Open House: A Novel

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.

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.

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.

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!

"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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

"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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

I read "We Were Mothers" by this author (also a Kindle First book) awhile back, and though I didn't love it, it was better than this book. Told through the POV of three women: Haley and Priya in present day, and Emma 10 years prior before she disappeared. Haley was so weird, I didn't get her character at all. I kept waiting for some kind of explanation of why she was so robotic, but there was none. Priya seemed to have some mental health issues that magically went away at the conclusion of the book (eyeroll), she seemed to have no life outside of constantly worrying about her 10-year-old son. As soon as Emma's chapters started it was obvious who the villain was, so there really wasn't much suspense. Emma was either in denial or completely oblivious as to what was going on around her and I kept wanted to scream "WAKE UP, GIRL!" so she would finally open her eyes. The police detectives must have been the most inept ever that they couldn't figure anything out when Emma disppeared, but a decade later they seemed to be all over it with only one tiny new piece of evidence. The last Emma chapter actually did reveal a surprising twist, but it was a little too late to salvage the story.

I finished the book a day ago and already can't remember what it was about. I do remember it was depressing and boring. I had to force myself to finish it.

I got this as a kindle first-read, so I must apologize, since this isn't a complete review. I simply couldn't finish it. It is dark and depressing from the start. The victim is in a morose drunken stupor the whole time before her death. The surviving sister is hanging on by a thread. The days are dark, cold and dreary. In addition, some things don't make sense, primarily the big, newly discovered 'clue.' Perhaps things pick up. I just can't get into the characters or the setting. Wish I could; it sounded like it had promise. Just not for me.

Gripping and nail-biting, this one garnered my whole-hearted involvement from the first word to the last, leaving me no option but to read it in one sitting. Thanks to the Amazon Firsts program, otherwise this enthralling book wouldn’t have come my way. Emma McCullough vanished from a college party in the woods by the river when she was just twenty-one. Ten years later her case is still unsolved, until her bracelet is found and the police are active on the case once again. The story is told from three different women's points of view. Interestingly, the majority is told in third person past tense, except for Emma's POV, which is first person present. It allows the reader to easily connect with Emma's story and quickly become invested in the outcome. I often have trouble with long paragraphs of description and telling rather than showing, but this one easily kept my attention. With an intricately woven plot full of twists and turns the reader becomes an active participant, attempting to sift truth from lies and discern the who and why of Emma's disappearance. Showcasing the intricate dynamics of family and friendships adds an emotional component that further invests the reader, making her more than simply a casual observer. Heartbreaking, shocking and fascinating, this one is sure to please all mystery and suspense lovers.

Review for Open House: A Novel. As the buyer of books (all genres) for a small-town library, I am always on the lookout for new writers with stories that merit a closer look. It's impossible to read everything, although wouldn’t I just love that! As a result, I rely heavily on major sources for their take. We're located a few hours north of NYC, so the NY Times bestseller list is part of my decision making. As are Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly and Booklist. Personally, I love getting my "amazon first reads" email. And I was so excited to see that Katie Sise (We Were Mothers) was back on the list! A quick scan of reviews (I've time to read the last two sentences before moving on to the next title) reassured me that this one was worth the money. The three Queens (Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly and Booklist) pronounced this book worthy of my time - I love a "Domestic Suspense" - and my library's budget! Win win! I downloaded it immediately and read in one sitting. Ok, I did make dinner, but the hubby did the dishes and I got right back to it. Sise invites you into her town, introduces you to her people, and tells you her tale. As Publisher's Weekly writes "Sise's talent is her ability to keep readers guessing about which character might be covering for whom...". This was exactly my experience, with a satisfying conclusion - I didn't throw the book across the room when finished! Go ahead, add it to your list of reads!

I read this entire book in a day, and I think other reviewers have already covered a lot of the problems. For me, it just felt very formulaic. It seemed like a book written by someone who had never actually talked to a college student before. So many things seemed over-the-top obvious, and I found the fact that the police suddenly jumped on this 10-year-old cold case because they suddenly found a bracelet to be kind of unbelievable. That, coupled with the fact that every single person kept getting caught because of unlocked phones or laptops made the story a bit strange to me. I'm sorry, but a guy who is cheating is not going to leave his phone unlocked if there are nudes on it. He's going to have that thing factory reset if anyone enters the wrong password.

This story dragged on slowly. I could not continue reading past chapter 14.

I received this book as part of Amazon First reads. This book skips around between now and 10 years ago sometimes it is a little confused. I like the story about a sister's love but for me the end of the book fell apart.

I had a difficult time getting engaged with the story initially but pushed through anyway. Unfortunately I never liked any of the characters given all seemed a bit stunted emotionally to the point of overboard. I felt badly for this incestual group of people who never really lived their life. Too depressing for an escape read

Open House: A Novel by Katie Sise is about a ten year old missing person's case. Emma went missing after a college kegger in the woods. The last people to see her tell mixed stories of her state of mind. Did she run away? Did she kill herself? Was it a terrible accident? Or did someone murder her? Only two people know the whole story: Emma and the one who saw it all happen. Emma's sister, Haley, has been suffering from depression and anxiety ever since her sister's disappearance ten years earlier. Trying to move on with her life, she and her fiance decide to attend an open house they might like to buy. The real estate agent, Josie, was Emma's best friend in college. Haley is surprised to see another couple at the open house, two prefessors from the college who also were close to her sister. Upon entering the house, they discover Josie in the kitchen in a pool of blood, a stab wound in her chest. This, coupled with the discovery of long buried evidence, opens wide Emma's case. The plot is definitely curvy and filled with unexpected turns. Sise's way of introducing new information backwards is very interesting and engaging. It's impossible to make assumptions about anything or anyone. The surprising end was both titillating and dreadful. The only thing missing is excitement. The story seems to plod along with acceptable entertainment and mystery. It's not boring, but it's not a thriller either. While not being able to prematurely unravel the mystery is good (and rare in modern mysteries) there is no thrill, no drama, no suspense, no shivers. It's difficult to feel anything for any of the characters. It's difficult to relate to anything they are feeling or experiencing. The storyline carries the book, and that's enough to earn four stars.

