The Drowning Kind is a seriously compelling thriller alternating between 1929 and 2019. The story is centred around a natural spring in Vermont that may have mysterious powers to heal and inexplicable abilities to haunt. It explores female familial relationships - mother and daughter in the historical chapters, sisters in the modern day ones. Each of these characters has a different experience with the water and all of them are life changing and also torturous. I found that the characters were all very well developed, the storytelling kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, and I have a picture of Brandenburg Springs Hotel/Sparrow Crest in my mind that I doubt will ever fade.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy of the book. It will be published on April 5th and if you’re a fan of the thriller/horror genre, I’d strongly suggest you get your hands on a copy of it.

HOLY CROW. I have not been this creeped out by a book in a long, long time. I still can’t get the image of the black waters of the pool out of my head, and probably shouldn’t have read this at night.
I know anything by McMahon is going to be fabulous but The Drowning Kind kicked it up a notch for me.
The dual timelines were flawless. How the two stories wove together was brilliant and THE ENDING! Was not expecting that at all!
Fantastic book and I will be recommending to all my mystery lovers!

The Drowning Kind tells us the story of 4 women, sisters in current time and a mother and the daughter she craves in the early 1900’s.

The present narrative starts with the X sisters, Jax and Lexie. Lexie’s mental health is fragile, and she suffers from manic episodes. Needing a break from the emotional strain of having to deal with her sister’s mental state, Jax avoided contact for over a year. Out of the blue, Lexie reaches out but Jax avoids her incessant calls. When Jax is finally ready to reconnect, she finds out her sister drowned shortly after the last time she called. Lexie goes back home to deal with what happened, and starts wondering how much of her sister’s delusions about their estate’s pool is true. Lexie was convinced there were mysterious beings and the pool’s reputation for magical waters stood strong for decades.

In 1929, we follow Ethel’s journey as she does everything she can to have a child. Her journey takes us to the origins of this magical spring and its folklore.

This is my second McMahon book and I am in awe. Her books have the same effect on me as Shirley Jackson does. You finish the book with the heavy feeling of having your emotions stirred up – often for better AND worse. The way McMahon’s creates and develops characters is flawless, especially women and their relationship. Like Shirley Jackson, Jennifer is really good at representing mental illness without labeling them, but instead using the character’s POV to tells us how they are affected by their mental struggles without being defined by them.

McMahon’s books are visceral, her characters are real and the atmosphere she builds is haunting. She excels at representing the time periods she chooses to include in her book – I was seamlessly transported between 1929 and the present time. I didn’t even need to read the chapter heading to know who I was following. McMahon’s captures the time and character’s essence with every intentional sentence, word and punctuation. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that she actually lived in the 1920’s… (maybe she has?).

The last thing I feel I need to gush about is how superbly Jennifer evokes real feelings in the readers. Her mythos might be fantastic but what really terrorizes you is how she exposes human nature.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster Canada, Jennifer McMahon and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Drowning Kind in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #TheDrowningKind

What a gripping story this was!

This is my first book I have read by Jennifer McMahon. It won’t be my last. I loved how it switched between the two characters and the time frames. Stories like that are my favourite. I had so many thoughts and thought I had the story figured out but I sure didn’t! Most of the time it’s people that will give you the creeps, but the springs, well let’s just say I do not want to find any miracle springs in the near future. I had a few unanswered questions and the ending will completely blow you away. It felt a little weird to read a book with my dogs name as the main character and also my sister in law’s name. I really connected to Ethel with her infertility and wishes for a baby. Her desperation cost her greatly. I can’t wait for this book to come out and I can tell all my friends to get it. Thank you to @netgalley and @simonschusterca for the ARC!

*The Drowning Kind will be published April 6, 2021. Make sure to grab this one when it comes out or grab that hold at the library. @warburg.public.library
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#booksgram #bookstagrammer #thedrowningkindbook #jennifermcmahon #booklover #readersofinstagram #read #marchreads2021 #netgalley #simonandschustercanada #arcbookreview #warburgpubliclibrary

Jax returns to her grandmother's estate Sparrow Crest, in a tiny village of Brandenburg, Vermont, after learning that her estranged sister, Lexie is found drowned in the estate's pool. Going through her sister's belongings, she learns that Lexie has been researching about the history of their family and the property. As Jax digs deeper into the research, she soon realizes that there may be a dark secret connected to the pool. Was Lexie's death an accident or is something more sinister at work?

This is dual timeline story - Ethel in 1929 & Jax in 2019 - which I enjoyed equally. The mystery in both timelines are interesting and I liked all the suspense and haunting vibes in it. There were some bone-chilling moments too. The twists in the story was pretty interesting though I wish for a more convoluted plot and some backstory about the healing powers of the natural spring.

