Powerful, gut wrenching, beautiful. This book was unlike anything I have ever read before and I can’t wait to recommend it at my library

I believe this is only the second Jennifer McMahon book I have read and I’m not sure why. I will definitely be reading more.

The Drowning Kind is a book about a family mired with secrets and mental illness, it’s also a book about grief and loss that happens to be set at a family estate in small town Vermont that might have a cursed spring on its grounds. Jackie is a child therapist who gets a call that her beloved estranged sister has died unexpectedly at the family home. She returns to Sparrow Crest, heart heavy with grief, to find that maybe something darker is going on there.

The setting of this book is really like a character itself, which I love. You feel like you are there yourself when reading. I like books that have different viewpoints and go back and forth in time, like this book does.

Overall I highly recommend this book if you like books about family drama tinged with the supernatural in a creepy setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc I received.

Jennifer McMahon has yet to disappoint me. I have read almost all of her books and each one is better than the last. The Drowning Kind was no exception. A very chilling story about sisters, cursed water and how we should definitely be careful of what we wish for.

I’m still not positive that I totally understand what happened in this one, but that’s kind of a good thing in this case. Lexi and Jax are sisters, the X girls they call themselves. Lexi is manic and lives in the family home while Jackie lives her life as a therapist. Jackie has distanced herself from Lexi in order to maintain her peace until she gets the call that Lexi has killed herself and Jax has to face reality and go back to the family home.
In another timeline, it tells the history of the family home and the tragedy that took place there. Maybe LeXi wasn’t so completely wrong and off the wall as everyone thought...

The Drowning Kind was my third Jennifer McMahon book and it did not disappoint! McMahon has this hypnotic, atmospheric style of writing that just keeps you reading. Two stories are presented, the first in 2019, revolving around Jackie, whose sister has just drowned. The second is of Ethel in 1929, a young wife seeking to have a baby. The stories parallel around Brandenburg Springs in Vermont, which is an odd, sulfuric, black ice cold water source that somehow heals and grants wishes to anyone that touches it, but at a severe cost. Whatever it gives you, it takes something else away. Through the story, we learn more about the history of Brandenburg and the secrets it holds in its seemingly haunted waters. I really liked learning about Jackie and Lexie’s friendship as sisters and discovering the history of the Springs. I enjoyed the ending, though it was a little abrupt. While reading, I found it fascinating to consider the lengths we go to in order to save family and sacrifices we are willing to make.

Thank you Gallery Books / Scout Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

“Are the Brandenburg Springs cursed? Could they bring great misfortune as well as great healing? For every wish granted is something taken in return? Something to balance the scales?” Many people swear by the healing powers of the Brandenburg Springs, but just as many are extremely frightened by them. There’s something in the water...
Jax ignored the last phone call from her sister Lex, but is devastated when she finds out her sister has drowned in the pool at Sparrow Crest, the home she inherited from her Grandmother, the home with a dark history. When Jax returns to Sparrow Crest to sort through her sisters life, she sees and hears things, things that can’t be real. What happened to Lex that night? Will she be able to put the pieces together soon enough to save herself? The pages turn themselves in this story and the ending is quite a doozy! So creepily good!

Find out what you're afraid of and go live there.

That'll give you pause........

Sparrow Crest has been part of their childhood all their lives. With the passing of their grandmother, the huge house with the deteriorating smile now belongs to Lexie. Grandmother bequeathed it to her including all the grounds and that deep, dark swimming pool fed by the natural spring. Jax, Lexie's sister, felt unsettled because she was left with nothing. A nothing that will eventually become a something.

Jax, a busy social worker based in Seattle, has avoided answering the constant calls and messages from Lexie. Lexie has been diagnosed with manic tendencies and is often off her meds. Jax just doesn't want to deal with her sister and the weight of her problems. They've been estranged for some time. But a new call comes in. It's from her Aunt Diane and the impact of it leaves Jax speechless. Lexie drowned in that pool........Lexie, the champion swimmer of the family. What on earth just happened?

As Jax returns to that house in Vermont, she is being eaten up with guilt. Her father and her aunt try to convince her that Lexie was relentless in leaving notes and scraps of paper with odd numbers and writings. Lexie was onto something that only she could see. And how in the world could her family begin to unravel Lexie's last days?