Set in upstate New York, Katie Sise's "Open House" is a domestic mystery/thriller centered around the ten years ago mysterious disappearance of Emma, a flawed but vibrant college student who disappeared late one night after walking away from a party and has never been heard from again. Transitioning frequently between that night ten years ago and present time, "Open House" is largely told through the voice of Haley, Emma's younger sister who is now attending the same college in that same small town where the trauma of that night still lingers but life has mostly gone on. We also hear Emma's voice and other voices, as well. When a bracelet is found in the last location Emma is believed to have been seen, hope arises that maybe this long traumatic mystery may finally be solved. Unofficially, many have long suspected suicide. Emma's father, for one, still believes ten years later that Emma is still going to walk through that door. Others believe that she fell victim to foul play, a likelihood that amps up the more Sise creates her story involving a jealous best friend named Josie, a college professor named Brad, and the various men who come in and out of Emma's life including Noah and Chris and Dean. Sise tosses in a handful of twists and turns to keep us all guessing, each key player eventually seeming to be the key to Emma's disappearance. It's never completely clear if it's going to be a brutal act of vengeance or a tragic accident or something in between. The only thing we're fairly sure of early on is that Emma's father will be most definitely wrong because it's obvious that Emma's not walking back through that door. But what happened? While at times "Open House" crosses the line into melodramatic histrionics, for the most part it's an engaging and immersive thriller with intriguing characters who are universally flawed characters who have built lives behind facades of normalcy while resuming something close to normal life in this otherwise sleepy river town where nothing else dramatic has ever really happened until a popular local real estate agent is attacked during a, you guessed it "Open House," and suddenly it seems like the town's secrets begin to unravel. While Sise's twists and turns are engaging, they are for the most part rather predictable. The ultimately climactic scenes offered resolutions I predicted early on, though Sise still handles them quite well and the closing chapter, in particular, is an unexpected touch of humanity in a story that had otherwise spiraled into a frenzied whodunnit. Picked up as an Amazon First Read, "Open House" was one of those books I turn to when I find myself between my usual ARCs and galleys and project reads. It was a guilty pleasure selection for which I don't feel particularly guilty. While not quite my favorite of the Amazon First Read books I've selected, it's certainly on the better end of those selections and I enjoyed it enough that I would easily pick up another Sise novel when given the chance. Sise avoids the tendency to paint characters in broad strokes of good or bad, though perhaps the novel would have been a bit more immersive with at least one genuinely likable character as even Haley's neuroses eventually became tiresome and, again, histrionic. However, there's also something beautiful about painting a story about the fragile power of connections and choices and the ways in which a single choice we make can have a strong impact that follows us the rest of our life. It happened for Emma and her father, for Josie and Noah, and even to some degree for Haley and Dean. In some cases, these were people who made one choice that betrayed themselves and that choice lingered in the lives forever. "Open House" is mostly what I'd consider to be a light mystery, a breezy read that unfolds quickly and is really over before you expect it. I can't say it was quite a "I couldn't put it down" novel, but it was a "I liked forward to getting back to it" novel. I look forward to reading more from Katie Sise in the future.

Ouch. This book is like a bad Lifetime movie: all of those movies are horrible to me. But if you like ‘em, you’ll probably like this book. I found it tedious, childish, shallow characters with shallow motivations. Why did I buy it, then finish it. I am getting chemo every 3 weeks and the meds I get for hours then make it hard to focus on anything complicated, like this book is not. It passed the time then. Period. And it was FREE on Prime. Most of those books are bad. But they are FREE.

The suspense/mystery story was excellent and well-written and nicely tied up. I loved this book until the last chapter where I felt totally and unnecessarily manipulated by a highly improbable relationship situation. I can’t stress that enough...it was like I was punked. I’m pretending that this is one of those “choose your own ending” books and forgetting that I even read it. I will be wary if I read another book by the same author. So beware. But otherwise, satisfying mystery!

I gave up. The level of angst in all the very flat characters is just intolerable. Every minute of every day and night the main character is agonizing over her sister's death -- and this is after ten years. Moment after moment after moment... All the other women are wrecks, too. How many pages of despair do you want to spend your time with? Goes on and on and on and on and on. Yeah. Like that. I stopped reading when I realized I was telling the main character that she knew where the cliff was, just jump the hell off! Predictable, too. I won't be reading anything else by this author, free or not.

A quiet suburban town holds many dark secrets despite its peaceful facade. Ten years ago Haley’s sister Emma disappeared and to this day her body hasn’t been recovered. Some believed it was a suicide; some speculated that she had simply run off; some, including Haley’s father, nurse a hope that Emma may still be alive. But now that Emma’s bracelet is found and the old investigation is reopened, will the police be able to bring the truth to light or will Emma’s fate remain unknown forever? I really appreciated the parallel timelines and different POVs presented throughout the story. Each character was wonderfully fleshed out and nearly all of them had skeletons in their closets. In a quiet town where everyone knows everyone, is it possible to hide such secrets for long? As several people deal with the aftermath of Emma’s disappearance, the tension rises and soon you’ll find yourself turning pages as fast as possible to get to the bottom of things. If you love well-written, complex psychological thrillers, you’ll enjoy this one. I would definitely recommend it to all fans of the genre.

I agree wholeheartedly that this book is impossible to put down. The story is gripping, the writing draws you in... However.... I found myself early on getting weary of the characters, and wishing for less angsty-clingy, codependent, passive-aggressive or flat out mean characters. I hoped to see some growth or life lessons learned for a couple characters, but it was too little too late. It was like getting dragged through what you thought was going to be a lovely family dinner, only all the annoying relatives showed up, brought some extra baggage, rehashed the past, then stayed a week. Having said that, if you love that family or small town drama, it is definitely worth reading. I *do* recommend this book, characters were just not my cuppa.

Open House was an interesting read for me. The mystery at the center of the story was that of Emma McCullough, who’d fallen to her death during a party while she was in college. Most had presumed that she had committed suicide, but her younger sister, Haley, never believed that. It has all the core elements necessary for a great thriller… twists, turns, secrets, mystery, and a cast of potential suspects. But the characters… most of them were highly unlikable, which is something I generally dislike. I love being able to feel for a character, and I just couldn’t do that here. The story is told from the perspectives of three women, all of them somewhat unreliable in their own ways. Emma herself was one of the three, telling her story in the past, the days leading to her death. Her words make it clear that she is struggling and completely oblivious to some of the dynamics playing out around her. Haley is also a narrator, having become almost obsessive in her need to find the truth of what happened to her sister. She’s an odd girl, so compartmentalized that she reminded me of the Temperance Brennan character on the show Bones. The third narrator is Priya, a former teacher who has suffered from crippling anxiety for years. She, too, was hard to connect with, as she seemed to thrive on being the “shrinking violet.” Unfortunately, too, the ending was fairly predictable. Fairly early on, it was easy to narrow down the suspect pool. Were there unexpected twists? Definitely, but the main storyline was easily solved. That was a bit disappointing. My recommendation: Did I love this book? No, I did not. But I definitely didn’t hate it. I feel like it’s the kind of book that just wasn’t my cup of tea. But there are enough great points about it that I feel that it very well could be someone else’s cup of tea.

This was a fine book to kill some time but I found it trite and unbelievable. (Spoiler alert: who keeps another person’s pregnancy test for 10 years?!) The chapters from the past are told in 1st person and the others in 3rd and I found it very jarring to switch between the two. The author writes like a student who had an assignment to use as many theatrical adjectives as possible in every sentence, which I also found distracting and unnecessary The ending was cheesy and confusing and not really worth the time I spent reading it. Wouldn’t really have made any difference if I finished it or not. Good thing it was a Prime First Reads free book...

This wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, but not in a bad way. The author’s writing is straightforward and to the point, and the story follows suit. There were a couple things that were unexpected, but I don’t think the point was to shock or really hide anything from the reader. We have alternating perspectives, including Emma’s from 10 years ago. Each chapter is interesting and each character feels fully fleshed out. It took me a minute to get a full grip on how all of the characters were connected, but that made those early chapters intriguing as I connected the dots. There are parts that are sad, especially as we witness what happened to Emma in the past. There are mini revelations that caught me off guard a couple times, but I never really had a chance to try and search for red herrings because the author usually answered lingering questions within a few chapters. For me, this wasn’t edge of your seat. That being said, the story flowed really easily and I was invested in finding out what happened. For those that take this into consideration, I don’t really remember any f bombs or crude language. Nothing stuck out to me as gory; Haley is a medical student, so she does talk about some experiences with a cadaver; there is some bloodiness involved with the current victim in the open house. There are also elements of grief because Haley and her family have never previously had closure from when Emma went missing 10 years ago.

