Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early. I have read other books by Ms. McDonald so I started this one anticipating a good thriller with a twist. I am not completely sure what I just read. Jess, the detective main character, sees visions of her daughter and other characters important to the story and they talk to her and give her clues about the murder. It was so confusing and I skimmed at the end just to find out who had done the crime. I did not enjoy this book, as the whole premise is far-fetched, to me. I will not be looking for more featuring this character.

Amazing!!! I am so thankful I got to read this now! It had me from the very beginning and it took twists I never could have thought of or made up!! I can’t wait for more from the series!!!

One word to describe this novel: lyrical. Parallel narratives don't always work for me - too often they attempt to replicate the virality and tone of Gone Girl, struggling to find original voices for their characters. Not this book. I read the entire novel in a little over a day. I wanted to read more, not just because of the story, but because of the quality of the writing itself.

Often modern mysteries center the whodunnit and fail to develop a captivating "why" to wrap up the rest of the story once the mystery has been solved. In These Still Black Waters, the mystery is layered and the seeds planted throughout the book reveal their roots in a satisfying way. I really enjoyed this one.

This book was just ok for me. It was told in three parts by Neve, Jessica, and the killer. I really struggled to maintain interest in Neve and Jessica was just the quintessential alcoholic law enforcement person in a small town that does not follow the rules yet conveniently figures everything out in their stupor. I have seen this trope one too many times now. I think it would have been a little more interesting to reveal the killer in some other way as opposed to the little fragmented sections that were provided. I would have preferred notes, or something else that would tie into the past. The past was definitely a lot once revealed, however basically because it was completely unplausible. I do not think a relationship would have existed between those two girls unless Neve was just the most desperate person ever. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

WOW! I did not see that coming! Christina McDonald's new book "These Still Black Waters", will suck the reader right in. It is suspenseful to the very last page. The reader is introduced to Neve, a mother escaping with her daughter following a home invasion. The place they escape to- Black Lake- does not offer the retreat Neve needs. Just when the reader thinks they might have figured out whodunnit, the next page reveals a different story.

Four stars for the first 80% of this book, barely three stars for the plot twist at the end.
This book really had me engulfed for the majority of the plot, I was hooked. I had several theories throughout the book, none of which ended up being correct. I loved the mystery, the plot, the characters. The two main characters were flawed for sure, both made horrible decisions several times, but that was not nearly as off putting as the plot twist. The plot twist actually made me groan aloud because I was so disappointed the author took that path.
Overall, loved most of this book. I’m glad I read it but I’m sure if I’ll check out any other books in the series. If you’re into thrillers/mysteries, you’ll definitely want to check out this book

Once again Christina McDonald gives us another great story.

Do you believe in ghosts? Jess has to come to terms with what she sees as her biggest mistake. She has to decide if drinking is more important than everything else in her life. But can she change her self destruction or does she not have the power within to do so?
Will she get help from the “ghosts” in her life or just cave to own mental issues?

Starts off a little slow, but then the action picks up and there are lots of twists and turns and characters that are easy to connect with.

I've devoured everything this author has ever written, but she has outdone herself with this one, and I'm ecstatic to see it's the beginning of a series! Two deeply flawed women, both running from something. After a violent home invasion that nearly kills her teenage daughter, Neve Maguire leaves her husband and returns to Black Lake, her childhood summer home. Her peaceful respite is shattered when the body of a woman is found in the lake behind her home.

Detective Jess Lambert knows loss just as keenly as Neve does, and though she's back on the job, she's struggling with her loss. Her character is tough, guarded, and nothing escapes her attention, which is why Neve is instantly on her radar. She recognizes her more as just a fellow victim; she is sure that Neve is keeping some big secrets, and she's determined to find out what they are.

I never in a million years predicted the direction this story would go, and while it may have been unconventional, it was brilliantly executed and exquisitely captured the grief that both women are struggling with. I was highlighting so many beautifully written passages, and when I got to this one, I just burst into tears: 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑩𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉. 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.

This is more than a thriller; this is a deep dive into loss, grief, and the human will to survive. I will never forget how this book made me feel, which is that someone who deeply understood me held my hand and looked directly into my soul. Forever grateful to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer/Amazon Publishing for this early read. Publishes August 8, 2023.

These Still Black Waters was intriguing, twisty, mysterious and completely not what I was expecting. The writer does such an amazing job with her descriptive writing that I could feel the summer heat around me. She made sure to utilize ALL her characters and in turn left me completely on my toes.

Neve suffers a home invasion which causes her to take her daughter back to her childhood summer vacation spot to process her trauma. But, she has trauma in Black Lake that she never addressed.

Detective Jess is also recovering from her own tragic life event and hopes this case is the one that will turn her life around.

When not one but two bodies are discovered, these two woman will have to work together through their collective traumas to solve this mystery.

This was my first read by Christina McDonald and will most definitely not be my last. A solid 5 ⭐️. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book on release day: August 22, 2023.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Christina McDonald for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I kind of figured out the ghost aspect about half way through but did not guess the killer. Highly recommend!

