Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of The Farmhouse by Chelsea Conradt.
This one sounded like an amazing supernatural thriller, but seemed to fall flat. I did not find anything about it eerie or creepy and was a bit bored with it. This one starts out slow, but does pick up later on. I just really did not like any of the characters so I wasn’t too invested in this one.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Chelsea Conradt’s “The Farmhouse” is an eerie, slow-burn paranormal thriller that blends rural gothic horror with an intimate exploration of isolation and gaslighting. Set against the haunting backdrop of a Nebraska farmstead, the book simmers with creeping dread, leading to an unsettling and chilling climax.

The story follows Emily and her husband Josh as they trade the bustle of San Francisco for the supposed tranquility of rural life after the death of Emily’s beloved mother. Their dream of a fresh start quickly devolves into a nightmare. Strange occurrences plague their new home: lights flickering in the decrepit barn, ghostly voices, and — most bizarrely — the barn itself mysteriously shifting locations. As Emily’s experiences intensify, she is left questioning whether she's losing her mind to grief and sleepless nights, or if something truly sinister is at play.

Conradt masterfully sustains a lingering, oppressive atmosphere throughout the story. Early chapters move at a leisurely pace, which made it a bit difficult for me to get invested in the story. The first half of the book focuses heavily on Emily's daily routines and strained relationship with Josh, who dismisses her fears as grief-fueled imagination. While the tension builds slowly (a bit too slowly), you are rewarded when the story hits its stride around the 70% mark, delivering chilling revelations and a finale that’s difficult to tear away from.

Emily is a compelling protagonist: flawed, resilient, and deeply relatable in her portrayal of someone battling loss and disbelief from those closest to her. Her voice, playful and humorous at the start, darkens as the horrors around her mount, highlighting the emotional toll of grief and isolation. Conradt’s depiction of a woman gaslit by a well-meaning but skeptical partner is handled with nuance, adding depth to the supernatural tension.

The haunted barn mystery, featuring local legends and dark family secrets, is genuinely unsettling. Conradt taps into familiar gothic tropes—creepy small towns, ghostly warnings, tragic histories—while offering fresh twists, particularly through the farm's sinister connection to the women who lived there before Emily. The influence of Emily’s late mother, both emotionally and through eerie musical callbacks, adds a poignant layer that enriches the overall experience.

Overall, “The Farmhouse” is a chilling, atmospheric debut perfect for readers who appreciate slow-burn horror with strong emotional undercurrents. It's a story that lingers in the mind, blending supernatural terror with very real human fears about loss, change, and being unheard. Fans of haunted house stories, gothic thrillers, and psychological suspense will find much to savor here—and Chelsea Conradt is definitely an author to watch.

Emily & Josh moved from San Franscisco to rural Nebraska for peace and quiet and their own slice of Americana. It was a move that was supposed to free them from stress and worry..... but the Farmhouse, and the barn, specifically, have a history that makes itself known, but only to Emily. As her observations become more concerning, Josh continues to brush them off, but when physical evidence shows up Josh is faced to confront the possibility that there might be something nefarious on their property.

I really enjoyed this one. There were one or two things I noticed that really gave off vibes like The Shining, which I loved. For example, in the beginning it seems like Emily has a bit of a caffeine problem and tracks her caffeine intake carefully to avoid getting too amped up and messing with her sleep. As the story goes on and her sleepless nights get worse, her caffeine intake seems to be less under control, and it appears to correlate directly with how scared she is or how unhinged her experiences become. It was really well done. The comments about the caffeine were often followed by her journaling about how long it takes her each day to jog to the barn and how many steps her fitness watch records for the path. As the story goes on, the situation with the barn and the timing and the steps change by leaps and bounds, and the story becomes crazier and crazier. The entire time I kept thinking about Jack Torrance in The Shining and how at the beginning of the book he is meticulously monitoring the boiler and letting steam off as instructed but the more he becomes effected by his isolation, the more often he lets the boiler go, much like Emily lets her caffeine control go. In The Shining, Jack's writing also becomes crazier and crazier as the isolation hits him, much like how Emily's experiences do, which made such creepier. I just really loved the way The Farmhouse did a similarly good job creating a very isolated feeling and demonstrating the way that effects people's mental states.

In addition to the isolation situation, I really enjoyed how this book did enough work on both sides that you aren't really sure until the end if crazy things are happening, or if Emily is just crazy. It's hard to find books that really build enough of a case on both sides that you can't tell until the end and this one did it really well, especially for a debut novel. I did sometimes find that Josh's character was a little all over the place; in one breath telling her she's hearing things and the next saying he believes her or totally supports her or whatever, it made him seem a little phony.