A decade ago in upstate New York, art student Emma McCullough walked in-to 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. My Thoughts: Open House is a tale of a missing girl and the friends who each have pieces of information about the moments leading to the ten-year-old event. Emma’s sister Haley, a med student; her fiancé, Dean; and her college roommate Josie and her husband Noah, are all part of the mystery. Brad and Priya also have bits of information.Our story alternates between the past and the present, narrated by the various characters. Discovering what really happened on the night Emma went missing slowly comes together ten years afterwards, and I was stunned by all who were culpable in some way. 4.5 stars.

Hayley's sister disappeared ten years ago, and police have given up solving it, until new evidence shows up, creating new suspects and tensions among some closely tied friends and family. Who's hiding what? Who can be trusted? Set in a small New York college town, the story is told by four women (each highly flawed). Each account peals away layers of emotion, trauma, and conflict, revealing parts of each woman's life and struggles. Personal tensions grow amid mixed motives, secrets, and half truths. The author's storytelling reveals glimpses of reality and only parts of the story told in chapters alternating among the four different and incomplete narratives. Ugh! Well defined characters bring this suspense to life as personalities clash and accusations grow. This book is hard to put down, especially as new facts and feelings threaten major characters in every chapter. Ugh! This well-written novel makes you like and dislike major characters as they face a police investigation's full fury. No one seems safe. Everything keeps changing. Yikes! Truths eventually emerge with shocking results and implications, creating a satisfying but uncertain ending. Lots to think abour. Definitely a 4.5 star reading experience with or without Audible's dramatic narration supplement. What I appreciated most was the unpredictable ways the major personalities reacted to new discoveries and broken secrets. Strong dialogues were especially tense and believable, as characters kept critical facts hidden, while betraying confidences and promises. Although I never really liked any of the characters, once I really got to know them, I learned to understand them as their realistic realities emeged. I will definitely look at other works by this author.

Emma is, or was, a good sister to Haley, but as the older one the relationship was tentative. What do you share with a kid sister when you are in college, developing new friendships, exploring sex, expanding loyalties, testing lies? How much can you crave that intimacy between sisters? The answer is here. A decade after Emma has disappeared from a college party, probably over a cliff into the river far below, Haley is still recuperating. So are their parents, and even their friends because the prevailing story is that she took her own life. People mature. Medical student Haley is living with Dean, from Emma’s circle. Emma’s roommate Josie and Noah are long together, now realtors. Josie’s brother Chris is still rootless. Art professor Priya and doctor Brad are parents of a ten-year old, born a day or so after Emma disappeared. And, everyone seems to have a life built on a bedrock of secret meetings, hidden knowledge and outright lies. Only the adulterous are exposed. Author Katie Sise moves gracefully between the present as Emma’s case is reopened and the time leading to Emma’s death, allowing Emma to speak and then others to expose their lives and fears. This book is about choices to hide information, protect loved ones, and mend if not heal. Beautifully crafted.

Open House has left me breathless... It has an interesting turn at every corner, with the point of view from 3 women, including the victim, along with several men in their life interwined. Everyone seems to have his/her motive, and everyone was a suspect - it wasn't until the end that the real criminal was revealed, and it took my breath away. That being said, I wasn't a fan of the epilogue. Yes it's a mystery, but we all want a happy ending, however you define it, but the epilogue felt a little forced and ran out of energy. Still, this is one of the best mystery books I've read, and I promise you won't be able to put it down until you're done!

In "Open House," protagonist Haley McCullough is a medical student who returns to the small town where she grew up. A successful student, she is nevertheless haunted by the unsolved disappearance of her older sister Emma ten years ago from a college weekend gathering. Although Emma is presumed dead, there are family members who hold out hope that she simply ran away. Author Katie Sise serves up a new mystery to go with the older one when someone is attacked at a property where an Open House is scheduled to begin. Many of the players in today's events were around when Emma disappeared, so there are many signs that the two events may be linked. Who has something to hide? Who knows too much? The narrative switches back and forth from present day to ten years ago, and is told from the perspectives of Haley, Emma, and Priya, an art instructor at the college. Haley may be putting her trust in all the wrong people, but before the book is over, readers will suspect anyone and everyone might be the guilty parties. I, for one, was totally fooled. This is a short, entertaining read.

The primary character in this book reminds me a little of a person who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, though I suspect that may not have been what the author was trying to depict when she wrote the character of Hayley. She is a young woman deeply affected by the 'disappearance' of her sister., to the point of feeling a sense of detachment, even from those she loves, with the exception of her parents, and the deep sense of loss and grief that she feels over her sister. She's even developed some OCD habits as a means of coping with her sister's loss. She never believes the theory the police have, that her sister, Emma, ran off. She believes her sister is dead, and that she was murdered, but no one - with the exception of Hayley's boyfriend, Dean - believes her. A decade later, there is a break in the case, and slowly, things begin to unravel and spiral out of control for all the persons directly or indirectly involved in the sister's disappearance. While, I did bounce from one character to another as a suspect initially, as the novel continued, I was pretty sure I had zeroed in on 'whodunit.' And to a degree I was correct. But, I admit, the little twist at the climax really threw me for a loop, and I found myself disturbed by it. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

I never could connect with the characters or the story. Seemed trivial and a waste of my time. Don't bother.

Maybe it is the aging process or the fact I read so many books as well as listening to one of two at a time but I had a hard time keeping the characters straight. I think I should have kept notes of who went with whom. I did like the story line and the intrigue. I would have liked an ending that was a little more fleshed out. I feel like I missed a little something. I do have many distractions as we all do so that may be a part.

The characters are soooo flat. No personalities, which makes it hard to keep track of who was who. It also made it really hard to like any of them. It did put me to sleep, so there’s that.

The first couple chapters were slow to start - I initially felt uninterested in the book. However, somewhere a few chapters in I was so engaged that I was able to fully read this book on a 3 hour flight. The chapters with Priya definitely read the slowest for me and while they provided some important info - they also seemed to be the least relevant to the storyline and didn't necessarily propel the book forward. With that being said, I think the book was very well written, overall, and I didn't notice any foul language and there were only a few mildly romantic scenes. I totally thought I had the book figured out 75% of the way through, but was shocked (although not surprised) by the twist. I think the author wrapped the book up nicely. I realized I have another book written by her that I selected as an Amazon First Reads in the past - so I'm excited to read that one now.

This story is told through alternating narratives surrounding the disappearance,10 years ago, of college student Emma . The author takes us through the secrets and vulnerabilities of the relationships that surround Emma, and magically weaves them together into the best Mystery book I have read in a long time. I devoured every page wondering who was involved in the disappearance of Emma, when sometime in the middle of the book a narrative from Emma, on the weeks leading up to her mysterious disappearance shows up. This alone made me love this book even more. Just when you think you have every book in this genre figured out, the author brings the surprises coming. I can honestly say I never figured it out. I was more than entertained by the authors way of piecing together the clues and the unusual ending.

