This is the first book I’ve read from Jeneva Rose, and I have to say I was not disappointed. At all! I could not read this book fast enough. Why do I stay up so late reading when I need to get to bed? Because books like Home is Where the Bodies Are are so darn good.
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 parents’ 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.
What I loved so much about this book was the setup. Right away, you saw how different Beth, Nicole, and Michael were and how strained their relationship was. I felt for each of them in different ways, too. And I loved that the damning videotape was played right away. It wasn’t drawn out at all. And each kid took that video a different way.
I thought the emergence of Lucas was suspicious and that he had something to do with it. It was his sister who went missing after all. But nope, one of the siblings was actually responsible.
Seriously, this book was amazing, and I highly recommend it. I will be reading more from this author.