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They Never Tell
Everything they did was to protect the children…
Ten years ago, they made a pact to push their children to succeed by any means necessary. Today, their teens are straight A students exhibiting excellence in student council, marching band, football, cheerleading, and robotics. They’re young, gifted, and black, and looking forward to senior year, their best year, before they all head off to college.
And then one of them is murdered.
The parents soon find themselves making a new pact: to keep the police and the community in the dark about what really happened that night. Someone is arrested, but is he really guilty, or just a convenient scapegoat? All they have to do is keep him in jail and get their kids through the school year, but someone starts talking, the kids start unraveling, and the parents start keeping secrets of their own.
Just how far are they willing to go to protect their children? To what lengths will they go to cover their own lies? And will the police find the murderer? When the truth is finally revealed, it threatens to ruin tear a community apart.
*A significant portion of this novel was previously published under the title The Covenants.
Ten years ago, they made a pact to push their children to succeed by any means necessary. Today, their teens are straight A students exhibiting excellence in student council, marching band, football, cheerleading, and robotics. They’re young, gifted, and black, and looking forward to senior year, their best year, before they all head off to college.
And then one of them is murdered.
The parents soon find themselves making a new pact: to keep the police and the community in the dark about what really happened that night. Someone is arrested, but is he really guilty, or just a convenient scapegoat? All they have to do is keep him in jail and get their kids through the school year, but someone starts talking, the kids start unraveling, and the parents start keeping secrets of their own.
Just how far are they willing to go to protect their children? To what lengths will they go to cover their own lies? And will the police find the murderer? When the truth is finally revealed, it threatens to ruin tear a community apart.
*A significant portion of this novel was previously published under the title The Covenants.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2022
About the author
Shae Sanders
54 books790 followersJust a girl who loves black love. Reading it, writing it, and living it.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 23, 2022
Shae Sanders definitely is showcasing her ability to write outside of romance with this one. Although I had some issues with the pacing and what inevitably happens to the person who committed the murder, I'm definitely interested in seeing what else Sanders will have to offer in this genre. 3.5 Stars CW: assault, rape, grooming, suicide, teacher/student relationship
They Never Tell is a mystery/thriller that focuses on a set of families that have established a group called The 12 loosely based on the ideology of W.E.B Dubois and the Talented Tenth. These students are forced to maintain a certain GPA and participate in certain activities to set them on the path to becoming successful adults. Unfortunately, during an end of year/beginning of summer party one of the students end up dying. Originally ruled a suicide, the police eventually re-open the case and decide to rule it a homicide.
One of things that I enjoyed the most about this book is definitely the messiness. Shae knows how to right a damn good messy character and situation. I genuinely didn't know who could have possibly killed the student because everyone literally had secrets that were worthy of being a motive for murder. It is also clear that Sanders is a gifted writer. The story flows in a way that is accessible to all readers. Shae also knows how to leave readers on a cliffhanger with major revelations. It makes the reader want to continue to consume the story even if they need to put it down for other things.
Unfortunately, I do think that this book suffers from some pacing issues as well as resolution issues. I can't really give too much away without spoiling the rest of the book, but I think that some readers may want a stronger conclusion once they are able to figure out who killed one of the students. While the intention appeared to create conversation around sexual assault, predators, grooming etc, I think that it could have been stronger and more developed. Everything seems to happen at such a fast rate towards the end of the book. The characters are in a lot of ways morally grey which may not sit well with everyone. For example, a character would be okay with pinning the murder on someone else, but would be enraged by the grooming that was occurring in the community. It didn't always balance out.
Overall, this is a great start into Shae's exploration of mysteries and thrillers. I know that she primarily wrote in this genre before she started romance and I'm hoping that she continues to do this in the future. I can tell that she has some really great ideas that will be paired with some interesting societal issues. Definitely worth picking up during this spooky season.
