Book Review - Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

Title: Home is Where the Bodies are
Author: Jeneva Rose
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2024
 
Description: After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom 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 though 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.
 
Review: “Home is Where the Bodies Are” is a psychological thriller about three estranged siblings who return to their childhood home after they mother passes away. While cleaning out the house, they find a video tape from 1999 that shows their dad, who ran out on the family seven years ago, covered in blood and a dead body on the floor.
 
Thriller and horror books about family dynamics, estranged families or dysfunctional families, somehow always trigger me. I’m drawn to them, maybe because my own family is very close, I like reading about families who are the opposite of that.
 
I found the story very compelling and one that keeps you guessing until the end. I loved that. “Home is Where the Bodies Are” has a suspenseful family dynamic, a surprising ending, it’s a bit depressing, but it has some really good twists. Although I do believe you can predict the plot, it would have still been satisfying for me. The story takes some time to get going, but once they find that video tape, you won’t be able to put it down.
 
The story is told from different perspectives: the three siblings Beth, Nicole and Michael. The characters are believable and damaged, and very interesting to read about them. Probably because they are so flawed.
 
I didn’t expect to like this book this much, it’s a great thriller. Whether you will like it or not, depends on how surprising this book is for you. I wasn’t expecting most of the twists, thought they were well done. But there are people who predicted it earlier on, the reading experience might be different for them. I can just tell you that it’s not obvious or on the nose and I would recommend this to thriller readers.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5