Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon

From bestselling author of Children on the Hill comes a queer folk horror in which a woman must confront decades of secrecy and superstition to learn the truth about her mother’s death.

Some towns stay isolated for a reason.

1919: Frankie O’Massey has always been the black sheep of isolated Boone’s Ferry, Vermont. Her uncle, Dr. Thomas Endicott, has been training her in the science of medicine, something the townspeople are wary of. When a mysterious illness strikes the town, and the community suspects supernatural forces, the two desperately search for a logical explanation. Patient zero seems to be the town’s knackerman—a recluse who collects dead and dying farm animals to make use of their parts.

2016: Siblings Ashley and Malcolm lost their mother two years ago. When their grandmother dies, they inherit a property in Boone’s Ferry—a place they’ve heard of but their grandmother has always refused to talk about—and embark on a trip to their ancestral home. The idyllic town is full of autumnal décor, picturesque farmland, and small-town charm. But some of the townspeople aren’t very welcoming—and they have some unsettling traditions, like leaving offerings to a vengeful spirit four times a year.

Kobo Edition, 400 pages

Audiobook, 13 hours, 11 minutes

Published August 11, 2026

 by Gallery Books

3/5 stars

I was lucky enough to grab this one through CloudLibrary the day it was released. Jennifer McMahon is an author I keep coming back to, I like the way she always weaves in that slight supernatural, almost ghostly undercurrent to her stories. It's become something of a signature for her and Stay Buried is no exception.

This story moves between two timelines. In 1919, taking place in the isolated town of Boone's Ferry, Vermont. Frankie O'Massey works alongside her uncle, a doctor, as a mysterious illness sweeps through the town. One the townspeople are quick to blame on supernatural forces rather than anything medical. 

Nearly a century later, in 2016, siblings Ashley and Malcolm inherit a property in that same town after their grandmother's death, a place she'd always refused to talk about. What starts as a quaint, fall visit quickly reveals unsettling traditions the locals have kept alive for generations.

My feelings on this one are mixed.  The opening chapters hooked me right away, it had that creepy, small-town atmosphere vibe.  But the supernatural element itself felt different from what I've come to expect from McMahon, and the book grew repetitive in parts as it went on. There were a few twists and spooky moments but by the end I was left wanting more closure than I got, with some questions still unanswered.

Not my favorite Jennifer McMahon read, but not a read that will stop me reading more of her books.  

My copy was obtain through my local library (cloudlibrary) and the audio through Spodify.