The Farmhouse
- Judith D Collins
- Jul 15
- 10 min read
By: Chelsea Conradt
Narrator: Brittany Pressley
Sourcebooks The Farmhouse
ISBN: 978-1464229169
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: 06/17/2025
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
Every woman who has lived on this farm has died. Emily just moved in.
When Emily Hauk's mother dies, it's time for her and her husband, Josh, to finally leave San Francisco. A farm in rural Nebraska is everything they want for a fresh start: clear skies, low costs, and distance from the grief back home.
They should have asked why the farm was for sale.
Three years ago, a teenage girl went missing from the farm. Soon after, the girl's mother mysteriously died. The deeper Emily digs, the more stories she finds of women with a connection to her new home who've met their own dark ends.
The farmhouse was meant to be Emily's fresh start, but with each passing day, her sanctuary slips further away. The barn seems to move throughout her property, as though chasing her. Her mother's favorite music drifts across the corn. She swears she saw blood in one of the farmhand's trucks. And the screams that wake her are not foxes, no matter how many times her husband says otherwise.
Despite Josh's skepticism, Emily feels the darkness that has seeped into the soil of her farm. And if she wants to claim this place as her own, she'll have to find the truth before whatever watches from the cornfield takes her too.
About the Author
Chelsea Conradt (she/her) writes twisty speculative thrillers. Her books are packed with both murder and kindness because we can be more than one thing.
When not writing stories that make you question what’s real, she is likely watching a baking show or a true-crime documentary. She is nothing if not on brand. Chelsea lives in Texas with her husband, son, and two big dogs. Find her online at chelseaconradt.com.
Connect with Chelsea:
Fun facts
Location: Chelsea resides in North Texas. Though, she grew up in Nebraska.
Publisher: Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press
Agent: Cheyenne Faircloth at Handspun Literary
Professional Organizations: Horror Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers.
Coffee order: Sugar-free vanilla latte with almond milk. Always hot.
Preferred Writing Tools: Freewrite Traveler, Scrivener, and Cognitive Surplus notebooks.
Praise
"An unputdownable novel. Emily's quickening spiral into paranoia feels both terrifying and relatable, a woman's cry to be heard, to be acknowledged, while those she trusts the most attempt to placate her into silence. A smart, chilling, ferociously feminist thriller."
―Kristen Simmons, Bram Stoker Award Nominee
"The Farmhouse twists together the threads of rustic dreams and pastoral nightmares, creating an atmospheric read that will haunt you long after the story is done. Conradt's thrilling debut is not to be missed."
―Lish McBride, author of Red in Tooth and Claw
"Conradt constructs a slowly escalating domestic narrative so claustrophobic that the reader will gasp for the openness of a rolling cornfield… and then immediately realize the cornfield might also be out to get them."
―Molly Harper, USA Today Bestseller
"Wholly gripping, chilling, and compulsively addictive...Conradt masterfully crafts a fast-paced, eerie thriller."
―Rachel Fikes, author of Keeper of Sorrows
"The Farmhouse will leave you looking over your shoulder for stalker barns. The story is a satisfyingly layered narrative that explores both the isolation of small towns and the loneliness one can feel within their closest relationships. I expect big things for Conradt."
―Jaye Wells, USA Today Bestselling Author of High Lonesome Sound
"A deviously twisty thriller that kept me turning the pages, eager to see what happened next." ―Kelley Armstrong, New York Times bestselling author
"Haunting and atmospheric, Chelsea Conradt's debut thriller led me on a chilling ride to a deadly crescendo. I did not see that end coming!"
―Nalini Singh, New York Times Bestselling Author
"A fresh start becomes the stuff of nightmares for a husband and wife on a rural Nebraskan farm in Chelsea Conradt's twisty debut. Whispering cornfields, a restless barn, and a truly terrifying number of teeth abound in this slippery slow burn of a haunted tale."
―Christa Carmen, award-winning author of The Daughters of Block Island
"The Farmhouse is a thought-provoking, action-packed thriller with a gripping plot. Conradt has a knack for building tension and creating fierce, unapologetic women who challenge societal expectations. A must-read for anyone who enjoys a thrilling journey that champions women’s strength and agency."
―Lisa M. Matlin, author of The Stranger Upstairs
"Conradt has crafted a superb thriller with tension so thick you feel like you might drown in it. Her characters are complex and compelling, the jump scares come right off the page, and you will find yourself wondering if you are going just as mad as our poor gaslit heroine. A triumphantly creepy novel that you'll want to keep in your freezer when you go to sleep, and will have you side-eying every barn you pass."
―Kate Wiley, author of The Killer's Daughter
Exceptional Authors.
Standout Books. Elevator Talk.
