Review: The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

"There's something in the water." In Jennifer McMahon's latest novel about a hot springs that grants miracles, this is most definitely true. If you're familiar with McMahon's work, then you know she has perfected the creepy ghost story. Her novels are usually classified as mystery and sometimes get labeled as horror, but it's a very subtle sort of fear that she creates for her readers. I read The Winter People years ago and remember being unsettled down to my core after I finally finished it. I've never really been big into ghost stories, but McMahon writes in such a way that I never realize I've crossed into supernatural territory. Maybe that's what makes her stories so downright chilling.

In The Drowning Kind, people from all around the country travel to visit some mysterious springs that are said to cure ailments of every kind and grant miracles. The locals tell people to stay away and warn that the springs give, but they also take away. Readers follow the story of two women, Ethel and Jackie (aka Jax) and their experiences with the mystical water. Ethel's narrative takes place in flashbacks, back when a hotel that tried to profit from the springs met a tragic end. Ethel asked the springs to grant her deepest desire-a baby. The springs deliver on that request almost immediately, but it doesn't take long for Ethel to realize that along with every blessing, there is a curse to balance out the forces in the universe. 

Meanwhile in present day, Ethel's great-great-granddaughter Jax is mourning the death of her mentally ill sister, Lex, who drowned in the springs while living alone at the family estate. Lex had called Jax several times the night of her death, leaving manic messages for her sister about the water in the springs. Jax chose not to answer and now lives with the guilt of knowing she'll never get the chance to speak with her sister again. Her death makes no sense to Jax because Lex knew those springs like the back of her hand, having swam in them daily since she was a small child. Jax arrives to the property only to find the house in a peculiar state. All the light bulbs have been busted out of the sockets and every surface is covered with cryptic notes written in Lex's handwriting. Jars of water are scattered everywhere and upon further inspection, Jax realizes that Lex was investigating the springs when she died. Perhaps her sister had actually stumbled upon something during her investigation that could explain her untimely death? Jax decides to continue her sister's research, but it takes her down a dark road from which there may not be a way to turn back.

This was such an enjoyable book! I've been a fan of Jennifer McMahon's writing for awhile now, but even I was surprised how much I ended up liking this one. Like I said before, it didn't keep me up at night from fear, but it was scary in a much more nuanced way. I was starting to feel a little disappointed as I neared the end of the book, not really liking the way it was wrapping up and then WHAM! The story shifts just a tad and blows me away. I loved that ending! If you've ever read McMahon's other novels, you should definitely check this one out and if you haven't, then do yourself a favor and start reading one on a chilly, dark night. I guarantee you'll be spooked!

My Rating: ★★★★★ out of 5

*Thanks to the author, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!  

At the time of this review, this title will be available to purchase on April 6th, 2021.