The Drowning Kind

By: Jennifer McMahon

Narrated by: Joy Osmanski, Imani Jade Powers

In this “blisteringly suspenseful tale that will keep you up at night” (Wendy Webb, author of Daughters of the Lake), a woman returns to the old family home after her sister mysteriously drowns in its swimming ​pool…but she’s not the pool’s only victim.

Be careful what you wish for.

When Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.

In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.

A modern-day ghost story that illuminates how the past, though sometimes forgotten, is never really far behind us, The Drowning Kind “is satisfying on every level: Marvelously chilling, elegantly written, a true page-turner” (Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author).

©2021 Jennifer McMahon. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Narrators Joy Osmanski and Imani Jade Powers shine in this haunting novel. Osmanski voices the story of Jax, a social worker who is distanced from her complicated family history in 2019. When her sister reaches out during a manic episode and then winds up dead, Jax knows there is more to the story. Jax's contemporary story alternates with the 1929 story of Ethel Monroe, voiced by Powers. Ethel and her husband are eager to start a family. They visit the Brandenburg Springs Hotel, which is rumored to have healing springs that grant wishes. Powers's perfect pacing creates a supernatural, eerie atmosphere filled with regret and desperation. As the characters in both storylines connect and secrets are revealed, listeners will be shocked by the jaw-dropping surprises." (AudioFile Magazine)

Love this Author

I have only read/listened to a few of her books but they never disappoint. This one was so creepy. I would love to see it as a movie. Her character development and imagery is so good. And the person who performs the narration for her books is excellent.

Enthralling

Supernatural psychological thriller maybe a little on the horror side. I could see this as a lengthy movie on TV or in the theaters. Background stories would need to be told for the connections. I was enthralled and enjoyed it when I could get my hands on it in the mornings and evenings of my trip.

a definite need to read

my favorite of hers so far. I loved how it was past and present, making the stories intertwine.

Top Notch Thrills

Fans of Jennifer McMahon will love this one. I enjoyed it almost as much as Winter People. One of the narrator’s voices was easier on the ears than the other but overall, very well done!

Overall good book

Overall good… not my typical read but worth the listen. I’d recommend this audiobook to others.

Gripping story, a real page turner

The history in the story was well written. I liked how it all came together in the end.

didnt like the ending

it was a great story. i didnt care for the ending...or understand what or why they all did what they did at the end. nobody really even really liked the house.

Great story, bad narrator

I loved the story, but that second narrator! I had to force myself to keep listening through her sections (and often found myself changing it to a different voice in my head).

A Good Story. Not the authors best though.

The writing of Jennifer McMahon is always consistent. You can always expect to get two timelines in two time frames with a smooth Slow Burn of a story. I enjoyed this book about two sisters and the ties That Bind from the past. The main focal point being a pool fed by a spring that has miraculous powers.

Great book. Made me feel like crap.

Ok I love this author. The winter people is the best book ever. This is a well written thriller. But I think I know why people are writing bad reviews. This book made me feel terrible. The idea of dark water and drowning people brings up an water logged heavy feeling of grief the entire time you listen. It’s elemental. I wish I had not read it because I found the main character very unlikeable and it felt agonizing to listen to. I feel like the narrator who does Jackie didn’t help. So maybe a different narrator. But it has nothing to do with the author. The book did a very good job of keeping you hooked til the end. I think people don’t like the way it makes us feel.