Following a violent home invasion, Neve and her daughter Ash pack up and move into Neve’s childhood summer home in Black Lake. But the day they arrive, a woman’s dead body is found in the lake behind her house.

Detective Jess Lambert is the lead on the investigation after she’s come back from a personal tragedy. She thinks Neve is hiding a secret but to what end? And how does that tie in to the murders?

This book was okay. The “big reveal” didn’t happen until more than halfway through the book. The storyline seemed familiar. I didn’t realize that it was a paranormal thriller. I was expecting more of a police procedural.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC. These Still Black Waters is out now.

4.5/5 rounded up to 5 on here

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

“In other words, the past may be dead, but it is our choice if we bury it.”

“I don’t know. Maybe it isn’t the dead who haunt the living but the living who do the haunting. Or maybe we haunt ourselves. Like, we’re haunted by our pasts, by our mistakes, the ones that aren’t so easily forgiven.”

This is my first book by Christina McDonald and will definitely not be my last! I absolutely loved her writing. I felt like it just drew the reader in immediately and kept me engaged the entire time. I loved that the chapters were all from the points of view of Neve, the detective, and the killer. I felt like that just added a different element to the storyline and I always like when the authors get inside the mind of the killers. I feel like it just adds some additional mystery/suspense to the book.

I included two of my favorite quotes from this book because I feel like it just gives the reader a different perspective on how we deal with our past and what we can leave behind in the past or carry with us into the future.

Overall, this is definitely such a good book and one I would recommend!

This novel pulled at my heart. It's in 2 POVs and was easy to follow. It did leave me surprised at times. The writing was good. I enjoyed reading about the Detective and watching her character grow.

“The only inescapable thing is the inevitability of choice.” These Still Black Waters

Christina McDonald serves up another gorgeously written contemporary novel of suspense with dollops of the supernatural and a twist of gothic. Combining heart-aching loss with female courage, THESE STILL BLACK WATERS offers a jaw-dropping twist that is brilliantly executed. The characters are so real and fully fleshed out that the immersive story takes over so that you’re not prepared for the twist when it emotionally takes you by the throat and stops you from breathing.

But back to the basics.

Three voices tell the story in alternating chapters—Neve Maguire Campbell, Police Detective Jess Lambert, and the killer.

Neve, mom to 16-year-old Ash, takes her daughter to the old family home on Black Lake to escape recent memories of Ash being hit by a bullet during a horrifying house break-in. Neve hopes a peaceful retreat will help with the healing. Neve hasn’t been to the house in twenty years because of a traumatic incident that she’s kept secret. But Neve’s past catches up with her. The day after arriving at Dullahan House, the body of a woman is dragged from the lake and identified as Bailey Nelson, one of Neve’s old friends from school. Neve is also having what appear to be blackouts where she wakes up in different places and doesn’t know how she gets there.

Police detective Jess Lambert questions Neve about Bailey, but Neve won’t divulge the secret she’s kept so long. She’s more about protecting Ash and helping Ash heal. Jess, however, understands because she had a daughter, Isla, who died in a car accident when Jess drove off the road and into the river. Jess’s leg was mangled, her heart was broken, and she became an alcoholic from the guilt. She barely keeps it together as she goes after Bailey’s killer. She also talks with her daughter’s ghost.

Then a second body is found. Both bodies had a code cut into their tongues, connecting the two. Questions pop up. Is Neve’s secret past connected to these murders? Can Jess keep it together to solve the murders? Why is the basement door at Dullahan House locked and Neve won’t unlock it? What do the friendship bracelets mean when they are found?

McDonald creates relatable characters. Jess with her alcoholism is sympathetic and so is her partner Detective Will Casey who wants to help Jess but does everything by the book which puts the two in conflict. The author uses a playful but insightful device to show the close relationship between Neve and Ash, the game “Would You Rather.” For example, Neve to lighten the mood asks Ash, “Would you rather have a mullet or no toothpaste for the rest of your life?” Others are used to help adjust emotionally.

