The book PROMISE NOT TO TELL was a quick read.It was written so well i felt as if i was in the book. I'm a sophomore in high school and in a honors English course. This book is one i would suggest to my teacher. Any one at any age would be compelled to the book simply after the first page. It is one that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and with your head deeply buried between the pages. I enjoyed the twists and turns in Kate's life that keep me wanting more. I feel that anyone could relate to one or more of the hardships shown in the book, bullying, money issues, cliques, rape, abuse, sexual confusion, and even prejudice. It is a story i will remember for a long time and a book i will share with everyone i know. I strongly recommend PROMISE NOT TO TELL.

One potato, two potato, three potato, four
I wish I hadn't bought this book
T'was wasteful and a bore

Kate returns home to care for her mother with Alzheimer's, but her return coincides with a murder that closely mimics a murder from Kate's childhood. Kate's remembers her small-town childhood and her friendship with the murdered "Potato Girl" while she explores what has become of her old family and friends and their possible connection to the recent murder. Promise Not to Tell is a promising combination of small rural town and ghostly murder mystery, but this potential is buried under mediocre writing, unremarkable characters, and an unbelievable plot twist. I was disappointed by this entirely mediocre book, and I don't recommend it.

Many aspects of this book--the small-town setting, the farmer's daughter, the ailing mother--aren't to my tastes, but I was open to trying something new and intrigued by the combination of a ghost story and a murder mystery. Unfortunately, the only good thing I have to say about this book is that the premise intrigued me enough to pick it up and, having picked it up, it was a fast and forgettable read. Promise Not to Tell is well-intended, and it has some promising aspects--including the premise and characters (which are a brave, unusual choice) and the intended themes. But all of these aspects are for naught: the book is dragged down into mediocrity, and the best thing about it is that it's soon finished and forgotten.

McMahon's writing style is amateur and undeveloped, and so it reads swiftly but leaves no lasting impact. It expresses the themes so blatantly that they become bland and meaningless. The narrator's constant dishonesty and weak sarcasm is vaguely irritating. The characters are sometimes promising, sometimes unpleasant, but largely--like the writing--forgettable. The plot does not redeem these factors: the book builds to pleasant (if exaggerated) suspense, but the final twist and reveal is so arbitrary and so unexplained that it's unbelievable and ruins everything that comes before. The book isn't outright bad or begging to be mocked, but it is entirely mediocre. It offers nothing, and it's not enjoyable to read. I had no idea what to expect from this author, but I certainly expected better of a book with such high reviews. I don't recommend it to any audience.

Promise Not To Tell by Jennifer McMahon is the story of Kate Cypher, a nurse working in Seattle. She receives a call from some old friends back home who tell her that her mother, who suffers from dementia and Alzheimer's, is rapidly deteriorating. Kate goes home to confront the difficult situation with her mother, who does not want to go into a home. However, there are other issues waiting for Kate upon her return. 31 years earlier, Kate's best friend, Del Griswold, was murdered, and the killer was never found. Now there is another murder that is frighteningly similar to Del's - is it coincidence that it happened right after Kate's homecoming? And what really happened the day that Del was murdered?

I really enjoyed Promise Not To Tell. The pacing was quick, and at a concise 256 pages, there really was never a dull moment. The author foreshadowed well, increasing the reader's anticipation, but never gave too much away. It is frustrating when an author's use of foreshadowing actually ruins the book due to poor placement and revealing too much information (Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain is the best example I can think of for really irritating foreshadowing).

The book was definitely spooky and a little bit creepy, but it definitely wasn't too scary for those of you that have difficulty with horror novels (like me.) Besides the unfolding of the mystery, the element I honestly liked best about the book was its length. Too often, my main complaint about a novel is that about 100 pages could have been trimmed off without any significant impact on the plot or character development. While I don't mind long novels, I'm a big proponent of the idea that a book shouldn't be any longer than it really needs to be. McMahon seems to have had that same idea in mind when writing Promise Not to Tell.

