Open House: A Novel
A missing young woman, ten years gone. A town still held in the grip of an unsolved mystery. A breathtaking novel of psychological suspense by the bestselling author of We Were Mothers.
A decade ago in upstate New York, art student Emma McCullough walked into the woods and was never seen again. It’s a mystery that still haunts her bucolic university town and her broken family, especially her sister, Haley, whose need for closure has become an obsession. But now, finally, the first piece of evidence in the vanishing has been found: Emma’s bracelet, lodged in a frozen piece of earth at the bottom of a gorge. For Emma’s three best college friends, for a beloved former teacher, and for Haley, the chilling trinket is more than a clue in a resurrected cold case. It’s a trigger.
Then a woman is attacked during an open house, and the connections between the two crimes, ten winters apart, begin to surface. So do the secrets that run as deep and dark as the currents in this quiet river town.
Reviews (189)
Twisty turny
After introducing characters and providing background in Part One of the novel, which is the first 49 pages, it takes off. I thought I had things figured out, but kept having twists thrown at me! The middle was a real roller coaster of a ride. I thought ....wait what....! It was a good whodunit murder mystery. Chapters alternate between three female characters and the narration is told in third person. Most characters are young. It is divided it into three "Parts". No cussing. Mentions sex and affairs but no sexy details. Scenes of college parties with alcohol. Overall, a clean book. The epilogue was cheesy and the beginning had its slow moments, but I still enjoyed trying to figure this one out. The last half was really rockin.
Average murder mystery
This wasn't a bad book, but at the same time I don't think it's worthy of all the glowing five star reviews. Don't really need to go into the plot as the synopsis covers that adequately, but it focuses on a group of friends who knew each other in college and all have connections to a girl who disappeared ten years beforehand. Interesting yes, but not enthralling. I made it through to the end but didn't really have any serious motivation to get there. This book employs one of my most hated storytelling devices, which is constantly jumping between the past and present. I get what the author is trying to do in giving us some insight into the actions of Emma but when you're switching timelines between every chapter (keep in mind most chapters are only a few pages long) it makes it impossible to get any kind of flow going. I grew to hate the dreaded "10 years ago" chapter headings.
Suburban Suspense at it's finest! Love the modern day and flashbacks format!
So good!! This might be my favorite of all her books - I was so excited when she was coming out with a new one. Always the perfect mix to keep my wheels turning and also on my toes with the twists and turns! Havin moved to the suburbs in a university town I loved the familiarity she creates while also painting a fun and memorable picture of being young and living in the city. Friendship, Family, School, Marriage and the realities of young Adult to adult life creates the best suspense as she goes back and forth in time to the scene of the crime and present day! I already want to read it again to see if I'll catch more.
Could not put down.
I tore through this book and could not put it down. I loved the different characters and how Sise reveals just enough of each of them to engage you, but leaves you wondering what darkness each might be capable of. I did not expect the ending. Please write another!
The ultimate page turner!
"Open House" has all the elements of a great murder mystery. Well defined characters, and a plot that is dramatic with twists and turns and holds suspense up to the very end. The perfect book to curl up in a chair in front of the fire on a cold winter's day!
Gripping...heartbreaking...a must-read for 2020
Few things run deeper than a sisters’ bond, which is the thread that makes this suspenseful gem all-consuming!! Once again, Sise nails it with the development of interesting, very different characters in a drama that has you guessing right up until the shocking end! Glad I didn’t pursue that career goal of being an investigator...but very happy to have had a good distraction during 2020!
So good!
I am such a big fan of Katie Sise's work! So excited for her new book and this one does NOT disappoint. Everything I want in a good mystery-- relatable characters, beautiful setting, so many insane twists. Such an enjoyable read- can't wait for her next one!
Every reader should open their house to this wonderful novel
Open House is a beautiful book packed with compelling characters and delightful dialog that make it thrilling, witty, and nearly impossible to put down. Finally, something good has come out of 2020.
Excellent writing. I liked it. I didn't love it. Decent Plot with so-so pacing.
OPEN HOUSE is an extremely intimate look at the emotional fallout that takes place when a loved one goes missing without any resolution, for any period of time. Experts talk about resolution and closure, which seem to require either confirmation of death or reasonable expectation (or even proof) of life. As OPEN HOUSE begins, Hanah and her folks have been living in anguish for ten long years, since the disappearance of her older sister Emma, who was a college Junior and Art student, at the time.. The police have long suspected suicide, with Emma"s body likely taken out to sea by the wild river next to her college. When a new clue surfaces, the case is reopened and suddenly, everyone from Emma's pals and dorm mates to her teachers and their spouses is a suspect. Even Hanah's fiance seems to know more than he is saying. I liked OPEN HOUSE quite a bit, but it is nowhere near the top of my BOOKS I LOVE LIST! It is a decent story with leisurely pacing told by an extremely talented writer. My favorite thing about the book was the extremely accurate portrayal of the non verbal dialogue that takes place between humans during every interaction. Sise is an absolute master at the nuance of things left unsaid. I would definitely like to read more books by this author. Excellent writing. I liked it. I Didn't love it. Decent Plot, so-so Pacing.
Sick Story of Dirty little Secrets
The cast of characters in this murder mystery was practically incestuous, given all the shared sex and affairs going on between them. The college town outside NYC was just chock full of coverups and lies, all centered on the 10-yr old murder of a college girl. The craziest line in the whole book is said about Emma, the dead girl, who was having sex with three men and “might be considered promiscuous by some standards”. What could “promiscuous” mean in the Websters 2020 version, then? After reading, I wanted to shower with a pumice stone , but needed to know who was the murderer. And had it pegged from early on. The Kindle First books need a new category for the rest of us.
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