Eternal Road Series.
Detour On The Eternal Road by John W Howell.
The third book in the Eternal Road series. Sam and James are dragged into another strange assignment when a couple of souls on The Eternal Road drop off the radar. Archangel Michael gives them specific orders to resolve the issue and get Billy Ray Chitwood, the national race car champion, and Dale Earnhardt, his guide, back on the task of finding Billy’s Eternal Home.
Finally, meeting up with Billy Ray and Dale, the foursome finds themselves in the future where World War III has devastated the country. The team discovers the cause of the start of the war and vows to mitigate that circumstance and save the world from devastation. They encounter their old nemesis, Lucifer, who has in mind trading preventing the war in exchange for Sam accepting his offer to be his queen.
Since Lucifer’s offer is a non-starter, Sam and James must overcome Lucifer’s interference and work to change the course of history, or humankind is doomed.
Review by D. W. Peach: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Loved the way the ending made me reframe the series. Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2025. Verified Purchase. In this 3rd “Eternal Road” book, Sam and James, angels tasked with helping departed souls along the eternal road to their final resting place, meet up with two race car drivers: Dale Earnhardt and Billy Ray Chitwood. Lucifer has been at it again, trying to steal the two men’s souls, and the angels are determined to prevent that from happening.
Lucifer is as irreverent and destructive as he was in the first two books, and it’s hard to look away when he enters a scene. Sam and James, with Billy Ray at first, and later with both racers, are sent to multiple locations by the devil to experience the worst of what human beings have to offer. That includes the shootout at OK Corral, the battle of Bull Run, Hitler’s last hour, and a future where a nuclear explosion in WWIII has destroyed a huge swath of the US. Because changing the future doesn’t interfere with the timeline continuum of the past, the four decide to prevent the war from taking place.
Their goal takes them on a wild goose chase full of unexpected turns, leading them to multiple locations including Russia and the Middle East. Their ability to “jump” to different locations, as well as their ability to time travel in a way that makes them invisible, enables the four to follow clues, rapidly investigate, and prove that they’re angels when necessary. I enjoyed following the clues with them and didn’t know who started the war until the end.
The end was highly satisfying for an entirely unexpected reason. Sam and James meet with the Archangel Michael for a discussion on the nature of evil. It’s a fascinating discussion, so I read it twice. Even better than that, it reframes the entire series of books, tying Sam and James’ experience with an existential bow that made sense to me. The books that initially seemed like implausible but entertaining “romps,” changed into something much deeper. That was super fun.
Though this book could probably be read as a stand-alone, I’m very glad I read all three (especially based on the ending). Highly recommended to readers of paranormal fiction, stories about the afterlife and major historical events, and imaginative, fast-paced romps with cool endings.
Review by D.L. Finn: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A fantastic after-life mystery! Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2025. Verified Purchase. This has been a series I have thoroughly enjoyed, and I was looking forward to reading the third story. It didn’t disappoint and veered off into a time-traveling mystery. It was great to see all the main characters back, especially James, Sam, and the Oldsmobile, and their current souls to save. Lucifer is also around with his signature humor, although at times I wished he’d go away and leave them alone, but he always did make it a page-turner. There was a nice blend of history and current affairs, and I found it hard to put down during any of their excursions or just in general. I was touched to see a fellow author who we lost as a character. What a great tribute to him. There were some twists, and one completely took me by surprise. This series has taken us to our past, present, and future while growing relationships and making us wonder if this is how it will be. A fantastic story that I can highly recommend.
Review by Thomas Wikman: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A Whimsical Adventure in the Mysterious Beyond. Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2025. Verified Purchase. When you die there are guides helping you to find your way. When racecar driver Billy Ray Chitwood dies, he gets lost in time and space and his guide, the famous but dead racecar driver Dale Earnhardt, is missing. Upon the orders of Archangel Michael, Sam and James, the expert guides of this series, step in to save the situation. But what is causing this unusual situation? Well, Lucifer is. Lucifer has some nefarious plans that could mean the end for the whole world, a World War III. Can the team, Sam and James, Ray Chitwood, Dale Earnhardt, and the archangel Michael figure out what is going on and prevent doomsday?
This is a whimsical and amusing detective and mystery story. Lucifer appear as a cigar chomping man that reminded me of Loki in Avengers. He is an arrogant, reckless and a rude trickster but also entertaining and he has some charm. The angels appear human, and the team is traveling around the world and back and forth in time in an Oldsmobile 1956. Don’t worry about the time travel, they can’t change the past, just the future. As you can guess the setting isn’t particularly realistic but that is intentional. The important features are the humor, the clever plots, the fast-paced action, the surprising plot twists at the end, and above all the intelligent and entertaining dialogue featuring some interesting philosophical thoughts.
I have not read the first two books in the series yet, but I think this book stands on its own. It did not feel like I missed something important. I was intrigued and thrilled by the various mysteries that cropped up along the way. I wanted to find out who was responsible for the various mishaps and strange things that happened. Was it Lucifer or a greedy and power-hungry human, or both? And who is Lucifer really? I found the dialogue to be amusing and very entertaining. The character development was strong, with likeable main characters, though Lucifer was unkind and untrustworthy, as expected. I highly recommend this entertaining and unique thriller.
Review by Gwendolyn Plano: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A thought-provoking fantasy. Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2025. Verified Purchase. This is John Howell’s third Eternal Road fantasy, and it is a winner. Like the previous two books, the story involves two angels—Sam and James. These enduring characters are on the road again, seeking lost souls. As they travel through time, they visit familiar Western hangouts with the hope of preventing a catastrophic event. Action, intrigue, suspense, and even humor drive the story forward and keep the reader questioning what will happen next. If you enjoy thought-provoking fantasies, this is one for you.
