Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and author for giving me a chance to read this book. This had suspense, grief and will send you on an emotional roller coaster. What a ride!

Thank you Thomas & Mercer for this e-arc copy. This is the first book I read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised.

This book had a strong introduction and the two female leads Jess and Neve were very interesting and had a lot of depth. I don’t want to give anything away, but this book is more than what I expected. It tied in the fact that every action has consequences and something’s just happen without reason, they just are and you leave it at that.

I thought this was a solid thriller, definitely kept me on my toes. I did have a good idea of what was happening midway through the book with the little subtle hints that some readers may not catch right away. I think having a general openness to understanding different situations and the realm of what can be explained through one’s actions will make you better enjoy this book. I did feel somewhat unsatisfied with the final ending, but it left me thinking that maybe there is more to come.

I am so glad I got to read this book and hope that others enjoy it as much as I did.

Christina McDonald has quickly became a favorite author of mine. I see this title available in Netgalley and just new I needed to read it. I do believe out of all the books I have read of hers, This one (These Still Black Waters) is a favorite of mine.

Christina has a way of taking an ordinary thrilling story line about a murder, and making it into a title that is simply hard to put down. I can honestly say, The murderer within this story is one I NEVER even guessed.

This is a story for those who believe in the afterlife of spirits and ghosts but maybe just can't wrap their minds around it. The character development is spot on. Each character through the book no matter how big or small of a role they played, was very thought out and each one enjoyable. I am giving this book a 4.5 stars (rounded down) and I can't wait for Christina's next book! Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

This is my second read from Christina McDonald & I am coming to love her books.

With this book, I like the writing that took us from past to current time and I love the lesson of our past always comes back to find us.

As a mother, I connected with Neve as I would do absolutely anything to protect my kids and keep them safe. But I also really loved Detective Jess Lamberts character, she is also a mother who suffered a traumatic event and I feel a lot of compassion for her as I don’t know how I would handle an experience like hers. These two characters were written beautifully as you feel for both of them and I found myself wanting them to have the peace they both deserved. I look forward to reading more from Det. Lambert.

Christina McDonald has wowed me yet again! These Still Black Waters had me flipping the pages so fast it is a wonder I don't have wrist pain. I found this book to be gripping, well thought out and eerie. I devoured this book and loved every second of it.

Neve Maguire moved back to Black Lake where she spent summers as a child with her teenage daughter, Ash. A violent home invasion left Neve wanting a fresh start. It won’t be the fresh start she wanted as a woman's body has been found in the Reeds.

Detective Jess Lambert is back to work after suffering a horrible loss following a tragic accident. She interviews those who live near where the woman's body was found. After speaking with Neve, she knows that Neve is keeping secrets. Jess has secrets of her own as well.

Secrets have a way of coming out when you least expect them. Sometimes your past comes knocking and when it does......

This was such a great book and very different for McDonald. I loved the new direction she went in and thought she pulled it off very well. She even shocked me in this book which I love! I also loved the twists in this book. Boy did they keep me on my toes wanting more.

Like her other books, this book was well written and perfectly paced. Just when I thought I had things figured out, she threw in another twist! Very nicely done!

This book is told in the past and in the present. This kept things interesting and helped the plot move at a very nice pace. Each time McDonald took me into the past, more was revealed and further piqued my interest.

I look forward to the next book in this series!


4.5 stars

I wasn’t expecting the paranormal aspect of this. It was kind of odd to me at the beginning because it just seemed weird at first. But it ended up making sense.

I really liked the twist for this! It wasn’t expected at all. Very intriguing.

I liked this but at the same time i had a hard time because it was a tad slow and the paranormal aspect was kind of odd.

These Still Black Waters:

“Sometimes the past can come back to bite you”

Neve spent her summers going to her family home in Black Lake where she met the local kids and would reconnect every year. One summer after a drunken event would change the future for some. Neve returns years later as an adult with her daughter after a home invasion and wanting a fresh start. Over time her fears of making a terrible mistake haunt her.

I hope this will be the first book in a series because this was good! The book had two main voices/characters who told the story, but a third sub character playing the villain. Putting all the clues together it took a while to figure out who was behind the events that play out. I did figure it out but towards the end more than at the start. I mystery of putting past and current events together with a side of a drunk detective makes for one awesome thriller novel.

These Still Black Waters comes out on the 8 of August 2023

I'm such a huge fan of Christina McDonald books and just finished These Still Black Waters via ARC from NetGalley and all I can say is WHOA!! Talk about AMAZING characters, and a riveting storyline that kept me guessing the whole dang time!!

READ 👏🏼THIS 👏🏼 BOOK 👏🏼people as soon as it drops on August 8th 2023! You wont be disappointed!

Thank you NetGalley!

Thank you to NetGalley, Christina McDonald and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC copy of These Still Black Waters.

This book had me hooked from the very first page. I really enjoyed reading the point of view of the main characters, Jess, Neve and the killers. The main characters are both dealing with trauma in a way that seems realistic.

There were a lot of twists, turns, and suspense in the story. Many of the twists are hard to see coming but if you pay attention to the little breadcrumbs in it you can figure it out.

I highly recommend reading this book and I look forward to reading more books by Christina McDonald.

Wow!Wow!Wow!
This book was awesome!!! Told from different points of view, Jess and Neve are connected in a murder. This IS NOT your typical murder mystery book! It shocks you with turns and hits you with emotions!! Well done, highly recommend this book!!!

