Christina McDonald, I see you girl...

McDonald and I started our "book-ship" way back when The Night Olivia Fell, hit the shelves. I swooned over this book and had to recommend it to literally every person I knew. Next came Behind Every Lie, and I was completely hooked. Behind Every Lie was one of my favorite books. That is until These Still Black Waters landed in my lap.

Holy Moly!!

My head spun right on off my neck! What did I just read?

Literary gold, that's what!!!

McDonald has done it again (I mean, did we expect anything less)

This book right here will grab your attention chapter one and suck you right down the rabbit hole filled with mystery, suspense and MURDER!

I could not get enough. Every time I thought I had it all figured out, I was dead wrong. The twists kept coming and the pace was perfect! I was never bored or looking to take a break. Don't believe me? Check out this teaser:

After a violent home invasion, Neve Maguire returns with her daughter to Black Lake, her childhood summer home, hoping for a fresh start. But when the body of a woman is found floating among the reeds in the lake behind her house, she fears she has made a horrible mistake.

Neve is hiding secrets, though. Detective Jess Lambert can tell. Recently back after her own personal tragedy, Jess knows what it’s like to live with skeletons in your closet, and she’s sure Neve has a few of her own.

When another woman’s body is found, Jess and Neve are forced to confront a horrible truth. Because one thing is clear: the darkness of the past is waiting. And the secrets of Black Lake are only just beginning to surface.

This book was so good! I really enjoyed both main characters and their emotional journeys. Although I knew who the killer was - I did not guess the way the story unfolded! I can’t wait for book 2.

Christina McDonald is a fantastic storyteller. She has been one of my favorite go to authors ever since I read her novel The Night Olivia Fell. All of her books have resonated with me, because she brilliantly captures the humaneness and reality in her characters, the true essence and fragility of the mother/daughter (child) relationship so well including in her new novel These Still Black Waters (Book 1 of the Jess Lambert series). A huge thank you to Thomas & Mercer Publishing, the author and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of the book.

These Still Black Waters is an emotionally charged, highly engaging, suspenseful mystery with a bit of the supernatural. The story is told from multiple perspectives and deals with the mother/daughter relationship, loss, alcoholism feelings of guilt, bullying, post-traumatic stress, murder, choices and consequences.

When the book opens Neve Maguire, a veterinarian and her teenage daughter Ashley Rose are moving to Black Lake and into Dullahan House, after experiencing a violent home invasion at their home in Boston. It’s a large Victorian home in the small quaint town where Neve spent her summers. The house was once owned by her grandmother and then her mother, who now has Alzheimer’s and is in a care facility. But unfortunately the fresh start and sense of security that Neve and Ash long for is completely destroyed when a woman is found murdered in the lake right behind their house. Now Neve is questioning her decision about coming back here with her daughter. A place that holds so many memories and secrets.

Homicide detective Jess Lambert has been off the job for a while after suffering her own personal tragedy, but now she’s back and needing to prove she can handle everything. Starting this new murder investigation she just might be able to focus on her job and take her mind off of her personal problems. However, once Detective Lambert meets Neve she can sense that something isn’t quite right. Neve is harboring some secrets and Jess knows exactly what that’s like. She been grappling with her own secrets and feelings of guilt, too. But secrets always have a way of resurfacing. And when another woman turns up dead both of these woman will have to come face to face with the darkness of the past.

These Still Black Waters is a beautifully written, atmospheric, deeply compelling book. It grab my attention from the very beginning and had me up turning pages late into the night with all the twists and turns. I cannot wait to read book two of this series. This is definitely a book that is not to be missed, one to add your reading list. A perfect book to kick off the start of the fall/spooky reading season! Bravo Christina!

4.5 stars rounding down to 4 stars on Goodreads.

This was such an intriguing read and I could not get enough of it. If life didn’t got in the way, I could see me reading this in a day. The main plot twist that revealed the murderer was so surprising and my head was spinning leading up to that reveal as I was trying to figure it out. This book gave me feels of I Know What You Did Last Summer. Definitely add this to your TBR! I can’t wait to check out the backlist of McDonald because her writing is spectacular!

