If you’re looking for a new, suspenseful, gothic, cult horror, Jennifer McMahon’s new release, Stay Buried, is the perfect book to dive into as summer winds down and autumn creeps in. Atmospheric, creepy, unsettling, and gripping, this historical thriller is everything you’ve been looking for.

Ashley and Malcolm’s mom has been missing for a year. It’s 2016, and they embark on a journey to their ancestors’ hometown of Boone’s Ferry, Vermont, when they inherit the family property from their recently deceased grandmother – a property they didn’t know their grandmother owned because she claimed to have never set foot in the town. Among their grandma’s belongings is also a journal/medical record book that belonged to Frankie O’Massey.

In 1919, Frankie is living with her aunt and uncle, who will eventually become the great-grandparents of Malcolm and Ashley. Her uncle is the beloved town physician, and Frankie trains under him to become a medical provider. She defies the gender stereotypes of her time, preferring men’s clothes and pursuits typically then considered masculine, even if becoming an official doctor someday isn’t in the cards for a young woman of her era.

One day, a mysterious illness plagues the small town – it starts with the horses but soon spreads to the citizens. Initially believing it’s rabies, Frankie and her uncle soon realize something much more sinister is happening… and the knackerman may be the source.

“Some towns stay isolated for a reason.”

This one was so good it was impossible to put down. The two timelines and the mystery surrounding what was actually happening kept me wanting to find out more, and the deeper I got into the story, the harder it was to stop. It has so many layers to the psychological (and maybe even supernatural? 🙂) horror that there’s something for every lover of the genre!

There is a bit of romance involved too, and personally that’s not really my thing when I’m reading horror. Thankfully, it’s not so prevalent that it gets in the way of the real plot if that’s something you also prefer to stay away from! It’s more like a little side plot that gives space for another important character who becomes more central to the story as it goes on.

I haven’t read much cult horror before, but this was an awesome first jump into the subgenre! This is one I feel like I can recommend to any of my friends looking for a creepy book that really feels like its own kind of story.

The horse imagery is honestly disturbing, and I’ve never been scared of horses, but I might be now.

Overall, for your spooky season TBR list, this is one that belongs toward the top of that pile this year! I’m so glad I happened to come across it because it was well worth the read!