Overall, I liked this story for the spookiness element and how atmospheric the writing was. If you're thinking to try the horror genre, this may be the book for you. It is not too heavy yet will give you all the eerie and haunting vibes.

Pub. date: April 6th 2021

***Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada, author Jennifer McMahon and NetGalley for this review copy to read and review.***

“In the water, dark and deep
Where she waits, fast asleep
All alone, pale and cold
Don’t wake her up, or she’ll catch hold”

If your deepest wishes could be granted but you would have to pay a price, would you still make your wish?

Be careful what you wish for.

Jennifer McMahon's upcoming book, The Drowning Kind, is a gothic mystery with a sinister story connected to a freshwater spring that feeds into a dark and murky pool. This pool is on the grounds where a former grand hotel once stood, and an old family mansion now resides. Many locals claim this water has magical healing powers but while the water gives, it also takes.

Told in alternating timelines and POVs (Ethel Montrose in 1929 and Jax in 2019), this atmospheric read with its supernatural element and unreliable characters gave me chills and I loved the tension and mystery surrounding of the powers of the water. Part of me wishes that readers are given more information about the why's and how's of the water's supernatural powers, but perhaps not knowing makes the story even more ominous.

This is an engaging mystery read with a healthy dose of family dysfunction, but it is the supernatural elements and the foreboding feel that will give you goosebumps and may make you rethink dipping into your pool at night.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Gallery Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

** This review was published on March 28, 2021 on my blog and social media accounts. **

McMahon is an American author of many paranormal suspense novels, including "The Invited" which was her last release. This new novel is in the same genre. The story revolves around a spring and resulting pool that is said to grant wishes and have healing properties. In present day we meet Jax, who has been avoiding the phone calls from her sister Lexie. Lexie suffers from a mental illness. News of Lexie's death by drowning in the pool fills her with guilt. She rushes to her home and finds everything in disarray. It looks like Lexie was trying to solve the mystery of the pool and Jax is determined to finish her work. Meanwhile we also follow the life of Ethel in the 1920's. Desperate to have a child she makes a wish to the spring. Unfortunately she learns too late that for everything the spring gives, it takes something as well. This riveting tale is a great recommendation for fans of the genre and it reminded me a little of the books by Simone St. James.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Black and deep, like the obsidian pool the story is centered on, this book gets under your skin with its big clammy fingers and chills you to the core. Deliciously.

Meet Sparrow Crest, a creepy stone castle with a past, and a pool - a pool like no other that may or may not open the door for you to another world, a world that grants you wishes but asks for something back in return.

🖊“I’ve come to think of the water, the pool, as a living entity all its own. A creature with its own needs, desires. It’s own.....hungers”.

Meet Jax and Lexie, sisters who love and hate and mess with each other, the way sisters do, with mostly unacknowledged insight that the bond they share is special, transcendent, each forming a yin for the others yang. The sisters are the current caretakers of the house and the pool and its mysteries, and we learn their story in the present time-frame, intermingled with another tale, (this one from the past), of Ethel and Will, a young couple instrumental in the history of Sparrow Crest.

The stories intertwine like layer after layer of diaphanous fabric, each ghostly wisp illuminating and mystifying at the same time, both giving and taking away our understanding of what the heck is happening and what should we believe and hang on to now as reality.

And after all, in this strange and spooky world, what really is reality; and what is madness, magical, miraculous, imagined, humanly-orchestrated, other-worldly or simply monstrous?

We fear what we do not know, and as our protagonists struggle they cling to their secrets.

🖋 “if we don’t talk about a thing, it doesn’t happen. As if we could shape the truth with our stories”.

But, with fiendish irony, what “truth” is the author actually shaping for us in this story, and what is merely another illusion.?

It all comes back to that bottomless pool of black sulfurous water, the primordial soup, harbinger of the cycle of birth and death and what comes before or after, cohort to the infinite night sky in their indisputable relationship to the unknowable other worlds around us.

No need to prick yourself with a pin (you’ll get this little joke when you read the book) - I promise you, you can close this book at any time, and walk away - however do be warned:

🖋“There’s something dark down in the pool, something thats been gathering force for a long time”

🖊“Nightmare fish creatures were there: black with sharp teeth in open mouths, long tentacles, reaching out, wrapping around me”...

And do not forget...

🖋“The things in dreams, they can follow you into real life”

A ghostly great fun read!

A very big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance review copy of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for providing me with an advanced digital copy of tis novel in exchange for my honest review.

4.25 stars rounded up to this truly haunting supernatural novel.

