This just didn't quite hit right for me. There were parts of it that I really liked, but unfortunately equal parts I did not.

The setting; the lake, the history, the monsters, the well - really drew me in. I really enjoyed the first half or so of the book, in which we see two interwoven stories, one of the past and one of present. It's at the point in the book where the two stories meet that I thought things rather fell apart. It didn't help that I got rather caught up on the logistics of some of the things that were happening. I think me and the author have a drastically different idea of the volume of ash created when you cremate a person.

Overall; I really liked the setup, but didn't think this nailed the execution.

What would you do in exchange for the life of another person's child? To Those Willing To Drown addresses this question. The book delves into an unconventional view of the afterlife. A lake with a mystical power gives eerie vibes and the characters are consistently meditating on grief. These elements make for a beautiful haunting folk horror novel.

This one hit like a stone to the gut—and I mean that in the best way possible. Mark Matthews was new to me, but definitely won’t be a one-and-done. To Those Willing To Drown is bleak, beautiful, and rough in all the right places.

We move between two timelines: a Civil War surgeon and a present-day camp counselor, both haunted by personal demons and connected through Torch Lake in Michigan. The lake, by the way, has teeth. It’s a deeply human, horror story wrapped in supernatural elements, threaded with folklore and myth.

I went in blind and after a few pages I was thinking this might be a PTSD-driven soldier narrative (and I admit, I groaned a little), but by chapter three, I was all in. By 60%, I was emotionally wrecked. By 70%, I was glued to the pages like something cursed was dragging me deeper.

Some of the characters made me furious (you’ll know who when you meet them), and yet that didn’t change my love for the story. It just deepened it. It’s violent. It’s eerie. It’s dark and raw and full of ache. But also weirdly…sweet? Like watching something tragic unfold while still hoping for some glimmer of peace.

It’s incredible what Matthews pulls off in 200-ish pages. His writing is visceral and unflinching, but also lyrical in its pain. This is a story about grief, guilt, sacrifice, and survival, all cloaked in folklore and chilling, melancholic beauty. It ends the only way it could, and I mean that in the best possible, soul-crushing way.

This wasn’t on my radar a month ago. I made room for it—and I’m so glad I did. If you like your horror haunted by grief and soaked in myth, dive in. Just know the lake doesn’t let go easily.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wicked Run Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

An absolutely haunting book, we begin the story by learning of one of our main characters, a doctor who has a thing for doing amputations. Traumatized by an instance when he should have made the cut but waited, he now cuts too early, on healthy people. After a career as a doctor during the war, he's chosen to retire with his wife to a lake with a bad reputation to the locals, named Torch Lake for the people who come out at night to fish. But as we find out, it's so much more than that, and with good reason.

A hundred or more years ago, he makes a family and continues to help the people around him with his amputations. But he not only discovers a well on his property filled with unexplainable things, including a woman that seems to live in it. Once, when his son is a boy, a man comes for his help that he cannot save. This causes him to talk to the woman in the well about it, and they strike a deal. She'll help by healing him, and he'll help by using the leaches in the well to bring his infected blood to her. He goes with it, and all too soon the man is well and up, and gone. With his blood. And the women in the well will collect her end of the bargain no matter what. Soon he finds his son sick with the same illness that the man had. An of course, he goes to the well with another bargain.

These series of failed deals trap the family to do the bidding of the well, not only inside the lake, but outside too. Lilith, Lady of the Lake, who kills at will, and watches over the children. And Lucas, a mad man, doctor and priest, cursed to be immortal to capture the souls of the deal through his active addiction with needles. And his son's soul, living on inside Lucas, always hungry for more souls.

Present day, the other side of this story, a woman named Sharon and a man named Kai are camp counselors at the very same lake. After a child in their care goes missing, Sharon finds herself at the very same woman in the well. Infertile, she thinks she's outsmarted the woman when she promises her first born for the child's own life. But after she bring him back safely, she spends the next 10 years blissfully happy with Kai as they eventually grow closer and have a miracle child of their own right there on the lake. But the well doesn't forget, and Lucas has spend 150 years collecting and torturing souls.

A 5 star read if there ever was one, this book was captivating from the very beginning. I really loved how to got to know the characters individually one way, and then they really turn everything around and you get to see them as they are at the end. The point of view was haunting, shifting wherever it needed to be throughout the two families, and it really felt like I was experiencing the shocks along with them. Very unique and scary, this book really made me want to read more by the same author to see if all their books have this same magic. Absolutely recommend checking it out if you get the chance.

Haunting, visceral, and emotionally charged, Those Willing to Drown by Mark Matthews is a devastating descent into grief, guilt, and the supernatural forces that thrive on both. With poetic prose and chilling intensity, Matthews crafts a modern gothic horror tale that lingers like a half-remembered nightmare—one soaked in sorrow and lake water.

