🦈 Did I know Tiffany D Jackson’s new book was middle grade before I requested it? No, no I didn’t. Did I love it anyway?! Of course I did. Thank you to @scholastic for the sneak peek. This is out now!

🦈 This would be a great introduction to the thriller genre for a young kiddo. It also dips the readers toes into some social justice issues and a look at the Black experience.

🦈 I thought Jackson did a fantastic job of giving the young MC a realistic, and interesting voice. I would highly recommend this for a middle grade reader!

This was such a fun and quick read! I was able to finish within a couple hours and enjoyed it so much.

For a middle grade thriller, this story balances between the fear factor and the main character’s life well. I enjoyed learning about Martha’s Vineyard from a young kids POV and was genuinely enthralled by the mystery of the house and what happened with the “shark attack”

Would definitely recommend this for young readers

Tiffany Jackson never disappoints for me (so far)! While the target audience is middle grade I still really enjoyed the story. I loved the setting, the mystery and learning more about the history of Martha’s Vineyard. Our protagonist is a smart, observant girl who sticks up for herself.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book.

This book was very good. I would definitely recommend it for quiet reading in my classroom and other students that enjoy reading as a past time.

It wasn't until I started reading Blood in the Water did I realize that it's YA, which is usually not my cup of tea whatsoever. Having read most all of her other books, I decided to press on and I'm so glad I did. While I did see most of the big twist coming, it didn't stop me from enjoying this one very much! It was the perfect summer thriller being set in Martha's Vineyard and did give me summer vacation vibes (and it's been a long time since I was on school vacation). I enjoyed Kaylani's character and found her very likeable (Cassie and London however? Not so much). I liked how it all came together at the end and that none of it seemed too far fetched, maybe only that it seemed the community kind of just quickly moved past the tragic death of a teenager, especially one who appeared to be a golden child of sorts. Outside of that, I found this to be very entertaining and read it in two sittings. I recommend for fans of fun summer vibes thrillers, especially if you enjoy YA thrillers. Even though it's not my usual genre, I enjoyed this one very much, definitely keeps Tiffany D. Jackson on my auto buy author list! I also loved her author's note mentioning her daughter in her tummy as she was writing - very sweet!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review!

If you love page-turning mysteries, layered characters, and stories that keep you guessing until the very end, Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson needs to be at the top of your list. Set against the sunny beaches and deep-rooted history of Martha’s Vineyard, this book offers way more than ice cream, lobster rolls, and ocean views—it dives into secrets, lies, and the kind of danger that sneaks up when you least expect it.

Kaylani, a Brooklyn girl spending her summer in Oak Bluffs, quickly realizes that paradise isn’t always what it seems. After a local teen’s death sends shockwaves through the community, Kaylani finds herself drawn into a chilling mystery where everyone has something to hide. As she digs deeper, the line between truth and rumor begins to blur—and what she discovers will change everything.

Jackson’s storytelling is as sharp as ever. She builds suspense with precision while keeping the plot age-appropriate and engaging. This is the perfect read for middle grade and early teen readers who are curious about thrillers but not quite ready for darker YA fare. Fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder will find this a compelling, just-right alternative.

Teachers: this is exactly the kind of book that gets kids reading. It’s fast-paced, thought-provoking, and offers meaningful themes—race, privilege, family, identity—within a gripping mystery framework. It deserves a place in every classroom library.

This is a great middle grade mystery. The characters are well written and easy to connect with, and the plot is engaging. It is simple and wraps up very neatly as an adult reading it, but I think it's perfect for middle schoolers.

Blood in the Water was my third read by Tiffany D. Jackson, and possibly my favorite so far. I think this would be an excellent introduction to thriller books for middle grade readers. While I think there are some misconceptions that this book is horror, it definitely falls squarely in the category of thriller/mystery. Kaylani is spending her summer with family friends immersing herself in the wealth and privilege of Martha's Vineyard. When a death of a beloved teenager rocks the community, Kaylani begins investigating the real cause of the tragedy, and ultimately finds herself making connections between this mystery and some unanswered questions in her own life. Jackson successfully takes this dark story and makes it developmentally appropriate for young readers. Students who are interested in the TikTok-popular "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder"-esque novels (but are still a bit young) should definitely pick this one up. I'm planning on adding it to my classroom library.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for my advanced copy.

as a born-and-bred brooklyn girl, kaylani is expecting to stick out like a sore thumb at martha’s vineyard this summer. but at her mother’s insistence that she spends time with the watsons, their family friends, and less time waiting around for her incarcerated father to call her, kaylani goes. the watsons live in oak bluffs, a town with a rich black history that instantly attracts kaylani. when a murder rocks the community to its core, kaylani sets out to solve it.

i’ve loved so many of tiffany d. jackson’s other books, so of course i had to tune in for her middle grade debut! of course, this book did not disappoint in the slightest. there was so much (pieces of black history, discussions of class differences, having an incarcerated parent, etc.) packed into under 300 pages, but tiffany d. jackson made it work. of course, we also had the murder mystery at hand, and it was so compelling. the plot twist was done so well!

overall, this was a great MG mystery book. i’m looking forward to more books from the author!

