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.

I really didn't enjoy this book at all. I didn't care for the writing style or the characters. Should someone be judged by the worse thing they've every done or should they be judged by all the things they have done? Neve wonders that all the time. She has done something bad, but as a mother and a vet she has also done good. After being the victim of a home invasion, Neve decides that her and her daughter should return to her family home to get away from everything for a while. On the day they arrive at the house, her neighbor is murdered. Detective Lambert knows that Neve is hiding something, but what is it?

When I heard Christina McDonald had a new book coming out in August 2023, I had to request it right away on NetGalley and was so excited when I was approved. A home invasion happened at Neve’s house a long time ago. Her and her daughter, Ash decided to start a new life and go somewhere else. They went back to a house where Neve used to visit when she was younger. While arriving at the new house, they see a dead body being pulled out of the lake. Who died? How did this neighbor die? Did she know her? This book is told in alternating POV’s and I could not put it down. Then the twists and turns this book took blew me away!! I love this author and looking forward to more books by her. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

After reading The Night Olivia Fell and LOVING IT, I knew this would be an author to keep an eye on! I was so thrilled to be invited to view this book and it DID NOT disappoint. These Still Black Waters was fast paced, and had me hooked from the first few chapters. Eerie, beautifully written and such a gripping storyline! I personally loved the paranormal element, this book is absolutely for fans of Riley Sager’s - The House Across The Lake.

On a side note - Christina is one of the nicest authors I’ve ever had the pleasure of talking to, definitely someone I wish had more recognition!

I do like this genre but this one didn't really do it for me. I've read other Christina McDonald books which have been real page turners (The Night Olivia Fell was really good!). I liked the character development of Jess Lambert, and enjoyed the similarities that were drawn out between Jess and Neve. Sometimes it felt like there was too much irrelevant information which didn't really serve the purpose of throwing us off the scent. I did see the twist coming but not until quite late into the book so it wasn't super predictable. Though too much of the unraveling of the case was dependent on the information Jess acquired from Neve which, though they would probably have worked it out eventually, unlikely to have been in time to prevent the hospital incident. Overall, it was an easy read and entertaining enough.

Another winner by one of my favorite authors! I usually do not tend to read series as I prefer not to have to wait. Though, I knew with this author I couldn’t pass up any of her books. Kept me guessing and then second guessing and I loved it!
Had very unexpected elements not
normally seen in Christina McDonald’s books but
so happy to see them. The book left me wanting more but not to the point of driving you crazy on a cliffhanger like other series!
Thank you Christina McDonald and Netgalley for the ARC! I can’t wait for the next one!

It's been a minute since Christina's last book, and THESE STILL BLACK WATERS was 100% worth the wait. A whip-smart and completely unexpected story of a killer out for revenge and a damaged detective out to stop him, a phenomenal story built on gorgeous prose and twists so surprising they'll leave you breathless. This is not the book you think it is, and I mean that in the best possible way.

I love Christina and everything she writes. There is something different about all her books, and this one felt very different from what she has written before.

What is going on between the covers

Neve returns to her childhood summer home with her daughter, looking for a fresh start after a violent home invasion. When a woman's body is found in the lake, Detective Jess Lambert knows Neve has some secrets she is keeping, and the past begins to catch up to Neve. Jess has a tragedy that haunts her as she unravels the secrets Black Lake holds.

My two cents

It's one of the most thrilling page-turners I have read this year. It's atmospheric, adding tension to the story. The clues and hints are layered well, giving the story a believability element. The reveal is unexpected, unique, and exciting, bringing the story together well.

Christina McDonald always knows her characters well. She gives them intriguing and complex conflicts and creates compelling characters through their actions and motivations. Using that damaged self-harming detective trope, I am not a bit fan, but Christina McDonald does it well; I loved that she gave the character a physical disability.

Overall: I loved it and it's one not to be missed.

