A House with Good Bones

A House with Good Bones

By: T Kingfisher

Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal

Listening length: 6 hours, 53 minutes 

Release date: March 28, 2023

My review: 4.5 out of 5 stars 

A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.
"Mom seems off."

Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.

Although I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillian audio for the opportunity to listen to this story.

When Sam is forced to take some time off from a dig, she goes home to see what is so "off" about her mom. What she finds surprises her. The longer she stays with her mom, the more she realizes something is most definitely wrong. This story definitely didn't go in the direction I was expecting. Until the last 25 percent or so, I thought I knew what was going on, but boy was I wrong (and kind of glad I was). The ending to this book was so good. Different than anything else I've read. Kingfisher did an amazing job with a different concept for this book and pulled it off beautifully. I would love to read another of her books if they are all this fun! I loved that Sam (the main character) was a "bug lady" and you would get details about insects that a "normal" person wouldn't really know. I also really loved that even as a scientist, she still has the girly "bug freak out" moments that I do. Made her feel very relatable and had me laughing out loud. Love love loved these characters and this fun book!