I absolutely love Christina McDonald’s books and her latest is a true gem! One twist after another kept me on the edge of my seat. The main character, Neve, returns to a lake house where she spent her summers growing up. A murder in the neighborhood sets off a series of events with some jaw-dropping twists! Highly recommend this book!

These Still Black Waters is a compelling thriller with unexpected twists by Christina McDonald, author of The Night Olivia Fell and Do No Harm. In this story we meet Jess, a detective who has recently endured a life-changing tragedy and is relying heavily on whiskey and vodka to help her cope. Jess is investigating the murder of Bailey, a beautiful but manipulative woman with a complicated past. Neve, Jess's most reliable witness, was one of Bailey's closest friends when they were teenagers but one devastating night tore their friendship apart. Jess has to uncover the secrets of their troubled past to solve the murder and to prevent any more lives from being taken by a killer intent on revenge.

I was drawn to this book when I read the synopsis and it ended up being a solid 4-4.5 star for me! The story is told through a few different viewpoints and it is done well. Without giving too much away, I thought the twist was well done. At first, I didn’t really love Detective Jess Lambert. I didn’t love her attitude, but by the end of the book she grew on me and I’m very interested to see what McDonald has in store for her in future novels. I will definitely be reading them!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

"We all carry our injuries, our dirty little secrets, burying them inside boxes we hide in the deepest, darkest parts of ourselves." Probably the first thing to say about this book is that, while the description doesn't mention them, this book uses supernatural elements. It's not my most loved genre, as I think real life throws up enough horror without needing to invent ghosts, but as far as it goes, this was reasonably well-handled. This is perhaps because it's balanced in the book by healthy skepticism about fantasy stories: "I never believed in Santa Claus. Never believed in God. I always though the task of these things was to soothe the young and plámás the old, to keep them hopeful, to stop their minds from caving into terror. Science now makes it impossible for any intelligent adult to believe in these things as literally true. I put my faith in science and data."

These Still Black Waters is the first Christina McDonald book I have read, but I wouldn't be adverse to delving into her back catalogue after enjoying this one. It's largely about living with the choices you make, bad or good, and not letting them define you: "I knew we could never go back to the way things were. Undoing damage like that is like trying to unscramble an egg." What McDonald is good at is describing the impacts of various events in a way that makes them easily explicable: "A home invasion, it turns out, is more about losing your sense of safety than about losing your stuff."

The dueling lead protagonists, Neve Maguire and Detective Jess Lambert, are both fallible and likeable humans, plagued by their respective pasts: "Memories I've locked away are stirring, clawing at me with sharp, pointed nails." The book touches upon their lived expertise of PTSD and grief, which according to Lambert "has a particular smell, like lightning strikes and burned paper". These Still Black Waters was an enjoyable out-of-genre last read of the year for me, devoured in just over two days.

I don’t want to give spoilers so here is the publishers blurb:

Neve Maguire returns with her daughter to Black Lake, her childhood summer home, hoping for a fresh start. But when the body of a woman is found floating among the reeds in the lake behind her house, she fears she has made a horrible mistake.

Neve is hiding secrets, though. Detective Jess Lambert can tell. Recently back after her own personal tragedy, Jess knows what it’s like to live with skeletons in your closet, and she’s sure Neve has a few of her own.

When another woman’s body is found, Jess and Neve are forced to confront a horrible truth. Because one thing is clear: the darkness of the past is waiting.

Oh boy, this one kept me on the edge of my seat with the suspense. It was fast paced and hard to put down. I really enjoyed how the story was told from Neve, Jess, and the killer’s perspectives. I always enjoy seeing things from different perspectives, especially that of the killer – and this book delivered. I would say that this one is thriller light, but heavy on the suspense. Normally I shy away from suspense but this one was so fast paced I didn’t lose interest. This one is fantastic and I can’t wait to read some of the authors others.

