This is 3 and 1/2 stars rounded up. I enjoyed the intensity in this read but I did find it a bit convoluted in places. But the televangelist trope really kept me interested in where this story was going.

All the words in the description made me go... ooh, okay, intrigued... but unfortunately all the words in the actual novel made me go... uh, I'm confused, and also do I care? Did not love, or even like, sorry to say.

This one was thrilling, gothic and surreal. I enjoyed it immensely! It was just twisty enough to keep me guessing.

This book is an absolute wild ride—part Southern Gothic, part supernatural thriller, and completely unputdownable. Toby Tucker just wants to give his son a safe, loving home, but marrying into the powerful and deeply religious Wright family turns out to be the worst mistake of his life. Trapped in their sprawling Texas estate during a freak storm, Toby is quickly accused of murder. But when his son starts seeing a shadowy figure lurking in the house, it’s clear that something even darker is at play.

Creepy, intense, and packed with twists, No Road Home keeps you guessing until the very end. It’s a fast-paced, nerve-wracking thriller with plenty of heart, perfect for fans of horror-tinged suspense.

Thank you John Fram, Atria Books, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

“Whaaaat the fuuuuuck just happened?” is about the only thing I can say right now??? I mean… so good, so wild, such a roller coaster. Pretty much explains every JFram book so far though! An incredible thriller filled with heart-wrenching back stories, characters you want to root for, and enough suspense to fulfill any thriller-head.

No Road Home by John Fram is the story of a family cult and how far their madness takes them. When Toby and his young son marry Alyssa Wright, the granddaughter of a famous televangelist, they have no idea what they've gotten themselves into. They go visit the family compound in Texas and all sorts of strange things happen there. There are so many twists and disturbing revelations that happen in this book. Please check trigger warnings. This story was well-written, but it was very dark. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

John Fram knows how to build characaters and craft a wild story while keeping you turning the pages. I would read anything he writes no matter the plot.

Really enjoyed this! It’s a bit long but the ending had some good place and the sense of atmosphere and dread that John Fram develops is great. His note at the end really drove it home and has made me an even bigger fan

“𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.”

No Road Home is a wild thrill-ride that had me madly flipping pages.

Partly due to my many friends raving about this binge-worthy locked-room story, I knew I’d love it. Recently married Toby and his son Luca travel to new wife Alyssa's ancestral estate, belonging to a famed wealthy televangelist family. This has everything that I love about a locked-room mystery: a sprawling manor, a strange family, isolated characters, a storm that knocks out communication and exits, and of course, a murder where anyone could have done it. Toby and Luca were fabulous characters who have such a strong bond; I truly felt that Toby would do anything to protect Luca, which becomes more and more important as the family closes in. The Wrights are so broken by a lack of love, with Fram's metaphor an eerie reflection of so many people in our world today. Fram creates short chapters that keep you wanting more, but honestly it's more-so the constant propulsive action that you turning the pages. The Wrights are MESSED UP; just when I thought Fram had revealed everything he could, he goes and hits you with one more shocking detail. The twists don't feel gratuitous, but rather well earned right to the last page.

No Road Home is an excellent Gothic tale of redemption that is a non-stop mysterious ride. It is a solid five stars that has me greatly anticipating Fram's next release. Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC!

What happens when a father has to clear his name and protect his queer son after finding his wife's grandfather is found murdered? To find out than make sure to grab this page turning read. This had me captivated from the first page and has so many twist. The author wrote this well and all of the characters were interesting. It was such a dark and creepy book and I look forward to reading other books from this author. Overall, this is one that I highly enjoyed and would recommend to any reader who loves horror books. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this great read in exchange of my honest review of No Road Home by John Fram.

I liked this book but nothing stood out as exceptional. It was typical of other thriller and mystery books!

I had no idea what to expect when I started this book. It was very engaging but more than that, I did not have any idea what the resolution was going to be. I had to stay up late to read that final chapter that tied it all together. Great story and world building.

Good book, but it didn't grab me and pull me into the story. I almost didn't finish it. But I am glad I did finish it and I enjoyed it.

I truly wanted to enjoy this book but by the halfway mark it just felt so long. It didn't seem as if any progress was being made within the mystery and the creep factor that intrigued me at the beginning of the story trickled away. I think if this book was not so drawn out, the execution of this phenomenal premise would have been perfect!

I will say Toby is an interesting character and had a lot of potential but as the book went along he felt less like himself and made me grow to dislike him a bit.

4.5/5 stars.

I loved this. My only critique is the conclusion feels rushed. Perhaps that's the nature of these kinds of mystery thrillers, but I would have liked more time exploring the character motivations and back stories that were revealed in the end. Still a solid book. Full of religious trauma and queerness.

It follows a man who marries a woman who is the daughter of a megachurch preacher. The family is far right religious with immense power. When the man brings his gender queer child to a family get together, a murder mystery ensues, and things escalate from there are religious trauma and family secrets are unveiled.

It is as fun as it is thoughtful in its themes. Fram works to humanize and character everyone in the story, and while I think the book is better for it, some of that characterization is rushed as a part of the ending.

I enjoyed Fram's first novel and was happy to see that he'd written another. The premise hooked me immediately: evil televangelists! single dads! murder! a Texas compound! The book did not disappoint, and I eagerly followed Toby to the Wright compound as he fought to save his son. For me, two things elevate Fram's work above the rest: his accurate and lovingly rendered Texas setting, and his gorgeous prose. Can't wait to see what he writes next and he is on my auto-buy list.

I know I’m a hundred years behind on reading the latest @john.fram book but it was so worth the wait. This is now the second time he has written a book that immediately sucked me in and had me going “WTF is even happening???” multiple times. No Road Home is one crazy locked room thriller that keeps you guessing with each page turned and is a perfect example of how screwed up extreme religion can make you. Counting down the days until Fram releases another thriller that hopefully is as juicy and entertaining as No Road Home! (Go read his first book, The Bright Lands, if you haven’t already also if you’re in need of a good mind blowing)

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the gifted copy of this book!

NO ROAD HOME explores family dynamics, otherworldly occurrences, and how far you would go for the ones you love. Fram effortlessly brings to life a group of people who show the best and the worst of human nature, all the while delivering a taut and chilling gothic thriller.

Though there can be a lot said about the plot and mysterious happenings surrounding the characters within these pages, for this reader, the bond between Toby and Luca truly made this book stand out. Their relationship is the heart of the story. In fact, it is what makes the looming darkness around them so believable. Having a purity of love and the unbreakable bond of a few allows the unscrupulousness and hidden secrets of others to build suspense and round out the narrative. This man and his son are everything the Wright family is not. And there is something so telling that the author made this dysfunctional family’s wealth coming from a televangelist empire.

NO ROAD HOME has secrets, a haunting specter, a mysterious death, and complex family dynamics beyond any normal range. Fram truly tapped into the hate lying in some people’s hearts and the corruption that wealth can bring to families only interested in what money can give them. All in all, this is one wild ride with an ending not to be missed.

I really tried to like this setting-intense family conflict story of murder and betrayal. The characters were strange. I wasn’t sure who to like. It was definitely atmospheric but I couldn’t find my self attached to any characters. The family had it issues and that was the main pint of the plot. It’s hard to discuss in detail without giving away the plot. Luca’s ghostly experiences were at first creepy but took awhile to explain. The narrative and dialogue seemed stagnant and forced. Just not for me at this time.

This was one twisty, turny thriller from John Framm. He has a way of crafting a story that pulls you in from the very beginning. I could have done with a few less characters but overall, a great read!