Home Is Where the Bodies Are

Secrets await when the late Laura Thomas’s adult children return to the rural community of Allen’s Grove, Wis., to settle her estate in the taut if occasionally far-fetched latest from bestseller Rose (You Shouldn’t Have Come Here). Dutiful eldest sibling Beth feels drained from juggling her factory job with caring for her cancer-stricken mother, whose husband disappeared seven years earlier. Meanwhile, strung-out middle child Nicole is fighting a losing battle with addiction, and Michael, the youngest, is a tech entrepreneur in California who wants as little as possible to do with the rest of his family. As the trio, who take turns narrating, sort through Laura’s belongings, they stumble across a smoking gun: a 1999 VHS tape showing their bloodied father, a dead body, and their distraught mother agreeing to help dispose of it. Unsure what to do about the discovery, the squabbling siblings agree that Beth and Nicole will start sleuthing, and they’ll formulate a decision based on their findings. In short order, someone breaks into the house, Laura’s diaries reveal a spate of chilling clues, and the siblings begin to see their parents in a new, unflattering light. Though a few of the plot twists strain credulity, Rose demonstrates a formidable command of character. The author’s fans will enjoy the ride. Agent: Sandy Lu, Book Wyrm. (Apr.)