Member Reviews
I had read the summary for this book awhile ago, but forgot it all when I started reading, so everything was a huge surprise for me. The story and twists were very creative and had me at the edge of my seat. What a wild ride! 4.5 stars.
Jessica Williams grew up in a cult. She was able to escape, with help from a friend from the outside when she was eighteen and has spent the past twelve years trying to live down the notoriety of that past. When she makes a serious error in judgement and loses her job as an investigative reporter, she leaves to go on a much-needed vacation before considering what her next move will be. While waiting for her flight at the airport bar, she meets another woman who claims to have the same name and birthdate. That Jessica - or Jessica Two as she is later dubbed - says whenever she meets another Jessica Williams she always plays the "Jessica Williams 20-Questions Game". More than a little tipsy, she agrees to play.....and when she gets back from her vacation her bank accounts have all been wiped out. Now Jessica is on the search for more victims. Since the cops aren't being very helpful in getting her money back for her, she is looking to round up a group of victims for a little vigilante justice.
First, I have to say, the 20-questions game had me wondering how credible this main character could even be, because the questions were all basic security questions and it seemed obvious from the get-go that she was going to be hacked. However, the book redeemed itself with its many plot twists and non-stop action. To top it off, I absolutely did NOT see that ending coming. In this book, nothing is what it seems to be. I highly recommend this non-stop thrill ride.
This is my second book by Catherine McKenzie (the first was I'll Never Tell) and I appreciated that this was so00 different from that book.
You Can't Catch Me is the story of Jessica Williams who is trying to track down...Jessica Williams. Our Jessica is a young woman who escaped from a cult years ago. After a set of work-related fiascos, Jessica receives a sizeable settlement and a trip to Puerto Vallarta. At the airport, she meets Jessica Two and, following that encounter, she realizes that her sizeable settlement is now gone. From there, the book takes us on a twisty little chase after the thief; at the same time, we learn more about Jessica's background and her relationship with Liam, the investigator who rescued her from the cult.
The first 2/3 of this book were excellent and I flew through it in a day. At that point, the story swerves in an unexpected direction that was too far-fetched and then it gets even more far-fetched. Overall, a very enjoyable read, although not a perfect one.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review
And interesting premise that was fast paced and entertaining from page one. I truly enjoyed the ride, even if I felt as if I could predict where the story would lead. Still overall a decent way to spend a rainy weekend.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
In Catherine McKenzie's tenth novel, a disgraced journalist finds herself a pawn in the midst of a very elaborate con game. The police don't seem very interested, but Jessica Williams will stop at nothing to regain the upper hand. But is she really ready for the consequences?
One thing that I can always count on is that Catherine McKenzie wastes no time in getting me hooked. By the end of the first chapter, I knew that I was going to follow Jessica and all the other Jessicas( just wait, it's all part of the plan) she discovers right up until the end. On the other hand, the cult storyline really didn't interest me at first, but CM always has a reason so I stuck with it. I am glad I did because by the end my jaw was on the floor. Well played, well played!
Goodreads review published 18/05/20
Expected publication date 09/06/20
Thank you for the chance to review this galley prior to publication. Please refer to my goodreads profile for a full review.
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I could have honestly read it all in one sitting but ya know work and being a mom gets in the way 🙄😂. So well written, so much attention to detail, with a major twist I never saw coming! 10/10 would recommend! Also the parts that take place is Jackson, Wyoming ❤️❤️❤️ one of my favorite places ever and I cannot wait for life to get back to normal to go back! Thanks @netgalley @catherinemckenzieauthor and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy! Make sure to preorder your copy today or pick it up when it from out next month!
Jessica Williams...meet Jessica Williams. One of you was in a cult, escaped, became a journalist - who then plagiarizes an article and is quickly fired from her job. The other one is a grifter who quickly steals all of the real Jessica Williams's money and life.
This is a series of twisted events as Jessica 1 seeks revenge on Jessica 2.
This was a quick read - I don't know that I enjoyed it more than if I just wanted to find out what happened. Still, it was a fun read for some adventure.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I’m sorry to say that I just could not get into this one. I tried many times but I’ve given up. It sounds like it would be a good premise for a book but once I got reading, that grab I needed to keep going was just not found. Nothing seemed to happen and too much seemed over the top of unbelievable. And I think my biggest issue was that I did not like any of the characters.
I’m a fan of all of Catherine McKenzie’s earlier books and I’m sure I’ll like more in the future. Just not this one.
