What would you do if you only had six weeks to live?

Six Weeks To Live by Catherine Mckenzie is a mystery novel filled with family secrets and drama. Jennifer is a mom of triplets and she is diagnosed with cancer and she is told she has six weeks left in her life. One she processes the diagnosis she decides to analyze her medical records and sees some concerning levels of lead in her system from a year prior to the diagnosis. Jennifer is quick to realize that she has been poisoned and she has six weeks left to figure out who did and why.

I loved the pace of this book and found myself getting through it quickly. The chapters were short and sweet and followed the various perspectives from the story (Jennifer and her three daughters). As the story unravels you see family secrets and drama being exposed and you wont want to stop reading until you've figured out what happened. I didn’t predict the ending and felt satisfied with how the author finished it off.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada as well as the author Catherine McKenzie. When I got the approval to read this book, I was so excited as I read a few of the authors backlist (Catch me if you can, Spin and Arranged to list a few). This book was list as a Mystery & Thriller book but when I got to about 40% of the book, I said this is a TV drama. The would work well as a 3 episode mini series set in the UK. I like it but did not love it. I hated "What the fork?" Now that I type it, I see the undertone joke beyond the swear word but it was just not a great read for me. So my honest rating for this book is a 3 star. It is worth a read for a Catherine McKenzie book lover but not one of my favourites.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and Catherine McKenzie.
This is the story of Jennifer who is diagnosed with a brain tumour and is told by her doctor that she has six weeks to live. Upon receipt of her blood test results she realizes she has extremely high level of lead.
OMG she is being poisoned. She is determined before she dies to find out who her killer is.
Well written family drama with unexpected twists and turns.
Surprising family secrets
Recommend. 4 Stars

Emotional, steady-paced, & engrossing!

Six Weeks to Live by Catherine McKenzie is a psychological suspense novel that reads more like a family drama for most of the story and then totally sneaks up on you in the end with an unexpected twist that took me right back to a psychological suspense. Which makes me appreciate the story that much more because it integrates two of my absolute favourite blends in my thrillers. It also takes off immediately with a great opening that intrigues and hooks the reader. I do think that the story fizzled and dragged a little bit for me though somewhere along the way because I didn’t actually realize what genre I was reading. If that makes sense. It all became clear to me in the end though.

The premise of this novel is intriguing, and has a sinister feel to it with a slight undercurrent of tension that definitely kept this reader interested in finding out all the details behind Jennifer’s diagnosis. I absolutely loved the familial dynamics here and the triplet angle which I thought was rather creative and definitely kept me entertained.

Catherine McKenzie delivers a complex, well-written, and suspenseful novel here with well hidden clues as to who poisoned Jennifer. All the clues come together in an unexpected/expected way but I’m not exactly sure if I liked it though. I really liked the characters and how Catherine McKenzie lays out clues in her characters personalities. It’s all there for us to see but so easily missed with great writing.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Catherine McKenzie for my review copy!

This book was not like the other domestic mysteries I’ve read in the past and I think that it’s because the characters are trying to figure out who did it, just like you. I’ll be honest though, this book was just meh. I wasn’t as hooked as I’d like to be when reading this genre, and lacked that punch(es) that I love when reading mystery and thrillers. The switching between first and third person was also confusing. There was a lot of focus on backstory which was written very well but was not what I expected from the description. The author did do a good job of building these characters into individuals, as opposed to basing their storylines on each other since they are very close in the book. At times, the story felt like it was going nowhere until the last few chapters when things start to wrap up.

SIX WEEKS TO LIVE by Catherine McKenzie is more of a domestic suspense than a “gripping psychological suspense” it’s described as. This novel is about Jennifer, mother of three daughters, who is diagnosed with cancer and then tries to discover who poisoned her. I loved the setting of Surrey in British Columbia which is my province! There were multiple points of view which kept things interesting and I liked how each chapter was named. This one was very slow moving and not very suspenseful to me. It was mostly family drama. Overall a solid read for fans of the suspense genre. I’ve previously read and enjoyed McKenzie’s other book You Can’t Catch Me and will continue to read her books.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley for my advance review copy!

“Six Weeks To Live,” a psychological thriller by Catherine McKenzie, explores the lengths someone will go to uncover the secrets in their own life.

