We Already Dug the Grave

By: Emma C. Wells ISBN: 9781464218651

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Publication Date: 09/08/2026

Format: Paperback

My Rating: TBR (ARC)

SEP 2026 MUST-READ BOOKS

"This is the kind of book readers love to devour: family secrets, people trying to escape their predetermined roles, and a good dash of the supernatural all blended together in a story that's ultimately about love and loyalty."

— Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestseller

From the USA Today bestselling author of This Girl's a Killer, comes a southern gothic thriller with the bite of Sharp Objects and a dash of Practical Magic, following two estranged sisters who will do anything to protect each other – even murder. Again.

Milly can't divine the future anymore, and maybe that's a good thing. Lately, her life has been bleak enough, she doesn't need the now-silent tea leaves to tell her. Meanwhile, her estranged younger sister thrives miles away in a shiny new life with a shiny new marriage. Milly doesn't blame Francis for wanting nothing to do with her. Not after what happened in that Tennessee meadow a decade before.

But when Francis shows up on Milly's doorstep with a black eye and a plea for help – Milly can't say no. Especially when the tea leaves are finally crystal clear: if the sisters don't kill Francis's husband, he'll kill her.

And if they're going to plot a murder, the sisters have no choice but to return to the one place they'd left behind. A place where another body – and a multitude of secrets – were buried. Because this isn't the first time the sisters have needed to dispose of a bad man. In fact, they might be pretty good at it.

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Praise

“Emma C. Wells delivers a tense psychological thriller rich in sisterhood, the supernatural, and Southern Gothic moodiness in We Already Dug the Grave. From the book's powerful first sentence, a strong cast of female characters who are both messy and fierce weave an emotionally raw story that explores the limits of loyalty and the price of betrayal.”

— Darby Kane, #1 international bestselling author of Pretty Little Wife

“Emma C Wells expertly writes the exact kind of women I love to read about: mouthy and unreliable with razor-sharp wit and plenty of secrets. Buckle up for a deep South hell-ride through a twisted past while careening off the cliff of a precarious future with a pair of sisters I rooted for all the way down. Loved it.”

— Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Missing Sister

“Southern gothic at its finest. A haunting, twisted, beautifully creepy thriller. Emma C. Wells has done it again!”

— Jennifer Moorhead, bestselling author of Broken Bayou and Poison Wood

“We Already Dug the Grave is Southern Gothic for the contemporary era, perfect for fans of Practical Magic. There are tea leaves intermixed with Instagram posts. There's a little bit of magic, vigilante aunts, two sisters, and a slew of deaths. However you like your tea served, this book has something for you.”

— Tasha Coryell, author of Love Letters to a Serial Killer

“An absolutely inescapable thrill ride from the first body to the last! Two sisters so complex that I was whole-heartedly rooting for them through each and every devastating reveal and new gruesome undertaking. I couldn’t put this one down.”

— Amy K. Green, author of The Prized Girl and Haven’t Killed in Years

"I absolutely inhaled We Already Dug the Grave in two poolside sittings, and not even the hot summer sun could fight my creeping sense of dread. Wells’ delivers a witchy southern gothic setting which lends itself perfectly to Milly and Francis—sisters who bury bodies together and keep their secrets firmly to themselves."

— Marlee Bush, author of Whispers of Dead Girls

About the Author

EMMA C. WELLS loves anti-heroes, dark humor, witty banter, and ride-or-die friendships. Twisty relationships are her kryptonite (or catnip―depending on how you look at it). THIS GIRL’S A KILLER is her debut novel. Emma lives in Louisiana where the novel is based. WEBSITE