I like surprises, but I figured out who did it (or part of it) of the "mystery" halfway thru. the book. I skipped it to near the end to confirm that it was whom I thought it was. I was partly right. Regardless, I was just bored ... especially having two women who are so unsure of themselves and making poor judgements in the people they trust. Tiresome stereotypes. I added a star for the sister, the real sister, who help solve the mystery. Skip this one. Read the Fourth Monkey or some Tracy Crosswhite mystery instead

This book grabbed me from the beginning and had me guessing who done it right up until the end. The story unfolds along two timeframes, one following a contemporary young woman obsessed with the death of her older sister 10 years earlier, and the other storyline that of her sister on the days leading to her death. The same network of friends is present in both time periods and each, in turn, is plausibly suspected of murdering the sister. I appreciated how the author shifted my attention from one suspect to another without forcing the plot or leaving critical details behind. Very well done. Personally, I reserve 5-stars for novels with rich character development and deep cultural relevance; my 4-star rating of this book is a high score for an engaging, plot-driven mystery.

Can't put my to finger on it and I did try hard to get into this story. I tried to be interested. But I just found a very few parts that intrigued me. The back and forth, the petty jealousy, the secrets, the lies, the backstabbing, and the whole group dynamics was all to hard to find likable characters.

Ten years ago Emma went missing. Her sister, Haley, never gave up hope that she is still alive. New evidence has been found, reopening the case. Haley needs to prove that Emma did not run away. To do this she must dig into her sisters past, uncover her secrets. Emma had alot of secrets, secrets that may have gotten her killed.. I liked Katie Sise's last book, We Were Mothers, so I figured this one would be good too. Unfortunately I found the story slow moving and predictable. I think I'm in a reading slump again. I knew immediatly who the bad guy was, even with the many choices. Sise gave all her characters motive, and placed them at the scene, but the choice was obvious. Maybe I'm just tired of the same old story line. I need to cleanse my pallet of domestic thrillers. I keep reading the same story, and I crave something original.

I found this book interesting but very tiresome. As the blurb for the book stats, a decade ago a girl disappeared. The part of this book that bothered me the most was it seemed about a third to half the book was written from the girl that disappeared. Parts of the story were rehashed, it was told from a decade ago and then gone over again in this decade or vice versa. To me this got very tiring and a complete waste of pages and my time reading it. Once I start a book I like to finish it to see where it goes and this book was no different but once I got to the end I wondered why I bothered. You are told twice what happened. Once would have been enough. I am glad so many other people enjoyed it.

This is a book about college friends and dark secrets. While I did enjoy the book I found it hard to follow the characters, which is unusual for me. The plot is interesting and follows the friends after one of them comes up missing. How and why should is missing is the mystery, which is solved by the end of the book, while exposing the weakness and character flaws of the members of the group and finally see them get appropriate rewards for their deeds..

I almost gave up on this book several times due what I considered to be a slow and painful start, but am so glad that I kept with it. It became a great story that kept me guessing almost to the end, and then added an extra little twist. The one thing I most appreciated was that the author completed the story via an epilogue. I can't stand it when an author chops a story off at the knees. If there was any swearing, I don't remember it, and I try to be cognizant of it to mention in my reviews. I would definitely read other books by this author. One star was taken off because of what I considered to be a frustrating beginning. But the fact that the author completed the story almost gives it back.

The book dragged on for too long. As others have mentioned, none of the characters were likable enough to care about them. Pretty much every one of them lied and cheated. I started skipping pages towards the end just to get to the end faster, but the ending was not that great either. A lot of these First reads books are in need of a good editor and this one is no exception.

It was a well-crafted story with several potential suspects for the disappearance of a college girl. You also get flashbacks of hers, so you get to know her as a character, and see the juxtaposition of her life with her friends and family 10 years ago versus her younger sister's relationship with the friends and family. There was plenty to consider while deconstructing the girl's disappearance and good character development. It was one of those books where you are so angry about the injustice of her death when you finally discover "whodunit." Basically, it resonated with me long after reading it. Overall, it's a good story and a fun read.

I chose this book out of 6 others to read for free before it’s release date as an offer on my kindle and it’s definitely a must read! I love the way the Author incorporated the victims account into the story as the living lived there lives and the twist and turns omg there were so many. Me being the detective that I am had already figured out who the killer was after all the characters were introduced, but I still had my doubts and the revelation of what actually happened will blow you away. I read this book in 2 days which is a huge accomplishment for me and says a lot out the book because I’ve been having issues getting back into reading. This is definitely a must read if you love a good mystery. Check it out

OPEN HOUSE is a complex story set in a college town both in the present and also 10 years ago when a student , Emma, disappeared without explanation. The author , Katie Sise's tale of relationships of diverse characters, their relationships to each other leading up to Emma's disappearance, and the lasting intertwined effects created by Emma's absence had me suspecting just about everyone of foul play at some point! And the actual ending ... Wow! This is not a happily ever after "feel good" tale but it is a simple yet gripping complex story of flawed, interesting people that feels real and actually possible. I thoroughly enjoyed OPEN HOUSE.

What a great mystery! The summary of this book did it no justice. I never thought that I would be so engrossed in it as I was. It was a clean mystery without explicit sex and it was well written. You go back and forth between past and present, but it's not confusing and laid out very well. I can't get the word, "but wouldn't it be better if you weren't" out of my head! This is a must read.

Not a good book choice for me. If I had known that the chapters would be split between time shifting and character changes in each chapter, I would have chosen another book. What bothers me with this type of story-telling is just when I get interested in it, BAM!, the chapter changes and I have to work myself back up to what is happening in this chapter. I wanted to put it down SO many times.

This was a quick read and kept me interested. The main story was told in third person, from various points of view, but then the reader is taken back in time periodically by the victim in first person. Once I got used to the flow, it felt less disjointed going back and forth and I thought the author was able to make it work well with the story the second half of the novel. The truth is finally revealed, with a twist, and left me angry with some (most) of the characters at the end after learning so many of them kept big secrets for so long, but good or bad the author made me feel something so that's saying a lot.

I had problems with this book for several reasons. First it made me think of it in terms of a mediocre play with amateur actors over acting. The characters were not likeable or even believable as a whole. It's hard to imagine a more dysfunctional group of people. Beyond the characters the writing distracted me away from the story. Even acclaimed writers have had problems with some of the literary devices used. A simpler writing style without characters better suited to the pages of the DSM V would have helped. The story line was predictable but it had possibilities.

I started this book, hated every character, started to skim it to see if that would help, it didn't. So after reading a little over 65 pages I just deleted. it. I frankly didn't care to find out what happened, why, how.

This book is very good with very good story line and well defined characters. I read it nonstop in one day! It is about 2 crimes that happen 10 years apart but interconnected with almost same set of characters and a sister whose need for closure controls her life and that of her parents. The book has all the requisites for a page-turner: secrets, lies, naive college students, promiscuous men, broken relationships and a young woman in trouble. I still don’t get why it took that long for the cops to solve the case.

This book was well written and kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next. The story unravels in a suspenseful manner and one wants to read more each time you open the book. The finding of the bracelet starts putting the events together but leaves you guessing as to what will occur or revealed in the next chapter.

This stand-alone is easy somewhat easy to follow as it bounces between past and present. No editing errors, gratuitous violence or drag-you-down drama. Compelling storyline with descriptive writing that draws the reader into each scene. The chapters are clearly marked so you know which( time period you are in. Flexible procedures, actions and reactions. Believable dialogue and characters with distinct personalities. Surprise twists at the end. No desire to re-read this story. I may be interested in other works by this author.

