What lies in Darkness is a compelling thriller and follow up to These Still Black Waters. Teenager Alice is driving home with her parents and sister on Christmas Eve when they have a serious accident. When Alice comes to, her family have disappeared, and no trace of them is found with subsequent investigation. The story is set in the present day, as Detective Jess Lambert picks up the case, triggered by a new discovery.

I picked up this book soon after reading The Stranger at Black Lake. I can’t get enough of the atmosphere that Christina McDonald creates in her books. Black Lake is part dark and eerie, made the more unsettling when contrasting with its otherwise small town charm, and warm holiday vibes. I normally avoid supernatural elements in books, but love a story where these plot devices serve to forward to mystery without being overwhelmingly terrifying. This was the perfect balance and helped heighten the sense of being unsure who to trust.

Highly recommend for anyone looking for an engaging thriller with an intriguing premise and a great pace. This one had me hooked. While not essential, I’d also recommend reading the first book before this one, as it adds additional depth to the storyline.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This book was amazing!

A paranormal thriller that is so suspenseful, dramatic, tense, and twists that you won’t see coming.

Some parts took my breath away, it was so captivating, incredibly written, with multiple POV’s so well developed.
The ending just blew my mind!

I really loved this second book in the series and I hope that we can have more in the future.
I highly recommend this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Coming out July 16, 2024

Grief stricken police detective Jess Lambert is back with another case and once again relies on the dead to point her in the right direction. And this time, she has help in an equally grief stricken seventeen year old, Alice.

Alice lost her family in a car crash a year ago and is trying to piece together the fragments of that night while living with her aunt and uncle (her mother’s brother). Partying in abandoned houses and abusing prescription meds doesn’t help the visions Alice has suddenly started to see. While her therapist refers to them as “grief hallucinations” Alice feels they are much too real to be mere hallucinations - a man with half a head, dripping blood is a little more than Alice can take.

Jess is determined to help Alice because she knows what it’s like to lose family and feel lost. Her partner Shane continues to warn Jess about not making the case personal. But how can Jess not take it personal when Isla reaches out to her yet again?

I absolutely loved the first Jess Lambert book and even put in my review that I couldn’t wait to read the next one. So I’m gonna say it once again, I absolutely loved the second Jess Lambert book and can’t wait to see what case she takes on next! I appreciate the character growth I’ve already seen with Jess and can’t help but cheer her on. I felt the story unfolded in a steady and suspenseful way that kept me flipping page after page. If you’ve not read the first book yet, you have to check it out! And make sure to pre-order this one that comes out July 16th!

I have not read the first book of the series, but I assume it can be read as a stand alone. I love a good ghost story that keeps me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. There are so many twist and turns &I stayed up way past my bedtime just to finish. Definitely going to read book one next!

I am love, love, loving that paranormal aspects of this series! Reminds me a bit of Simone St James books, which I love!
I am so glad that I was able to jump right into this story after reading book number 1. This one did not disappoint either! For this one, we get the perspectives of Jess Lambert, Alice and Laura. This is so well written and woven together. I didn’t want to put it down. Fast paced. Just like with the last book, the author has me guessing almost the entire time. So many twists and turns. I highly recommend this story to others that love ghostly type stories, police procedural, characters that are flawed and dealing with their own issues while also tying to help others.

📚PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW📚

"What Lies in Darkness"
By Christina McDonald.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Synopsis:

Late Christmas Eve, the Harper family’s car crashed on a desolate stretch outside Black Lake. 16-year-old Alice was found injured by the side of the road—alone. It was as if her parents and younger sister, Ella, had simply disappeared. One year later, Alice is still dealing with nightmares and unanswered questions when she and her friends find Ella’s bloodstained backpack in the basement of an abandoned home. As Detective Jess Lambert investigates, she uncovers dark secrets that put her on a collision course with her past.

My Review:

THIS BOOK. Whew. You know how there are some books you read that stay with you for a while? This will be one of those books for me. It was gifted as an advanced reader's copy from Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing -- and I will be buying a copy when it is released on July 16, 2024, because I MUST have this book in my library!!

