Thriller and horror is always exciting, but this new read brings it to a whole new level. “The Drowning Kind” was published on April 6th, 2021 as a thriller. The author Jennifer McMahon never fails to make you want to keep reading, same with some of her other amazing novels. This nail-bitter pulls on your heartstrings but at the same time, it’s able to creep you out.

This chilling new novel about a woman who returns to her old family home after her sister mysteriously drowns in the swimming pool, you better be careful what you wish for. When a social worker Jackie gets nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she thinks that it’s just one of her sisters’ episodes. As Lexie is Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, this has caused Lexie to push Jackie away. Lexie ends up dead, but how?

The story is told through the perspective of Jackie as she unravels this family mystery. Jennifer McMahon alternates the chapters about Jackie with chapters about a woman named Ethel Monroe and her husband, Will, who stayed at the springs in 1929 when they were on the grounds of a hotel and who made a secret wish. Ethel soon realizes that the springs offer both hope and tragedy. Her story becomes interwoven with Jackie’s investigations. The way this was written makes it hard to put it down. “The Drowning Kind mixes an atmospheric and sinister story of supernatural suspense and heartbreaking family tragedy.

This life-like novel balances supernatural scares with authentic human drama and tragedy which is what keeps the story grounded, even though she is exploring forces that are anything but. There are balanced timelines to enhance the chill factor in this novel. Building the tension bit by bit until the full horrors of the pool are revealed by the book’s ending.

Overall this is a read you don’t want to miss. The whole time reading this book I couldn’t help wondering what would happen next. The image on the front cover and the title immediately made me gravitate towards it. I love that this novel mixed some paranormal aspects as well as family drama and hardship because everyone can relate to it.