Holy moly! This is a weird book; part crime thriller and part paranormal mystery- this These Still Black Waters explores grief and trauma. After a violent home invasion, Neve returns to her childhood home— hoping for a fresh start. Soon after, a dead body is found floating in the lake behind her house and she realizes she’s made a horrible mistake.

Detective Jess Lambert is put in charge of the case. She has recently returned to work after her own personal tragedy— the loss of her young daughter. She’s struggling with guilt, drinking too much and making her own awful decisions.

This book is twisty and raw. It was an atmospheric read with lots of tension and unexpected reveals. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire read and could not finish it fast enough. Creepy and fun!

I predict that this book with soon be a instagram darling! Four stars!

Thank you to @Netgalley and the publisher for a gifted ARC in return for my honest review! These Still Black Waters publishes October 1, 2023!

These Still Black Waters is only the beginning of a new series, and I’m already obsessed. It's just so good, with all the ends tying up just the way I wanted them to, but still leaving so many threads for Jess to pursue in the future.

I want to know more about Jess Lambert. I want to know how her special gift helps her get justice for the dead. I want to know if she will get closure. I want to know it all, and I already can’t wait for the next chapter. Thank you so much for the opportunity to review!

These Still Black Waters is a dark yet compelling read that introduces Jess Lambert.

Jess has a lot of personal baggage as she is grieving the loss of her daughter.

Still Jess gives it her all to solve who murdered the local real estate agent.

Neve has returned to town with her daughter after a brutal home invasion and she is haunted by the past.

Something about these two ladies you just cant help but admire.

Something about the case connects the two of them.

Twists and turns keep the pages turning and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for a great start to a new series I cant wait to follow.

Drop everything and read These Still Black Waters by Christina McDonald right now! I have read her previous books and loved them, but this is a whole new level! I adored the two female leads and it looks like this may become a series. This book mixes crime, teenage secrets, family drama, and grief into one fantastic novel. Christina McDonald has been an author where I don’t even read the description of books when she has a new one out, I just buy it because I know it will be good. I can’t wait for her next book! The plot and backstory of this novel were outstanding and so well thought out. Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

THESE STILL BLACK WATERS by Christina McDonald. I knew that Christina would be an instant request/read after reading The Night Olivia Fell. This book is now up at the top of my list. Neve takes her young daughter Ash and goes to her childhood summer home on Black Lake after their home was broken into. After their arrival, a woman body is found in the lake behind the house. Now we meet Detective Jess Lambert. Detective Lambert is just returning to work after the devastating loss of her daughter Isla. When another body appears on the lake, it’s time for Neve and Jess Lambert to face long buried secrets before it’s too late. I was on the edge of my seat with this book. I carried my kindle everywhere I went so I can keep reading. This book is also a BOTM pick and I can see why. Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Mercer for the arc of this book. Don’t miss out on this one!

What secret have Neve and Bee been keeping since childhood?

Why did Neve run away from her home and head to the house where she had always spend her summers?

And… where was Bee when she arrived? She always was there when Neve arrived.

Lots of secrets kept present and past.

We bounce back-and-forth with the characters as we find out about their past and what’s happening in the present.

There also is an unidentified narrator.

THESE STILL BLACK WATERS is very mysterious, and the characters are pretty much on the odd side.

The book includes some paranormal and has a wild ending.

It is a little confusing, but don’t give up.

If you like not knowing who did what and when they did it, this book is for you. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

"These Still Black Waters" is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Neve Maguire's return to her childhood summer home takes a dark turn when a body is discovered in the lake behind her house. The story is filled with suspense as Neve's secrets unravel, and Detective Jess Lambert, haunted by her own past, digs deeper into the mysteries of Black Lake. With each page, the tension escalates, and the chilling truth slowly emerges. A haunting tale of buried secrets and the darkness of the past, "These Still Black Waters" is a must-read for thriller enthusiasts.

Absolutely loved it! This book had so many layers and levels - it was emotional, twisted, suspenseful and a total page turner! I loved everything and couldn't wait to finally get all the answers. a complicated tale or revenge, love and consequences.

I struggled, at first, to get into this story. I really struggled with a horrible detective - who drinks on the job and constantly jeopardizes the whole investigation. I was so distracted by her drinking, withholding information from her partner, and going rogue and investigating the murder all alone. It was frustrating and I think I'm done with stories about really bad cops.