I also think McMahon did a great job portraying school children. As much as many of us liked to romanticize our childhoods, the fact is, kids can be incredibly cruel. I think many of us, especially those of us who enjoy escaping into books as we've become older, have been at the receiving end of taunting and bullying. I think through the way the author writes Del and Kate, she really drives home the point of how cruel children have the capacity to be. It's very well written, but not horribly uncomfortable to read, which is a welcome surprise.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it!

The author did a great job! I could not put it down. Each page gave a new clue so it keeps you hooked. I recommend this to everyone!!!

I was actually extremely disappointed in this book. The beginning of the book was so incredibly engrossing with its description of Del and Kate's friendship and experiences. I loved the descprition of the farm house and the root cellar and all the the creepy little kid things that Kate experienced while being friends with Del.

However, I disliked Kate as a person because she lied about EVERYTHING. As a grown woman, she continued to lie all the time, lying that she and Del were even friends to protect herself from being involved with the murder. She lived with Del's murder hovering over her, knowing that she knew so many details about Del...her tattoo and what it might signify. I was so disappointed in her...I understand her lying as a 10 year old girl because she was scared, but as a grown 41 year old woman, it just made me so angry to read.

Some parts of this book were so wonderful. The last 30 pages or so, were just so infuriating.

It is a very quick read, it is suspensful at times, but the end is definitely a let down.

I just finished this little gem of a book and enjoyed it immensly. It has a little bit of everything and you will not be forgetting the main characters anytime soon...I highly recommend it!

Rather than reiterate the plot of this amazing mystery, this is why I recommend this book.
I was at the library looking for good reads and noticed
"Promise Not To Tell" set apart from the shelved books. I thought, I'll try.
Oh, what a marvelous book! I became so intrigued by Del, and the
myriad of characters in local Vermont color..........convinced that they were in part all real at some point in the author's life.

That is the gift of Jennifer McMahon's writing.

I will purchase this book new and it will become part of what I call my permanent collection. It was simply that exceptional.

I absolutely loved this book! Jennifer McMahon has a true gift of mystery story-telling. I was enthralled with her back and forth (past to present to past) method of plot spacing...and truly the ghost aspects of the story, the unexplainable parts were absolutely believable! I've already passed this along to my sister and we're fast becoming fans! I've just started reading "Island of Lost Girls" and again, I am enthralled! Jennifer McMahan is a great discovery for those who love to read Jodi Picoult, Lesley Kagen and Elizabeth Flock novels.

The book pulled me in quickly, and I did enjoy the character development. In fact, I almost wished there were more on some of the characters, especially the home life of Del and her father and brothers.

And the middle was good too. The plot and suspense kept building and building, and I couldn't wait to get to the end and find out who and what was behind all of this.

But sadly, it ended with a pop rather than a boom. I knew who the killer was for a long time, but the killer's motivations were disappointingly weak! What? The killings happened *why*?? Blah, humbug.

The supernatural aspect of the ending was completely out of character with the rest of the book. It almost felt like the author couldn't figure out a reasonable way to end it, so she resorted to supernatural explanations. I really felt let down after the very good beginning and middle.

PROMISE NOT TO TELL

We meet Kate Cypher who has returned to her childhood home in Vermont. Her mom is suffering from Alzheimer's and decisions need to be made regarding her care.

Kate has not been home in years. Home has bad memories for Kate and she is about to add more to that particular load of luggage. Shortly after Kate has returned to New Canaan, a young teenaged girl, Tori Miller, is murdered in the woods. Everything about the murder is almost identical to the murder some thirty years earlier of Kate's friend, Del Griswold.

Much to her dismay, Kate gets totally involved and sometimes almost accused of the murder of Tori Miller. As Kate is drawn into this web, people from her past come back to haunt her -- literally! Yes, Del's ghost is involved, but people from her past are dredged up, some of them Kate is happy to see; others, she can do without.

