3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I enjoyed this "ghostly thriller," but I am not sure it'll be one I remember for long.

I wanted more on the story in the "past" (1929, etc.) and less on the story in the "present."

This was a very different book than those I normally read, so I did enjoy getting out of my comfort zone!

WOW. This book was amazing, I was sucked in from the very first page. I loved following the two timelines of Jax and Mrs. Monroe and thinking about what price I would pay to save the ones I love. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending of this book but I'm going to sit with it for a while and then decide. I own but haven't read The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon and it has just shot up to the top of my TBR. I'm so excited to explore this author's backlist!

I was so thrilled to get approved to read a review a pre-release of this book. Jennifer McMahon is one of my favorites. One thing I truly loved about this book was the the house and springs were like their own character, and really helped add to the overall creepy vibe of the book. Another thing that I've always loved about McMahon's books is that they keep you guessing, and in some ways are open to interpretation. When I've talked about the storylines of past books with others, we often glean different things from the same story. This book is no exception. It's dark, creepy, and really transports the reader. I would recommend this book to people who love fast-paced reads with a touch of magic.

I love this author and I love the setting for this intriguing tale: an elaborately designed mini-castle built on the site of a hotel destroyed by fire; a fire that took fifteen lives with it, not counting the others who drowned in the “healing waters” of the meandering springs they came to enjoy. Everything in the home is like time stood still for Jax, who’s returning to settle the estate after her older sister drowned in the pool. Lexie was always fascinated with the pool, fed by the same springs that drew crowds to the area hoping to benefit from the miraculous healing powers of the dark and murky water. Lexie was an avid swimmer so Jax was stunned to learn that Lexie drowned, especially considering the family history with the pool. It brought nothing but bad memories yet, for some reason, Jax’s grandmother seemed to be very protective of the springs.
In a duel timeline, 1920’s, Ethel Monroe wishes so fervently to have a baby that she’s willing to give folklore a try. She makes a wish to the springs one afternoon while she and her husband are visiting the newly opened grand hotel. Her wish eventually comes true, but at what cost?
As the timelines between these two stories grow together, it becomes obvious that something wicked exists in the murky depths. Tense with well-developed characters, and of course the ultimate creepy setting, this book kept me hooked to the very twisty surprise ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The release date is April 6, 2021.

While I mostly enjoyed The Drowning Kind, it definitely wasn't a five star read for me.

This novel is beautifully atmospheric, which is truly becoming a Jennifer McMahon trademark. I'm not sure any author alive today does the truly creepy, gothic atmosphere as well as Ms. McMahon. At times, this swimming pool, which was a character in its own right, truly freaked me out. At other times, it reminded me of the M. Night Shyamalan film, Lady in the Water, which was, frankly, kind of silly.

Not once did I connect with any of these characters, which was surprising, as I loved the characters in The Invited. I also felt the story became a bit repetitive. But...do you want to know the main reason this book is not getting a terribly high rating from me? The conclusion.

I literally read the epilogue three times, trying to wrap my head around everything...but it wasn't one of those, "Oh my God, so clever!" feelings. It was more of a, "Wow. Did she really write such a disappointing ending?" reaction.

I was underwhelmed.

However, despite it all, I actually do still recommend this book and the rest of Jennifer McMahon's library. Although this wasn't my favorite, I still believe the atmospheric depths within this story were incredibly well-done and deserve to be admired far and wide. Plus, JM is a fine and talented writer. It's really as simple as that.

Available April 6, 2021
3.25 stars

I was gifted a digital copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press.

This is the eerie sort of story I tend to associate with Jennifer McMahon and I was glad she didn't disappoint. When Jax returns to her grandmother's home after the drowning death of her sister, Lexie, who suffers from bi-polar disorder, she begins to suspect that there's more to the story than it being an accident. Even though her sister had been off her meds in her final days, the clues she left behind point to something amiss with the family pool. Rumors have long since circulated that the pool was cursed and Lexie was not the first person to drown in the murky water. As Jax tries to uncover what her sister was working on, the mysterious history of the pool reveals a sinister past.
The story captivated me from the beginning. The novel is written in a dual timeline (2019 and 1929) and both stories had a steady build of unease as the truth about the pool and the surrounding property unfurled. There is a slow burn of creep throughout the book, something that leaves you unsettled until the very end. If you enjoyed McMahon's The Winter People and The Night Sister, definitely pick this one up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After reading this book Im definitely going to be thinking twice about swiming at night in any body of water where I can't see the bottom..

