The Drowning Kind

 The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon  319 pages

Summary from Goodreads: When social worker 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.

And here's what I thought: This was a really nice, creepy story. With the back-and-forth in time, you get an interesting perspective on the property in question, which I thought was interesting. In fact, the property and the pool of water, itself, is a character unto itself. I also liked that because some of the characters have . . . . issues, they are unreliable narrators. That sense of "can I believe them," and "is the water somehow evil?" kept things interesting.

Definitely a good story if you like a little ghost story with your suspense novel.

Rock Paper Scissors

 Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney  Galley  292 pages  due out 9/2021

Summary from Goodreads: Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.

Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts – paper, cotton, pottery, tin – and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.

Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.

And here's what I thought:  This was dark, delicious and had a completely twisted twist about 3/4 of the way through the story that was absolutely fantastic.

Things clearly aren't right with Mr. and Mrs. Wright. The alternating viewpoints here tell you that, but what you can't quite put your finger on is what's actually wrong, and if one of them is correct (ok, right) about what's happening or what's wrong. Going away for an anniversary weekend sounds wonderful, except it's a drive into the Scottish highlands in bad weather, to arrive at an old chapel converted into a home and find it's cold, there's no food, and there's a whole bunch of creepiness.  What's down in the cellar? Wine, yes -- but definitely something else. Which doors are locked? Was that one locked a few hours ago, because it's open now.  And is there someone really outside the window or are they imagining things?

Adding to the odd factor are a couple of extra elements here. Mr. Wright has a condition where he cannot recognize faces, not even his own.  But he knows his wife (or does he?). Mrs. Wright seems awfully determined to make this an anniversary that neither of them will forget, in a way that makes you wonder how much she really loves him.  And, throughout the whole book, are letters that Mrs. Wright has written to her husband for each anniversary (although she never gives them to him).  There's definitely a feeling of sadness and then deep resentment that starts to permeate the story, which just adds to the apprehension that you start the whole book with.

Absolutely fantastic read.