Wow! This was easily a 4.5 star read for me. It's very rare for me to encounter a mystery book that actually keeps me guessing for more than half of the book, but Coram House absolutely accomplished that. My predictions were all over the place and I ultimately only tied things together shortly before the main character, Alex, did herself. It was a slow burn but well worth it.

The author, Bailey Seybolt, clearly put some thoughtful planning into this book. Not only were the twists and turns interesting, her main characters were also well fleshed out with back stories and problems to overcome. I also appreciated the setting and that's what made me want to read the book when I first read the description. There is a deep history in orphanage style institutions in America. In my opinion this was a worthy homage to the trauma children in those places encountered and the way that trauma could manifest in their lives even decades after they grew up.

I hope Ms Seybolt continues to write. I'd be eager to read her future writings!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was really good. Atmospheric and a good page turner.
I definitely want to read more from this author.
If you like true crime then this is for you.

Coram House was everything I needed in a winter-time thriller! It was spooky and had me flipping pages so fast to figure out what was going to happen next. I love when thrillers include multiple formats (articles, interview audio, etc.) to enhance the reading experience, and I think it really worked in this novel. It was more of a slow burn, but I didn’t really mind since the pay off was satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the arc!

I really enjoyed this book. There were so many different storyline converging and I enjoyed the perspective of each character.

A struggling true crime writer is given a chance to write about a long abandoned orphanage in winter in Vermont. The nuns and priest were accused of abuses, children disappeared. There was a trial, then a settlement. Alex tried to untangle the web of lies and secrets surrounding Coram House as she struggles with loss and grief of her own.

Love true crime podcasts? Psychological thrillers? This one is for you!

A published author is hired by a Vermont lawyer to ghostwrite the history of a Catholic orphanage where children suffered horrible abuses in the 1960s. The lawyer represented the now grown children in a lawsuit against the church. This is to be his legacy but as the author digs deeper into the case, she realizes that there are still many unanswered questions. Specifically, is the mystery of a young boy who was either drowned or ran away.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery story

I enjoyed that this was loosely based on St Joseph’s Orphanage as I learned at the end of this book.

Alex Kelley gets the opportunity to be a ghost writer. She hopes this will be opportunity to turn her life around. She is asked to write about Coram house which closed after allegations of abuse, torture, neglect and murder.

She starts to investigate and believes it all is connected to a boy Tommy who disappeared. As the bodies start to pile up she is frustrated as she keeps getting who did it wrong and knowing she is racing to reveal the killer before she is next. It gives off such creepy vibes and you know someone knows the truth.

This is a slow burn but once she starts putting the pieces together it is shocking to see who is behind it all.

3.5 🌟

I really enjoyed this book. The snowy atmosphere was fantastic and I really enjoyed the cold case mystery mixed with a current mystery. Recommended for a fun thriller read.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Pub date: April 15th 2025

This book is about Tommy a boy that vanishes from an orphanage (Coram House). This was a gritty suspenseful mystery that kept me reading way later than I should have. Gave it 4 stars. After reafing this one i will be picking up her next book.

An utterly atmospheric debut.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Inspired by the real-life stories of St. Joseph's orphanage in Burlington, Vermont - a Catholic-run institution, home to more than 13,000 children in its 140 years of operation - „Corham House“ depicts a similar orphanage on the shores of Lake Champlain.

True crime writer Alex Kelley - still reeling after the death of her husband and a professional setback that brought into question her ability and integrity as a writer - is lured to Burlington with a deal to ghostwrite a book about the history of the orphanage and the abuses that occurred there. But once Alex starts investigating, she finds discrepancies - like the story of a little boy who supposedly drowned, while the nuns claimed he simply ran away. And soon, the deadly repercussions of what actually happened at Corham House start to reach into her own life.

This book has everything a good, atmospheric thriller needs - it is well-written and features a likeable heroine (who is mostly capable, and even though she does make some pretty stupid decisions at times, at least she‘s self-aware about them), a haunting mystery, and an eerie setting. The author did an excellent job of conjuring up the feel of Vermont in the icy winter, so much so that you can almost feel the cold seeping from the book‘s pages. I also found myself totally invested in the outcome of Alex‘s investigation. Though the whodunnit was not particularly surprising, the story arch was very well done and I appreciated the no-fuss ending.

Overall, I cannot believe this is a debut novel. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

TW for child abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Coram House" is slated to be released on April 15, 2025.

Gripping, thrilling, and utterly intense.
When a recently widowed writer is offered an opportunity to report on a former orphanage, she finds out more than she was expecting and is soon grasped by the terrible history of the place in more ways than one. Uncovering dangerous secrets of those involved at Coram House, she battles with her conscious on who to trust, and who to report. With no shortage of twists and turns, this book holds on and doesn't let go. I wasn't able to put it down, and I urge fans of mystery, drama, and horror to pick this up as soon as they can.
5/5 for Bailey Seybolt's Coram House, masterfully done.

