I've loved this authors previous books, but could not get into this one. The writing style felt different, and the content just didn't grab me like her others did.

This book was not what I was expecting…

I must preface this review by mentioning I’m not a fan of paranormal stories, so this one was not for me. I really thought this was going to be a typically “policy procedural” / “Murder mystery” but it was not that at all.

The author is an excellent writer though, the way she described the surroundings was impeccable. I felt like I was there, and it was so atmospheric. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.

However, I couldn’t get past the paranormal aspect, and the fact that the pace was so slow. It took me such a long time to get into it, and in between, I had thoughts of DNFing it.

In addition, it seems like there will be a series based on Jess Lambert, the Detective. I typically am obsessed with detective series, but I didn't love her character so I'm not sure I'll be reading the rest of the series going forward. This novel just wasn’t for me.

Secrets always have a way of surfacing when you least expect them. Told in the past and present, it keeps the pacing of the plot moving. Neve has just moved back when she finds a dead body in the reeds. Detective Jess Lambert has just suffered a horrible loss. After interviewing the people who live near the reeds, she knows Neve is keeping secrets......but, so is she. Fast paced and a twist that will keep you guessing.

Christina McDonald has done it again! What a great storyline, kept me guessing at every turn of the page. Christina is a brilliant, imaginative writer. Strange things happen when Neve and Ash arrive at Dullahan House. Her childhood friend is found murdered, Neve blacks out and Ash goes missing at times. Detective Jess Lambert is losing her grip on reality or is she? She accepts what is happening to her for the good of her case and in the end, helps herself heal from her tragic losses and solves the case. You won't be sorry to read These Still Black Waters!

This book is a mystery with murder, suspense and plenty of drama!
I felt that the storyline wasn’t as exciting as I expected, I struggled to connect fully with the characters and flow of the drama.
The main characters were hoping to escape their previous lives, they’re then faced with a murder in their own back yard!
Neve seeks a quieter life in her family summer home with her daughter Ash, the beautiful lake attached to the property soon
reveals a murder site!
The connection between the characters and the storyline doesn’t gel for me, the drawn out explanations didn’t hold my interest. Likewise, the link between childhood friends and adult relationships was not relatable to me.

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - I really enjoyed this book. Lots of twists and turns and likable characters. Looking forward to the next Jess Lambert book. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

I just reviewed These Still Black Waters by Christina McDonald.
This was a very good book, it kept me interested as all her books always do! I really look forward to the second book being released so I can continue with the story!

I have to admit, this was not at all what I was expecting, but I liked it. It didn't end up being a big shock per se - I had a decent handle on the twist - but I did really enjoy it. Jess is a character that will definitely go the distance as this series continues, and I look forward to seeing where this goes.

Any book that starts with a murder is one that I typically love to read. I also love books that have different POV’s that not only gives you those different perspectives but also throws you off enough that you are kept guessing. This book is from the POV of a murder, Neve who is a mom whose trying to protect her daughter after a home invasion, and Jesse the investigator who is trying to deal with the death of her daughter. I found myself drawn into the story from page 1 and loved the twists and turns the book took. I am guessing this is going to be the first in a series and I can not wait to see what happens next.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Thanks to NetGally, Christina McDonald, and the publishers at Thomas and Mercer for this ARC.
This is my first read by the author and it did not disappoint!!

This book is told by 3 POV, the 2 main female character and the murder.
The story revolves around Neve who was recently in a home invasion so she packed up with her teen daughter for a safe getaway, and a detective Jess who was involved in a car crash with her young daughter. They connect over a murder that happens outside of Neves lake house but there’s more to the connect then we know..

This one had me guessing until the very end, and I was so wrong about who the murder was.

This book was definitely different from Christina's other novels. I was totally sucked in by both main characters! Jess, an alcoholic detective still suffering the loss of her daughter by way of a car accident that was Jess's fault. Neve, a mother that decides to take a break from her marriage and return to her childhood summer home with her daughter, Ash, and try for a fresh start. After the home invasion at Neve's home with her husband and the murder of her childhood friend, Bailey, Neve is convinced she must be next. Neve and Jess pair up in the most unconventional way to try and solve the murder and come to terms with their pasts.

