I really wanted to love this one the premise was absolutely intriguing and totally my style. Unfortunately, this was a little too much of a slow burn for me and I found it hard for it to grip me fully. I also felt like the FMC's full personality was her grieving which was a little annoying. The information was really interesting as it is based on a true story, but it did also feel very repetitive. There is a lot of child abuse which I definitely find hard to read sometimes. Was it bad no.. was it fantastic also no. Still a good read just don't go expecting a fast paced read.

Alex is a writer struggling to repeat her early success. She’s struggling with the loss of her husband, and her writing spark seems to be extinguished for good.

So when she gets an offer to ghostwrite a new book about a haunted orphanage in Vermont, she accepts. As Alex digs deeper into the secrets that haunt the town, she realizes this challenge could be a new beginning…or her final chapter.

***

This story is well-written, but I never really got into it. Alex is one-dimensional; we know she’s grieving, but that’s her entire personality. I also found it distracting how the author constantly mentioned how Alex couldn’t/didn’t want to eat.

The “twist” at the end was meh, maybe because I didn’t care about any of the characters.

This one just wasn’t for me.

This book was on my radar the moment I heard it likened to Flynn’s ‘Sharp Objects’ and any of Tana French’s work. It fits right in with those thrillers-that-are-so-much-more-than-just-thrillers niche. The parallels between so much more creates a dialogue. Keeps the reader engaged. Add to that the atmosphere and the haunting that is woven through so many levels? It’s an amazing book. Definitely grabbing a physical copy of this one!

I could not get into this book. It was slow from the start. I got to 52% before I said no more life is to short to read books you don’t enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Coram House is about an author going to Vermont to write a book on a mysterious orphanage with a dark past. This piece of literature is a masterpiece. I can not explain how much I enjoyed this read! This is my second ARC I’ve ever read and I swear you would never know that this is a debut novel of Bailey Seybolt’s. The writing was so descriptive and captivating, I felt like I was in the story with the main character. I really enjoyed all the imagery that was used to describe scenes, the main characters thoughts and feelings, and the world around her. The writing alone was its own masterpiece and I really appreciate an author who uses lots of imagery and descriptive language to set a scene or get us into the main characters head.

The plot was also great! The storyline and premise of the book was intriguing and kept my attention at all times. I never felt bored because I was always left wanting more, and I got just that. I wasn’t too shocked at the plot twist at the end, but that doesn’t change my opinions on the book overall.

The history of Coram House is sad and dark, but I was rooting alongside Alex to figure out all the mystery behind it all. It’s sad that these things happened, but justice needed to be served and Alex was doing just that, which I felt made her a very likable character. To know this was loosely based on true events also made the story very immersive.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bailey Seybolt for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Coram House coming out April 15, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was intrigued that it was compared to Sharp Objects. I love that book and show. This book was a little slow for me. I really liked that it was based on a true crime story. The writing was good yet sad. I would check out more books by this author.

I read Coram House in October, which I highly recommend for maximum spooky thrills. I didn’t know what to expect, so it did take me some time to get through because of the dark subject matter — while not all described in graphic detail, readers should be aware that child abuse and CSA are a central focus of the plot. Our narrator Alex is a thirtysomething true crime writer who has come to Burlington, Vermont to ghostwrite the story of Coram House, a church-run orphanage where children faced daily abuse, went missing, and — some say — were killed. Alex’s problems start when her investigative work digs up more information than the locals involved with Coram House had bet on, resulting in a series of deaths and deception, all played out against the moody backdrop of winter in northern New England.

In fact, Burlington is the real main character of Coram House, which will make this an enjoyable read for locals or anyone else familiar with the area. Most of the book takes place along the waterfront and in the Old North End, and every location, business, and street mural referenced throughout the book are real and accurate. Seybolt clearly didn’t just choose Vermont at whim for the vibes, but rather crafts the setting with respect and authenticity. The only detail that requires suspension of disbelief is that Alex effortlessly lands an affordable short-term rental within walking distance of Church St. (in this economy?).