Open House by Katie Sise is well done, and written in a way that grips your soul. I have this story 4 stars because I found it oddly predictable. I’m not sure if it’s a me thing- or a book thing though. At the end of the day, I really enjoyed the book, after struggling through part 1 and I would absolutely recommend to a friend. The end of the book left my heart in a happy place, which is quite surprising when it didn’t end the way I expected... per se 👀

I am an avid reader. From the moment I began this book, I did not put it down until I was through reading it in its entirety. Katie has created a story with wonderful, fully developed characters. Their stories of life interconnecting in ways that are continuously being revealed to the reader. I felt the emotions of the characters as the author intended for me to. Being as the story revolves around the unsolved mystery of a tragic death and the decisions each character makes when dealing with that death, I can say the ending has twists and turns that I did not anticipate. It's a story of family, some in the traditional form, and some in less traditional ways. It explores the question as to how far is too far when protecting those we love and how do we prioritize those individuals when each relationship is on the line. This book was quickly a favorite of mine. The imagery of the places mentioned in the book was something I could vividly picture in my mind while reading. The characters were relatable in numerous ways. Some story twists were predictable but no less heartbreaking. However, just as I thought I had worked the ending out in my mind, there was a turn I did not see coming. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves reading true mystery books that keep you guessing. It is impossible to put down. The reader is drawn in and needs to know exactly how the story ends.

This book was confusing and difficult for me to get “into.” There seemed to be so many characters all at once and sorting them out wasn’t easy. And the time shift during Emma’s narration took awhile for me to adjust to. Eventually I did become involved in the story line, trying to work out what happened. I am not a fan of books in which I deceased character is telling the story.

Let me just say, don’t start this at 9:00pm on daylight savings, after Halloween, if you’re planning on having enough energy to parent/educate your children at home the next day in the middle of a pandemic. Find yourself a babysitter in the middle of a Tuesday, park yourself in bed with a hot cup of tea, for a page-turning book bender. You won’t be sorry! Sise’s books are a blast to read. They keep you super entertained and completely preoccupied when the rest of the world is crumbling around you (hello, 2020!). Treat-yo-self to something nice, you deserve it.

This book was written from each character’s point of view, which I liked, thus it made it a quick read. This was not a very complex story, but it kept me engaged nonetheless. There were enough twists to keep me guessing until the end. It was formulaic, but enjoyable enough to merit 4 stars.

The characters were interesting. It was a murder or was it an accident? That's the question that the book answers. The secondary question is who knows what and how much? Almost everyone is a little off... So, it held my interest, although maybe it isn't all that surprising. The only thing that I really didn't like was the title. Yes, there was an open house. But, descriptive title of the plot, it is not. Made me wonder if all the possible "good" titles were taken.

This is actually a good "who dun it", but there were areas that kept this mystery from being great. There were no characters that the reader felt a great desire to champion. I think Haley was meant to be one, but she had many shortcomings that made it hard for the reader to completely root for. In truth, I really felt several characters could have been the murderer and it would have made no difference. Cheating, divorce, lies - too many characters were involved in this.

Chatacters are morally deficient and unappealing. I'll ignore the glowing reviews of other readers in the future and save money. forget this one.

A good read, but so many people entangled in a lie. I found it odd how 6 people entangled in the death of a girl 10 years earlier are all still living in the same town. It was a little difficult to believe that 4 college students and two professors are still living in the same town where they were at some point involved in the life of a girl that died 10 years earlier. If you can put that aside, you can enjoy the book. I did not see it as dark or depressing as some did. I enjoy a good mystery.

I definitely wanted to keep reading! Well-written book, and there's a small, dark twist at the end that I definitely wasn't expecting. The characters aren't particularly likable, but a couple are likable enough. It's a good page-turner to distract from life for awhile.

I wanted for once to read one of the Kindle First Reads before the month was over and finally succeeded. This was a great choice. Told from three points of view (one past and two that go back and forth) the author does a wonderful job of creating a fast paced thriller that keeps you reading while also creating characters that I was engaged with. This is unusual with most suspense books and I enjoyed it very much. I would highly recommend it and loin forward to reading more by this author.

The book is one of the best I’ve read. Mystery pure and simple. You have to pay attention to all the characters as you read. As small as their part may seem to be , they all come together in a big way for the “grand finale”. When I took the book to bed with me , I thought I would just start it. A major mistake ! I could not put it down. I had to know what happened so i stayed up the rest of the night to finish it. Great read ! Great story!

You can not trust anyone, can you? I found this book difficult to read. There was so much repetition and not a lot of depth or development of the characters. There was also a myriad of "main characters", including the girl who died. I kept thinking the author was just throwing things in at the last moment to make things exciting--like a little kid will do when telling a story. At least the characters were all beautiful or handsome!

I could not warm up to the characters. None of them were people I'd like to know. Additionally the constantly jumping between the past and present and varied views was exhausting. I get what the author was trying to do but it made it hard to lose myself in the story. This was a miss for me.

I seldom give a book 5 stars but this one blew me away. It is very well written and drew me in from the beginning. Emma McCullough was a university student when she disappeared one winter night. Ten years later a bracelet belonging to Emma has been found at the bottom of a river gorge and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance are once again being investigated. The story moves back and forth between present day accounts and narrative from 10 years previously, told in first person by Emma herself. This device adds to the tension of the story as we learn more about the complicated relationships between the characters. My review doesn't begin to do justice to this novel. I can only suggest you read it yourself.

The mystery of a missing college student is reactivated when her bracelet is found in an unlikely location. Haley, her sister, a medical student, needs to discover the truth if she is to live fully. But she uncovers a web of deceit involving sex, lies and video. This was a readable novel. The doers were easy to identify early on. The story is more domestic drama than real suspense. Not bad but not a must read.

The plot starts off slow and can be confusing. It took a few chapters before I was hooked and had to know how it ended. The plot did jump around which in-turned caused the confusion. Once I understood the plot and why it was jumping so often, I started to enjoy the story. Betrayal, jealousy, murder, attempted murder, family secrets, love and love lost, then justice sums up the plot and craziness going on in this story.

One sister hunting down the person who knows someone that has hurt her sister or what has happen to her sister. And she is not going to stop until when get the true out and finds out the truth. If her bff,or bf or the lover or side pieces had something to do with her death along with the baby' s death. Or even the lover's fiance had something to do with it? You must read the book to find out. Very good book!

This is a quick-read psychological suspense novel about Haley, a med student, who is still mourning the disappearance of her older sister, Emma, a decade before. Attending the same university from where her sister disappeared is taking its toll on Haley, especially so when new evidence is found. When another woman with ties to Emma is attacked at an open house, Haley and the detectives are back on the case.

In the beginning, this book may seem a bit confusing with all the different characters and timelines, but it’s totally worth the full read. I loved the authors ability to frame the sisters relationship so perfectly, while the other continued relationships occur within the story. I found myself staying up later than “normal” to read more. Great characters, touching storyline... I truly enjoyed this book.

A very good read. The clues are everywhere, but it is hard to put them all together so when everything is revealed there is an "aha" moment. Only the story continues and the unexpected final act is revealed. Then and only then do we finally know what happened to Emma. All of the characters are believable as are their relationships both those that endure and those that do not. This is a story to be savored.

Read her other book, so picked this when it showed up. Love the story line. Great character development, and pleasant twists that aren't the typical expected ones you can see way ahead of time. Even the very end had a little twist that rounded out the book nicely. Descriptions easily drew me into the scenes; not overly done but enough for my imagination to run with it. I'm now follwing Katie Sise and look forward fir more novels from her.

