I kind of don't know where to begin. I just finished this book yesterday and it's one of those that I need to review while it's still fresh in my mind. After the death of their father, the Quinlan family heads to a mysterious property in the Pacific Northwest forest for the reading of the will. There they learn that they stand to inherit millions of dollars, but only if they stay there for 30 days without phones, TV, news or outside contact. As if the whole situation isn't weird enough, on the second day, a second Quinlan family arrives tasked with the same quest. Eager to learn more about their father and the secret life he lived, everyone is up to the challenge. However, some may soon find out this challenge just might be their last.

I was super excited to read this book. I was approved for Netgalley copy but didn't download it fast enough so I raced to get it from my library and was first in line. I couldn't devour the first part of the book fast enough. I loved meeting all the cast - the likable and the unlikable ones. I also became intrigued about what kind of man amassed a small fortune while living a double life. Then the book took a turn. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't necessarily mind the turn, but it was such a drastic shift that I suddenly felt a disconnect to the story. I felt like my focus of caring for some of the family members and the creepy things going on in the forest no longer mattered and I just wanted to see how crazy things were going to get. I really can't describe it much better than to sum it up and say it felt like two separate tales.

I will mention two small issues. First up there is a character who really has no resolution in the end. I wanted to know who he was and what happened to him to get to this point and I never really got those answers. Secondly, I'm sure someone was paid quite well to edit this book. There is a young character named Bridge and I found at least three incidents where her named wasn't properly capitalized and given that I read a finished copy, I was a tad irritated. I shouldn't let that bother me so much but I did.

Pyper's wring was really easy to delve into and I have several other books by him on my TBR. I will definitely be reading more from him because one, there aren't enough horror writers to ever make me happy and two, he has quite an imagination and talent. I just wished this book had fared better for me. That being said, it's still a solid read and if you are curious and can grab the book from your local library, I say give it a chance and see what you think.

The Homecoming was an unexpected and thoroughly entertaining read!

I went into the book blind and was grateful that I not only I had forgotten any reviews I may have previously read but couldn't even recall the synopsis. What a treat it was to let this one unfold as I read. Honestly, I was straight up confused while reading. I found myself wondering if this was a mystery, a thriller, horror, a ghost story or a smorgasbord of all of the above. My mind was spinning with theories - and to my delight each and every one of them was wrong !

A brief synopsis: Following the death of their father/husband, the Quinlains are brought to a secluded estate for the reading of Raymond Quinlain's will. In order to claim their inheritance the family must remain on the property for thirty days with zero contact with the outside world. Cue spooky background music here because that's where everything begins to shift. The Quinlains quickly discover that nothing is as it seems. There are many buried secrets and skeletons within their family's closet.

That's all I can say without spoiling this one for you. Just know you're in for a creepy, wild ride with this one. If you let yourself go with it, I think you'll find you are in for a surprising treat.

Once I started this book, I could not put it down. The twists and turns were ones I did not expect to be coming. Would definitely recommend this book to others, but strap in, you are going on a ride.

A spooky mansion, a dysfunctional family (or two), a mysterious mission in a remote place to receive an inheritance, what’s not to love? And there are many things to love about this story. It certainly kept my attention and I was eager to get to the solution. But I found alot of the actions confusing and difficult to follow and therefore the resolution was ultimately unsatisfying. There are many intriguing concepts here about memory and what makes us who we are, but I didn’t find any profound insights here. That said, it is a pretty gripping story although not all the pieces came together for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my review based upon my honest opinion.

When I started this book I thought the story was good, a man dies and his beneficiaries have to stay at his estate compound for thirty days with no outside contact to inherit their share, if they leave they lose their inheritance; then another "family" show up and things are taut with suspense. Then things appear to be more of a horror novel and I did not want to read it at night as it was creepy; then the book took a bizarre sci-fi twist and completely lost me. I am not sure what I thought this book was going to be, but based upon the blurb and the first few chapters, it was not was I was expecting. I did not care for the sci-fi twist and the way the storyline panned out. For those that like sci-fi, this a would be a great book with a wonderful twist, but not for me.

The Homecoming boasts Pyper's usual topnotch writing, tons of spine-tingling moments, and a twist I did not see coming--bravo! It's not a perfect novel, mind you. There are times when you're going to have to suspend your disbelief at some of the decisions that characters make, and I found some of the references to near future events and developments distracting. But, apart from that, I'd suggest you buckle up and enjoy the ride. Oh, and leave the lights on if you're reading Homecoming at night.