Loved the characters -- poor, picked-on Del Griswold, who has a rotten life and meets a rotten end, Nicky, her brother who has his own secrets, Kate, of course, and the other residents of this small Vermont town.

The writing format of the book jumps from the present to the past and back again. This was not confusing. Mystery is mingled with ghosts, possessions, things that go bump in the night. Kate is smack dab in the middle of all of this mess -- and on top of all the mystery, she is dealing with her mom's illness, trying to cope with that. Mystery and the super-natural are involved and the story is always interesting and keeps the reader guessing.

I love how the author, Jennifer McMahon, writes. The dialogue flowed easily and swiftly, it was almost as if the reader was having a conversation with the characters. The writing is very true to life and actual.

Thank you and enjoy!
Pam

The story is even more interesting when you consider the two meanings of cipher and the two Cyphers in the story.

"Promise Not to Tell" is a real page turner.
The story flows nicely, not one boring part.

I had to read this book for my book club summer pick. The title, and the cover both looked like it would be a good read. And it was...only I was looking for a little more. Maybe a little more character development?? It was such a dark book. Could anything more happen to the potato girl? She's beaten, bullied, burned, molested, and finally murdered. ( I'm not taking anything away, you learn this in the first few pages) Why would I want to read about such horrors that happen to a young girl?
The rest of the characters are very different, and at times a bit strange. The book does have a supernatural, ghostly appeal if you're into that. I found it too far fetched to be real.

A mystery story which lurches into the supernatural, this uneven debut by a new author holds your interest until the last page. You are in the hands of a skillful storyteller, who introduces the reader to likeable characters, and keeps you on the edge until the very end. I found myself caring about the protagonist Kate, and her best friend Del even though they are flawed people who hurt each other badly.

There were a few times when I found the story too fantastic to believe. What began as a realistic thriller turns into a ghost story. The ghostly elements were a deus ex machina that didn't fit well in the plot. Some of Kate' interior dialogue and her romantic choices were unbelievable to me, given what I understood about her. Nevertheless, these are minor complaints about an impressive first novel. I read it quickly, and you will too!

Although it shows only the head and neck of a young girl, I was surprised to discover that the cover photo on this edition is by Jock Sturges. There is a subplot about child abuse in the story, and the author does not sugar coat it. It demonstrates an astounding error in judgment to put Sturges on the cover, since some of his work borders on child abuse itself. (n.b. I know that authors often do not have a say in the cover art of their books.)

This book was a great read, I finished it in one sitting cover to cover. The characters were detailed and lifelike. The setting was also interesting, and the flipping from one time period to another. Awesome and suspenseful. A must-read.

I read a review for this in people magazine and was very excited when I saw it at Sam's club one day...

I too read this in two sittings...would have been one but by two o'clock in the morning I just couldn't keep going ;)

I went to the store before I had even finished it and bought her other book...

I will say though that for the first time ever I found something cheaper in the store than on amazon...This book was only $6.41 at Sam's Club.

I'm afraid of the dark. Or, more exactly, I'm afraid of what could be in the dark: ghosts and goblins and boogy-men. This book promised to be full of those irrational fears, based on the summary. Though I'm afraid of the dark, and all it could contain, I know that the fear isn't rational. I began reading this book expecting to work through those crazy ideas but, ultimately, end with a reasonable explanation. Boy, was I wrong. Those irrational concepts became more and more solid until the supernatural was all-pervasive. I can't believe the author went there! And that's where she lost me: just because I'm afraid of ghosts doesn't mean that they are real. In a book, seemingly set in reality, she veers off into the wacky. She turned, what I expected to be, a quirky mystery into a loopy romp with ghosts. There are no reasonable explanations to be found anywhere. Instead there were mysterious pictures, crazy visions and possession. In this book it doesn't need to be dark to have ghosts and boogy-men coming out to haunt. If you have a single foot grounded in reality you may want to avoid this one. I promise not to tell anyone to read this.