A diagnosis of a terminal brain glioblastoma multiforme stage IV rocks 48-year-old Jennifer Barnes’s world, sending shockwaves through her fractured family. As if this wasn’t enough to deal with, her blood panel shows a high lead toxicity, suggesting someone may be poisoning her. As the title suggests, her time is limited, and her purpose is to hunt for her own killer. With 42 days left, can she uncover the truth in time?

Not really the psychological thriller I was expecting, this is more a family drama with moments of suspense sprinkled throughout. Regardless, the story was enjoyable. Jake and Jennifer are parents of triplets; 2 embryos, with one of them splitting as identical twins, Aline and Miranda, and a fraternal third triplet, Emily. Lacking love, the marriage splits and a battle for divorce ensues. For the past two years, Jennifer holds leverage over Jake and won’t grant him his wishes, creating tension when he appears. Each of the 25-year-old triplets is unique; Miranda lives at home and is distant with her mom, Aline is moody and has a career in the science field and Emily is a calm and nurturing mom, wife and medical student. McKenzie plays on this duality and shows how each girl differs in their reaction to their mom’s diagnosis. The novel is told using Jennifer and her three girls ‘points of view and this works because it allows us to get into their mind and see how it works. Readers get a sense that something is off in the Barnes family and it propels the story forward, making it an addictive read.
Of benefit to this novel’s success is McKenzie’s law degree as it has allowed her to tell Jennifer’s story in compelling way. Twenty years practicing law, McKenzie knows about human nature under stress. As we peal away the layers, we see a truly dysfunctional family. Not only are they dealing with imminent death, grief and the stress of putting affairs in order, but they are also dealing with years of revenge, secrets, and blame. McKenzie shows how finger pointing and tempers preside over helping the matriarch cope. With such broken lives, can they still pull together and solve the mystery?

A great story: a little slow burning with irritating ‘fork’ usage, but a twisty mystery and a must read.
Currently, McKenzie is working on 2022 book release, “Please Join Us,” about a woman who gets invited to a secretive women’s organization and chaos ensues.

Thank you to Catherine McKenzie, Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publishes April 20, 2021.

I would have to rate this 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I think I was expecting something more exciting.

This books is about a mom named Jennifer who is diagnosed with cancer and she thinks she was poisoned. Most of the story is Jennifer trying to uncover the mystery before her six weeks to live is up.

This family is full of dysfunction and secrets but not in a good way. I did enjoy the different POVs of the characters but the story just fell a little flat for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced digital copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I started reading this one thinking it'd be a fast paced, race against the clock, mystery with the hunt for a killer. It was not that. This one was quite slow for me, and a bit repetitive, I feel like it took a really long time to get to the climax. I did like where the book ended up, it took a few twists and turns, I just wish we could have taken a faster path there.

I'm a big fan of Catherine McKenzie but I just don't think this one is one of her bests, for me at least. I had a difficult time liking any of the characters, none of them really displayed any redeeming qualities. A lot of selfish, entitled and whiney people. I did find the whole idea of a mother facing death so quickly and absolutely very sad and heart wrenching to think about. No matter your relationship with your kids I cannot fathom staring down the tunnel of knowing you wont get to see so much of their lives.

Overall, this was a good read but not a binge worthy read!

Rating: 3/5 stars.

“Six Weeks to Live” is a mystery thriller from Canadian author Catherine McKenzie. The premise of the novel is intriguing, albeit somewhat controversial. A mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer and only has six weeks left to live, and in that timeframe is trying to investigate her suspected attempted murder, while navigating rocky relationships with her friend and family. Despite the depressing subject matter, I was still interested and open to reading the book, mainly because I wanted to see how the author would handle such a sensitive topic, and since I had read rave reviews about her books.

The beginning half of the novel was very strong and I was hooked in immediately. However, the back half was filled with plot holes and almost outlandish conclusions. I really liked the characters, but some of their actions really did not match their described personalities, creating plot holes. I was rather disappointed in the climax, and frustrated by the lackluster twists. Overall, while I am not likely to recommend this novel to others, I am still willing to check out some of her other mysteries.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book on NetGalley and have provided an honest review.*

The premise drew me to this book - a woman solving her own murder, but how? The characters and their shenanigans kept me reading. While this read is suspenseful, it’s not the same kind of suspense you feel when a book makes you look over your shoulder as soon as the sun goes down. It’s creepy in an “I can’t believe this person I trust would do this to me” kind of way. These characters are deeply flawed, yet still likeable, and that’s what kept me reading. Each chapter exposed more dirty family secrets. I enjoyed the Surrey, BC setting as well and could relate to some of the scenes where the weather played a major part. Kept me turning the pages until the very end! (A big thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.)