After the death of their absentee father, Dr. Aaron Quinlan and his younger sister Bridge are taken to a vast rainforest property in the Pacific Northwest to hear the reading of his will. Along with their mother and addicted sister Franny, the Quinlans hear the bizarre conditions of the will. In order to claim their multi-million dollar inheritance, they must stay at the Belfountain property for 30 days without any contact with the outside world. They reluctantly agree to the terms but soon learn that their father had plenty of secrets, including another family whose members arrive on the property the following day.

Glimpses of a tall man and an elderly woman are seen in the woods. Who are they? Then members of the Quinlans start dying. This was a gripping, creepy thriller that went in directions that I was not expecting.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

When their father Raymond Quinlan dies, the family is called to Belfountain, a large and isolated estate in the Pacific Northwest.
Aaron and his younger sister Bridge meet up with older sister Franny and their mom to hear the reading of the will.
In order to claim a share of the very large inheritance, they must surrender their cell phones and live together on the compound without outside contact for 30 days. No television, books or Internet allowed.
Supplies will be dropped off weekly.
The family decides to stay, partly for the money and partly to see if they can decipher the enigma who was their patriarch.
Their father Ray, was an aloof, absent parent, a mystery to his children and wife.
Immediately, strange things begin to happen.
A tall, menacing man and a creepy old woman are seen on the property. Gunshots are heard in the distance. Memories of dark water appear in all of their dreams...
A deliberately paced, simmering thriller that will have you suspending belief by the end.
I don't want to give the plot away, so I can only say that by the close of the book some disturbing and outrageous events occur!
This one was a little slow for me in the beginning, and I had a hard time accepting some things in the latter part of the book. But definitely a well written and original storyline.
Thank you Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

It was my first book written by Andrew Pyper and definitely not the last one. Wow, what a roller-coaster, I love books with twists like this one. Nothing I could predict or assume. Fast page turner for sure. Characters very well developed, I got few favorites. I highly recommend to those who enjoy thriller/mystery genre.

I had such high hopes for The Homecoming by Andrew Pyper, the author one of my favorite horror novels, The Damned. Unfortunately, this book only left me with disappointment as well as an incredulous disbelief at how such a great premise could turn out to be such a mess. And it’s a real shame, because the beginning showed so much promise.

Our story begins in the isolated vastness of the Pacific Northwest rainforest as a limo carries surgeon Aaron Quinlan and his teenage sister Bridge to an undisclosed location, where a lawyer will be waiting to read the final last will and testament of their late father, Raymond. Soon, Aaron and Bridge are joined by their sister Franny and their mother Eleanor. In life, Raymond Quinlan had been a mostly absent father, leaving his wife and kids alone for months at a time while doing business for his mysterious employers, but apparently, the man had even more secrets than his family thought. They are all surprised when they discover that their drivers have brought them to a place called Belfountain, a sprawling estate nestled deep in the forest, exposing the extent of Raymond’s hidden wealth. And now all his assets including the property will belong to the surviving Quinlans—but with just one catch. As stipulated in the will, for Eleanor, Aaron, Franny and Bridge to claim their inheritance, each of them must remain at Belfountain for thirty days without any contact with the outside world, starting immediately. That means no phones and no internet. No supplies beyond the clothes on their back, since they had not been allowed to pack before leaving. Arrangements have been made with the people they know to explain for their month-long absence, or so the lawyer says. Food will be provided via regular deliveries.

Despite their misgivings about the situation, the four of them agree to the terms. Any time one of them wants to bow out, the lawyer has assured them that a satellite phone would be available at the gates to call for a ride. Of course, anyone who takes a step off the property will forfeit their part of the inheritance, worth many millions, but Aaron tells himself that he’s not staying for the money—or not just the money anyway. He wants to know what other secrets Raymond Quinlan had been hiding when he was alive, and why his father concocted this strange scenario to bring his surviving family members together. Above all, he also wants to keep Bridge safe. But when night falls, Belfountain becomes a different place. Aaron and his sisters start having the same disturbing dream, and they start to catch glimpses of strangers among the trees, watching them. What’s more, the next day, a new group of visitors show up. And when Aaron discovers who they are, that’s when he realizes just what a twisted man his father was.