I can’t believe I have to wait until August 8th, 2023, to grab a physical copy of this one! Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, and @netgalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I didn’t like this book until I loved it at the end. The first 1/2 of it was hard for me to read. I wanted more of any character except Neve. The “mysteries” surrounding past events didn’t feel super suspenseful to me, but a little forced in the beginning.

As things picked up toward the second 1/2 and there was a bit more action, I found myself not wanting to put the book down. The last two chapters solidified a lot for me and had me in tears. It just really spoke to me as mother. Coming full circle in that manner, really bumped it for me and left me wanting to go back and re-read parts. The book itself deals with mystery, etc but more so with grief and pain and how it can unravel all of us in different ways.

I really liked the character of Jess and am excited at the possibility of a series devoted to her.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and chance to review this book.

These Still Black Waters by Christina McDonald A slow-moving domestic thriller with supernatural aspects scattered throughout, which occasionally caused confusion. Had difficulty in empathizing with the characters. Although would be interested in reading another book with Detective Jess Lambert investigating.

Thank you to the author, Thomas and Mercer, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book

McDonald's books are kind of hit or miss for me and, unfortunately, These Still Black Waters was a miss.
After a home invasion, Neve and her daughter Ash move to Black Lake, where Neve spent her summers as a child. A woman is found dead in the lake behind her home and Detective Jess Lambert is assigned to the case. Lambert is dealing with her own trauma and grief.
The story revolves around Neve's and Jess' grief, trauma, and personal decisions.
I thought this would be more of a mystery/thriller, but it has too many supernatural elements for my liking.
I found it slow-paced and tedious to read; it just wasn't what I was expecting.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

Ooof this was a good one! It had my hooked immediately. There was a sense of suspense and eeriness throughout the whole story. I definitely didn't see the ordeal with Bee, it made me audibly gasp! Definitely enjoyed the twists and the ultimate conclusion. I will be picking up a physical copy!

I am in the minority with my review of this book. I did not like it at all. I found it laborious to read with unappealing characters and a boring storyline. It had a lot of supernatural bits thrown in here and there which did not intrigue me and was sometimes confusing. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #NetGalley, #TheseStillBlackWaters,#ThomasAndMercer.

This book kept me entertained from the beginning. It was very fast paced and hard to put it down. I loved the the chapters were told at different viewpoints, including that of the killer. I did like the characters and their development. I was able to put the clues together and figure out what happened before the book finished. However, the ending was not for me. I’m not sure if this is a spoiler, but I marked it as such just in case, but it got into paranormal/spiritual ghosts which is just not for me. Other than that, great book. I look forward to reading from this author.

Not a bad read, but also not an amazing read. This book landed squarely in the middle in just about every aspect.

This book was great! There were definitely some surprising twists. My one complaint is that it was a slow start getting into the book. I had trouble understanding the different viewpoints of the book and how they all tied together, but by about the middle of the book it started making sense. I definitely plan on reading the next book in this series. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

3.5/5

These Still Black Waters is a slow burning domestic thriller with supernatural elements mixed in. It did take me a little time to get into this one, but once I did I was fully invested in the characters and plot. While I did guess part of the twist, I definitely didn't put all the pieces together, nor did that detract from my overall enjoyment. 3.5 stars and a strong recommendation for what appears to be the first in a series from Christina McDonald.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Neve and her daughter, Ash arrive at Neve's childhood summer home. Neve is separated from her husband Eli, after a devastating home invasion.

Shortly after they arrive, a body is found in Black Lake. The body is that of Bailey, Neve's childhood friend. Bailey is wearing a rainbow friendship bracelet. The same bracelets that Neve, Bailey and another girl are wearing in photos that are found. Bailey and Neve have secrets from the past, secrets that they have hidden, and it has affected their lives, causing an unstoppable chain of tragic events.

Jess is the police detective investigating Bailey's death. She is haunted by her daughter, Ilse, who died in a road accident, and Jess was driving. She carries a load of guilt and heartache. Neve helps her solve the case of Bailey's death, and the reason Bailey had to die.

