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Summoned home by the death of their matriarch, the Rawlins siblings are as unique as their home, Teague House. There are many characters in this debut story of family history made very public, but the most prominent is the house and the surrounding grounds as the secrets it holds are revealed. Wary of what to expect when they arrive, the surprises just keep coming. Enter Maggie Reed, a private detective with a special interest in the people and the long history of death being found in Teague House. As she digs deeper, what she finds will shock them all.

An excellent thriller with just the right setting to play off the characters' apprehension as secrets are revealed and each chapter brings readers into the "real" story of Teague House.

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I actually really enjoyed this one, despite the low reviews. Val was insufferable and I hated the way she treated pretty much everyone and wish she’d gotten more of what she deserved. The Maddie aspect was interesting-showing the effect a murder 30 years prior had on her in the present time. The book wasn’t perfect, things felt rushed at the end and I wish there’d been more of the epilogue.

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What Remains of Tegue House is a slow-burning mystery centered around Tegue House and the family that has made this place their home.
While there aren't any action-packed or edge-of-your-seat thrilling moments, the way this story was told, as well as the relationships between the siblings, kept me invested in the story and wanting to see how it was all going to end.

There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. And seeing the mystery unfold kept me entertained from start to finish.

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Thanks Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

This book was a creepy, twisty, thriller that I also saw kinda coming a mile away. I really enjoyed the sibling relationship and interconnection. The dysfunction of the siblings, the complexity of the family, the back and forth timelines. were all well done. I appreciated how each character was unique and added to the story. I did see the ending a mile away, which is why I rated one star, but I will definitely recommend this book in the future!

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Thank you Poisoned Pen for my gifted copy!

What Remains of Teague House was one of my most anticipated reads for this year, and I am so stoked to say it did not disappoint.

We all know I love a good murder centered around a landscape that is a character in itself lol. I’m a sucker for it. And What Remains of Teague House feels like an ode to the woods. The secrets the trees keep. The people the dirt cradles.

I was immediately taken with the way this story was told, with the multitude of flawed characters introduced. It wasn’t hard to keep track, because Stacy Johns has this beautiful ability to create unique characters that stand alone. Each voice felt so different from the next, and yet, the sibling trio we meet had similar ways of speaking, as siblings do. It was so easy to feel like I was a fly on the wall of Teague House, listening to their hissed whispers.

I have chills thinking about this book still, even after finishing it hours ago. It was one I had to sit and sift through the dirt of my mind over. There were so many layered secrets kept and in the end, it was almost devastating.

I cannot wait for more from Stacy Johns. What a brilliant writer.

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I really wanted to like this one but unfortunately, the entire novel was bland and underwhelming. It did start interesting enough but it dragged and takes forever for something gripping or exciting to really happen. By the time it was about to end, I really didn't care enough about the characters and story. It had potential but unfortunately it just didn't do it for me. Props though for no unnecessary animal death or cruelty just for the sake of shock factor.

2.45

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. ✨

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Thank you to @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 4/8/25)

This was a bit of a Benjamin Button situation. It started off really strong but I felt like the end could have been better. I would've liked a little more depth to the characters too.

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What Remains of Teague House by Stacy Johns #thirtyfourthbookof2025 #arc

CW: death, suicide, murder, adultery, bullying, blackmail

From NetGalley: When the Rawlins family matriarch unexpectedly passes, all three adult children rush home. What they find is a house bursting with grief, dark memories surfacing around each corner, and multiple bodies buried deep in the woods. The Rawlins want to believe the discovery points to a crime long past. But one of the graves behind Teague House is fresh, the earth disturbed just that week—and its inhabitant a local woman they all knew. Is the youngest Rawlins sibling with something to hide somehow involved in her murder? Is his sister experiencing false memories of her late father digging near the graves? And why is the Rawlins aunt in such a rush to leave town after her sister’s funeral? Enter private detective Maddie Reed, who has her own reasons for being curious about the bodies buried behind Teague House. Maddie sets out to unmask a killer. One she may have been hunting all her life.