Jennifer McMahon switches gears to 1929 in New Hampshire to a woman named Ethel Monroe and her doctor husband. They've been fascinated with the restorative benefits of the spring water at an upscale hotel. Simple water does not bring about simple things. And Ethel and Will may come face-to-face with just that.

If you've read any of Jennifer McMahon's books, you know that she tightly winds the creep-o-meter every time. The Drowning Kind is no exception.......especially when our minds and imaginations recall experiences of not being able to touch bottom safely in a body of water. And in particular if that water is dark and murky and contains a rotting smell of something unknowable..

The Drowning Kind is a fast read with high octane intensity. McMahon is a master when it comes to descriptors involving the unexplainable. Even tiny droplets of water or the whimper of a baby's cry can leave you rushing to the next chapter in this one. Just mark this one down as a must read for 2021. Sometimes the jagged pictures formed in your mind leave the McMahon imprint in just the right place.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster (Gallery Books) and to the talented Jennifer McMahon for the opportunity.

This was a beautifully haunting tale about cursed waters that heal at a price.

Told in two different timelines, we have Jax, a young woman who learns of the drowning death of her mentally unwell sister the day after she attempts to call her multiple times. We also have Ethel in the late 1920's, whom in an attempt to have a child with her husband, Will, uses the so-called healing powers of a certain spring in a Vermont resort to help her achieve this goal.

We learn through an eerie back and forth, the parallels and intersections in these two timelines. Jax is trying to pick up the pieces of her lost sister and all that she missed with her while Ethel is trying to keep the daughter she quite possibly never should have had alive with the healing waters of the spring.

This was scary and sad at the same time. I felt so strongly for Jax. She is trying to make sense of the relationship with her sister Lexie that she threw away. During her stay at the home their grandmother left to Lexie that the sisters spent so much time together in as children, she must come to terms with the ways of the pool they always swam in and the links it had to Lexie's death. She must go through Lexie's documents and research she accumulated before her death in an attempt to find answers.

Meanwhile, we are brought along Ethel's tumultuous journey of trying to keep her child healthy and safe after the waters of the Vermont spring were so beneficial and detrimental at the same time.

I adored the writing of the amazing Jennifer McMahon. She never fails to write stories that speak to what is inside of you. The deepest and darkest longings of a person. This was a truly eerie and haunting story that I was fully immersed in. This will definitely make me think twice when going near lakes or natural springs from now on.

Alternating between past and present, “The Drowning Kind” is the story of one family’s tragic history as it pertains to the Bradenburg springs, which long boasts of incredible healing powers. As folk law touts, this spring of water does not only heal, but it grants wishes, as well, but does so at a very steep cost—“THE WATER DOES NOT GIVE WITHOUT TAKING!”

This creepy, supernatural story shines a spotlight on sisters Jax & Lexie, whose fate has been tied to the Bradenburg springs since childhood. Although mesmerizing from the get-go, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of a let-down at the story’s lackluster ending after such a tantalizing buildup. Still, riding “The Drowning Kind” train was one crazy, eerie ride for sure!

A dark and nuanced novel that demands rereading. Fascinating characters and structure and setting. I love the use of voice in this book.

I love this author and this book did not disappoint. Twisting the past with the present, this book was quite the adventure! A couple page turning moments had me on the edge of my seat. Can’t wait to read her next book.

Creepy tale of family secrets and a haunted pool. Engaging read that kept me guessing. Ending not what I expected.

I have read all of Jennifer's books and have enjoyed them all. This one is a chilling story about a woman who returns to the old family home after her sister mysteriously drowns in its swimming pool. Lexie has been out of touch with reality so Jax is not surprised that something has happened to her sister. Jax arrives at her grandmother's house and learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. Jax discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.

In 1929, a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast which eventually becomes the pool on the grandmother's property. The story switches back and forth from 1929 to the present. It is a modern-day ghost story that illuminates how the past certainly has an influence on the present day. I found the characters to be unique and quite interesting. The story did not disappoint and I do look forward to Jennifer's next book. I would recommend this book to those who love ghost stories. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Simon and Shuster for a free copy for an honest review.

Totally original, extremely creepy thriller. When Jax is called home to deal with the death of her estranged sister she must confront her past. Jax and Lexi spent summers at their grandmothers house all through their childhood. Their grandmothers house was huge with a pool that was fed by a natural spring. The pool had a past including several drownings and many creepy events that the girls were witness to. Fast paced and scary, this book was impossible to put down. Exceptional atmospheric thriller.

