I've never read anything by Jennifer McMahon before and I'm ready to go buy up all her books. This was a perfect October read. It definitely has the spooky chill factor. I love stories that hop back and forth between past and present and Ms. McMahon does it so well without any confusion. Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this chilling book. I so look forward to reading more by this author.

The spring fed pool at Sparrow Crest, is said to have no bottom. Despite its black and freezing water, the pool brings visitors from all over, hoping to bathe or drink from it. Stories say that the water heals and grants wishes.
Those who believe in the magic of the pool also know that the spring does not give without taking.

The Drowning Kind is McMahon's take on The Lady In The Lake. So many people have told their version of the classic story, but McMahon's version is heartbreaking and terrifying at the same time. The reader can feel the pull of the sisters bond while the hysteria and delusion builds. Mental illness and obsession are a common thread in the family's core, which makes you question the reality of what they see in the water.

While telling you the sisters story, McMahon tells you the history of the springs. Going back to 1929, you hear the story of the original owners of Sparrow Crest. Generations of women have consumed the healing waters which have bonded them together.The Lady Of The Lake is formed through this bond. The way McMahon writes the drowned girls is an attack on your senses. You can smell and taste the minerals in the water, and feel its icy sting as the girls pull you under. I swear I felt cold fingers grip my ankle...

The twist at the end was completely unexpected. I should have seen it coming but was so distracted by fear that is snuck up on me. I hardly get shocked anymore, and was thrilled.

The Drowning Kind is the perfect October read, if you can get your hands on it. Its set to publish in April 2021, but should have been put out now. Jennifer McMahon is the queen of creepy and should dominate your Halloween reads. I have been reading her for years and have not found her writing anything less then a five star.

Outstanding! Perfectly atmospheric and haunting.

Jax and Lex were once very close sisters. They spent summers at their grandmother's mansion playing games while swimming in a very dark, cold, and creepy pool on the property. The pool was once part of some magical healing springs and people got well just drinking the water or swimming in it. It had a very big reputation among locals.

The story is told in dual timelines. The 1920s and present day. A beautiful hotel is built around the springs in the 1920s. Some people discover the healing powers, but that does not come without a cost. People begin to die that have been connected to these springs. Coincidence? Something more sinister?

Present-day...Jax gets a phone call. Her sister has been found dead in the pool at their grandmother's house, which now belongs to Lex after their grandmother passed away. Jax returns to the home of their summers to help learn what happened to Lex and to figure out her own past and what she has been running from.

There is so much depth to this story and I fear I would give too much away by telling you more. I enjoyed every moment of my time with it. The writing is beautiful and the pacing just right. I connected to the characters. I wondered what was in the depths of that pool. How were people healed? At what cost? Would I take such a risk...to save myself, or a loved one? Were there dead people in the pool...haunting the living in the present-day? The little girl that drowned when she was 7, the lady from the hotel? Rita, Jax, and Lex's aunt?

What happens when the past meets the future? Secrets will be revealed. Some you may have guessed, some you won't. This is my kinda book. I devoured it! I highly recommend it for all who like supernatural thrillers, mysteries, a great escape read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital arc to read in exchange for a review. I think this will be a big hit when it comes out in the spring. I found a perfect Halloween read, but, would enjoy it at any time. Such beautiful writing! I look forward to more by the author.

<b>If you’re looking for a creepy October read, this paranormal thriller is it!!</b>

Dual timelines with separate stories that evolve around a mysterious spring with magical healing powers! Wow...I was caught up in this dark and creepy story immediately. And kept in suspense as I tried to determine fact from fiction, while putting the puzzle pieces in place. The stories and speculation relating to the water and it’s healing powers are fascinating! But the spring has a tragic history.