Six weeks to live is about a woman - Jennifer (a forty-eight-year-old mother to triplets) who finds out she has terminal cancer and only has six weeks to live. At first she wants to spend her remaining days with her three daughters and two grandsons but after reviewing her medical records she feels she may have been poisoned and she is determined to figure out who might have done this to her. She’s suspicious of her soon to be ex-husband, Jake but as the weeks go on all three of her daughters become suspects to her. Who would want Jennifer dead and why?
This book is filled with suspense and family drama. I initially thought it was going to be a gripping psychological thriller but its more of a domestic drama. I really enjoyed how the story was told from the POV’s of Jennifer and her three daughters. McKenzie did a really good job keeping them individual and giving them each their own voice which made each character relatable to the audience.
Ive read a lot of Catherine McKenzies books and this one was good. I’m giving it 4 stars because the plot line was good and the pace was steady but the book never really changes gears; it doesn’t really ramp up. But it did have a great twist at the end! I didn’t see that coming
One last note - the girls use the term “fork” (“what the fork”, “fork off”) instead of the “F-word” and it drove me a bit crazy! I was ready for that phrase it to be forking done!

Book Review
Six Weeks to Live by Catherine Mackenzie

Thanks to @netgalley and @simonandshusterca for the ARC in return for an honest review

I started this one at 9:00 in the evening and didnt put it down until 11:47- done!

The pacing was fast, from the fist few pages I was caught up in Jennifer’s diagnosis.

Here are some of my random thoughts about this book:
* Dysfunctional family always makes for an interesting dynamic
* Bitchy daughters- so much drama
* Hereditary mental health issues help connect the dots
* at times I was like Is she off her rocker thinking someone is out to get her? or is she in real danger?
* Sensed there is an undercurrent of tension or waiting at the beginning
* this book felt Sinister
* seemed like both grandmother and mother leeched all the happiness from their childrens lives

Another fabulous book by this author!!

In her 11th novel, Catherine McKenzie delivers another gripping and pulse-pounding psychological family drama. This book moves at breakneck speed and was impossible for me to put down. I have always appreciated this author’s ability to craft a plot full of twists and turns, but it is her characters that always draw me in. Something that was true again in this book.

SIX WEEKS TO LIVE kicks off with Jennifer receiving a dire health diagnosis. She has cancer and is given just—you guessed it—six weeks to live. Based on the test results, Jennifer is certain she has been poisoned, but by who? And with that question in mind, this novel is off and running towards the I-never-saw-it-coming ending.

Jennifer must break the news to her triplet daughters and it affects them all in very different ways. The story is told through the POV of mother and daughters, giving readers great insight into all four as little seeds of doubt are planted in all of their stories making you wonder just who is telling the truth.

In SIX WEEKS TO LIVE, McKenzie once again gives her readers exactly what we have come to love about her, a crisply written, fast-paced and ultimately mind-bending thriller that you don’t want to put down.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the advance reading copy.

ah, so amazing - Catherine McKenzie is one of my very favourite authors, and i think this was my favourite book thus far!
her writing is so easy to read, and is very authentic!
the characters are both likable and dislikable at the same time- but realistic and relatable too
this story blew my mind - i had no idea how it would end.

definitely recommend !!

Six Weeks to Live starts off very clinical, throwing out scientific and medical terminology. Alternating between three characters, it takes a while to wrap your head around each of their respective plot lines, but you can’t really differentiate between their voices, and the transition between the characters is not smooth. At the same time, the novel also falters in how it throws out many names, expecting you to piece together their relation to the voice.

The book doesn’t allow enough emotion to let the character’s misfortune sink in, to humanize them and forge a bond with the reader. The story takes a while to pick up, drilling on circular banter that does not move, and slowly bringing up the sneaking suspicions of foul play. There is a lot of dialogue, but it doesn’t add anything to the characters or the story.

With only one issue for the entire duration, the novel needed more depth, as building an entire story around one concept does not exactly captivate your attention and interest throughout. The reveal is also not as shocking or thrilling as it tries to be, having other works that have similar ideas.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Simon and Schuster Canada, for an ARC of Six Weeks to Live by Catherine McKenzie. This is one of my favourite ARC’s I’ve had the privilege to read!