Coram House is a gripping, atmospheric mystery that dives deep into secrets from a half-century ago, as well as the present-day quest to uncover them. The book kicks off with an intense hook—nine-year-old Tommy’s disappearance in 1968—but things get even more twisted when writer Alex Kelley arrives in Vermont to investigate the orphanage's dark history. I loved the suspense in the beginning, though the middle did get a bit tangled with layers of clues and characters. Still, the story does a fantastic job bringing everything together by the end, leaving you with chills and closure. Alex’s journey to uncover the truth while battling personal and professional challenges made her an engaging lead, and the cold, eerie setting of Burlington in winter adds to the book’s haunting vibe. A solid 4-star read if you’re into mysteries that blend true crime vibes with supernatural undertones.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Coram House.

I was intrigued by the premise, especially since it's based on true events.

After the death of her husband, Alex Kelley needs a fresh start.

Tasked with ghostwriting a book about the abuses that went on at a now defunct orphanage, Alex moves to Burlington, Vermont to begin her work.

But she's soon pulled into the mystery of a missing young boy, who may have been murdered and the deed covered up by orphanage personnel.

When Alex discovers a dead body, she's pulled into the investigation and realizes that the horrors of the past never go away.

First, it was hard to like Alex. I didn't dislike her and I understand she's grieving, but that's all she did and was.

I didn't know anything about her except she runs, how much she missed her husband, how they met, and how she messed up her previous book and is now persona non grata.

Is it just me or did people drink a lot in this?

Or maybe I just notice these things because I don't drink?

I also think Alex is a borderline alcoholic.

She has no problem finishing a bottle of wine or two but barely eats..

The author had to stress that. She buys breakfast, but rarely finishes it. A sign of grieving or something else?

Alex is treated as a stereotype in this story; bumbling into the investigation, nosing around like a middle-aged Nancy Drew, and being casually disregarded by law enforcement because of her 'reputation.'

The backstory of the orphanage is terribly sad and yet very common in most of these institutions in those days.

The writing is good, but the narrative is slow, lacking urgency and suspense. The pacing dragged and the story felt 50 pages too long.

Corum House was a well written story. It kept the reader thinking about the book when not reading. The book made the reader want to know what happens next. I know, personally, I was wondering who the killer was or if there were more than one. This was one of the best books that I have read.

I really enjoyed this. It had twists and turns, and as much as I always try to guess what comes next, I barely got my head around it before the end. It still left me shocked. Very interesting premise and a complicated narrator.
Highly recommend for lovers of mysteries and thrillers

It was slow for me to get into, and I felt like I had already read this before. While there was nothing that really stood out as exciting and fresh, I ultimately did enjoy the book.

The way that this book was written in such a descriptive and detailed way really helped to create a chilling atmosphere for the mystery. The author was able to put into words the bone-chilling vermont winter that made me feel cold just reading it. This helped draw me into the story, and i genuinely felt spooked during certain parts! Overall, i really enjoyed this for a winter thriller read.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was a little slow in the first half for me, but Im glad I was able to push through that. It was funny and thrilling to realize I had guessed the bad guy before Alex did, though my reasoning was way off. Overall it was a well-written read that became difficult to put down. Mahalo for letting me read it.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5⭐️
CORAM HOUSE
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: thriller
📖 320 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🛶📼✝️😱👀🚔❄️🐦‍⬛🤯🥶✍🏼
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 4/14/2025

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ single POV
◽️ cop interviews
◽️ true crime

💛𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲💛

Thank you @atriabooks @netgalley @baileyseybolt for the #gifted copy!

What a debut novel! CORAM HOUSE was incredible—I couldn’t put it down! The writing was outstanding, & it completely captivated me. Be sure to mark your calendars for its release on 4/14/25 because this is one you won’t want to miss! I even lost sleep over it, waking up in the middle of the night just to keep reading 😅 .

I absolutely loved the MC, Alex. The story, told entirely from her perspective, was packed with nonstop suspense. Just when I thought I had figured out the ending, I was proven wrong! The plot was full of red herrings that kept me on edge & questioning who to trust. Alongside the constant tension, there was also a touch of romantic suspense woven in.

Inspired by the true story of St. Joseph’s Orphanage in Burlington, VT, CORAM HOUSE is eerie, unsettling, mysterious, & deeply heartbreaking. It delves into uncovering the truth & standing up for what is right. I cannot recommend enough!

⚠️ loss of a spouse, sexual & child abuse

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: In 1968, 9-year-old Tommy vanishes without a trace from Coram House, an orphanage by Lake Champlain. Rumors swirl about his fate—some say he ran away, others that he never existed. 50 years later, his disappearance remains a mystery. True crime writer Alex Kelley is hired to investigate the orphanage’s dark history & relocates to Burlington, Vermont. Her search grows dangerous after she finds a woman’s body in the lake & suspects it’s tied to Tommy’s unsolved case, forcing her to unravel the truth before becoming the next victim.

Thank you publisher for the eGalley!

This book is perfect if you are in the mood for a atmospheric mystery suspense story. It was a slow burn, but I did not mind that at all. The ending was twisty and I have to admit that I didn't see it coming until it was too late. Great debut!!