These Still Black Waters

Jess Lambert, Book 1

By: Christina McDonald

Narrated by: Angela Dawe, Erin Bennett, Ellen Quay

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Two women struggle toward a dark truth as a killer avenges the sins of the past in a twisting novel of suspense by the USA Today bestselling author of Do No Harm, Behind Every Lie, and The Night Olivia Fell.

After a violent home invasion, 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. And the secrets of Black Lake are only just beginning to surface.

©2023 Christina McDonald (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“The narrators—Angela Dawe, Erin Bennett, Ellen Quay—abound with talent. Bennett, a seasoned narrator, pours her emotions into Neve, and the fear and confusion she portrays are genuinely felt. With her husky voice and Michigan accent, Dawe gives voice to men and women characters. Her passionate portrayal of Lambert's troubles is especially skillful. Quay has an expressive voice that chillingly embodies the murderer's focused hunt. An auspicious start to a captivating new series. Mystery/crime fans will be delighted.”—Library Journal

“Atmospheric and inventive, Christina McDonald’s These Still Black Waters pulled me in on page one and held tight. In this haunting and beautifully written thriller chock full of secrets that won’t stay buried, McDonald is a masterful storyteller. A truly nightmarish trip to the lake guaranteed to keep readers enthralled.”—Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest

“These Still Black Waters has it all: electric writing, complex characters, a touch of the supernatural, and whiplash twists guaranteed to keep you up long past your bedtime.”—Jess Lourey, Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Quarry Girls

Great one for October

This was a perfect Audible listen for the month of October. Murders center back to something from the past but who is committing them? A spooky old house and basement … who believes in ghosts?! Good one for this time of year! Included with Kindle Unlimited.

Suspense and thrill at its finest

I love the way Christina has evolved in her story telling. Her characters are so real you continue to wonder how they are long after finishing the story! Your best work thus far
Can’t wait for book 2!

Thrilling

I love the characters and their journeys. There’s never a dull moment. The twist at the end was priceless

Great story with a twist!

Very different story line from other reads, unexpected quirks made this an interesting and suspenseful read!

Love a good twist

Great book with a good twist. It did remind me of a famous movie with the same twist, but it was definitely a different story line. Detective Jess Lambert has a case to solve and she is receiving help from a mysterious source. She is a functioning alcoholic who is dealing with the grief of losing her own daughter. The case she is working on ends up helping her heal a little bit with her own grief. I love that she has a good partner at work, Detective Will Casey. He has her back, even when things aren’t going great. The case - a dead woman in a small neighborhood, who could have wanted her dead? Her husband who she was cheating on? One of the people she kept video tapes of? An old childhood friend who she wronged? You’ll have to read to find out!! I will be reading another Christina McDonald book soon!! Narrators Angela Dawe, Erin Bennett and Ellen Quay were excellent!!

The paranormal aspect.

The idea that just 'being good' gets you to Heaven in the afterlife. Neve says she didn't believe in God.

Must read/listen

This book tells the story from 3 different POVs. You have Jess Lambert, Neve McGuire and the third is unknown, but you get little hints here and there who it might be. Let me tell you, some of those hints really threw me for a loop! I would think I had it figured out when another hint would alluded to someone else. I think I finally figured it out at about 80% in! Not long before the reveal.
This book focuses on the stories of Jess Lambert and Neve McGuire. It weaves their stories together so perfectly. Two women who have experienced the worst thing a parent could imagine, having your child die or almost die. This was written incredibly well, going from past to present. At times, I found it hard to get into just because of distractions around me. But when I turned on the audiobook, I didn’t have any issues at all. There are 3 different narrators, one for each point of view. That way you could tell who was talking even if the chapter didn’t tell you who it was at the beginning. There wasn’t any extra effects which I really appreciate. Sometimes audiobooks throw those in and it just distracts me completely from the story.
There are many twists and turns in this book. A few that made my mouth drop open and a few that made me think ‘ahhh, that makes sense’. There are also paranormal elements that I just loved.
I read this in anticipation of the second book in this series, to release later this year. But I am super happy that I don’t have to wait until later this year! I have an advanced copy that I will be starting immediately.

Mystery with a twist

Christina McDonal captured and maintained by attention from beginning until end. In this murder mystery about the past catching up with the present we meet Neve a mother and wife who has been hiding a secret from her summer teen days and Detective Jess Lambert who works as a homicide detective in the small town of Black Waters.
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Neve was known as the summer girl because she visited Black Waters for three months during summer break. During her last summer visit before college something happened and now someone is threatening her life. Neve will stop at nothing to protect her daughter.
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Detective Jess Lambert is a homicide detective that helps the dead by giving them a voice. Jess is no stranger to guilt or death having experienced firsthand. Jess has worked hard to earn her way back as lead detective after the accident left her handicapped. Her grief and guilt drive her to alcohol. There’s something remarkable about Jess that helps her solve this case.
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Two women are brought together by tragedy. Both are haunted by a tragic past. While Jess may suffer the same as Neve the one difference between them is the way they protect their children.
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Christina McDonald got me good with that amazing twist although she didn’t get me with who the killer was. I figured that one out midway through. This was definitely a fast paced thriller with a high intensity of danger.
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It is my belief that all thrillers are best served by listening to the audiobook. Even better if you are an eyes and ears person. I listened using the audible app. The three narrators who performed the voices of Jess, Neve, and the unknown character were fantastic. All gave a sensational performance.

Wow, that was more emotional that I was expecting

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.

Run

This book has so many twist but gd if it isn’t a fantastic read with great narration