers including I’ll Never Tell and The Good Liar. Her works have been translated into multiple languages and I’ll Never Tell and Please Join Ushave been optioned for development into television series.

Photograph by Fany Ducharme.

#BookReview Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie @SimonSchusterCA #HaveYouSeenHer #CatherineMcKenzie #SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie @SimonSchusterCA #HaveYouSeenHer #CatherineMcKenzie #SimonSchusterCA Title: Have You Seen Her

Author: Catherine McKenzie

Published by: Atria Books on Jun. 27, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A thrilling and timely novel about three women with dark secrets whose lives intersect in the picturesque and perilous Yosemite National Park from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Please Join Us.

Equipped with a burner phone and a new job, Cassie Peters has left her hectic and secretive life in New York City for the refuge of her hometown of Mammoth Lakes, California. There, she begins working again with Yosemite Search and Rescue, where a case she worked a decade ago continues to haunt her.

She quickly falls into old patterns, joining a group of fellow seasonal workers and young adventurers who have made Yosemite their home during the summer. There, she meets Petal, a young woman living in a trailer with her much older wife, keeping a detailed diary of the goings on of the park, and Jada, a recent college graduate on a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend, documenting their journey on Instagram.

When these three women cross paths, Cassie’s past catches up with her, and the shocking consequences ripple out far beyond what any could have imagined in this unputdownable thriller.


Review:

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.

 

This novel is available in paperback now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Catherine McKenzie

Catherine McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. A graduate of McGill University in history and law, Catherine practiced law for twenty years before leaving to write full time. An avid runner, skier, and tennis player, she’s the author of numerous bestsellers including I’ll Never Tell and The Good Liar. Her works have been translated into multiple languages and I’ll Never Tell and Please Join Ushave been optioned for development into television series.

Photograph by Fany Ducharme.

#BookReview I’ll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie @CEMcKenzie1 @SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview I’ll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie @CEMcKenzie1 @SimonSchusterCA Title: I'll Never Tell

Author: Catherine McKenzie

Published by: Simon & Schuster Canada on Jun. 4, 2019

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

What happened to Amanda Holmes?

Twenty years ago, she washed up on shore in a rowboat with a gash to the head after an overnight at Camp Macaw. No one was ever charged with a crime.

Now, the MacAllister children are all grown up. After their parents die suddenly, they return to Camp to read the will and decide what to do with the prime real estate it’s sitting on. Ryan, the oldest, wants to sell. Margo, the family’s center, hasn’t made up her mind. Mary has her own horse farm to run, and believes in leaving well-enough alone. Kate and Liddie—the twins—have opposing views. And Sean Booth, the family groundskeeper, just hopes he still has a home when all is said and done.

But then the will is read and they learn that it’s much more complicated than a simple vote. Until they unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda, they can’t move forward. Any one of them could have done it, and all of them are hiding key pieces of the puzzle. Will they work together to solve the mystery, or will their suspicions and secrets finally tear the family apart?


Review:

Secretive, pacey, and compulsive!

I’ll Never Tell is a riveting, intricately woven, character-driven whodunit that takes us to the rugged wilderness of Camp Macaw and into the lives of the MacAllister family where tensions are high, fingers are being pointed, and a twenty-year-old tragedy will finally be solved.

The writing is seamless and precise. The characterization is spot on with a cast of characters that are secretive, driven, selfish and flawed. And the plot, told from differing points-of-view, keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish as it whips you through well-timed twists, unforeseen surprises, deception, abuse, guilt, jealousy, violence, and murder.

Once again, I’ll Never Tell has proven that when it comes to writing exceptionally clever, deftly plotted, fast-paced, domestic thrillers with exquisite character development and deliciously sinister storylines McKenzie is definitely one of the best.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                        

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Catherine McKenzie

Catherine McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. A graduate of McGill University in history and law, Catherine practiced law for twenty years before leaving to write full time. An avid runner, skier, and tennis player, she’s the author of numerous bestsellers including I’ll Never Tell and The Good Liar. Her works have been translated into multiple languages and I’ll Never Tell and Please Join Ushave been optioned for development into television series.

Photograph by Fany Ducharme.

#BookReview The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie @CEMcKenzie1 @SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie @CEMcKenzie1 @SimonSchusterCA Title: The Good Liar

Author: Catherine McKenzie

Published by: Simon & Schuster Canada on Apr. 3, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 360

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

One explosion. Three women. Countless secrets. From bestselling author Catherine McKenzie comes a suspenseful, unsettling novel about what lurks in the wake of tragedy.

Everybody hides. Everybody lies.

On October 10th, three women’s lives are forever altered by a terrible accident.

Cecily was supposed to be in the building that exploded in Chicago and killed her husband. A photo taken of her as she watched the horrifying scene quickly brings her unwanted media attention as the “poster child” of the haunting event. Cecily has secrets she’s desperately trying to hide but cannot find a way to divert the media’s attention from her and her family.

Franny lost her birth motherCecily’s best friendin the destruction shortly after the two met. A year later, she and Cecily team up to help families obtain financial compensation for their loss, but their budding friendship is derailed when it starts to become clear Franny’s story doesn’t quite add up. How did she manage to track down her mother? And why did her mother keep Franny a secret even after they’d met?

A thousand miles away in Montreal, Kate is trying to create a new life. But what led her to leave Chicago in the first place? Will she succeed in moving on from her mistakes or will Kate be drawn back into her old life?

With surprising twists and turns, The Good Liar is a riveting read by a masterful storyteller that will make readers wonder how far they’d go to hide their own secrets.


Review:

Thought-provoking, intricate, and masterfully crafted!

The Good Liar is a perfectly executed, character-driven psychological thriller that highlights how devastating, damaging, and dangerous secrets can truly be and has you quickly questioning whether a good liar is one who lies out of benevolence or spite.

The writing is polished and fluid. The characterization is exceptional with a cast of characters who each draw your curiosity, loyalty, sympathy, and doubt. And the plot told from multiple perspectives and using a mixture of narrative styles creates tension and suspicion as it unravels piece-by-piece all the deception, secrets, histories, personalities, and relationships within it.

The Good Liar is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read this year. It’s a clever, twisty, skillfully paced page turner that will have you on the edge of your seat from the very first page and will leave you surprised, shocked, satisfied and ruminating the weight grief, guilt, insecurity, and obsession have over our reactions to tragedy.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                        

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Catherine McKenzie

Catherine McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. A graduate of McGill University in history and law, Catherine practiced law for twenty years before leaving to write full time. An avid runner, skier, and tennis player, she’s the author of numerous bestsellers including I’ll Never Tell and The Good Liar. Her works have been translated into multiple languages and I’ll Never Tell and Please Join Ushave been optioned for development into television series.

Photograph by Fany Ducharme.