Oh my word, I loved this book so much! This is definitely going to be a 2025 book of the year contender for me. I loved the mixed media of telling this story by using police interviews. I love the flashbacks - I just loved this storytelling. It was so atmospheric and I did not see that twist coming! This book come out in April but go ahead and put this on your radar. I’m OBSESSED.

Alex lost everything and has a chance to redeem herself. With her future on the line, she has to choose between telling the story she was hired to write or solving the mystery of a young boy who suffered abuse at the orphanage she’s writing about. When a modern day murder occurs, she has to choose between telling the true story or selling out. either way, she has more on the line than just her career.

I love when authors take a true story and wrap their own around it and make it their own. This was well written and kept my attention throughout the entire book. A good read for the true mystery lover.

This book had everything that I need to have in a book. Wow...what a story and I totally did not guess the ending. My money was one someone else! Such a great mystery book that keeps you guessing until the bitter end. The detail put into every character was great. I felt like I knew each character and that is why I was so surprised by the ending. This is a great book to cozy up to for a weekend because you will not want to put it down!

Coram House by Bailey Seybolt
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Alex Kelley is asked to ghost write a book about the Coram House Orphange and finds herself tangled in the mysterious death of one of the children, Tommy. As bodies start piling up, Alex wonders how deep the abuses at Coram House really go and who would do anything to keep the history quiet.
Based on the true story of the St. Joseph Orphanage of Burlington, Vermont, this story will drag you in and keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page. Truly one of the best mysteries I have read in a long time.

A true middle of the road 3 stars for me. interesting plot but at some points it lost me towards the end. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

While factionalized, this is inspired by the St. Joseph’s Orphanage in Burlington, Vermont and the abuses that occurred there. I found this story fascinating from start to finish!

Alex is a true crime novelist whose first novel made it big when she uncovered the truth behind a murder of sisters in Maine in the 1800s. Her second novel, written while her husband lay dying, mistakenly pointed the finger at the wrong man in the cold case murder of a child and was pulled from the shelves.
Now, widowed and living as a shell of her former self, Alex is trying to pick up the pieces and start fresh by ghost writing a novel about Coram House – an orphanage in Burlington, Vermont that was shuttered in 1977 after allegations of sexual misconduct by the Catholic Church were uncovered. Alex has been hired by the attorney that settled the case for the victims but as she begins digging through the old files one story sticks with her – the testimony of Sarah Dale and how she witnessed a nun throw a boy out of a boat and watched him drown. A story that was hushed up saying that the child ran away and Sarah being discredited.
The attorney, the police, even Alex’s friend Lola all tell her to forget about the boy and tell the story she was hired for but she can’t. And then she stumbles upon a body of a woman on her morning run. A woman with ties of her own to Coram House. Soon, Alex finds herself wrapped up in the middle of the investigation and she’ll have to unravel the truth – from back then and now – before she becomes the next victim.
This book was very well written. It pulls at your heart and leaves you breathless with anticipation as Alex follows up on leads. It kept me guessing and I was genuinely surprised by the ending! I also thought, though fictionalized, the author’s depiction of the orphanage was vivid on the page. I could see the orphanage so clearly in my head as well as the cruelty of the nuns and the abuses described. I immediately went to the website the author cites at the end to read more about the real orphanage.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author!

This book was deff up my ally. And I enjoyed it a lot. The ending was -chefs kiss - . I have no complaints. I merely just enjoyed this book.

3.5 stars that I'm rounding up to 4 as I sure didn't see that ending coming!!! This was an atmospheric read, in that you could feel the cold and the storm raging at the end - so much so that it was 90+ degrees here and I had myself wrapped up in a blanket while I sped through the pages. Coram House is a place no one want to even exist, but sadly for the children involved it did exist. I enjoyed our main character as she doggedly pursued the story to its stormy conclusion.

Alex Kelley is journalist who has recently suffered personal and professional losses and is hired to ghostwrite a book about an orphanage in Vermont. When she gets there, she discovers that there’s a lot more to the story than she originally thought. Soon, bodies are piling up and the mystery thickens.

This book is blurbed as a must-read for fans of Tana French, and I really agree with that assessment; it is atmospheric and well-written, and I couldn’t put it down. I would love it if, like Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad, this became a series: I’d follow Alex Kelley around the world as she tries to solve cold cases and write books about them!

There’s been a “The God of the Woods”-sized hole in my heart, and this book partially filled it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a literary mystery.

I thought I had it all figured out and I was wrong; the ending really solidified this as a five-star book for me. I’ll be recommending this one to lots of people!

Alex is a true crime writer who suffered a second book slump while she also was grieving her husband's death. She accepts a contract to ghost write the history of Coram House, a Catholic Burlington, Vermont orphanage that settled sexual assault lawsuits with the children who grew up at the orphanage 50 years ago. Alex moves to Burlington and uncovers missing pieces of the crimes. Keen readers will know early on who committed the two murders that happen during Alex's investigation. Based on the true incidents at St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Coram House is recommended for readers of smart investigative thrillers.