I love a psychological thriller that has me guessing until the very end. I really didn’t know who to trust throughout the story which made me unable to put this book down, I NEEDED to know what happened.

I really love the way the author subtly adds important pieces of the puzzle throughout the book. Vital information isn’t known by the reader until the author wants you to know it and I love that style of suspenseful writing.

We first meet Jennifer who, in the first few sentences, is diagnosed with a brain tumour and is only given 6 weeks to live. Upon getting her bloodwork and test results back, she sees that there is an alarming amount of lead in her system. She becomes convinced that someone is trying to murder her.

Jennifer has adult female triplets who all have a unique relationship with their mother. Jennifer also has a husband who left her and desperately wants the divorce that Jennifer refuses to give him.

The story journeys through the final 6 weeks of Jennifer’s life and we unravel plenty of secrets and lies that this family has kept from one another.

Overall I’m rating this book a 4/5 ⭐️ the book kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t believe the way it ended! This book will be published on April 21, 2021 and I recommend you add it to your TBR lists!

Kindle Copy for Review won from Simon & Schuster Canada

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A woman receives news from her doctor that she has terminal brain tumor and that she has only six weeks left to live. She decides to spend her last few weeks with her family only to realize that a year ago she was poisoned.

She will seek answers before her death as she deals with both assaulting hitting her. As she handles how her children take the news of her dying differently and a contentious divorce taking place with her soon to be ex husband.

A sweeping read that engulfs you.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: April 4, 2021
Catherine McKenzie's ELEVENTH novel, "Six Weeks To Live" is a pulse-pounding medical drama about family secrets so deep and dark, it takes a tragic diagnosis to bring them to light.
Miranda, Aline and Emily were famous triplets in their youth, reveling in the free vacations, TV spots and swag given to them merely for being born sharing a uterus. Now, they are adults and their life is shattered when their mother tells them she has gliobastoma, an incurable brain cancer, and has only six weeks to live. After that news, the triples are still in shock when their mother reveals that she believes her cancer is a result of lead poisoning- and that someone in her inner circle poisoned her. The obvious suspect is Jennifer's ex husband (and the girls' father), Jake, but not all of the girls are convinced Jake would go to such lengths. But who else would want Jennifer dead? And has she really been poisoned at all?
"Six Weeks" has all of the plot twists and turns that you come to expect from McKenzie. With the realistic undertones of mental illness (specifically Manic Depression, Munschausen's by Proxy and Postpartum depression), this is a novel that will pull you in and keep you dangling on the edge of your seat until the very end.
All of the characters in this novel have a dark side, with secrets that make any and all of them realistic suspects. When the ending is revealed, not only is it believable but it is also unexpected (the perfect combination!). The unique "triplet" plot line was creative and entertaining!
McKenzie continues to deliver engaging, suspenseful stories with honest and realistic characters, and after eleven novels under her belt, she shows no signs of slowing down!

Sometimes the charm of a book is centred on the storyline; other times, its strength might be the plot or a travelogue-themed backdrop. McKenzie’s books, I find, are all about the characters, ones that can equally captivate you, disappoint you, or make you cheer for them. On occasion, truth to be told, you might also want to shake them in frustration, give them the proverbial boot, as you valiantly pick about the plot.

Take McKenzie’s upcoming book, Six Weeks To Live, which is being released on May 4th, 2021.

It is a tough way to spend your last forty-two days on earth.
Six Weeks To Live tells the story of a forty-eight-year-old woman, Jennifer Barnes, who has just been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. She has only six weeks to live as a result of that diagnosis- or is that really the reason? The twist – you can be guaranteed that there is always going to be a twist in McKenzie’s novels - is, that at the same time Barnes gets her cancer diagnosis, recent blood work shows she is being slowly poisoned. Who is responsible?
Enter Barnes’ triplet adult children: Emily, the perfect oh-so-organized med student; Aline, the moody distant scientist daughter; and Miranda, the reckless, can’t-be- counted-on daughter, who admittedly, engages in some pretty interesting ‘side bits.’ Of course, there is also an ex-husband who has been down in the basement of the family home for no good reason. Presumably.

I had to leave the night light on an extra hour so I could finish Six Weeks To Live and find out who was doing what to whom.
Six Weeks to Live is yet another solid read from the master of the psychological sleight of hand. #SixWeeksToLive #NetGalley #cecereviewstheread www.cecescott.com @cecemscott