Plot Synopsis – 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 have dangerous plans for him and his son. The situation only grows worse when a freak storm cuts off the roads and the family patriarch is found murdered, stabbed in the chest on the roof of their sprawling mansion.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum

Publication Date – July 23, 2024

Content Warnings – There is a lot of homophobia and allusions to conversion camps in this story. There is also substance abuse, child abuse, drug related death, transphobia, and violence. There is also off page sexual assault and rape.

SPOILERS there is also a fair bit of incest in the book, mostly off page and not graphic, but still..

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 out of 5 stars

Review – I don’t normally like thrillers, but I was blown away by this book. A little warning: there is a lot of homophobia throughout the book and talk of conversion camps. This book was so well done that I almost don’t know how I can talk about it without spoilers.

Toby Tucker and his young son Luca are precious cinnamon rolls, and the Wrights are a gross swamp of bad people. When Toby marries Alyssa Wright, he knows she belongs to the Wright Family. The Wrights are a televangelist family in Texas and when Toby and Luca travel with Alyssa to meet the family, a whole mess of problems rise to the surface. Toby just wants to protect his son…right?

This book was so good. My one grievance with this book is Alyssa’s storyline; she felt like she could have been fleshed out more as a character. She was outside of the family in California as a pediatrician and suddenly she’s involved in the family business? I know there is an inheritance and other money on the line, but it just didn’t feel explained enough to me. Same with Ginger’s story and her daughter; the daughter is just such a small thread that could have been fleshed out better.

But man, this story was hard to put down. The whole time I was just as nervous as Toby was. There were parts of this story that are truly sickening to read. The web of violence that just keeps getting repeated, the ending of the book does feel biblical. There is a small supernatural component to the book, which adds a beautiful depth. I love how supportive Toby is of Luca’s queerness and how he will do anything to defend and keep Luca safe.

This is a great thriller and the ending is *chef’s kiss*. Definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the arc; all opinions are my own.