This book is told in dual timelines, one was Ethel in the 1920's and the beginning of Jax's family history with their family home.. I was hoping for a myster/thriller with some supernatural and its exactly what I got.

When we start this story we realize that Jax and Lexie are estranged, and Lexis mental health is not good.. After her death and Jax goes back we are dropped into a mystery that Lexi herself has been trying to solve. One that involves this history of her family, and the history of the land itself. and it all circles around to the pool on the property.. People have been drowning their for years.. Are they all just tragic accidents, or does someting sinister live in the darkness.. The locals in the 1920s know about the water, it has its own local legends..

Jax doesn't know what to believe.. Was Lexie really on to something or was she just spiriling? The longer Jax stays in the house, and the deeper she digs in to what Lexie was doing Jax begins to question her own sanity.. Is whats happening actually something supernatural or is it a person who was taking advantage of Lexi's mental illness..

This story really sucked me in from the first page.. Between Ethel, Lexi and Jax I just had to know their stories, and how it was going to end. It kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was real, and if it was all just in Jax's head.. I have read one other book my this author, and have already ordered another one.. Ill definitely be checking out more of Jennifer McMahons books.

I like the dual timelines and the author's voice. Both protagonists were relatable, although Jax veered into the unlikeable territory. The best part of the story was the house and the pool where the natural spring was/is. I was interested in the mystery of why women in the family kept drowning, and what was down there in the water. However, in some ways the novel is a giant, unfulifilling tease. I appreciate the exploration of grief and the desire to have a child/fear of losing the child, but this should have supported a plot instea of being the plot. When I reflect back on the story, not a lot actually happens. I still mind not have minded this if there had been a great pay-off, but the ending and what happens to both Ethel and especially Jax is super disatisfying, although this is subjective. Yes, the relationship between Jax and Lexie was dsynfunctional, but that ending (for me) was not the way to resolve such a relationship. Also, what about their dad? He just moved on like that? The mystery of the water and what's under there could also have been fleshed out better. That kept me moving through the story, and so the lack of payoff on this in particular was frustrating. Perhaps I expected the speculative element to be more than it was intended to be. I'm a fan of Simone St. James and thought this would be a similar type of novel, but St. James has more of a plot, more likeable characters, and a more satisfying ending. Again, this is subjective, and other readers may feel differently. It is readable, so that's a plus, and you can devour this in one or two sittings.

Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pub. Date: April 6, 2021

Itsy-Bitsy Review

The book’s genre is marketed as mystery and thriller. It is much more a supernatural tale with a creepy and atmospheric feel. However, the plot is farcical at best. Plus, the novel’s entire story is pretty much told in the blurb. Furthermore, it is easy to figure out how the characters in the 1929-1930s are connected to the characters in the present. This is why I was surprised that I finished the novel. What kept my interest is that I was intrigued on how the author changes a haunted house story into a haunted body of water tale. Although I didn’t care for this novel, I may try the author again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The story itself was pretty good. We follow a young woman in our current times as she is dealing with the death of her sister and her trying to figure out what really happened. The second timeline is another young woman in the 1910's-1920's and her husband going to a hotel that has a magical spring pool that heals/grants wishes. It was fun to see how the two stories intertwine and how the possibly evil springs affects them.

I found the book to be entertaining and a pretty good mystery. There really weren't any twists or moments that were shocking but I did find the ending to be satisfying. The story was unique to me and the characters were fairly likable. I mostly connected to the woman from the early 1900's and sympathized so much for her and her struggles.

3.5/5

Jax's busy life and successful career haven't filled the void left by her sister Lexie, but her loneliness is tempered by relief at being free of Lexie's erratic and increasingly manic demands on her. Living in the family home built on the ruins of an old hotel and spa whose natural springs-fed pool figures prominently in her fears and fantasies, Lexie's increasing preoccupation with its troubled history leads to the tragic circumstances of her death; returning to their childhood home for the funeral, Jax finds herself caught up, back again, in Lexie's troubled drama, while simultaneously discovering through the diverse group of friends and interests she cultivated in the last year of her life how little she really new her sister Their story is the central one in this well- crafted novel, but the histories of the home's previous owners and the mysterious influence the pool had on their fates enrich and elaborate the intricate plot.

