In 1919, Frankie O’Massey is the black sheep of isolated Boone’s Ferry, Vermont, training in medicine when a mysterious illness strikes and the town suspects supernatural forces. Nearly a hundred years later, siblings Ashley and Malcolm inherit property in Boone’s Ferry after their grandmother’s death, a place she always refused to talk about. The town is full of autumnal charm but the locals aren’t welcoming, and they have unsettling traditions like leaving offerings to a vengeful spirit four times a year.

On paper this book was made for me. Creepy small town, folklore, dual timelines, multiple POVs, and a go to author for me. But it just didn’t come together the way I wanted it to.

The first half was a struggle. The pacing was slow, the 2016 characters kept reiterating things we’d already learned in the 1919 chapters, and none of the characters grabbed me enough to carry me through the quieter stretches. There are a lot of them but nobody felt particularly deep or interesting, which is tough when you need someone to anchor you in a slower burn like this. I kept wanting more exploration of the Knackerman lore and why the townspeople behave the way they do instead of retreading the same ground from a different perspective.

Things finally clicked around the halfway mark. The atmosphere got creepy, the tension built, and I was finally locked in the way I’d wanted to be from page one. Everything felt like it was coming together. Excitement mounting. I flip the page and… acknowledgments. But I still have questions!

******Light Spoilers, Kinda********** What were the origins of the disease? Why was Frankie killed? What was Ashley’s mom actually after? ******Light Spoilers, Kinda**********

Too much was left unresolved and the ending didn’t give me the payoff I’d been waiting for. Three stars. Not my favorite McMahon and probably an outlier opinion. The folklore and atmosphere were effective and the premise is great. I just needed tighter execution, deeper characters, and an ending that actually answered the questions the story spent 300 pages asking.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKSHOP | ★★★

Stay Buried is out now. Huge thank you to Gallery Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.  If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.