The setting of I'll Never Tell is Camp Macaw, a summer camp near Montreal owned by the MacAllister family, has a long history of generational campers who return year after year and then send their children to enjoy the same experiences.
In the present, after the death of their parents, the MacAllister offspring are gathered to hear the reading of the will. The siblings will have to decide what to do about the camp; selling would be a financial coup, but not every wants to sell. More importantly, there is a twist to the will that no one expected.
Twenty years ago, Amanda, a seventeen-year-old counselor was bludgeoned with a paddle, but no one was ever charged with crime. A contingency in the will has a requirement that involves discovering who was responsible for what happened to Amanda. Who was where when Amanda was bludgeoned? Who would have wanted to hurt her? Secrets that have been kept for twenty years slowly come to light and suspicions run high.
The timeline shifts back and forth between past and present as Ryan, Margo, Mary, Kate, Liddie, and groundskeeper Sean revisit their memories of events to determine what happened to Amanda.
At first, I didn't like any of the characters much, but as I continued to read, each character became more accessible and gradually more likable. Each secret that was kept, often from misunderstandings, shielded the guilty party. The puzzle unravels in a slow, but surprising way. A new clue or revelation, a new suspect.
I'll Never Tell is a skillful narrative that kept me engrossed and switching from one motive and suspect to another.
Read in February; blog review scheduled for May 13.
NetGalley/Lake Union Publishing
Mystery/Suspense. June 1, 2019. Print length: 380 pages.
I'm the same way about coming of age novels. I still love those things, and I'm about to turn 71 years old. Can't explain the attraction, but I am always happy to find one.
ReplyDelete:) I like coming-of-age novels, too. I also enjoy YA novels of various kinds. While this book isn't really either one, it does have the idea of how young people reacted to a crisis and then as adults look more deeply into the situation.
DeleteI'm excited for this one...mostly because of that whole summer camp plot! I just can't resist them. :D
ReplyDeleteI know--that summer camp plot always intrigues!
DeleteMurder at a summer camp makes me think more of the Friday the 13th movies! This sounds really good however (and not like a slasher film!). I love slow reveals.
ReplyDeleteThis certainly not a slasher-type situation, but Amanda ends up in a coma, which is pretty much dead to the world. The slow manner in which the memories were examined was compelling.
DeleteYep. I can't resist a setting with boarding schools and summer camps either. I've enjoyed a few of her books so I'm definitely checking this out. BTW, my letter is on its way to you. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, Yay! A letter from Singapore is on its way!
DeleteI just recently discovered this and I have to say, your review has me looking forward to it more -- the complexity of the characters especially!
ReplyDeleteThe way the author revealed the characters was effective. From not caring about any of them, I began feeling concern and empathy.
DeleteI always wondered what going to camp or boarding school would be like so I think that's why I like these settings. Sounds like a good book to add to the list!
ReplyDelete