This book got crazy really fast. Family dramas often start off slow and then get more interesting. Weirdly, this one did the opposite. It started to lag. There were some surprises, which keep this review from being on the lower end of the stars. I found the whole family to be hard to connect with. They weren’t anyone I’d want to be around very much.

Atria eARC
This book was full of mystery, intrigue, and a sinister family lurking behind their fame of having a televangelist preacher as the patriarch. There were creepy scenes, truly awful characters, and dark plot twists that I didn't see coming. I liked how Fram slowly unveiled the layers to this story that kept me wanting to turn the pages from beginning to end. I thought I had things figured out many times to turn around and learn that I was so wrong. He knew how to shock the reader without it seeming like it didn't fit the story. I really enjoyed this and will go back and read his debut that I missed.

This book kept my attention from the very beginning. At no point did I feel like I knew what the resolution was going to be. It was a hell of a ride

This book will be living in my head for a while. It’s impossible to read No Road Home and not get attached to Toby and Luca. Just like John Fram’s last book, The Bright Lands, No Road Home gave me all the feels, and, when I got to the knock-my-socks-off ending and read the author’s note, I realized that the amount of his own heart he poured into this book is what made it so utterly spectacular. In a summer full of bombshell new releases, No Road Home stands at the top of the list. It’s just that good.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this thriller by John Fram. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Toby is newly married to Alyssa, and they are moving from California to Texas where her family lives. But Alyssa has kept many secrets from Toby about herself and her religious family. Her grandfather is a big TV evangelist and the family mansion is full of locked doors and winding passageways. Toby is adamant about protecting his young son, Luca, who is quiet and sensitive. Once a storm moves in and cuts off all communication, things really take a turn.

This had such a gothic horror feel to it, and the author did a great job making the creepy mansion and approaching storm a big part of the story. I always like a locked room mystery and this one had me questioning everyone. The real story spools out slowing until the twisty ending, and it's filled with characters you will dislike, bigotry, religious fanaticism, greed, but also hope, with Toby's protection of his son. It's a lot to keep up with, but definitely a good, twisty, atmospheric thrlller!

I really loved this premise but felt a bit bogged down by the execution. We had quite a few characters to keep straight and the length was a little too long in my opinion.

I do think Toby and Luca were fantastic main characters with complicated inner lives and motivations. Toby had just lost his sister when Alyssa swoops in and sweeps him off his feet. The only problem is her family is a famous televangelist business and they have plans for Luca. I do think the backstory and reveals were surprising enough and loved the lengths Toby would go to for Luca. There was just a LOT going on and this felt too long for the type of story this was.

I really loved The Bright Lands by this author and although this is quite different, some of the things I loved about that book are present here.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one has classic gothic tension and dread amidst a locked room murder mystery and is centered on a single father meeting his wife's creepy evangelical family for the first time. The author absolutely nailed the setting and tone! There was a bit more ick and creep than I usually like in my books, and the ending seemed very rushed and confusing. All in all, a compelling and fast read. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this one.

Rating: 3.5* of five

Fun, unbelievable Gothic suspense tale. I liked it best when Dad-mode was engaged, and Toby was fiercely defending Luca and his right to exist from fundy jerks. I was completely appalled that Toby would've gotten himself and his son tangled up with these assholes in the first place. Still, suspension of disbelief and all that...but that's what happened to my fourth and fifth stars.

The half-star I put back is down to the Texas-ness of it: the freak storm resembles one I experienced in my own decades in Texas, the supernatural-adjacent events also rang my atmosphere bells, and Author Fram's characters each have voices I relate to. In fact, I have relatives who sound like Aly's entire clan. I fully delighted in this Dad-beast, protective story's object, too. Luca's predicament is achingly familiar, and I liked the ending.

A tele-evangelist family hides many dark secrets and will do anything to maintain their outward image and legacy. All goes south on a birthday weekend at the family estate. Who will make it out alive?

