Long Buried Review: A Twisty Small Town Thriller
Published: March 30, 2026 by Ellery Kane Publishing
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
In 1997, Sweetbriar High’s seniors buried a time capsule at graduation. That same night, their homecoming queen, Blair Lennox, vanished without a single trace.
Fast forward to now, and Juniper Pickett is driving all the way from San Francisco straight back to that tiny town. She left her career as a psychologist and a whole mess of trouble behind her. The time capsule is getting dug up tomorrow, and if that happens, her worst secret is out for everyone to see, and she can't let that happen.
I was hooked the second I read the premise: a time capsule reveal turns into unearthing a cold case; it sounded promising! I spent the whole book leaning forward like “what is she hiding? Did she actually do it??”
I love the small town vibe here. Thrillers hit different when everyone knows everyone’s business, and also everyone’s hiding something. Kane captures the essence of a close-knit community perfectly: lives are tangled together, old loyalties run deep, and nothing ever truly stays secret. There’s no polished version of small-town life here; instead, we get the true reality of the people.
I did guess some twists before they were dropped, but it didn’t ruin the fun at all. I was still totally invested in seeing how all the pieces fit together, and how all those old secrets would finally come out.
The storyline jumps between now and back when Juniper’s younger years, and the timelines fit together so smoothly. You get exactly why everyone acts the way they do, and how the past shaped every single one of them.
If you love twisty mysteries, suspecting every character like they’re definitely hiding something, and that “everyone knows your business” small-town vibe, you need to pick this up. It’s fast, gripping, and exactly the kind of book you’ll end up remembering long after you finish the last page.
Thank you to Ellery Kane and NetGalley for providing me with the review copy.
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