Jess Lambert and her husband Mac moved to Black Lake. Jess befriends Annie Parker who moved to town and lives in a house that’s called the gingerbread house that has a chilling past. Few hours later Jess finds Annie wandering naked and in shock along the lake. She covers Annie with her coat and takes her in the house where she encounters a gruesome scene that shows a violent attack. Jess goes upstairs to find clothes for Annie and when she comes down Annie disappeared.
The book is a prequel novella to These Still Black Waters. The story is told from different points of view, one including someone known as Him. In this novella we learn about Jess’s background and how she got interested being a detective investigating crimes. I enjoyed the mystery of who Annie was along with the haunting past of the house and the mysteriousness of the characters. The story had a creepy feel. There was character development. It also had paranormal incorporated and was descriptive

4.5 STARS - This is how a novella is done.

I am the first to admit that I am not an ardent lover of short stories. I find I finish short stories always wanting more, but I was enticed by the blurb of this upcoming Christina McDonald novella which is the prequel to her Jess Lambert series. A series I'm now eager to pick up.

The Gist: Jess Lambert has just moved to Black Lake, her husband's hometown, after living in New York City and working as a paramedic. One morning, Jess witnesses a concerning situation and the paramedic in her jumps in to help and she soon becomes embroiled in a murder that occurs at the notorious old house that has a dark history.

Told with a dual narrative, Jess and a mysterious 'Him', this novella has delightful creepiness that blends past and present within a story that is filled with lies, deception and building tension.

Sinister and haunting, this is a well-paced short story that provides insight into the character of Jess Lambert and a compelling and twisty mystery that will have many readers finishing this book in one sitting.

Disclaimer: My thanks to the author and publisher for the advanced copy of this book which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC:.

This is a novella prequel to ‘These Still Black Waters’.

A short, gripping thriller that keeps you guessing! Great ending and I can’t wait to read her other books!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I know they say don't judge a book by its cover, but I couldn't help it with this one. The intrigue was high, and I knew I needed this on my TBR. Cursed houses (and/or people) are a niche, favorite trope of mine, and this scratches that itch, giving me satisfaction until my next read like it. Definitely put this one on the TBR for a night in, because if you live out like we (and they) do, you won't be going outside, I can assure you.

A dark and twisty thrill ride that leaves you guessing around every turn! Jess Lambert is becoming one of my favorite detectives!

This was another enjoyable thrill ride. I haven't read any other books by the author but now I will be. This book was amazing and I recommend this greatly if you love twisty thrillers. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I have had Christina McDonald's book These Still Black Waters on my to-read list for a while now, so when I saw that she is releasing The Stranger At Black Lake as a pre-cursor to this series, I knew I needed to read it first. I am glad that I did, because it sets the stage for These Still Black Waters with an understanding of what the main character has gone through - which is a heck of a lot.

It is fairly rare to have a mystery novel that I cannot figure out the ending to, but that was the case here. The hook in the first 20 pages is just what you want it to be - shocking, interesting and a little weird. As we progress through the story and meet each of the characters, the mystery deepens before the pieces start coming together. I thought the use of the Ouroboros (Remember you must die) symbol was clever, as not many are familiar with this symbol but it has gained traction again in the last decade.

The only portion of the story that didn't jive with me was the man with a thousand tumors. It felt kind of left field for the story, but at the same time I get why he possibly developed the tumors, and I felt that the twist with this character toward the end was a good surprise as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Intrigue Ink Publishing for providing this title in exchange for an honest review - I will be reading more of this series in the future.

This is my first read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised how drawn in I was right off the bat. I know it is a novella, but I would have liked to have seen the story more fleshed out. I did like the main character and want to find out more about her.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Once again Christina McDonald knocks it out of the park!

I found this book a real page turner, I couldn’t wait to find out how everything was going to come together.

Christina pulled everything together nicely and in loved seeing how Jess became a detective to begin with.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

This follows the story of Jess Lambert who moved to a small town from NYC searching for a peaceful life and to start a family with her husband. She then met Annie who befriended her and told her the story about gingerbread house and the town’s myth. Hours later after meeting her, she found Annie looking odd and strange at the lake. Little did she know, that’s where the adventure begins. Because of the series of events, Jess made a decision to change her career from paramedic to be a detective. It is suspenseful, dark, packed with mystery, thrill and maybe a bit of paranormal. I love how it was written and how the multiple POVs confused me in a good way. Just when I thought I know what was going on, I was always proven wrong.

When I requested this ARC from Netgalley, I didn’t know it was a prequel to another book! It was a yey for me because whenever I read a series, I always prefer to read the prequel first if there is any.

Thank you Netgalley, Christina McDonald and Intrigue Ink Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A novella which a prelude to a series. It works well as a self contained story. Full of action and character development it does a good job of setting the scene and rge character. It makes me want to rhen read the series. I really enjoyed the story and felt the initial character development was good the backstory chilling. The heart went out to such a compelling story full of issues such as abuse.
Thus is a 45 star read highly recommended. Thank you netgallery and publisher and author.