The hauntingly beautiful writing, both vivid and evocative, has a gothic sensibility. “The moon is sweet, creamy light finding me even amid the trees.” “I climb the narrow wooden stairs, rotting and cracking with age, and jiggle the key into the lock.”

And there’s Dullahan House. Early in the story, we are given its background. In Irish folklore, the Dullahan is a mythological headless horseman who was a harbinger of death. Dullahan represents a past that never dies and haunts the living. The story goes that the Dullahan rode past shortly before his child was found mysteriously drowned in the lake. Take this as a harbinger of what’s to come in the brilliant and mesmerizing THESE STILL BLACK WATERS.

Thank you to Christina McDonald & Thomas & Mercer for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for this book.

This book was not by favorite. The main characters are both unreliable narrators and you end up so confused towards the middle of the book. If you like paranormal aspects in your books you may really like this novel. This book just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you, @netgalley and @amazonpublishing, for the #gifted e-arc of this book.

Wow! I was surprised at how much I loved this book! It was so well written, and it had such an amazing twist. I was able to figure it out shortly before the reveal but loved the way it was executed! I really liked the dual POVs from Neve and Jess and that we got little "diary" entries from the killer scattered throughout the book.

Detective Jess Lambert is now one of my favorite fictional characters, and I was so happy to see that this is the first book in a series, so I'll get to visit her again in the (hopefully) near future!

It's hard to say much more about this book without giving spoilers, but if you enjoy crime fiction with complex, relatable characters, this is the book for you!

Detective Jess Lambert is looking into a murder but she is also grieving the death of her daughter years before. She has a drinking problem and doesn't want her coworkers to find out and think she is crazy as well. There is twists included.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher Thomas & Mercer.

🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
These Still Black Waters is the first book in a new series, with Detective Jess Lambert as the main character. She is incredible in this haunting new thriller by Christina McDonald!

Two women, Jess and Neve, trying to hide their own horrible personal events, guide us through this twisted and suspenseful story. A third narrator, the unidentified killer. This always adds a unique twist and intensity to a story! The Killer is one of my favorite narrators! I love being in their mind and seeing everything through their eyes.

Black Lake is described in detail. A dark, eerie place with few appealing qualities. And when I guessed one of the twists, the story took on a new essence. More of a tragic mystery than a thriller, but it is terrific!

Sincere thanks to Thomas & Mercer for this complimentary ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

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Wow is an understatement of good good this book is!!!!!!!!!!!! Could not put it down!!!!!!! Great book!!!!!!

I knew the twist and I was STILL bawling my eyes out at the end! I thought it was a thriller but what I got was so much more than that. OH MY GOODNESS. I can't wait for more of this series. This was fantastic.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, Netgalley and Christina McDonald for an early copy.

After a traumatic home invasion, Neve returns with her daughter to her childhood summer home. Black Lake is supposed to be their fresh start. However, when a body appears in the lake behind their home, Neve begins to panic. Detective Jess Lambert is the head investigator of the case and can tell that Neve has secrets she has been keeping, so when a second body appears both are forced to confront their pasts.

I really enjoyed this book, and I really hope that this is just the start for Det. Jess Lambert. I found her character to be fascinating.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me.

Following a violent home invasion, Neve Maguire, accompanied by her daughter, seeks solace by returning to Black Lake, her childhood summer retreat, in the pursuit of a fresh start. However, her hopes are dashed when the lifeless body of a woman emerges, drifting amidst the reeds in the lake just behind her house. A dreadful sense of regret gnaws at Neve, prompting her to question the wisdom of her decision.

Neve guards her own hidden truths, and Detective Jess Lambert senses this all too well. Having returned to her duties after a deeply personal tragedy, Jess understands the weight of concealed secrets. She's convinced that Neve bears her own share of burdens.