You Can't Catch Me, is the ultimate tale of how far would you go to get revenge, It's gripping and twisted plot keeps you hooked from beginning to end.
I have read all of Catherine McKenzie's novels and I'm constantly impressed with her writing style. Over the past several years, she has written thrillers, but You Can't Catch Me is her most suspenseful and surprising one yet.
I didn't know what to expect from chapter to chapter. There were a lot of twists and turns that kept me guessing and made me so nervous for Jess. The cult Jess escaped from sounded horrifying. I liked that we had more insight into what she experienced there and how it shaped her personality and behavior. There was great use of description throughout and I could really visualize everything and everyone. I felt like the story could have gone even further at the end, but it stopped at an interesting spot that I also didn't see coming. I wouldn't have minded an epilogue though.
There's a funny moment that I experienced while reading this novel. One of the chapter titles is a quote from The Princess Bride. A little while later, my husband randomly said a quote from The Princess Bride that was directly related to the one from the book. We had a good laugh over that psychic connection.
Overall, this novel was creative and really well thought-out. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for some suspense and excitement to include in your TBR pile.
Movie casting ideas:
Jess: Sophie Cookson
Jessie: Ksenia Solo
JJ: Chelsea Kane
Liam: Santiago Cabrera
Kiki: Mollee Gray
What are the lengths that you will go to to exact revenge? While I found some parts in the first half of the book to be a bit slow, I'm really glad I stuck with it because the second half of the book had me on the edge of my seat! I really liked how the story alternated between Jessica One's current life and her life while in the cult, Land of Todd. As the story progressed, the author gave you more pieces to fit into the puzzle, resulting in a jaw-dropping ending. I also thought that Catherine McKenzie did a really good job with all the Jessicas and their various personalities. I especially liked military veteran, JJ.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.
At the start of this novel, main character Jessica meets another woman with her exact same name and birthday at the airport - and not long after, all her money is stolen. In addition to this grift, in the first few chapters we also find out that Jessica grew up in and escaped from a cult, and was recently fired from her journalism job for plagiarism. And things just take more and more twists and turns from there! The end was quite surprising and perhaps a touch abrupt/ far-fetched but I definitely enjoyed the ride. This is the 7th book by Catherine McKenzie I have read so clearly she has become a must read author for me (still catching up on a few of her earlier books) and I think her writing just keeps getting better and better.
As always with Catherine McKenzie books, I read this quickly. She writes such clever, twisty and surprising stories that hook you in from the first few pages. You Can't Catch Me takes you on a wild ride where nothing is as it seems. It was fun but dark at the same time if that makes sense. Really enjoyable read. Out on June 9th, make sure you grab a copy
Have you ever met somebody that shares both your name and birthday? Highly unlikely right? Well Jessica Williams learns this the hard way. She meets "Jessica Williams" at an airport bar on her way out of the country after a scandal at work. On her return to the US she discovers that her bank account has been drained. She is not going to take this lying down, and when the police prove to be useless in helping her she enlists the help of her friends to take this woman down and get her money back.
It is unpredictable until the very end and a great read. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
I read somewhere that this is McKenzie's 10th novel in 10 years. That's pretty impressive! I've read a couple of them over the years, but I can't help but wonder whether pumping books out this quickly speaks to the talent of the author or if it’s so quick that the stories lose a little something over time.
The idea of this book was intriguing. Meeting someone with your exact same name. What are the chances? I liked it even more knowing that McKenzie was inspired by a similar story that happened to her friend. But honestly, I’m not really sure that I liked the book.
It's kind of scary how easily and how quickly this nightmare started, a seemingly innocent encounter that basically revealed everything there was to know about a person, giving access to all their personal information. But this encounter also seemed to reveal to me everything that would happen in this book, and I wasn't really sure there'd be enough left to keep my interest.
I had things pegged pretty early, but in fairness, there was another big twist at the end that was not at all on my radar. That twist, though, seemed a little bit of a reach. I’m not sure I really bought it; it was a bit far fetched. But it did provide that one last moment, which is what you expect from a book like that.
This was an easy read and it did move fairly quickly. It does what it is supposed to do, though I can’t say it took it much further than that.