Thank you NetGally, Christina McDonald and Intrigue Ink Publishing for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a huge novella reader, I usually just stick to the full length books. However, this book did pique my interest and I have already started reading These Still Black Waters. This short novella kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put the book down! I am excited to finish the first book in the Jess Lambert series!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Intrigue Ink publishing for this early release*
Okay, I loved this little novella by Christina McDonald. What a fun, creepy ride.

Jess moves to Black Lake with her husband, Mac, to get away from the hustle of New York City and to escape some of her past. Black Lake is exactly the quiet, quaint feel they were looking for. Until it isn't.
Jess is looking for a life in Black Lake, a friend, and one day she (thinks) she gets just that after meeting sweet Annie. She buys her a birthday coffee and they chat and exchange numbers. The rest is downhill from there. So many twisted secrets unravel and Jess can't stop until she gets to the bottom of all of it.

This was super short and fast paced. An easy one day kind of read. I haven't read any of the other Jess Lambert series and I don't think it's necessary to do so to enjoy this! Butttt I do think I'll be adding the first book to my TBR because I want more of Jess!

Very thrilling and suspenseful until the very end!!

I enjoyed this short story/novella quite a bit. This is a prequel to the Jess Lambert books and I liked getting a better glimpse into Jess and her history and how she came to be a police detective. I liked that you got the story in two parts which made piecing things together easier. I had mostly figured things out by the end but I liked the way it came together so slowly. I also liked that the mystery in this one was in two timelines. Jess and her husband Mac have moved to a small town and Jess doesn’t even have a job yet. She has been a paramedic but she’s not sure that’s what she wants to do anymore. Before she can get settled she meets a young women and gets pulled into a mystery with a murder scene that could be out of a horror movie. I gave this one 4.5 stars, rounded up because it’s was definitely a fun read and a great intro into this series (you would totally like and get this story without reading book 1).

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up! I really enjoyed this novella. It’s fast paced and has great character development in a short amount of time. It keeps the reader engaged from start to finish and has a lot of unpredictable twists and turns! I can’t wait to read more Jess Lambert stories!

Thank you Netgalley & Intrigue Ink Publishing for an eARC ♥️

Jess moves to Black Lake for a chill life, but things get wild when she meets Annie, who's clearly hiding some secrets. Like, serious secrets - we're talking violent attacks and mysterious disappearances. Jess is determined to figure out what's going on, but it's clear she's in over her head. I mean, old ghosts with old scores to settle? Sounds like a recipe for disaster! And let me tell you, it totally delivers. I just finished reading it and it was BRILLIANT! The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat, and the atmosphere of Black Lake was so creepy and immersive,I absolutely loved it 🔥

Jess Lambert and her husband, Mac are looking for a quieter, more peaceful life, so they move to a small town called Black Lake. Immediately, Jess runs into a beautiful, charming stranger-Annie-that also happens to live close to her own home. The same day Jess meets Annie at the coffee shop, she then runs into her walking naked towards the lake. Rushing to Annie’s rescue, she runs into a gruesome scene inside Annie’s house. But is it Annie’s house? Has Annie told Jess the truth about herself? As time passes, Jess wonders if Annie is a witness, murderer, or victim. There are lots of “ghost” stories about the house Annie says she lives in, and as time progresses will the past come to haunt the present?

This was one of the shortest books I’ve reviewed on NetGalley, but I really enjoyed it. I have not read any of the previous Jess Lambert stories, but I think that’s ok! I would recommend this book, as it was quick to read, thrilling, and to the point. It was definitely a one day read, as I couldn’t put it down.

This is the prequel to These Black Still Waters and is an absolutely fantastic read. Hoping for a quieter and slower paced life Jess and her husband Mac relocate to Black lake and both are looking forward to slowing down but their wishes are not about to come true as they both become trapped into a world which neither of them anticipated or expected.

This story has everything, murder, shady characters and a plot that is brilliantly executed. Jess thinks she has met and found a new friend in Annie, Annie who has also not been in town long but is not what she seems and soon the lives of both Jess and Mac will become more challenging than anything else they have ever experienced. The author does a wonderful job of taking the reader into a world of lies and secrets with some very brilliant characters who really do this prequel justice and produces a very entertaining read. I have read these books in the opposite order but was still excited to see this prequel. If you have not read these books I would definitely read the prequel first but either way you are in for an enjoyable couple of hours. Now I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.





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.

The Stranger at Black Lake turns out to be a page turning story about Jess. New to the town Jess is slowly trying to adjust to the slower paced life in a small town. Moving to Black Lake with her husband in search of a less chaotic life outside of the city. Black Lake is the hometown of Jess’ husband, and also the center of Jess’ new found mystery. This story has a few twists that leave you wanting more.

Jess Lambert and her husband move to Black Lake for some solitude. Jess meets a strange young woman named Annie. She sees Annie wandering around naked and afraid one day and takes her back to her ghostly looking cottage where things go haywire. There’s no solitude for Jess anytime soon who also seems to have a stalker after her.
This was an excellent read and a prequel to These Still Black Waters which was also amazing.
Thanks NetGalley and Intrigue Ink Publishing for this eARC that will be released March 19, 2024!