There is so much to unpack in this very long and windy book. Most of the characters left me with an icky feeling. The kid Luca was endearing. Marie was fine. The rest all had their hidden agendas and were not particularly likeable, and many were loathsome. Some of the details didn't quite add up for me as well (I've been to many a Cracker Barrel.... it's not really a general store where you can get keys made and such). I didn't mind the supernatural element to the story, but it definitely made for a much longer book and didn't really need to be there. The ending, while revealing all, did not leave me with a good feeling either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC,

Thank you Netgalley, John Fram, and Atria Books for the ebook. This was a heavy and dark story that took me by surprise. There were many twists and turns and had definite Murder Mystery vibes. I really couldn't believe all the twists that came out. Not for the faint of heart.

3.5 stars

"How could anyone be decent in a family like this? When the bedrock of their entire fortune was a glorified theft?" The Wrights are a deranged family, and they delivered a twisted story! I went back and forth on this novel - there were parts I loved and others didn't work as well for me. Still, this book was a wild ride and much different than anything I've ever read!

What I liked: The central theme of acceptance was amazing! I loved how this was represented between Toby and his son Luca (and other characters that I will not mention to avoid spoilers). Toby guarded his son's self-worth so closely and challenged anyone who didn't respect him. I enjoyed the exploration of each character's backstory and what drove them. Revenge was served to everyone who deserved it! Creepy vibes were felt, and I was into the story overall. The ending had a few twists that genuinely surprised me.

What didn't work for me: Too many characters. The names Jerome and Julian were too close and I often got them mixed up. The second half went a bit off the rails and some of the storylines and details were confusing, so I lost interest (though the ending was pretty satisfying!).

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an ARC of No Road Home in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to the publisher for inviting me to read this title early!

I was really hopeful for this one but it just didn’t work for me very well, but I think it’s an issue of taste rather than actual book quality. I didn’t really like Toby and found a lot of his internal dialogue and the little sprinklings of how handsome and great he was annoying and he just got under my skin in a way that I couldn’t shake.

The rest of the cast also felt like cartoonish in how awful they were and it wasn’t engaging enough for me to get really into the story or the mystery.

It has great ratings otherwise so I’m sure it’s a me issue!

Overall was not impressed with this. I’m a lifelong southerner and I had to check where the author was from, was very surprised he’s from Texas due to the way he describes the south. Bigotry can be found all over America not just the south.

You marry into the literary equivalent of Billy Graham and are shocked that this ultra bible thumping conservative family are upset by your gender fluid child? Please give me a break. All of the characters are stereotypes including Toby the free-thinking Californian.

I read the first 15% or so and skimmed the rest to get to the end. Not sure I’ll read another book by this author.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC I received via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Dark and twisted, this neo gothic family drama is full of strange happenings and stranger characters. While the personal challenges are riveting, the supernatural elements are distracting and make the pace slow and the feel odd. I think you’ll still like the disturbing scenes, the crazy twists and the shocking ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

HONEST REVIEW TIME 🫣

I have been so excited for this one. I’ve been seeing rave reviews about it, so when I received a finished copy I nearly jumped for joy. The first half of this book was SO GOOD, I loved the murder mystery aspect and the paranormal part was super unexpected but I liked it. I also loved how the book layout was.

The second half of the book fell flat. There was just TOO MUCH going on, and I had to keep flipping to the first page to remember who was who. I loved the paranormal part of things but I never really understood how the ghost came to be, and honestly I don’t think it was necessary. I mean, when I tell you there was a lot happening, I mean A LOT, it was almost like reading 2 books at once.

I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love it. It was probably like 100 pages too long and the descriptions got kind of repetitive. All that to say I may not have loved this book, but it does have 4⭐️s on Goodreads - so you may enjoy it!

No Road Home is a smart, twisty psychological suspense novel perfect for fans of Sally Hepworth’s The Mother-in-law or Mary Kupica’s The Other Mrs.