I absolutely devoured this book. Y'all, it was GOOD. The way McDonald consistently dropped little morsels of mystery throughout this story was incredible! She provided little clues consistently but I was kept in complete suspense for the entire book. I will tell you this: I didn't figure it out until the end. And even when I realized what was happening, I was NOT prepared for the twists and turns and backflips this story was going to take in its last 20 pages. I yelled out, "What?!" AT LEAST 3 times as the book concluded. And I never saw ANY of it coming. My favorite kind of book.

There was also a very personal grief connection I made during an interaction between Jess and her daughter, Isla, near the book's end. I re-read the words several times and was a complete puddle of tears for a minute or two. Even in the midst of mysteries being solved, my heart filled up with impactful words. 💙 #thankyou

If you can request this book through NetGalley, DO IT. Put down whatever other book you're reading, and immediately dive into this one. You will NOT be disappointed! I mean, this is easily one of my Top Ten Books of 2024... And it isn't even published for 5 months. Bravo, Christina McDonald, bravo.

𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕......

Special thanks to @thrillerbookloverspromotions @christinamac79 @amazonpublishing & @netgalley for this #gifted eARC & opportunity to be included on this EXCLUSIVE Thriller Book Lovers Promotions book tour! 😘

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

MY REVIEW::
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First off, I adore Christina - she is the sweetest human and has this incredible brain to pump out these amazing books. I could never fathom putting the pieces together to make these stories make sense.

Then she writes a prequel, which is amazing. BUT WAIT, she also writes this second installment in the Jess Lambert thrillers, and I'm beyond blown away. How does the story keep getting better?!?!?!?
The amount of time my jaw dropped and I audibly gasped.... I mean, I lost count. And that ending *as I fake faint* oof..... it all👏🏼
comes👏🏼
full👏🏼
circle👏🏼

If you haven't read any of the Jess Lambert books, go, run NOW! 😆
---

This book brings us back to Black Lake and into the turmoil of a tragic family loss. Jess is now guided by her daughter Isla on many accounts and is determined to find the truth. This story is told in dual timelines and multiple POVs, which I personally love. As this can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading book 1 as a lot of the ending is intertwined with this installment and its storyline that Jess is battling.

PUB DATE:
Jul 16, 2024

QOTD❓️⁉️❓️I don't wanna ask the cheesy weekend question, so ask me something!

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillerbooklovers #thrillerbookloverpromotions #exclusivebooktour #tblpexclusive #tblp #thrilleraddict #bookaddict #bookbuzz #tbrpile #arcpile #giftedarc #whatliesindarkness #christinamcdonald
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Alice Harper has lost her entire family in an accident where she is the sole survivor. The problem is, her parents and younger sister disappeared from the accident site, their bodies have not been found, and no one seems to know how this has happened.

Conspiracy theories abound, but Alice cannot believe that her family would abandon her and seek out a new life elsewhere. Nor does she believe the popular theory that her father is a family annihilator, responsible for the deaths of her sister and mother, while for some reason sparing her. But Alice is desperate for closure.

Police officer Jess Lambert is haunted by her own tragedy, and blames herself for the car accident that took the life of her young daughter Isla, when Jess was driving. So, she understands Alice's situation better than most people would, but Jess is fighting her own demons. Is she really in any position to help herself, let alone Alice?

This is a thriller with elements of the paranormal deftly woven in throughout the story. Haunting and atmospheric, it is a very cleverly plotted story, and I say this as someone who doesn't particularly like reading paranormal thrillers! Well worth a read.

How is it possible that book 2 is better than book 1?!? The twists and turns, the second guessing yourself, the blurry line between reality and your mind playing tricks on you! Is the past ever really in the past? You are not going to want to miss this series!

What Lies in Darkness had a mysterious premise, and I really liked the main character, Alice. The ending was surprising.

