The Homecoming, is an eerie psychological thriller about how quickly the people you call family can people completely perfect strangers.
When their father dies, a group of siblings along with their mother is taken to their father's property where they are told they must remain for 30 days if they wish to inherit his substantial estate. Confused why they would be asked to do such an odd thing, they decide to stay. Things become even more confusing as the days progress. Not everyone makes it out alive.
Recommended for anyone who lives a good psychological thriller!

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

3.5 stars.

I’m glad I gave Andrew Pyper another shot, after not enjoying his last novel, The Only Child. In contrast to that one, The Homecoming immediately drew me in, and I raced through half of it in one sitting (and probably would have raced through the rest if it wasn’t late at night).

The novel centres around the Quinlan family. After the death of their absentee father, they are summoned to a remote cabin (or perhaps mansion would be a better word) in the middle of a Pacific Northwest rainforest for the reading of his will. They learn that their mysterious father had millions of dollars, which they will inherit on one condition: that they remain at the estate for thirty days. They agree, and the story continues from there.

Pyper does a fantastic job of building suspense and growing an inkling of dread into full blown terror. I really loved the first half of this book, but unfortunately, the last third or so fell short. I loved the concept, but I found the execution lost a bit of the scare factor. And, as a psychology student and mental health advocate, what really upset me was the treatment of acute bipolar disorder and how the character with it had “a defective mind,” was in need of saving because of their condition, and needed a chance at “sanity.” By framing bipolar this way, Pyper is fuelling harmful stereotypes about this disorder, which only works to further stigmatize and alienate those with it (likewise with the character with Alzheimer’s). Having bipolar disorder does not, in any way, make a person “insane” so this sort of implication just really bothers me. I wish these conditions were approached with a bit more consideration.

Despite these reservations (as well as the unnecessary violence against an animal towards the end of the book), I still enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll summarize this book as scary, creepy and downright weird. Parts were even terrifying ---- because, for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what the heck was going on. I got sucked into the storyline – an inheritance that only gets delivered if the “family” stays in a family property together for 30 days – but then I got looped around in circles as the story unfolded. Let’s just say, all is not what it seems … and that’s an understatement. I’m not sure I’ve read a book in this genre where I just didn’t know how things were going to play out ….. for that, the author gets huge credit. But, to get there he had to have me suspend disbelief at a level well beyond even the most macabre and wacky Dean Koontz or Stephen King plot … so for that reason, I can’t say it’s a 5 star read (close, but not quite there). But I can say it’s highly recommended and probably a book you should not read alone in a cabin in the woods

The novel opens feeling just textbook creepy, but once Pyper has his hooks in you, the story lurches into terrifyingly unimaginable places. I hate overdone horror. This is not that. Pyper builds slowly then hands you a wallop. I will read ANYTHING Andrew Pyper writes. He's that good.

Described as “a gripping mystery” and “a riveting page-turner”, Andrew Pyper’s The Homecoming is just that, and I’ll add, it’s a total shocker and an absolutely gripping read. Whatever you think is coming, you will likely be wrong.
It took me just a few pages to overcome my inherent dislike of “first-person” narration and quickly become absorbed in this very-well written story. In brief summary, The Homecoming is the story of the coming together of a family, the Quinlans, to hear the reading of their father’s will. What follows in this chilling psychological thriller very quickly becomes much, much more than the simple reading of a rather complex will.
I pride myself on being able to suss out a plot and have a really good idea of what is coming next. Not with The Homecoming. I’ve never read anything like this story before, one that had me completely in the dark. (Well, except that I found myself sleeping with the light on after reading it!!!!) The characters became amazingly real. I felt their struggles to come to terms with the situation they find themselves in. I felt their regret at past actions taken. I felt their struggles to catch a fleeting thought that would not quite settle. And I felt their struggles to understand the role each of them was there to play. I loved this book. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good thriller. It’s a solid five stars for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.