<blockquote>“The water gives and the water takes.”
“Miracles are not without their price”</blockquote>

Jennifer McMahon tells a captivating ghost story. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by her and this one is added to that list.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer McMahon and Gallery/Scout Press, for this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

<b>My Rating: </b> 4 ⭐️’s
<b>Published:</b> April 6th 2021 by Gallery/Scout Press
<b>Pages:</b> 336
<b>Recommend:</b> Yes

@jennifermcmahon @GalleryBooks @NetGalley
#TheDrowningKind #ghoststory #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #JustFinished #NetGalley #ParanormalFiction


After publication, my reviews can be found on:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFWS5Q63ZHOHGTHHCWSA7TFIZLRA?preview=true
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/takemeaway21
BN.com, BookBub, Pinterest

More on the author:
https://jennifer-mcmahon.com

Dang, Jennifer McMahon knows how to write a spooky thriller. While this one wasn't super twisty-turny, it was engaging, evocative, and just an all-around joy to read. I honestly wished it had 3 sequels because it just hit the spot.

Another grand slam for Jennifer McMahon. Highly enjoyable story lines in the past and present. Love this author and her new book did not disappoint.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Jennifer McMahon for providing me with an ARC of the title The Drowning Kind.

This was such a spooky read, a perfect pairing for spooky season and watching Bly Manor on Netflix. The two storylines provided within this novel kept me intrigued and made it hard to put the book down. I was kept guessing until the very last page of this title, and that's the best kind of book in my opinion! I will definitely be going back to this author's past titles; I really enjoyed the writing style.

Thank you again to all of those who provided me with an ARC of this novel!

First off, thank you Jennifer McMahon for writing such a perfectly atmospheric novel. It was just what I needed! (Brb- now I need to read every backlist book by this author)

You would laugh at me if you knew how many times I freaked myself out while reading this and had to turn all the lights on. I have to say, I read The Drowning Kind at just the perfect timing, giving me those paranormal vibes I’ve been craving lately, and I loved it!

Told in dual timelines; 1920s New Hampshire where Ethel Montrose desperately desires a baby, and decides to visit the Bradenburg Springs because she heard that it has healing powers. But be warned: miracles are not without their price.

2019 Jax learns that her sister Lexie is dead, after drowning in the pool of her Grandmother’s estate, and she must now return to the family home to discover whether Lexie was as manic as she seemed, and try to uncover the dark past of the Springs

I loved both storylines and each character really drew me in to discover the truth behind this gothic setting. I absolutely enjoyed the way Jennifer McMahon writes, painting such a realistic, creepy picture that hung on like a thick fog.

*thank you Gallery Books and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date: April 2021

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I am not a fan of the supernatural, but this author is so well regarded I thought I would give it a try. I will spare you a recap of the book, but I was asked to suspend too many beliefs and just common sense to buy into it. No one thought to keep an eye on Lexi? Jackie just throws away everything she has worked for and her education to die with her already dead sister? What difference does it make that Diane has a relationship with a woman? It fills pages because the book repeats itself ad nauseam. We’re just going to ignore the alcoholic father? And it is obvious that “the baby” will play a part in a twist. The twist is good enough, but because this is a book about the supernatural, it is less than thrilling. I was never on the edge of my seat and I thought, “oh please” endlessly.

When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. Thus begins the tragic start of a fantastic tale of missed chances, dysfunctional families, lost and found histories, and of course, Ghost.

Wonderfully scary and chilling, elegantly written, an honest to God page-turner.I wanted to find out what happened even as I didn't want the story to end.
Beware, this will keep you up at night, reading until the wee hours and maybe just a tad afraid to go to sleep.

McMahon never seems to disappoint. Will stay on my "Must buy, must-read," list for years to come.

Thank your to NetGalley & publisher for the ARC of this novel. Social worker Jackie Harkness has a strained relationship with her sister, Lexie, who suffers from bipolar disorder. To maintain some stability, Jackie has cut contact with Lexie & doesn’t take several phone calls from her out the night when she drowns in the natural pool at their family home. Jackie returns to try to unravel the circumstances surrounding Lexie’s death & come to terms with her grief. The plot is masterfully suspenseful & will engulf the reader in the mystery Lexie’s papers & cryptic journals slowly reveal. A hauntingly beautiful tale of the power of our beliefs.