The other MC, Neve, was equally meh. She had the persona she put out to the world and the one she was when no one was looking. She felt superior, because she wasn't like that one girl who blackmailed people, but she was still pretty awful to those around her.

The plot, however, was interesting. I had a pretty constant finger pointed here and there. It did take a minute for more of the cast to appear but the story was quick once the detective started working and not just drinking. The twist was interesting, one I was just beginning to guess, and I liked the surprised. All in all, I liked it but I wish I'd been able to roll with the bad cop storyline.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Well that was surprising! Another page turner from Christina McDonald, albeit a very different one. A fast read, you will want to keep reading to see what happens next.

Neve and her daughter have come to stay in Black Lake after they were involved in a home invasion. Neve spent summers here in her mothers holiday house so what better place to get away. But when they arrive, a body has been found in the lake, and it is a childhood friend of Neve’s. We soon discover that Neve’s last summer here was one that she has been trying to forget for years. The lead Detective, Jess Lambert, is back at work after a family tragedy, but is she ready? She can see that Neve is hiding something, but you will never guess what.

I look forward to reading more about Jess and her journey. My heart broke for her and what she was going through. This was a compelling read, definitely one I will recommend.

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer me NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on October 1st.

I had a really hard time getting into this story, I didn't like any of the main characters and the plot just wasn't pulling me in. As the story moved along I had considered the twist as a possibility but I didn't fully commit to that. I'm glad that I stuck with it as the end brought it all together.

Thank you Christina McDonald, Net Galley and the Thomas & Mercer for providing me an ARC of this novel.
I really enjoyed the night Olivia Fell, Do No Harm fell a bit flat for me, but this book has brought Christina McDonald back to my must reads authors.
Neve, after suffering a home invasion brings her daughter to Black Lake where she spent her summers as a child. As soon as they arrive, weird thing begin happening to Neve that bring back memories from bad times when she was young that she has buried for years.
This story was so different and surprising. Christina found a way to bring in mystery, psychological thriller, and paranormal in to one story that kept me turning pages late in to the night.

After a terrifying home invasion leaves her daughter Ash injured, Neve takes her to her old summer home at Black Lake. Hoping for a new start, she is horrified when a body is pulled from the lake on their first morning there. Meanwhile detective Jess has her own demons of being the driver in the car accident that killed her daughter. Will she be able to solve the mystery of the body in the lake?

Phew! This book was not what I was expecting at all! Little bit of murder, throw in some paranormal, this book will fuck with your head! I did figure out part of it while reading, but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the book! I felt so much for both Jess and Neve and the trauma they were both trying to overcome, however, I still found myself needing to know why someone had invaded Neve’s home, and also who killed Bailey (the woman found in the lake.) this was a fast paced, and super twisty book you will not want to put down!

These still waters grips you from the first word till the last page. Neve Maguire survives a traumatizing home invasion but it leaves her feeling vulnerable. Neve decides to take her daughter Ash to her summer home growing up to help heal from the trauma of the invasion. From the moment they arrive at the summer home the intense suspenseful drama and mystery begins. Jess Lambert is a bada** detective that is struggling with her own internal struggles since losing her baby girl in a car accident. Jess Lambert thinks she is going crazy and falling apart. Jess starts to see things that aren’t making sense to her. Through These Still Waters Jess and Neve compete to figure out what is happening in the quiet town of Black Lake. Will mysterious stuff that happened the last summer that Neve was in town come to light or will deadly secrets stay hidden. When body counts start adding up will Jess be able to solve the mysteries in time or will the killer get away?

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 1, 2023
Christina McDonald, author of “Do No Harm” and “The Night Olivia Fell”, among others, dips her feet into the police procedural genre with her new novel, “These Still Black Waters”. “Waters” is the first novel in the Jess Lambert series. As a huge fan of McDonald, I was intrigued, and was definitely not disappointed.
After a brutal home invasion, Neve returns to her family home with her teenage daughter, Ash, hoping to start fresh. Although Neve hasn’t returned home since a tragic accident in her adolescence, with the exception of an occasional visit to her mother who is in a nursing home, Neve hopes that the familiarity of her childhood home will be a comfort. But the comfort doesn’t last long when Neve gets a visit from police detective, Jess Lambert, after the body of Neve’s neighbour, and childhood friend, is found in a nearby lake. Jess knows Neve is hiding something, and Neve refuses to let the secrets of her past surface, and will protect her daughter, no matter the cost. But both Jess and Neve continue to be haunted by secrets from their past- and their secrets may bury them both.
“Waters” is narrated by both Jess and Neve, in alternating chapters, with a few italicized chapters narrated by an as-of-yet-unknown character. Jess and Neve are both recovering from their own traumas, in different ways, and McDonald’s character building is on point. Both women are relatable and likable, even though they appear very different, and it is easy to develop a quick rapport with both protagonists.
Just before the halfway point, I had a literal “aha!” moment when I figured out the first twist. This did not dampen my enjoyment however, but merely served to increase it, and I couldn’t wait to see how it played out. The final twist I also figured out before the end of the novel, but McDonald’s writing is so immersive and engaging, I still couldn’t stop reading.
“Waters” is far more than a murder-mystery. In true McDonald fashion, it is a tale of heartbreak and healing, secrets and lies and the deep love between a mother and a child. Right from the beginning, the story pulled me in and I was left gasping until the final pages. I am desperate for more Jess Lambert, and can’t wait to see where McDonald goes next!