The Drowning Kind definitely brought the creep factor! I don’t typically love ghost-ish type stories but there was so much I enjoyed about this one! The dual time line added a lot to the story and I enjoyed trying to piece everything together. I’m not sure there was a lot of twists and turns but I was very engrossed regardless.

One story is told by Ethel in the 1920s. Happily married she almost has it all, the one thing she is missing, a child. After hearing about the mysterious springs that seem to have an unknown healing power she decides to pay it a visit. What she doesn’t realize it that although it may have the ability to answer wishes, nothing comes without a cost.

The other timeline is told present day by Therapist Jax. For the past year Jax has been estranged from her sister Lexi who inherited everything after their grandmothers death. One night Jax receives multiple calls from Lexi but she refuses to answer any of them swearing it was just another one of her manic episodes. There is nothing Jax will regret more because the next morning she get notification Lexi has died by drowning at their grandmothers estate. After Jax arrives at the estate and starts going through Lexis things she discovers there is a lot Lexi had been researching about the estate and the springs and in fact she was calling Jax with purpose.

This may be one of the only thrillers that is composed of a bunch of great characters. Somehow the setting was so realistic and creepy that you can truly picture everything being described! The only downer I had with this one was the lack of a major twist.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery/ Scout press for my ARC!

Thanks to Netgalley, Gallery Press and Jennifer McMahon for this ARC. This was one incredible book. I liked the back-and-forth between the different time periods, which brought the storyline of the drowning pool together. Such a complex mix of characters, that kept the storyline from getting stale. The ending was great, one I could envision, and was a perfect ending. Tremendous amount of thanks again to everyone for giving me this ARC, as I’ve read a book by this author before but I wasn’t to over the top about it. This book is an exception, I will definitely be looking at this authors others works and she is definitely on my TBR list now. 5 stars definitely !

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for this eARC.

Do you own a pool? You might become more wary of taking a midnight swim after reading this supernatural thriller by Jennifer McMahon.

The main character of this book, Jax, is a social worker who has a twin sister with schizo-affective disorder, an alcoholic father with untreated bipolar disorder, and a grandmother who was basically a hermit, never leaving her estate (until she went on vacation to Arizona and promptly died). So the book focuses a lot on Jax’s belief that what’s happened to her sister and the strange things that are occurring at Sparrow Crest (her grandmother’s home, left to Lexie in the will) are all the result of either mental illness, grief, or stress. It’s interesting to see Jax try to explain away everything with a logical explanation, only to start slowly losing her own grip on reality as things get stranger and stranger.

It was an interesting plot device (is it or isn’t it real?) because, as an avid reader of Jennifer McMahon, I was pretty sure something supernatural was going on. However, since the book is told only from Jax’s point of view (at least the thread that takes place in present day), you’re never quite sure until the end who is correct. Does Lexie know something about the pool that Jax doesn’t? Or were her last messages just ramblings of a woman who was having delusions?

It’s also unclear how exactly Ethel’s story, taking place 80 or so years earlier, ties in to the present day storyline until the very end. Of course, you know the springs and the pool are the same water, but it ends up being much more than that. The reveal was good, and one of those reveals that I felt like I should have guessed but somehow didn’t.

The only reason this got 4 stars instead of 5 was because I felt let down that the story about Declan wasn't tidied up very well. Did he know something? Was he precognitive? It felt like that whole side story was never really explained.

Overall, a great supernatural thriller!

Jennifer McMahon is my favorite author that I’ve never read before. I don’t know her personally or anything like that. I know nothing about her as a person. I don’t know her politics. I don’t even know what her books are about. But, I love her for one simple reason. My wife, days before we got married, pointed to her book The Night Sister at Target and said “That looks interesting” so I bought it for her and gave it to her on our wedding day, along with a mustard colored cardigan because she was cold.

That’s it. That’s why she’s my favorite.

Now that I have read one of her books, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that, yes, I do like her. Because, wow, this book.

The Drowning Kind has a dual narrative set in two different time periods, something I normally hate because it’s overdone. This book was able to do it extremely well, however, as there was a clear delineation between the two time periods. The primary story is set in 2019. Jackie (Jax) receives word that her sister, Lexie (Lex), died in a pool on her property. The pool is black and smells bad. It always gave Jax a bad feeling, like something sinister was below the surface (there was). The night before Lex’s death, she kept calling Jax, leaving voicemail after voicemail, each more unhinged than the last. Jax flies across country to attend the funeral.