I was lucky enough to be the recipient of a #NetGalley ARC of The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon, the perfect haunting kind of novel to curl up anytime but particularly good timing with Halloween coming up. The Drowning Kind is the tale of springs tucked away in the woods of New Hampshire, with a history of bringing those who bathe in it or drink it miracle cures but also tragedy. The story flips between 1929 when a young newlywed (longing for a child) visits the springs and becomes pregnant... and what unfolds around her as a result of the the "gift" the springs give her; and modern day Jax, who grew up summering at her grandparent's home on the springs with her sister Lexie. At the opening of the book, Jax (who's been estranged from her troubled, manic sister for a year) discovers that Lexie has drowned in the springs. She travels back to the family home for the funeral, and uncovers her late sister's vast research into the mystery of the springs. It's a chilling story - literally the springs are ice cold and I swear I felt physically chilled. It's spooky, engrossing book and fans of a great ghost story will love it. The final few sentences leave the reader with a final, jaw dropping twist, too. Highly recommend!

So creepy and I absolutely LOVED it! I am a huge fan of Jennifer McMahon! All of her books are deeply atmospheric with a spooky vibe and I quickly got sucked in and couldn't put it down!

Sparrow Crest, a huge stone house built where a grand hotel once stood, was as much a character of this book as Lexie and Jackie. Two sisters who visit their grandmother at Sparrow Crest and swim in the pool on the property. The pool that has a history.... Their Aunt Rita actually drowned in this pool at age 7 and Lexie and Jackie play the dead game while in the pool floating face down trying to get a glimpse of Aunt Rita in it's murky black water where you can't see or touch the bottom.

There are alternating timelines and I loved both, normally I am more interested in one over the other. One is set in 1929 with Ethel and the other is set in the present day, 2019 with Jackie. Ethel and her husband stay at the Brandenburg Springs Hotel. There are underground springs at the hotel, rumored to grant wishes and cure those who have ailments. People bathed in and drank from the natural springs at this hotel ignoring the rumors that it was cursed. "The water does not give without taking."

Jennifer McMahon, you have done it again! Huge fan, cannot wait to see what you come up with next! I absolutely loved this creepy, supernatural story and what better time to read it than October! ? Anyone who likes suspense with a twist of the supernatural will love this book!

A big thank you to Gallery/Scout Press publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I was given a readers advance copy from the publisher and Netgalley for an honest review. When I heard it was about a haunted swimming pool I thought riiiiiight. Actually I loved this creepy book about a haunted spring which a hotel and later a family home are built around. The story flips between a luxury hotel advertised in 1929 to cure your ails to current to tell the tell of a haunted spring with gives life but also takes something in return. In the current tale a sister has drowned in the pool and the new owner must come to the estate to setting ownership. I have to say I really enjoyed this book and will highly recommend it to others.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5483119-sherry">View all my reviews</a>

"'What's the difference,' I wondered, 'between a ghost and a memory?'"

To begin this review, I must say, I have been a fan of the author for well over a decade. Her books are a wonderful mix of suspense, horror, ghost stories, monsters, tragedy, drama, love, family. They remind me in the best ways of the Mary Downing Hahn books I read as a child, the books which set me on my love of ghost stories and suspense, though obviously written for adults. There is suspense, and confusion, and mystery, and I can just never put the books down before I find out the truth.

The structure of this book lends very well to the narrative tension. The chapters alternate in point of view from Jax, in 2019, and Ethel in the late 1920's (these latter are written as diary entries). Jax is the younger sister of a woman who died at the house their grandmother had left to the sister, Lexie. Ethel is a young woman in the late 1920s, whose life becomes entwined with a spring whose waters seemed to bring both miracles and tragedy. As Jax seeks to understand just what happened to here sister, the two stories seem headed on a collision course.