This book was a page turner to the end. The truth was revealed in the final pages and I couldn't wait to get there. At times, it was heartfelt, but mostly was intriguing right to the final paragraph.

This book is very well written. The story explores emotional growth and lifestyle experimentation, but its main focus is criminal mystery. Most everybody can relate to the characters either by their own personal experiences or by having met similar individuals in their lifetime. I anxiously await other fictional works by this author; if they are as good as this - she may become my favorite author.

Tantalizing characters that will have you thinking about your childhood, and an interesting plot line, which delves, but not too deeply, into the supernatural make for a good and entertaining read with Jennifer McMahon's Promise Not to Tell.

This was a spontaneous purchase because the description sounded so intriguing. It said the Potato Girl will have you looking behind your back...and I was! I love a good ghost story and this was brilliantly written, scary and hard to put down. It reminded me of the small town where I grew up and I read it while visiting, which made it even more absorbing. I was surprised this was the author's debut novel and look forward to reading more of her work in the future!

This story hooked me and I finished it in record time. I kept trying to figure out who/what had done it, if there really was a ghost/dead coming back to communicate with the living etc. etc... and I'm not giving it away to you all.

Having lived in Vermont, everything was so spot on. From the trip to Burlington, to the hippie commune with it's free spirited approach to life, to the unspoken dress code, to the way Vermonters drop their g's (hun en = hunting) and t's.

Ultimately this was just a great story. Ghost, mystery, thriller, who-done-it, mother-daughter relationship, aging etc. Also, a perfect example of how cruel children can be to each other.

The only thing that I don't think/remember being explained was why the cat was killed.

5 *'s from me because it is the first book I have started and finished in awhile because it was THAT good.

Looking forward to more from the author.

I normally can't get into a ghost story type of book at all. I loved this! I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down! It was very believable and Jennifer McMahon has a gift for description. Amazing with details as well. A very organized well thought out book that I would recommend!

I have been going through a book slump, I just couldn't get into any books I picked up.I had Promise Not To Tell in my bookshelf and decided to give it a try. I'm sure glad I did. I read it in a couple of days and was so glad to have something that kept me interested again. Jennifer McMahon's writing flows well even with the jumping around of dates. She does a good job of describing the life of Potato Girl and I could really picture everything I read. I definitely recommend this book.

I have been going through a book slump, I just couldn't get into any books I picked up.I had Promise Not To Tell in my bookshelf and decided to give it a try. I'm sure glad I did. I read it in a couple of days and was so glad to have something that kept me interested again. Jennifer McMahon's writing flows well even with the jumping around of dates. She does a good job of describing the life of Potato Girl and I could really picture everything I read. I definitely recommend this book.

Promise Not To Tell is a coming of age story, a gripping murder mystery and psychological thriller.

Set in both present and past, Promise Not To Tell, is a story of friendship, secrets, murder. Main character Kate Cypher is a quiet school nurse who returns to Vermont to care for her aging, demented mother.

The might Kate returns home, a girl is murdered -- a murder that resembles the murder of her friend, Del, known as the "Potato Girl" 30 years earlier.


Kate becomes drawn into the investigation surrounding this new murder, and her life unfolds in a terrifying way: she worries that she betrayed the misunderstood and taunted Del, while also worrying that Del's killer may be on the loose. Kate's mother, Jean, though struggling with Alzheimer's, seems to communicate with ghostly spirits and may have the answers Kate is looking for.


Kate looks up her childhood sweetheart who believes the "Potato Girl's ghost is live and well in the woods and is looking for revenge. The past and present interweave in this story, combining supernatural elements. McMahon's coup de grace is the sensitive portrait she draws of the Potato Girl, all the while making the reader painfully aware of the destruction of childhood bullying.

A thrilling must read, written in a highly engrossing style. Appeals to teens, older children and adults.

