Member Reviews
A woman has a tragic past that she kept a secret and it’s coming back to haunt her. It starts with a brick thrown at her window and quickly escalates.
This thriller will demand your attention as you are drawn into the story. You will also need to follow the woman’s story, which goes from the past to the present with many twists. I enjoyed the book but the middle was a little hard to follow. Once I figured out what was going on, I enjoyed the rest of the twists and turns.
#I'llNeverTell #NetGalley
A good read.
The story revolves around two women Emma And Sarah.
Emma ( Alessia ) is living with her husband, Carl and then strange things started to happen in her life, threatening notes, broken window etc.
She knows from inside who's doing this because a terrible tragedy was happened all those years ago when she was Emma. A boy died.
I loved the characters of Carl, Emma, and Amanda Miller. Other characters were ok ok.
Narration of the story is simple and intresting. Despite of its simple plotting, narration was a plus point of the story.
What I Like?:-
1 The plot.
2 Characters and narration of the story.
3 It's twists and turns.
What I Don't Like?:-
1 The past story was a bit dragging. Otherwise it was good.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advanced copy of this psychological thriller.
Alessia enjoys a quiet night at home, sitting on her couch when a brick is thrown threw her window. With a message - Found You.
Alessia knows her past is coming for her - the past she has kept from her husband.
Two girls play in a small, abandoned cottage. Both girls abused, terrified of him.
Loved the characters, plot. Great suspense.
Highly recommend.
I’ll Never Tell is a mixed bag of reading. It is difficult to write a review when there are good points but also clear issues. I’ll give it a try
On the plus side, the premise is good. It is no spoiler to say that Alessia and her friend Sarah did a bad thing when they were younger, but only Alessia paid the price. As a result, she has to rebuild her life under a new identity – just to obtain a sense of normalcy.
But that peace is shattered (literally and figuratively) early in the book. From there, the story is twisty and has some good moments.
The author does a good job of highlighting Alessia’s stress as she struggles to maintain her current (almost perfect) life with her guilt and the secrets she hides. That is very clear and adds to making Alessia a sympathetic character.
It is also apparent from the beginning that Sarah is no good, a bad influence, and everything that goes along with those cliches. But is she really the one who is out to destroy Alessia’s peaceful life?
This is where I think the author falters a bit. While the premise remains good, there is a lot of exposition. I often felt like I was being told things instead of being able to experience them along with the characters.
The method of storytelling results in a sense of removal from the action, which makes it difficult to get fully involved in the story as the pace picks up.
As a result, it is easy for an astute reader to figure out who is responsible for what. It is a shame because there is a lot of promise in the beginning.
I will also identify the obligatory triggers of abuse and how trauma shapes a person’s mental health. These are addressed thoughtfully and not with sensationalism or shock value. But they are present.
Wrapping up, I think I’ll Never Tell is a great story that could have been told in a more enjoyable manner. I still recommend it, as the storyline saves the day.
Another great read from Casey Kelleher.
Alessia is happily married to Carl but it seems someone knows about her secret past.
Alone while Jacob is working away, a brick is thrown through the living room window.
Alessia is terrified and is also relieved that her baby, Jacob was not downstairs at the time.
She is then intimidated whilst driving the car and gets pushed off the road.
Carl is worried about Alessia, but she won’t open up to him about what’s bothering her.
We then find out about her past, and all is not as it seems in Alessia’s past and present.
This is a fast paced thriller that will definitely have you hooked after the first few pages.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Huge fan of Casey Kelleher, read all her books since Rotten to the core and would highly recommend all her books.
I’ll Never Tell is a different novel from Casey’s other books with it being a stunning and cleverly written psychological thriller rather then a crime novel but make no mistake this is still an amazing read.
The book is written in a now and then split story following Emma-Jayne/Alessia and how the past can always come back to haunt you one way or another….
I guessed the main antagonist but this did not take away from the enjoyment of this book… however I did not see the final twist which finished off the book brilliantly.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Alessia has a secret. She has fought hard to leave her past behind her, but someone does not want her to forget. She feels she is being watched. Obviously someone is watching her because a brick is thrown through her window one night. This is just the beginning. The race is on! You will feel like a pretzel with the twists and turns in this thriller. Casey Kelleher knows how to spin a story. You will be sucked into this book immediately! Psychological warfare makes a great plot line and the book truly comes to life. Forget sleep once you start reading this book!