The ending is unexpected (this is not a criticism!). The author is excellent at both foreshadowing and making the foreshadowing subtle enough that the ending is a surprise. I had thought that I had solved the mystery several times as I read, and in the end, only managed to get one piece of the puzzle in the correct spot. An author who can do that is excellent indeed.

It is a very well-written book, though there are a few places where the ARC nature of the version I read are clear.

This was the first book that I’ve read by this author and I think it’s a good one. I found this to be engaging, page turning and “ghostly”, although at times I had some problems with believability. I wasn’t expecting this amount of supernatural elements but it was something new to explore.

There are dual timelines. One is told by Ethel Monroe, the time is 1929. Ethel has married the town doctor and after one year of trying is desperate for a baby. Ethel has already tried numerous “folk” remedies, one including carrying a sparrow’s egg close to your heart. Her husband Will wants to do anything to make Ethel happy. They learn of a new resort in Vermont built on the site of a spring fed pool which is said to have healing powers. The couple goes and Ethel makes a wish for a baby while in the water. There are people in town, however, that feel that the waters are dangerous, that the pool extracts a price for whatever wishes it grants.

The second timeline is 2019 told through Jax’s point of view. Jax and her sister Lexie had been very close as children. They spent every summer at Sparrow’s Crest, a huge stone house built on the site of what once was a hotel. The original small spring fed pool had been enlarged so that it could be used as a swimming pool. The water was always black and cold and had a strange smell to it. Jax was never much of a swimmer but Lexie loved the water. She was an excellent swimmer and also loved to play games like floating face down to see who could hold their breath longer, Lexie or Jax. Jax hated these games but went along with it.

Years later, after their grandmother dies, she leaves the entire estate to Lexie. The girls have now been estranged for at least a year. Lexie was diagnosed as bipolar and Jax is used to her calling at odd times and forcing Jax into long discussions of things that she has seen or heard.

Jax is now a social worker and one evening she is exhausted and lets the phone ring numerous times, the calls are from Lexie. The next day her aunt Diane is sent to check on her and Lexie is found dead, in the pool.

That is about all of the plot that I can reveal to you without ruining the entire story. I think I would classify this as a thriller/mystery with strong supernatural vibes. The best way to enjoy this book is to go in blind and just let yourself get immersed in the story without questioning too much.

I predict that this is going to be a huge hit next Spring!

This novel is set to publish on April 6, 2021
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

Will post to Amazon upon publication

This was the first book I have read by this author. It was fantastic. There are two different storylines that weave together throughout the book. At first I was a bit confused but in the end, it all comes together. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

What a roller coaster. I have to say when reading this; I didn’t know if it was ghostly, or if it was the minds of people just believing folklore.

Jax, Jackie, gets called home to the house her sister inherited from their Gramma. The house they spent every summer at. Sparrows Crest, a beautiful home with a spring fed mineral pool. The springs are said to have healing powers and the power to make wishes come true. For a price.
Her sister Lexie has drowned in the springs. Jax, her dad and her aunt all go to make the arrangements.

I loved how this book went back to 1929 point of view and then to the present. You have two stories unfolding but intertwined.

Creepy book, but I hated how it ended. I was really hoping that there was a bit more buildup at the end.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I have always loved Jennifer McMahon’s work.

You can always count on Jennifer McMahon to bring the creepy vibe. She knows how to spin a good tale, mixing past and present events to form a chilling narrative about a "miraculous" spring that heals people but demands payment in return. As with many of her other books, "The Drowning Kind" is an engrossingly fast read that stays with you after the final chapter ends.

Thanks, Netgalley, for the ARC.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. A good story to read in October. Creepy and haunting; is the spring fed pool helpful and wonderful, or terrifying and full of ghosts? Lots of build up and story telling of two time periods and they slowly come together, but than the ending is quick and abrupt and I had to turn back and reread because it left me going wait what? Once again, a story where secrets play a role across generations.