This was a strange book. The first half was thrilling ,spooky and I was all for giving it a 5 star. I could make a vague guess what the basic revelation was going to be . This is where I had a problem. The author does not elaborate how the things which happened could be so,no proper timelines and one can find many loopholes to the theory. Due to this the story gets confusing though the thriller factor is maintained till the end. But since a lot was left unexplained ,slightly dissatisfied.And the ending should have been different! That decided the 3 stars. Still, an interesting writer and I would like to checknout his other books.

I am decidedly undecided on how I feel about this book.The first half (despite a slow start) has the making of a terrifying horror movie and I loved it. You have a family in a terrifying situation,Iocked alone in a vast wilderness an not knowing exactly what the threat was. I was legitimately frightened and at that point I was thinking this book is amazing, my adrenaline was rushing. The characters were likeable, relatable and you come to empathize with them. Then comes the second half which is somewhat of a plot twist and you go down the rabbit hole of strange experiments and extensive background information. This part took away a lot of the fear and adrenaline for me and I found it felt overly complicated and it took a lot to explain the story from this new viewpoint. These two element lead me to a middle of the road rating.

This book just kept getting more and more scary as I read through it. What started out as family abiding a dead father's will turned into a dangerous mystery where the characters cannot be sure who they can trust. I found this book very unique in its underlying premise and found that there were enough details to make the story flow without spoon feeding the reader with all the answers and information.

Family ties, the binding of our shared memories, a look back on our childhoods and how our adult selves are formed by the interactions and memories from when we were young, are key areas the siblings of the story struggle with. There is a background menacing feeling within their situation, as well as the country (US), that give the book a haunting feeling. The author provides us with enough clues and glimpses to allow our imaginations to take over without bogging the story line down with what would amount to a whole other book.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for letting me read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“The Homecoming”, is a gripping psychological mystery and quite an intriguing puzzle that unravels before our eyes.

This is a weird story and a scary one indeed. It recounts how with their mother the Quinlans’ siblings are asked to travel to a vast remote property to hear the reading of their father’s will. There is one condition: to inherit the fortune they must stay at the estate for one month without contact with the outside world. They soon find out that the people they knew all your life have suddenly become strangers.

The 2/3 of the book reminded me of Agatha Christie’s story where she plunges people in the middle of nowhere and kills them one by one. But what differences Mr. Pype’s macabre story from those written by Ms. Christie: we do not have an equivalent of a Ms. Maple nor an Inspector Poirot to save the day. Instead we have sightings, strange happenings, lots of blood and very scary moments for the characters to endure.

This is an original horror scenario with a straightforward prose with a focus on plot and dialogue. Gripping in most part especially when the family discovers that each member has more secrets that they ever imagined and fear settles in…. This family drama turns out to be a chilling dystopian nightmare.

Mr. Pyper is a gifted storyteller with a penchant for the super creepy. He has once again concocted a darkly entrancing tale and has filled it with outstanding players.

Review of The Homecoming by
Andrew Pyper
This not the kind of book that I would normally choose to read but I enjoyed it anyway. The author is a good writer and his prose flows flawlessly easily drawing you into the book before you know it. It captures your attention immediately and holds it making you want to read to the end to see what will happen and why.
The book is supposed to be a psychological thriller and it is, albeit unlike any I have read. Initially it seemed to be a gothic supernatural tale but is really is a deep, dark and carefully crafted story of an extended dysfunctional family influenced by macabre events resulting in psychological twists and turns. Readers soon find that they must suspend disbelief to some degree as they encounter never ending suspense and await some new and probably dreadful event to occur.
There is an abundance of strange and mysterious happenings and the disclosure of formerly unknown family secrets. Initially what seemed to be a teasing taste of the supernatural turned out to be anything but and the twisted reasons and reality is finally revealed. It is a tasteful telling of family interventions, characters acting like a family but not being one.
This is a story of secrecy practiced to perfection, introspection and self-discovery overlaid by sociopathic manipulation. One’s interest never flags and the conclusion is unexpected but satisfying.
I was happy to discover this author and will look forward to more of his works.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book. It was a little too strange for my liking. Only "OK."