Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer Amazon Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest in the Jess Lambert series by Christina McDonald. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

On Christmas Eve, the Harper family's car crashed and 16-year-old Alice was the only survivor. Her parents and younger sister Ella had just disappeared. One year later, Alice is still trying to deal with nightmares and questions when she and her friends find Ella's backpack in the basement of an abandoned house. Detective Jess Lambert investigates and uncovers dark secrets that connect to her past.

I love this series more with each book! Jess Lambert is such a multi-faceted character - , kick-ass detective, recovering alcoholic, obsessed with her job, devastated by the loss of her daughter, haunted by ghosts of the past. Jess feels a bond with Alice and won't rest until she brings her some closure to the mystery of her family's disappearance, no matter what the personal cost. Told in alternating POV from Jess, Alice and Laura (Alice's mom) in the past, it's atmospheric, creepy, with that touch of the supernatural that just adds another layer to the mystery. A must read along with the others in the series - very anxious for more to come!

Christina McDonald always grabs me with a good story. This time is no exception.
After a car crash, Alice is found injured on the side of the road. But the rest of her family seemingly disappeared. Jess the detective has her own secrets, which may or may not be connected to the missing family members.

I can see some people really enjoying this book, but unfortunately this just wasn’t the book for me, it’s more a matter of preference rather than the book, I would usually avoid a book that contained an “I see dead people” plot, but I thought I’d give this one a go and I did like Christina McDonald’s writing style, liked the multiple POVs, I just found it hard to connect with the book, but I will 100% be recommending to my friends as I know some love this type of story.

★★½ ROUNDED UP ⬆️ ⭐️
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I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer Publishing for an eARC ♥️

Wow, this book is heart-pounding ,edge-of-your-seat mystery 🔥🔥🔥 ! Family disappears on Christmas Eve, leaving behind only their injured teenage daughter Alice. That's creepy enough, but then a year later, Alice finds her sister's bloody backpack in an abandoned house? That's when things start to get really intense.

Detective Jess Lambert is on the case, but as she digs deeper, she uncovers some dark secrets that lead her down a dangerous path. It's like the past and present are colliding in a major way. And with ghosts from the past haunting both Jess and Alice, this book is a race against time to uncover the truth.

I love how Christina Mcdonald has woven together the threads of this story, creating a web of suspense that's impossible to escape. The writing is taut and gripping, with a pace that's both relentless and addictive. I was hooked! If you're a fan of thrillers, mysteries, or just great storytelling in general, you need to read this book🔥

What lies in darkness the second installment of the Jess lambert stories was even better than the first. I did read the short story stranger in black lake before reading this. So hard to put down lots of twists and such a different kind of plot. Jess still sees her dead daughter and when a girls whole family disappears Jess investigates. I LOVED how this tied up some loose ends from these still black waters. I definitely want more of Jess lambert!!!

What Lies in Darkness is the second book in the Jess Lambert series, and I absolutely LOVED it!

This is a stand-alone book, but I highly recommend reading the first book [book:These Still Black Waters|62894828] to get more backstory.

Jess is such an amazing character. Her character is well written, complex, flawed and well fleshed out.

This atmospheric thriller will keep you hooked until the very end.
The twists, turns, and paranormal element is perfectly paced.

I LOVED this book!!!!

Just before Christmas last year, 16 year old Alice Harper lost her entire family. She was found injured at the scene of a car crash on the dark, icy roads around Black Lake. Of her parents and younger sister Ella, who were also in the car, there was no sign. Neither they, nor their bodies, have been found since and the police have no clues about what could have happened to them.

Now, 12 months later Alice, living with her aunt Mel and uncle Jack, is still trying to come to terms with all she has lost and the changes her life has undergone. The investigation into the disappearance and whereabouts of her family has stalled, but is suddenly reignited when her sister Ella’s blood-stained backpack is found in the basement of an abandoned house.