Veterinary Neve Maguire struggles to re-establish life with her teenage daughter at the Black Lake house, where she spent summers as a child. The decision to escape a harrowing event in Boston and retreat to her mother’s place soon becomes more perilous with the murder next door. The dynamics of Neve’s group had changed the last high school summer she was there with the leader Bailey, the religious Sandra, and entitled Zac. During the murder investigation, Detective Jess Lambert begins to uncover past secrets with the group of former teenagers becoming the prime suspects. Can the past choices ever be truly hidden?
“These Still Black Waters” by Christina McDonald, is Book #1 of the Detective Jess Lambert series. Ms. McDonald skillfully weaves her unique analogies to transport the reader through time and places, giving us an emotional connection to the characters. The author presents the difficult subjects of PTSD, addictions, elderly care, class divisions and grief in a soul touching manner that may have you re-evaluating facts you thought were true. I was privileged to receive an invitation to read the ARC and highly recommend this 5-Star suspense novel. Her bonding of Neve and Jess through their own battles was brilliant. In Ms. McDonald’s previous novel, “Do No Harm”, the twists were amazing but this one she has notched it up more through different POV’s in a creative way. If two is company and three or more is a crowd; then what is it when someone eliminates it to one?

3 POV's... Neve, Detective Jessica Lambert, the Killer!

After a scary and violent home invasion, especially where her teenage daughter Ash, were severely injured, along with a separation of her husband, Neve Maguire decides to take herself and Ash back to a summer home her family owned for her and Ash to start over. Though Ash isn't thrilled with the appearance of the house, she is taking it in stride, after all it's for their safety. The next morning a body is found, in the lake behind the house, floating dead.

The case is given to detective Jess Lambert who has recently gotten back to work after a horrific car accident severely injuring her and taking the life of her young daughter Isla. Still adjusting to being back to work, it is noticed, and because of her strange behavior and her alcoholism, it has been brought to her attention she may be removed from her case! While trying to keep her cool she continues with the case and things just aren't adding up. She has most of her suspensions on Neve, but as any case with detectives, everybody is a suspect.

Killer has a bone to pick with a few people and it's time to settle the score. So it does!
I enjoyed reading the killers POV throughout the book.

Neve, Jess, and the Killer all have demons within themselves and skeletons in the closet.
A book with twists and turns and hints throughout it, it definitely kept me on my toes and my fingers flipping pages!

Thankyou NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Christina McDonald for an ARC.

⚫️ BOOK / REVIEW 🌊

@christinamac79 - I have missed you and your propulsive writing! I love when you build a relationship with an #author you adore and they reach out to offer an #ARC as soon as their new book is published.

I started my love affair with her books when I picked up #thenightoliviafell which consumed me for 3 days straight. #thesestillblackwaters was just as addictive. This book is the perfect balance of #mystery, #thriller and a little bit of #paranormal. The best part though? This one follows 2 very broken women and sheds some serious light on grief, addiction and how to forgive yourself after tradegy.

This is fast paced and definitely bingeable. Thank you for sharing this wonderful book with me, Christina 💗🖤 This one debuts in August, 2023 by #thomasmercer!

I really love thrillers, but I love thrillers even more when they bring the depth of emotional storytelling with it. McDonald is a brilliant storyteller and gives us two great female leads who are down on their luck. Both women have had terrible things happen to them in the past and their dark past is a big part of the novel as they both a desperately seeking answers and redemption. I don't always love the addition of paranormal into a novel, but in this case, it worked out and was executed brilliantly. Even you are a fan of emotional thrillers with a lot of heart, this one is for you. 4 stars

Wow!! I really enjoyed this read!! It was a bit of a slow burn but I was seriously invested. The past comes back to haunt our characters in the worst ways and it is so compelling. Thank you Netgalley!! Will be reading more from this author for sure

