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Promise Not to Tell  By  cover art

Promise Not to Tell

By: Jennifer McMahon
Narrated by: Karen White, Kathleen McInerney, Caitlin Davies
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Publisher's summary

A woman's past and present collide with unexpected results in this hauntingly beautiful debut novel set in rural Vermont.

Forty-one-year-old school nurse Kate Cypher has returned home to rural Vermont to care for her mother who's afflicted with Alzheimer's. On the night she arrives, a young girl is murdered–a horrific crime that eerily mirrors another from Kate's childhood. Three decades earlier, her dirt-poor friend Del–shunned and derided by classmates as "Potato Girl" –was brutally slain. Del's killer was never found, while the victim has since achieved immortality in local legends and ghost stories. Now, as this new murder investigation draws Kate irresistibly in, her past and present collide in terrifying, unexpected ways. Because nothing is quite what it seems . . . and the grim specters of her youth are far from forgotten.

More than just a murder mystery, Jennifer McMahon's extraordinary debut novel, Promise Not to Tell, is a story of friendship and family, devotion and betrayal–tautly written, deeply insightful, beautifully evocative, and utterly unforgettable.

©2016 Jennifer McMahon (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

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What listeners say about Promise Not to Tell

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  • Overall
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Ahh! Great Book!

(SPOILER ALERT) Promise Not To Tell by Jennifer McMahon is SUCH a good book. After finishing the book I felt unsatisfied though because you don't find out who Del's killer is. But either then then that, Such a great read.

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Enjoyable

really enjoyed having different readers. That added tio the listening enjoyment. Very good book. Enjoy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Good one

Good one. Think you'll enjoy this one . Recommend you give this one a try.

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1 person found this helpful

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Great story

The narrator was awful. ..too stiff sounding and very uncomfortable sounding. Loved the story though.

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Libby German murdered Feb 13th 2017

Two girls in Delphi, Indiana were found murdered in the woods. One of them had this book in her room at her Grandma's.
I enjoyed this book with its odd twists and turns. Kate the voice in this story, moves to a new place and is new in a school. She is a child living in a hippy commune. She is so different from her schoolmates they ignore her. There is one very odd girl who is scruffy, unkempt, smelly who is the one everyone picks on. Kate follows her home to a rugged old farm and meets Del. A very rough beginning to their eventual friendship begins with Del doing all sorts of things to test the boundaries of Kate. Tragic events in this book. The author does not use graphic details, just suspense.
There is a lot of betrayal, secrets and hints of sex abuse in the story. Only in the last few chapters the numerous happenings begin to fall into place but leaving all blame in the wrong place
I had Libby's story with her girlfriend Abby on my mind reading it. There is a man waiting for trial in this murder at the moment. There is a great deal of question as to if they have the wrong guy.I am wondering if Libby's story will have unexpected results and if truth and fiction will deliver them;

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Unbelievable!

At the beginning of this book, I thought I wouldn't like it, but there was a little voice in the back of my mind telling me to keep listening. I'm so glad I listened to that little voice. this book was chilling, heartwarming, and unexpected. The performance sent shivers down my spine and caused me to look out my window at the dark night suspiciously. I can't wait to share this with my friends and read it again.

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Worth one read…

I’ve read reviews of this book before I started it,. There was a lot of negatives. I decided to read it anyway. I actually like the story itself. The narrator, however, was not my favorite. She has this odd way of reading. She ends so much of her sentences with the odd breathy lilt. I was able to adapt to her different type of expression enough to enjoy the book.

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You won't want to shut it off!

Overall, I loved the book, but there were a couple of undiscovered mysteries that I wish were explained in the end. otherwise, it was great!

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Good read!

the narrator nearly had me returning the book. speaking was very halted but the story was good. glad I kept listening.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Middle of the road

This book starts slow. The characters are realistic, and a couple are pretty creepy. There is rape, and some weird sexual relationships are revealed. The narration is pretty good. The story skips between past and present and can get confusing in parts. Overall not a bad read.

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