The whole “seeing dead people” storyline is out there but in this book, it works. It was heartbreaking to read through the detective’s pain and subsequent self loathing. The case was so sad and this entire book felt heavy. The writing was well done and I enjoyed it. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to get back to Detective Jess Lambert. She’s a bit unique in the protagonist world since she’s a hot mess and not really the best detective (in that she breaks every rule and doesn’t work with her partner). I’m glad she’s still seeing Isla despite being sober. Alice and her family were headed home last Christmas Eve when there was a car crash. Alice was found walking by the road, but the rest of her family was never found. While the case was never solved it did go cold, but when Alice and her friend Maya find Alice’s little sister’s backpack in an empty house the police then find a dead man in a suitcase. Detective Lambert wasn’t on the case the first time, she was still in the hospital learning how to live without her daughter and re-learning how to walk. This was had some interesting twists that I mostly saw coming. The very end pushed me past my belief a bit and brought me from a 5 to 4.5 stars. I ended up rounding up anyway because I love these characters and am hoping for book 3.

Thank you to @netgalley for my advance copy. I love the Lambert series and I was so anxious to get my hands on this one. Its just as good as the first and I look forward for more to come!

A snowy Christmas Eve. A car accident where 3 of the 4 inhabitants are presumed dead, but can’t be found. Lone survivor has no memory of what happened.

Second in the Jess Lambert series. Can be read as a stand-alone, the author does a wonderful job adding in pertinent details from the first book without recapping the full backstory. Part mystery, part ghost story, but done so in a way that feels totally normal. The characters are naturally flawed, dealing with so many relatable issues that will tug at your heart. The mystery at the center of the story will leave you turning the pages and possibly scratching your head. The ending comes together nicely, with a setup for Book 3 (I hope). I need another series to add to my list like a hole in my head, but adding it is a must! I’m totally invested in seeing what is next for Jess.

I have read and enjoyed every book that Ms. McDonald has written. This book did not disappoint. I can’t wait for her next book.

Thanks to the publisher for this complementary copy. This is my honest opinion.

4,5 stars

I’m only a tiny wee late to the party this time.😅 But let me say I think this is McDonald’s best yet.

Thank you @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for my early copy.

If you’re familiar with the Dt. Jess Lambert series, then you’ll know that this is the second installment. I read her first book ‘These Still Black Waters’ (review on its way) and the prequel (novella) only a few weeks ago.

But this one blew me away.

Jess is a captivating character grappling with the aftermath of losing her daughter in an accident. Strangely, Isla, her departed daughter, lingers in Jess's life, occasionally visible and communicative. The supernatural aspects in the narrative are seamlessly woven, adding an eerie touch without overshadowing the story.

On a snowy Christmas road, a family vanishes after a car accident, leaving 16-year-old Alice as the only survivor. With no bodies found, Alice is haunted by fragmented memories of her father urging her to flee. A year later, a body is discovered in an abandoned house with a backpack strikingly similar to her sister's.

The exploration of trauma and loss brings a profound layer to this thriller, elevating it from an ordinary storyline to a gripping narrative with a haunting 'sixth sense' ambiance.

I’m not going to say anything else. You need to read this, trust me. It has all the great ingredients of a brilliant thriller with a whirlwind twist at the end that will have you gasping.

What Lies In Darkness is the second book in the Jess Lambert series. I loved reading this e-ARC so much that I ordered a copy of this book!

This series combines police procedural with supernatural elements to make for suspenseful stories. In this second book, Jess finds herself investigating a cold case involving a missing family and the daughter that was left behind. It’s a fast paced page turner that I had a hard time putting down.

