Hired to ghost write a book about decades old abuse cases at a New England orphanage, true crime writer Alex Kelley finds herself drawn into the story of Tommy, a boy who disappeared from the orphanage in 1968. Vowing to solve the mystery of his disappearance and possible murder, Alex soon finds herself in the midst of murders that start happening in the small town after she arrives. Based in part on a true story, Coram House was absolutely gripping. It pulled me in right from the very beginning and did not let go until the very end. I hated putting it down. I probably would have finished it sooner if I didn't have to sleep. The author did a great job painting the characters and the setting. Definitely felt like I was right there. Fabulous writing. I can't believe this is Bailey Seybolt's first novel. Can't wait to read more from her!

Thank you to Net Galley for the advance reader copy of this book.

“Coram House” first intrigued me after seeing it recommended for fans of “Sharp Objects” and then learning it is based around real life tragedies that took place in the well known Vermont orphanage “St Joseph’s”

Alex is a true crime writer who is tasked with covering the events surrounding Coram House such as the drowning of a child named Tommy.

I enjoyed the book splitting off into multiple writing formats including things such as audio recorded from interviews, the interviewees being present day adults who were once children living at Corum House and asked to give their testimony of events as they remember it first hand.

The book is definitely slow burn so if you are looking for something fast paced this may not be your speed, however if you are willing to invest time into seeing how things unfold you may just find yourself enjoying it.

Thank you to Atria Books and Bailey Seybolt for the EARC!

Publish date: April 15th 2025

Intensely creepy as well as thrilling, this true crime investigation will keep you guessing until the end.

Alex Kelly is down on her luck and takes a hail mary job to ghostwrite a book on the the unforgiving shores of Lake Champlain, Vermont in the winter. She will investigate and write about an orphanage that allegedly included deaths of children as well as abuse by nuns and priests.
Coram House is based on a true story which adds to the lore and the depth of the secrets. Join Alex as she tries to get to the bottom of what happen only 50 years ago.

#atrai #coramhouse #baileyseybolt

A satisfying mystery with an unexpected resolution, character growth and revelations from our suffering protagonist, and a dreary and strong sense of place. Characters with nuance and shades of gray, and villains who are not quite what they seem. Perfect for a cozy fall read under a blanket.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A ghost writer involves herself in searching for information about abused, and possibly murdered, children in an old orphanage.

Coram House is based on the tragic stories of the very real life horrors in St. Joseph's Orphanage in Vermont. With true crime being the basis of the story, I was very excited to read it. I have vaguely heard of the stories in Vermont and know that unfortunately, things like this can happen often. Alex Kelley is a true crime writer who has experienced a touch of disgrace in the past. She is asked to cover Coram House and jumps at the chance to start anew and find new leads to track down. Tommy is a boy who drowned under care of a sister at the convent, but no one can find or remember details that would help Alex track him down.
I really liked the interview snippets from years ago, but I wished more of them were included in the book. I also enjoyed the location and atmosphere, The Keepers style, but again- I wish more had been done. The plot moved along at a snail's pace, so it was very hard for me to stay focused on who was who and what was going on- to the point that I just couldn't force myself to care about the ending or people anymore. I think there were some excellent characters and premises, but the execution fell quite flat for me.
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for an advanced eARC copy.

4.5 ☆
I really enjoyed reading Coram House by Bailey Seybolt. This novel is a gripping and twisty tale centered around an eerie town and orphanage in Vermont. It left me at the edge of seat and excited to see what would happen in each chapter. I loved the interviews with previous Coram House residents between each section of the book. I highly recommend!

✨This was such a great chilly thriller filled with unsolved mysteries, an old court case, an abandoned orphanage and a troubled and grieving true crime author trying to solve the mysteries.

✨I loved that there were so many layers to uncover with this book, and on a personal note, I was excited to recognize one of the true stories that part of the book is based on (confirmed by the author.)

✨The characters in these pages are richly drawn, and the setting is so well written that it almost seems like a character in and of itself.

✨This is a remarkable debut, and I can’t wait to see what this author writes next. Recommend!

🌿Read if you like:
✨Chilly thrillers
✨Books inspired by true stories
✨Vermont settings
✨A mystery to solve
✨Fictional true crime
✨Shocking twists

The premise of this book was SO good! An old orphanage with a murder story? Count me IN! The first 50% of this book was really good and set up really nicely. However after that first half, I felt it was a bit drawn out. I felt like it started to get really repetitive & we got information regurgitated. I wanted a little more from the actual Coram House kids. I wanted more stories from the past. The ending felt super rushed & I was a bit disappointed. Overall a great story & I’m glad I read it, I just wish it was about 100 pages shorter

Last year I read "Ghosts of the Orphanage," and frankly, really didn't like it. I thought this novel was much, much better, and did a fairly good job of illuminating the tragedy of St Joseph's without losing the fast-paced plotting and twists & turns of a good thriller. While it won't break any ground, it was thoughtfully done, and I appreciate the nuance of how it looked at victims and perpetrators.

