I enjoyed this one. The twist at the end was good and the story flowed well. I will definitely be recommending this one and I will be checking out more from this author.

THIS BOOK BLEW MY WHOLE WORLD APART!!!

I loved the 2 different POV for this one. It really tied in the whole story for me and I enjoyed the eerie setting so much I have way too many questions about the pool that never were answered but it was so creepy not knowing too. It ticked all the boxes for me.

I am a fan of the author anyway and my expectation were already super high and this delivered!

If you like to have the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end...This is the book for you

I had read a few of Jennifer McMahon's books now and this one was my favourite. When Jax, a social worked, gets multiple missed calls from her estranged sister Lexie she ignores them and gets a string of confusing messages. It isn't long before she wished she had picked up those calls though when she soon hears that Lexie is found dead, having drowned in the pool of their grandmother's home they both grew up swimming in. This of course brings Jax back 'home', to explore what really happened, what did Lexie's messages mean and what is the secret of the pool.

Jennifer McMahon has always had a spooky edge to her stories and this is no exception. Set in a town that seems at the edge of everything, set away from any real civilization, where stories have been told for centuries. The spookiness could be felt through out the story and you were never really sure what was just in the heads of the characters, due to mental illness and alcoholism or was actually paranormal. With the added story line of the past you get to learn of how Jax's family ever came into possession of their grandma's house and the pool itself it added a lot to the story. The characters were well developed not only Jax, but the side characters and those from the past as well.

I will definitely be reaching for future McMahon releases, I am always left guessing what is reality which is that extra spookiness I love.

I would recommend this book for anyone who like mysteries or thriller with a little paranormal mixed in. It does hit the edge of horror but nothing is jumping out at you it is just the spooky vibes of the unexplained. It is a great atmospheric read for the fall time of year.

Well if you are looking for a spooky and creepy read this season, look no further. This book is perfect for this time of year. There are two POV (Jax in the present, and Ethel in 1929) and the setting was totally eerie. It was very engaging and page turning, and while this genre is definitely not my favorite, I have to say that this author did a great job! This was my first book by her and I really appreciated the twists and turns! This is the type of book you read during daylight hours!

I really love creepy ghost stories and this one really delivers! The author has a way of using her words to build such a creepy descriptive atmosphere. It does deal with mental illness but in such a way that you can see how it might be like for someone suffering from mental illness and also those who have a family member who has it.
I really like the parallel storylines and how they merge and complement each other. If you haven't pick up a book by Jennifer McMahon, I really recommend that you give her a try.

I was incredibly drawn in by the story, I could hardly put it down. The way Jennifer McMahon writes characters feels intimate. They’re not perfect people, but they’re real. It alternates perspectives between the past and present to tell a story. I love this way this one is written. It urges you to keep reading. It’s really well written, I only took 1 star off because I didn’t love the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this book.

The premise and setting had me hooked. It started off interesting enough, with the creepy setting. But as the story goes on, it felt a bit slow and repetitive. Two things I don’t like my thrillers to be.

I did enjoy the dual timelines and think the writing, overall, was good. This may not have been as good as I hoped it would be, but others will probably like it and I’ll be reading more from this author.

I love this book! The northern gothic vibe is of my all time faves and Jennifer McMahon does it extremely well. Can't wait for her next one,.

Whew! This one creeped me out. A gothic thriller with dual timeline, The Drowning Kind is the second novel I've read by Jennifer McMahon and it's solidified my love for her writing.

I love how all of Jennifer McMahon's books are so creepy but keep me hooked until the end. Like her other books, I could not put this one down! I loved it!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley...thank you to the Author, the Publisher and to Netgalley. I give this book 3 stars...it was ok...the story was interesting enough to keep my attention, but I never really connected with the story. I did like how the book told the story of two different families and how they were connected. Similar to other books by McMahon, this book was a little bit creepy, but not overly so.

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay but it wasn’t anything great. It seemed like it was so drawn out and the same thing kept happening over and over again. I didn’t care for the curse part.

Not sure if I would recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ The drowning kind - Jennifer McMahon

This book didn’t quite hit the way I wanted it to. Was it creepy? Mostly. But I still wanted more. I feel like this book is WAY to long and it should have been building tension, but it just didn’t work for me. It felt like it was trying really hard to be super spooky and failed.

I almost didn’t finish because parts dragged on and were incredibly repetitive.

I definitely enjoyed the present timeline more than the passed.

I did however enjoy the creepy elements, the setting and the present day characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon& Shuster Canada for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since I read The Winter People, I have always wished for Jennifer McMahon to terrify me again. In her latest novel which features a dual timeline of a haunted spring was just what the doctor ordered. It's a slow burn storyline that comes with a chilling supernatural mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. Oh, and the ending is just delicious!


Goodreads review published 24/05/21
Publication Date 06/04/21

The Drowning Kind is an atmospheric book about a mysterious spring that is rumored to have the ability to heal people and grant wishes. It is told from two perspectives in dual timelines: that of Ethel in 1929 who visits the spring and wishes for a baby, and that of Jax in 2019 whose family now owns the spring and whose estranged sister, Lexie, has just drowned in it.