Review posted to my February Wrap Up post on my blog and then reposted closer to pub date.
https://travelingsistersbookreviews.com

These Still Black Waters by Christina Mcdonald is the first book in the Jess Lambert series. Jess Lambert is a homicide detective who has a physical disability and who is struggling with mental health issues. She finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation where nothing is making sense.
Neve Maquire is a mom who went through a horrifying home invasion and the breakup of her marriage. She decides to take her daughter and go to her mother's summer house to recoup. She finds herself embroiled in the Jess' murder investigation as the murder victim is her neighbor and old childhood friend.
This story has an interesting premise but the plot was easy to figure out. The characters of Jess and Neve are both suffering through PTSD and their struggle helps to explain their behaviors during the investigation. The solution to the who-dunnit was quickly solved as well. I do think it was an enjoyable read but it was not as good as her previous books.
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer publishing for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

After suffering a violent home invasion, veterinarian Neve Maguire moves back to Black Lake, her childhood summer home, where she thinks she will be safe and (this time) be able to protect her teen daughter, Ash, who was grazed with a bullet. But Black Lake holds a dark secret—one that threatens to rise up and engulf Neve and Ash.

As soon as the traumatized pair arrive, a dead body is found. Next-door neighbor Bailey has been bound, a message carved into her tongue of all places, and drowned in the lake. Neve has her own issues with Bailey—or "Bee" as she knew her when Bee was the Queen Mean Bee of Neve's small crop of teen girlfriends.

Detective Jess Lambert is the lead on the case but she too suffers her own trauma—the death of her young daughter after a drunk driving incident. Despite losing her daughter, her reputation, and being permanently injured, Jess continues to drown her grief in the bottom of a bottle of booze.

These two strong, fragile, and grief-stricken mothers will come together to find out who killed Bee—and to heal from their deep sense of failing at motherhood.

Christina McDonald always writes the dark side of motherhood so well—the feelings of guilt, disappointment, and sometimes, utter failure. With These Still Black Waters, she delves into that complex psychological mindset even more than in her bestseller The Night Olivia Fell.

There are many heart-rending moments here and some supernatural elements that will surprise and intrigue you. I think this is McDonald's most mature work and fans will be delighted and satiated.

Thank you so much Christina for the ARC of your wonderful book, These Still Black Waters. Preorder now! #NetGalley #ChristinaMcDonald #TheseStillBlackWaters

I absolutely love books where you get to read from the killers point of view. Here we have no idea who that is, so putting in this point of view definitely added to the suspense in a great way. This book is one you could binge in a day with the short chapters and it just being a short book in general.

As soon as I started reading I got The House Across the Lake vibes. There were things that were very similar as far as the setting and plot. If you loved that book, then I guarantee you will enjoy this one! I however, liked it but did not love it. That goes for this one as well. I really enjoyed the characters and one of the major twists blew my mind, but there were a few things with one of the MCs just didn’t do it for me. It was just too much. Its hard to explain without giving it away lol I just don’t think id be able to follow this detective through a series with what she has going on.

I do believe this book will be a hit for a lot of you! And thank you so much NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

These Still Black Water was first book from Jess Lambert series. A gripping suspense story following Det. Jess Lambert and Neve Maguire to solve murder mysteries at Black Lake after tragic accident. This book was my first read from the author and I absolutely will checking her another works.

Secrets are mysterious thing, and there are no secrets that time does not reveal. Told from multiple POV this story unraveling facts and secrets from the past and the present with good layers information and perfect paced. I enjoyed the plot, it is rich with twist and turn. But some repetition and the descriptive storytelling style not always suited the atmosphere of story.

This book will perfect for readers who love emotional suspense with traumatic characters fighting for their own destruction to become better version of their own.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas&Mercer for provide my copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a creepy thriller that revealed the horrible secrets that three friends kept for many years. The friends realized that the choices they made so long ago had deadly consequences in the present. Jess was a strong but flawed detective who was trying to figure out what happened so long ago between these friends in hopes she could figure out who was responsible for the current murder of one of them. The story alternated between the past and the present slowly revealing what happened between these friends in the past.. There were some surprising twists that will blow your mind! Overall a very entertaining read.

