A creepy house, a disturbing family and a murder! Go John Fram! I almost gave up on this book in the beginning and I am glad I didn’t. The story picked up and then I could not put it down.
It does have some parts that are very shocking. I like disturbing and shocking, but it might be too much for some readers. #NetGalley

After reading this book, I can't help but sit back and say Wow! This was one heck of an involved tale that encompassed so many crimes and perversities happening on the estate of a televangelist. Toby becomes swept up in a whirlwind romance with Alyssa, not knowing that this will propel him into a storm of madness. Toby, Alyssa and Luca travel to the family estate, and are then faced with a house full of people with hidden agendas and secrets. Upon the patriarch's murder, it becomes evident that almost everyone has a motive. Since Toby is determined to find out what happened, he doggedly uncovers the secrets of his new family, putting himself and Luca in danger. They are cut off from the town by a raging storm outside, the danger of which is rivaled by the charged game of cat-and-mouse happening inside. Each secret uncovered has an explosive effect, and this book is the equivalent of fireworks! You will not see the end coming! This book grabs you at the start and tightens its hold with each new element introduced - you will not want to put it down and it will linger in your thoughts long after the last page! Oh, Mr. Fram, you have set a high bar for your subsequent books! What an incredible read!!

This started out as very mysterious and had potential but sadly it devolved into a warped and twisted story.

My favorite book of 2024!! This is a horrifying, fast paced, lock d0or, religious thriller/horror! Highly recommend checking out trigger warnings before jumping in - especially related to child abuse and religious trauma.

this is a story of a father and son in a dysfunctional family, the creepy house comes into play to. you won't guess the ending.

This story is about a father and a son who find themselves in a creepy house with a dysfunctional family. The house itself becomes a vital part of the story creating suspense and causing the reader to question what’s going on. The characters are suspicious as can be. I don’t giveaway spoilers. Read it!

This book has a lot going on and I mean a lot! Pay attention and enjoy the ride in this gripping and riveting book.

Toby Tucker has spent years trying to protect his young son, Luca, safe. When he marries Alyssa Wright, the daughter of a televangelist, he can't image what he is getting himself into. When they travel to the family's compound in Texas, Toby notices that the family has very strange plans for him and Luca. Then a storm hits, the family patriarch is found on the roof dead. How's that for come-home-and-meet-my-family weekend????

This book has an eerie and chilling vibe to it. Something isn't quite right with this family. There are secrets and then there are the Wright Family secrets! They are dark, dark secrets. Imagine being trapped in a home with them and they are circling around Luca, and you can't escape. I love that trapped feeling in books. Not only do the characters have to deal with not being able to leave and being cut off from the outside world, but they also must face being stuck with a killer, hidden alliances, and the weather. Tensions rise, anxiety mounts, and there is a figure/ghost that Luca has seen that has unfinished business.

Let's talk about the atmosphere in this book - it's fantastic! I love atmospheric books, and this felt the bill. The family compound paired with the storm creates a chilling atmosphere. This book has a gothic feel to it. I enjoyed the descriptions and the compound felt very much like a character in the book as well.

This book has a strong LGBTQ representation. The book also touches on identity/sexual identity, homophobia, bigotry, and mental health to name a few. This book also has religious talk and characters who talk the talk but aren't walking the walk.

I had no idea what I was getting into with this book. There are the secrets, the matter of whodunit, the dysfunctional relationships, and a father trying to protect his child from bigotry. This was a little bit slow in the beginning, but things really picked up for me close to the halfway point and I had to know what would be revealed or happen next.

Gripping, atmospheric, dark, and captivating.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an advance reader copy of the book. This in no way affects my review.

This book was intense. I had a hard time putting it down. It followed me when I went to bed and lay awake thinking about it.

I did not see the ending coming the way that it did.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview No Road Home. This is an epic book. Lots of characters and intersecting story lines.
Well written but a bit long for me.
3.5 stars

For fans of Jordan Peele's work, especially those who enjoyed "Get Out" and are fond of claustrophobic locked-room mysteries with commendable queer representation intertwined with paranormal and occultist elements, this book might be a suitable choice. Despite its slow-burn nature and a few predictable twists, the narrative captures the charm of being trapped in a mansion amidst a storm, woven into a compelling whodunit mystery. Despite my initial inclination to rate it between three and four stars, I ultimately settled on 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. However, the presence of the hateful Wright family members, marked by patriarchal bigotry, left a sour taste and invoked a visceral urge to punch each character in the face.

One of the book's standout aspects is the honest portrayal of Toby's struggle to shield his sensitive young son, Luca, from the shameful bigotry surrounding them. Toby's journey includes embracing Luca's sexual identity and providing unwavering support, creating a relatable and engaging narrative that resonates with readers.

