Could have benefited from less people but maybe my mind was too busy and it’s a me problem. Loved the rich evangelical perspective… not used enough in fiction imo. Thought the twists were great!

OMG, the rich really do live an entirely different way than us! This was a super quick and twisty read and I was totally here for it! John Fram did a great job grabbing me from the beginning and keeping me invested in the shenanigans of this family! I will definitely add his books to my TBR!

There is no one (NO ONE) who can craft a truly effed up queer thriller like John Fram. How does this man's mind work?? His newest, No Road Home, is a five-star read, one with a deliciously dark and twisted family at its center. The reveals of this gothic thrill-ride will blow your mind. And the twist just before the end?? I was SO proud of catching that (and have been told that I was among the very few who saw it coming...). For real, though, this novel offers a scathing critique of Megachurch culture, acceptance, grief, and belonging within complex families. There's a lot of tenderness but so much drama. And twists! Just all the twists. A must-read for readers who like their thrillers pitch black and utterly unpredictable.

What did I just read? This is one heck of a ride that will lead ne into the chaos of hell. Or what I would imagine hell to be. It is fast paced, twisty, atmospherically gothic, and every dark thought in your brain is played out. The Wright family has astonishing wealth. Which allows them to have pull with everyone. When in doubt throw money at them. How did they make this insanely massive pile of money you ask, oh right their grandfather is a Televangelist. Making sins his money maker with his followers. The Wright's are not as they preach...

Toby has married Alyssa Wright. Granddaughter to famed televangelist, Jerome. They are heading to Texas to meet her family. I forgot to mention that Luca, Toby's son is queer and her personifies all that is good in this world. From the beginning I am left questioning why Toby would bring Luca into this world? When they first lock eyes on Ramorah, it is hard to take in this mammoth mansion. That has wind that chills you to the bone. That first day leads Toby to wanting to jump ship and run as fast as possible from this family. A storm of epic proportions has blown in. They are in a race against the rising creeks, a race against the Wrights, a race to get as far away from these people as possible.

This is a fantastic lock room mystery. That makes you feel the wind howling, and the rain pounding against the house. The need to uncover what has happened on the roof, makes everyone a little crazy. There are so many secrets, and the water is pushing them all to the surface. Thank you to John Fram and Atria Books for my gifted copy.

I truly haven't felt this palpable level of suspense while reading in a very long time, and I was hooked in from the very beginning. I thought at first that the vibes were similar to Get Out but I soon realized this was better than anything I could compared it to. An easy 5 stars.
Nothing is what you think it is through the entire book, and that is a compliment. I loved watching everything unravel both metaphorically and in actuality as the plot progressed. There is just something about a thriller having a central theme of religion that adds that extra level of unease in the very best way possible. It was unexpected how much grief, loss, and queer acceptance showed to be such powerful themes as well, but again everything fit perfectly together. I was also pleased to find that there is a paranormal aspect that readers also get to decipherer. Though the plot may feel busy and hard to follow it is the complete opposite. The confusion I felt was not due to lack of writing talent but because it was meant to confuse until everything was revealed.
This has easily surpassed to be my favorite thriller of 2024

honestly i really struggled through this book
i did end up enjoying the story but the writing through me off most of the time
would still recommend for thriller enjoyers
thank you for this arc opportunity

This was my first time reading John Fram, and I received No Road Home as an ARC from NetGalley. The novel presents an intriguing blend of mystery, horror, and family drama. The plot is engaging, with a slow build-up that gradually reveals the sinister secrets of the Wright family. No Road Home by is a gripping locked-room thriller with elements of horror. The story follows Toby Tucker, a single father who marries Alyssa Wright, the granddaughter of a wealthy televangelist. When Toby and his son Luca visit the Wright family’s compound in Texas, a freak storm traps them there. The situation turns dire when the family patriarch is found murdered, and suspicion falls on Toby. As Toby tries to clear his name and protect his son, he uncovers dark family secrets and faces supernatural elements that add to the tension. The character development is solid, particularly with Toby and Luca. Toby's determination to protect his son and uncover the truth is compelling, and Luca's experiences add emotional depth to the story. However, some of the secondary characters felt underdeveloped, which made it harder to fully connect with the broader narrative. The twists and turns throughout the novel keep the reader engaged, but some plot developments felt a bit forced and could have been more seamlessly integrated. The supernatural elements, while adding an eerie atmosphere, sometimes overshadowed the main mystery. Overall, No Road Home is a decent read with a unique premise and strong central characters. Despite its flaws, it shows promise for John Fram as a writer. #netgalley #noroadhome

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In No Road Home we meet Toby Tucker, who along with his young son, Luca, is traveling to Texas to meet his new wife, Alyssa's, family for the first time. The Wright family is well known. Alyssa's Grandfather is a famous televangelist whose powerful Old Testament sermons have made the family millions. Toby has no idea what to expect from the visit, but he is concerned that his Queer son Luca may become a target for their religious zeal.

