The Homecoming

Author: Andrew Pyper
Genre: Suspense, Canadian
Type: e-book
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
First Published: February 26, 2018
Opening Lines: 
Aaron? 
Yeah? 
Where do you think he's taking us?

Book Description from GoodReads: What if everything you knew about the people you loved was a lie?

After the death of their absentee father, Aaron and Bridge Quinlan travel to a vast rainforest property in the Pacific Northwest to hear the reading of his will. There, they meet up with their mother and troubled sister, Franny, and are shocked to discover the will’s terms: in order to claim their inheritance they must remain at the estate for thirty days without any contact with the outside world. Despite their concerns, they agree.

The Quinlans soon come to learn their family has more secrets than they ever imagined—revelations that at first inspire curiosity, then fear. Why does Bridge have faint memories of the estate? Why did their father want them to be sequestered there together? And what is out there they feel pulling them into the dark heart of the woods?

The Homecoming is at once a gripping mystery, a chilling exploration of how our memories can both define and betray us, and a riveting page-turner that will have you questioning your very existence.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

My Review: This is my first book by Canadian author Andrew Pyper. He had been on my radar for a bit and I had even attended a library event he was at a couple of years ago but hadn't picked up one of his books until The Homecoming caught my eye. I went into this book rather blind, only reading the blurb and I highly suggest other readers do the same.

With The Homecoming, I expected a standard suspenseful read about a flawed and damaged family and while the dysfunction runs rampant in this family, the focus was the strange, sinister vibe. I quite enjoyed the slow building of tension and creepiness but this 'Biblio Chicken' (who likes Suspense but has never ventured into the Horror genre) hadn't expected it to be quite so chilling. I found myself muttering 'Geez, Laurie! WHY are you reading this at night??' … as I turned another page. While I might not have as much fortitude in the suspense/horror as some people, this was an enjoyably creepy read.

But while the scare factor is high for most of the book as the mystery surrounding this family unravels and unexpected twists occur, unfortunately the tension tapers off in the last quarter. It's at this point where the explanations broke the tension, and a few felt too far-fetched to be believable.

This was an entertaining, slow burn, chilling read about a dysfunctional family. It keeps readers curious enough to venture into the vast, dark woods with the Quinlans to find out what is really going on. This book will keep you on your toes and have you jumping at the things that go bump in the night.


Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.