I've been spending many of the Covid Months reading (and watching) Murder Mysteries, and his is the best of the Mystery books I've read over the past 8-months. Fast paced, Not much repetition as each chapter moves the story forward. Well written, a few surprises, only area I thought it stumbled a bit. It might seem minor, (I don't think this gives anything away) but it seems like there were an awful lot of people allowed into the ICU unit. Minor detail I guess....but... Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book.

It is 1 am and I should be sleeping but I had to finish this book. Full of twists and turns, a mystery that unravels before our eyes by a sister that can not let her sisters disappearance go but also flipping to the past and slowly telling us the last days of Emma's life. I can not recap but there is so much and I can't think of how to without spoiling a thing. READ IT.

This was one of those books that when I finished I could kick myself for wasting all that time. Predictable, boring —did not care for any of the characters. Not sure where all the positive reviews came from. Do not recommend!

You must read this book then! The disappearance of a college student goes unsolved for 10 years, causing unimaginable grief and anxiety for her family and friends; until the random discovery of a small piece of evidence restarts the investigation. Wonderfully written and alternating between present day and the time of the disappearance, the truth is revealed by the dead girl's thoughts and descriptions and those of her family and friends. You will suspect several people but ultimately figure it out. A great read !

An intriguing case of how the sins of youth and the past can and do often come to light unexpectedly especially with advances in forensics. The characters involved have varied entanglements unknown to each other, oh what a tangled web of deceit. The main character is interesting with complicated relationships the who done it goes through many changes and the end well see if you work it out.

I found this tale to be quite chilling. There are so many twists and turns, you don't know which way is up. I like the way the author told the tale from different viewpoints and included the victims view from ten years in the past. One thing though... There IS a town in New York called Waverly, but it's nowhere near NYC, it's West of Binghamton... so the drive from Waverly to NYC is a lot longer than half an hour.

I enjoyed the book. I found it to be a bit plodding and at times hard to follow. Characters were well developed. I liked the story told from three viewpoints, Emma, Haley and Prima. I would read more books by the author

This book is a quick read which is a plus but I found the plot to be contrived and pretty much no reason to care about any of the characters. All of the male characters had 4 letter names which wasn’t helpful in my mind as there were no defining traits to make them unique. As I said, it’s quick and easy to read so if you are looking fir something to just take up some time check it out.

Is un-put-downable a word? A super fun escape from reality into an alternate world of drama, intrigue, sorrow, love, hope and suspense, this was the most fun and fascinating book i've read in years. Katie Sise is a master of plotting and pacing, and you become truly invested in the characters and their emotional journeys; pretty early on I realized I needed to know the truth about what happened to Emma as much as they did. A perfect Christmas gift, too, if you're an early bird shopper; I'm buying in bulk for the holiday season for many friends and family.

This was an incredible book about loss. How long do you look for a missing loved one. How long can one family carry that kind of pain. And every one had secrets. This crime could have been solved if anyone has the courage to step up. In the end everyone lost. But a family finally had answers. Very compelling read. The real culprit was a surprise. You won't want to put it down.

This reads the way a soap opera sounds. The reading level is about ninth grade. The plot itself is reasonable and well crafted, but the characters, all of them - male and female, are way too emotional to be believable.

A great read for anyone who had a college experience full of strong personal relationships and memories of those years. This book would take you back to that time. It would also create lots of questions in your mind if you had any unresolved answers to why or how things turned out in your life. Excellently written to keep you engaged with the story line, main plot and the characters throughout including realistic closure in the end.

I enjoyed reading the ups and downs of this story. It was a little surprising to read from Emma’s perspective scattered throughout the book, which helped support the storyline without giving much away too early. The ending was somewhat unpredictable and helped to round things out. However, I did find myself wanting more details instead of being left with assumptions.

Well written and thought provoking novel that kept this reader captured. Ten years is a lifetime to have closure for the death of Haleys' sister Emma. Many interesting suspects added to the mystery.

This was one of my free monthly digital books. I love this service because it encourages me to read books that I otherwise might not try. Occasionally there's a real gem. This one, not so much. It was a quick and pleasant enough read, though. Pretty silly plotline and not terribly believable characters but not a bad way to spend a few hours of ight reading.

The plot is well thought out, with twists and turns both expected yet surprising. The character development is good, allowing the reader to get to know each of the characters a bit at a time, as it should be. This book is a fast read, mainly because I can't put down good books when I get my hands on them. Thanks for giving me an enjoyable way to spend several hours! Now I have to read her other novel...

Maybe the created scenario somewhat justifies it, but usually reading a novel involves the building of some empathy with at least one character. A good ways into this book, that aspect remained elusive, it keeps jumping from scene to scene and character to character and none of them are people you can develop any kind of good feelings about. I gave up on it, there wasn't enough there to prompt me to even finish reading.

I read a few chapters and just can't get into the characters. So far it revolves around two ladies, neither of which has a backbone. I don't care for books where the main characters spend most of the time in their own heads instead of telling their friends and family how they feel. Sounds like I might be missing a good suspense plot, but I can't do it.

I disliked this from the start and it didn't get any better. The characters had no depth and not a single one was at all intriguing or interesting. Dark and endlessly boring. Could not finish it.

Overall, this was a good story. But the beginning - the first 50 or 60 pages or so - was too slow, and I kept waiting for the 'good parts', for something to actually happen. And after that , all the crying! Good lord, it seemed like every time I turned the page, someone was 'bursting into tears', or had 'tears leaking out of their eyes' or was otherwise engaged with their own personal waterworks. But I slogged on, got through it all and enjoyed the book despite those 2 annoying factors.

This book was such a good read for a cold case murder mystery that finally is solved. The twists and turns of all the possible motives and different emotions surrounding the death of a college student makes this book so easy to dive in. I’ll be checking out more of this author to see what else they have to offer. Definitely a interesting ending.

Open house as my pick for the Amazon First Reads is a story that goes back and forth between two time periods 10 years apart.trying to solve the murder of the sister of one of the characters. There are interesting characters and enough twists to keep the reader interested in solving the mystery. I hope to read the other book by this author soon.

I thought I figured out who was the murderer a couple of times before finding out. This is a story about loss, marriage, and being young. The young people are incredibly self-involved and driven by self interest. I felt sad for the victim once I found out how she was killed. I enjoyed this book. I thin it would be a good movie.

A page-turner that you can not put down.! As a busy mom of two, finding time to read is often far and wide, but once I got this novel into my hands, I found the time and couldn't have become more addicted to it. I quickly was able to form connections to the characters and each scene within the novel, had me glued. I envisioned myself in this town with them and yearned to find out what happened to the missing woman with many different conspiracy's playing through my head as I read on and on. The jaw-dropping ending had me floored. The writing is brilliant and easy to follow. I highly recommend!

I loved this book! I am the type of person who reads at least one book a week so take it from me - this is one of the best I've read this year! I couldn't put it down or get any work done until I got to the end! It will keep you turning the pages through all the twists and turns the deeply engaging characters take in the story. You won't regret reading this suspenseful, riveting novel.

Why so many people love/d it. The plot twists in the last 20 pages didn't make up for the rest. I found it slow-paced and difficult to stay engaged. Flipped through many pages Most of the main characters were self-absorbed and mostly uninteresting. Worse, I found them somewhat annoying. I ultimately regretted putting in the time to slog through this book. YMMV.

I found the FREQUENCY of flipping back and forth among the 6 primary chatacters and between "the present time" and "10 years ago" to be overly excessive to the point of being tedious, distracting and, as a result, quite annoying.