* * *
Excerpt:

"Late April, 1971

"Touch it," she said.

"No way. Gross."

"I dare you."

"No way. God, what happened to its eyes?"

" Pecked out, I guess. Or just dried up and fell out."

" Sick." I shivered. Partly from the cold breeze, partly from the idea of those eyes. It was early spring. The ground below us was thick mud, still half frozen. The week before we'd had the last snowstorm of the season and there were still patches of it clinging to the ground, melting in pools and rivers across the lumpy field.

" Come on, Kate, you gotta do what I say. When you're at my house, I make the rules. You were the one caught trespassing. I could have you arrested. Or get my daddy to come out here with his shotgun. Now touch it!"

" I will if you will."

Del's pale face contorted into a smile. She reached out and stroked the dead bird, starting at its head and moving her fingers with their dirty nails all the way back to its tail feathers. Her touch seemed almost loving -- like the bird was her pet parakeet, a creature she'd named and fed. A bird whose song she knew by heart. Some Tweety Bird, Polly-Want-a-Cracker kind of pet.

The putrid crow swung heavy on its wire. She gave it a shove, making it fly toward me. It was as if Del and I were playing some sick game of tetherball. I jumped back. She laughed, throwing back her head with its stringy blond hair. She opened her mouth wide and I noticed that her right front tooth was chipped. Just a little corner was missing, not something you'd notice unless you were looking.

The crow swung, its left foot wrapped and tied with white plastic-covered wire -- tougher than string, Del explained. It dangled about three feet from the top of a tall wooden stake driven into the center of the small field where uneven rows of green peas were just coming up. Smaller wooden stakes lined the rows, and rusty wire mesh was stapled to the stakes, forming a trellis for the peas to climb.

Del said her brother Nicky had shot the crow two weeks before. He caught it pecking the pea seeds up out of the dirt before they'd even had a chance to sprout and got it with his BB gun. Then he and his daddy hung the crow up just like they did each year, a warning to other crows to stay away.

I reached out and touched the greasy black feathers of its ragged wing. Bugs crawled there, working their way under the feathers and into the flesh. Metallic green flies buzzed in the air. Although dead, the bird pulsed with life. It stank like old hamburger left in the sun. Like the raccoon my mother once found under our porch back in Massachusetts, way back under the floorboards where no one could reach it. It just had to rot there. My mother sprinkled quicklime through the cracks in the porch floor, letting it fall down onto the bloated corpse like Christmas snow. For weeks, the smell permeated the porch, worked its way into windows and open doors, hung on our clothes, skin, and hair. There's nothing like the smell of death. There's no mistaking it."

This book was absolutely worth every penny! I adored it!
Its a great read and would be suitable for teens 15 and up.
Its not a terribly long book but I honestly could not put it down.

Basically what occurs is there a young girl murdered and no one has been found guilty but many amoung the community are suspected. When Kate returns home and the past creeps up again - she finds herself digging up memories of her murdered friend; "the potatoe girl"
Shortly after her homecoming another young girl is murdered and the plot thickens!
In an attempt to solve this old murder as well as the new one she finds herself back in time with things shed rather forget.

Cannot say enough good things about this one!

I just finished PROMISE NOT TO TELL by Jennifer McMahon. A fast read, it was creepy, ghostly, disturbing and yet compelling. Forty-one-year-old Kate Cypher returns to rural Vermont to take care of her Altheimer afflicted mother. The night she returns, two twelve-year-old girls, Tori and Opal, are sitting around a campfire with a couple of boys telling ghost stories about the "The Potato Girl." Thirty years ago "The Potato Girl," Kate's friend Del Griswold, was murdered. The crime was never solved, but stories of young Del live on.

Tori leaves the fire to relieve herself and is murdered in a crime horribly similar to Del's murder. This new murder causes Kate's past and present to collide in eerie ways. PROMISE NOT TO TELL is fast-paced and memorable. I read it in two sittings.

