Book Review: Home Is Where the Bodies Are

Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction

Pages: 295

Oh boy! What the actual heck?! “Home Is Where the Bodies Are” by Jeneva Rose really caught me off guard. It really blew me away and I didn’t expect I’d like it this much. It definitely exceeded my expectations with its twisted plot of family secrets and blood-stained nostalgia.

The book moves back and forth between 4 POVs, each has shocking revelations. And with Rose’s easy-read and casual writing style, it succeeded in keeping me intrigued. I literally couldn’t put this book down. And I ended up finishing it in just a couple of sittings.

The story kicks off with three estranged siblings, Beth, Nicole, and Michael, who reunite after their mother, Laura, passes away. As they sort through their mom’s stuff, the trio stumble upon a VHS player and a collection of home videos and begin rewinding memories.

The plot thickens when one of the tapes takes them back to a night from 1999, a night none of them remember. They watch their dad covered in blood next to a dead body, with their mom helping him to dispose of the body. So, the siblings have no choice but to sweep the past under the rug and keep their parents’ secret safe, or dig for the past to know the truth.

The whole book felt like watching a thriller movie. I’d have finished it in one sitting if I could, but you know…life. And regardless of the dark storyline, there was a sense of closure and peace with the ending.

To me, the twists were unpredictable. All my assumptions and guesses were so wrong, especially the final twist, I haven’t seen it coming at all. It left me in total shock. And I feel bad I suspected the dad the whole time, I guess I owe his soul an apology.

But why not a 5-star rating? Cause I thought some parts of the book were a bit boring and repetitive. Despite that, it was an intense read and I really enjoyed it.

It’s my first read by Jeneva Rose and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

View all my reviews