Jax and Lexie are sisters who used to be inseparable when they were young. They would spend their summers at their grandmother's house Sparrow Crest. When their grandmother dies, Lexie inherits the house and a years later, her body is found in the pool. Lexie drowned, but she wasn't the first person to drown in that pool. Sparrow Crest has a secret history behind it along with its pool. Did all these people really drown? Did someone push them in? Or is there something more sinister at work? Told in the past and present, this novel is sure to creep the heck out of you.

Jennifer McMahon is known for her horror novels that tend to be super super scary! This latest book was so beautifully written and just outstanding overall!

The plot was very well done, I truly enjoy reading books that have a past / present narrative, it truly brings the story together. Lots of eerie references and so much atmospheric tension, just loved it!

McMahon's novel will haunt you in the most wonderful way until the very last shocking page. It scared me into ever wanting to swim in a pool ever again!

This is a must read for fans of psychological horror!

3.5 stars, rounded up

1929: Ethel Montrose, newly married to Dr. Will Montrose, is having trouble getting pregnant. One day, Will surprises her one weekend by bringing her to a hotel that has a pool that is fed by a spring of supposedly healing waters.
2019: Jax's sister, Lexie, calls Jax multiple times and leaves increasingly frantic sounding messages. Jax doesn't think too much of it as her sister has been diagnosed as bipolar, she thought she was just having a manic episode. The next day, the girls' aunt Diane calls Jax to tell her that Lexie drowned in the pool on their grandmother's estate, which Lexie had inherited a year earlier. Jax returns to the family estate to be with her aunt and father, Ted, to try and tie up the loose ends left by Lexie's death and discovers that Lexie was looking into their family history, and the history of the pool, and that not everything is as it seems.

This was a nice quick read for me. I loved the premise of the story, a creepy tale told in past and present involving some dank, murky waters, yes please! I was, however, slightly disappointed in the execution. It just seemed like there were too many things that were given some detail only to then be dropped later in the story. I still really liked it though, just didn't LOVE it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery for the ARC :)

This is only my 2nd book by Jennifer McMahon, she has set the tone for books not to read in the dark, in the middle of the night when insomnia hits.

That old adage 'be careful what you wish for' is the premise for The Drowning Kind. The setting is a creepy old house with a pool that just sounds downright nasty that set the tone for this Gothic story that spans many generations.

As Jax deals with the loss of her sister she begins a journey to piece together her last days that takes her further back in time. There were many a scene that had me reading with one eye shut. You know how in movies you get to that scene that is filled with tension that you don't want to know what's gonna happen but you do? You brace yourself for what will emerge from those unexpected places? Suffice to say this book kept me on my toes. It wasn't always the current day story line that had me feeling this way. The past was equally mysterious and atmospheric.

The ending was not what I expected but totally worked. The Drowning Kind is a chilling Gothic story with that supernatural vibe, full of twists and secrets. While the main players were a dysfunctional bunch the supporting cast added that extra ump to this story. There is more that I could say about the plot but I won't, the blurb gives just enough away that enticed this reader and let me discover for myself what was going one - thanks publisher for a spoiler free blurb.

This book releases April 6th and available for preorder now. My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada (via Netgalley) for an advanced digital copy.

This was such a good read for me and I totally flew through it. It wasn't exactly fast paced, more of a slow burn to be honest, but done well and somehow I could not stop turning those pages! It was so dark and atmospheric and I loved it!

Ever heard the saying, "be careful what you wish for"? Well, this could not be more true for this book. We follow Jax, who returns home after years following the mysterious death of her sister. An accidental drowning in the family pool, even though her sister was an extremely strong swimmer. Also, she is not the first person in the family to drown in it's waters. The pool itself has a haunted quality that is so creepy. Jax slowly starts to dive into the history to learn more about what could have happened to her sister.

Thank you NetGalley,Simon & Schuster and of course, Jennifer McMahon!! This book was awesome. Well written just a treat to read. Man, Jacqueline and her sister Alexia...just a thrilling read. The Drowning Kind wasn't a twisty book more a slow burn mystery but it was so good. I am now going to read Jennifer's McMahon back list of books because she did so well with The Drowning Kind. 5 stars all the way!

The water gives and the water takes. Be careful what you wish for.
Jax has a complicated relationship with her sister Lexie. When Lexie continuously calls her leaving message after message Jax thinks she’s having another one of her manic episodes and ignores the calls. She finds out from her aunt the next day that Lexie drowned in the pool at their late grandmothers house. Jax goes back to go through Lexies things and discovers she was researching the history of their grandmothers house. Jax is determined to figure out what Lexie couldn’t before she died.
The story also narrates from the point of view of Ethel in 1929. She wants nothing more than for a baby and wishes for it in the natural spring water of a new grand hotel. The water is rumoured to grant wishes but nothing comes without a consequence.
This book is full of twists and turns and family drama. It’s a great ghost story and will make you question what you believe.
Like all McMahon books its beautifully written and a great read.