As another woman's lifeless form surfaces, Jess and Neve find themselves compelled to confront a chilling reality. One thing remains unmistakable: the darkness of the past is lurking, and the secrets of Black Lake have only just begun to emerge.

The storyline, at its core, feels reminiscent of numerous other thriller and mystery narratives, and one might generously describe it as somewhat thin. The crux of the plot remains elusive until the unveiling of a significant twist, which transpires when the narrative is nearly 80% complete. The initial passages frequently shift back and forth through time, delving into Neve's history, interspersed with occasional italicized commentary from an unidentified killer, designed to keep readers guessing. While there were fluctuations in my. thoughts of the killer's identity, the eventual revelation failed to evoke a sense of astonishment.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

These Still Black Waters is out NOW and is the perfect book to kick off spooky season! This one is Book 1 in the new Jess Lambert series. The story is told in multiple POV's, which keeps things VERY interesting. Hearing from the killer's POV definitely gave me chills. I was hooked pretty early on and couldn't put this one down. It was super suspenseful and twisty!

Her marriage in shambles, Neve takes her daughter Ashley and runs to her childhood home. The property management representative never shows up with the keys...because she's been murdered in the lake behind Neve's childhood home, Dullanhan house. Neve needs to figure out who killed Bailey, because the same person is after her.

Oooh, this book was so twisty and turny and I just LOVED the main twist. I'm a sucker for paranormal books, and paranormal thrillers are one of my favorite subgenres. I love when the supernatural ends up actualy *being* supernatural. It is common for people to see their dead loved ones, so it's easy to dismiss Jess seeing her daughter Isla everywhere, but noooooo there are actual ghosts in this book!
The book was pretty well done, though there were some scenes that just felt...a little flat, and the killer could have been woven into the story a little more and a little bit more seamlessly, because it was pretty obvious from about 50% on whodunit. But overall, I loved this book and couldn't put it down.

I love that the end is leading us directly into the next book, and I'm hoping that the supernatural twist keeps going!

Christina McDonald is one of my favorite mystery/thriller writers. Her books always hold my attention to the very end. This one was possibly my favorite. It has some things that I would not have thought would be in it. Things that made it an outstanding story.

The story of two women. As different as night and day in many ways and a lot alike in others. One is coping with the loss of her daughter. Blaming herself. Beating herself up at every turn. While she is a functioning alcoholic who is also a detective, she's a desperate mother who is living the worst kind of pain. Jess is a cop. The other is running away from her life. Her and her daughter. Neve took her fifteen year old daughter away after a horrific home invasion. She needed time to think. To figure out what was going on. Why she did some of the things she did. Her daughter Ash wants nothing more than to go home. Go back to her dad and her life.

This book is filled with ghosts. With lots of what ifs and who did its. It's a bit different from the author's usual books but it's so good. It's filled in parts with a lot of darkness to keep you guessing. (I guessed two major things. It didn't spoil it at all.) You get to know these two women intimately. Their ups and downs. Their loves and losses. Their good and bad. You'll find out exactly what happened to Jess that makes her so destructive. You'll also find out what happened with Neve and why. Why she blames herself for so much. She will do anything for her daughter. She would give up everything for her. She's a mother who loves her child more than life itself. As is Jess.

There is a few things going on in this story. A couple of murders. Trying to figure out who the murderer is and why. Getting to know Neve, Bee and Sandra. Three childhood friends. One is pretty much evil. One is just lovely to everyone. The other is hiding a secret. Actually two of them hid secrets but this is about one of them. It goes back and forth between before and after. Between when the girls were teens and after the horrific murder. This book is an edge of your seat thriller and a gut-wrenching heartbreaker. A story of love, loss, murder, intrigue, friendship, and much more.

I can't wait for the next book to see what happens with Jess and possibly Isla. Isla is Jess's deceased daughter. While I don't believe in ghosts this gave me a bit of hope that if they do exist maybe they are here to help. This was a fun read. A wonderful read. The next to last chapter made me weep though. It's never easy saying goodbye....

