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

As a fan of author Jennifer McMahon I was so thrilled to receive a copy of her newest book from Gallery Books and Net Galley. And as usual she did not disappoint. Jennifer McMahon's books have always had a creepy feel to them and this one does as well. After ignoring frantic phone calls from her sister Lexi, Jax learns that Lexi has died, having drowned in the springs of Sparrow Quest. She returns to Sparrow Quest to learn about her sister's time there and how such a strong swimmer like Lexi could drown. It seems the springs have a terrible secret. It grants wishes but you have to pay it back. This books goes to the past of 1929 where we meet Ethel and her husband, a doctor and jumps back to the present time. This book really kept my interest. and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy a good, creep, ghost story. You can't go wrong with a Jennifer McMahon book.

This was a creepy one! With just enough elements of horror to keep it scary without being over the top. Stayed up late with this one!

Deliciously pensive. This immediately envelopes the reader into the story and holds them until the final page, and the final twist, has been turned. It was the perfect winter read to curl up under blankets with but I’d imagine it would be perfect in any season.

Creepy. Oh so creepy!

Usually, when I read a book, I read it all in one sitting. I like to know what happens. Well, this is one of those few times when I had to put the book away. It happened around the 50% mark. I got so spooked that I couldn’t continue reading.

The story is an interesting one. Famous springs that are whispered to grant wishes. Sick people getting better after bathing or drinking the spring water. However, there is a price to pay.

Are you willing to pay the price?

The Drowning Kind has two timelines.

One is told by Ethel O' Shay Monroe. Ethel is a young woman who recently married a doctor. She has a happy marriage except that she's having fertility issues. She wants nothing more than to become a mother but despite trying, no baby is making an appearance. Her husband plans a visit to a grand new hotel and their miracle springs, Brandenburg Springs Hotel and Resort in Vermont. Ethel starts to believe that the springs could be the answer for them.

The other timeline is told by Jax in 2019. Jax is a social worker who has to travel to her grandmother's home, Sparrow Crest, after finding out that her estranged sister, Lex, has drowned in the pool. Jax feels guilty since she purposely stayed away from her sister who was bipolar.

Eery and suspenseful is the best way I can describe this novel. I was wondering how the two timelines could intersect.

Many times, I found myself thinking get away from the freaking water!! Why won’t they listen??

After reading this, I think I might not go into my pool for a while. Never in the dark. Never along.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Gallery via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excited to see new book by Jennifer McMahon. I enjoy her books.
This book was difficult to stop reading and go to sleep. It has surprises, intrigue, and thrills!
You want to read this book.

I loved the twists and turns of this book. Jennifer McMahon is just sooo good at CREEPY! I have read almost all of her books and they are all fantastic, including this one. This one is a MUST read for 2021!

This was a well written, eerie book that I could not put down. I loved the two timelines (Jax in 2019 and Ethel in the 1920’s) and figuring out how exactly they connected to the magical springs said to bring healing. But as any fan of the fantastical will tell you no magic comes without a price. The two narrators were both engaging and I was intrigued to figure out how it would all end. I also loved that there was an element of ghost story interview into it that was believable and perfectly creepy. I haven’t read anything by this author before but as soon as I finished I stated to reserve her other works, This is the kind of story that makes the real world melt away and nothing mattered but what happened next in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I will say of the Jennifer McMahon books I've read, this wasn't my favorite. That said, it was still very well done. When Jax's sister Lexie mysteriously drowns, she returns home to pick up the pieces of her chaotic sister's life. What she finds is a mystery that brings up questions about the past of not only their family, but the land the familial home resides on. Why do people keep drowning there?

I enjoyed the premise, and the build up. I did feel that at times it got a little muddled and slow, but that resolved quickly. The family dynamics in the book were flawed and interesting. I enjoyed the mystery part of the novel and the build of anxiety and foreboding.

A nice spooky ghost story! Not a bad book! I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from this Author!

Wow this was such a good book!

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon is split between two main characters: Jax, who is mourning the loss of her estranged sister, and Ethel, whose story is set in 1929.