The story follows a grieving mother paralyzed by the death of her daughter, Jewel, whose ashes she cannot bring herself to release into the waters of Torch Lake. When a sinister, charismatic pastor offers a twisted promise of reunion, and the lake itself seems to whisper with desperate voices, the line between reality, madness, and malevolent magic begins to dissolve.

Matthews doesn’t just write horror—he writes humanity through horror. The true terror here is not just in the lake’s hungry spirits or the pastor who consumes the ashes of the dead; it’s in the raw, aching portrayal of a mother’s grief, her isolation, and the unbearable longing to undo death. This emotional depth is what elevates the novel from eerie to unforgettable.

Torch Lake, with its cold depths and spectral whispers, becomes a character in its own right—an ancient, knowing force that both mourns and manipulates. Matthews masterfully uses water imagery and drowning as metaphors for emotional surrender, spiritual corruption, and redemption. The prose is lyrical without losing its grip on the horror, drawing readers under with hypnotic momentum.

Fans of Clay McLeod Chapman, Paul Tremblay, and Jennifer McMahon will feel at home here. Those Willing to Drown is not just a ghost story; it’s a meditation on motherhood, loss, and the deals we make in our darkest moments. It asks a terrifying question: how far would you go to undo the irreversible? And what would you sacrifice to get there?

Beautifully written and deeply unsettling, Those Willing to Drown is a harrowing tale where love becomes obsession, grief becomes a weapon, and the lake knows more than it should. A must-read for horror fans looking for emotional resonance alongside their nightmares.

The book is well written, has grief, creepy settings, pacing was well done. I did enjoy the timelines on this book but it did feel a it slow at times. Please check the content warning the grief is deep.


Thank you NetGalley for the Ebook

"I’ve heard men mutter words of epiphany under their last breath, messages from the other world." -Lucas

"Seek out the dead, seek out their souls, and learn the curse of eternal life and eternal ache." -The Well

"I’d rather my own child die than be responsible for the death of another." -Sharon

"The lake speaks most honestly to those willing to drown." -Kai

To Those Willing to Drown by Mark Matthews is a darkly immersive occult horror that weaves a story of mythology, tradition, legends and horror into two haunting timelines, resulting in a beautifully crafted, 209 page bundle of devastating beauty. Matthews demonstrates talented storytelling by blending events of emotional sacrifice around the eerie, myth-soaked Torch Lake.

The historical timeline follows a civil war medic and veteran, known for performing brutal but often lifesaving amputations. His perspective is grim, raw and soaked in blood. As he fights to defend his actions, his reality alters until he feels God-like for the choices he’s made on others and their lives or deaths. In contrast, the present day story follows a woman who loves so deeply she promises to give up something she doesn’t yet possess. This act of selflessness becomes far more chilling and pivotal as the novel progresses, and never far from the creeping dread that lives beneath Torch Lake’s surface. The lake and The Well of promises connect these characters between the two timelines until they intersect with a deafening clash, two sets of parents metaphorically fighting to keep their heads above water and reunite with or free their respective children.

Matthews breathes life into Torch lake with the lore until it becomes an entity of its own. As the past and present twist together, the story explodes into an unforgettable climax that is both devastating and satisfying. The horror elements weren’t as terrifying in written form, but I can see this being an epic horror movie. The ending was perfection embodied and the thought provoking story lingers well after the last page.

What would you sacrifice to save your child? Their soul?

Thanks to Netgalley and Wicked Run Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and written by me. The reviews will be submitted to goodreads, amazon, instagram, b&n, kobo or anywhere else I can find.

I really enjoyed To Those Willing to Drown, by Mark Matthews. Matthews has a gift for character development and building tension, and both are on display in this dark, disturbing, and ultimately satisfying novel
There are multiple timelines here, with two families, one past, one present, but both connected by the lake that whispers at night to a grieving mom to spread the ashes of her daughter over its waters, waters that have already collected far too many children.
And why does the dark, mysterious pastor beg her to keep the ashes? And what of the arrangement he offers her?
Matthews skillfully creates atmosphere and tension that are palpable in this family saga surrounding Torch Lake, and the horrors buried deep in its dark waters.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves their horror with atmosphere, grief, and some religious fanaticism on the side.

A cautionary tale that truly scares me! This was so well done. The lady in the well, seeking children, poisoning the lake beyond. I ate this up!

I am a big lover of horror that pulls on the heart of a parent. What better emotional connection to blindly protect, no matter the cost? When faced with the death of your child, how far would you go to keep them safe? How far would you go beyond their death to be with them again? This was both visceral supernatural and psychological horror. I am scared of what could be lurking under the dark surface of the water and the whole vibe of this book played on that so intensely.

I enjoyed the timelines of this book and how well they played off of each other. There is more than one evil to contend with for these characters and you feel their desperation and their fear. I cannot recommend this more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mark Matthews for this free copy of "To Those Willing to Drown."

Now I'll be afraid to go in the water for fear of lake monsters. And always believe the local legends - there's usually an element of truth in them.

This haunting story imagines what could happen if you could promise anything to save a loved one. What would you be willing to sacrifice?