All this takes place in the early sections of the book, and I have to say I enjoyed everything up to the end of this point. The mystery of Belfountain was compelling, and the way Aaron, his mother and his sisters were brought together by Raymond Quinlan’s will was simply too irresistible not to keep reading! Was this some kind of bizarre team building exercise? Some hidden camera reality TV show? I wanted to know! And then there were the shared nightmares and the scary people in the woods, giving this book the delicious eerie vibes that I love.

I was also intrigued by the characters. While none of them were immediately likeable, on some level I understood that this was by design. The Quinlans are all flawed people, damaged by the emotionally and physically absent Raymond. Eleanor never felt like she was in a real marriage, with her husband gone more than half the time without ever telling her why. Aaron always felt like he needed to prove himself to his father, even long after it was clear the elder Quinlan didn’t care. Franny turned to drugs and became an addict. And Bridge grew up looking up to Aaron as her father figure instead. Because of this, the two of them are extremely close, even with the age difference. In fact, their special sibling bond was something that touched me deeply even from the very beginning.

But then, something happened after the first quarter of the book. All the mystery and intrigue that was painstakingly developed became lost in a confusing story that neither establishes a convincing explanation for everything that happens nor conveys much suspense or excitement. Even the character relationships became immaterial because of the so-called “answers” we were provided, and with that, the last saving grace of this novel went down the tubes. And then there was the political stuff, which was so completely irrelevant and unnecessary to the plot that it stuck out like shiny red hotpants at a funeral. I don’t mind message fiction, but when it’s so unexpectedly, blatantly, awkwardly, and NEEDLESSLY shoehorned into a story like this, it annoys the hell out of me.

Regrettably, I can’t say much more or rant about a lot more other stuff that didn’t work for me without revealing spoilers, but to sum it all up, this book just didn’t feel like it was that well thought out. There were more holes in the plot than swiss cheese, and the ending did not provide any satisfying answers. This is the sort of novel that demands the reader to suspend their disbelief, but even for me, a sci-fi and fantasy fan, it was simply asking way too much. I finished this book with even more questions than I had at the beginning, but by then I confess I was feeling too disconnected to the characters or story to care much at all. It’s just too bad. The Homecoming had so much potential when it started, but sadly it failed to follow through in every way.

The Homecoming was one heck of an attention grabber. Once I read the synopsis I knew that I wanted to read it, and the cover pulled me in with its comforting yet sinister scene. The story started off with a bang, and I was hooked.

Andrew Pyper developed an exquisite, multi-layered plot of deception and betrayal. I loved the fact that there was always another twist or turn right around the corner. He kept his chapters short, which I found was an exceptionally useful tool in propelling the story forward. Pyper left a breadcrumb trail through The Homecoming and I was able to figure out where he was going with it, but I really enjoyed how he went there.

The Homecoming had a good concentration of characters with the family isolated on the father’s estate. I got to know them. I wanted things to work out for them. I yelled at them when they were acting idiotic (stupid moves by characters make for some of the best stories).

This was my first visit into the twisted mind of Andrew Pyper. I have to say that I should have gone there much sooner, but at least I’ve got a couple more great books to add to my TBR list.

*5 Stars

An amazing read! This book follows a family as their lives slowly unravel. Keeps you on the edge of your seat, trying to guess what comes next.

A Strange, Strange Story

This psychological thriller by Pyper takes the reader into a deep dark family mystery which meanders and bewilders, leaving us many times wondering what the heck is going on.

When Raymond Quinlan dies, his lawyer contacts a son and daughter and summon them to a vast estate in a Pacific Northwest rain forest for the reading of the will. There they meet their mother and sister Franny. When the lawyer reads the will he tells them that they will each inherit a large amount of money once the estate is liquidated. But there are some conditions. One is that they must remain on the property for thirty days without contact with the outside world. Given that the family is dysfunctional, this sets the scene for some bizarre interactions. As they explore their surroundings over the coming days they discover they are not alone. There are other humans there who also have a stake in the outcome. They thought that Raymond was a remote husband and father, only making sporadic visits to their home. They are shocked when they learn the reason why. Murder and mayhem ensue as they encounter the others on the estate.

To tell more would be to spoil the plot. This novel is certainly mysterious but not in the traditionsl "mystery" sense. Some described it as a fast read. I found it a slow plod.

I have enjoyed Pyper's previous novels. This one left me disappointed.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Net Galley.