The Drowning Kind is a spooky and twisty ghost story. Sparrow Crest sounds like a beautiful place to spend some time and I liked all of the characters. The ending will shock you. I will definitely be checking out some of her other books.

#FirstLine - “The dead have nothing to fear,” Lexie said.

My head is still spinning. Right up to the end I was not sure how this book was going to end. The Drowning Kind is a ghost story with a kick. You are pulled between past and present and need to navigate between myths and truths. It is a book that is hard to put down because you want to know what is going to happen. I was aghast by the ending...seriously! It was a fantastic conclusion to the story. It was a beautifully drawn out story with so many little twists and turns that kept me fully engaged! A must read!!!

Jennifer McMahon has secured herself as a must-read author for me with books like THE UNINVITED and THE WINTER PEOPLE. Her books have that creep factor and great storytelling that I look for. THE DROWNING KIND was no exception. I will say this book hit different and in a good way. I found myself completely engrossed in the story, the outside world ceased to exist and that's the perfect book I needed at the moment.

I was so excited to get approved for a new Jennifer McMahon book, because I’ve loved all of her past novels. Maybe her usual format is getting old for me, or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood this time, but for whatever reason, I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. The switching between the past and present was a cool concept, but I was impatient and was also able to guess every twist, so I couldn’t really enjoy it as much as I normally would, but it was still a solid and interesting story for the most part.

I hope Jennifer McMahon is happy: that’s work/life, sleep & food I’ve had to neglect in order to stay in this book. Why did it have to end and PLEASSEEE let there be more with this characters! While I feel the ending might’ve been a tiny bit rushed, the pacing and overal absorption into this tale were spot-on! I’d like to visit “the springs”, enjoy some of Ryan & Ted’s cooking, buy a house from Diane.... maybe hang a bit with Martha and the “x sisters”..... but leave before dark.

I've loved Jennifer McMahon ever since I took Island of Lost Girls on vacation and didn't want to do anything else but find out what happened next. She has had some misses over the years (looking at you Burntown), but for the most part, I've enjoyed the books she's written. I've heard her called the modern-day Shirley Jackson -- her books are creepy and atmospheric and leave you wanting more.

The Drowning Kind might be her creepiest book yet. One day, Jax receives a slew of missed calls from her sister, Lexie. She is tired of Lexie's manic episodes, and so, doesn't answer the phone. The next day, she is devastated to find out that her sister has drowned in the pool at their late grandmother's house. Jax discovers that Lexie has been researching the history of the house, and that may have had something to do with her death.

But Jax is not the only one whose eyes readers see this story through. They also go back in time to 1929 to meet Ethel Monroe, who desperately wants a baby. Her husband takes her to a hotel in Vermont which has a natural spring on its grounds; this spring is said to grant wishes but it also takes something in return. The stories of Jax and Ethel run parallel to each other until the reader discovers how they are connected.

I've found that so often, a book like this is ruined by the ending, but that's definitely not the case here. I didn't see it coming. Read this one with the lights on!

MY RATING - 4

Jennifer McMahon has such an exquisite way of storytelling that forces the reader to urgently devour her book. The Drowning Kind was no different. As the reader you feel compelled to know and discover what in the world is happening.

This story is told by two different point of views and time. 1929 Ethel and Present day Jax. In the middle of this is a haunting obsidian spring water that has healing powers where the townsfolk both fear and revel it. It is easy enough to relate to Ethel and her dilemmas. A newly married lady desperate for a child willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Jax on the other hand isn't a very likeable character. A therapist who cut out her twin sister out of spite. She felt tired of being outshined by her. She ends up returning back to their childhood home after learning her sister committed suicide.

She is left with questions and all the answers seem to lead her back to that obsidian dark pool. Interesting read by the end of the book I still felt like maybe 100 more pages were missing. The ending felt rushed or perhaps just not enough for all the held breathes i had going on during the book.

When her sister mysteriously drowns, Jackie is returned to Sparrow Quest, the home of her grandmother and a pool that is fed from an underground spring. Told in alternating perspectives, the story takes some predictable twists and turns, but still left me wanting to figure out the history of this house and its occupants. I would highly recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher, Gallery Books, for the opportunity to read such an outstanding story.