Detective Jess Lambert, leading the investigation, is trying to re-establish her career after the car accident that nearly ended her career and her life in the previous novel ‘These Still Black Waters’. As the driver and survivor of the crash that killed her young daughter Isla, she is still battling her own demons and understands what Alice has gone through. The accident left Jess with a painful, damaged leg and also the guilt she feels for Isla’s death and she not only sees Isla’s ghost everywhere, but also talks to her. Alice has also been seeing the ghost of her father Pete as well as that of a little girl who is trying to tell her something.

Told through the eyes of multiple narrators in both past and current time lines, this intensely dark psychological suspense is full of tension. Centred around Black Lake and the adjacent dark, lonely forest in the depths of winter, it’s a very atmospheric tale with an overall feeling of darkness and the presence of ghosts adding a creepy supernatural element.

Alice is an unreliable narrator, clearly holding something back from the police, while Jess is an amazingly tough, resilient woman, determined to find out what happened to the Harpers. There are quite a few secondary characters, many hiding secrets and lies for their own reasons. There is also a lot going on in a fairly complicated plot that will keep the reader guessing about what really happened. However, rest assured it does all come together, following some unexpected twists and revelations, by the superbly crafted ending.

This is one spooky story. Ghosts who communicate….accidents that change the lives of entire families….an investigation that quickly escalates after a year… I really could not put this book down. When you sit to read this, make sure dinner is not in the oven and you have nowhere to be for a few hours. I loved following Jess through this investigation!

I honestly have no words. If this book didn't cement my love of Jess Lambert, a fictional character that I've gotten to know over a couple of books, I don't know what will? Christina McDonald has created an extraordinary world in which Jess is at the center of some pretty devastating losses. But with a unique gift, Jess Lambert does so much more than solve crimes and it is captivating and exciting with each new twist and discovery from beginning to end.

What Lies in Darkness is the second book in the Jess Lambert series. We began with These Still Black Waters and then Ms McDonald surprised us with a novella (The Stranger at Black Lake) that showed us Jess's character before she was a detective. These are definitely thrillers, but with a genre-bending twist, so I would recommend reading them in this order, although you could theoretically read them as standalones.

What Lies in Darkness is connected to the previous books by Jess's character. In this story, she is put on the case of a family that had an accident and went missing a year ago, with only their teen daughter, Alice still around. But once a body has been discovered, there seems to be more questions and secrets than answers and the case is reopened with the possibility that the body may be one of Alice's family members. As the story progresses, it's obvious that Alice is hiding something while trying to deal with survivors guilt, popping a few pills, and being a teen left all alone. She is in a never-ending loop of wondering what happened that night, knowing her father couldn't be capable of harming her family, while also hoping pieces of the past don't come back to haunt her. But there is so much more to the story and Jess Lambert wants answers. Told from Jess, Alice and Laura's (Alice's mother) POV, this book is told in dual timelines of past and present, slowly doling out clues to what happened to the family. And things were not as perfect with the family as Alice and others may have thought.

What Lies in Darkness was absolutely shocking, full of tense moments and eerie in a way that pulled you into not only the story, but the atmospheric setting. The characters, meanwhile were depicted in such a way that I was easily convinced that their actions were rational, no matter how flawed each of them was. I loved each twist that came, but that ending?! Mind blown! It was so well executed that it completely threw me off and left me stunned and surprised. Unexpected connection that 100% shocked me. Incredible story, with great pacing and plot twists that are fresh and exciting. You will not want to put this book down, especially if you like the feeling of being left speechless. Highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the second book in the Jess Lambert series. I think this one can be read as a standalone since it is about a completely different case, but would suggest reading both the first book, and the prequel, just so you know more of Jess’ backstory. I did enjoy this novel. The pacing, and the different points of view held my interest. It did become a bit repetitive for me as the characters pieced things together - but it all has a purpose. I did not see the ending coming at all.

Christina McDonald is easily one of my favourite authors. Her writing is incredibly smooth, the pacing perfection, and the suspense always keeps me on the edge of my seat. I quite simply love her books!

I really need to pay attention to series 😂 This is the second book in the series, but I wasn’t confused going into it without reading the first.

This book had me at the edge of my seat from start to finish. I loved the writing and the pacing, both were perfection. I felt like the characters were unreliable, which I love. You never knew when they were lying or when they be were being truthful.

The amount of twists in this book gave me whiplash in the best way possible. I really enjoyed it. The characters had really good development throughout the story, and I enjoyed the little bit of paranormal that slipped into this story.

I will say this book definitely makes me want to follow this series, I need more. I need to know how the next book goes. What an ending…it was a cliffhanger that could honestly give you a book hangover.

I look forward to reading more by this author!

“Closure provides us with a way to process what’s happened”

Christina McDonald writes what I think is a sub-genre called emotional thriller. It’s clever in the way it’s formed because it has all the normal elements of a thriller: quick paced, twists and turns, heart-thumping moments; but she adds an element of emotion that connect a reader to the book. In this one, book two of a mystery-murder series, it’s about motherhood and the connection to family.

Jess Lambert is recovering from her own loss and guilt of what happened in book 1 (no spoilers), but is determined to maintain her detective status. Not only is she good at it, but she wants to give the missing a voice and an end. When a bloodied backpack is found at the home of the family that went missing a year earlier, she has a pull into the case that feels… supernaturally strong.

Weaving the emotional pieces of Jess’ story and hearing the voice of Alice (the only survivor and daughter of the family), the plot tightens. I was completely entranced in finding out the connections and what really happened when Alice’s family disappeared that night. No bodies. Just blood. Where did they go?! And why is Alice still alive?

The only other thing I’ll say is that this book reminded me of Jennifer McMahon’s writing. I love her connections between life and death in a thriller… and this one is no different.

Highly recommend it. I need to find a physical now for my forever shelf. This and book 1!

Hmmmm.
This book started off awesome and then the middle seemed all over the place then it had a good twist in the end and another one. The latter wasn't believable; gave it a side eye 😒😒.

Alice wakes up after a crash to find that her whole family has disappeared, just like that poof! Gone without a trace. A year later we find her living with her uncle's family and under the cloud of what happened the night of the crash. Then her little sister's bag is discovered in the basement with her blood on it. Enter detective Jess, reeling from her own loss and recovering from her addictions to help solve the case of the missing family.

This has a little bit of supernatural elements that I didn't mind, but some parts had me thinking; "really"

Solid 4 stars!!

Thanks Publisher Thomas and Mercer for this ARC, HUMBLED AND GRATEFUL!
WHAT LIES IN DARKNESS OUT JULY 16TH!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second installment in the Jess Lambert series, Black Lake, and its fantastic! I loved the first book and this one does not disappoint!

On Christmas Eve, the Harper family’s car crashed on a desolate stretch outside Black Lake. Sixteen-year-old Alice was found injured by the side of the road all alone and the rest of her family has disappeared. A year later and Alice is still suffering from nightmares and visions of her ghost family when she and her friend's find her sister's backpack and a severed arm 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 own past.

This is such a fast paced, suspenseful thriller with erie psychological elements. Its an addictive series that I am excited to have found! Solid writing and wonderful characters! Highly recommend!!!

I wasn’t aware that this was book two of a series (as well as a prequel). But this could be read as a standalone. This book truly tugged at my heartstrings for what Alice Harper and Detective Jess Lambert were going through! This one was full of those edge-of-my-seat moments, but that final twist, I never saw that one coming!!! I will definitely be reading the first book and grabbing the prequel as well!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my advanced reader copy!!!

I read the first book in the Jess Lambert series, last year and I was anxiously awaiting What Lies in Darkness, the second book in the series, so I am super psyched to have received an early release. Jess is an interesting character who is first introduced in These Still Black Waters, the first book in the series and then you learn more about her in The Stranger at Black Lake, the prequel to the series. Jess is a badass detective who has suffered a personal tragedy. She's flawed both physically and emotionally. She has her own demons to deal with and her story is so much more than a side plot. She's tough and determined and she gets overly emotionally involved in her cases and that adds so much to the stories.

This book is about a family that has a car accident on Christmas Eve on the way home from spending the holiday with the mother's brother and his wife and son. The mother, father and their younger daughter Ella all mysteriously disappear after the accident and the only one to appear to have survived is the older daughter Annie. It is suspected that Pete, the father, killed his wife and daughter and then killed himself. The story is told from the perspectives of Jess, Annie and Annie's mother Laura in alternating chapters. Did I mention Jess sees and communicates with ghosts and it appears that Annie does as well?! As a reader,, you do have to suspend your disbelief to an extent which is sometimes hard to do but trust me that somehow the author makes this work and it adds a whole other wonderful layer to the story.

I had to wait a day after finishing this book to write a review because I was slightly conflicted about the ending. I got to the next to the last chapter and I was totally satisfied with the ending and then bam.....there's another chapter with a twist that I swear you won't see coming! At first, I was a little confused, so much so that I had to re-read the whole last chapter. I couldn't decide if it was brilliant or if it was just too much, but I had a day to sit on it and decided that I loved it! I'm dying to know what other readers think of that ending!

I'd love to read another Jess Lambert book but honestly, now I want to learn more about Jess's partner Shane who was the lead detective on this case. He has a missing sister which is what led him to become a detective. Jess and Shane make an excellent team and it would be great for them to work together and solve his sister's case. Here's hoping!

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Christina McDonald for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC. The publication date for What Lies in Darkness is July 16, 2024. I highly recommend reading both These Still Black Waters and The Stranger at Black Lake first. Happy reading!

4.5 stars. One of the best thrillers I've read in awhile! Lots of twists and turns right up until the very end - and I was a fan of almost all of them. I did not realize it when I started that this is the second book in a series, and I am definitely going to go back and pick up the first (as well as read more books by McDonald). I thought that some of the characters could have been a bit more developed, but the tension and pacing really made this book a win!

I really enjoyed the characters as well as the mystery and paranormal aspects of this book. I love Christina McDonald’s writing!

I absolutely love this author Christina McDonald is an auto buy author for me. Christina could write a manual or a study guide for absolutely nothing and i would 10000% buy it and read it. I cannot get enough of her books. I found her books a year ago and devoured her backlog within a weeks' time and none of her books have every disappointed they are always a 5-star read for me.

Christina Mcdonald is at it again as we follow Jess Lambert in book 2 of the Jess Lambert series What lies in Darkness. We first met Jess Lambert in these still black waters and got a little of her backstory, then we met her again in the novella house on black lake. Jess Lambert is still as powerful and brilliant and a bad arse in this book as she was in the first book and the novella. I cannot recommend this book enough.

What Lies in Darkness follows Jess Lambert through a perplexing case when a family goes missing, leaving one girl behind. With richly drawn characters and striking imagery, this books genre is a riveting page turner in the form of a bending police procedural/paranormal mystery by Christina McDonald is eerie and evocative as it brilliantly and elegantly addresses grief, loss, longing, and healing. The secrets are combustible, the tension is palpable, and the stakes are enormous. Starting from the first page until the very last the reader can anticipate heart-stopping twists and turns you never anticipated. The conflicting points of view, McDonald's writing, and the shocking turns that persisted until the very last page had me enthralled. I read this book cover to cover. This is an ideal novel for readers who enjoy fast-paced, highly emotional thrillers.

If you have never read a Christina McDonald book I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you run out and buy this book series IMMEDIATELY. I can not rave about Jess Lambert's character enough. I really hope that there will be move books in this series, I feel like Jess takes me along for the ride and I feel all that she feels and experiences all that she feels when it comes to her storyline.

Thank you Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased opinon about this publication.