My thoughts: This book was a little slow although I was interested enough to keep reading. The three siblings weren’t as fleshed out as I would have liked, and I would have liked more about Aunt Phil in the beginning. Maddie seems to appear out of nowhere and I didn’t feel like her storyline was on par with the others. The epilogue was a surprise and the most interesting piece of the novel. Not sure that the reveal was earned, I wish there had been more story and explanation to get there. It was rushed and could have used a couple more chapters to round it out. The book was fine but I was hoping for more.

Thank you to @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 4/8/25)

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What Remains of Teague House is a chilling family mystery that keeps you on your toes.
When the mother of the Rawlins children dies, the siblings are faced with more than just a funeral. Their aunt, who was their mother’s caretaker, leaves after the funeral for a vacation with no end date. But that’s not the worst of it. The daughter finds a fresh body in the woods behind their house. When the police gather, they find not just the fresh body, but bodies from the time when their parents and the children lived in the house. Can the killers be one of their family past and/or present, or has someone just used their remote land as a dumping ground?
Stacy Johns develops the mystery at the core of the story with great depth. She takes readers into the past, developing the history between the sisters, which will feature highly into the story. Johns also left you guessing about certain aspects. Did this person do it or not? Just when you thought they didn’t, she gives you evidence that they did. Plus, the atmosphere with the woods and all the nooks and crannies in the house added to the tension. I was excited for the ending.
For all this set-up, the ending is so quick and honestly doesn’t make a lot of sense. It’s also insulting to those with mental illness. Also, most everyone in this story is horrible, with the exception of one or two people; I’ll leave it for you to find out which ones those are. I was hoping for a little bit more of what actually happened and why the people did what they did.
Johns builds up a good story, but the end burns up quickly and leaves you disappointed. Next time, I hope the ending is more in-depth than it was in What Remains of Teague House.

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Yet another book that is a difficult rating for me. This book starts off strong. I was thinking that it would keep with the psychological thriller/creepy vibe but it devolved into a more mundane character story. The kids day to day issues and lives just didn’t seem to fit.
Added into that I had the killer pegged from pretty much the first chapter and I didn’t have a lot of motivation to read about the kids.
So though it wasn’t a horrible read; it wasn’t something I would read again. I do believe if you don’t read a lot of these style books you might have fun figuring it all out.
After a bit of debate, I decided it would land firmly at 3 stars for me.
I received an ARC of this title, all opinions are my own:

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This book completely pulled me in with its eerie atmosphere and slow burn of suspense.
Three siblings return to their childhood home after their mother passes. And what they uncover in their backyard is absolutely chilling. It’s a burial site with multiple bodies. Buried secrets and tangled family dynamics get darker the deeper we get in the story.
I enjoyed the dual timelines and multiple POVs. Overall, an interesting and twisty read.

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What Remains of Teague House by Stacy Johns is a dark, gripping tale that digs deep into the complexities of family—and the literal secrets buried in their backyard. When the Rawlins siblings reunite after their mother’s death, they uncover far more than memories: freshly disturbed graves, haunting suspicions, and a family history steeped in mystery. I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding the family and trying to figure out what was really going on—it was exciting and kept me on edge the whole time. With a sharp and determined private detective unraveling clues that hit close to home, the story masterfully blends psychological suspense with chilling twists. A thrilling read from start to finish.

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You ever get to the end of a book and think what even was that? That was my experience with What Remains of Teague House. It had so many elements that could’ve made it a great mystery, but it was too jumbled to execute it well.

What worked well:
- Started off with a very captivating first chapter, hooked me right in and you have a death right up front, love that.

- Creepy house in the woods and a family full of secrets

- I enjoyed the alternating timelines and would’ve enjoyed more of the past.

What needed work:
- Too many characters and not enough context on who they were before diving into their daily lives. Felt like this book was more character driven than plot driven?

- The PI’s personal plot-line felt unnecessary to the story; it muddled the story even further.

- Finished the book with unanswered questions

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With a strong premise and equally strong first chapter, I was easily pulled into this mystery about three siblings who have reunited at their family home after their mother passes and soon discover bodies buried on their land.