WOW! This book was insane! If you are looking for a twisted thriller, I'll Never Tell, is for you. This was my first novel by Casey Kelleher, but I can say without a doubt, it will not be my last.
This book will keep you on your toes and guessing the entire time. You can not be prepared for the twists and turns !
I was instantly addicted to this story early on. A few times I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery!
📚 Oh what a gripping read this is!!
I really enjoyed the fact that it’s written over two timelines and you kept delving into the past as you tried to work out what on Earth really had happened.
This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed how she managed to turn the story in different directions before leading you to the actual outcome….. which was great by the way, especially the very last bit when everything is revealed!
I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Emma-Jane and Sarah are childhood friends. When a murder takes places and Emma-Jane is arrested, she loses touch with Sarah. Years later she has a new identity. Now known as Alessia, she is married with a small boy (Jacob) and husband Carl. Her life seems settled and happy. But when strange and unpleasant things begin to happen, Alessia is sure Sarah has returned and her intentions towards her are far from good.
The premise of this story seems fairly straightforward, and the writer cleverly takes the reader on a journey between past and present which documents Alessia’s past life and her relationship with Sarah. However, all is not as it seems and when the truth about Emma-Jane and Sarah’s friendship is finally revealed, it adds a completely new dimension to the story. This revelation, however, is not the end as we get a final and unexpected twist before the story finishes.
Cleverly written and researched, I’ll Never Tell, is a gripping and thought provoking read and worthy of the five stars I have given it.
I’ll Never Tell is a fast paced, twisted thriller that leaves your head spinning until the end. Alessia started a new life at eighteen and now has a beautiful baby boy and a wonderful husband. Alessia used to be named Emma Jane. Emma Jane was abused. At twelve years old, Emma Jane was found with a bloody hammer and her stepfather laying bloody and dead. She always said her friend, Sarah did it but the experts said Sarah wasn’t real. Now someone is after Alessia on the twentieth anniversary of the murder and she thinks Sarah is back. Alternating between the past and present, the story pulls you along on a wild ride as you keep guessing what is real and what is all a product of a broken mind. (This story touches on mental illness and abuse.) This thriller will add the author to your must read lists. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.
This book is a must-read for all fans of psychological thrillers! It’s paced and well-written, with plenty of twists and an emotional ending.
The characters are realistic and likeable, and you find yourself rooting for them as the story unfolds
This is a book that stays with you long after you’ve read the last page
I enjoyed this book- it’s a quick and fast-paced read with a couple good twists. The story centers on Alessia, who is happily married with a young child after getting past a childhood trauma. She avoids her childhood friend Sarah, because bad things happen when the 2 of them are together, but scary things start happening and she believes that Sarah has tracked her down and is focused on revenge.
There were a couple of great twists in this book that I didn’t see coming. I did have an inkling of one of them but wasn’t sure I was right until it actually happened. When it all came together, I thought that it was done well and seemed believable; the loose ends were also tied up nicely.
I was lukewarm on some of the characters in the book. Harriet was great and Carl seemed too good to be true, but Alessia herself frustrated me at times and I didn’t get Amanda’s character at all- I couldn’t figure out what she was really like based on what the author gave me.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and finished it over a period of a few hours. If you are looking for a psychological thriller with surprises throughout, you’ll enjoy this book. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'LL NEVER TELL is a quick read that tugs on almost every heartstring and keeps you guessing. Casey Kelleher has written a well-thought-out story that twists from a situation that you don't want to accept into something that rips out your heart.
Alessia is the happiest she has ever been in her life. She has a wonderful son, Jacob, and an extremely devoted husband, Carl. Her peaceful life is shattered one night when a brick breaks her living room window. Far from an isolated incident, terrible things start happening to Alessia. Her mind settles on a friend she had years ago, Sarah, and she wonders if her friend has found her. She had left the memories of their experiences together in her past, but Alessia is tormented by her hazy recollections of their time together. Alessia and Sarah shared a secret that is so horrible that it changed Alessia's life. When she finds a newspaper clipping in her son's bag, Alessia is convinced Sarah has gotten too close to her family. Can she confide in her friends, or her loving husband, or will she confront Sarah once and for all?