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down and I was so curious to find out how all of the pieces of the puzzle woven throughout the story would fit together. I definitely was not expecting that ending at all! Really enjoyed the spooky vibes of it all too and definitely recommend if you’re looking for a quick, atmospheric, thriller that will keep you wondering how the ending will play out right up until the finale.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was even better than I expected; twists & turns, atmospheric landscapes and complex characters. Much of the book is set in Burlington VT and you can feel the snow crunch under your boots. I often figure out the ending before I arrive but not this time. One thing I really appreciated in this book was how the author would give a backstory and even with moving between past and present it was done so skillfully I was never lost. Honestly that’s something many writers attempt it do not always get right. And finally I do love a strong female character and although imperfect like us all she really pulls it all together.. I am giving honest feedback for this book provided to me by netgallery.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: April 15, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

This book was great! The atmosphere—eerie, the storyline—pulls you in, the charcters—well developed. I enjoyed every page of this book. There was something lingering everywhere in this book and kept you on your toes as you read. Our author wrote this book in such a way that it felt as though you were there in the middle of the book walking along with the mystery, secrets and lies that are woven throughout this book.

Please ensure to read the TW’s in this book before starting. This is going to be the perfect book to read in the fall all cozied up with a blanket and hot chocolate. You wont want to set this book down until everything is solved. I’ll continue to watch for more to come out from our author.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Crumbling Orphanage, Impending Snow, K*ller In The Woods, Mysterious, Fast Paced, Eerie Vibe, Blackmail, Secrets & Lies, Inspired By True Events.

This was AMAZING. I am so beyond excited to follow this author and if she continues to write books like this I know she is going to become a huge name. I loved that this was based on a true story and because of that had me even more invested in everything. The MC was so likeable as a strong, smart woman who risks everything to learn the truth.

Coram House by Bailey Seybolt was a fantastic story, inspired by true events.

With skillful writing Bailey Seybolt takes us to a wintry Vermont town where it is rumored that, 50 years ago, a young boy was intentionally drowned by a nun while in the care of an orphanage on the banks of Lake Champlain.

No one talks about it.
Those who do, say it never happened.
Tommy "ran away".
Tommy "never existed".

A true crime writer needing a new start with a fresh story accepts an offer to ghost write a book about
Coram House, the old orphanage with a dark past.

When Alex Kelley arrives in Burlington Vermont, she quickly learns that many things were just not quite right at the orphanage.
In addition to the drowning, she begins to unravel tales of abuse in many forms that occurred 50 years ago at Coram House.

Alex becomes obsessed with proving Tommy not only existed, but was indeed drowned.
As she delves deeper into her investigation, it becomes clear that there are people in Burlington who do not want their secrets exposed.
She knows she is on the right trail when threats against her are made and present day bodies are found.

Through those threats and intimidations, Alex doesn't stop until she unravels the tangled web of abuse and crime at Coram House and its children 50 years ago.

I am always a fan of mysteries based on true stories and this one did not disappoint.
I highly recommend this book to those who love a good mystery with all of the questions answered by the end of an exciting ride.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy of Coram House in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so sorry...I didn't finish this. At 52%, I just didn't care. It's kind of an overdone plot and there was nothing that made this one really special for me.

Kudos to Ms. Seybolt. This debut novel was more like that of a seasoned writer. It gets five-stars from me, partly because I looked forward to picking it up again after life got in the way of my reading.

I enjoyed the characters – especially Alex – along with their flaws. The well told story easily became a page-turner. I thought the ending was maybe a little contrived, but it worked. The descriptions of the winter temps and conditions were spot on.

One annoyance I have that does not take away from my rating is the use of "anyways". "Anyways" is as colloquial as "ain't" and it made me cringe every time it was used. The word should be anyway, no 's' on the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Coram House. I enjoyed it immensely and easily give it five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a phenomenal book. Especially for a debut!
I was fascinated following Alex on her research and finding out what really happened to Tommy. So many characters woven in to this novel perfectly. And the ending was a complete shocker for me! Was not expecting that at all.
Great book. Loved the setting.

I loved this book. The conspiracy of keeping everything quiet, the twists and turns, never knowing really where it was going. I was on the edge fo my seat while reading it. The plot and story was so well written. The acknowledgment at the end shocked me because I didn't realize that this was based on something that had actually happened. I thoroughly enjoyed the main character and who she was (especially as an author who enjoys true crime myself). I'm very excited for the book to publish so that I can add it my shelves and let friends borrow it. I've already recommended it to my book club as well. A very well written thriller/mystery novel.

3.5 rounded up to 4.
A solid debut novel! It was not at all what I was expecting, as it focused more on the investigative journalism than the creepy abandoned orphanage. But I think that did result in a better story.

I guessed the twist pretty early on, but I've read so ,many thrillers that I'm hypersensitive to any and all hints so I'm fine with that. I think that this was a great balance of dropping enough clues without hitting people over the head with answer. So many readers will still be shocked but it doesn't feel nonsensical. Though the Xander subplot does feel a bit out of place and seems mainly added to try and throw the reader off.

It did feel a tad bit formulaic but I don't think that's the worst thing for a debut novel. Especially when the prose was well written and evocative and the characters were fully realized. I think Bailey Seybolt has potential to be a very successful author!