Single father Toby and his female presenting seven year old, Luca, are thrilled to begin their new marriage to Alyssa, the granddaughter of famous televangelist, Jerome Wright. Alyssa has assured Toby that she wants no part of the family business but when they arrive at the family’s remote Texas compound things quickly take a dark turn. Jerome’s end of day predictions are becoming more frequent. When a rainstorm cuts off the roads the family becomes isolated on their estate. As the electricity cuts off, one of the family is murdered and Toby becomes their primary suspect. Meanwhile, Luca claims to see ghosts lurking in the hallways.

Fram’s details create a creepy setting adding to the tension of the unfolding plot. The large cast of flawed characters become increasingly suspicious as their back stories are revealed. No Road Home mixes Southern Gothic vibes with supernatural elements and themes of religious trauma to create a spine tingling thriller that keeps you glued to the page.

Thank you Atria for the twisty dark thriller, this was a fun, quick read and I appreciated how Fram developed the plot, characters, and twists. It's rare for me to like a story with so many unlikable characters so my enjoyment is a testament to a well plotted story and engaging mystery. Well developed Southern Gothic vibes that are made fresh in a twisty story that takes a pretty dark edge to the rich people problem themes that I love.

This book starts pretty normally, with a newlywed couple going to meet the bride’s family. Toby and Alyssa, along with Toby’s son, Luca, are about to meet the Wrights, a wealthy and conservative family. Alyssa’s grandfather calls himself a prophet, and has a weekly religious show, “The Prophecy Hour”. The rest of the family is so large, there is actually a list of them and who they are at the beginning of the ARC. I definitely don’t think all of them needed to be in the book, but there are certainly a lot of people who live at Ramorah, and Toby is nervous to meet them and introduce them to his queer son. Will this uber-religious family accept Luca?

You may be thinking “this is Deliverance” but while they live in a rural area, the Wrights have a large estate (complete with a church, stables and an airstrip) and indulge in regular things like smartphones, astrology, and prescription drugs. Lots of prescription drugs. Once Alyssa and her family settle in the Ezekiel Suite after dinner the first night, everything seems relatively normal…but something is NOT RIGHT. Luca is seeing a man, “Mr. Suit”, who Toby can’t see, crude things are being painted on doors around the house, Jerome yelled at everybody for their sins at dinner and insisted Luca come on his show, but the worst thing? Toby can’t stop the feeling that as early as that first night, his wife is wanting to move in with her family. Is Alyssa really who she seems to be?

The next morning, Jerome is dead. On the roof, in the rain, stabbed. Was it suicide or murder? A few members of the family have alibis, but most don’t. Due to storms, which are a must in any locked-room mystery, their Wifi went out and the roads are now flooded. There is no way to call for help, no way to escape, and that’s when things get really crazy. This goes from a simple family weekend to a weekend filled with fear, secrets, incest, lies and death. Toby just wants to escape with Luca, but with the roads out, there’s nowhere for them to go, and nobody for them to trust.

This book was written quite well, and was very unique. I was shocked time and time again as the book got more and more strange, leading to an ending I never saw coming. I loved the chapter titles, which is a small thing, but I had to mention it! This is a mystery/thriller, but this also has a large religious horror/supernatural aspect. It got a little weird along the way, and it could have been shorter, but I did like this unusual story. Four stars.

(Thank you to Atria Books, John Fram and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

I think it was wrapped up nicely but I found the entrance to be a little longer than necessary. The lead up to the ending also was also kind of messy. It felt like with every sentence more plot twists were being thrown out and it got very confusing to follow. Overall a decent twist to the end.

Righteous Gemstones like Wright family with less comedy and more horror will be entertained by this trip into the deep Texas compound. Toby, newly married to Alyssa, arrives with his son Luca to find the family birthday celebration has turned into a locked room whodunnit courtesy of unrelenting rains and rising creeks. A family of shady characters with plenty of motivation for killing off the patriarch. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an unbiased review.