To be completely honest, at first I thought okay, another book where the synopsis gave too much away but I take it all back - I was wrong! I thoroughly enjoyed the way this book linked and tied together the difficult questions it makes you ponder about life and death, right and wrong, and what defines a person. However, it was a bit of a slow windup that felt a bit repetitive, which is my only main frustration with this book.

4 twisty stars

How do you recover mentally when someone violently breaks into your house? Neve has retreated to her childhood summer home with her daughter. She hopes the summer away can heal them both. They’ve barely arrived when a dead body is pulled from the lake by the house. Can they ever escape the violence of the world?

Jess, the detective on the case is fighting her own past secrets and ghosts. She’s battling back with alcohol, never a good choice. Jess is curious about what Neve knows about the woman they pull from the lake.

As we learn more about Neve and Jess, they seem to be on a collision course. I rooted for both of them in different ways.

This one had a great surprise twist that caught me by surprise. I’ve enjoyed books by this author in the past and I like the way she writes the mother/child relationship. It looks like the start of a series, so I’ll be ready to follow Jess into the next book.

Enjoyed this book. First time reading Christina McDonald. Very interesting characters, and the plot/pacing was great. Will need to read more from Christina McDonald. #TheseStillBlackWaters #NetGalley

These Still Black Waters follows two women struggling from traumatic events in a twisted thriller that will broadside you. Neve has returned to her childhood home with her daughter to recover from a violent house invasion that left her daughter with ptsd. When a body is found, Detectives Jess Lambert is assigned as lead detective. A struggling alcoholic, Jess is suffering from survivor’s guilt and blames herself for her young daughter’s death. Jess quickly discovers the victim is tied to Neve and the case gets even more sinister as another body is uncovered. The story thrills and awes with a taste of the supernatural for a page turning whodunnit that the reader will never see coming. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

3.5 ⭐️

“CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES-THEY CHOSE WRONG”

After a violent home invasion, Neve Maguire and her teenage daughter Ash, move to Black Lake, for a fresh start.
Haunted by the memories of that night, they need a place where they can feel safe.

But, when they wake up after their first morning in Dullahan House, they discover Emergency vehicles down by the lake behind their home-a woman’s body has been found floating among the reeds.

Detective Jess Lambert is recently back at work after her own personal tragedy, the loss of her young daughter, Isla. Haunted by guilt and remorse, she is drinking too much, and she thinks she sees her daughter wherever she goes.

Is she really the best Detective to take lead on this case?

The body will link the two women together in unexpected ways, as secrets from the past and present are revealed through the alternating narratives of Neve, Jess and “the killer”.

The mystery was good but I wasn’t enjoying the writing style as there was a lot of repetition and many passages were too descriptive for my personal taste, taking me out of the story. Example: “Birdsong and pale morning sunlight in shades of blushed pink and creamy corn silk stream through the open window.”

Who thinks or speaks like that?

But, just past the halfway point there was a reveal that caught my attention and surprised me, although it is one that may divide readers!

I loved two out of the three books by Christina McDonald that I had read prior to this one-“ The Night Olivia Fell” and “Do No Harm” but this was just a three star read for me until THAT reveal.

I wasn’t sure if I would want to continue the Jess Lambert series, but I liked the direction the author took, and now I think that I will want to solve her next case with her after all….

Expected publication date: August 8, 2023

Thank You to Thomas & Mercer for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Thank you NetGalley, Christina McDonald, and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy of These Still Black Waters. This story had a lot of depth and left me on my toes. Towards the middle of the book there were a couple times that it felt a bit slow, but overall it was a very intriguing story. I did not expect the twist at the end of the story! Overall the story was a 4.5 star read for me!