***** Many thanks to Christina McDonald and @thrillerbookloverspromotions for providing me a copy in turn for an honest review.

When two women running from their traumatic pasts find the present is not safe either.....you have THESE STILL BLACK WATERS. The story bridges several genre without being over-the-top unbelievable. Told from the perspective of these two damaged women and the killer they are both looking for, the story takes some dramatic twists that will turn the plot on a u-turn. Fast paced story with well developed characters and an eerie community, this was an easy 5 star read.

I'm usually a big fan of this author but this one missed the mark for me. The characters are interesting. The mystery was a good premise. However, by a third of the way through I had figured out the major "shocker" and eneded up skipping about 18 chapters to get to the ending.

I have been a fan of Christina McDonald’s books ever since The Night Olivia Fell, and she has outdone herself with her newest, THESE STILL BLACK WATERS. I am beyond excited this is the first in a series because I was not ready for this to be over. I loved the character of Jess Lambert and all she was struggling with, I empathized with her from the very beginning. The setting was fantastically eerie, and I really loved the paranormal element woven in here. There were some crazy twists that I did not see coming and I also should warn you, this one will get you emotionally as well. It was such a well written story, I was completely sucked in from the beginning and just blown away when I finished.

I cannot recommend this one enough, it is now my favorite of hers by far. This one is out today, please make sure it is on your list! Thank you to Thriller Booklovers Promotions and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced digital copy to review.

🎉 Happy Pub Day🎉

These Still Black Waters
By: Christina McDonald
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is book #1 in the Jess Lambert Series. This was my third book by this author and I always look forward to her books.

Neve takes her daughter back to her home town of Black Lake looking for a fresh start. Neve has her secrets, but we know sometimes secrets cannot stay in the past.Sadly a woman’s body is found in the lake behind her house. What is her connection to the woman or is this a random death? Will there be more deaths?

Detect Jess Lambert is on the case and senses Neve knows this woman! Jess is also hiding secrets. Could hear woman have something in common?

Twists and multiple POVs kept my attention throughout this novel!

Happy Pub day Christina McDonald!

#thesestillblackwaters, #christonamcdonalkd, #thomasandmercer, #Happypubday, #bookstagram, #booksconnectus, #bookreview, #stamperlady50

Told in alternating points of view, this novel is an excellent example of twisty mystery wrapped around thoughts of grief, guilt, and familial love. When Neve and her daughter Ash are victims of an unsolved home invasion, they travel to Neve's mother's home where she spent her childhood summers and where unanswered questions and hidden secrets lie. Her next door neighbor is immediately found murdered and leads to the meeting of Neve and Detective Jess Lambert. Jess is dealing with the aftermath of her own tragedy, and this enables the events to unfold.

I found the alternating chapters and spooky atmosphere to be so well written. Each time I thought I guessed what was happening, I was only approaching the surface of the story, just as in the titular black waters of the lake. (And this cover is so beautifully done as well!)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my eARC.

Emotionally complex, two mothers (detective and victim) struggle with past trauma and dark secrets while a mysterious killer is out for revenge in a race against time in this enthralling twisty whodunit new series with a sympathetic, highly relatable main character you will root for.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-arc.*

I have enjoyed everything that Christina McDonald has written so far and this one fits right in with the others. You know it’s going to be good when you get a creepy vibe right off the bat about the house and location. I felt for Jess’s character right off the bat with not only her physical struggles, but her grief and mental struggles as well. The burn is slow, but consistent throughout. And the twists definitely fooled me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Christina McDonald for this e-arc!

I've typically really enjoyed Christina McDonald's books, and I did like this one and I'm interested to see where it can go as a series. However, this isn't my new favorite by the author, and without spoilers, I'll just say that I did find every "twist" in the story predictable, and I think there could have been less telegraphing of what was going to happen. Jess Lambert is an interesting detective character, and following her will be an interesting journey.

