Home Is Where the Bodies Are
Ratings28
Average rating3.4
15
Ratings28
Average rating3.4
After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate.
Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end.
Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm's length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction.
Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn't been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.
While going through their parent's belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends. Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was so unlike what I thought and I liked seeing the three siblings come together after a death in the family. The beginning reminded me of How to Sell a Haunted House. I enjoyed reading from the three perspectives and thought everyone was distinct and I liked the flashback chapters from the mom! I also enjoyed the setting and got through this pretty quick. It surprised me that Michael was the cause of all the problems and the dad was actually dead. Thought for sure it would be Lucas
this was a lot more exciting of a ride than i was expecting. i think one of the reasons why it worked so well for me despite having predicted the ~big twist~ was that the character voices and the dynamics worked so well for me, i thought they were very well written and the constant tension between them was always on a razor's edge. it really starts off running and never slows down. i wish i hadn't really called the twist but it was still pretty fun how it all played out. i just wish it hadn't been so predictable haha. but very enjoyable and memorable read!
2.0/5.0- this is the worst “thriller” I've read. I'm always so anxious and my heart pumps against my chest when I've read any other thriller. This? Absolutely no anxiety, no sitting on the edge of my seat wanting/needing to know what happens next. I am absolutely terrible at predicting who the murderer is or who did things... but I saw right through this one. It was a short book yet sooo slow. This whole family spoke in metaphors and I'm trying to figure out whether the author wanted to be inspirational amidst their grief. The plot is interesting but I would not recommend this.
I love Jeneva Rose's writing and this did not disappoint!
Three siblings reunite to handle their mother's estate after she passes, but it's more like three strangers. Beth is the oldest and had stayed and cared for their mother all the way up until she passed. And her final words to Beth has Beth feeling confused along with bereft. Nicole is the middle child and battles substance abuse leaving her on the outs with everyone in her family. And Michael, the youngest, got out of their small town and now lives a life of luxury. He hasn't been back to his home town in seven years. With old wounds opening along with the fresh wound of their mother's passing they are more than eager to go through their mother's things and get the estate settled. However, when they stumble upon an old VHS that was meant to be their home tape from summer of 1999 but ends with the image of their father in bloodied clothes, a body, and their parents stating they plan on hiding the body, the siblings are left shocked and wondering what they should do with this information.
I really enjoyed how the story opens and progresses. It's told in the perspective of all three siblings and it's fascinating seeing how each sibling sees themselves and each other. The memories of their childhoods differ and each has a different perspective on how to handle this new knowledge they've gained. As the story unfolds I had several different ideas of what the twist was going to be. Jeneva Rose does a great job of making you feel like you've figured it out and then throwing another wrench in your theory. Overall, I did guess the twist but the lead up to its revelation was still fun. I especially enjoyed that there weren't too many characters involved, making it easy to keep up with the story.
