Home is Where the Bodies Are
by Jeneva Rose
Pub Date: April 30, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
From New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage and You Shouldn’t Have Come Here comes a chilling family thriller about the (sometimes literal) skeletons in the closet.
This book is Jeneva Rose AT HER FINEST. From the beginning paragraphs I knew we were in for something amazing. I was hooked and could not put this down. I finished it the same day I got it. I absolutely loved all of the POVs we got to read from, it really allowed us to grasp the entire story. The synopsis promises intrigue, and the entire book delivers.

When three siblings who haven’t even had a recent phone conversation have to reunite after the death of their mother, things are bound to be tense. When they decide to revisit their childhood with a few home videos, the last thing they’d expect to see is their father carrying a dead body. But there’s no denying the evidence.

Read if you want: tense family dynamics/hidden secrets/multiple POV

This is just my second Jeneva Rose novel. The first one I read was The Perfect Marriage and the "twist" at the end really left me scratching my head -- it seemed like she had changed her mind on who the killer was partway through and didn't go back and clean up things that didn't make sense.

However, this book was very enjoyable. I'm one who can usually predict the outcomes of books but this one surprised me. I enjoyed how the story was told in alternating points of view. Each character had their own unique voice and the characters were believable. I really enjoyed that it was partially set in 1999 and the references to the pop culture of that era was fun and nostalgic. All in all, I really liked this one and would gladly recommend it to family and friends.

I read this book in a day. I couldn't put it down! It was such a fun and thrilling read.

Jeneva did a perfect job knowing when to change perspectives for each chapter. It added to the book by allowing the reader to develop a relationship with each of the siblings and their mother by seeing the past and present play out through their eyes. Jeneva does such a good job with her story telling and her writing is very fluid. Her character development is always spot on as well. I never felt that there was a portion of the book that was unnecessary or strained. I find her books so fun to read, and this is my new favorite!

I guessed the twists very early on, but it did not take away from the enjoyment of reading the book. Again, I was so intrigued by the relationship between the siblings and their parents that it didn't bother me that there wasn't a big "OH MY GOSH!" moment as things were revealed throughout the end of the book.

Jeneva and the editors did an amazing job with this book, and I can't wait to recommend this to friends and family! I will also continue to look forward to her future publications! Thank you for the advanced reader copy!

I really enjoyed this thriller. It was my first time reading Jeneva Rose. Although I found some of the prose unoriginal, one could also argue that the phrasing used is familiar and makes for an easy, relaxing read. Either way, this story kept me wanting more and had me picking up the book whenever I could. At the end of the day, I think that makes for a great thriller/mystery. I would read Rose again and recommend this book.

This was another fantastic read by Jeneva Rose. Siblings brought back together to deal with their mother’s illness after several years forces them to deal with the events of their past. The character development is a strength for this book, as she captures the relationships between siblings extremely well. Each one’s personality has been shaped by the traumatic event of losing their father at a young age under mysterious circumstances.
I love that the book had alternate points of view for each chapter. This, along with the constant twists and turns, kept me guessing and turning page after page. I did suspect who the killer was fairly early in the book, but this didn’t ruin a thing for me. I enjoyed seeing the mystery unfold and finding out what had led up to his/her decisions.
This one gets a 5/5 from me!

Three siblings return to their childhood home to grieve the death of their mother and settle her estate. They are faced with a decision, do they ignore incriminating evidence or do they seek out the truth? This is a multiple POV, small town thriller with many twists and family secrets.

Netgalley eARC.

I needed a fast paced, suspenseful novel and I got it! This is the first book I’ve read by Jeneva Rose and I was so impressed! It kept me going enough to read but I did predict the twist. It was still a great read!

Imagine your childhood is not what you recall. The splinters of memories hint at a different tale, but what is the truth?
Three siblings gather together to pay respects to their mother after her death. Beth stayed home, trapped in a small town at a dead end job spending time regretting never getting out. Nichole battles demons in a bottle and syringe - the black sheep who kept letting her mother down. And Michael, the golden child, who escaped the small town and created a life of wealth in Tech in Cali.

Cleaning the house, they discover old vcr tapes and watch to relive childhood memories. Maybe in one is the reason their dad suddenly left 7 years ago?

Nothing is as it seems and the twists come fast as the story unwinds.

4 stars.

I think one thing that I really love about Jeneva Rose's books that I never know what to expect except that they will always surprise me. This one was on my most anticipated books for 2024, especially with the amazing book cover.

This book is about three estranged siblings; Beth, Nicole and Michael. They are all coming together after the passing of their mother and to carry out her wishes that she has left them. Their father "went missing" years ago and so they only have each other. While going through their mother's belongings, they find a box of VRC tapes of their childhood and decided to watch them to relive their happiest memories. But they unfortunately find something on the tapes that make them question who their parents really are.

I first want to say the first 25% of the story was so heartbreaking and had me crying. I don't know if it's because it was a little close to home and being close to my mom but it had me feeling so many emotions. Afterwards is when the "thriller" portion of the story comes into play. I will say there was a small list of characters for me to not figure out who was behind it all but I was still very invested and enjoyed it from start to finish. I also think the other reason why I couldn't give it a full five stars because I felt like when things were wrapping up, I had some many questions on how things would be explained. They answers were given but they felt very convenient.

I would defiantly recommend picking this one up when it releases and giving it a try.