I highly recommend this series, especially if you love crime novels with a supernatural twist.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

What Lies in Darkness by Christina McDonald is the second entry in her Jess Lambert series, and it is a stunning sequel to “These Still Black Waters.”
In this novel, the main character Alice is a sad, angry, and damaged 16 year-old who is still haunted by the loss of her parents and younger sister in a terrible auto accident a year ago. Their bodies were never found, and some locals think it is because of the nearby “haunted” Killers Grove. When a new clue emerges, Detective Jess Lambert is tasked with the investigation. She is a good match for Alice, for Jess is just as damaged by an auto accident she was involved in near the same locale, also a year ago, in which her lovely 8 year old daughter Isla was killed. Both Jess and Alice are perceptive, sensitive individuals who are extra sensitive to sensations in the world around them.
These two are a great couple of main characters, and McDonald expertly showcases their sensitivities and intersections. Their parts are beautifully written and enhance the riveting police procedural, resulting in an immersive experience for this reader.
The prose is sharply descriptive, the narrative gritty in describing discoveries. The pacing is perfect as the story is propelled to an exciting action-filled conclusion…and a stunning final twist.
I can’t wait for the next Jess Lambert thriller by the talented Christina McDonald!

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC. It was a real pleasure to read and review this book.

At first, I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series. Though that didn’t seem to be an issue. While there is character progression, you can read it without reading the first and read between the lines of what happened. This is a very quick read if you’re looking for a fast paced thriller-this is it.

It’s a baffling mystery- a whole family disappearing after a late night car wreck on a rural road? All of them gone, save for their teenage daughter who is left to pick up the pieces. What a brilliant story line! And yes it does in fact keep you guessing. Though there is a *slight* sci-fi element, it’s written in as being so normal you’ll eventually not even notice it.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"What Lies in Darkness" by Christina McDonald is an engrossing thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
The Harper family's car crash on Christmas Eve leaves sixteen-year-old Alice alone, with her parents and sister missing. A year later, Alice's discovery of her sister Ella's bloodstained backpack reignites the mystery.
Detective Jess Lambert, haunted by her past, takes on the case, unraveling dark secrets that connect to her own history.
McDonald's atmospheric writing and suspenseful plot create a gripping narrative filled with twists and turns that I just couldn’t put down.
I highly recommend it for anyone that loves a gripping story that won’t let you down or go til the end.

Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own.

Okay, first thought is, WOW! This is book 3 in the series of Detective Jess Lambert and I thought I loved These Still Black Waters the most but I’d have to say, What Lies In Darkness surpassed it. Usually by book 3, a series can tend to fizzle out but this was perfection! Also, there were a few points in the book where it could have ended and still have been really good but it kept going until it was GREAT. Easy 5 stars. Loved it! I can’t wait for more!
Thank you to Christina McDonald, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC edition for review.

Detective Jess Lambert is back! When evidence is found linking to a family that seemingly just disappeared on Christmas Jess and her team are assigned to try to figure out what happened, preferably before the FBI takes over. Alice is the only surviving family member from that fateful night and she too starts seeing the ghost of Jess’ daughter, who seems to be trying to get Alice to remember what happened.

This book was just as good as the first one and makes me look forward to, hopefully, another one. The book was fast paced with plenty of twists and false leads that I didn’t want to put it down. I loved Jess’ character and how her story ended up being intertwined into Alice’s story was a nice surprise.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of What Lies in Darkness by Christina McDonald. I have been a fan of McDonald's ever since The Night Olivia Fell, and I have read all of her books so far. This book reminded me why I love McDonald's writing so much. It is entertaining and fast-paced, and it will have you racing through the pages to find out what is going to happen next. There is plenty of family drama and with the main character being a detective there is plenty of other drama as well. I really enjoyed this one!

Christina absolutely hit it out of the park with this one! This book gave me all of the emotions. It was chilling and eerie, yet the story was overwhelming and encompassing in grief and sadness, but so well written. There were so many details from the first book that made so much more sense when you got the FULL story with the second book. (I will not elaborate because I want this to be spoiler free). Towards the end of the story, there was just twist after twist and turn after turn, I couldn't help but have been blown away by how clever and genius Christina really is. Just wow. Absolutely well done! I cannot wait for the next one!

