Synopsis:

Jennifer Barnes has a terminal brain tumor—and only six weeks left to live. She decides to spend what time she has left with her family.. But when she realizes she was possibly poisoned a year earlier, she’s determined to discover who might have tried to get rid of her before she’s gone for good. Separated and with a contentious divorce in progress, Jennifer focuses her suspicions on her soon-to-be ex. Meanwhile, her daughters are each processing the news differently. But with her daughters doubting her campaign against their father, Jennifer can’t help but wonder if the poisoning is all in her head—or if there’s someone else who wanted her dead.

Review:

This was such a fascinating plot. I love books that examine the complexities of family dynamics. I enjoyed the multiple POVs - I'm from a family with 3 girls so I enjoyed reading about the three sisters and it's amazing how people from the same family can be so different.. This book wasn't as fast paced or thrilling as I would have liked - more of a family drama with a touch of suspense.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the digital copy!

A gripping psychological suspense novel about a woman diagnosed with cancer who sets out to discover if someone tried to poison her before her time is up, from the bestselling author of the “addictive and fast-paced”

When death is counting down the days... anyone could be a killer.

Jennifer Barnes has just been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour and given only six weeks to live. As readers, we follow Jennifer through her last six weeks and her reflection on her relationships prior in her attempts to figure out who might have been out to get her.

cw: terminal illness, mental illness, cancer, child abuse

Thank you to Catherine McKenzie, Simon & Schuster Canada, Atria Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow. I can honestly say that I did NOT know what to think for most of this book! Catherine McKenzie did an amazing job at keeping me guessing and second-guessing all of my theories alongside Jennifer. This book really did an amazing job at so many things, including explaining the intricacies and complex nature of familial relationships and deep-seeded trauma. I have to admit that I went into this book nervous that I would not be able to keep track of which triplet was which, but as the novel went on each sister had such a unique voice and storyline that I had no issues identifying the context.

The only criticism I have of this novel, if you can call it that, is that the chapters were titled with the amount of time that Jennifer has left in her 6 week diagnosis, and it ends at exactly six weeks - like clockwork. I understand the author's attempts at adding some context to the story by giving that information in the titles but wonder if there could have been a few extra days added on to add to the mystery - and the realism.

Maybe I'm a sucker for a whodunnit novel but this one had me enjoying the chase the whole way through! For readers who are new to McKenzie's work, I would definitely recommend checking this novel out - it is a great way to pass an afternoon or two!

Another great suspense book from one of my favourite authors. Jennifer finds out she has a brain tumour and she only has six weeks to live. She begins to suspect that she had been poisoned and this caused the brain tumour. Jennifer blames her ex husband and tells her three adult daughters her suspicion. The tension ramps up as Jennifer’s time gets shorter and she is determined to find out who has done this. This was a great domestic suspense novel and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Catherine McKenzie has done it again. Another marvellous novel from one of my all time favorite authors.

This book didn't catch my interest the first time I started reading it, but the second time around, it had me hooked and the shocking twist at the end....OMG!!!!

This might be my favourite book by Catherine McKenzie so far. I have enjoyed all her other books but this one really stuck with me. It’s a relatively fresh take for a thriller (woman believes she was fatally poisoned, has a short time to live and is determined to discover who was responsible), but what really gets the story going is the person who poisoned her is likely very close. Friend? Family member? Lover? Sketchy ex-husband? The possibilities are endless and as the story unfolds, the main character sees herself for who she really is, and why someone would do this to her, all while facing the end of her life. It’s a fantastic read.

I enjoyed Catherine McKenzie's other novel (You Can't Catch me), but this one definitely was better in my opinion. Quick paced, lots of twists and turns. Very enjoyable.

“Six Weeks To Live” by Catherine McKenzie is a thriller wrapped in a mystery surrounding the last six weeks of the life of a divorced mother of triplets who is convinced her husband may have poisoned her, causing her cancer diagnosis.

Jennifer, the mother, has started divorce proceedings and has taken a new lover now that the triplets are adults and one of them has given birth to twin boys. Life seems to be turning a good corner when she is blindsided by her diagnosis of six weeks to live, which spans the length of the novel. McKenzie does a stellar job detailing the ongoing frailty of Jennifer’s body & mind, showcasing how one might lose sense of reason as you stare down a death sentence. Her daughters, even though triplets, couldn’t be more different with respect to personality and, indeed, love for their mother. This becomes painfully apparent as the story marches on and contributes to Jennifer’s self-certainty that someone has poisoned her, resulting in the family even creating a police style suspect board to trace all the facts.

If you cracked open this book without reading any background, you’d spend the first quarter thinking it was a lovely family story about the struggles cancer brings to (too many) households, but then the twists start, and they never let you go. You genuinely believe and side with her that the husband had a hand, but little morsels are revealed in such a tantalising way that doubt creeps in….for both Jennifer and the reader.

This book is a challenger for the surprise of the summer. A quick read but one that will keep you hooked and want your friends to read so you can have a discussion.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a copy for review.

I may have stayed up until two-thirty in the morning reading this. I had a lot of fun reading it. I don’t read a lot of adult books, as I’ve probably said like six times in the last month, but this sounded interesting so I thought, “What the hey?” And I’m very glad I did!

This is a thriller, obviously, but it’s a pretty light read over all. I feel like this would make a really good beach read. Wait, when is this posting? September? Okay, it’d made a really good sitting on your porch with a cup of tea book. Are my metaphors making sense? What I mean is, it’s not the most intense or serious book in the world, despite the subject matter. There are moments that are more serious, or sad, but the main focus isn’t really Jennifer’s death, as odd as that sounds. She really focuses on the poisoning.