The Harper family’s car crashes on a desolate stretch outside Black Lake. Sixteen-year-old Alice was found injured by the side of the road—alone. It was as if her parents and younger sister, Ella, had simply disappeared.
One year later, Alice is still dealing with nightmares and unanswered questions when she and her friends find Ella’s bloodstained backpack in the basement of an abandoned home. Detective Jess Lambert investigates and uncovers dark secrets that put her on a collision course with her past.

The detective has demons of her own and is a solid character. I liked her interactions with Alice. The plot was twisty and intricate; you really had to pay attention, and sometimes, I had to go back and re-read passages to make sure I understood what was happening or how it all connected. Sometimes, it got confusing about what occurred.

Overall, What Lies in Darkness was a fast read with a good plot and interesting characters. I would recommend this book and this author.

#WhatLiesinDarkness #NetGalley @AmazonPub

Thank you to @thrillerbookloverpromotions for the #gifted copy of the book.

This is the second book in the Jess Lambert series. I was immediately drawn into the story of Alice and her family who went missing one night after a crash. Alice was the only one who lived. A year last after so many unanswered questions, she and her friend Maya find her sister, Ella’s book bag. What does this mean? It forces Alice to deal with the past. She has to remember the things that she has fought so hard to forget.

I loved this book. It was creepy, atmospheric and kept me on the edge of my seat as I devoured every page. Don’t miss this book!

4.5 stars

After a car accident 16-year-old Alice Harper was found on the side of the road, but where were the rest of her family? It was as if they just vanished into thin air. One year later, Detective Jess Lambert takes over the case when new evidence surfaces. Jess will do everything she can to find out what happened to the Harper’s.

What Lies In Darkness is the second book in the Jess Lambert series, and there is also a novella between books one and two. Although this one can be read as a standalone, it is recommended to read These Still Black Waters first.

This book had everything I look for in a thriller - short chapters, multiple perspectives, and twists I didn’t see coming. The setting of Black Lake was atmospheric, eerie, and perfect for this story. I loved that McDonald throws in some horror elements as well, and she definitely painted a creepy picture at times.

Jess Lambert is a detective whose story I look forward to continuing to read. She’s tough yet emotional, and it was nice to see a detective use those emotions to solve a case no one else had been able to. Grief was a main theme in this book, and we see it in both Jess and Alice. McDonald did an amazing job showing how overwhelming loss of a loved one can be while intertwining those emotions with solving this mystery.

The ending of this book totally blew me away! I didn’t see so many of the twists coming, and that makes this a must read thriller in my opinion.

Thank you to the author, Thomas and Mercer, and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for a DRC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It's not often that I give a sequel a higher rating than the 1st novel, but it is well deserved in this case. This story was mind blowing! I'm still in awe on how the author wove this plot together so seamlessly. How she tied it into Jess Lambert's history was very clever. This was a non-stop, thrill ride with many twists and turns that I never saw coming. I cannot wait to read more from this series! I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

This was definitely a page turner out of the other books for me. I was so curious the whole time what exactly was going on. Enjoyed that’s Jess Lambert was a part of this as well. My favorite parts of the book were when she was a part of it.

A digital copy of this book was provided to me by Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, Thomas & Mercer and Christina McDonald. The opinions are my own and freely given.

This is book #2 in the Jess Lambert series, and it is my FAVORITE book by Christina McDonald so far.

On Christmas Eve, 3 members of the Harper family disappear after a car crash, leaving Alice, the only surviving member. Although there is a search for her mom, dad and little sister, no one seems to find them. Fast forward 1 year later and as much as Alice is trying to move forward, she is still looking for answers. Enter Jess Lambert, who starts investigating after a bloodstained backpack is found.

So, Jess doesn't make an appearance really until several chapters in, but once she is in, she is in to stay. She investigates the Harper's disappearance, feels a connection with Alice and is still coming to terms with the death of her daughter. This book had me turning the pages, not wanting to put it down.

I loved how Jess has grown since the first book. Realizing that she has a drinking problem and still trying to rectify her life with Mac. Mac makes in appearance in the book and that leads to hope that they might one day reconnect, that things can be forgiven, although not forgotten.