THESE STILL BLACK WATERS is about two women—one a grief-stricken detective, the other a mom intent on protecting her daughter after a home invasion—who become entangled in a brutal murder. I’ve loved all of Christina McDonald’s books and I’m happy to report that this is her darkest, boldest, and twistiest yet! Christina is the queen of emotional thrillers—those that feel deeply human and heartfelt, and that will likely make you tear up near the end. I loved that both her protagonists in this book are grappling with overwhelming guilt and traumatic pasts, as well as how eerily atmospheric the story was. This book is an intricate and intriguing puzzle from start to finish, with so many huge surprises along the way.

This was a gripping thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The novel tells the story of Neve Maguire, who returns to her childhood summer home with her daughter Ashley after leaving her husband due to a traumatic home invasion. However, their peaceful retreat is disturbed when a body is found floating in the lake behind her house.
Detective Jess Lambert, who is investigating the murder, is haunted by the death of her own daughter Isla and her involvement in a car accident that caused her death. Jess soon realizes that she is not only talking to Neve, who is dead, but also sees and talks to her dead daughter Isla.
The plot thickens when another body is found, and Jess discovers that the killer is targeting Ashley, who is in a coma. The twist at the end reveals the killer to be Robin, the younger sister of Sandra, who Neve and Bailey drugged and left for dead years ago. The author masterfully weaves together past and present events, building suspense and keeping readers guessing until the very end.
The characters are well-developed, and readers will find themselves invested in their stories and rooting for them throughout the book. The themes of loss, grief, and redemption are expertly explored, adding depth to the story and making it more than just a typical thriller.
Overall, it is a must-read for anyone who loves a good thriller. Landon's writing is engaging, the plot is well-crafted, and the characters are compelling. It's a book that will stay with readers long after they've finished it.

ARC received through Netgalley for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from the get-go, with rich story, characters I immediately felt I knew, strong motivations throughout, and incredibly accurate disability representation. These Still Black Waters follows three distinct POVs, with a single timeline plus flashbacks as necessary, seamlessly woven in.

The story had all the right tells to help you figure out what was unfolding yet keep the questions percolating. The ending was just superb, made all the more shocking yet delightful by the consistent pacing and sprinkling of foreshadowing throughout. Conversations felt natural, even between different generations, and the details were immaculate. Also beautiful descriptions of views and landscapes and old houses! I thoroughly enjoyed These Still Black Waters and would recommend it to anyone!

I actually contacted this author through socials to thank her for her accuracy in representing both physical and mental disabilities, as I myself have had femur surgery and am dependant on a cane. Research into this stuff really does pay off and means the WORLD to some readers, especially the particular character, such a broken yet strong police detective with a custom modified motorbike to give her her independence back!

I look forward to reading the rest of Christina's backlist!

These Still Black Waters is a novel about two women and their quest to solve a murder. Their paths cross after a body is found in the lake behind Neve’s house and Jess, the detective, has to figure out what happened. The novel opens from the killer’s point of view and then sporadically after that. The main narration is from both women’s points of view and goes into their own personal struggles of events that happened in the past.

The good: I really enjoyed having the two narrators. At times I really questioned if I was getting the full and accurate story from both of them, which made the twists and turns peppered through the book that much more surprising. This book has several smaller twists and turns throughout the book, which kept me from feeling like I really knew what was going on since I was always surprised by them. I also had zero clue who the killer was, since all my thoughts would be disproved, so that increased the thrill of the plot. I also was very immersed in the book from the beginning, so this is definitely a thriller that keeps pulling you in to read more.

The bad: There ends up being a bigger twist that is revealed towards the end that I just couldn’t fully get on board with. I am not going to spoil anything. While it was not believable enough for me, I know plenty of other readers will have no problems with it.

I see this is the first novel in the Jess Lambert series. Jess is the detective and while she is struggling with her past, she is a likable character. I would read the next book that comes out in the future.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, Christina McDonald, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced reader’s copy.