Behind the Book & the Author
INTRIGUING QUESTIONS. INQUIRING READERS WANT TO KNOW.
Welcome to the third June 2025 #AuthorElevatorSeries! Joining us for the first time is the talented debut author Chelsea Conradt with her knock-out new suspense thriller, THE FARMHOUSE. Out June 17th.
Every woman who has lived on this farm has died. Emily just moved in. A farm in rural Nebraska is everything they want for a fresh start: clear skies, low costs, and distance from the grief back home. UNTIL... They should have asked why the farm was for sale.
Join us as Chelsea shares some fascinating behind-the-scenes exclusives from the book and up-close and personal fun moments from this talented author.
Welcome, Chelsea!
Behind the Book
Q. DESCRIBE your novel in three words or less.
Ghosts and gaslighting
Q. SETTING: Tell us more about the book setting and why you selected it.
The Farmhouse is set in rural Nebraska. While that works perfectly for the isolation of the story, the beautiful open spaces, and the perception that landmarks like barns and silos might move…I also grew up there!
Q. Are you are runner like your MC Emily? This was so creative.
I’m not a runner. (I know!) I’m more of an indoor cycling or yoga beneath a fan person. But I have a great many running and tri-athlete friends!
Q. COVER: What a dynamic cover! LOVE. What could be more eerie than a rural farmhouse? How many covers did you see before the final?
We had five covers that I saw, and they were all captivating. The Sourcebooks team really is aces on this. Each had a different vibe to them, but the one we selected evokes the unease at the farm and gives the gothic undernotes so well.
Q. UPCOMING: Can you share what you are currently working on or what is next in ten words or less (or more)?
The Secret Attic comes out June 2026! More eerie thrillers/domestic horror!
Continue reading below for more up close and personal with Chelsea!
Behind the Author
CURRENT STATE?
Texas
ZODIAC SIGN?
Taurus
YOUR FAVORITE GO TO DRINK OR FOOD WHEN THE WORLD GOES A LITTLE CRAZY?
I’m always down for a hot fudge sundae.
DOG/CAT LOVER?
Dog mom!
FAVORITE HOLIDAY OR SEASON?
Autumn is by far the best season. Give me sweaters, warming spices in everything, crispy leaves, and ALL THE HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS.
FAVORITE READING FORMAT?
Digital. I like buying physical books for trophies, but I devour ebooks.
FAVORITE TV SERIES? (Or Movie/Video) binge-watch, series, etc.?
Recently, I’ve been super into Severance, but you’ll read that Emily in The Farmhouse watches a lot of Love Island. I want to say I watched it only for research, but that would be a lie. I can’t resist watching shows like Love is Blind and Love Island and blowing up my group chat with commentary.
IF YOU WERE GRANTED 3 MONTHS OF UNINTERRUPTED WRITING TIME—WHERE WOULD IT BE?
1. A Busy Urban City
2. A Quiet Scenic Mountain Cabin surrounded by nature
3. A Coastal Seaside Cottage
4. An Exotic Tropical Island
5. A Countryside Farmhouse surrounded by animals and organic gardens.
6. A charming, quaint historic Bed and Breakfast Inn
7. A Scenic Hunting Lodge
8. A Nostalgic Lake House
9. A Writer's Retreat
10. Other
Not a farmhouse. LOL A writing retreat in a coastal cottage would be perfection.
NAME A BOOK TITLE ON YOUR BOOKSHELF OR NIGHTSTAND THAT WOULD SURPRISE YOUR READERS?
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
DESCRIBE ONE THING ON YOUR DESK, CURRENTLY?
A light-up duck a friend sent me. He’s “existential crisis duck” and his little butt lights up when you tap on him. Sometimes you need irreverent toys on your desk.
DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE WRITING?
Sometimes. When I’m in a coffeeshop—which happens regularly—I’ll listen to music because I don’t want to be distracted by discussions, but when I’m working at home no music.
But I always have a writing playlist curated while working on the book. Listening to it before writing gets me into the correct headspace. By the end of drafting the book, there will be one song that’s the song. For The Farmhouse that song was Nessa Barrett’s “Tired of California.”
YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM? (Or would you prefer none of them)?
Instagram. And, yes, I will watch and reply to your stories.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HORROR MOVIE (OR LOVE STORY)?
Alien. I write feminist thrillers and domestic horror. So that one might not be a surprise.
WHAT WOULD YOUR SON SAY ABOUT YOU BEING AN AUTHOR, IF ASKED?
My son just turned five and lets everyone know that “books are my mom’s passion.” (He’s not wrong.) But he’ll also tell you that he’s going to write a book in seven days, which is faster than Mom.