Jennifer’s books just get better and better. If you love supernatural stories, then this book is a must read. The characters, the plot, everything seemed so believable, even though it was very supernatural. I was pulled into the book immediately and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. As I was reading, I tried to figure things out along the way and I got some things right but others not so much! Both storylines are enjoyable and each timeline provides history on the hotel, the estate and Jax and Lexie's family. The book alternates between Jax’s story, and the story of Ethel, ninety years ago. The two timelines intertwine together into a good solid story that will draw the reader in. As Lexie scribbled on a note: "The key to understanding the present is to look at the past." The two main character viewpoints were that of Jax and Ethel Monroe. As the reader gets further into the novel you learn how these two women are related. There were clues scattered throughout the entire story and the tension just builds and builds until the end, which was both satisfying and heartbreaking. I predict that this book is going to be a major hit next Spring and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next! This is one you don’t want to miss!

The story did go back and forth between differnt era's. It explored a property that had hauntings throught the ages. It was definitly a ghost story adventure and that was riveting till the end. It centered on family and their peculiarities over the years. It ws a very engaging story.

If you are in the mood for a good ole spooky story, then make sure you write this title down and place it on your to-read list.

A deep, black pool is at the center of this narrative and its story is told with enough darkness, malevolence, and odiferous reference to keep you reading until the surprising end. This pool and all the secrets and history it conceals will draw you in as surely as a swimming pool in your town and you won't know the extent of the manipulation until it's too late. Just be careful what you think you really want.....you may get more than you bargained for.

Highly recommended!

Are you ready for a good solid ghost story? The Drowning Kind is a haunting story that follows two timelines ,one in the 1920’s, and one modern day. Jax is a social worker whose sister, Lexie, lives in the family home in Vermont. This home and the property, including the swimming pool, has a long history. The swimming pool is filled by a natural spring which has a reputation for having healing qualities to the water.

Jax arrives at the home after Lexie drowns in the pool. Lexie has always had manic episodes, and after finding the place trashed, Jax assumes that Lexie has had another episode. What Jax discovers is that Lexie has spent the past year conducting research on, not only the property and the house, but their family history as well. Jax discovers several oddities in the research that Lexie has done.

One aspect of the book that I thought needed a little more development was the whole mystery element. It's told in bits and pieces as Jax picks up the scraps of paper that Lexie has left strewn around. I felt like there weren't enough times that the reader was shown a deep look into the actual research that Lexie had done. For example, why was she measuring the depths of the pool at various points? What was the whole point of that? That thread seemed to be left hanging.

In the 1920’s, Ethel Monroe wishes to have a child. After failing to have a baby, she and her husband traveled to Vermont to visit a spring that is reputed to have healing qualities. Ethel makes a wish and ends up becoming pregnant with the baby that she wished for. What Ethel doesn't realize is that the water gives miracles, but it also takes something in return.

These two timelines weave together into one good solid story that will draw the reader in and have you on the edge of your seat. The healing waters have magical qualities, but there's also a very spooky aspect to them. Many strange happenings have been associated over the years with the springs on this property. Even worse, several people have drowned in the waters over the years. People seem to be drawn to the waters of the healing spring, often not in a beneficial way. The drownings and near-drownings have made many of the townspeople cautious around the waters. Yet people are selling the waters far and wide because of their healing properties.

I enjoyed the tension that the author built throughout the story. The two main character viewpoints were that of Jax and Ethel Monroe. As the reader gets further into the novel you learn how these two women are related. There were clues scattered throughout the entire story and the tension just builds and builds until the end. The happenings in the water and inside the pool are just mysterious enough without being overly done. This is one story that will keep you up at night reading far into the late hours.

In my opinion the end of this book really felt kind of like a cheat. The author spent a lot of time crafting this lovely story and then the ending was just a very big disappointment. I really thought, after the tension had been built throughout the story, and how deeply the characters were developed, that the ending would have been a little different. Could it have been a little longer? Or maybe had a different ending altogether? While I did enjoy the story, I really did not like the ending at all. It was just such a let-down and seemed like it ended on too fast a note.

I did enjoy the fact that there are enough creepy ghost elements in the story without having the sort of jump scares that some authors have used to get the same effect. Who needs jump scares when you have water with ghosts in it?