One thing I know is you can't run from your past. Dead bodies are floating in the lake, a detective is on the case, and Neve thought she'd left the violence behind her. Sounds like a pretty typical thriller set up, doesn't it? I appreciated the depth of the characters even if the basic plot line has been told before. I think the characters are what bring a plot down a different path than previous thrillers. That and the twists. I didn't feel particularly thrilled by this book, but I was entertained.

Wow that was a very suspenseful book. I thought it was a slow beginning but it sure was an edge of the seat book until the end.

Loved it. Awesome read. You out did yourself this time Christina. Great job. You had me fooled!

Christina McDonald never disappoints. I just love her books. These Still Black Waters is a gripping, twisting and unpredictable thriller murders. This will have you not wanting to put this down and unable to figure out who did what until the end. This was well worth the wait. This is about friendships that go wrong and making choices that are wrong and you regret it with grief, trauma and the haunting past. You will just love this as much as I did. Thank you NetGalley.

This book is loaded with suspense, a wonderful pair of main characters, and a mysterious killer hellbent on revenge. I loved the atmospheric and slightly spooky setting at Black Lake and the dual POVs of a traumatized detective and a traumatized mother both trying to come to grips with their past as the excellent plot unfolds, building towards an interesting twist.

Two women are dealing with the aftermath of traumatic events. Both have skeletons in their closets. When a dead body is found, these women must confront their pasts.

I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this mystery thriller and how much I liked the book overall. The characters are well developed, and I felt a strong connection to these women who are trying to put their lives back together. While there is a central emotional component to this story, the thriller aspect doesn’t take a back seat. I loved the clever, well-timed twists. This quick, addictive read left me thinking about motherhood and the impact of our choices.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for an early copy of this book. This voluntary review reflects my honest, unbiased opinion.

4.5 stars.

Wow - what a read! These Still Dark Waters marks the first in a new series by Christina McDonald about a physically and psychologically damaged female detective, Jess, who gets involved in solving the case of a murdered woman, Bailey. Bailey’s former childhood friend, Neve, comes back to town and soon becomes involved in the case. In fact, Jess begins to suspect that Neve is involved somehow. And what secrets is Neve running from? Jess too has her own demons that she is struggling with as she tries to solve the murder.

Shifting between Jess’, Neve’s and the killer’s perspective, the story was well plotted and had a massive twist towards the end that was totally unexpected and surprising, leading to a dramatic and emotional conclusion.

The story took a little while to get into but it was definitely worth it. I liked the themes of choice, consequences, friendship, grief, motherhood, letting go, and the shades of grey of the characters. Jess, the main character, was very likeable and relatable. So, so, so good!! Highly recommend!! The series ends with the perfect set-up for Book 2 and more of Jess. I’ll definitely be picking up the next in this series.

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

These Still Black Waters is a perfect Halloween read. The past always comes back to get you… Chilling suspense that was impossible to put down. I cannot wait to see more of Detective Jess Lambert!

This story is mostly told from the perspectives of two narrators. Neve has brought her adolescent daughter, Ash to the lake house where she spent summers while growing up in order to isolate themselves following a “home invasion”. Shortly after their arrival, a woman named Bailey is found murdered in the lake and Neve discovers that the victim is a former friend who she knew as Bee. The other narrator is Jess, a detective who is literally struggling with her own ghosts which threatens to compromise the investigation into the murder. Interspersed between the two narratives, we also read some short chapters revealing the thoughts of the murderer.
The book started out all over the place for me. Both Neve and Jess refer to secrets and tragedies from their pasts but the author gives us very little background information, like what exactly happened in the home invasion and what happened with Jess’ daughter. There are several inconsistencies such as Neve indicating that she never knew Bailey as “Bee” then thinking about how she followed her from her office knowing that she was the same person. The book kept me interested and it was fast-paced but I found myself frustrated with lack of relevant background information. AND THEN, things finally clicked in a most unexpected way. I can’t say much without spoilers but I was glad that I stuck with the story. I’m still confused about some things - it’s almost like I need to read it again but overall, it was very enjoyable and I encourage other readers to stick it out. The ending is mostly satisfying.
#NetGalley #ThomasandMercer