Plus, receive recommendations and exclusive offers on all of your favorite books and authors from Simon & Schuster.
0:00 /
Table of Contents
About The Book
Sharp Objects meets I Have Some Questions for You in this haunting novel—inspired by a true story—about a crime writer who risks everything as she investigates the mystery of two deaths, decades apart, at a crumbling Vermont orphanage.
On a blistering summer day in 1968, nine-year-old Tommy vanishes without a trace from Coram House, an orphanage on the shores of Lake Champlain. Some say a nun drowned him, others say he ran away. Or maybe he never existed. Fifty years later, his disappearance is still unsolved.
Struggling true crime writer Alex Kelley needs a fresh start. When she’s asked to ghostwrite a book about the orphanage—and the abuses that occurred there—she packs up her belongings and moves to wintry Burlington, Vermont.
As Alex tries to untangle the conflicting stories surrounding Tommy’s disappearance, her investigation takes a chilling turn when she discovers a woman’s body in the lake. Alex is convinced the death is connected to Coram House’s dark past, even if local police officer Russell Parker thinks she’s just desperate for a career-saving story. As the body count rises, Alex must prove that the key to finding the killer lies in Tommy’s murder, or risk becoming the next victim.
Drawing inspiration from the real-life stories of St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Coram House “reckons with both the long aftermath of violence and the hazards of writing true crime. It is an eerie, suspenseful mystery, sure to find readers among fans of Tana French” (Flynn Berry, author of Northern Spy).
On a blistering summer day in 1968, nine-year-old Tommy vanishes without a trace from Coram House, an orphanage on the shores of Lake Champlain. Some say a nun drowned him, others say he ran away. Or maybe he never existed. Fifty years later, his disappearance is still unsolved.
Struggling true crime writer Alex Kelley needs a fresh start. When she’s asked to ghostwrite a book about the orphanage—and the abuses that occurred there—she packs up her belongings and moves to wintry Burlington, Vermont.
As Alex tries to untangle the conflicting stories surrounding Tommy’s disappearance, her investigation takes a chilling turn when she discovers a woman’s body in the lake. Alex is convinced the death is connected to Coram House’s dark past, even if local police officer Russell Parker thinks she’s just desperate for a career-saving story. As the body count rises, Alex must prove that the key to finding the killer lies in Tommy’s murder, or risk becoming the next victim.
Drawing inspiration from the real-life stories of St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Coram House “reckons with both the long aftermath of violence and the hazards of writing true crime. It is an eerie, suspenseful mystery, sure to find readers among fans of Tana French” (Flynn Berry, author of Northern Spy).
About The Author
Jacquelyn Potter
Bailey Seybolt grew up in New York City. She studied literature at Brown University and creative writing at Concordia University. She’s worked as a travel writer in Hanoi, a tech writer in San Francisco, and many writerly jobs in between. She now lives with her family in Vermont, not far from Lake Champlain. Coram House is her debut novel. Find out more at BaileySeybolt.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: Atria Books (April 15, 2025)
- Length: 320 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668057001
Browse Related Books
Raves and Reviews
"Seybolt blends true crime and fiction in this absorbing debut. Seybolt skillfully blends points of view. Part Gothic novel (with creepy Coram House playing a role) and part investigative reporting procedural, this will both disturb and fascinate readers." —Booklist, (starred review)
"Coram House is the perfect thriller—the kind you race to finish and simultaneously hope will never end. It checked every box for me: relatable amateur sleuth; lush, gothic setting; mystery spanning from past to present; and—no small feat—a surprising, inevitable, perfectly satisfying ending. This debut marks the entrance of a thriller writer to watch. I can tell already I’ll be following Bailey Seybolt the way I follow Tana French. I can’t wait to see what she writes next." —Kate Brody, author of Rabbit Hole
"A stunningly atmospheric, layered thriller written with a ton of heart. Bailey Seybolt combines spine-tingling suspense with a meaningful exploration of the search for truth. A powerful debut that kept me guessing until the very last page." —Clémence Michallon, internationally bestselling author of The Quiet Tenant
"Coram House is a twisty and compelling story that deftly traces how the impacts of crime and loss can creep down through the generations and spiral outward to those you least expect.” —Tracy Sierra, author of Nightwatching, a Jimmy Fallon Book Club pick
"When ghostwriter Alex Kelley arrives in frigid Burlington, Vermont, to write a true crime book about a notorious orphanage, she’s prepared for an investigation into its dark past—but Coram House isn’t done with its victims yet. The murder of a local with ties to the orphanage opens a chasm of dangerous secrets and lies that compels Alex to risk her safety and career in a hunt for the truth. Combining a high-stakes mystery with atmospheric prose and an indelible story, this debut is not to be missed." –Tessa Wegert, author of The Coldest Case
"Atmospheric and chilling, Coram House reckons with both the long aftermath of violence and the hazards of writing true crime. It is an eerie, suspenseful mystery, sure to find readers among fans of Tana French." –Flynn Berry, New York Times bestselling author of Northern Spy
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Coram House Hardcover 9781668057001
- Author Photo (jpg): Bailey Seybolt Jacquelyn Potter(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