I also liked that Alex is a protagonist we can get behind and root for. I’m a bit tired of female main characters in thrillers being unreliable, confused alcoholics. While Alex does struggle with real human issues, like grief for her recently deceased husband, she doesn’t hallucinate or get distracted by a romance or any similar trope. Similarly, I appreciated the frustratingly realistic depiction of misogynistic dismissiveness from the old men she has to work with.

There were a couple details that didn’t quite work for me — Alex has a revelation in Chapter 26 about someone’s name which I thought was supposed to be clear to us all along. Also, why is Stedsan so defensive about her fact-finding if he gets editorial control over what gets published anyway? I don’t think the timing of all the events that unraveled was fully explained either, as 60-year-old crimes just happened to be avenged very conveniently so that discoveries were all made within a month and by the same person? I’m willing to accept that I might have overlooked something here, though. There was a reveal in the climax that was done well — I didn’t see it coming, but in hindsight there were clues (as twists should be). It wouldn’t make sense for that to have been written well while leaving holes in the timeline issue, so that could be a me problem.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Coram House and will look forward to Seybolt’s next work. I’d recommend it for fans of smart thrillers, true crime, detective stories, and of course, Vermont. Readers averse to reading about child abuse at the hands of corrupt religious figures should proceed with caution. Thank you to Atria for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The novel is about a crime writer who is recruited to write a story about the allegations of abuse at an orphanage, called the Coram House. As a writer, Alex Kelley, wants to uncover the truth. She reviews old, tattered documents and interviews survivors. Along the way, people connected to the case have been found murdered. Alex races to uncover the truth and be the voice for the children before it’s too late.

Inspired by the true events experienced by children at the St. Joseph’s orphanage in Vermont. The detailing of each child’s experiences are disturbing and incredibly moving. Bailey Seybolt’s novel sheds light on the importance of uncovering and bringing action against the abuse suffered by children in orphanages and residential schools. Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader copy of this ebook. It really struck a chord with me and will be one of my most memorable reads this year.

Coram House was an advanced reading copy provided through Netgalley. This was an interesting tale of one property's dark history and secrets that are fighting to stay hidden. Alex is a young writer that has a history of her own and is needing a change. When an opportunity to write the history of the Coram House presents itself she is eagerly anticipating a fresh start in a new town. Only what she finds are more and more questions about a hidden past that are plaguing her at every turn. Finding herself the town outcast that desires to keep their skeletons in the closet, she will have to fight all odds to find answers and unravel this story.

Coram House by Bailey Seybolt is her debut novel about Alex Kelley. a writer getting a second chance after her second novel was a complete disaster. Alex has agreed to be a ghostwriter for a book about Coram House in Burlington, Vermont. Alex has to live in Burlington for six months while writing the book. Coram House has its own secrets of horror, a former orphanage that was run by nuns and a priest who sexually abused the boys that lived there. The house was closed on the late 60’s and in the 80’s the former children settled out of court when they brought a class action lawsuit against the clergy. Alex has all the transcripts, receipts, pictures, and video tapes from the depositions. Now going through all the evidence Alex can’t get past that one of the children,Tommy had drowned and another child witnessed it. Whit nothing but a picture and a first name of Tommy. Alex wants to uncover who Tommy was and if he was really murder or just a runaway like everyone else believes. Soon Alex is running out of time when the people that lived in Coram House are being killed one by one. Can Alex break this case before it’s too late? This was a well written book that gets you hooked by the first page. Bailey Seybt is an up and coming author that you will want to keep on your radar. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for letting me have an advance copy of this book.

I went into this book blind. About halfway through I my jaw dropped when I found out that this book is actually based off child abuse that took place at an orphanage run by the Catholic Church in Maine. That being said there is a lot of child abuse in this book. If you are sensitive to that subject matter this might be a skip for you.

