Book Review | No Road Home by John Fram

A single father must protect his son against his new wife’s family in this locked-room horror from the author of The Bright Lands.

Alyssa Wright is the granddaughter of a famed televangelist, and Toby Tucker realises too late that her wealthy, dysfunctional family has plans for his queer son, Luca. Stuck in the family compound with a murdered body, a freak storm, and a spectral figure lurking, the Wrights hold all the cards. But they have no idea what lengths Toby would go to save Luca.

Wasn’t it funny, though: all the things Toby and Alyssa still didn’t know about each other’s families?

No Road Home is a dark, thrilling gothic mystery that pulls no punches. Make it Succession meets Gets Out meets Mysterious Skin, and you’ll know where this book will take you. From the opening pages to the satisfying conclusion, the book deftly navigates horrors in various forms. It’s about a father’s love for his son, a family’s desperation, and the haunting remains of an unfinished business. It’s also about the hypocrisy of religious people doing the opposite of what they preach and how their actions hurt others. And it’s about the pain of denying your true self.

Toby sees his sensitive son Luca — with his long hair, gentle nature and sparkled socks — and wants to shield him from the world’s bigotry. Yet he realised the moment they arrived at his wife Alyssa’s family that the Wrights were not welcoming to his son. This is made worse when the patriarch of the family is found dead in a locked room, turning everyone into a suspect. The Wright family are drawn so well that I despise them. I found Toby’s conversations with them fascinating — the unsupportive wife, the toxic brother-in-law, the unstable great-aunt, among others. They all provide different perspectives and enlighten Toby on his fragile position in the family.

The counterpoint of that is Toby’s sweet and protective relationship with Luca. There are also flashbacks to Toby’s relationship with his sister, Willow, which is important in the long run. I was caught off guard by where the storyline went. The buildup to the story pays off satisfyingly, where everything turns on its head and changes information you have learned before. The twists and turns constantly kept me guessing.

The sprawling mansion with its labyrinthine halls provides the perfect spooky setting, especially when Luca suddenly talks to a man no one else can see. I’d have loved for the book to explore the supernatural side more because there is potential for something even scarier. But the most terrifying moments in this book come from the people, and that is powerful as it is.

No Road Home is a chilling, twisty tale of love and loss, where the horrors come from places you least expect. Highly recommended!

I received a copy from the publisher and Edelweiss for review purposes.

About the author: John Fram

Photo by Jeremy Bishop