My wife read this first then passed it on to me. This was really a spooker all the up to the last paragraph. I loved the ending and the way she kept the story moving along. I finished this in record time. It was such a page turner. I hope she does more like this one.

I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. What a fantastic debut novel. I am really looking foward to more books from Jennifer McMahon. I was on the edge of my seat until the end. This is one of the top thrillers in my personal "favorites" list.

In general, I thought this was a very good, well written, mystery/ghost story. My only complaint with it is the last chapter. I'm not sure I understand why the author decided to tell the last chapter in the third person, when the rest of the book was in the first person. I suppose she was trying to tie up all the loose ends, but I did find it a bit strange.

Since this book was originally issued in trade paper edition, not hardcover, I doubt it will get the young adult professional book reviews it deserves. I would consider it a cross-over adult/young adult title. It has all the hallmarks of good young adult fiction; coming of age characters, contemporary issues (bullying, sexual abuse), and a highly engaging genre. To all the high school library media specialists reading this, don't skip this one for your paperback ghost story collection. It will fly off the shelves.

This book "hooked" me right from the beginning when a young girl's life ends in the woods in Vermont. It kind of reminded me of Blair Witch. Then a school nurse, Kate who lives in Washington state comes back to her hometown in Vermont to care for her mother. Kate learns of the murder of the young girl and it brings back memories 30 years ago when she was a 5th grader and knew a girl Del who was also murdered. Kate is still bothered by what really happened to her friend so many years ago and starts reconnecting with events and people from the past that ultimately leads to closure in the end. Written in both the past and present, it's a great story and very hard to put down! Quick read. I look forward to more from this author.

This is a quick, but intense, read. "Promise Not to Tell" is a deftly written, well paced book that seamlessly weaves together several story lines: how cruel children can be to the child who doesn't fit in, a ghost story, the terrible ravages of Alzheimer's Disease, how the past can reach out and drag us back when we least expect it. There are several truly frightening moments in this book. It does jump from the past to the present, a plot device which I usually find annoying, but the author lets you know at the beginning of every chapter exactly what the time period is. "Promise Not to Tell" is so much more than than a mystery novel; it is a multi-layered little gem. I can't wait to read more from Ms. McMahon.

This was a fun read. It goes back and forth in time, developing the relationships tha lead to the climax and mystery. A bit predictable toward the end, but still an enjoyable book.

I was wrapped up in this book all day - I couldnt put it down. But when it came to the ending, what a let down - its farfetched at best.

This is a wonderful book. Some of it makes you laugh, and some makes you look around and behind you to make sure nothings there. Very suspensful and creepy. This book is so realistic with details it will make your head spin!!

This is an easy mainstream summer read. A murder mystery book that an avid reader will be able to finish quickly. The story line is good and somewhat similar to the thriller movie "Kiss the Girls". The characters and dates jump around a little bit in the book and at first it's confusing. A few times I had to look back to remember who-was-who. But once you are past the whos-who stage you will have to hold yourself back from skipping to the end to see if your prediction of the killer is correct. As another reviewer stated the killer is fairly easily predictable but the story still kept me ouring into the book to see if my prediction was right.

There were parts of this that were beautifully written. The plot becomes clunky and takes over about three-quarters of the way in, almost like the author was being rushed to finish, knew where she wanted the book to go and just never got around to polishing it back up. I had a pretty good idea of who the killer was about halfway in, and I was right (this always disappoints me). Still, I had some strange dreams the night after reading the first half. I hoped the ending would be as good as the build-up. It wasn't.

I loved the realistic and gritty depiction of school bullying and where it can lead. As a ghost story, it rated an OK by me, but as a mysterious drama unfolding it was wonderful - some wonderful lines and interesting side plots - a child dealing with her mother's Alzheimer's, hidden incest and its repercussions, sexual experimentation etc, etc.... Well done!