The only criticism I have is that the book is definitely too long. It felt a little long at certain points even for me as someone who pretty consistently enjoyed reading it. Somewhere around 70% through I ended up looking up the actual number of pages (my kindle app only shows me %) and I saw it was like 425 pages or something. That's just really, really long for a mystery/thriller and to be honest if I wasn't such a sucker for a good isolation story, I probably wouldn't pick up a 400+ page debut novel. To be fair, it's not like you can go through and say 'Oh you could have cut out this whole storyline' or 'there's too many descriptions of the fields' or something, but there HAS to be some way to cut it down at least a little because if I'm enjoying it and it still feels long I imagine some people might DNF.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book! I definitely look forward to more from this author!

Chelsea Conradt’s debut novel, The Farmhouse, is a slowburning paranormal thriller that delves into the eerie and unsettling. Set in rural Nebraska, the story follows Emily and her husband, Josh, as they seek a fresh start on a seemingly idyllic farm. However, the farm hides a dark history: every woman who has lived there has died.

The author crafts a chilling atmosphere, with the farmhouse’s barn inexplicably shifting locations and ghostly voices haunting the cornfields. Emily’s descent into paranoia is compelling, as she uncovers the farm’s sinister past. The story contains themes of grief, isolation, and the struggle to be believed, especially when Emily’s concerns are dismissed by those around her.

The writing is excellent and I loved the storyline, but here and there it just felt too long and because of that the story couldn’t keep my focus all of the time.

Overall, The Farmhouse offers a haunting tale that will appeal fans of atmospheric horror, psychological thrillers and slowburn thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

After the death of her mother, Emily Hauk and her husband leave San Francisco for a fresh start on a Nebraska farm—but their new home has a dark past. A missing girl, a mysterious death, and a string of tragedies tied to the property begin to unravel Emily’s sense of safety.

While the story had a very slow start and took a while to grab my attention, the suspense built nicely toward the end. Creepy details and unsettling moments definitely made the final stretch worth the wait.

Unfortunately, I am DNFing this book. This is 90% fluff and about 10% actual plot. There are entire chapters that are pointless. If this had been about 150 pages shorter, it probably would have been a quality read. I will not leave a negative review on goodreads, as this book is not released yet.

3.5 stars (the half does matter!)

I love a good thriller and this was a decent one. The story of finding yourself in someplace new is relatable. The thrill of mysterious lights and music, voices and ghosts, it keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting to know more. This book was all that BUT it felt a little slow in the middle, lasted little too long and the ending was just that, an ending. It wasn’t a huge surprise and just felt meh.

The cover screamed "This is a thriller worth reading!" It was not lying! Not only did I truly enjoy the storyline I was stoked to find it is set right here in Nebraska. Having a book store in Hastings, I could completely see the entire landscape and understand the small community culture. The patriarchal undertones in agriculture are taken to horrific extremes and it is a thrilling ride (or run in this case) down the Nebraska gravel roads.

This one was not my favourite. I found the characters to be bland. I didn’t feel much suspense being built as it felt like the same thing over and over. It felt like the main character was just having a panic attack over and over and that was the plot.

Emily and her husband decide to moving from San Francisco to a farm in Nebraska, but is the farm hiding a terrible secret? Or waiting for the right person to reveal the darkness that is lurking on the property? This is a haunting mystery that slowly unfolds. At times so frustrating in how the men deal with the women in their lives and the steps they take while ignoring what is happening. Although the reveal was not at all shocking, I enjoyed the story and how it was written with each small piece falling into place. Thank you NetGalley and poisoned Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC!

Eerily captivating and kept me guessing as to what was really going on. I love a good mystery and anything along those lines. This starts out like it's going one way but takes a turn in another direction.

I love haunted house books, but this story was waaaay too slow paced. Nothing happened for basically the first 75%. I was bored. Yes, the last 25% was really good, but 25% does not make a great book unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! What kept me turning the pages with this one was the mystery—it really held my interest throughout. That said, the pacing was quite slow, and by the time I reached the ending, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. It was a quick read for me, mostly driven by my curiosity to see how things would unfold, though I can see how others might find the slower pace a bit challenging.

The Farm House is a spooky thriller about Emily, who moves with her husband to a remote farmhouse in Nebraska after her mother’s death. What starts as a hopeful new beginning soon turns unsettling as strange occurrences plague their new home. As Emily digs into the farm's dark past, she uncovers terrifying secrets that connect her to a long-forgotten tragedy.

What I really enjoyed about this book was how focused Emily was on helping other women, especially when no one else took their stories seriously. Her determination and compassion made her easy to connect with, and I found myself really rooting for her. I also loved the ending—it was satisfying and brought everything together in a perfect way. The male characters were often frustrating, coming across as dismissive or overly controlling, and while I understand this was intentional, it did make the story frustrating to read at times. Emily also made some questionable decisions—like not using her phone to capture the strange things happening—which made me want to shout at the page. Overall, I’d recommend The Farm House to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers or ghost stories with a twist.