I enjoyed the story. It was fast-paced and easy to read. The mystery behind the incidents in the book was intriguing, and it tugged on my emotions. There were several twists in the pages, and they were well-timed.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
I would recommend this book to experienced readers, due to some mature content about the effects of abuse.
I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘I’ll Never Tell’ written by Casey Kelleher in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
As twelve-year-old Emma-Jayne and her friend Sarah, ten, are playing in a derelict cottage they call the ‘Doll’s House’ they discover an old doll hidden in the chimney. When a life-changing event happens she tries to tell the police it wasn’t her but they won’t listen. Twenty years later she changes her name to Alessia and takes on a new identity with her husband Carl and young son Jacob. She thinks she’s put her past behind her until a brick is thrown through her window with a note saying ‘Found you’, and then more threats arrive until she’s forced to face the fact that she knows who’s threatening her – Sarah! She needs to find Sarah before she can harm Jacob.
‘I’ll Never Tell’ is an eventful psychological thriller that tells the story from twenty years ago when Emma-Jayne is taken from her home to the present time when she’s now known as Alessia and is forced to confront the past that she’s managed to keep secret from her husband. It’s well-written and tense and on a number of occasions I’ve had to make myself keep reading as I really didn’t want to find out what was going to happen to Alessia next. There are so many twists and turns that it’s been difficult to decide whether Alessia has been telling the truth or if she’s been lying to herself and others, and when I reached the conclusion I wasn’t surprised at the outcome but I was pleased at the way it ended. This is a chilling thriller that’s kept me involved from page one and I can definitely recommend it.
📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚
I’ll never tell By Casey Kelleher. Publication Date 3rd Dec 2021
When Alessia was a child ..... something awful happened to her and her friend Sarah ......
The story is told in both past and present. Alessia has made a life for herself, with her husband and child, Living a quiet but happy life. But there is something that Alessia is hiding from her family ..... and it could change everything!!
This book is one I won’t forget! I was genuinely like .... “wtf” just happened ?! I have intentionally not given too much of the storyline away in my review. Absolutely brilliant read Casey !!
Thanks to netgalley, bookouture and Casey Kelleher for allowing me to read this ARC.
#caseykelleher #illnevertell #bookouture #thriller you
I think I'm in the minority on this review but I found this book a bit tedious. The author was really verbose, words upon words to explain something minute, to the point where I would drift off in the middle of a paragraph because it just went on endlessly. The writing style also seemed very stilted at times and not sure if that was purposeful or down to it being an unfinished copy. I thought the premise was good and I tend to enjoy dual timelines but this book just didn't really work for me. Thanks for the opportunity to read it though!
Twists abound in this domestic/psychological thriller. In the dual time-line, "then" is twenty years ago and "now" is 2018. Then: when 12 year old Emma-Jayne and her friend Sarah discover an abandoned cottage behind Emma-Jayne's house, they plan to make it their playhouse, but an "accident" there tears them apart and changes their lives forever. Now: Emma-Jayne now goes by Alessia. Her picture-perfect life as a wife and mother starts to unravel the night someone throws a brick, with a note attached that says: FOUND YOU, through her living room window. When other incidents follow, Alessia tries to avoid telling her husband about her past, but she is worried Sarah has found her and wants to hurt her and/or her family. For the most part, I liked the characters, although I always have a problem with characters who do stupid things because they are trying to hide their past from their spouse. I also had a problem with the author's version of grammar, but decided to excuse it as representing the way most people probably think (in incomplete sentences). 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. #IllNeverTell #NetGalley #Bookouture
I love Casey's psychological thriller writing, it's not an easy leap into the genre from gangland but she does it seamlessly. All the elements are there, an intriguing story, a character that you grow to care for. I thought I might have had it figured out but the twists kept coming, right until the very last page. I rooted for Alessia and her childhood story broke me, all the way through I couldn't work out if she was still living her past or if she'd moved on. I sure Casey will have another big hit with this page turner. Thanks for the advance copy.
As soon as I hear Casey Kelleher has a new book out I don’t even need to read the blurb I just need to read the book. I’ll never tell is an excellent psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat right from the very beginning. Once I started reading this book I had to keep going as I couldn’t wait to figure out what was going on. There are lots of twists and turns throughout the story . I did figure out the outcome about 3/4 way through but that certainly didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this impossible to put down book. I cannot wait to read more psychological thrillers from this author.