Thank you to the author and Net Galley for providing me with an e-arc of this Jess Lambert novella.

When Jess and Mac move to Black Lake they're looking for a fresh start in a small, quiet, town; somewhere they can enjoy the simple life that a only a small town can offer. As Jess struggles to settle into her new routine, missing the fast-paced lifestyle she left behind, she receives a text from her friend Leah. "He's out." Shortly after receiving that text, she meets Annie at a local coffee shop. As it turns out, Annie is also new to Black Lake and, like Jess, is finding it hard to settle into her new routine. Feeling like Annie truly understands her, Jess agrees to meet Annie for drinks sometime. Later that same day, while Jess is out for an evening run, she runs into Annie again and this time, nothing is as it seems.

Novellas can be tricky; oftentimes not having enough pages to fit a story that doesn't feel rushed. However, the author, Christina McDonald, does an excellent job at setting the pace for this mystery/thriller novella. 'The Stranger at Black Lake' had me at the edge of my seat from the very beginning and I enjoyed every second of it! The mystery in this novella, surrounding "the gingerbread house", Annie, and "him", is multifaceted and sprinkled with twists you never see coming.

I'm very excited to read more of the Jess Lambert series, starting with 'These Still Black Waters' and continuing with 'What Lies in Darkness'. 'What Lies in Darkness' is scheduled to release on July 16, 2024.

Jess Lambert and her husband, Mac, seek a quiet life in Black Lake, only to be drawn into a sinister game of secrets, murder, and revenge. When Jess befriends the enigmatic Annie Parker, a shocking incident unfolds, leading Jess to unravel the chilling mysteries of Annie's past and the dark history of their new home. As Jess delves deeper into the dangerous unknown, she questions Annie's true identity and her own role in the unfolding tragedy. With suspenseful twists and a compelling narrative that keeps readers on edge, "The Stranger at Black Lake" delivers a thrilling tale of suspense and intrigue. This book earns four stars for its atmospheric storytelling, intricate plot, and captivating exploration of hidden truths and blurred identities that will keep readers engrossed until the final page.

The Stranger at Black Lake was such a fun little fast-paced read! I loved getting a sense of Jess Lambert's personality and relationships prior to who we know her as in the rest of the series - the disabled badass with grief and trust issues - and seeing just what prompted her to join Rivero and the rest of the Black Lake Police Department.

It hit the mark for a novella with character development and a story readers can sink their teeth into and kept me guessing to the end, with the second POV that caught up to them at the end and rounded out the "who dunnit" with a shock. By far my favourite aspect was the character relationships!

This was a delightfully disturbing thriller! There were so many eerie elements to the setting, and I was honestly creeped out during a lot of this book. It is a novella that serves as a prequel to introduce us to Jess Lambert.

This was such a quick read. I flew through the pages and was totally engrossed the entire time. A true roller coaster ride packed into a short but well-developed storyline. The conclusion was jaw-dropping for sure, and I wanted MORE! I'm glad that I'll get more in These Still Waters which is book 1 in the Jess Lambert series. I really like Jess, and I'm interested in getting to know her more in book 1.

Thank you NetGalley and Intrigue Ink Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

WOW. This book was immediately captivating. It is filled with action and suspense. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. Interesting to have Jess’s point of view and also “His” which is later revealed. This is a great prequel. I loved it!

I have never read anything from this author before and I’m going to start because I really enjoyed this. This is a thriller Nala that that’s perfect. If you need it, just read another shorter book.

Fast paced, gripping read that I got through in one sitting.

Loved the dual POV, added to the mystery and the building tension.

I will say a lot happened at the end and it took me a little bit to get my head around everything that everyone was doing/where they were in the room which did pull me out of the narrative a bit.

This is a prequel novella and I have to admit I am now intrigued by the full novels and maybe with a bit more space the action won’t feel so rushed.