Even though this book is over 400 pages, it somehow seemed shorter than that, even if it did manage to drag at places. I think having four main POVs with mostly short chapters contributed to it feeling like a quick read, but it also served as a disadvantage. Maddie, a private detective with a possible connection to a body found on the property, felt completely unnecessary, though I understand why she was in the story. Too much time was spent on her and not the siblings. I felt like Jon's subplots got pushed to the side and a reveal for one of the characters was never actually addressed by said character. I would have rather read about that aftermath than another Maddie chapter. Ultimately though, I did enjoy the story.

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Thank you to NetGalley, Stacy Jones, and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC. This gripping psychological thriller delivered all the eerie vibes and buried family secrets I love. Twisty, fast-paced, and impossible to put down!

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Family secrets? Buried bodies? Subterfuge and lies? Stacy Johns' debut novel has it all.

If you enjoy a family drama with a strong crime element, you'll enjoy this exploration of the Rawlins family, a dysfunctional and tragic one at that. Johns uses multiple points of view to introduce us to her characters and to tell their story. These include the three children of the family matriarch, Sandra, Jon and Robby, who just passed away. Val's sister, Phil, has been looking after her and both were living in Teague House. But what will now happen to Teague House?

When a fresh grave is found in the back yard and the body inside is that of a local woman, mistrust is sown between the siblings. Even more so when more bodies are found in the grave. It seems more women have been murdered and buried in their backyard over the past few decades. Sandra remembers her father burying something when she was a child and soon after he committed suicide. Could the father they knew and loved have been a serial killer? But everyone has their secrets, including Aunt Phil.

Johns will have you wondering who the killer is and what the Rawling's family's secrets are right to the very end. In fact, the only criticism is that the novel could have been substantially shorter and punchier. It takes too long before it picks up the pace and readers may find that it drags a bit, especially as it clocks at over 400 pages. But, in general, an impressive feat for a first novel!

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This book had some good bones but overall just fell short and felt so bland.

The best part of this book was the epilogue. The rest of the book was boring and I didn’t care about anyone in the story. No one left a lasting impression if you ask me about these characters tomorrow I’ll probably forget anything about them.

I wish the Val storyline was the main focus. There was no build up. It felt rushed. I am left with questions but not in a good way.

Genre: Thriller
APK: Ebook
Pages: 429
Rating: ⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

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When family matriarch Val Rawlins unexpectedly dies, her three adult children, Jon, Sandra and Rob, must reunite to decide what to do with the family home, Teague House. Jon, Sandra and Rob have struggled mightily in their own ways, but it’s what lies underneath the surface of their family life that continues to haunt them. After a finger and then no less than five skeletons are found buried at Teague House, a private detective with her own motives must dig deep for the truth of the mystery.  A solid debut mystery/family drama that has some genuinely bone chilling moments.

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Dark, layered, and emotionally charged, this family-centered mystery is both a gripping whodunit and a slow burn unraveling of generational trauma. The Rawlins siblings are richly drawn, each carrying their own burdens, suspicions, and fractured memories as they return to a home haunted by both literal and metaphorical ghosts.

The mystery builds with steady suspense—especially with the recent grave thrown into the mix—and private detective Maddie Reed adds another compelling thread as her personal motives intersect with the Rawlins' buried secrets. The writing captures both the chill of the unknown and the heat of long-held resentment.

While it leans heavily into character-driven drama at times, the payoff is satisfying and emotionally resonant. A great pick for fans of psychological thrillers that blur the lines between memory, trauma, and truth.

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This book checks so many boxes for a well-rounded thriller and it was a treat to read how well the plot twists and literary elements worked together. I was at first worried about the multi POV making things too muddy, but I soon realized how much I appreciated the multitude of views about the family and the situation they found themselves in. Not only is there multi POV but there's also time jump from past to present which I really, really enjoyed. I found it interesting to see the sisters as they were younger and to present day.
The characters themselves were incredibly written. I loved how the family was messy and showed raw emotion> I especially liked that all the siblings were dealing with their personal issues which ended up bleeding into the main storyline, which only fostered the sense of confusion and thriller-esque attitude. I found myself cheering for them all and watching in awe as they unravel the dark history of their land and family.
The PI subplot was a welcomed addition, and it was done in a way that didn't feel over the top and only added to the layers of the plot. Overall my only gripe about the book is that the ending felt rushed and not fleshed out in the slightest. I felt that there was a large lack of the building of the why and I was craving some juicy history once it was discovered.

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