Synopsis

A young father must clear his name and protect his queer son when his wealthy new wife’s televangelist grandfather is found murdered in this binge-worthy locked-room thriller from the acclaimed author of The Bright Lands—perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Paul Tremblay, and Alex North.

For years, single father Toby Tucker has done his best to keep his sensitive young son, Luca, safe from the bigotry of the world. But when Toby marries Alyssa Wright—the granddaughter of a famed televangelist known for his grandiose, Old Testament preaching—he can’t imagine the world of religion, wealth, and hate that he and Luca are about to enter.

A trip to the Wright family’s compound in sun-scorched Texas soon turns hellish when Toby realizes that Alyssa and the rest of her brood might have some very strange plans for Toby and his son. The situation only grows worse when a freak storm cuts off the roads, and the family patriarch is found murdered, stabbed through the heart on the roof of the family’s mansion.

Suspicion immediately turns to Toby, but when his son starts describing a spectral figure in a black suit lurking around the house with unfinished business in mind, Toby realizes this family has more than murder to be afraid of. And as the Wrights close in on Luca, no one is prepared for the lengths Toby will go in the fight to clear his name and protect his son.

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Review

I did not see that ending coming!

I love a good suspense novel, and this one has it in spades. This doesn’t even cover the various twists at the end of the novel. One revelation left open a question, and I’m glad it was answered; otherwise, it would have made me throw the book across the room!

Toby is caught up in a whirlwind romance with Alyssa Wright. We later find out she is the granddaughter of a television preacher—you know, the type who claims one thing yet rakes in all the money. They travel to her grandfather’s home with his son Luca, and from there, the story gets a little crazy. But then, what good suspense novel doesn’t get crazy?

The book covers a three day period, but it packs a lot into those few days. The grandfather is found dead, there are strange writings found on the wall, Luca sees an apparition, and so much more. This family might be the textbook version of dysfunctional. Toby decides to play detective and slowly unwinds the secrets this family is harboring. All the while, there is a raging storm outside, with the roads cut off due to flooding and no cell service or internet. Fingers are pointed at everyone, people go missing, secrets are revealed, and a storm threatens to take out the area.

This is a locked room mystery since the options are limited. Some of the answers will surprise you, much like they surprised me. I was fully engaged in this book and didn’t want to turn off the light at night. Just when I thought I had all of the answers, the author threw more twists into the tale to deepen the storyline.

This was quite the tale, and now I am searching for his first novel to see if it is just as good as this one.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

I’m John Fram, a lapsed Texan and debut author of the supernatural thriller THE BRIGHT LANDS, due out in July 2020 from Hanover Square Press. Josh Malerman, author of Bird Box, describes it as “absolutely enthralling,” Christopher Golden calls it “compelling as hell,” and Edmund White (the one and only) calls it “Gothic, Faulkernian…and very, very sexy.” I’m just grateful a childhood spent playing video games and sweating in tall grass resulted in something worthwhile.

An accidental Manhattanite, I spend my free time practicing yoga, sweating on stationary bikes and gasping in movie theaters. I write, meditate and read every day, in that order. Follow my Instagram to see screenshots from old movies and excited posts about whatever book I’m currently loving. Follow my Twitter because apparently we still need one of those. And go to my website, where you can sign up for a monthly newsletter about old movies and exciting books, some of which I’ve written.

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