This was the first book I've read by Andrew Pyper. I'm a huge fan of suspense and thriller novel. Always trying to guess what's going to happen. This book had me guessing all the way through. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy! Cannot wait to pick up another Pyper book!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2735279791

This book was a mix of suspenseful thriller and horror. It was a wild roller coaster ride!

There was a lot of suspense in the story, because we don’t know much about the events that lead to the beginning of the story, including the characters’ backgrounds. The characters all find themselves at an isolated house, and are forced to stay there to inherit millions from their father. However, we don’t know how they got there or even much of their relationship with their father. He remains a mysterious figure until the end of the story.

There were actually some fairytale elements to the story. They compare the house to the witch’s house from Hansel and Gretel. There are even a couple of monsters in the woods. It’s a twisted fairytale. It was getting so gruesome that I had to stop reading it before bed one night!

Right away, I made a prediction of what would happen at the end. I was only half right, and I was glad because I was hoping it would be a more complicated ending than I predicted. I liked that I still had some questions at the end, so I can just imagine what some of the answers would be.

I couldn’t put this book down! It’s a great thriller!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been searching for a word that best describes The Homecoming by Andrew Pyper but I find that it cannot be classified as being any one genre. Psychological thriller, mystery, horror, character study, etc. all describe this novel. The Quinlan siblings, Franny, Bridge and Aaron, are summoned to Belfountain in the Pacific Northwest for the reading of their absentee father's will. The country estate belonged to him and the children are not sure why they must attend there. They are greeted by his attorney who informs them that in order to inherit their father's fortune, they must live at Belfountain for 30'days. And down the rabbit hole the reader goes. When reading an Andrew Pyper book, one is never sure what to expect and The Homecoming does not disappoint. What an imagination! Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A riveting, gripping thriller sure to keep readers turning the pages while perched on the edge of their seat. Fans of Patrick Senecal and Pyper's previous works are sure to be ensnared by the drama.

Never having read any prior novels by Canadian author Andrew Pyper, I was not prepared for where this book headed. The same could be said of his writing style and combining of genre . In other words, <i>The Homecoming</i> included a lot of surprises.

Here’s the set up: take a dysfunctional family and place them at a secluded, fenced in compound for the reading of their father’s will. The first twist: in order to inherit, they will have to remain in the compound from that moment through the next thirty days. From that point on, be prepared for a slow roll out of a twisty combination of genre including psychological/horror/mystery/science fiction.

I thought much of <i>The Homecoming</i> was actually quite clever. It was suspenseful, creepy, and entertaining. The characters are complex and the plot veers off in directions I never saw on the horizon. Pyper’s style of revealing details is, at times, unconventional, and, at least for me, a bit disconcerting. Some of the plot pushes the boundaries of believeability but I let those go for the sake of entertainment.

Since I haven’t read any horror fiction, or even a lot of science fiction, in a number of years, <i>The Homecoming</i> just might tempt me to try a few of Pyper’s previous titles.


FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Andrew delivers another winner. The story keeps you guessing from the very start. At times heartwarming and others heart stopping. Hard to put down. Loved it.
#thehomecoming #netgalley #indigoemployee

3.5 stars
I don’t know where to start with this one! I’m still trying to figure out what I just read!! After seeing a number of raving reviews, I couldn’t wait to get started on this book. However I’m left a bit speechless and unsure how much I really enjoyed it??? Honestly....it made my head spin!

This is a genre breaking story with aspects of horror, thriller, family drama and more. I don’t want to say too much because it’s best going in blind. Mr. Quinlan, a mysterious and absent husband and father, has just died. His widow and their three kids are taken to a castle-like estate and told that they must remain there for 30=days in order to inherit their share of 30+ million dollars their father was worth. The strange thing is, no one was aware this estate even existed and the eerie similarity between their father’s frightening ghost stories and this estate is evident. The family has many questions about who their father was, what did he do and why have they been brought to this estate to stay for a month?

The story goes from cryptic to haunting to mind bending. There is absolutely no guessing how it will end. There is also a little bit of a cliffhanger at the end, which irked me a tad. I prefer my endings to be neatly resolved. There is a ton of suspense in this story but also some twists and turns that will knock you off your feet and require you to suspend reality. This is definitely a fabulous read for anyone looking for an outside of the box psychological thriller with notes of gothic horror.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.