part mystery, part drama, filled with suspense, weird characters, and nothing is really as it seems to be at first. a wild ride of a gripping read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing an advanced copy for an honest review.

*What Remains of Teague House* really pulled me in with its mix of family drama and small-town mystery. It starts with three siblings—Jon, Sandra, and Robby—returning to their childhood home after their mom dies. They’re not just dealing with grief and old tensions, though. Pretty quickly, a shallow grave is found in the woods behind the house, and things spiral from there. That creepy discovery leads to even darker truths about the past, and suddenly the Rawlins family is at the center of a decades-old mystery.

One thing I really liked was how the story unfolded through different perspectives. You get the siblings' views, their aunt’s memories, and the insight of a private investigator named Maddie. Her chapters were my favorite—she’s got her own baggage, but she’s sharp and not afraid to stir things up. The book does take its time setting everything up, but I didn’t mind it too much because the characters felt layered and real. The house itself almost felt like another character—full of tension, secrets, and history. It was the perfect setting for all the slow-building unease. Some twists genuinely surprised me, and even the ones I saw coming still worked because of the emotional impact behind them.

Final thoughts: This isn’t a fast-paced thriller, but more of a steady burn that pays off with mood, atmosphere, and family secrets that hit hard. If you like mysteries that dig into relationships as much as they dig up bodies, give this one a shot.

A dark murder mystery family drama is what a good thriller is all about! Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a dark plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn’t bad, but there were a lot of POVs, so sometimes I had trouble following what was happening and needed to re-read. The plot was a bit predictable and I figured out what happened by the time I reached the end.

I think this book had potential, so I would read another one of this author’s books. Not sure I would recommend this one.

This was the perfect, creepy, horror read. I didn't want to put it down and couldn't stop thinking about it when I had to step away!

Told through multiple POVs, this book brings to life the depravity behind the secrets families keep. As the story unfolds, we’re given a window into the lives of each adult child that is mingled with flashbacks that reveal their lack of nurturing or stable parents during their childhood. I really appreciated the layered perspectives and the gradual unraveling of their childhoods, which helps explain who they’ve become. That said, I found myself wishing for more chapters from the mother’s point of view to help better understand her motives. Overall, it’s a thrilling whodunit with haunting family dynamics and deeply rooted trauma.

*Thank you to Stacy Johns, Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

What Remains of Teague House was an engaging read with a compelling mix of mystery and family secrets. Stacy Johns does a good job building atmosphere and keeping the plot moving, which makes it hard to put down for long. However, at times the characters felt a bit underdeveloped, and some plot twists seemed a little predictable. Overall, it's an enjoyable book if you're into small town mysteries, but it might not leave a lasting impression.

I think that this book fell victim to the fact I read a book very similar to the themes displayed in this book and was able to guess the ending from the beginning. Although, the thrilling and mystery aspects of the story there were aspects that I enjoyed so that is why it received a 3 star rating. The ending allowed for some fun and interesting aspects that was enjoyable. The characters had flaws that were interesting and believable showing a questionable back story to each character as the story was moving forward.

I look forward to seeing what else Stacy Johns brings when there is another book written. They have the abilities to make amazing novels that will become an all time favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an e-ARC for an honest review on the book.

Very interesting story. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to a friend. I also enjoyed the cover art a lot.

I thought that the plot was interesting and that it had potential.

The pacing felt too slow and there's too many characters so it can be hard to keep up with them and the flow of the story, also to care about them bc I don't think we get to know them enough for that.

It would've been so much better if it focused on the thriller aspect and not so much on the life of the characters.

Wasn't a fan of the ending, felt like an easy thing to do from the author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

“We are not responsible for the actions of our parents.”

What Remains of Teague House by Stacy Johns
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

QUICK SUMMARY 🖊️
Siblings return to their family home to bury their mother but end up uncovering something forgotten from their dark past.

FINAL THOUGHTS 💭
Thank you @PoisonedPenPress and @NetGalley for this copy of #WhatRemainsOfTeagueHouse !
This felt slow and fast at the same time. I was convinced I knew exactly what was happening the entire time, which I absolutely did not and I was left with my jaw ON THE FLOOR. Family secrets and difficult dynamics made this all the more enjoyable!

**Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital copy of this book.

This book follows siblings Jon, Sandra and Robby as they return to their childhood home to lay their mother to rest. While there, they discover human remains, one very recent, in the woods. While trying to figure out who the remains belong to, they uncover many dark family secrets. Private detective Maddie Reed joins in on the investigation when she hears about it, as she believes one set of the human remains belongs to somebody very closer to her.

Full of dark secrets, family drama, murder, whodunnit, human remains and a bit of an occult twist. I have never read anything by this author, but after a quick Google search, I was shocked to learn this was her debut mystery/thriller novel. I must say this was not written like a debut mystery/thriller. It was a quick and easy read, the plot was easy to follow, the characters were well developed, and the overall story was really good and something kinda different. This is why I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to more mystery/thriller books from this author.

What Remains of Teague House by Stacy Johns  is a mystery novel about the Rawlins family and the bodies found on their property.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press, and the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


I believe this is a debut novel, and I'm always happy to discover a new author.

I struggled at the beginning of this book, as there seemed to be a lot of characters.  However, there weren't really that many, and I believe it was just the method that they were introduced that created the confusion.

The story is told in two time-lines, and through the perspectives of a number of characters. and while this often works well, and adds complexity, this time it again, just added confusion.  However, if you really paid attention, it was okay.

The plot was intriguing, but rather slow moving.  Until the end, which I found to be rushed.

Overall, it was good, but it could have been great.  I will be watching this author.

Another disappointing read. Flat characters and it felt like a slog reading it. I’m on a disappointing streak of reading lately.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.
2⭐️

This was great!! for a debut, it was really good! It was mysterious and spooky. I loved the dysfunctional family. Would highly recommend for spooky season!

I wish I could give feedback on this book. I requested this book when it was still possible to transfer on Kobo.

I'll update this review once I read this book on my own.

ARC/completed with audio

Not bad for a debut mystery novel.

I started out eyeball reading this one and finished with the audio since I found it on Spotify.

I know with a lot of mystery/thrillers there is not always a lot of dialogue. But for me this one was a lot of inner thoughts working their way through the past and whatnot. Maybe that threw my interest off some. I need a little more dialogue between the characters.
So at about 52% I found it hard to hold my interest so I swapped over to audio which helped me through the end.

Now the ending didn’t surprise me too much. I kind of had figured it was one or the other and then as it got closer I had picked my person. And I was right.

Thanks @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for the opportunity to read this debut novel.

This is one of my favorite reads of the year! The character development is perfect along with the pacing. The writing is great and I was drawn into the story start to finish. This is fantastic and I would highly recommend this. Special Thank You to Stacy Johns,Poisoned Penny Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

WHAT REMAINS OF TEAGUE HOUSE is walls filled with secret hidey-holes, secrets, both past and present, and a spooky atmosphere. Stacy Johns hit it out of the park when she put these ideas to the page.

When the adult Rawlins children return to Teague House after the sudden passing of their mother, they are met with bodies being discovered in the backyard, including a freshly dug grave. Thankfully, their aunt Phil, who raised them since their father‘s suicide years ago is there to help them navigate their grief.But Aunt Phil is wanting to move on as quickly as possible. I mean,what’s the rush, right?

While each of the children is trying to grieve the loss of their mother, they are also working overtime at trying to remove the layers they have placed over their own secrets from childhood. Enter the detective, Maddie, who is a single parent raising her own daughter and still dealing with the aftermath of the disappearance of her sister, Divina. Could Davina be one of the bodies found in the woods surrounding Teague House? And does that have any bearing on the current murder investigation?

The characters in this one were well thought out (and there are quite a few) and it was interesting to watch the story unfold from different timelines and differing points of view. What are all the secrets hidden within the walls (literally) of Teague House? The atmosphere of the house in the woods gave credence to the plot line and added another dimension to the story. The writing was clear and concise which led to an enjoyable read. I believe this is my first Stacy Johns novel but I am interested in seeing where this author takes me next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

This book had an interesting premise but had to much going on for me to really care about these characters. This book follows family drama as it unfolds when a mom dies unexpectedly and her children come home a body is discovered on the land leading to secrets to come to light. I liked the premise and the writing in this book but there were so many characters to keep straight and with multiple timelines it took a lot to keep everything straight especially in the beginning. The pacing seemed a little all over the place in this book as well. This being a debut novel was interesting enough I would definitely pick up more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.