He crashed a meeting with my agent a few months ago and pitched her a book. So…anyway…right now he thinks I’m very cool.
YOUR MOST PRODUCTIVE TIME OF THE DAY?
Morning! I’m a serial multi-tasker. So writing first means that I don’t get myself pulled in multiple directions. I can also be productive late at night after everyone else is sleeping.
A FAVORITE INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE?
I have so many. Really. Like I road trip to bookstores for fun. But I absolutely adore my local bookstore Patchouli Joe’s Books & Indulgences in Denton, Texas. Their staff are wonderful humans with excellent taste in books across genres. I also love Murder by the Book down in Houston, Texas. As the name suggests it’s a thriller/mystery/horror bookstore, and they are amazing. Outstanding staff recommendations, they do subscription boxes, they ship everywhere and put on some of the more organized events. (Both bookstores have signed copies of The Farmhouse from me and will ship!)
PIE OR CAKE?
Pie!
FAVORITE AUTHOR?
Simone St. James
FAVORITE WORD?
Cacophony
YOUR FAVORITE AUDIO NARRATOR?
I absolutely adore Brittany Pressley and nerded so hard when she was hired to narrate the audiobook for The Farmhouse.
A FAVORITE PODCAST?
Reading Glasses
Thank you, Chelsea, for spending time with us today!
My Review
Debut author Chelsea Conradt delivers a twisty, atmospheric feminist speculative thriller set on a farm in rural Nebraska, THE FARMHOUSE —get ready for a lot of running, moving, ghosts, creepiness, and gaslighting in this marvelously chilling page-turner.
A slow-burn thriller that creeps under your skin and stays there.
About...
Emily is grappling with the loss of her mother. She and her husband, Josh, are seeking a fresh start and moving to rural Nebraska from the bustling life of San Francisco. Emily's hope for healing is tied to this new environment, and her journey will grip you from the start.
Driven by a sense of urgency and a desire to embark on their new journey, Emily and Josh leap into the purchase without delving into the details or history of the farmhouse.
Little do they know, the farmhouse holds a dark secret. Three years earlier, a teen girl vanished from this very farm, and soon after, the girl's mother died under mysterious circumstances. But there is much more.
The deeper Emily delves into the mystery, the more connections she uncovers tied to the farmhouse, her new home. Emily slips into darkness while working from home alone in this remote location as though the property is chasing her. She is obsessed with running. What is going on?
As chilling events unfold around her, Emily is consumed by the need to uncover the truth about the farmhouse. The cornfields, the farm equipment, the workers, the barn- they all seem to hold secrets. She must find answers before she loses her mind and sanity.
Does anyone believe her, including her husband? The farmhouse was supposed to be her refuge, a place where her marriage was supposed to grow strong, a place free of her mother's memory, and a sanctuary from grief. Could her marriage be saved? Would the farmhouse finally be her solace or drive her away?
The ongoing mystery of what happened to the girls and women? Bridget, Kinsey, Adeline, and Maryanne? These characters are not just names, but they hold the key to the dark secret of the farmhouse.
My thoughts...
Chilling and menacing, Conradt sets the stage with an eerie, creepy, and claustrophobic setting that is infused with Gothic horror vibes. This smashing debut will draw you in from page one to the end, with a strong female protagonist you will root for. One to savour on a cold and dark rainy night.
The author does a super job of getting inside Emily's head. Add in the creepy cornfields and a barn moving, teeth, her mom's songs, and plenty of gaslighting, keeping you in suspense, turning the pages in this deviously twisty thriller. From page one to the next, the author expertly weaves the past and present. Eerie, dark, and twisted,
Ghostly, engaging, and unnerving! A gritty speculative thriller (a genre of fiction that blends the imaginative elements of speculative fiction, like science fiction, fantasy, and horror) with the suspense and tension of a thriller.
THE FARMHOUSE, pushes the boundaries of reality and raises thought-provoking questions about the human condition, such as what if the past could haunt the present?
Mixed with Emily's creative running log, the mysteries from the past to the present— ghosts and spirits haunt its edges in a truly unsettling way. Clever, compelling, and creepy, you may never want to move to a rural farmhouse ever. An author to watch!
I am looking forward to listening to the audiobook narrated by the fabulously talented Brittany Pressley.
Interview...
Stay tuned for my fun #AuthorElevatorSeries QA with Chelsea, where we go behind the book and learn more about this talented new author. (pub day June 17)
Recs...
THE FARMHOUSE is for fans of Jennifer McMahon's The Invited, and fans of Jennifer Hillier, Simone St. James, Sarah Pinborough, John Marrs, Carol Goodman, Kira Peikoff, and CJ Tudor.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 17, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