I would recommend this book definitely. I don't feel that you have to read #1 Jess Lambert to read this (although I really like to read books in order, and I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading the first book.

This review is currently on goodreads, the librarything and storygraph
This will be posted on Instagram @kuhlreads on 2/16/24

I've said before that I'm not a massive lover of stories that involve ghosts, etc, but I've made an exception for this series because it is done in such a brilliant way. I absolutely adore Jess, even with all her faults and her issues. I am loving her storyline, but I hope there is a happy future for her and Mac.
The second book in this series, third if you count the prequel, and this was the best one by far. I loved it from page one and I'm hoping with everything in me that this series continues. Highly recommend.

I was on the fence about reading another Jess Lambert book as it was so different from what Christina usually writes. In this book, a family is in a car accident on Christmas Eve and all but one person disappears. A body is found in a basement, along with a backpack. Jess' daughter's spirit comes back to reveal herself and help her solve the case. The ending has some twists. The book was good; I just don't know that I need to read another cop series.

A year ago, on Christmas Eve, Alice Harper and her family were involved in a car crash that resulted in the disappearance (and likely deaths) of three family members. Alice’s memory of the crash is very vague and incomplete. She just remembers being found on the side of the road. Her family have never been found and Alice has struggled to cope while living with her aunt and uncle. Now Alice accepts an invitation from her friend Maya to dig through old items in the basement of an abandoned house which Maya’s mother is contracted to clean with her cleaning service business. In the house they are shocked to find a child’s backpack, which looks suspiciously like the one belonging to Alice’s missing little sister, and horrifyingly, a man’s body stuffed into a large suitcase. Is it Alice’s missing father? And if so where are the rest of the family? Detective Jess Lambert is on the case, still struggling to cope with her own grief after the death of her young daughter.

I think I was holding my breath through the last quarter of this book! Such a tense and gripping read. Jess Lambert is back, investigating the discovery of a body in an abandoned house and its possible connection to the mystery of the missing, and presumed dead, Harper family. The year-old mystery pulls the reader in immediately; it’s a snowy night in Killer’s Grove when the Harper family drive home and have a terrifying crash on the route. The car flips and lands on the roof, and teenaged Alice is found wandering on the road, injured and confused. Although the scene is covered in blood and broken glass, the remainder of the family has disappeared. The novel unfolds in a mix of flashbacks and present day, with multiple POV. The drama and dynamics between the family members is very realistic and I had a clear mental image of Mel and Laura in particular. It is a compelling and engrossing read, with lots of twists, including two unexpected jolts in the last quarter of the book. But it isn’t all thrills and spills – there is a great deal of heart and emotion in this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would say it is even better than the first one.

Many thanks to Christina McDonald and Thomas & Mercer for providing an e-copy to read.

Second in the series, What Lies in Darkness is a twisty thriller that will leave you tearing through the pages and longing for more. If you loved These Still Black Waters, as I did, this book is next and will not disappoint. Even though we continue to follow Detective Jess Lambert, you can read this as a standalone. Jess has many demons in her past, and now she might be connected to the missing family case she is investigating.
Sixteen-year-old Alice Harper finds herself alone, full of blood, and injured in a car accident. Her family is nowhere to be found. Fast forward one year, when Alice and her friends find her sister, Ella's, backpack in an abandoned house, the investigation begins. Emotions run deep, and the character's parallels are fascinating.
I devoured this book in a few days. It is unpredictable and unputdownable!

Read this if you love:
Dual timelines
Multiple POV's
Complex plot
Ghosts from the past

Thank you to Netgalley, and Christina McDonald for the early review copy.

4.5 stars

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 is a captivating read that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Despite not being a fan of ghost stories, I was pleasantly surprised by how seamlessly the author wove supernatural elements into the plot. The fast-paced narrative is filled with unexpected twists and turns that had me hooked, and the ending was unexpected . I eagerly anticipate the next installment in the series, hoping that Jess finds some happiness