Like if you’re looking for a sad book, this isn’t the book for you. But if you’re looking for a book where you literally can’t trust the protagonist because she can’t trust herself, because her brain is literally working against her, this might just be for you! The pacing is really good, and keeps you reading even when you should stop and go to bed, and the use of the countdown as Jennifer’s time literally runs out is very effective.

This alternates between Jennifer’s POV chapters in first person, and her daughters’ POV chapters in third person, and I normally kind of hate that. It’s kind of necessary in this book, and it works okay, but it’s still not my favourite. I also found the ending a little cheesy.

All in all, this was a fun read. Not a favourite, but I enjoyed it. It was very approachable, too, for someone like me who’s just dipping a toe into adult literature that isn’t some variety of romance. Would recommend for a quick, easy thriller read.

Representation: Jennifer’s daughter Miranda is bisexual.

Content notes: Cancer, poisoning, talk of child abuse, specifically factitious disorder imposed on another, and obviously death of a parent.

Something about this book just wasn't for me. Maybe it was the amount of times one of the sisters said forking, maybe it was the unbelievable plot. Well done, just not my style.

3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐💫
Six Weeks to Live was more family drama than thriller, and it held my interest throughout. I didn't find any of the characters to be all that likable, but their relationships and family secrets were intriguing. The author did a good job setting the pace and piecing together the mystery, and while I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, it did take me by surprise.

If you enjoy domestic family dramas, consider checking out Six Weeks to Live.
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*TW/CW: Cancer; Mental Illness

**Complimentary copy for review provided by Simon and Schuster Canada. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.

Every mystery and thriller by Catherine McKenzie gets better than the last and I never think she can out do the previous one because it's usually that good.

The main character Jennifer seems like she's a bit paranoid after her diagnosis of terminal cancer and is trying to find evidence to prove she's right. But as you watch her spiral into this idea it really makes you question whether her suspicions are correct. Meanwhile you get the point of view from each of her daughters throughout the novel as well and this really brings the story together. You get so many puzzle pieces and it's so hard to not give parts away.

I think this novel is almost perfection when it comes to the mystery genre. I was kept on my toes throughout the whole thing. I highly, highly recommend this novel if you need a good mystery. Especially one you will not see coming which is always my personal favorite type.

There's no doubt 'Six Weeks to Live' was a well written, fast-paced book, and I loved the huge suspense around the plot. I wasn't happy about the ending, but who says all books have to have satisfactory endings? It certainly left me thinking for days. Many thanks again to Simon & Schuster Canada and Author Catherine McKenzie for the gifted ARC!

Although I am a big fan of this author, this particular novel was not my favourite. The premise is excellent, but I feel like the story never really has you on the edge of your seat, so it lacks the excitement I was hoping for. I do like the multiple points of view for the novel, but I just found so many things far-fetched, so it didn't really land for me.

I loved my first read by Catherine McKenzie, so this was highly anticipated for me. Unfortunately, it did not live up to the expectations I had, but that seems to be an unpopular opinion based on reviews I've seen. For so many reasons, this book was not for me. It took me a long time to read it, despite the busy life, I struggled to pick it up and get into it.

Six Weeks to Live is about the last six weeks the MC Jennifer has to live while battling a cancer caused by lead poisoning. Throughout the six weeks, Jennifer is determined to find out who poisoned her and what their motives were. It all felt really... farfetched and crazy for me. I understand thrillers should be a little out there, but this felt over the top and the writing was a touch juvenile in my opinion (I know I'm not a professional though). The multiple POVs felt sloppy and confusing, with a lot of unnecessary information added that felt like filler for no reason. I think a huge reason why I didn't love this book was also because it followed the unstable, mentally ill female narrator and I'm just so over that trope.

I will say that I didn't predict the ending, it did surprise me, but overall it really wasn't enough to save the overall book for me.

What happens when you have three sisters, triplet's actually, separated parents, and a whole lifetime of deception? Well read this book to find out.

This story starts with the mother of triplets, who are now in their 20's, finds out she has brain cancer and only has six weeks to live. But she also has a sneaking suspicion that it's not a natural cause, and that something has happened to her to cause this cancer, something that needs to be looked into. With a husband that wants a divorce, and the sisters all keeping secrets from each other, and the mother's past secrets that come out make it seem like you can't trust anyone!

That's pretty much what this story is about, trying to find out who's telling the truth, yes I get that that's what most "thrillers" are about, but in this one I found there was just too many lies, you literally couldn't trust anyone! I recommend if you love a good family drama, with endless misconceptions!

I love all of Catherine’s books! This one does not disappoint. A page-turner and completely unputdownable!

Six weeks to live

A domestic/family thriller in which 48 year old, mom of 3, Jennifer, is diagnosed with a brain tumour and told she has only 6 weeks to live. Jennifer vows to enjoy the time she has left with her family but when she discovers that her cancer could be a result of poisoning she determines to find out who her murderer is.

I really felt for Jennifer and despite her previous struggles, which come to light throughout the book, I still liked her character. The adult daughters on the other hand I was not a fan of. The triplets all had very distinct strong personalities but their selfish behaviour and terrible attitudes appalled me.

Domestic thrillers can be a bit hit or miss for me but I really enjoyed this one and the ending gave me goosebumps.

I’ve only read one of this author’s previous books but I’ll definitely be checking them out now.

McKenzie has done it again! I could not put this book down - I just had to know what would happen!There were a number of surprises in the story which I enjoyed. The story does address mental health issues as well as the relationship between siblings. The writing was fast-pace and kept my attention throughout.