I really, really enjoyed this! It felt like it could be the start of a series, although I've no idea if that's the case. The story centres around the mysterious disappearance of Tommy - a nine-year-old orphan living in a church-run children's home called Coram House. From the outset, the reader knows there's more to Tommy's disappearance than meets the eye, although the exact circumstances surrounding this event aren't immediately clear. Fifty years later, Alex Kelley is hired to ghost write a novel about Coram House. As she starts work on the book, Alex becomes increasingly obsessed with uncovering the truth about Tommy's disappearance, much to the dismay of many of the people connected with Coram House.

This is a gripping, pacy and beautifully written novel. According to the blurb, the book was inspired by the real-life stories from St Joseph's Orphanage - Bailey Seybolt does a brilliant job of highlighting the long-term impact of institutional abuse.

The first book I've read by this author but most certainly not the last. An excellent read.

A crumbling old orphanage in Vermont, sinister tales of murderous nuns, conflicting testimonies from the children who lived there, and a burned out writer trying to recover her career - I was definitely immediately intrigued by Coram House!

We primarily follow writer Alex, from her perspective, as she heads out to Vermont to ghost-write a book on Coram House. Recovering from a cloud of controversy and tragedy herself, she is keen to get started on a new - and anonymous - project. But she soon becomes convinced that some of the more violent claims about Coram House might actually be true. And then, people start dying in suspicious circumstances..

The story is beautifully spun, with great pacing, plenty of intrigue, and a whole host of interesting characters. The intensity builds over the course of Alex’s investigation to the shocking final reveal, and the pieces all fall into place neatly. The theme of the book is a difficult one - given how many survivors there still are from these kinds of institutions - but I thought it was handled well, not too cliched or sensationalised.

This is an intensely atmospheric and evocative novel about a writer trying to uncover the truth about a historical mystery at a children’s home. The book is set in winter but the mystery occurred in the height of summer, which creates an impactful juxtaposition. A very well crafted crime novel.

Oooh what a spooky eerie read

I was captured by this book and couldn't put it down. Really enjoyed it thanks

Thanks for the opportunity to review

This one felt very atmospheric to me, I felt the cold, I " heard" the locals not talking about the house, I saw the past come to life in that building.
I was as invested as Alex infinding Tommy, and her determination on that matter endeared her to me.
Slow to start, but worth sticking with.
It's one of those books where you are not sure you can trust anyone.
An excellent read.

A true crime writer goes to a small town to investigate historical claims of abuse and murder at a Catholic orphanage, however her investigation seems to hit a nerve and she finds herself at the centre of a spate of killings. This is different from the majority of crime fiction that is out there, the characters are interesting and the plot holds its own. It moves along at a nice pace and is worth reading if you enjoy your crime fiction.

The start of this novel was strong, the premise interesting and the mystery had me hooked. As the book went on, I found the writing a little repetitive and losing interest. While Alex was an interesting main character, I felt that she was simply a shell to tell the story rather than a fully fleshed out person herself. I also found the plot twist predictable, which made the ending a little anti climactic for me. The writing had elements of fear and was easy to read, a bonus for a book like this. A mixed bag for me.

4* Decent read, but not what it felt marketed as via the blurb. Don't expect to like or feel sorry for Alex, though - you won't really get to know her. It's a mystery but not a thriller.

What we know about Alex, the story lead, is that she's widowed; was married to Adam; wrote a book that did well, then another that didn't; got some poor sod accused and imprisoned for the death of his sister, after their parents hired her investigative talents only for new evidence of the actual bad guy to later emerge; had a book pulled because of her 'evidence' and now the washed-up (?) author is employed by a lawyer as his ghost writer for his book about Coram House, an abusive orphanage - because she's cheaper than others and possibly desperate because of her book's failure. And, she doesn't seem to eat, shower much or wash her clothes, but she does drink a fair bit. But, did I need to like her or be rooting for her to enjoy the storyline? Nope, because there was a mix of past and present, kids and evil nuns, memories, interviews, shady characters and something/one that didn't really go anywhere or need to be included, that intrigued me enough to want to find out if she solved the half-century-old mystery. And she got there, though she kind of still jumped the gun a little and...nope, not going to Spoiler.

Was it an enjoyable read? It was dark, slow and dreary but I was invested in finding out if poor Tommy ever got justice, and couldn't really put it down. Did I get all the answers I wanted? Nope. Did I feel justice was served? Yes, sort of. In a cold way, twinned with revenge. Did I end up liking Alex? No, she was too selfish and absorbed and didn't deserve Lola and Kay who left NY to stay with her for nearly 3 weeks when she needed someone. I think, sadly, she's damaged and in need of professional help. But, she's left this town reinvigorated and maybe she'll learn to start living again.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing UK and ANZ, for my reading pleasure.

Dnf 20% read. Didnt really like this from the synopis all was repeated in first chapters and by then as i didnt like the theme i wasnt up for seeing what happened.

Ah what a book. Much more than a novel about journalistic investigation this author grabs you with her vivid details, pace, and story, and leaves you immersed in the cold of Burlington and Alex’s determination to find the truth.
This is a book with depth and character, and deals with the subject matter with care as it explores the far reaching effects of abuse and grief.