They Never Tell is a mystery/thriller that focuses on a set of families that have established a group called The 12 loosely based on the ideology of W.E.B Dubois and the Talented Tenth. These students are forced to maintain a certain GPA and participate in certain activities to set them on the path to becoming successful adults. Unfortunately, during an end of year/beginning of summer party one of the students end up dying. Originally ruled a suicide, the police eventually re-open the case and decide to rule it a homicide.
One of things that I enjoyed the most about this book is definitely the messiness. Shae knows how to right a damn good messy character and situation. I genuinely didn't know who could have possibly killed the student because everyone literally had secrets that were worthy of being a motive for murder. It is also clear that Sanders is a gifted writer. The story flows in a way that is accessible to all readers. Shae also knows how to leave readers on a cliffhanger with major revelations. It makes the reader want to continue to consume the story even if they need to put it down for other things.
Unfortunately, I do think that this book suffers from some pacing issues as well as resolution issues. I can't really give too much away without spoiling the rest of the book, but I think that some readers may want a stronger conclusion once they are able to figure out who killed one of the students. While the intention appeared to create conversation around sexual assault, predators, grooming etc, I think that it could have been stronger and more developed. Everything seems to happen at such a fast rate towards the end of the book. The characters are in a lot of ways morally grey which may not sit well with everyone. For example, a character would be okay with pinning the murder on someone else, but would be enraged by the grooming that was occurring in the community. It didn't always balance out.
Overall, this is a great start into Shae's exploration of mysteries and thrillers. I know that she primarily wrote in this genre before she started romance and I'm hoping that she continues to do this in the future. I can tell that she has some really great ideas that will be paired with some interesting societal issues. Definitely worth picking up during this spooky season.
February 27, 2024
Not a lot of reviews for this book so I wanted to write something besides giving stars….so here it goes.
Whew chile there was so much going on in this book. This book is about a group of young black and gifted teens whose parents signed a covenant to make sure that their children excelled by doing whatever it takes. They called the kids “The Twelve.” But during the summer before starting their senior year one of the teens is found dead at a party. Initially it was thought that it was suicide but the case was opened a few months later ruled a homicide. It started off slow for me but eventually picked up but then towards the end a lot more happened really fast. I felt like I was solving a mystery as the story went along. At some point I narrowed it down to 2 people. But still so much going on it’s crazy how this story evolved. Idk how many times this book had me like “WTF?” “oh my” “wait now, what?”
And the ending chile idk it was a little disappointing because the truth never really comes out about what happened but the person definitely got what they deserved. Or did they?
Whew chile there was so much going on in this book. This book is about a group of young black and gifted teens whose parents signed a covenant to make sure that their children excelled by doing whatever it takes. They called the kids “The Twelve.” But during the summer before starting their senior year one of the teens is found dead at a party. Initially it was thought that it was suicide but the case was opened a few months later ruled a homicide. It started off slow for me but eventually picked up but then towards the end a lot more happened really fast. I felt like I was solving a mystery as the story went along. At some point I narrowed it down to 2 people. But still so much going on it’s crazy how this story evolved. Idk how many times this book had me like “WTF?” “oh my” “wait now, what?”
And the ending chile idk it was a little disappointing because the truth never really comes out about what happened but the person definitely got what they deserved. Or did they?
August 8, 2022
3.5, I already knew who the killer was based on the clues. Jace didn’t deserve what he went through. I was disgusted the predator basically got away with what he did and the parents wanting to protect him 🤬🤬🤬. Also ole teacher needed her ass beat lying about a rape.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2023
I quite enjoyed this. It was fast paced and had me guessing until the very end. There was some discussion about grooming and sexual assault which I felt could have possibly been delved into a bit more and the ending was slightly unsatisfactory to me in regards to what happens to the murderer.
I really liked how messy this book was and how every character was morally gray; it made for a more interesting read.
I really liked how messy this book was and how every character was morally gray; it made for a more interesting read.