Loved this book; great ending! I usually read before going to sleep, and I must say that this story gave me the creeps (in a good way). Can't wait for Jennifer McMahon's next book.

I did like this book, and was engaged from start to finish. I like the writing style of Jennifer McMahon, but I did find the overall premise to be just a little silly. I am looking forward to Ms. McMahon's next book.

An admirable debut novel with very spooky moments throughout. At times the writing seemed a little clunky but never unreadable and always interesting. The ending was also satisfying, with all loose ends tied up nicely.

All in all, this book was well done and will give those of us out there who like paranormal and psychological thriller fiction a good fix.

I recommend it.

I loved this book. As one of the other reviewers said "You want to race thru it to find out what happens, yet you don't want it to end. Very well done. I would like to see more of Opal - maybe a sequel.

The book was a page turner right from the beginning! One of those books you want to read quickly but you dont want it to end!

For a debut novel, Jennifer McMahon's "Promise Not to Tell" provides its reader with an entertaining blend of suspense, the supernatural and self-discovery that succeeds on many levels.

As a documentalist, McMahon does justice to the era of the 1970s where hippie communities like the fictional New Hope, Vermont brought up a generation of free-love progeny that needed to assimilate from the blue jean wearing age of Aquarius to the pin-striped world of yuppie Wall Street as they left the cooperative and entered their revenue-generating adulthood. With a confident finesse, she focuses on her main character Kate's outsider status, flip-flopping the perspective from that of a hippie-raised ten-year-old girl to that of a divorced 41-year-old woman returning to the commune to deal with her aging mother's Alzheimer's.

Kate's psychological issues exceed the responsibility of caring for her mother. As a lonely child, branded as one of the hippie children with the need to be accepted by her classmates from town, she has but one friendship, a secret relationship with the school pariah, Del, unaffectionately called by her peers, `the Potato Girl.' Due to circumstances that Kate feels she has orchestrated and for which she cannot forgive herself, an unknown assailant brutally kills Del in 1971. Now almost thirty years later, the murder of a teenage girl makes it seem as if the long-dead Potato Girl seeks an voracious retribution that may include payback directed towards her one time friend.

McMahon's strength as a writer lies in her ability to forge empathy between the reader and her heroine that is believable from Kate's past and present personas. Meeting characters from 1971 and revisiting them with their additional adult layers in 2002 adds just enough nuance to perhaps a routine suspense story to make it notable with intuitive passages that are worth reading again. Especially enjoyable was Kate's reunion with Nicky---an event the reader anticipates, but appreciates because of the delicious tension the author so shrewdly and honestly facilitates.

Bottom line? "Promise Not to Tell" explores themes of adolescent friendship, betrayal, loyalty, forgiveness and ultimate absolution that work well within the framework of a hippie community 30 years after its founding. Recommended for its wonderful characterizations; the suspense story reaches only a secondary level with a rather two-dimensional portrayal of the murderer at large.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

This book was not what I expected it to be, and I didn't really care for the paranormal aspects of it (I tend to like reality more so then the"Stephen King" kind of writing)but all in all it was a good book.
This story bounces back and forth focusing on the life of Kate Cypher. In 1971 Kate had befriended the social outcast of her community, but was too ashamed to admit to this friendship. When her friend (a/k/a The Potato Girl) was brutually murdered, Kate continued to deny their friendship, and the murderer was never caught.
Now it is 2002, and Kate returns back to her hometown to care for her mother who has alzheimers. Soon after her arrival, a young girl is murdered in the same fashion that the "Potato Girl" was murdered many years ago. Was it a coincidence that Kate happened to be in town at the time of this second death...or was her return to this little community what caused this second death?
This book deals with the friendship, and ultimate betrayal, of the "Potato Girl".

Wow. Great reading. Fast pace, nostalgic story -as if from my own childhood summer evenings telling spook stories under the street light shadows!

Very sad but interesting reading on the subject, didn't end like I thought, which was good.