“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Jennifer, but you have a primary glioblastoma in your brain.”

From Catherine McKenzie’s Six Weeks to Live.

When Jennifer didn’t feel well, she made an appointment with her elderly family doctor, but with no real problem discovered, she did little after that. However, when her headaches, memory issues, and fatigue only got worse after a year, Jennifer went back for more tests and was given the life-shattering diagnosis that she has brain cancer. Not even 50, Jennifer is crushed to learn that the advanced stage of the cancer has left her with about six weeks to live. With no options and little time, Jennifer tells her hateful, separated husband Jake and their adult triplet daughters—Aline, Emily, and Miranda—that she’s dying. While looking over the doctor’s paperwork, Jennifer notices a toxicology report from her appointment last year that shows deadly-high levels of lead in her blood, and she realizes that she was poisoned. Since time is so short, Jennifer reluctantly shares her growing suspicion that Jake poisoned her with her daughters, but despite their many differences, each daughter is sure that this paranoia is a symptom of the brain cancer. Knowing that she was poisoned and fighting against the fast-growing cancer, Jennifer tries to figure out who poisoned her—and why—before time runs out.

The altering character views provided in each chapter are an interesting way for McKenzie to build the story. The realistic basics of the story create a captivating thriller, with each page providing both more questions and answers. Six Weeks to Live flows quickly, but readers will find the story to be a detailed mental thriller from start to finish.