There is nothing quite like a small-town murder mystery where it is abundantly clear that everyone has dark and nasty secrets.

I will admit that it took me longer than I would have liked to get into this story as Neve seemed decidedly unlikeable and Jess being an alcoholic cop felt a bit cliché. I will also say that I am not really the biggest fan of books where we have a cop POV so there will be some bias on my part there.

Around the halfway mark, things started snapping into place and when that lightbulb moment occurred, I suddenly realised how cleverly crafted this book was and immediately wanted to go back to the start and see where the breadcrumbs had been laid. It wasn't until a fair chunk later into the book when this reveal was confirmed but I didn't feel like the book was trying to dance around the reveal, more the characters didn't realise the truth because they didn't have the same information as the reader.

The identity of the killer seemed fairly obvious from the time that this particular character was introduced HOWEVER I am not convinced that this was not deliberate on McDonald's part as the story felt a bit more like a cat-and-mouse plot whilst setting-up who Jess Lambert is.

Despite the slow start, I really enjoyed the direction that this story went in and definitely didn't see it coming. The final few pages could have been a little tighter however they made sense when this book is viewed as primarily serving the goal of introducing this character.

I am intrigued with where this series will go next as the same reveal isn't likely to work in subsequent books but I get the impression that we will get similar plot devices (sorry, trying very hard not to spoil in any way).

Omg, I am seriously such a fan of Christina, I don't think she could ever write a bad book. I loved this one so much. The post twist was incredible, and I absolutely loved the ending!! I cannot wait for her to write another book. Let's she how she can top this one.

I really enjoyed this read. In particular, I loved messed-up but sharp detective Jess Lambert, with her cane, motorbike, problems with alcohol and PTSD. Jess is the lead on a case involving the death of real estate agent, Bee. The murder takes place in Black Lake, a small town dominated by the eerie lake, blackened by tannin. When Bee is found dead, the police swing into action, questioning those who knew Bee, and lived nearby. One of these is Neve Maguire, who’s moved to her mother’s home in the area with her daughter following a home invasion. This sets the scene for a gripping tale complete with mystery, age-old secrets, threatening messages and the desire for justice. It’s fast-paced, full of unexpected surprises and had me gripped.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Ultimately, I rounded up from 3.5 to 4 stars because while I felt tricked as a reader, it was a pretty good twist I wasn't expecting.

This book centers around two women, Detective Jess Lambert and Neve Maguire, a veterinarian and mom of a 15 year old daughter, Ashley. There's a murderer in Black Lake, a sleepy tourist town in an unknown part of the east coast. I pretty much guessed the murderer at one point somewhere in the middle, but I didn't guess the big twist until it was revealed. There is an unreliable narrator trope and some paranormal stuff mixed in with the murder that Det Lambert and her partner Will are investigating. The flashbacks take us to Neve being a teenager and spending her summers at Black Lake. She's not so much unlikeable as she is....surprisingly devious.

While I kept reading because of the suspense, and it was well written, I wanted to see more of Detective Lambert, and it seems there might be more books with her.

TW for cheating, affairs, drugging, sexual assault, murderer, and paranormal activity. 3.5->4☆ out 10/1/23

𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

This book was such a pleasant surprise! I don’t want to say too much as to not give anything away, but…

• the connections between the characters were creative
• the way the big twist was done usually wouldn’t be for me, but there was something about this one that worked perfectly and I loved it
• this is the first book in the Detective Jess Lambert series
• the ending of this suspense novel made me CRY. When has that ever happened with a psychological thriller?!?!