I would like to thank Intrigue Ink Publishing and Netgalley for the for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for an early copy of this book. This novella showcases McDonalds hand for intriguing mystery as the opening chapters bring forth characters that build the plot for the current story as well as future books in this series. Jess Lambert meets a friendly girl while settling into a new town but before she knows it, she’s thrown into an investigation involving the towns oldest mysteries. Lurking in the shadows is another character that appears to be coming after Jess, or is he? This fast paced read ends with a few surprises, and it shows how Jess became the detective we love…5 stars! #NetGalley

Hot damn! A quick, easy read that really packed a punch, The Stranger at Black Lake was a welcome addition into the growing saga of Jess Lambert. A prequel to a pre-existing series (or what will be once the second book, What Lies in Darkness, comes out in July), it was everything that I wanted and more. From adding to Jess’s characterization to providing one heck of a rollercoaster ride, the pulse-pounding plot kept me on the edge of my seat. A thriller through and though, McDonald only further proved her virtuoso-like skill at crafting propulsive storylines that pull you in and don’t let go for a second. Take it from me, this is one series you just have to read. I do recommend, however, starting with the first book in the series, These Still Black Waters. You need to know Jess before encountering her backstory, all things considered. By the time I reached the last perfectly placed word, I was fully convinced that this novella couldn’t have been better. And, given my penchant for honest reviews, that’s saying a lot. Rating of 5 stars.

Thank you to Christina McDonald for my complimentary copy and to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for introducing me to this dynamite series.

This is a fantastic read! I love Jess Lambert—what an intriguing and captivating character! This novella is a great glimpse into some of the events in Jess’ life. Highly recommend it!

Eerie, suspenseful, gripping all accurately describe this book. The well plotted story and engaging characters will have readers hook from the the very start.

This is a short novella and it absolutely had me gripped. It was dark and held a little a local myth/legend surrounding a house in the small town. This legend becomes a little too real for the FMC Jess who’s just moved to town with her husband who lived there as a boy.

This story spirals pretty quick and I did not like Jess’s odds in this novella but she holds her own.

I absolutely love this series!! Happy pub day to The Stranger At Black Lake!! 🥳🥳 After reading the first book in the Jess Lambert series… I couldn’t get enough… 😍… so of course I grabbed this fantastic prequel!! Thank you Intrigue Ink Publishing for my gifted digital copy!! 🥰 I wanted to know more about our girl Jess…. and let me tell you… it definitely delivered! 👏👏

Jess is new to Black Lake… so you can imagine how excited she was to meet someone like Annie. They hit it off immediately…. 👯‍♀️… EXCEPT.. She didn’t expect to find Annie naked and roaming around the neighborhood completely out of her mind… and that isn’t the scariest part….😳… it gets much… much… MUCH worse for Jess… What the hell happened in THAT house??!!! 😳😳🤷‍♀️… I guess the better question is what hasn’t happened in that creepy house…

This prequel packs a punch 🥊… It’s a super fast binge read!! 😍I finished the first book These Still Black Waters a couple weeks ago… and LOVED it.. and now this prequel.. I am telling you this series is CREEPY and I love it!! 😳😂👏

the setup…
Jess Lambert is a former paramedic who has just moved to Black Lake from New York with her husband Mac, an attorney. They’re looking for a more serene existence after a traumatic event she experienced and it is shaping up that way. That is until Jess meets Annie Parker one morning, another recent newbie from Paraguay. Just as she’s thinking Annie might be the start of a new friendship, Jess later comes upon her naked by the lake, completely unaware of her surroundings. As they return to Annie’s home, Jess walks into a gruesome scene, only to have Annie mysteriously disappear before law enforcement arrives.

the heart of the story…
I delayed starting the first book when I learned of this prequel and I’m so glad I did. From the onset, everything turned down creepy lane. See, Annie claimed to live in the “gingerbread” house that residents believe is haunted and has a tragic past. When Jess entered that house, I thought we’d entered the twilight zone. Hers isn’t the only point of view as another unnamed character provides the chills and ratcheted up the tension into the stratosphere. I couldn’t put the book down.

the bottom line…
I love intros like this because you get keen insights into the main characters delivered in a deliciously wrapped package of thrills, suspense and the “woo woo,” or so I thought. The mystery was gnarly and there was quite the twist at the end. I can’t wait to begin this series!