The family compound is lavish, and packed full of questionable characters. Even Alyssa begins acting shady once they are at the property. What's she all about? The more Toby interacts with the Wrights, the more unsettleded he becomes. Something is off here. Luca is seeing things and saying things that cause Toby further concern; like the man in the suit lurking in the shadows that only Luca can see. That's abnormal, right?

After inclement weather strands the family at the property, essentially cutting them off from the outside world, the elder Wright is found murdered on the roof. Who would dare to take him out, and why? Suspicions immediately fall on Toby, but he knows he had nothing to do with it, so who did? He needs to figure it out before the authorities arrive, or he could be the one to take the fall. It's a race against the clock as Toby tries to unravel the truth of the Wright family.

With his mind focused on protecting Luca, Toby knows there's nothing he wouldn't do to save his son from the vicious den of vipers they find themselves in.

No Road Home is the first novel I've read from John Fram, an author I have heard great things about. This story successfully sucked me in and even though it took me a minute to get used to the writing style, it took me no time at all to be hella intrigued with everything happening.
There was a period of time in the later half where I felt things started to get a little muddled, there were a lot of Wrights to keep track of, but Fram definitely pulled it off in the end.

I really enjoyed Toby as a main character. I feel like I haven't read too many stories following single-fathers and I feel like it's a unique and compelling perspective to get. Toby's own family history, and his relationship with Luca, were quite nuanced and I loved how Fram revealed the truth of all that over the course of the story. It wasn't as I initially expected, and I feel like it will be memorable for me.

I also just really appreciated the overall tone Fram set within this story. The setting of the Wright family compound was well done. It felt sinister and eerie, even if you didn't quite understand why.

It's a bit of a slow burn, but the intensity and stakes do steadily climb throughout. By the end, I was completely immersed. It was definitely a story I needed the conclusion too ASAP, which is why I read it in a day. I would recommend this to fans of Social Horror, or novels such as [book:Mister Magic|63331415]. It's thoughtful, sinister and cerebral; very well developed by Fram.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

NO ROAD HOME by @john.fram is a story full of twists that held my attention while also making me scratch my head. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @atriabooks for the e-ARC.

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This started off with a bit of reversed REBECCA vibes as a man who has just married a woman he barely knows and packs up to move from LA to Austin within their first month of marital bliss. Obviously, some really weird shit ensues once they get to Austin,

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While this was a bit of a wild ride with lots of twists and turns, this initial premise of wild impulsivity was hard for me to get on board with. The reasoning comes around full circle in the end but it was hard for me to suspend disbelief for most of the book. That being said, the chapters were short, the hits kept coming and the narrative definitely keeps you guessing with this one so I did fly through it pretty quick. My only other complaint is that the POV changes at the end of the book also threw me for a loop.

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The one thing this book yells loud and clear is that sexual repression can really f you up! There are some really dark and depraved themes including SA, internalized homophobia, racism and elitism. My favorite part about this title is the way it handles the snake charmer style pastor that uses religion as a fear-mongering and money-making tool to grift off of parishioners. The hypocrisy around religious leaders abusing their power will never get old to me. In a nutshell, I had some gripes about this one but they are immaterial to the overarching story itself. Still worth reading for the dark unravelling that occurs.

I just wasn’t able to get into this one. I was very excited but it just didn’t hold my attention. I would neither recommend or not recommend.

Toby is newly married and going to meet his new wife's family, along with his son (from a previous marriage), Luca. He didn't realize that his wife was part of a huge televangelist family, so he is a little uncomfortable. When the patriarch is found murdered, Toby and Luca are under suspicion.

I wanted to like this more based on the premise. I think part of it was the structure and/or POV. I say and/or because I am still confused as to who was narrating which chapter, but part of it was the way the book was arranged to some degree. I just felt a little lost a lot, which is not ideal for a book built on suspense.

I sat on this book for a while and really wish I hadn’t. It was excellent! Very newlywed Alyssa and Toby, along with Toby’s six year old son Luca head to rural Texas to visit Alyssa’s famous televangelist family and celebrate Alyssa’s 30th birthday. All is not as it seems to be or as Alyssa has presented it. Seems that the family has secrets galore and plans for Alyssa and Toby who appears not quite masculine enough to their liking. The morning after a tense, unfriendly dinner it starts to rain, hard, with no apparent end in site.. Roads are flooded leaving no escape. Who will the survive the weekend? There are many surprises, one of which made me gasp. This is the type of story which makes you think…what is this character’s motivation and make you wait quite a while to understand it. If you do not like stories where a character makes an aside such as , “funny story about that …” and you have to wait chapters to find out the funny story, this is not the book for you. And be forewarned, the subject matter is dark. I give it a 4.5 rounded up on here to a 5 since halves aren’t allowed.