What Lies in Darkness is the second in the Jess Lambert series. If you have not read the first book. You can still read this one as a stand alone.
Told from a dizzying array of characters, this book is past police procedural, past mystery/thrikler, and past science fiction. The amount of characters and swapping viewpoints did keep it a bit hard to keep up.
Also, if you’ve read any of my reviews before, I need to like at least one character, and this book had exactly zero characters I cared about.
Overall a solid read, but nothing I would just drop everything for..
I received a ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher , all opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved reading What Lies In Darkness by Christina McDonald, which is the second book in the Detective Jess Lambert series. A suspenseful, highly compelling, enthralling book that had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning, and kept me up late into the night turning pages until the very end. Christina McDonald is an amazing storyteller. She has long been one of my favorite go to authors ever since I read her first novel. The Detective Jess Lambert series is one of the best mystery/thriller series I have read in a while. A huge thank you to Thomas & Mercer Publishing, the author and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of the book.

What Lies In Darkness a brilliantly written, atmospheric, immersive and engaging novel. The story is told from multiple perspectives and deals with loss, grief, murder, feelings of guilt, alcoholism, choices, consequences and the supernatural.

Emotionally scarred Detective Jess Lambert is back investigating another case in the town of Black Lake. One dark, cold Christmas Eve night the Harper family’s car crashes on an isolated road on the outskirts of town. Alice Harper the oldest daughter was the lone survivor. Her entire family vanished, their bodies never recovered. A year later Alice is grappling with why she was left behind, and what actually happened to her family. When new evidence is found the investigation gains traction. As Detective Jess Lambert dives into the investigation her own past starts to intertwine with the case. And the more Jess digs into what happened to the Harper family and newly discovered evidence she starts to uncover lies and dark secrets. She will stop at nothing to put all the pieces of this investigation together and solve the mystery, even as the ghost from her own past continue to haunt her.

The Detective Jess Lambert series is just phenomenal reading. An unsettling, gripping thriller series that definitely should not be missed out on, one to add your reading list.

This is Book #2 in the Jess Lambert series. I do not read a lot of series, so me beginning one, much less continuing one is a big deal. Jess is a detective, flawed both physically and personally and I really like her. On Christmas Eve, the Harper family vehicle crashes. Teenager Alice is found injured and her family has simply disappeared. Enter Jess to figure out what happened. I am already a huge Christina McDonald fan, ever since The Night Olivia Fell. Her characters come alive, and her plot twists are tightly written. This can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend getting the full effect by reading These Still Black Waters first. The short prequel is good, also. I am looking forward to a Book 3!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Christina McDonald and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will publish my review to Amazon, Facebook and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of July 16th.

A suspenseful read that keeps you guessing. This one blew the first book away. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't read fast enough. Jess Lambert's character is better fleshed out and I became invested in her. There is a light supernatural aspect that adds depth to the character and story. I found myself holding mr breath a couple times. I can't wait to see what happens next!

On Christmas Eve, teenager Alice is found after a family car accident, but her parents and sister have vanished.

The mystery was high with this one. It hung heavily over the story, making me need answers and reading late into the night. Jess, the cop who is investigating, became a favorite for me. She is deeply broken after a car accident that took her young child. But she takes that grief and puts it towards helping others. And right now, Alice and her family are the mystery she needs to solve.

Alice is devastated and will never be the same. Where are her family? Are they dead? Why is she here and they’re not? She has to figure it out. Through many events, Alice and Jess are brought together and find themselves leaning on each other.

The build-up to the end was great, and that end was even better. I highly recommend this to those that love a deep-rooted mystery!

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and @NetGalley for the copy!

The book releases July 16, 2024.

What Lies in Darkness is book two in the Jess Lambert series by Christina McDonald.
I’ve read and enjoyed the first two titles in this series.
And was super excited to see book two.
Jess Lambert is a master of the psychological suspense thriller.
From the first page I was gripped by What Lies in Darkness and read through the night till the end. The novel is thrilling beyond belief, with suspense and twists ratcheting up on each page.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Thomas&Mercer for the book #WhatLiesInDarkness by #ChristinaMcDonald. May mind was blown with this book. Loved it! Alice and her sister and parents were in their way home on a snowy night when they wreck. When Alice wakes up, her family is missing. She imagines a little girl, not her family, sitting with her telling her to run. A year later, Alice is still struggling with her missing family and nobody knows what happened. Are they dead? Did they run away? When her sister’s backpack resurfaces, Alice and a detective, Jess are determined to figure it all out.