Coram House is a mystery thriller retelling of a true crime story. Our main character, Alex, is tasked with writing a novel about this house that doubled as an orphanage. In her research, she finds out about a little boy who went missing under suspicious circumstances and decides she’s going to figure out what happened to him.

I truly enjoyed the first half of this book, the second half honestly just made me mad. The main character became annoying to me, like she was quick to jump the gun on what she was doing and started to come off as a know it all when it comes to interrogating people.

I picked up this book because the description related it to the book, Sharp Objects, which I LOVE, but I was sorely disappointed. I will say knowing this is based on a true story does make the story itself better, but gosh.. if I could punch the main character in the face, I would. I’m not sure I would recommend this book to people I know, but it’s definitely a good option for people who like trying to solve who did the crime in the books they read!

An author is offered to write a book about an orphanage in Vermont with a horrific past with different accounts of the past. But her getting there might have escalated things with deaths of those associated with the orphanage. But can she uncover something that happened in the past with not many reliable witnesses anymore? Also do people around the place even want the true story to come out? I liked the plot but I did feel it felt the lag at places. It was also a tad bit predictable with some past connection with characters and it didn't feel a great twist. Overall, definitely an impressive debut!

I really enjoyed this book. I think it was really well written and the pacing of the story was excellent! There were quite a few twists and turns that were unexpected and I really appreciated that as a lot of books tend to be easy to predict for me. The characters were brought to life and the descriptions of them enabled me as the reader to "see" them. I also really enjoyed the premise and the realistic setting (religious orphanage). I also felt that including the depositions of the former residents of Coram House was unique and actually helped bring the story together. I would absolutely recommend this book to others!

This book needs to be on your TBR for 2025. Thriller about a Catholic Orphanage and historical claims of abuse. A struggling author attempts to put the story, and her life, together in this thriller that takes her into an old orphanage being turned into condos. Her leads take her into dangerous places with people that could be a killer of a child many years ago. Great story. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Alex Kelly moves to Vermont to ghostwrite a book about an orphanage where horrific things once happened including the deaths of several children. In delving deeper into her research about the atrocities of how these children were treated, she becomes obsessed with the mystery of a boy who went missing from the orphanage, and she reveals more and more about those involved and those who endured the trauma as secrets are revealed and truths brought to light.
The characters are likable and the main character was relatable.
The book kept my interest and the writing flowed, making it an enjoyable read. It kept me guessing as to where the plot and the "who done it" was going, but I did suspect (and was right) by the ending.
Overall this was a good read, especially for a debut author and I would definitely be interested in reading more from her in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Bailey Seybolt for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows true crime writer Alex Kelley as she, following the death of her husband and the catastrophe of her last book, almost to a remote location to ghost right her new book. This book is to follow the atrocities that occurred at a local Catholic orphanage called Coram House, but as Alex dives more deeply into the case and a local woman is discovered murdered, Alex begins to wonder if the horror of Coram House has really ended.

I’m rating this book of 3.5, rounded up to 4. The story is inspired by real life events and I appreciate how the author tackles them with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. The beginning of the book is engaging, and the pace picks back up at the end, but I did feel that the middle 80% seemed a bit slow. I think this is largely because we never really get to know the narrator. Although we know certain things about her, she comes off as more of a device for moving a story forward than a flushed out character that we can empathize with, relate to, or feel for. Overall, this book had highs and lows for me, but I’m sure it will be a great fit for a lot of people.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read, and ARC Of this book An exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED this! It was haunting, sad and heartbreaking what those children went through. I loved that the main character wanted to find the truth about the forgotten boy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

i honestly don’t have too much to say about coram house. it was a decent read that fell a bit flat for me, it might have been due to the slump that i am in or maybe a pacing issue that i can’t place. maybe a classic case of right book wrong time, but do i have regrets about picking this book up? no. the cover is beautiful, and the writing was also effortless.

Coram House is a dark atmospheric mystery inspired by a real case about abuse in a Vermont orphanage. I couldn't put this one down. It immediately drew me in as the mystery developed along with the back story of the main character. Surprisingly, this is a debut novel....I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from Bailey Seybolt.

Thanks to Net galley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Alex is an author trying to overcome her last book’s disastrous outcome. A timely offer to escape NY for Vermont as a ghostwriter is just what she needs. She’s given up editorial freedom for a story about a defunct orphanage. And before you think it’s just another sappy victim’s tale of abuse and neglect, it does have unique slants and it was unpredictable. The orphanage is being turned into condos, leaving it’s sordid history in the dust. The story goes back and forth between the past and present including events, staff and children at the facility. Alex believes there’s a mystery to unravel but not everyone involved agrees and some will kill to keep the past buried. I’ve read many orphanage themed stories and this one had a distinct flair, the characters were solid, emotional, evil and innocent. I liked the plot and I thought the author brought history and a strong atmosphere. There were scenes wrought with emotion, sadness and loss. I appreciated the true crime aspect and would read this author again.
Simon & Schuster, Atria (via NetGalley) provided an Advance Reader Copy of “Coram House” by Elizabeth Bailey Seybolt, publication expected 04/15/2025. These are my honest, personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.