Synopsis
When their mother dies, three estranged siblings—Beth, Nicole, and Michael—return to their childhood home in Wisconsin to lay her to rest. But their reunion takes a chilling turn when Beth reveals their mother’s final words: their father, who disappeared seven years ago, didn’t just walk away.
As the siblings begin to uncover all the items their mother left behind: journals, videotapes, and a safety deposit box full of secrets, they find themselves piecing together the mystery of a long-missing neighbor girl and their own family’s dark past. With another girl is also presumed missing under similar circumstances, they realize the truth may connect more than one disappearance—and they’ll have to risk everything, including their parents’ reputation, to find it.
My Final Thoughts
I don’t know what it is about Jeneva Rose’s books, but for me, they’re somehow bad in a good way. Don’t ask me to explain that—just go with it.
In Home Is Where the Bodies Are, three estranged siblings return to their childhood home in small-town Wisconsin after the death of their mother. Beth, the oldest, never left town. Her dreams of college and something more were shelved a long time ago when life came at her fast—marriage, a baby, the usual. Nicole, the middle child, has spent years battling addiction, burning bridges and telling lies to keep her habit alive. And Michael, the youngest and only boy, was always the golden child. He got out. Went to college. Moved to California. He’s back for the funeral and already has one foot out the door.
But just before their mother dies, she drops a bombshell on Beth: “Your father… he didn’t disappear.”
Seven years earlier, their dad vanished. No rhyme or reason, no goodbye. They all just assumed he left them. But their mom’s cryptic final words suggest something more—something darker. And when her lawyer shows up with letters, her will, and a safety deposit box full of secrets, the siblings are pulled into a decades-old mystery involving the disappearance of their 12-year-old neighbor, Emma Harper. As they dig into the past, they realize this isn’t just about Emma. It’s about their parents. Their family. And maybe even a second missing girl whose case feels eerily familiar.
This one’s under 300 pages, so it’s a quick read. I started it late one night and had to put it down around the 100-page mark, mostly because I wanted to sleep—but I flew through the rest. Based on my notes, I called the culprit around page 191. I wasn’t totally sure, but I wrote, “I don’t trust him,” and sure enough, I was right.
Jeneva Rose is hit or miss for me. Her books usually have things I really enjoy, and also things I totally hate. In this case, I loved her writing style and how vividly she described the town—it’s clear from the Acknowledgements how much she loves Allen’s Grove. But the ending didn’t do it for me. The climax felt a little underwhelming. I wanted more of a thriller, more darkness, something chilling. Early on, the book mentions serial killers like Ted Bundy and BTK, so I was expecting something more sinister. Instead, it leaned more cozy mystery/whodunit than psychological thriller.
All in all, it’s a solid 3-star read. Not amazing, not awful. If you’ve got a short flight or some downtime on a cruise, it’s the kind of book you’ll finish before you even realize it.
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