Thank you #NetGalley, #ChristinaMcDonald, #ThomasMercer for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars and a very high recommendation. It's good.

A new Christina McDonald book? Yes, please. A first in a series? Absolutely! I love Christina's past books and this was no exception. This was a great thriller with paranormal aspects. I cannot wait for the second book!

This book seems like a great start to a series! Or at least a great 1st book in a 2-part series. I have been a fan of Christina since The Night Olivia Fell and have since read all of her books. This story opens with Neve trying to move froward after a traumatic event. She takes her teenage daughter, Ash to Black Waters to stay in her mother's old Victorian house where Neve spent Summers as a child. Something bad happened there and that event rears its head once again and women are being murdered. Enter detective Jess Lambert. Jess is trying to move froward from her own traumatic events. A barely functioning alcoholic, Jess is being given one last chance with this case. Along the way, we hear from Neve, Jess and the killer. I really loved the character of Jess and could not turn the pages quick enough. Cannot wait for the next book!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Christina McDonald and Tomas & mercer for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Christina McDonald has done it again with her latest novel, "These Still Black Waters" which follows Neve, a mother recently separated from her husband who has returned to her family's summer residence only to discover her old friend, Bee, has been brutally murdered. Neve, who is recovering from recent trauma herself, struggles to piece together who the killer is and whether or not they are after her (and her daughter). Meanwhile, the detective on the case, Jess, is struggling personally with the guilt of a car accident that she caused that claimed the life of her 8 year old daughter. McDonald weaves these story lines and the lives of the characters together in a spectacular manner. Overall, this novel was addictive!

4.5 stars

These Still Black Waters by Christina McDonald is a dark psychological thriller, beautifully written and packed with suspense and emotion.
The two protagonists are women damaged by recent traumatic events and the story is told in their first person voices. Neve, a veterinarian, and her teen daughter Ash, have retreated to her family’s summer home at Black Lake to recover from a frightening event at their home near Boston. Shortly after their arrival at Black Lake, Bea, Neve’s old summer friend, is discovered dead in the lake. Local detective Jess is the lead investigator. She is suffering from PTSD and lasting leg injuries, as she recently experienced a terrible auto accident in which her young daughter was killed. Her guilt and grief hallucinations have her turning to binge drinking to dull her emotional pain.
I really liked the first person narrative by these women, as it is a look into their souls and minds in the most personal way. They are intelligent, successful women but have been brought to their knees by their post-traumatic stress and guilt about their perceived failures as mothers to protect their children.
The mysterious killer’s point of view is represented by occasional chapters whose main message was: “Choices have consequences….they chose wrong.” I was surprised when the killer’s identity was revealed.
The prose is beautiful and paints evocative pictures of the settings as well as the characters, both in the present and in their past. The plot is mind-bending, as the lines are blurred between reality and hallucinations and/or dreams. Suspense builds rapidly and the final plot twist was surprising.
This is the first novel by Catherine McDonald that I have read, but it will not be the last, especially if there is another entry featuring Detective Jess Lambert.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC. This my honest review.

I have read Christina McDonald’s earlier works and enjoyed them so I knew I had to read this one. Overall I was pleased with it and thought it was a pretty good thriller. It took me a little bit to get into the story because I didn’t really care for either of the two main characters/narrators. Jess is a cop struggling with trauma and drinking on the job, going rogue, and hiding things from her partner. Neve has brought her daughter back to her childhood summer home since she and her husband are doing a trial separation. Neve and her daughter Ash aren’t there long before a dead woman is found in the lake and Neve is disturbed to realize it is a girls she was friends with as a child. Neve and Jess are both desperate to find out what happened to Bailey. The strong was well written and while I did figure out where the twists were leading it was a fun thriller with a good reveal at the end.