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Catherine McKenzie, and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
When it comes to books with twists aplenty and well-developed characters, readers need not look further than Catherine McKenzie and her latest novel. Well-paced and full of ‘aha’ moments, McKenzie shows why she is one of the great authors of her genre. After being outed at work and having her name splashed all across social media, Jessica Williams needs some time away. While waiting in an airport bar, she comes across a woman around her age. Funny enough, they share a name. Two Jessica Williamses? After a drink and some interesting conversation, our protagonist heads off onto her flight, distancing herself from the world and her online presence. It’s only when she lands back in the US that she discovers someone has drained her bank account. On the hunt for who might have done this, bank officials are flummoxed, as it was ‘Jessica Williams’. The security footage is grainy, but Jessica is sure she knows who did it. Confiding in her closest friend, Jessica begins a search to see if others have been taken by this Jessica Williams. The search takes her around the country, as she discovers others with her name and birthdate who have been scammed for much of their money. Determined to drive this grifter out of hiding, Jessica and her gang of others (aptly given numbers to differentiate them) set traps, only to be told in sly text messages that they will never catch her. As Jessica interspersed her battle with living in and bring extricated from a cult, the story takes many directions for a woman who had no identity and will not surrender the loose self she has discovered over the past 12 years. Grit and determination drive this woman, no matter where things take her. A wonderful story that leaves the reader panting from this hectic journey. Recommended to those who love a good thriller to pass the time, as well as the reader familiar with Catherine McKenzie and her work.
I am happy when I see a new book by Catherine McKenzie, as I can always be assured of a wonderful story. She is able to capture all the essentials in a thriller and still leave the reader gasping aloud with some of the plot twists she introduces. Jessica Williams (the original and protagonist) is a wonderful character onto whom the reader can latch themselves throughout. Willing to share a lot of her experiences in the cult, as well as a determination to keep hold of her identity, she finds herself in many interesting situations, always eager to push forward and get some answers. This might be part of her journalism background, but it also gives the reader the needed momentum to push through this book. With an underlying romantic interest in her life, Jessica battles to define herself while also not letting this guy slip through her fingers, all a part of the larger storyline. Other characters help push the story along, not the least of which the other Jessica Williamses, all of whom bring their own qualities to the narrative. McKenzie makes sure to differentiate them from one another, but connects these women with the needed aspects to keep the story flowing. The story itself was well written and developed throughout, keeping the reader on the edge of their seats as they see where the twists occur and how they will help strengthen to overall narrative. McKenzie is creative in her plots and ideas, utilising this to keep the reader wondering. With two strong narratives—cult and present—interwoven, the reader is always trying to determine what is to come, as well as how Jessica Williams came into herself. All culminating in a twist that ties it together. A wonderful book and I am eager to see what else is to come.
Kudos, Madam McKenzie, for another winner. I hope others see the strengths that I do and latch themselves onto this book in short order.
I won’t pretend to know the ends and outs of what a thriller should contain. I only know what I like and I really liked this one. You Can’t Catch Me grabbed hold of my interest and never let go. A fast-paced ride until the very end with a few twists I saw coming and a few I didn’t. Definitely recommend.
For fans of Minka Kent's When I Was You check out Catherine Mckenzies' newest release: You Can’t Catch Me that is available on June 9th!
Aside from easily telling in the beginning that the other woman was going to steal Jessica’s money and identity, therefore, creating a game of chase between the two it was a somewhat entertaining thriller. Some chapters were a bit dry and it felt like it was dragging on at times, but part three is where the suspense kicks in that the reader has been waiting for. I know a lot of reviews on thrillers say ”I just wasn't expecting the end”, but throughout the entirety of the book I thought I had a good idea on what was going to happen and a few pages right before the ending, the author throws a giant curveball and your like what?!
⭐️⭐️
I received this arc courtesy of @netgalley and @lakeunionpublishing in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a wow from start to finish. The book centers around Jessica and a plot of revenge. Her life is falling apart from her own bad actions and a con artist who steals her money. Throw in her back story of being raised in a cult and the plot gets complicated very quickly. The twisty ending is the icing on the cake. A must read from an author who always delivers a creative and engaging story. This book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
If you don't have this book on your wish list or preorder, now is the time. I read this book in a couple of days. I really enjoyed the characters, Jessica and her friend, Liam as well as the way the story line played out.
It is scary how easy it is for someone to steal another person's identity and get away with it. However, Jessica Two did not count on Jessica One. Jessica One had Liam and a group of other Jessicas's on her side. Yet, when it comes to love, she is a bit clueless. I could not believe that she did not recognize how much Liam loved her. While, I was rooting for him and Jessica to get together, this book is not about the romance but is a thriller.
Just when I thought I had the story figured out, the author hits me with one last twist at the end. Don't let this book come and go without reading it.