This novella is a prequel to the Jess Lambert series, which immediately became my new favorite after reading These Still Black Waters last year!

I loved getting to know more of Jess's back story in this one, and I thought that the mystery involving Annie and what happened at the "gingerbread house" was so captivating, shocking, and twisty! I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down!

Thank you, @netgalley and @victoryeditingngc for the #gifted e-arc!

🗣 If you haven't read These Still Black Waters yet, go do it! You'll thank me later! 😃

Christina McDonald’s “The Stranger at Black Lake” is a gripping suspense filled book that will captivate you from the very beginning. The gripping plot and well developed characters will have you glued to the pages of this psychological thriller and leave you wanting more.

The Stranger at Black Lake by Christina McDonald is the prequel to her Jess Lambert Series. What a thriller, she grabs you right from the start!! Filled with mystery, lies, deceit, murder and revenge to keep you glued to the book. Ms. McDonald takes you on a thrilling ride that will leave you speechless!! The character are flawed but you will love them. You will understand them a little bit more!! It is a fast paced story that will leave your jaw on the floor in the end. I have read all of Christina McDonald’s novels and she never disappoints. I highly recommend her work and so looking forward to Book 2 in this series.

Thank you NetGalley, Intrigue Ink Publishing and Christina McDonald for this eerie and totally engrossing thriller to read and review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
#netgalley. #intrigueinkpublishing. #christinamcdonald. #thestrangeratblacklake. #prequel. #thriller. #jesslambert

The Stranger at Black Lake by Christina McDonald

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5

I found this a bit confusing at the beginning, but the further in I got, the more it clicked. I did enjoy that it was fast paced. I liked that it was dual pov, and we didn’t know who the chapters labeled Him was. This feels like a full length novel, in a good way.

This book deserves a standing ovation and I am SO here for it.

The Stranger at Black Lake

I cant even tell you what I thought I was going to read compared to what I actually did read but I can tell you, this book is one that I will never be able to stop talking about and it deserves every bit of the hype it is about to get..

Here we go...

The Stranger at Black Lake, had me addicted to each turn of the page. I was squealing in delight as each secret was revealed . I was completely consumed and transported straight into the book. The characters came alive before my eyes and I felt every emotion they felt. The narration was executed with perfection and the plot twist was not only incredible but believable too! When everything came together I was left in sheer disbelief with my jaw on the floor.

5 stars 5 stars 5 stars!

Teaser :

Secrets, murder and revenge converge in this gripping prequel to Amazon charts bestselling thriller, These Still Black Waters, about a young Jess Lambert drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Because old ghosts often have old scores to settle.

Jess Lambert and her husband, Mac, have just moved to Black Lake, looking for a quieter, more peaceful life. Until one morning Jess befriends a stranger—beautiful and glamorous Annie Parker—who’s also just moved to town.

Only a few hours later, Jess finds Annie wandering naked and in shock along the lake. And at Annie’s house she encounters a gruesome scene that shows a violent attack. But then Annie disappears.

As Jess is pulled deeper into the mystery of what happened to Annie, she learns about the house’s chilling past. And she begins to wonder: who was Annie really? Is she a witness, murderer, victim?

But it’s dangerous hunting down old ghosts. And Jess becomes increasingly unsure if she’s the hunter, or the prey. Who is the stranger at Black Lake?

Wonderful pre story about Jess Lambert (ifykyk).
In this eerie short story, we read about how Jess came to Black Lake. Blends in well with the story line from the other Black Lake books!