4/15/25; 320 pages
Atria Books
Coram House by Bailey Seybolt is a highly recommended atmospheric mystery inspired by a true story.
Writer and recent widow Alex Kelley accepts the opportunity to be the ghost writer for a true crime story following unsolved mysteries at an abandoned
orphanage in Vermont. The orphanage called Coram House is located on the
shores of Lake Champlain. Years previously a settlement was made for
the adult survivors for the abuse they received there. Now the detective
who as in charge of the case wants to publish a book about it and he
will pay Alex to write it.
Once Alex arrives in Vermont, she brings the many boxes of files, interviews, etc. about the case to her rented residence and she begins the discovery process. What captures her attention is the 1968 disappearance of nine-year-old Tommy. Some survivors say he ran away but it is also said that a nun drowned him. There are other conflicted accounts of abuse inflicted on the children. As Alex begins investigating and interviewing people, she discovers a woman's body in the lake, and she know it was not an accident.
This is a slow-burning, atmospheric tale so don't expect heart-stopping action along the way. Along with being atmospheric, it is also a very descriptive novel.
It will hold the attention of readers who enjoy procedurals and
investigative novels where information is slowly and carefully exposed
and revealed while connections are made.
Actually, my appreciation of the novel increased while reading. The
final chapters and the surprising twist raised my rating. Early on,
between the slow pace, constant bottles of wine being consumed, and the
endless descriptions of the cold weather I wasn't feeling very
interested. (It's Vermont in the winter, most readers will understand
winter.)
None of the main characters are especially sympathetic or likeable.
Alex's husband died recently, so there is some sympathy for her grief.
She also has tenacity in following the trail of information she's on
even when others are trying to discourage her focus on it. Included
between chapters are transcripts of testimony
from the adult survivors.
This is a debut mystery that shows some promise for future novels. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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