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)

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.

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:

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

Looking to unravel some family secrets while discovering several bones remains in the backward? This slowburn thriller is for you.

This made me chill my bones from the start, even through it was not as fastpaced that i’m used to, I was hooked from the start. It was amazing to go through this gem. Literally I didn’t expect to have such a big twist at the end. My jaw was literally on the floor.

3 out of 5 stars
Interesting Premise, Uneven Execution

What Remains of Teague House starts off strong, pulling you into an atmospheric mystery with hints of psychological tension and family secrets. The writing is solid, and the characters are layered enough to keep you invested. However, the ending didn’t quite jibe with the rest of the story. What I expected to be a thrilling payoff turned into something that felt more like an extended family therapy session. It wasn’t bad, just not what the build-up seemed to promise. If you’re looking for a psychological thriller, this might fall short—but as a family drama with eerie undertones, it delivers in spades.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book sounded really intriguing, and I was excited to read it, but unfortunately, this was a letdown. The story felt overly drawn out, too long, and not very engaging. The beginning was intriguing, but as it went on, it started to drag..and drag..and drag. The writing was decent, but the plot just didn’t work for me. I wanted more from the story. The ending was disappointing and felt anticlimactic. I really think the story had a lot of potential, but it ended up being a disappointment.

'What Remains of Teague House' was a good mystery/family drama novel. It started off slowly, but finished fast. I also enjoyed the family tensions. I give this book a solid 4 star rating.

This is a dual timeline/multiple POV thriller. It is a very entertaining read, and it easily kept me hooked. I'm not a huge fan of the multiple POV, but it worked for this story. If you like thrillers about family secrets this should definitely be your next read! I will lastly say that in this story things are not always what they seem.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen for the copy of this ARC. Get your copy today!

What Remains of Teague House is a dark tale of a very dysfunctional family. A newly wed couple with limited means is able to buy a big plot of land and there they build their dream home. Life is good until the moment that secrets they hold become so overwhelming that it's not possible to live with them anymore. The father kills himself, the mother never never talks again, the older children move out of town and rarely return home, the youngest one also leads a very troubled home life. Then the mother dies, her caretaker (her sister) leaves their home the day after the funeral, and dead people (old and new) are found in the property. How are the deaths linked to the family? Who is responsible for them? Why these people were killed? There are so many secrets held by each character in this story that the end seems too simple. It's an engaging and interesting read.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was an interesting, twist filled thriller. It was filled with family drama and murder. Told through multiple POVs, this is a slow burn thriller. However, I felt like this was almost a little too slow burn and it definitely took me a while to get into. The ending felt rushed and cobbled together, and it just didn't seem very satisfying to me.