Once she gets there, Jax discovers that Lex was going out of her mind about the pool, talking to locals about the history of the property and how it became known as Sparrow Crest. Jax feels awful about all of the time she lost with Lex over her obsession with the pool and the house. So, she gets to work trying to figure out what happened in her sister’s final days.

The secondary narrative is set in the late 1920’s. Edith and her husband, Will, go on a vacation to a hotel with springs that can heal any illness. The water is black. It smells bad. It may heal, but it always takes in kind. Edith wishes for a baby and asks the pool for help. Shortly after she finds out she is pregnant, the hotel owner’s wife takes her life in the pool. Her husband burns down the property not long after. It’s devastating, sad, and scares Edith.

So, we have two mysteries: How did Lex end up in the pool that night? What is lurking in the depths of the pool? Both are pretty much answered by the end of the book and, man, it is quite the ride getting there. The pacing is a bit slow, but it is definitely worth the payoff in the end. Highly recommended. 5/5, 9/10

You can get The Drowning Kind from your favorite indie bookstore on April 6th, 2021.

Thanks, Netgalley for the eARC!

I just can't do this kind of book. I thought it was a thriller. Didn't make it too far before it creeped me out to much to continue. Great writing, excellent concept. Just not my cup of tea.

Although I have several of Jennifer McMahon's books in my TBR list, The Drowning Kind is the first one of her books I have had the pleasure of reading, and I will quickly be seeking out the rest. This book is EVERYTHING you could want from a ghost/horror/fantasy story. McMahon has a way of writing that transports you right to the middle of the setting of the story. Combining that with her characterization skills and you become deeply invested in everyone's fate. This story was also enhanced by use of two timelines to tell the story, 1929 & the present. You knew that they had to intersect but you were kept guessing as to how that would occur until near the end of the story.

I would encourage anyone who has never read a Jennifer McMahon novel to definitely pick this one as a good place to start realizing her tremendous talent. Fans of McMahon must know that all her books are must reads!

So, I have this thing about water. I’m irrationally drawn to it. I love to look at it’s simple purity, and I even love the sound of it. I’m probably the only person on the planet who isn’t annoyed by the tap-tap of a dripping faucet. But, I’m also irrationally terrified of it. I swam in a murky river once, and I swear I wasn’t alone. Something big, bigger than should be considered natural, swam by me and bumped my leg. I screamed, jumped directly into the air, ran across the top of the water, and haven’t been in anything bigger than a bathtub since.

Imagine my horror when I figured out what this book was about. I didn’t even need to read the actual first page. No, the dedication page scared me to freakin’ death: “For everyone out there who has the good sense to be a little afraid when swimming in deep, dark water. You tell yourself there’s nothing down there, but there is. There always is.”

Eek, am I right? But it gets your attention, doesn’t it?

Basically it’s about a woman whose sister drowns in a pool on their grandmother’s estate. The sister had been researching the history of the land’s water. Turns out, the water has magical healing qualities, and it grants wishes...for a price. It’s told in a dual-timeline format: We have our main character who searches for the truth about her sister’s death, and we have flashbacks to a woman who asked the water for a daughter and whose desire was granted. Throughout both timelines, we’re witnesses to the water collecting its due.

Guys, this book is everything. Everything. Is it creeptastic? Yes, even to those people who weren’t already wary of water before reading it, but it’s also beautifully written and intricately woven. I read the entire book without even moving. Pardon the pun, but the pages just swim by. It’s an experience that shouldn’t be missed.

Enjoy.

When her beautiful, artistic, sensitive older sister Lexie dies by drowning in the mineral spring-fed pool at Sparrow Crest, their grandmother's remote Vermont home, social worker Jackie Monroe (Jax) must return to help sort things out. But waiting for her is a decades old mystery made of family secrets, ghosts, and icy cold water with the power of life and death. While the opening is strong and the writing is clear and empathetic, the story itself is so plot-driven that it rapidly sinks into predictability. A compelling opening plot thread fails to be resolved, leaving the reader confused as to its actual connection to the main story. Readers who find pleasure in watching the inevitable come to pass will be satisfied.

Jennifer McMahon hit the nail on the head, once again! Loved the atmosphere and the scenery. She created a rich and spooky vibe from the start. I loved how the book alternated between past and present; it almost felt like historical fiction at times, which I have no complaints about! The characters were complex and oftentimes felt like real people. The story was super intriguing and kept me guessing. Will definitely recommend.