Just a below average murder mystery with characters I simply didn’t like. I found Haley to be judgmental and self righteous. She was insecure yet acted superior to everyone else. The rest of the crowd was so unlikeable, particularly Emma, that by the time it was revealed who killed her, I simply didn’t care. The ending was meh.

Loved the twists & turns in this book. At first it was difficult to switch from character to character by chapters plus dropping back in time to Emma's story. The closer to the end, the more engrossing the storyline became. I had figured out who killed Emma; I THOUGHT. Love it when there is a surprise at the end that just "knocks your socks off"! Enjoy.

Open House by Katie Sise This is a very well plotted, well written book. It is told in many differing POVs with the flashbacks unraveling the mysterious death even as it was being solved 10 years later. This is my first read from Sise, but it will not be my last. (In my head, I will alter the ending just a tad.)

The cross cutting between times and among points of view make it hard to connect with characters that are already neurotic and ambivalent. There is so much more thought than action that the plot lags. The ending falls together a little too easily, but it at least makes the characters engaging and provides some satisfaction.

I really enjoyed this book and reached a point where it was hard to put it down. The author has set the story up in a way that presents a number of possibilities to keep the reader in suspense. The characters are real and interesting. The dynamics of relationships are an important secondary theme. Definitely recommend!

I was hooked on this book from the beginning. I kept going back and forth with the way I thought this story would play out and I was only half right. The ending was also a bit of a surprise to me as well. I thought the story was well written and had just the right amount of suspense. I definitely recommend this read.

I read this a month or two ago and can only barely remember it. It pretty much kept my attention while reading, but didn't stay with me at all. I should say that I am not a fan of stories that keep shifting from now to ten years ago. It seems that after ten years, people should have moved on and if they haven't they need therapy. The heroine, for lack of a more appropriate word, in this story is a prime candidate for psychiatric help and yet doesn't get any.

I have seldom abandoned a book once I start reading, but came close with this novel. I found the characters weak, shallow, and poorly developed. I didn't like any of them or find them interesting. The story is slow and plodding without much happening until you are 40% through the book. By the end, I was glad it was over.

Open House is a page turner. I hated to put it down. So many plot twists it made my head spin. Every time I thought I had figured it out, the story took another turn. If you want something that will challenge your thought process I would recommend this book. I look forward to reading more works by Katie Sise.

Katie Sise unravels the mystery surrounding the death of a college student brilliantly. The characters are sincere, raw and true to life. The past and present chapters full in the details of that tragic night so well I didn't mind the back and forth of it all. Great read! No spoilers here, read The book.

This book started slowly and I had trouble keeping the characters straight. As I got further into the story I was wrapped up in The Who Done It aspect. Some of the subplots did not contribute much to the narrative and could have been left out including the details of Haley’s father cheating on her Mom.

I loved this book!! I am an avid reader of suspense fiction and devour books like The Silent Patient, The Woman in the Window, etc. I love a good plot twist, and this book was full of them. The characters were relatable, and the scenes resonated with a lot of my high school and college memories (minus the suspicious disappearance, obviously :) I wanted to know a little more about the relationships between Josie and Chris, and Chris and Haley, but I still felt very invested in the characters and their stories. The plot was restrained and dark, and kept me guessing until the very end. And just when you thought it had all been neatly wrapped up, a few surprises still remained! I couldn't put it down, and can't wait to check out more books by this author.

Ten years ago, Emma disappeared and the police classified it as a suicide jump off of a high cliff into the water. Her parents and sister didn’t believe she killed herself. Now, after ten years, new evidence comes to light that will change things and many people’s lives Very good, suspenseful story.

My November prime book, and I picked a winner! The book grabbed my interest instantly, and the “who done it” went back and forth and back and forth. One of the rare books where I didn’t figure it out ahead of time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

I liked the story and especially the ending. It had some suspense and kept me reading. But... I found the characters lacked depth. It seemed that particularly the male characters were all the same person. I could never really relate to them or have feeling good/bad for even the main characters.

This book had just enough energy in it that I I finished it. The constant flipping back and forth made it annoying. Just as it got into a groove with a story line it jumps back ten years. Then back ahead again. Required a lot to finish it but did have somewhat of a surprise ending. Kudos for that.

Figured this one out very early on. Haley, the protagonist, was not fully fleshed out as a character. I just didn't feel I knew enough about her other than medical student who's sister disappeared a decade before, to care about her. It seemed too short like a short story rather than a novel.

I found the book to be "wordy" and boring. One college roommate a saint, the other a arrogant and bossy. I figured out who the perpetrator was early on and based upon the boyfriend/girlfriend trysts, what the motive would turn out to be. Too many characters interacting to add depth to them.

Mostly predictable but still fairly entertaining if you aren't expecting to be surprised by the ending. One character had a change that was completely unrealistic. She was hard to care about and not as relevant to the plot as the author seemed to want her to be. Glad I got this one for free with Amazon First Reads.

This book is about a young woman who disappears ten years ago. To tell the story the author uses successive chapters to switch between the present and past. I enjoyed this format because it provided insight to the missing girl’s position. I recommend this book if you like a mystery.

I really enjoyed this book. I was transported to this beautiful place and felt the love and saddness of the characters. It was an interesting journey trying to figure out what happened to Emma. Smart with many twists while unraveling the mystery. Great read, I couldn't put it down.

The is a typical disappearance story but written better than most. Sise introduces suspicious characters at exactly the right pace so as not to be confusing. She also infuses the past into the story smoothly, providing hints that slowly mount until the end. Generally, I couldn’t put it down.

This book held my interest from the first page. Switching between past and present can sometimes be confusing, but it was integral to this story. Halfway thru, still hadn't figured out who did it. I found the underlying theme of what makes a family compelling and realistic. Will look for other books by this author!

I got about 40% through this book and gave up. Picked it up a couple weeks later tried again, this time got to 66%. I just can’t. Everything is fragmented, too many dangling threads, characters are not acting or reacting in believable ways. I don’t want the headache anymore.

This story constantly weaves between the present and ten years ago when a college girl was killed. The story uses her voice and feelings to relate the mystery surrounding her death. The story is probably more appealing to teenagers, not adults. I struggled to finish this book.

This book was one I never wanted to put down! The plot, the twists and turns, and the main character (Haley) were great. It led you along, and led you along and then , “Aha! I see!” The wrap up was satisfying and I just really liked this book. I would definitely recommend it!

Sad story for 95% of the book. The back and forth from one character’s point of view to another’s got distracting. The story went on too long, probably to allow enough time for suspicion to be cast on everyone, which the author did pretty dang well. Upbeat ending was nice.

Secrets and lies, omissions and cover-ups, all adding up to a family’s disintegrating over a decade, then suddenly, a path to reintegration after a new development in the disappearance of Haley’s sister, Emma. Did Emma run away? Did she commit suicide? The truth hurts.

I enjoyed how it kept turning out that so many people were actually involved with each other. Many I didn't have a clue about. I suspected the person responsible for Emma's disappearance but was surprised to find out the actual reality of her disappearance. Good read.

Captivating from the very start. The twists and turns keep you reading non-stop. Well written and the characters are well developed too.

A great read. I love a good story that flips years like this one did. I thought I knew for sure "who done it". Maybe the next reader will too. Maybe not. It took a long time for me to figure out what the title of the book had to do with the story. Ahhh. I get it!