The narrative revolves around Toby Tucker, a widower raising his son Luca. Despite recently marrying Allyssa Wright, the granddaughter of a famous televangelist, Toby finds himself caught between worlds. Allyssa's family, while powerful and wealthy, is also biased and judgmental, a stark contrast to Toby's liberal perspective in proudly raising a queer son.

When Toby and Luca accept an invitation to Allyssa's family compound in Texas, they are unaware of the Wrights' hidden agendas. The situation spirals out of control when the family patriarch is found stabbed, and an unforeseen storm severs their connection with the outside world. Trapped in the mansion with potentially dangerous people, Toby must navigate a web of secrets, including the presence of a brutal killer.

As the walls close in on him, Toby is compelled to act swiftly to save his son. However, the challenge lies in deciphering who can be trusted, especially when the woman he married may harbor hidden secrets. The story unfolds with suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

In summary, the book offers a slow yet intriguing narrative—a claustrophobic locked-room mystery with commendable LGBTQ representation. It's worth giving a try for those interested in a mix of suspense, mystery, and positive representation.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The family dynamics in this "rich people have weird problems" drama kept me turning the pages many hours past my bedtime. Fram is a terrific writer, pulling us in through several very complex characters, and weaving a plot with just about every gothic trope imaginable: Southern estate? check. Dead patriarch? check. Half-brothers and sisters? check. People who will do anything for money and sex and power? Check, check and check. Add a bit of supernatural and yes, you have the full recipe.

And yet it didn't feel stale at all. I loved how Fram was able to use a lot of current issues in our culture wars to freshen a genre and make it timely.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

Wow! This was so good. I couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I normally enjoy creepy, melodramatic horror. However the plotting was sloppy, the characterizations were weak and the "twist" ending was predictable. The premise had so much potential but was wasted with such heavy-handed prose.

I love the way John Fram writes. I was a huge fan of his last book... so this one had me curious. This is a great, gothic story with a bit of Agatha Christie thrown in. I loved the way the author captured the absolute quirkiness and oddities in the family and it kept me guessing. Wonderful book!

A locked room mystery. Toby and his young son Luca visit a televangelist’s home after marrying into the family. The patriarch is killed that night and all of the family’s secrets start coming out. I didn’t see the end coming at all, which I loved! Heads up, there is depictions of childhood sexual abuse.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and John Fram for this e-ARC.

I love to see the queer and gender queer topic being written about more and more these days. Hopefully seeing it represented often will get people to understand and accept it better.

This was a great suspense thriller with a lot of surprises along the way. Many of the characters were unlikable, especially those in the Wright family, who are bigots full of hate, judgment, and hypocrisy.

Some disturbing events occur including incest, and physical and emotional abuse. Many of the twists I never saw coming and I was blown away by them once I found them out. The book was a little long winded in my opinion but I still really liked it and wanted to keep reading to see where everything was going.

John Fram can do no wrong. No Road Home is like a gayer, horror movie version of The Righteous Gemstones and I enjoyed every second of it. It was incredibly well written, perfectly paced, and was filled with characters that were so intriguing and complex. Huge thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for a chance to read this early. I can't wait till it comes out and I can get a hard copy for my shelves.

I loved John Fram’s debut horror novel The Bright Lands, so I have been looking forward to his sophomore novel.

No Road Home centers around single dad Toby Tucker. Toby recently married Alyssa Wright so Toby along with his son Luca, are traveling to Alyssa’s hometown in Texas to meet her family. But Alyssa’s family is not just anyone, they are The Wright Family- a well-known televangelist family whose patriarch (Alyssa’s grandfather) is notable for telling his viewers their future.

Soon after arriving at The Wrights’ lavish estate, all hell breaks loose between family members, and on top of that, a storm floods the roads so they can't leave. Toby is trapped in a group of backstabbing, manipulative, greedy in-laws who in real life, are nothing like they are portrayed on TV. Dark secrets emerge and before the first night is over, someone is murdered.

Unlike The Bright Lands, No Road Home is a locked-room mystery, thriller with supernatural elements. It's one of those books where you have to suspend your beliefs but the characterization and multiple twists had me hanging on the author's every word. No Road Home is a suspenseful, and very entertaining read that I believe a lot of thriller fans will love.

No Road Home by John Fram will be available on July 23. Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

DNF at 19%.
The synopsis of this book sounded really good, I chose it because it sounded like something I would really like. I actually started it the same day I downloaded it because I was so excited to read it. But problems started right away. The writing felt very rudimentary, the buildup felt like it was following a run of the mill thriller formula. And what made me decide to DNF was the length of this book. I felt like I kept reading and reading and reading and not getting very far. It took me four days to get to 19%. And then at that point, I just didn’t want to go any further. There wasn’t much of the evangelical church in the 19% that I read, it was more about a rich family being spoiled and having rich people problems, which has been done many many times before. Sorry, just not for me.

I liked the take on this story with the main character not being LGBTQ.
I enjoyed reading this immensely.