Beth has lived in her home town all her life and has been nursing her ailing mother who dies in the first few chapters of the book. Beth’s siblings Michael and Nicole, return home for the funeral. Michael is the youngest and a successful tech entrepreneur in California. Nicole is loosing a battle to addiction. Their father, Brain, disappeared some 7 years ago., his car found abandoned at the Mexican border. The story is narrated in turn by the three siblings and also from their mother Laura whose narrative is from a time in 1999 when their neighbours daughter went missing and was never found.
While the three of them clean out their mother’s house, they find a box of tapes. Their mother loved filming her kids. One tape however has a clip of their father covered in blood, asking Laura for help and then it focuses on a dead body, and their mother agreeing to help Brian dispose of the body.
The trio decide to keep quiet about what they have seen and set out to uncover some truths.
I certainly found the story engaging and although some twists were a bit far fetched, the book on the whole was a satisfying, easy read.

#HomeIsWhereTheBodiesAre. #NetGalley

Home is Where the Bodies Are
By: Jeneva Rose
5🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

If you follow Jeneva you know she is funny, talented and an amazing writer who writes in a few genres.

Three siblings have come together after the death of their mom. Beth was staying with her mom while she was on hospice and had been there through the tough parts.

The sister Nicole, has had a drug addiction and burned Beth too many times. Brother Michael moved away and became a successful businessman.

The siblings come upon a mysterious VHS tape that appears to be a clue to the disappearance of someone years ago in their community. They have to come with grips on what they have seen and how they might handle a crucial key to the past.

Will they work together to find out what happened? Could this affect their future?

I was captivated by this unique story about an unsolved crime and the implications and secrets behind closed doors where coverups were rampant in this small Wisconsin town.

Be sure and read the author notes Silly 🪿.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! I really enjoyed trying to guess the plot twist of this book. It kept me guessing and I loved the 90’s nostalgia.

A fast paced, captivating novel! Really appreciated the insight into this dysfunctional family that only wanted to love one another and do right by each other. While I figured out "who dun it" early on - I wasn't secure in my prediction and Jeneva Rose had me guessing myself to the end. This was not my first read by this thrilling and compelling writer and will not be my last! Enjoy this one while on holiday! I did.

I feel like this would be a decent one to decide to read if you’re needing something to read just to read and if you’re into thrillers. It was predictable.

If the title of this book doesn't grab your attention, the first chapter will. I had to make myself stop reading this book but only because it was late, and I had to wake up for work the next morning. It isn't often I feel a strong pull to finish a book - but this was it.
Told from the perspective of each family member upon their mother's passing, this family drama took a turn I didn't see coming. When the three siblings begin to clean out their childhood home and find home videos, the last thing they expect to find is a film of their father with a dead body. From here, the book goes down a dark and twisty road and lies are uncovered and the truth is revealed.

Thank you to Jeneva Rose and Blackstone publishing for sending me an ARC!

Another book for Scott to hate! Jeneva Rose creates a captivating story of three siblings coming together following their mother’s passing and their father’s disappearance. While sorting through the items in their childhood home they discover some secrets of the past. Now the siblings have to decide if they want to have their parents and their reputation sullied or just keep the secrets in the family. The multi-perspective narration of this book keeps everything flowing and keeps you guessing until the last minute.

This story dives into a broken family. Three siblings who have drifted apart due to apparent success, drugs, and secrets. When their mother dies, they are brought together again, but not without conflict.

When going through their mother’s things, a town tragedy is discovered with their parent’s involvement. The siblings work together to find out what really happened, who was responsible, and who can be trusted.

This was a fun, quick read that keeps you guessing !

I don't usually go for mysteries and thrillers in novels. However the premise and beautiful cover design of Home Is Where The Bodies Are pulled me in. The novel itself is very well written, and is accessible enough to appeal to both casual and hardcore readers. I found the pacing of the story to be excellent. There were no lulls or boring moments. Jeneva Rose's use of exciting events, twists, and mini-cliffhangers at the end of several chapters made it difficult at times to put down.

From parents who will do anything to protect their families, to adult children reconciling with the past, and siblings struggling to relate to each other as they deal with loss; the story itself includes enough familiar elements to be relatable to a wide range of audiences. At times, I found some of these elements to be a little too familiar; as in I've seen these dynamics played out in a myriad of other books, and film, and television. At first I thought the story would begin verging on cliche.

The more I read, and the more I thought about it after finishing I realized the difference between a cliche and a trope. Cliches are overused and boring, and there's nothing boring about the family depicted in Home Is Where The Bodies Are. My theory is that family dynamics often look similar across different mediums because while no two families, real or otherwise, will ever look exactly the same, the underlying bedrock of familial relationships contain many relatable parallels.

It's in these small details that the audience sees familiarity; because they are connecting what they're watching and reading to their own lived experiences in small subtle ways. I believe that is why novels like Home Is Where The Bodies Are are so appealing to audiences that can identify with the messiness of family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the advance reading copy of this novel.

I was really excited when I received an ARC for this novel, but I was a little disappointed. This isn’t a bad thriller, per se, but I felt like there wouldn’t even have been a story if their mom didn’t ask them to wait to open their letters. I also found pretty much all the main characters to be unlikeable, and sadly, I could see the ending coming from a mile away.

I will try another book by the author, but I definitely wasn’t blown away.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ | 📚 | ARC review, releasing 4/30

What a fun read by Jeneva Rose. This domestic thriller follows three small town siblings who are trying to find the answers after the disappearance of their father and death of their mother.

I felt the plot was fairly original and while I had an idea of whodunnit, it still kept me on my toes. My problem wasn’t with the content or the plot it was with the pacing. As someone who typically finished books in 3-5 days…this book took me 1.5 months to read. I enjoyed it, but I had a hard time staying captivated.

If you have enjoyed Jeneva Rose books in the past, or like a twisty small town mystery this is probably going to be a good read for you!

ARC review, thank you NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.