This book kept me guessing until the end. I thought I had it figured it out, I thought ‘oh, this again’ but boy was I wrong and I NEVER saw the last page ending coming- or the couple bits leading up to it- glad I finished it I would have missed the whole story!

Contrived and shallow. This author is trying too hard and not quite getting there. If you've run out of everything else, read this last.

I'm not a fan of jumping from person to person recollections plus back and forth in time but it was a good story.

I usually don’t care for reading books that are presence tense then back ten years or so but this one worked for me. I loved the tale, characters, and how each twist and turn gave more insight, the climax was superb and ending perfect. Thanks for a great read

I Did not figure the ending out, which I appreciated. The characters were well drawn. The book switched between Emma and the present. You know Emma is gone, but you wish she was still alive, warts and all. Read this book. It will not disappoint you.

I received this book from Amazon First Reads. At first it didn't catch me and I thought meh but then I was quickly hooked and finished the book in 1 day. It was an enjoyable read with lots of twists and red herrings. I'd be interested to read more from the author.

Not really a psychological thriller or a good mystery. The characters are somewhat boring and not very likable. In my opinion, they were not developed in a way that drew me in. I can see why others might like it. I am a voracious reader and it did not work for me.

This book was hard to put down,so I didn't. I read it straight through. Only problem I had with it was to try to keep the characters straight. But in the end it didn't matter cause in the last chapter I think I figured it out. The butler didn't do it!

It's a sad story but I love her courage and curiosity to discover the truth. This is a book that may make you question the people around you, what they know and what they're not telling you. I enjoyed the story and looking forward to read other books by the author.

My first read of this author. I couldn’t put it down at night and even though it’s way past midnight, I had to finish the story. Love how the author keeps the stories intensity and suspense moving by involving all characters at just the right time. It’s been a long time since I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading an entire book.

This was an awesome book! I am excited to read more of Katie's books. This book had so many twists and turns and I was always guessing who did it. Katie brings her characters to life. I love it when you can really feel what the characters are feeling.

Brilliant! Read it in one day, like her other novel, We Were Mothers, Katie Sise turned out another page turner - Open House is like no open house you’ve been to. I thought I had it figured out at least four times, but no ... it’s one surprise, twist and turn after the next; bone chilling, masterfully written, heartfelt, thought provoking - do we really know anyone? And surprisingly, a touch humorous — not knee slapping, obviously, and I don’t know how intentional it is, but the authors sense of humor comes through (to me at least). Loved it! Cannot wait for her next novel.

About Emma dying suddenly from an supposedly accidental fall off an high cliff while attending a college party. The story flops from present times to 10 yrs ago when Emma died. It was confusing to follow the various characters thru the time periods

Like other reviewers, I lost track when the story transitioned from one character to another. The story and characters were interesting, but eventually made me tired. Perhaps reading the book in one sitting would have helped with following the story.

I am halfway through Katie Sise’s newest novel and I can’t recommend it enough! This book immediately draws you in and I cannot wait to find out what happens to these characters. I love the way Sise dives deep into the lives of her characters, from showing us what it’s like to be a medical student in anatomy class to describing just how it feels to be a conflicted college student finding her way through the world. This is the suspenseful escape we all need in 2020!

I had a tough time doing my motherly duties these past few days because I just wanted to sit and read. I love that you get both of the sisters point of view in the story. I also really loved the sisterly bond. The ending was satisfying and real. Great job.

This was an interesting read! Pulled the reader in to getting to know each character. Yet delivered the events to keep you thinking you knew what happened, but did you? This is an interesting book for anyone who enjoys seeing the mystery unravel!

I bought this on a whim. I’m so glad that I did. I’ve read so many of these books I can correctly guess “who did it” by chapter 2. This kept me guessing up to the final word written. I feel raw and I’m shedding tears and it’s very rarely I feel this way after a book is finished. I honestly can’t say that I’d change anything or that I disliked it at all. Absolutely amazing read.

At first I had trouble keeping all of the couples straight, who was sleeping with whom, but the flashbacks made the plot so exciting that I could not put this book down. The character development was so thorough that I could feel Haley's anxiety and frustration. A well written novel! ven more exciting that I just could not put this book down.

I liked the way this story flowed. The author did a very good job of keeping me guessing who done it. I also like that it had short chapters that allowed me to stop reading at a good spot and start again the next day. A good bedtime book if you are like me and only want to read a little while each night.

This book was a slow start for me but once the character development was over I couldn't stop reading. All the cover ups and twists really go until the very end. Each time you think you've figured it out, you haven't. This was a great book.

I read this through one night. Seriously could not put it down. Good characters. Great mystery. Just when you think you’ve figured it out it swerves and bobs and you realize you’ve been lead astray once more. Can’t wait to read more by Sise

I found myself having trouble keeping the characters and the story line straight as the author moved back and forth between decades and characters.. But even so, i was surprised by the ending, which is why I gave the book four stars instead of three.

Great writer. In college, her sister disappears but what happened to her. It's a mystery with twists and turns but no body. Suspects galore but who knows the truth of what happened. I will be watching for more of this author's books.

The story was slightly predictable and jumped around. This was expected given different perspectives. I just found that it was constantly spoon-feeding a back story from multiple perspectives. This made it slightly weird and predictable.

It possibly was the best choice from a bleak Amazon First selection. There is a bit of a twist at the end although the prime suspect is apparent early on. The biggest problem is none of the characters are people you would want to know.

This author is incredibly articulate and I look forward to reading more of her books. She had me guessing the entire time And there were so many twists and turns that it made It exciting to continue reading. I absolutely loved the story.

I enjoyed the way the characters pulled together . The Who done it was thought provoking. The story was sad at times but pulled the story together. Life has a way not pulling together as we think during the early 20’s for many people.

It was interesting and kept my attention to the end. Interesting development. I enjoyed

I've had this on my kindle from First Reads in November. I just now got to it, in late January. It was full of twists, teases and turns. Packed a bit of a wallop here and there. I enjoyed it and am glad I chose it as on of my First Read picks.

This kept me interested enough to see how it would play out but ultimately it was just average.

The story was good. I liked how the ending wasn't cliche. It was a little predictable and a bit drawn out, but not enough for me to stop reading.

It would be helpful to jot down the characters and who was with who 10 years ago and the present day. In my opinion I had to always think about who was who. But it was a good story about the complexity of the characters lives

I liked the book. I read it to distract me from election results. It worked. I was always trying to guess the culprit, but I had to keep revisiting my guess. The characters and their relationships were a bit hard to follow.

Very suspenseful!! Couldn't put this away till I read the whole book. Kept my interest pretty well. Who you thought was the perpetrator didn't turn out to be whom it seemed. If you're into this type of novel this is for you!!

The town has never gotten over the disappearance of one of their own. Ten years later a boy finds a bracelet that belonged to the victim. Finally the real story is told. I would recommend this book to family and friends.

Good premise; clumsy execution. Really hated the ending - no spoilers but it felt very Hallmark movie to me.

This book was suspenseful, and kept my interest. The characters were well-developed. I enjoyed the constantly changing perspectives. The plot did get a little hard to believe, especially toward the end, but overall, a great read.

This book held my attention from beginning to end. There are unsuspecting twists that can throw you off course. I enjoyed how the author included the victim’s perspective too. It really brought everything together. Great read.

I had a lot of fun with this one. I had a little trouble keeping the characters straight at first, but that always clears up after a while. I thought I had the murderer picked out, only to have it yanked out from under me at the end. I really enjoyed the book!