Thank you to the publisher for the arc through NetGalley! All opinions are my own honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I really enjoyed the set-up for this book. The creepy farm setting, with the violent undertones and all of the suspicious activity that the main character kept coming across was great. Emily was a compelling character with a solid backstory, and she very much carried the story well. While I was frustrated by the 'woman appears to be crazy and her husband refuses to believe her', one thing that must be said is that the protagonist didn't come across as hysterical, which was certainly a blessing.

The relationship that Emily had with Josh was also a bit weird. There was that polarisation of absolute love and adoration vs absolute disbelief and harshness, and I was left a bit disappointed by the resolution to their story. I thought that the ending was a little bit bizarre as well - without spoiling anything, it just felt like there was a bit of a quick wrap-up to a rather enduring story.

I think this read is well worth it for those seeking out a slow burn gothic horror, but there were definitely a few parts of the story that could have been improved on for that extra kick. It would have also been really interesting to see a bit more of an understanding and active fight from Josh, particularly when it came to scenes like the chicken coop and the barn. I understand what the author was trying to do, I just feel like it was a bit of a case of having seen the story a few too many times before.

The intrigue of this book for me was that I live in Nebraska and grew up on a farm there. So I loved all the very familiar descriptions of the scenery. I knew the town names, the interstate, Runza. This book was too long for the things that happened in it. It felt drawn out and I found myself skimming over a lot of the worrying the FMC did as it was just repetitive. The ending felt abrupt and I wish there was a more shocking twist. I did enjoy wondering if the FMC was losing it or not.

Emily and her husband buy a farmhouse and move to rural Nebraska. Emily discovers that a girl who lived there previously had disappeared. Not long after moving in, Emily begins to see and hear things, but of course no one believes her.

This is a good one for those dabbling in horror because it wasn't too gruesome or horrifying. The heart of the story is a ghost story.

Personally, I am a little over the "husband doesn't believe wife and thinks she is hysterical" trope. This one pretty much entirely centered on Emily seeing, hearing and finding things and her husband telling her she needs more sleep. Even when she finds a tooth and he can't refute that something is going on, the husband still takes sleeping pills at night, so she can't wake him up when weird things are happening.

The book moved quite slowly, and didn't seem to really pick up at any point. It just plodded along through bizarre things happening every so often, and the husband essentially ruffling her hair and saying, "oh you."

I thought the book was fine overall, and probably a decent one for those who like light horror.

I enjoyed this one, but I have to say it was a little too slow-burn for my taste. We follow Emily and her husband, Josh, as they move from San Francisco to Nebraska following the death of Emily's mother. The move is supposed to be their fresh start and a drastic change for both. They've purchased a charming farmhouse and plan to enjoy their newfound space and the quiet country lifestyle. Unfortunately for Emily and Josh, the farmhouse comes with a creepy, dilapidated old barn and some dark secrets.

Once Emily and Josh are moved in, it starts to become apparent, to Emily at least, that their quaint new home might not be so wonderful after all, and the author keeps us guessing if Emily is really experiencing supernatural occurrences or if her fresh grief is clouding her mind and judgment. As these occurrences continue and increase in intensity and frequency, Emily starts questioning everything she knows and begins a quest to find out about her new home's past with shocking results.

The author sustains an eerie feeling throughout the novel, but the meat of the story takes some time to get to. I felt that for the first 60% of the story, I was mostly just reading about Emily's daily runs and her increasingly fraught relationship with Josh, who doesn't believe anything is amiss in their home. However, the book really picked up at about the 70% mark, and from there, I couldn't put it down. I also truly enjoyed how the author explores grief and the ways in which women are disbelieved and gaslit by men, even the ones who claim to love them. That and the author's clean, crisp writing style elevated this from a three to four-star read for me, and I can't wait to see what Ms. Conradt has in store for us next. Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Chelsea Conradt for the arc.

Oh my goodness 😳 This book was right up my alley! It kept me guessing the entire time. Emily was put through so much emotionally and her husband not believing her...ugh...that hurt my heart. I am just glad Emily and Alice got the happy endings they deserved. Poor Blanche, I can't get over that 😢.

⭐️: 2.5

I’m so bummed that this fell flat for me, as I was excited for this book to come out and even more excited when I was able to get an arc. The synopsis of it sounded sooo intriguing, but it just wasn’t it for me. I really did like our FMC, Emily. She was a very realistic character for me, I feel like a lot of what she did and thought is something I would have done lol Her husband irritated me to no endddddd. She was hearing things, seeing things and showing him things that were appearing on their farm and he was the typical “you just need some sleep babe” husband🤦🏻‍♀️ I really did like the supernatural aspect of the story, but that it. It was a little repetitive, I really thought maybe there was going to be some kind of twist that would have made the slow paced story worth it, but sadly no. But you know, for this being a debut novel for the author, it wasn’t that bad. I will be keeping an eye out for future books because she does have a way with storytelling.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the Arc.