Alex is hired as a ghost writer to investigate what happened at this orphanage 50 years ago. As she sinks into the plethora of interviews and documentation of abuse by nuns and priests that ran the orphanage Alex becomes obsessed with the case. She discovers that orphans were murdered and the Catholic Church covered it up and paid to keep people quiet. Alex wants to expose the truth but it feels like there is a conspiracy to silence the public.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand I believe that there is a good story in here and it needs to be told. My issues with this book is the delivery of the information. The story is a slow burn which I’m not a fan of. At times it’s really interesting but other times it’s repetitive. I wish there was more character development and background on Alex as well as the other characters in the story. By the end I was just ready for the book to be over.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

Author Alex Kelley, coming off a disastrous true-crime novel, is contracted to ghostwrite a book about an old Catholic orphanage that was the setting for despicable acts against children some 50 years ago. Alex, who is dealing with her own demons, stirs a hornet’s nest as her research opens old wounds. Coram House, the name of the orphanage, is loosely based on a true story, and the author does a masterful job of crafting a haunting tale that is as spellbinding as it is eloquent. The descriptive prose firmly puts the reader at the scene, as Alex investigates the events at the orphanage which has the locals on edge. The repeated recap of facts uncovered seemed unnecessary and slowed things down somewhat, but that’s a minor issue in an otherwise gripping book. Well done! 4.5 stars, highly recommended. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A disgraced true crime writer is offered the chance to redeem herself by ghost writing the story of an orphanage with a history of child abuse by the priest and nuns in charge. Atmospheric and brooding, this slow burning tale is a perfect fall read.

This was a really good story about a true crime writer who visits Vermont in the winter to investigate murders that occurred at an orphanage decades before. While she is there some things occur that make her realize the danger isn’t over and she may be caught in the middle of something criminal still ongoing. I enjoyed the pacing, it wasn’t fast it was slow burn but still kept you interested and the writing was so atmospheric I felt like I was in Vermont in the winter.

Do you love a mixed media book? If so, this is the book for you. I normally have a hard time following along in mixed media books, but this one was so easy to follow and the storytelling along the way was phenomenal. The author created an atmosphere that made you feel like you were there. I was completely immersed from the first page. This book was amazing, and I highly recommend. I will be buying a physical copy on publication day. Thanks NetGalley.

I can’t really rate this book as I tried multiple times to get into it but couldn’t. I couldn’t keep up with the writing style and did not feel overly engaged which is what generally keeps me wanting to read on.

Ah, I love a good atmospheric mystery every now and again, and this one was just that. The pacing on this book was definitely on the slower side, which for me means I have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy. When I did get my mind in the right space to enjoy this one, I did just that, enjoy it. The pacing, while slow, felt deliberate, and allowed me to be fully immersed in the atmosphere. The writing made me feel like I was right there with the characters. I loved that the main character of this book was a writer because I enjoy reading about authors and other book lovers. In this case she wrote true crime, which just added to the spooky vibes of this book, why? Because I find true crime to be rather spooky. The mixed media in this book was also a nice touch and really added to the story. In this book there were interviews and audio recordings. The character growth over the course of this book was also fantastic and nice to see.

If you are looking for a fantastic debut with an utterly eerie setting, then you need to check this one out.

This book is a great read for those who like a slow burn mystery. I really enjoyed how the author wove the mystery in with a little bit of Vermont history. The plot gives you just enough to keep you intrigued while reading. The twists are so delicately placed that they’re hard to see coming. I think if you like mysteries or a true crime vibe, then you’ll really enjoy this one!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This was a great book to kick off “creepy October” reads. It was descriptive, the story was suspenseful and the twists I did NOT see coming. Especially the ending!!! The only reason I dropped a star in the rating was because at times I felt like it was dragging. Overall I really enjoyed this one and recommend picking up a copy in April 2025 when it is released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A who done it with a twist. Instead of a straight up crime investigation this was written from the viewpoint of an author doing research to ghost write a book. The characters within where well written so that it left you guessing as to who was responsible. The main character was dealing with her own personal struggles that lead to another level of intrigue.