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.

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!