August 22, 2022
This was a departure from the author's norm and I enjoyed every bit of it. At some point in the story you have an idea of who was the main culprit in the tangled webs of deception but the final reveal will have your jaws dropping. I wished that more Black authors would jump on this genre because I would fully immerse myself in it. Well done!
December 15, 2022
I KNEW IT!!!
This book was awesome! Every time I turned the page, there was something ELSE happening! But I knew when a particular character was first introduced, that they were the murderer. A simple action kind of gave them away early in the novel, but you had to pay attention to what was said about this person to understand.
The parents of these children failed them miserably, and I felt so sorry for those kids. They were all hurting and trying to process it all, but instead of having a conversation with their kid, the parents pretty much left them to deal with things on their own. Mental health status be damned. It was appalling! But what was even crazier was near the end of the novel with the other parents. They were worse!
Speaking of the ending, I didn't expect that at all, but I wasn't mad at it. I do, however, wonder if things would have occurred the way they did if a certain character's daughter hadn't revealed some information to her parents about the murderer. I just don't believe they would have.
This is one of the best books I've read this year.
This book was awesome! Every time I turned the page, there was something ELSE happening! But I knew when a particular character was first introduced, that they were the murderer. A simple action kind of gave them away early in the novel, but you had to pay attention to what was said about this person to understand.
The parents of these children failed them miserably, and I felt so sorry for those kids. They were all hurting and trying to process it all, but instead of having a conversation with their kid, the parents pretty much left them to deal with things on their own. Mental health status be damned. It was appalling! But what was even crazier was near the end of the novel with the other parents. They were worse!
Speaking of the ending, I didn't expect that at all, but I wasn't mad at it. I do, however, wonder if things would have occurred the way they did if a certain character's daughter hadn't revealed some information to her parents about the murderer. I just don't believe they would have.
This is one of the best books I've read this year.
October 6, 2022
Let me tell you...
This was a slow burn thriller. I kept putting it down and then wondering what was happening to the "12". The Twelve is a group of teenagers in a collective of young black excellence, started by a group of parents. However within this group of teenagers, are secrets and fears that entail more than regular teenage angst.
Couple that with the secrets and the pact of the parents, and you have an interesting story. Add in a murder and now you have and episode of Criminal Minds.
I was pleasantly surprised with the twist and turns in this story and hope Ms Sanders will gift us with another one in the future.
This was a slow burn thriller. I kept putting it down and then wondering what was happening to the "12". The Twelve is a group of teenagers in a collective of young black excellence, started by a group of parents. However within this group of teenagers, are secrets and fears that entail more than regular teenage angst.
Couple that with the secrets and the pact of the parents, and you have an interesting story. Add in a murder and now you have and episode of Criminal Minds.
I was pleasantly surprised with the twist and turns in this story and hope Ms Sanders will gift us with another one in the future.
January 6, 2023
This one had me like 😳 throughout. Throwing the book down, screaming IKYL, just all over the place!
At the end of every chapter I kept asking myself “What the hell is going on?!” And at the same time there was so much going on!
There were many characters (The Talented Twelve & the Parents) and I honestly was just trying to keep up with them, their relationships and behavior towards the victim. But when it all came out…I was like 😳 but at the same time I kind of knew but didn’t know KNOW.
I talked to myself so much throughout this book! Reason for all the notes and highlights. But overall, I enjoyed this Black mystery/suspense.
At the end of every chapter I kept asking myself “What the hell is going on?!” And at the same time there was so much going on!
There were many characters (The Talented Twelve & the Parents) and I honestly was just trying to keep up with them, their relationships and behavior towards the victim. But when it all came out…I was like 😳 but at the same time I kind of knew but didn’t know KNOW.
I talked to myself so much throughout this book! Reason for all the notes and highlights. But overall, I enjoyed this Black mystery/suspense.