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Tiffany D. Jackson's Middle Grade mystery debut! She is an auto-buy author for me and I was curious how she would deliver her signature suspense for a younger audience. This story is about a young girl sent to vacation with a friend of her family's on Martha's Vineyard, when a teen mysteriously dies. As an observational kid with an understandable disillusionment with the legal process, she quickly becomes involved in her own investigation of the events. Although this is a murder mystery, it felt age-appropriate - never "too scary," but still plenty of suspense. A great choice for an adventerous young reader.

This middle grade mystery thriller was a pleasurable read! 

"Just like in the water, you never know what's lurking, hunting, ready to attack." Thank goodness Kaylani kept her head on swivel while being on her summer vacation in Martha's Vineyard. Her diligence definitely paid off when she got caught up in a murder/possible drowning/possible shark attack of someone in the community. 

This is a quick read and would be an enjoyable read to all!

Kaylani is not thrilled to be going to Martha's Vineyard for the summer. She wants to stay in Brooklyn and help figure out how to help her dad, who is in prison for a crime she knows he did not commit. Instead, her family's friends, the Watsons, are taking her with their granddaughters London & Cassie to the beach for a month. Things take a turn when a boy dies, and it seems like he might have been murdered. Kaylani agrees to help London clear Cassie from suspicion while also agreeing to help Miles, the younger brother of the murdered boy.

This was a quick read! It took a little bit of time in the book to get to the mystery, but even the part before that was fast paced. The whodunnit was not the most crazy to me, but I am also an adult reading this so I can see where it might be a big twist for the age this is intended for. Overall, a quick paced good middle grade mystery!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reading in Between the Wines book review #74/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: Blood in the Water
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Available now!!

Sipping thoughts: In Jackson fashion, she gave a twisty, engaging YA read. I liked the short chapters, and it was a really quick read. The main character, Kaylani, was so likable, and I wanted to read more of her. It would be great if this became a series or, in the least, a part 2.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @Scholastic for an advanced copy of @BloodInTheWater.

#BloodInTheWater #TiffanyDJackson #Scholastic #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bokreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Kayalani is spending the summer with friends of the family in Martha's Vineyard. She doesn't really want to go but since her dad is in jail, this seems like a good opportunity to do something different. But Kaylani finds that the family she's staying with is not that excited to have her there anyway. The two granddaughters are unkind and deceitful but Kaylani makes friends with some other kids from town and she especially finds the local history interesting. When one of the kids she's just met is murdered after a party that the girls all attended, Kaylani starts investigating and finds trouble a lot closer than she imagined. There is some super interesting black history as part of the story line and there are themes of family and protecting the ones you love as well as asking questions. I thought this was a compelling and interesting story.

📖 Book Title: Blood in the Water
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery/Thriller
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Blood in the Water" follows Kaylani, who visits Martha's Vineyard with family friends. Not only does she not want to go, but she has a plan to help her dad...even from a distance. As she settles into the Watsons' home, she finds that a young man she met is now dead, and she seeks to figure out what truly happened. Though this is a middle-grade novel, it captured (and held) my attention from start to finish. I did not see the plot twist coming, and I enjoyed the book's pacing. I highly recommend this quick read to audiences of many ages.

Absolutely wonderful! Tiffany D. Jackson is always a master at creating suspense and horror and she is able to translate it well for a middle-grade audience here without losing any impact. I also love how the type feels pretty dyslexia friendly. It's honestly the perfect summer thriller!

This was a really great middle grade horror. When I requested this I did not realize it was middle grade just saw the author and had enjoyed her past books and this one was no exception. This story follows Kaylani a young girl who’s father is in prison gets sent to live with family friends for the summer on Martha’s Vineyard but when one of the local kids end up dead Kaylani ends up in the middle of it all. This was a quick easy entertaining read that I flew through. This is not my first book from this author and is hopefully not my last can’t wait to read what they come up with next. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Despite this being a YA book and me being almost 30, I actually really enjoyed this book. This brought me back to the mystery books I read as a child and this was honestly the perfect summer mystery read. I really like the authors writing style and how she kept the story engaging. I will definitely be reading more of her work.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic for this arc.

Love my girl Tiffany DOWN! I am glad to have read something new and fresh from her. I felt the twist early on and I really liked the different characters. Overall great book!

I tend to dive into books without reading the blurbs, and this one was no different. I had no idea what to expect going in, except that I have enjoyed Tiffany D. Jackson's work in the past. This book was no different. I think she does a wonderful job of including relevant social commentary in her books, and I love that. I enjoyed the small bits of history sprinkled in throughout, and the historical context of the setting. I felt like I was transported to Martha's Vineyard, and I was following the characters throughout the book. Though this was a middle-grade book, I absolutely loved it. I thought it was easy to follow and, quite honestly, I tore through it in the matter of a couple of hours. I couldn't put it down once I started it. I also enjoyed the fact that the pieces of social commentary sprinkled throughout were age-appropriate and explained in a way that kids who would generally be reading this genre comprehend. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for an eARC of this book!