I just reviewed These Still Black Waters by Christina McDonald via ARC from Netgally!

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this one early. Definitely not my first Christina McDonald book and most definitely will not be my last! This one had me guessing till the end! Lots of twist and turns and a reminder that our actions in life can sometimes follow us! I thought I had it figured out ,any times but as a good book usually is when you think you’ve figured it out and oh the surprises that await us! Great book, look for it on publication day August 2023, you will not be disappointed!

Wow and double wow.. This one blew me away, lots of twists and turns I definitely didn’t see coming.
Absolutely loved Jess and really hope this could become a series. It would be a fantastic series that I would set to auto buy.
This one had me from page one and never let go!!
Many thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this one.

Neve Maguire and her daughter Ash go to Neve's mom's house at Black Lake, where she spent all her summers as a kid. After a horrible home invasion, Neve left her husband behind and they have taken refuge at the summer home, where they can rest after their ordeal. However, trouble finds them, when a body is found in the lake.

Detective Jess Lambert is just returning to active duty after a horrible trauma of her own. This case becomes the first case where she is lead detective after a horrible car accident. She drinks to deal with her pain, and is intent on finding the killer. Which keeps bringer her back to Neve. Something is simply not right here, but the shock comes when Jess comes to learn exactly what is off with this case.

Christina McDonald is a wonderful author and I have liked all of her previous books. It took me a long time to read this novel -- in part due to things in my own world, and in part because I couldn't really get into the book until 3/4 of the way through it. I struggled to get into the character of Neve, and while I later understood why things were not connecting, it didn't help with my relating to the character, in the earlier portions of the novel. With the character of Jess, half the time I wanted to shake her and the other half of the time, I felt sorry for her. This did not help me in my quest to really sink my teeth into this novel. The POV of the novel goes between Neve & Jess with an occasional shift to the POV of the murder. I did like how the author showed us different parts of the story through the lens of the different characters.

Overall, it is a good book, but not McDonald's best.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

These Still Black Waters is full of everything you'd expect from a thriller.
This story takes you on a ride full of twists and suspense.
Some parts are a little slow but then you hit some action.
Overall an enjoyable read.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Thomas&Mercer for this ARC

I struggled a bit with this book in the beginning I think the dialogue and the back and forth really dragged and then about 3/4 of the way it picked up. I had no idea this was a paranormal thriller and was pleasantly surprised, I also did not guess the “killer”! I liked both Neve and Jess but was disappointed that Jess didn’t end up back with her spouse. All in all it’s a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars. Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read!

These Still Black Waters

Thank you netgalley for my ARC of These Still Black Waters by Christina McDonald. I’m not sure what I was expecting from this novel. I didn’t like it anywhere near as much as I thought I would.

Still Black Waters follows Neve and her daughter Ash after they have suffered a traumatic home invasion. The mother daughter duo move from their big city to Neve’s quite family summer home and live on the edge of a beautiful large lake. It sounds quite picturesque and is described in great detail.

Neve and Ash have moved to Neves childhood summer lake house, as she feels unsafe and unsettled in her home after the break in. Their first night in their new home however, is not what Neve had hoped for as a deceased body is retrieved from the lake. Neve soon realises that the victim is a friend from her childhood and starts to wonder if the home invasion and murder are connected.

Christina McDonald tried to create a creepy, mysterious, police procedural but slightly missed the mark. The novel becomes predictable and tedious as you try to figure out what connects Neve and the Victim in the lake. The backstory takes far too long to explain connecting events. I guessed the twist long before it arrived. Maybe halfway through the book.

This book had such a promising blurb and I was really looking forward to sinking my teeth in to it but it just missed the mark for me. Therefore I rate this novel two out of five stars.
⭐️⭐️/5

Holy smokes this one was one twisty turny rollercoaster of a ride. Supernatural mixed with murder by flesh and blood makes for one creepy read. Fast paced with some seriously scary moments. The characters were well written and like able. The plot was well thought out and was brought to life with the excellent writing.
The ending was jaw dropping and amazing
A great read

Pub date: 8/8/23
Genre: thriller
Quick plot summary: Neve is trying to put her life back together after a home invasion, but the discovery of a body near her home sends her into a tailspin.

THE NIGHT OLIVIA FELL is one of my favorite thrillers, so I'm always up for a Christina McDonald book. This one took a bit to get going, but once it did, it really surprised me! I did not see the twist coming AT ALL - but it wasn't shocking enough to make me love the book. I think fans of thriller procedurals will like this one. I enjoyed the read, but I don't think it will be among my favorites of the year.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Neve Maguire and her daughter Ashley return to Black Waters, her childhood summer home. Neve left her home and husband after a home invasion. Soon the body of a woman is found floating among the reefs in the lake behind her house. Detective Jess Lambert is a detective investigating the woman’s murder. She’s dealing with the loss of her little girl Isla in a car accidents where she was driving. Another body is found, both with M1237 carved on their tongues.
Despite the book being a psychological thriller, this was an emotional story about two broken women. There were many emotional parts that brought tears. The story dealt with many issues such as forgiveness, loss, guilt, how choices effect others, going forward after a tragedy, revenge, self hatred, how choices have consequences, darkness in all of us but moving into the light, etc. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next book in the series
Thank you Christina McDonald, NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC of the ebook
Publication date: August 8, 2023