I don't like paranormal books as a rule, but this one was good.
I liked (most) of the characters. Yes, they made mistakes when they were young, but not all of them grew up to be bad adults.
I don't know if Christina MacDonald's normal genre is of the paranormal, but this was a well written book and I would read more by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of Christina McDonald’s books, and I will say that ‘These Still Black Waters’, is my favorite to date. This book was definitely different and not quite what I expected, but I just connected and resonated with the characters and storyline so much. This book has suspense, along with grief and trauma, and the past coming back to haunt us.

‘These Still Black Waters’ deals mainly with two characters. We have Neve Maguire, who seems to have it all. She’s married with a daughter, a beautiful home, and she’s a veterinarian. However, Neve decides to take a small vacation to her childhood vacation home in Black Lake after a traumatic event occurs. We also have Detective Jess Lambert. Jess is the detective working in Black Lake trying to solve the latest crime. I resonated with Jess’s character maybe a little too much, because like her, I have a bad leg that I use a cane for. I also walk with a limp and have severe pain. The trauma that surrounds the injury may not be the same, but I still found myself empathizing with her throughout this story.

As Jess Lambert works to solve the crime in Black Lake, everyone is suspect. Who do you believe? Who can you trust? Does our past always come back to haunt us?
With that being said, the book was left open a little bit to let us know that Jess Lambert’s work is not done and she will be back for book #2 (hurry up please!).

I highly recommend reading this book, and I would like to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. Publication date is: August 8, 2023.

Neve and Eli are taking time away from their marriage.
Neve and her daughter Ash go to the lake house she grew up at that her parents owned.
The very next day her neighbor is found dead in the lake.
Jess, a detective on the case, has her own demons, after a tragic accident happened to her injuring her leg and so much more. While Jess battles her own personal demons she has to fight through her pain and find the murder.

I enjoyed this psychological thriller mystery. By the time I got half way through it I just couldn’t put it down.

A very good read

A special thank you to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for a review. I loved it.

These Still Black Waters is book one in the Jess Lambert series by Christina McDonald.

My first time reading this authors work and I'm very excited about it.
Her first series is going to be an amazing one.
Christina has created a solid, edge of your seat thriller with an unreliable narrator.
It kept me guessing until the very end. The mystery I absolutely loved which kept me glued to the pages.
This book draws you in from the first page and doesn’t let go until the end and then leaves you wanting more.
An atmospheric story that will have you guessing the whole way through.
I can't wait to read the next book in the Jess Lambert series.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I'm on the fence about this one. I have always enjoyed Christina's book because I felt they had a unique writing style. This book was good, but it feels like another cop series has been born. I'm not sure I would care to continue reading about Jess and her issues. Don't get me wrong, there were some good shocks in this book, but I did figure out the truth about Neve and who the killer was before they were revealed. Christina's books are usually much harder to figure out. I'm not sure I need another murder cop series. I will have to think about it. I Rec the book however, just wasn't the same.

This is the third August 2023 release I’ve read in the past week. Sorry not sorry to the January releases that I still have to finish from my NetGalley shelf. The week between Christmas and New Year’s belongs to those books.
Let’s talk about These Still Black Waters now shall we. I couldn’t put it down( the end of my review, just kidding). The story is told from three POV‘s. An unknown narrator who seems consumed with vengeance. Neve, a wife and mother who is going through a life altering experience, a home invasion. Then we have Jess, a detective who suffered a horrible loss and isn’t sure if she is losing her mind.
I won’t say more about the characters or the plot for fear of giving something away. I was 100% positive that I had this figured out. Was I right? Absolutely not. A very clever plot that had me looking left when I should have looked right and vice versa.
I thought about what I may have missed that sent me careening down the wrong path. I’ve decided in hindsight, the reality of what was going on should’ve been more apparent to me, but once I started down the wrong path, I was hooked on my theory. Well played and kudos to the author. It appears that this will be the first book in a new series and I’m all for maybe guessing correctly when the second book releases.