4.5 stars for The Drowning King

Wow!

The Drowning Kind is a haunting yet compelling book that will grab your attention from page one to the spectacular ending that will stay with you for many a day and chill you to the bone!

The supernatural presence in the spring/pool is eerie and foreboding.

Things aren't going to end well is the sense you get.

The story is told from two frames that are related to each other and this works very well.

There is nothing like a Jennifer McMahon book to get you looking over your shoulder and as the hair your arms stands up.

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Canada, Simon and Schuster for a hauntingly good read.

4.25 stars rounded up to this brilliantly haunting novel.

Two words. Hauntingly beautiful.

Jax and Lexie are sisters who used to be inseparable when they were young. They would spend their summers at their grandmother's house Sparrow Crest. When their grandmother dies, Lexie inherits the house and a years later, her body is found in the pool. Lexie drowned, but she wasn't the first person to drown in that pool. Sparrow Crest has a secret history behind it along with its pool. Did all these people really drown? Did someone push them in? Or is there something more sinister at work? Told in the past and present, this novel is sure to creep the heck out of you.

Jennifer McMahon is known for her horror novels. If I'm being honest, it's been a while since a novel has creeped me out as much as this one. I don't usually read horror because I can't stand gore, but this one is gore-free for those of you like me! This was haunting, beautifully written and just outstanding.

Reading this novel at 4 am is not the best choice, so I do not recommend do that. This creeped the heck out of me, but it was in the best way possible. I love getting goosebumps while reading, and this novel is sure to give you some. The history behind Sparrow Crest and the pool was perfection. I can't think of any other way to describe it. McMahon writes with such detail that I felt like I was in the novel. She paints a picture of this haunting building and a dark pool that just freaks you out, but at the same time it's beautiful that you can't stop reading.

The plot was very well done. I love a past/present narrative, it just makes things much more interesting. In this novel, the pool itself is the central character and everyone's life revolves around it. As Jax tries to understand the death of her sister and the history behind the pool, readers too are just as invested. While this novel can be categorized as horror, this is also a story of grief. A deep deep grief of a sister that is gone and another regretting the choices she made.

McMahon's novel will scare you and break you in the most beautiful way until the very last shocking page. It scared me into ever wanting to swim in a pool ever again! I will say them again. Hauntingly beautiful. This is a must read for fans of psychological horror.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for providing me with an advanced digital copy of tis novel in exchange for my honest review.

Creepy, atmospheric, and absolutely unputdownable!

THE DROWNING KIND by JENNIFER McMAHON is an excellent, fun, compelling, haunting, and chilling supernatural thriller that immediately grabbed my attention and held me tightly in its grip right to the very end. I was fully immersed in this tale and didn't want to put it down. The ending absolutely blew me away and just made me want to read the whole book all over again. I read that ending numerous times and each time it wowed me! So clever!

I absolutely love this author for her ghostly supernatural stories. There is the right amount of creepiness and foreboding to keep me fully entertained and creeped out without overwhelming me with too many frightening scenes. I love having that slight creeped out feeling while I'm reading and this author definitely knows how to deliver the right amount of spooky!

That cover is absolutely beautiful and definitely would entice me to buy a copy of this novel.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Jennifer McMahon for my review copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.
I enjoyed this book for the most part. The springs were magical and did help people, but with a cost. Becareful what you wish for! This is solid advice for two sisters that have lived by the springs for all of their lives. When their grandmother passes away, she leaves the house and property to one of the sisters, but not the other. This causes a rift between the two, which will have a devasting effect on them both. I give his book a 3.75 out of 5.

The reviews are right: haunting, chilling, definitely a compelling read! I'm not usually a huge fan of alternating timeline novels but this one kept me turning the pages, well into the night.

💫 Book Review 💫
The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

“Grief is a monster”

Ok, my childhood fear of dark lakes is officially cemented into adulthood after reading this one.

Two sisters.
Dual storylines: 1929 and 2019
Natural Springs that grant wishes

Dark water that takes something from every person it gave something.

Cryptic yes... and very much on purpose because even a slight too much and I’ll have given it away.

I’ll leave you with this. It was a creepy thriller that will keep me far from the dark lakes I used to fear as a little girl.

***
Little memory: my fathers family had a cottage on a lake that used to terrify me. Part of the reason is my siblings would tell me there was a shark or mermaid grabbing at my toes. I’ve always been pulled to water for serenity but it’s always the ocean and not a lake.

Perhaps fears. Perhaps I imagined something similar to what I just read.

Want to know more... pick up the book on April 6, 2021 (thank you @simonandschuster and @gallery for this gifted copy in return for an honest review)