I'm so excited that there will be more Jess Lambert books! While it was made incredibly clear who the killer was about 60% of the way though, I was pleasantly surprised by one twist that I didn't expect. The writing is strong and the story kept me engaged and interested.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Incredible. Christina McDonald does it again. I cannot say enough good things about this one. This book kept me guessing until the very end. The way she weaves the story and characters together is a gift. You really feel like you are a part of their world. I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat. Being a mom, this one definitely gave me all the feels. Give this one a try. You won't regret it.

Completely blown away by this book. I was riveted by this story. It draws you in and does not let go. Christina McDonald did an amazing job weaving this spellbinding tale of revenge and forgiveness. The characters are really well fleshed out and the interactions between them is so thought provoking. I wanted to jump straight to the next book book in the Jess Lambert series. Unfortunately, I have to wait as this is book one. I will be patient as I am sure the next entry will be well worth the wait.

Thank you so very much NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc.

Christina McDonald has done it again! I wasn't sure I would like this book, since was so different from her other novels, and I generally don't care too much for books that are from multiple perspectives.

This book is well written and the characters just draw you into their lives.

Neve is a woman who is struggling to put the past behind her, especially after the violent home invasion that she just experienced. Together with her daughter Ash they embark on a journey of recovery and forgiveness.

Jess is a woman who is also struggling with putting her past behind her and finding forgiveness from her daughter Isla, but herself. She finds comfort in the bottom if glass, or even better a bottle.

When their two women meet, they find that they can help each other solve the murder of Neve's old friend Bee.

With the past coming back to haunt those responsible for a tragic accident from years ago, will Neve and Jess be able to overcome their own shortcomings to save Neve's daughter Ash from a killer obsessed with revenge.

I starting piecing things together just before Christina brought them together for us. I wasn't expecting all of the twists that Christina threw at us. And the ending was magnificent, even though it had me in tears.

Both Neve and Jess finally find the peace that they are looking for as Jess and Neve stop the killer just moments before she tries to kill Ash. Neve goes on to her destiny and has the opportunity to tell her comatose daughter and grieving husband that she lives them.

Jess.finds the help she needs and goes home to her estranged husband, just before her daughter Isla comes back to her and she gets a call that she has another case to help solve for the dead.

This one was a surprise! I got sucked into the story and stayed up way too late finishing it. The end I did not see coming and the twists had me shook!

Neve returns with her daughter to her childhood summer home after a home invasion. Black Lake is supposed to be their fresh start. However, when a body appears in the lake behind their home, Neve begins to panic. Detective Jess Lambert can tell Neve has secrets and when a second body appears both are forced to confront their pasts.

The Still Black Waters is available August 8,2023.

Thank you netgalley and thomas&mercer for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

These Still Black Waters is a thriller told from three main perspectives; DetectiveJess Lambert, Neve Maguire and our killer. The story deals with the past and how it always comes back to haunt us. Black Lake is holding secrets that come to the surface in this haunting novel.

My feelings on this novel aren’t great if I am being honest. I want to preface this by saying hats off to anyone that creates these worlds that ensnare us readings. I know that it isn’t easy and I hate to bash anyone’s hard work but I feel like there are certain supernatural elements that come to light that feel forced or predictable. Overall the twist and revelations were a little obvious for someone who reads a lot from this genre. The good news is this is written like it will become a series and I am more than willing to give Detective Lambert another try.
#netgalley #thesestillblackwaters

One long ago summer night which changed lives forever. Neve, Sandra and Bailey were friends as teens. One night of drunken misbehaviour changed everything. Now Neve has returned with her daughter Ashley to her childhood summer home to recover from the trauma of a violent home invasion that left them both physically and mentally exhausted. Then a woman's body is found in the lake next to their house, and Neve begins to question whether they escaped the danger at all.

This thriller had me in its grip! The story jumps between flashbacks and present day, and is told from multiple POV including the shadowy figure behind the violence. I loved the overlay of the supernatural element in the novel, and Detective Lambert's personal history which added richness to the story. I found the conclusion a little drawn out, but overall this was a page turner! Thanks to NetGalley for this copy to read.

I’ve felt that These Still Black Waters by Christina McDonald was slow and repetitive and the « I should’ve » « but I didn’t » were really annoying. Glad I’ve kept reading, because once I got over these bits, the book is interesting, with a good plot, real characters that grows with the story, and the twists and turns and the haunting makes it interesting and engaging.

Sentí lento y tedioso el principio de These Still Black Waters by Christina McDonald y casi dejo de leerlo. Qué bueno que seguí leyendo, porque el ritmo del libro cambia, la historia se vuelve interesante, tiene una buena trama, los personajes son reales y crecen con la historia, y los giros y las apariciones lo mantienen a uno en suspenso.

I found this very interesting from the start and it captivated my attention. I found the character development to be great. However, there was a plat twist that I did not expect and I am a bit unsure how I felt about it. I would recommend reading it.