This book was so well executed and had some great representation of marginalized community. The writing style was strong and the plot had some very good potential. I would read more by the author.

3.5 No Road Home by John Fram is a twisty, wild ride filled with secrets, scandals, and rich people behaving very badly. The plot is packed with compelling twists that genuinely took me by surprise, keeping me on the edge of my seat.

However, the book is definitely on the long side, and there were multiple points where it felt like the story was wrapping up—only to keep going. This made the pacing feel uneven and left me a bit exhausted by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I did enjoy this one. It's a locked door mystery mixed with family drama. It kept me engaged the whole time, wanting to know what would happen..

Way too much going on in this plot yet not written well enough to keep me reading. Glad to hear others enjoyed it but this just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an electronic ARC copy in return for my honest review.

Pub date: 7/23/24

Single father Toby Tucker has tried to protect his son Luca. But Toby's new wife Alyssa Wright does not hail from a family who will love Luca. In fact, the famous televangelists are bullies. During a visit to his new extended family, Toby must decide how to keep his son safe, especially after receiving a warning from a stranger. Additional challenges like a potential ghost, murder of the family patriarch, so many family secrets, and bizarre messages threaten the family. Can Toby solve the mystery before he or his son become a victim?
This story meanders in a good way. On every page, readers find clues that help them understand the story and solve the mystery. I couldn't wait for the next twisting revelation.
While the book is a mystery, it's also a thriller. Who is the "good" guy? Who is the "bad" guy? No one knows until the very end, and that makes this book exciting.
Note: content includes bigotry, profanity, sexual content and abuse, pedo**lia, and substance abuse.

The last 10% of this book was SO SO GOOD. It was captivating and suspenseful and truly made the surviving characters come to life.

Unfortunately, it didn’t make up for the first 90% dragging so hard core. I normally read 300+ books a year—This one book took me almost four months to drag through. FOUR MONTHS. I would pick it up, read a few chapters, and have to put it down again because I was a) bored out of my mind, b) absolutely did not care about the characters, and c) so turned off by the grift and deception of the evangelicals that I couldn’t stomach any more.

If you love an exceptionally slow burn, love books where the mystery makes no actual sense until the end, enjoy reading books with extensive character lists (that are tough to keep straight)…this is definitely the book for you.

No Road Home by John Fram is a gripping and atmospheric blend of psychological thriller, horror, and crime fiction. Set in a haunting small town, the novel explores themes of identity, isolation, and belonging through complex, deeply flawed characters. Fram's ability to evoke tension and suspense, while also delving into raw emotional depth, keeps readers on edge as the story unfolds. The genre-blending and unpredictable plot make No Road Home a compelling read for fans of dark, chilling narratives.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

No Road Home by John Fram is a masterful blend of Southern Gothic horror and locked-room mystery that grips readers from the very first page. This novel, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Paul Tremblay, explores the dark underbelly of wealth, religion, and family secrets in a way that is chilling and thought-provoking.

The story centers around Toby Tucker, a single father who has always tried to protect his sensitive son, Luca, from the harsh realities of the world. When Toby marries Alyssa Wright, the granddaughter of a famous televangelist, he unwittingly steps into a world of opulence and hidden dangers. Their visit to the Wright family’s compound in Texas quickly turns nightmarish when the family patriarch is found murdered, and suspicion falls squarely on Toby. As a freak storm isolates the estate, Toby must navigate a web of deceit and supernatural occurrences to clear his name and protect his son.

Fram’s writing is evocative and suspenseful, drawing readers into the oppressive heat and eerie atmosphere of the Wright family estate. The plot is meticulously crafted, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing.

The author is skilled with character development. Toby is a relatable and sympathetic protagonist, driven by his love for his son and his determination to uncover the truth. The Wright family members are equally well-written, each hiding their own secrets and motivations that slowly unravel as the story progresses. The dynamics between the characters are complex and fraught with tension, adding depth to the narrative.

No Road Home tackles important themes such as prejudice, corruption, and the impact of generational trauma. Frame expertly weaves these aspects into the narrative.

No Road Home is a must-read for fans of gothic horror and psychological thrillers. John Fram’s ability to blend horror with a compelling mystery and rich character development makes this novel a standout.