While this is absolutely one of the book’s strengths, there’s a potential downfall to it. Vera regrets this and resents James for it, all while he lives in the shed behind the house and appears to be a favorite of her mother. The current resident is James Duvall, son of Hammett Duvall who made his fame interviewing teen Vera for a book about her father. Vera’s mother Daphne makes money on the side by running the house as an artist’s residence so people can experience the house of Francis Crowder. J ust Like Home also deals with what happens to people after the podcasters and authors go home. I could practically hear the Francis Crowder: Serial Killer podcast in my head as I was reading.

Gailey hooks you with the story of a woman facing her past and the crimes of her father, and slowly ratchets up the supernatural over the course of the book. One of the strengths of the book is the way it harnesses the cultural (and my personal) obsession with true crime. The pacing of the story is perfect, we learn things every chapter but the answers to questions often lead to more answers as the story gets darker and spookier. It makes for an incredibly effective narrative device, leading to a mid book reveal that actually had me gasping out loud. We see the entire story through Vera’s eyes, and it is immediately obvious that even though we are in her head there are secrets she isn’t telling us.

Gailey is a master of the third person limited point of view.

Just like home sarah gailey