I just finished this book and all I can say is, wow. While I’m not typically a fan of the supernatural-style thriller, this book just really worked for me. The descriptions, the characters, the past and present details - I loved it all. I felt truly connected to this book, so much so I was thinking about it when I wasn’t reading. I highly recommend giving the Drowning Kind your attention. The title just doesn’t due justice to the sheer mastery of this book! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review. I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a while!

𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕, 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.

𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂 𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇.

𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂 𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆.

Jennifer McMahon has written a Mystery/Thriller that has the eerie, gothic feel that other novels lay claim to and fail to deliver. All those things you imagine beneath the surface might truly be there, waiting to pull you down to your watery grave. I love the water, as much a fish all my life as the doomed character Lexie and reading this novel over the summer as I did gave me pause walking by the pool at night. Loneliness, births, deaths, family bonds, mystery, and a haunting touch of the supernatural, McMahon has written another engaging, creepy, haunted tale.

As girls who grew up enjoying summer visits at their grandmother’s estate in Vermont, Jax and Lexie often plunged into her large, spring-fed pool surrounded by carved granite and creeping moss. Filled with a darkness of water that Jax hated to disappear in and her sister Lexie lived for, delighting in treading its cool depths, Jax loyally followed suit. Jax always followed where Lexie led, even eschewing friendships with other girls, whether she wanted to or not. Lexie had always been the favorite, ‘excelled at everything’, but it was hard to be jealous of her even when she demanded so much oxygen and an audience for her dramas. In adulthood, Jax is finally able to build a life ‘outside of Lexie’s orbit’, and has learned to set up boundaries, particularly when Lexie is off her meds and in the throes of a manic episode. It is for self-preservation that Jax has been ignoring her sister’s needy, pressing phone calls, especially when Lexie herself has been distant the entire year. Concerned when she listens to the frenzied, confusing messages Lexie left, Jax is ashamed for ignoring her, though everyone agreed that Lexie had to learn to manage without her. By the time Jax returns the calls, there is no answer, she reaches out to her aunt who lives close to Sparrow Crest, their grandmother’s estate and Lexie’s inheritance since her passing. It’s too late, Lexie is discovered dead, having drowned in the very pool she loved so much and it is now Jax’s turn to drown in grief and regrets.

The thriller intensifies when Jax returns to Sparrow Crest to make sense of what happened in the final days leading to her sister’s tragedy, only to be met with a deepening mystery. Lexie was obsessively researching the land’s past as well as their family history, which has its own dark tragedies. It’s not so easy to dismiss her sister’s discoveries as hallucinations nor the result of a decline in madness, though there are signs she wasn’t well. Truth be told, it wasn’t outside the norm for Lexie, in a manic state, to be uncannily focused on something. She was never one to do anything in half measures, but had she lost touch with reality? Jax soon begins to uncover the strange history of the land her grandmother’s estate was built upon, the estate her grandmother could never seem to leave. Her sister’s journal entries are full of facts, questions and implications, and odder still the letters and numbers written in crayon on the surface of stones by the pool. What was she studying or tracking? Alone in the big, dark house Jax senses something, could it be a ghost? Is Lexie still trying to grab her attention, despite her death? There really may be something sinister beneath the surface of time, something that took her sister away, something waiting for Jax to join her. Either that, or Jax is losing her sanity.

1929: Newlywed Ethel Monroe longs to have a baby with her husband Will and she is desperate enough to try anything, even blind faith in a natural spring at the new hotel handsome Will has booked for a surprise getaway. On the grounds is a spring that might grants wishes and possibly has healing powers. Her hunger for a child surpasses the warnings of locals they meet on their way that it is a ‘dark place’, best avoided. She and Will chalk it up to ‘foolish stories’, nothing more, never imagining that even water can hunger for life. Once at the hotel they meet the owner Mr. Harding. Ethel becomes fast friends with Mr. Harding’s wife, maintaining a correspondence with her new confidante after Eliza and Will return home. As blessings rain on Ethel and all her hopes are met, she feels conflicted, troubled even by dreams but happy letters from Mrs. Harding reach her about former guests, and their small miracles. Their future is suddenly full of promise, all things bright and happy. Eliza doesn’t yet realize that nature has a mind of it’s own, that is has desires too. Can it be bargained with?

The past is always alive in the present, in the walls, in the shadows and sometimes in the ripples on the water. Yes, read it!

Publication Date: April 6, 2021

Gallery Books

Gallery/Scout Press