January 16, 2026
This book was wow….I was speechless reading this, first Jace’s dad Bobby was a sick nasty individual! He was a peodphile, like how sick do you have to be to have a fetish for pregnant teens? Anyways I hate how that pushed Jace to kill himself because I actually liked him. I felt like he was misunderstood. I felt so babd for Bria & all the others teenage girls poedophile bob preyed on. The ending if this book pissed me clean off….like he deserved way more than getting beat! Anyways 10/10 book
February 18, 2024
So the book started off a little slow for me. I wasn’t at all invested but I was determined to finish the book. A little over halfway through and things started getting a little more interesting. Not really about the death but of the various characters personal lives. It was messy asf and interesting to read. Overall it was a decent read and kept me somewhat entertained.
August 28, 2026
It was a book full of suspense and I love me some suspense, however, the book dragged on unnecessarily at times. Things were thrown in that would’ve been fine without it being written in the book. Almost like the author was trying to make the book longer. Overall, the book was good. I’d recommend it.
August 8, 2022
very confusing
This book was a bit confusing and hard to follow. I appreciate the awareness that it may bring to young readers, and the light that it may shine on sexual assault. I just wish the story could’ve been a little more clearer.
This book was a bit confusing and hard to follow. I appreciate the awareness that it may bring to young readers, and the light that it may shine on sexual assault. I just wish the story could’ve been a little more clearer.
September 8, 2023
Even though I figured out “who done it” early on, the motive completely threw me for a loop in a good way. I wasn’t ready for the roller coast ride of twists & turns that kept me guessing. I really enjoyed the WOW factors.
February 19, 2024
it's really like a 3.5 but not enough to round up 🙃 there were a few plot holes and i'm not satisfied with the ending at all 😫 but it definitely kept me engaged. i'd read another mystery/thriller by shae for sure!
October 31, 2024
I loved the chaos. This was my first who-done-it and I enjoyed it completely. The twist at the end was insane. I almost wish it wasn’t a rushed ending. There was so much more left out that I wish could have been given to us. But a great read overall.
December 28, 2024
The first page trigger warnings put me off reading this book for a while. Fortunately for a murder mystery there isn’t anything graphic.
It’s an interesting read and my first outside romance/ book centred around a couple.
It’s an interesting read and my first outside romance/ book centred around a couple.
May 3, 2026
It was hard for me to get into the book initially. It took a while for me to finish and there were a lot of characters introduced. I was confused with them all. But in the end ut took a crazy turn trying to figure out who killed a person.
August 15, 2026
A true page turner
Couldn't put this down. Took a lot of twists and turns. Characters were fleshed out, vivid, and well thought out. Had be invested by the end of the 1st chapter. Quick read. Im looking forward to what this author writes next.
Couldn't put this down. Took a lot of twists and turns. Characters were fleshed out, vivid, and well thought out. Had be invested by the end of the 1st chapter. Quick read. Im looking forward to what this author writes next.
October 2, 2022
Tears
High school is such a tough time. You wrote this piece with such drive. I mean it read just like a movie. I woke up at 4am to finish it bcuz it was so good.
High school is such a tough time. You wrote this piece with such drive. I mean it read just like a movie. I woke up at 4am to finish it bcuz it was so good.
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December 23, 2022That’s how it ends! What the fuck was that?!? 😡
March 4, 2024
I liked the book specifically because of the black characters but I wanted more in the end of what actually happened.
May 9, 2024
Nice, just enough to keep the pages turning. Bob is a sick @#$% !!! Damn Jace 😞
November 13, 2025
It was easy to figure out who the murderer was but the side plots and drama suck you in!
February 22, 2026
everybody should’ve been madder than they were.
May 30, 2026
The story is just crazy asf! Definitely slow asl in the beginning but just keep reading. I’ll always enjoy a good mystery to solve and the plot twists every so often w/ the side drama made for a good read! I’m 2 for 2 w/ Ms. Sanders!!! Ready to dive into the rest of her catalog 📚
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews