Jax's phone continuously rings all night but she refuses to answer when she knows her sister Lexie is in one of her manic states because she went off her meds again. Nothing could have prepared her for the news the next day that Lexie had drowned in her pool. Guilt ridden and heart heavy Jax flies immediately out to her grandmother's house which now belongs to Lexie where both girls spent every summer growing up and swimming in the same pool that that has now taken Lexie's life. How could that be? Lexie was an excellent swimmer, a fish in water actually. How could she be gone? Memories come back to Jax about someone else drowning in that pool. This can't happen again, can it?

In 1929 Ethel Monroe's husband whisked her away for a long weekend in Vermont to a new and luxury hotel built over and around a natural spring. Rumor has it the springs have healing abilities and if you make a true wish from your heart that wish will be granted but at what price. Ethel knows these are only stories so what could it hurt if she made a wish. Can wishes really come true at the springs?

Wow! What have I just read? This story was so hauntingly eerie where I was just mesmerized by the atmospheric writing. I could not stop myself from reading page after page into the night needing to know what would happen next. The book is told between two storylines that mesh together perfectly. At some point I'd be so caught up in the surrealistic writing that I wasn't sure if certain events were taking place or just belonging to an overworked imagination. This story was so much more than a mystery/thriller yet too beautiful to be considered horror yet at times it was very creepy along with the feelings of dread that some horror books can skillfully bring into play. I was undecided between 4 - 4 1/2 stars until the shocking and mind-boggling conclusion and there was no doubt that this was a five star book. Again, Wow! I had to re-read the last chapter to make sure I was completely understanding what I had just read. Incredibly fantastic and achingly beautiful!

I want to thank first the author "Jennifer McMahon", the publisher "Gallery Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this Incredible story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a dark, subtle horror yet filled with brooding suspense and mystery then this book is for you and I have given a rating of 5 Surreal And Captivating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

(The following review will be posted on CriminalElement.com the week of publication.)

Social worker Jax has learned to ignore her sister when she’s in the grip of a manic episode. After a lifetime of being dragged down by Lexie’s destructive mental illness, she’s been forced to draw hard, uncrossable lines between them. When she finds nine increasingly frantic messages on her answering machine, Jax assumes Lexie has simply gone off her medication again.

But within hours, Lexie is dead, drowned in the peculiar spring-fed pool at their grandmother’s house, and Jax is forced to face old family secrets as she dives into the truth behind her sister’s death.

The truth behind the seemingly miraculous—or cursed—springs…


I picked up one of Lexie’s journal entries:

May 13
Deduction.
Reduction.
Redaction.
How much has been redacted from the carefully curated version of our story?
The story of we. The story of us. The story of THIS PLACE! The story of THE SPRINGS!
GRAM KNEW! Gram knew the truth and said nothing.

Another paper held all of the details Lexie had been able to find out about Rita’s drowning.

Facts I know about Rita’s death:
Rita was 7 years old.
Mom was 10. Diane was 13.
Gram found Rita FLOATING facedown in the pool that morning. Rita was wearing her nightgown.
Gram, Mom, Diane, and Rita and Great-Grandma were all at home. They’d had dinner the night before—beef stew, had watched some TV and gone to bed. No one heard or saw anything. At some point in the night or early morning, Rita must have gotten out of bed and gone down to the pool. Gram’s screams woke Mom and Diane the next morning. They ran down to see what was the matter. There was Gram with Rita in her arms, pulled from the pool, soaking wet.
I found the death certificate.
Cause of death: ACCIDENTAL DROWNING.
Like it was really that simple.
Like that was really what happened.


In a parallel story unfolding ninety years earlier, Ethel Monroe is a newlywed desperate for a child. When her husband hears about the rejuvenating power of the Brandenburg Springs, she’s eager to visit, hoping the water will cure her infertility.

At the brand new, gorgeous, sophisticated Brandenburg Springs Hotel, Ethel experiences a powerful sense of déjà vu. A sense of belonging, as if she’s come home after a long journey. Eliza, the glamorous wife of the hotel’s owner, quickly befriends Ethel and confides in her that the springs don’t just heal the sick and injured—they grants wishes, too.

So Ethel begs for her heart’s desire, unaware of what it may cost her…


Dearest Ethel,
Since poor Martha’s death, I have been very busy indeed. I have been engaged in secret research. I have not told Benson or anyone else what I have learned. You are the first.
I have contacted everyone I’ve been able to find who has experienced a “miracle” at the springs. And what I’ve learned is very troubling indeed.
The musician I told you about who became an overnight sensation—his oldest son was hit by a streetcar and killed three weeks after his record hit the top of the charts. The woman whose asthma was cured—her husband took ill with consumption. Little Charles Woodcock is now walking, while his sister has been laid to rest.
The old folks in town, they know the truth. They say the springs give miracles, but they always take something in return.
The springs exact a price equal to what was given.
There is one more thing I must tell you, though I am sure you will think me quite mad.
I have seen little Martha. I went to the pool at night, and she was there, waiting for me. “Come swimming with me,” she said. And oh, Ethel, I ran from her then. I ran and have not been back, but I know she’s there still, waiting.

Yours,
Eliza Harding


In a gripping dual narrative that sways between the past and the present, Jennifer McMahon delivers another chilling novel that’s equal parts campfire ghost story and dark fairy tale. At the heart of The Drowning Kind is one question: what are you willing to sacrifice to have what you truly desire?

Because, as is so often the case with fairy tales, magic always comes with a price.

McMahon’s prose positively drips with atmosphere; you can almost smell the sulfur of the springs and feel the puddles on the floor. Her narrators, Jax and Ethel, are vastly different women living in vastly different worlds; McMahon tells their stories with distinctive, separate tones that feel authentic to each time period, and steadily builds each narrative until their full connection becomes obvious.

Of the two tales, Jax’s feels more pressing and vibrant thanks to the emotional urgency McMahon pours into her pages. Jax wants answers. An explanation. To discover the truth behind why her sister—an accomplished swimmer—drowned. Why their aunt drowned in the pool as a young girl, like so many others over the decades. And we want her to find those answers. Are the springs more miracle or curse? Is there truly a supernatural force at work here?

The Drowning Kind is a story unafraid of peering into black, seemingly endless depths. McMahon does a masterful job of layering unsettling details upon uneasy tension, building a harrowing mystery rife with hard questions and difficult choices. Loss, guilt, desperation, mental illness, familial strife, and devil’s bargains permeate everything until we feel as though we’re being dragged under the cold water ourselves. This is no light or cozy read, so be prepared to face some serious darkness here.

But for all of its heavy subject matter, this is still an extremely compelling piece of fiction. McMahon really knows how to pull readers in and make us devour her chapters at a rapid clip, keeping us intrigued by bouncing from one timeline to the other. This is one that’s sure to keep you up into the small hours, determined to see the story through to the (perhaps) bitter end. Whether you’re a fan of ghost stories or historical fiction, sister-focused personal drama or American folklore, The Drowning Kind will not disappoint.

This was an interesting and fun read. I think Jennifer McMahon has much stronger books but I still enjoyed reading it, and really liked how it ended. Perfectly spooky.

WOW is my first thought as I read the last words of this book!!!!!! I devoured this story in one day. I couldn't stop reading until I got to the last page. It sucked me in just like the springs in the story do their victims. This newest book has Jennifer McMahon's signature style of spookiness and morbid drama that keeps you reading long into the night. Fans of Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware will love this book!!!!!!!!! I highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books/Atria Edition for my early review copy

Wowwww!! This whole book was fantastic.. but that ending.. blew me away❤️ Jennifer McMahon is now on my "must read" list of authors. When you have to reread the ending, because you are just in such shock...😳...well you know it was a good one! Creepy, a bit gothic, supernatural, dual timelines...YESSS! 🖤We are talking my kind of book!

A swimming pool made from a natural spring that is rumored to heal people. Sounds wonderful doesn't it? Well everyone in 1929 thought so when a grand hotel was built around this wonderful healing spring pool. Yet tragic event after tragic event happens. Some thought the water was demanding to be paid back for all it gave. 🤔

Fast forward to 2019 when Jax finds out her sister Lexie drowned in that same swimming pool. Funny thing is...Lexie was an excellent swimmer...🤔😬

This was so intense, so creepy, so atmospheric! The water was cold, dark and you couldn't see the bottom. Was there even a bottom? 🤷‍♀️The smell...ewww the smell...It made me question why anyone would venture into this pool...given all the people who have died in it...yet they did...they begged for a chance to swim and dip into the pool, even drinking the water. 🤢

The ending was spectacular for me! As I read the ending, it literally unraveled for me in my mind....I thought..wait..what? Is it? OMG...then I reread it! I can't recommend this book enough! 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

I will be reading all the backlist books by this author. I can't get enough of her writing!

Jennifer McMahon is the queen of chilling tales.

Her books were some of the first thrillers I read, years ago, so I was excited to get a sneak peek of her newest book. It was deliciously spooky, and I devoured it in an afternoon. I recommend it for anyone who liked Behind Her Eyes or Mexican Gothic!

Being a huge fan of Jennifer McMahon's other books I was excited to have the opportunity to read her newest one, The Drowning Kind. Like her other book this book also had a great mix of thriller, suspense, and the supernatural that I was both immersed in the world she so brilliantly built and scared to read more. The Drowning kind goes back and forth between Ethel and Jax, related to each other but separated by generations. Ethel is newly married to Will and has a perfect life, except she is having trouble conceiving. When Will takes her on a weekend trip to Vermont she learns the springs are said to grant wishes. Only want to have a child she goes to the springs and wishes for a baby. What she doesn't learn until later is the springs gives but it comes at a price. Jax goes back to their family estate after the tragic drowning of her sister Lexie. The longer Jax is there the more she discovers maybe there was more to her sister's death than she thought.

Thank you Netgalley and to the publishers for the opportunity to preread this book in enhange for my honest opinion.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
THIS BOOK!

I felt the same way reading this book as an adult, as I did reading "Wait til Helen Comes" as a kid. It's the perfect book for a rainy day. It's got a spooky atmosphere, two different time periods, and a main character who can't trust her own notion of reality. I loved it. I would not say that it has a surprise or twist in the final act - it's a pretty inevitable conclusion - but it is a satisfying journey. The only thing I would say I did not love about this book was the character and arc of Declan - I personally didn't think any thing he did added to the story, and only confused me. Other than that, I enjoyed everything about this novel. My favorite book I've read in 2021 so far.

This book was creepy. And wet, lots of water.
As an avid swimmer, it really made me think about the mystery of what lies below.
The ending was a complete mystery, I didn't understand it.

Discussed on Episode 125 of the Book Cougars podcast.
https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2021/episode125

I don't know what I was expecting with this book, but it was so much more than my wildest imagination, in the very best way.

This book has so many things that I love - estranged family members, old houses, different viewpoints, and jumps between different decades. 

When Jax arrives back at her grandmother's estate after her sister's death, she assumes that Lexie's mental health is what caused her to drown in the pool that both sisters grew up swimming in. But as Jax delves deeper into her sister's death, she begins to wonder if the pool has a mind of its own.

Meanwhile, in the 1920s, Ethel is desperate to have a baby. When she happens upon a pool that is said to cure illnesses, she's at first suspicious, but then she begins to be drawn into the pool's supposed mystical powers.

My brain really wanted to believe there was a reasonable explanation to the happenings in this book, but sometimes you have to suspend your beliefs a little bit and just flow with the magic of the words. Such is the case with The Drowning Kind. I love Jax's exploration of her relationship with her sister and family, but even more I love Ethel's story and how it ended up flowing into the modern day.

I loved this book. It wasn't perfect for me, but I'd give it a solid B+/A- rating. Definitely a good read (maybe not poolside though).

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon alternates storylines from 1929 to modern-day Vermont. In 1929 Ethel is desperate for a child and receives her long-awaited desire after visiting a hotel with claims of magical water. In the current day, Jax is back in Vermont at the home of her grandmother, which happens to sit on the same site as the hotel Ethel had visited in 1929. The storylines weave together in a spell-bounding ghost story that will have you rushing to reach the conclusion. Read and enjoy!

Jennifer McMahon whipped up a delicious thriller that will keep you guessing until the final page. This is a dual timeline, multiple POV story that has just enough reality and magical realism and thriller to keep the pages turning. I really enjoyed this from start to finish.
This is the story about a location, Brandenburg Springs, the home to spring waters that have reported healing powers. The locals are aware that the water grants cures and miracles but at a price. "The waters giveth and taketh away." A married couple seek the healing powers of the spring waters in order to have a child they have dreamed of having and then rely on the water for its medicinal power.
The current day family owns the new home located at the Springs, called Sparrow Crest. The two sisters, Lexie and Jax are tied to the home by having spent summers there visiting their grandmother. They swam in the pool, explored the nearby town and played in the woods. Upon the sudden and unexpected death of Lexie, who had been living in the home after the death of their grandmother, Jax must return to make sense of what happened and bury her sister.
This story is intricately woven and a fun read. Once you finish the book, you realize that you are unsure if you really understand the story due to a surprising finish and some unreliable characters.
Really recommend to those thriller lovers who want a fun read with great twists and turns.
#TheDrowningKind #NetGalley #GalleryBooks #GalleryScoutPress

Mysterious and spooky, altogether ookey, I say with a nod to "The Addams Family" theme song lyrics. And to make matters even more creepy, I was so close to the end that I took it upstairs to finish before I turned out the bedroom light to go to sleep. Do not - repeat, do not - do that. Even if you're got just one chapter to go, finish it in daylight hours.

Let me warn out the outset, though, that the story leans far more toward Stephen King's version of creepy than your average psychological thriller. So if you can't get into the concept of a man growing "Thinner" day by day because he consumed a piece of cherry pie, this book probably isn't for you. I, however (huge Stephen King fan that I am) have no problem with otherworldly things that go bump in the night.

In this case, they tend to go bump in the deep, dark pool. It's more of a health spa, used for decades by people looking for miracle cures even though it's on private property. At one time, an upscale hotel drew guests from far and wide; now, it's owned by a young woman named Lexie, who inherited the property and the house that was built on it from her grandmother. Clearly, Lexie has mental issues - thought to be manic by her family including her semi-estranged sister Jackie (Jax).

But then, something awful happens; Lexie turns up dead, apparently having drowned in the now-gate-protected pool. When Jax gets the call, she not only feels great sadness, but guilt because she hasn't responded to a flurry of calls from her sister in recent days. When she returns to the Brandenburg, New Hampshire, property, she soon learns that Lexie had been frantically conducting research on the history of the property and the pool - which in fact has been the scene of many other deaths since the late 1920s.

Through flashback chapters, readers learn about Ethel Monroe, a newlywed back in 1929 who wants a baby and learns about the pool's healing powers which include, rumor has it, the granting of wishes. The problem? What the pool giveth, it taketh away; it's tit for tat, and no wish comes true without a corresponding loss of some kind. Certainly everyone who has begged the pool for help over the years has paid a price, from Ethel back then to Jax and Lexie now. The ending is one I expected - nothing else, I think, would have worked - but that doesn't mean it's a welcome one (especially late at night when you want to fall asleep after closing the book).

The story does get a little repetitive, mostly as accounts of what happened or is happening are shared among the various characters. But that's really not a criticism; it's a riveting tale from beginning to end. The bottom line? Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-release copy to read and review.

This was so enjoyable with some nice creepy moments! It's a bit of a slower burn, but I really enjoyed the build up with learning about this history of this natural spring. I thought the use of dual timelines here was fantastic since it really allows us to understand more about the darker side of this water. It gives but it also takes! There were some surprising moments here, and this definitely kept me wanting to read throughout.

I really liked both Ethel and Jax. Ethel desperately wants a baby, and she'll go to any length to have and care for one. I did feel bad for her at times since she's clearly intelligent and cares for her family, but people do pity her somewhat. Jax has a hard journey confronting her own behaviors, regrets, and jealousy. I can certainly respect how she wants to be her own person. She tries to do what's best and distance herself from toxic relationships. She certainly has complex feelings with all of this which is very understandable!

This book does deal with tough family dynamics and mental health. There are topics like addiction, bipolar disorder (and refusing treatment for a child), self harm, questioning reality, and more that come up, so do be prepared for that.

I do think there were some plot threads that were not as well explained as I would have liked. Overall though, I really enjoyed this story and the supernatural elements!

I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

My video review can be seen on my channel (around minutes 9:42-12:46 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01g7AFRqEVg

I can't decide what I loved more about The Drowning Kind, the incredible horror story or the mystery that lies beneath it and leaves you wondering at the end what the true horror is. I thought both the storylines combined perfectly, and I was equally immersed in both the past and present story. What I loved most was that, by the end, I wasn't sure if what happened was truly a result of the supernatural or if the aunt decided that she'd use the supernatural elements to her advantage to get the house for herself...

The Drowning Kind is the best kind of exploration of the supernatural, in that it combines all the classic elements of horror along with just enough questions to make you wonder exactly what is going on. I'm still thinking about it, and can't wait to discuss it with readers! I expect this will be extremely popular and definitely see the potential for displays not just now but well into the fall as well. In short, this is absolutely a title that's a definite must have!

Thank you @scoutpressbooks and @gallerybooks for this @netgalley eARC of The Drowning Kind. It will be available on April 6th!

This book follows two timelines - that of Jax who has returned to her family home after her sister’s death in the pool. And also that of Ethel, who took a trip to a spring in 1929 with the desperate wish for a baby. What these women don’t know is that while the spring gives it also takes.

I enjoyed this gothic, twisty tale. Both timelines kept my attention and the world building, as usual for Jennifer McMahon, was expertly done. I appreciated that this book touched on mental health and how both mental illness and grief can really effect an entire family.

Where this book failed for me was the ending. I found it to be pretty underwhelming. Overall, I didn’t think this book was as strong as The Winter People or The Invited, but it’s still an entertaining read.

So this book was a little different that what I was first expecting, but not in a bad way. It was full of fast-paced tension, and it kept me turning the pages until late into the night. I loved the way it switched between the past and present timelines. Both timelines were compelling and I loved seeing how they came together in the end. My only note is this book is not strictly mystery/suspense, as there is a supernatural element, and while some times I find that off putting in a book touted as suspense, in this case I found that instead of detracting from the story, it added to it.

I loved this book!

I’ve loved every book from Jennifer McMahon that I’ve read and she continues to deliver a great story that is both full of mystery and a lingering sense of the supernatural. You never really know how deep the supernatural element will go, so I’m always on the edge of my seat with all of her books. Are there secrets in the springs or people causing chaos and doubt?

The Drowning Kind was so good!

The book was atmospheric, creepy, and I kept turning the pages to see what would happen next and how the past would connect with the present. The family secrets, historical connections, the eerie black water of the springs, and the grief that Jax was dealing with made for such an intriguing story. I loved not knowing what to expect and seeing Jax try to unravel the mystery of Lex.

I highly recommend this one!

Beautifully written and sparkling with the continuous atmosphere of water, The Drowning Kind is a spooky and lovely read.

The book focuses on Jax and Lex, twin sisters who grew up spending time in their grandmother’s house on the site of a mystical and possibly haunted pool of spring water. A terrible tragedy occurs at the beginning of the book, which brings Jax home to her grandma’s estate. There she learns that her sister had been obsessed with the history of the springs and the pool: its water which supposedly had the power to heal people, but in turn also takes something away — sometimes someone else’s life. Jax begins to remember spooky occurrences at the pool, learns town lore, and reads her sisters notes. Drawn deeper and deeper to the mystery of the lake, Jax learns that some people make wishes on the lake that come true, but at a terrible price. She also comes closer and closer to solving the mystery of what happened to her sister.

The book just drips with watery atmosphere, and in the beginning felt a little bit slow and waterlogged, but I was soon drawn into the interesting and beautifully written story. You will wonder as you read if you are reading a ghost story, a murder story, or both.

Jennifer McMahon is a really beautiful and unique writer, and I would love to read more by her. The book was thematically and moodily different from any thriller I’ve read recently, which was refreshing. Also, I LOVED the ending. 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Gallery Books, Jennifer McMahon and NetGalley for this interesting and atmospheric read. 4.5 stars.

3 stars
The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon is an interesting book and far different from what I normally read. Give it a try and I think you will like this book.