The novel is definitely a slow burn, but I enjoyed the two storylines and how they were connected, and I loved the twist ending. Unfortunately, I was left with several unanswered questions and I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I should have. I also wasn’t a fan Ethel’s self-harm, as I found it jarring and unnecessary to the character/story. It was never really established why she did it and I found it hard to believe that her husband wouldn’t have noticed the wounds.

Overall, I thought this was an eerie book that was good, but not spectacular.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was an eerie, slightly creepy book that I read in one sitting. I stayed up late into the night because I had to know what happened, I couldn’t go to sleep without knowing. This is the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book centres around a mysterious spring-fed pool and the inhabitants of the property through the years.
The story is told in two timelines, the first timeline is in the late 1920s, where Ethel Monroe and her Dr husband, Will, go to the new, luxurious hotel with its own spring that is said to have healing properties/be haunted. Ethel wants nothing more than to have a baby and upon being told that the spring grants wishes, makes a wish at the pool for a child and later finds out the rumours may be true, that if the spring gives you something, the spring expects something in return.

The second timeline is in 2019, where Jackie (Jax) has to come home to Vermont to her attend to her sisters funeral; Lexi and Jax have a strained relationship due to many factors, including Lexie’s mental illness and the fact that Lexie inherited the grandmothers house. When Jax gets to the house, many strange things start to happen, and she feels that her sister may really be reaching out to her from beyond, or rather, from the spring.

This book had lots of twists and turns, it was creepy and haunting, and utterly otherworldly. I enjoyed the pace of the story, I enjoyed the writing of the story the author did a fantastic job of portraying the characters and setting the stage. The ending of the book was fabulous. I will definitely be looking for more books from this author.

Jax returns to her family home, after her sister is found dead in the pool. Her sister was a strong, capable swimmer, so to be found dead of drowning instantly raises eyebrows. As she’s going through her sister’s belongings, she finds that she was researching the mysterious and tragic history of their home, with several curious accidental drowning deaths.
It was rumored that the pond granted wishes. But it also had an ominous flip of the coin - when it gave, it also took something away. Someone’s automatic fortune could turn sour at any moment by another twist of fate out of their control. By the time people figured this out, it was too late, their lives eventually led to ruin.

But, how does this tie into her sister’s death? And is there some truth to the water that lies in that pool? I really enjoyed this story because of the setting as a mysterious character. Nothing on the surface is as it seems. The pool represents an unseen haunting presence that constantly played in the back of my mind as an evil character, eager to play to someone’s desperation.

When you wish upon the springs, if you truly mean it, it may come true. But be prepared to pay the price...

When Jax returns home from work, she is not pleased to find numerous missed calls and voicemails from her sister, Lexie. This volume of calls usually means that Lexie is off her meds again, and judging by her frantic, nonsensical messages, it seems like a no-brainer to Jax. She resists the urge to call back or pick up the phone, tired of always being responsible for her older sister, just wanting to live her own life. The next morning, Jax receives a tearful call from her aunt Diane saying Lexie was found dead in the pool due to an accidental drowning. This strikes Jax as odd, considering Lexie is a gifted and strong swimmer, practically living in the pool at their grandmother's estate. When Jax returns to Sparrow Crest, the home Lexie inherited from their late grandmother, she begins to go through Lexie's strange drawings and research. None of it seems to make any sense until Jax learns more about the history of Sparrow Crest and the mysterious natural springs that flow into the pool. Can Jax uncover the truth and resist the pull of the springs? Or is she destined to repeat history?
I found this book so captivating and mysterious. Jennifer McMahon's writing reminded me of great horror authors like Stephen King and Henry James. I would love to read similar works by her, as I love to read about hauntings such as this, and she wrote it so well. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good ghost story full of secrets, twists, and eerie surprises.

I almost didn’t request this thriller because the plot above seemed to be the standard “girl returns home after sister dies in mysterious circumstances and she discovers deadly family secrets” trope and I wasn’t sure it would be interesting enough. However, the book’s blurb doesn’t do it justice.
The story is part mystery, part thriller, part family drama, part paranormal, and part horror story. It’s got layers upon layers upon layers that peel back like onion skin and couldn’t take the familiar trope further from its gothic roots. I even googled the setting of Brandenburg, Vermont to see if there had ever been “haunted” mineral springs there related to a hotel.
The author does an excellent job of portraying bipolar disorder in both Jax’s older sister and her father. So often this illness is mocked or belittled, and I was happy to see it written with an eye to how it affects both family members and the one’s who struggle to live with it.
The dual timeline of Lexie’s (older sister) research into their ancestor’s story and links to the mineral springs revealed the genetic link to mental illness, as well as the springs “haunted” lore and affects on people who came to use its waters as both cure and comfort.
The ending was one I didn’t see coming and that’s all I ask of a great thriller. Keep it rolling right up until the end and shock me. This book is SO much more than what the blurb gives it credit for…you won’t be disappointed! I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. 5 stars.

What a great book! I enjoyed the dual storylines and the supernatural elements! I look forward to reading more by the author, Jennifer McMahon!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read and review this book!