Book Summary and Reviews of Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon

Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon

Stay Buried

A Novel

by Jennifer McMahon

  • Publishes:
  • Aug 11, 2026, 400 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

From the New York Times 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.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Brooding and profoundly melancholic, Jennifer McMahon's Stay Buried is a gripping, chillingly atmospheric exploration of folklore and how myth takes root, how it spreads and grows deep inside the blighted charnel pit of a person's heart. There's a perfect escalation of dread that saturates the pages of this rotted, poisoned tale until the crescendo is nearly unbearable. Certainly one of the most unsettling and terrifying books I'll read this year." —Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke

"In Stay Buried, dual timelines twist together seamlessly to tell a story of a small town of deep, dark secrets. Anchored with characters you will take to your heart, McMahon delivers a completely original take on the zombie story. Bravo!" —Alma Katsu, author of Fiend

This information about Stay Buried was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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More Information

Jennifer McMahon is the author of twelve novels, including the New York Times bestsellers The Children on the Hill, Promise Not to Tell, and The Winter People. She lives in Florida with her partner, Drea. Visit her at Jennifer-McMahon.com or connect with her on Instagram @JenniferMcMahonWrites and Facebook @JenniferMcMahonBooks.

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