I enjoyed the first book in this series and really wanted to read the second right after! It was just as twisty and dark as the first! Heading home on Christmas Eve, the Harper family's car crashes. Only sixteen-year-old Allison survives, found hurt by the road. The rest of her family, though? Gone--disappeared from the site without a trace, including her little sister, Ella. A year later, Ella's backup turns up and Detective Jess Lambert investigates.

Jess' investigation unravels a lot of dark secrets about the town, the Harpers, and even Jess' own life. With the second entry in the Jess series, I found myself liking Jess more and more. In the first book, she's a severe alcoholic, hanging on by a thread. She's still dealing with ghosts here (literally), but she's starting to get things together, and we see more of her personality shine through. The result is an excellent mystery with a human side, as Jess relates to Allison through their shared history of loss and trauma. I just love McDonald's books--they are dark and heavy, yet so well-written with nuanced characters and plots that keep you guessing until the end.

I'm not the least bit surprised, but Christina McDonald has kept me up late reading again! Many thanks to her, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for my review copy!
Jess Lambert has become a favorite character to follow. The development of her through two books and a novella, has been a journey I've greatly enjoyed. The depth of writing makes me really feel like I'm a part of the Black Lake community, and I love it! This one kept me unsure throughout, and it is always such a joy to be surprised when I am an avid thriller reader.
Highly recommend!

What Lies in Darkness by Christina McDonald
Jess Lambert #2

I have mixed feelings after reading this book. I wonder if coming in on book two and not getting to KNOW Jess in book one might have made a difference in my ability to relate to and like her as a person. I believe this book is a standalone as following the plot was easy enough, I just didn’t warm to any of the characters.

I am also rather tired of the main character being an alcoholic detective with trauma and drama to deal with throughout a series and wish that more normal characters would show up in murder mysteries. That said, the book was engaging and well written with an intriguing plot filled with twists, turns, and a few surprises.

Is it required to like characters to read their story? Probably not. However, I do enjoy it more when I can relate to and perhaps see myself in or at least like one or more characters in a book and that was not true for me in this book. Well, perhaps there were a few if I really think about it…there were two ghosts, an estranged husband, and a work colleague of Jess’s that I might feel a kinship with…maybe.

I would like to think that Jess will find her way forward, end up with the husband that still seems to love her, and perhaps use her paranormal ability as she solves cases but I am on the fence as to whether or not I will read more in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2 Stars: my rating
4 Stars: for Netgalley – should it be printed
3 Stars as the final average

Jess Lambert is back in this hard to put down thriller with a paranormal element. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and I think this one is even better! I liked and connected with Jess in book 1 and my heart breaks for what she has been through. The mystery was well done and I look forward to more in the series.

The sequel to These Still Black Waters and it's just as good. In the first book you met Jess Lambert. Got to know her and saw the heavy loss she endured. How it tore her life apart. In this story you find out the truth. But first you have to read about a family who are all killed except for one. The oldest daughter Alice.

This story is about a family. The trauma a young girl goes through after losing her parents and younger sister. How being treated as a freak in school leads her to having problems. She is seeing ghosts and not feeling very secure in the house with her aunt and uncle. Of course her aunt and uncle are having problems also. Alice just wants some closure. She wants to know what happened and why.

Jess is on this case and also dealing with her own trauma from a year ago. When she lost her child in a horrific wreck that she totally blames herself for. She's wrecked her marriage and her life but attempting to get back on track with her job. She takes this case seriously and to heart. She wants to give Alice closure.

This book will take you to a dark place. A place of death and blame. After a whole family are wiped out, except their older teenaged daughter, people talk. They place blame. Many, including the police, blamed the dad. They think he killed his wife and daughter because the wife had an affair. Whether she had an affair remains to be seen.

I enjoyed this book very much. There were a few things I found to be unbelievable but still enjoyed it. The ending was a bit over the top for me. I can't say more or I would give something away. I won't. I hope it's addressed in a future book though. This story was heartbreaking. It was sad. But it was very good also. I didn't much like many of the characters. Like I hated Mel and Laura. I loved Alice, Jinx, and Jess. They were good and decent. Mel, the aunt, was self-centered in my opinion. Laura, the mother, was just selfish. There are things you just don't do. Not to anyone much less your brother. Even if he was stingy and having affairs on your best friend.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Thomas&Mercer, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Four stars.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the digital copy to review.

Another fantastic book by Christina McDonald! What Lies in Darkness has us back at Black Lake where 16 yr old Alice is the only survivor when her family’s car crashed and she was found alone. One year later, she still has nightmares as her parents and sister were never found and they were all in the car together. Detective Jess Lambert investigates as Alice’s sister Ella’s backpack is found in the basement of an abandoned home and she gets a lot more than she bargained for per usual.

This was so, so good!! I have really enjoyed the paranormal element worked into this series and the way it was done in this book was just chef’s kiss. I was vested from the start of this one and flipping pages until the end, and it couldn’t have ended more perfectly. I think this series is best read in order, you could probably get by without the first book but you’d really be missing out on the best reading experience, and no one wants that. I really hope there is another book coming because I need more of this series!

An adrenaline-pumping read that I couldn’t put down! The book’s intense plot and gripping suspense kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. The author’s skillful use of twists and turns added layers of excitement and kept me guessing at every turn. It’s a fantastic thriller that excels in building tension and delivering a satisfying, high-energy experience.

Thank you Thomas and mercer and net galley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! 4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 on here)!

Wow! Where to even begin with this one. I absolutely loved McDonald’s first book in this series These Still Black Waters, so as soon as this one was up for request on netgalley, I jumped at the chance! I absolutely love this series. It is sometimes hard for me to get into series, because I am an impatient person and don’t like having to wait until the next book comes out. That being said, I absolutely will wait till the next book in this series comes out and then will jump to read it as well. Jess Lambert is such a complex character and one that readers will love getting to know. This is a fast paced thriller with twists that readers won’t see coming!

I thought this was good. A spooky place with lots of mystery behind the disappearances. What happened to this family and where are they? Each chapter just got better and better with a big twist at the end. Everyone in this story was a hot mess! I read and listened to the audiobook. I thought the audiobook was better. The narrators, Angela Dawe, Cassandra Morris and Carly Robins did a really good job.
Thanks Brilliance Publishing/Audio via NetGalley.

I received a complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the author and the publisher.
When I saw this was a Jess Lambert book, I had to read it. The first book These Still Black Waters was so good and creepy. I really enjoyed trying to puzzle together what was going in in both books. In What Lies in Darkness Jess is still seeing her dead daughter and trying to get over her paralyzing grief when she meets Alice who lost her family not long after Jess's daughter died. The problem is Alice's family disappeared after an accident on Christmas eve. Almost a year later they still haven't been found and Alice's life is spiraling. I love the way Christina McDonald is able to mix in the possibility of ghosts in a crime story that keeps you wondering what is going on. Such a good story that ties things together so nicely at the end.

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.