And what if there was a well near your home that whispered promises to you while your heart is aching? What could you be driven to do?

Author Matthews compellingly uses the beauty and purity of Torch Lake to contrast the grief and despair of the characters.

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
With a very interesting and eerie first chapters, and the enduring sensation of something lurking beneath the surface, To those Willing to Drown is a novel that talks, not so much about literal monsters, but about trauma. The introduction about the real lake the story is based on is the perfect way of introducing the reader into the past-present jumps in time and the mythos surrounding the place. Sadly, something did not entirely resonate with me throughout the book and I feel like something is missing, but taking into account other reviews, I think this is more a ‘me’ problem. So I recommend you to take a look and decide for yourself.

This book was a very tragic and atmospheric journey through death, grief, and emotional turmoil. The incredible scenes as well as characters are all very layered and filled with emotion. Mark Matthews wrote one hell of an incredible book!

The imagery in this novel was bleak and devastating in the best way. I loved the juxtaposition of past and present and everything being connected to the same lake.
I also loved the foreword from the author about the myths around the lake, too, as this added extra depth to the story.

Such an atmospheric interesting read that grabs you from the beginning! Truly unique and storytelling here feels alive! I really enjoyed it! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc of this book!

📣 Review 📣

To Those Willing to Drown by Mark Matthews

Thoughts:

"The lake speaks most honestly to those willing to drown."

Beautiful and gruesome all wrapped in a story of folklaw; pulling together the author's knowledge and research into the stories, customs, and traditions of Torch Lake located in Northan Michigan.

The story follows two families, and although one of the past and one of present, both have struck deals with an entity of a well that must be repayed. And there is no way of getting out of it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's way of telling this story. It is presented as three parts in which a reader can invest in the characters and their backstories.

The author builds tension well, and there are some macabre scenes. Though I would add that the horror isn't mindless. It's part of the story and well within the characters' storyline and their descent into a desperate madness.
There was a scene in which you believe, or a want to believe, that a certain character will be saved and, just like the character, you hope someone is going to intervene but the horror continues. And the act is completed.

The characters themselves are well developed, and their thoughts and interactions flowed well, moving the story forward.
I liked the writers observations and found myself highlighting them as I read on my Kindle to reread after the chapter was complete. Often thought-provoking at times

To Those Willing to Drown is essentially a bold horror novel and a very entertaining one at that, but I also feel that there is a sensitivity to the writing as it bravely explores grief; thoughts around death and the afterlife.
I would caution those with a sensitivity to the loss of children to check before reading, as it does deal with a child dying and the exploration of what happens to souls.

The ending, however, was beautiful and leaves a sense of hope. It's probably one of the most satisfying endings I've read in a little while.

This slow paced story builds up the myth and folklore of Michigan's Torch Lake. There are stories of historical natives seen with their beliefs and traditions on the lake, a civil war surgeon who lives near the lake, and modern day people as well. There are monsters and nefarious things in the lake.

To Those Willing to Drown was an absolute wild read. The story kept me captivated with it's horror concepts of psychological abuse, addiction and what felt like a true folklore type story. The pacing was good and there was so much going on with all the characters. I am from Michigan and have seen Torch Lake so I loved the setting, the little history tidbits we got as readers and the mention of the Native people that used to thrive off the beautiful lake. I wanted more details about the lake monsters and to know more about their history but they were still fascinating. This story was gory and gritty at times but it was wholly unique and the horror fit the story well. I loved that the author wove real life horrors with the supernatural ones and I think readers are going to eat this story up!

This was a very interesting read that did keep my attention. I didn't know what to expect or where it was going to take me. I do wish there was more information about the lake creatures. I wanted to know how it all began and why that lake was chosen. I enjoyed the pace of the story and the way the characters responded to different situations did seem realistic. Towards the end when the name changes from Sharon to "Charon" it threw me off. I wasn't sure if that was a typo or if it was supposed to occur. I would recommend this book to friends to read.

To Those Willing to Drown by Mark Matthews is a harrowing and deeply psychological horror novel that explores trauma, addiction, and survival through a dark and unsettling lens. Matthews’ writing is raw and immersive, pulling readers into the characters’ emotional turmoil with stark, unflinching prose. The horror is both psychological and visceral, making for an intense reading experience. However, the novel’s relentless bleakness and heavy themes may be overwhelming for some, and the pacing can feel uneven at times. While it delivers powerful and haunting imagery, it’s best suited for readers who appreciate emotionally intense, character-driven horror.

(testing) —From the March 2025 edition of The Midwest Book Review—

To Those Willing to Drown is a Torch Lake Souls literary horror novel that is highly recommended for readers of deep horror that revolves around physical and psychological quandaries rooted in pain. Sensitive readers usually don't pursue the horror genre for just these reasons—but avoidance would translate to missing out big time, because Mark Matthews creates a powerfully thought-provoking, multifaceted story that proves nearly impossible to put down.