Review by P. Wight: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A book and subject not found with ‘mainstream’ publishing and why we need books like these! Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2025. Verified Purchase. I have thoroughly enjoyed John Howell’s trilogy that stars spiritual guides who are as alive as you and me, and the devil, and those looking to find their eternal home. Sound different? It is, and that’s why books like these are so important. John Howell explores subjects many of us wonder about but would probably never think of fictionalizing in such a fun and fascinating way. I’d read the first two in the trilogy and was pleasantly surprised when I learned that John was publishing a third in the series. The dialogue moves the story along, history is learned in a different perspective, and overall, reading the books makes a person ponder about life and death and the afterlife. Overall, this book is a fascinating journey with angels who fight the devil for their souls – and those of others. John gives us readers such a unique and creative perspective of the afterlife in page-turning fiction.
Review by JanS: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Be Ready to have your mind blown! Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2025. Verified Purchase. How do I begin? This book is the perfect mix of history, paranormal, futuristic, time travel, Angels, and a mission as big as the world! I met Sam and James in the first book in this series, The Eternal Road. The premise of all of these stories is that when we die, we have a guide to help us on our journey to find our final resting place. Sam was James’ guide. In this story, the famed racecar driver, Dale Earnhardt is assigned to take Billy Ray Chitwood, another famous racecar driver, to his final resting place. Only he doesn’t show up. We first meet Billy Ray as an old man stuck in the 19th century old Tombstone Arizona where he meets Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Then, Sam and James are called upon to help find the missing soul of Billy Ray.
It’s hard to describe the journey this mission takes them on, but I will say it is a whirlwind of time travel backward and way forward into the future where World War III has decimated the planet. But since that event is in the future, Sam and James must do what they can to prevent it. The author’s knowledge of the middle east, the languages, and the concept of time travel is stellar. But the final twist in the story is jaw-dropping. The wisdom shared by Archangel Michael blows all religious theories out of the water, and I love it! Well done, Mr. Howell. If you’re ready for an adventure, pick up this book. You won’t be disappointed.
Review by Andrew Joyce: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. This is Great! Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2025. Verified Purchase. Sam and James are off on another paranormal adventure in “Detour on the Eternal Road.” And it’s about time. I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Eternal Road Series. Mr. Howell’s first two books in the series, “Eternal Road: Final Stop” and “Last Drive” were oh so satisfying. And this third installment was well worth the wait.
The imagination of some writers just blows me away. How do they come up with this stuff? I don’t know, but I’m glad they do. It’s not only Mr. Howell’s imagination that blows me away. It’s his duteous devotion to detail and his meticulous research into history.
However, let us not forget the future. As the plot thickens, Mr. Howell takes us to a future none of us want see. How will his protagonists handle what they discover? How will they change future history? If they can. That’s the question. And it’s well worth the read to find the answer.
Bravo to Mr. Howell on a job well done. Is there any chance of a fourth Eternal Road book? One can only hope.
P.S.: All three books work as a standalone.
P.P.S.: Where have I come across the name Billy Ray Chitwood before?
Review by Elizabeth Gauffreau: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. An Entertaining & Thought-Provoking Read! Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2025. Verified Purchase. Detour on the Eternal Road is the third book in John Howell’s Eternal Road series, which features two spirit guides, James and Samantha. Their role in the afterlife is to help people who have just passed from life to death find their eternal home. In all three books, I found this version of the afterlife to be a comforting one to think about.
The worldbuilding of Howell’s fictional afterlife was done primarily in the first book in the series, Eternal Road: The Final Stop. However, Detour gives enough context of how the afterlife works that it can be read as a standalone. The historical places and events are well researched, and the settings vividly rendered, with lots of sensory detail.
A common thematic thread that runs through all three books is that all is not as it seems. This is particularly prominent in Detour. The book opens with an old man as the point-of-view character who doesn’t know who he is, where he is, or how he got there. With the help of Sam, James, and the Archangel Michael, he turns out to be a forty-one-year-old race car driver, Billy Ray Chitwood, who has died in a car accident. Lucifer had intercepted his assigned spirit guide, Dale Earnhardt.
As expected, their old nemesis Lucifer enjoys putting on different guises–including Truman Capote and Adolf Hitler–when he pops up to make a deal for a recently departed’s soul. Lucifer is the prime dissembler, always finding new ways to coerce saved souls into coming over to his side. For example, he transports James, Sam, and Billy Ray to 1918 Russia to witness the horrific murder of the Romanov family. Were any of the three to intervene, it would tear the time continuum, thereby enabling Lucifer to collect their souls.
The main plotline is introduced when Lucifer transports James, Sam, and Billy Ray to an apocalyptic landscape in the future. This barren wasted land used to be the United States of America before it was decimated by World War III. It is here they find Dale Ernhart in the guise of leader.
The four of them then stay in the future to prevent World War III. What struck me about this particular plotline is just how Byzantine the causes of a world war are. Again, nothing is as it seems.
The ending took me by surprise with a fundamental twist I never saw coming. However, when I went back through the book to write this review, the twist was foreshadowed in several places. It is a highly skilled writer who can make such a drastic twist believable with foreshadowing, while not giving it away in advance! I heartily recommend Detour on the Eternal Road, as well as the other two Eternal Road books.
Review by JoyNealKidney: 5.0 out of 5 Stars Souls in limbo. Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2025. Verified Purchase. Souls become lost and need help finding their way to their eternal destinations, a kind of creative ordeal, where time travel helps to skirt some of the trials. Lucifer is a vulgar character, but my favorite is probably the 1956 Oldsmobile.
Review by Jacqui Murray: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Recommended for those who enjoy time travel stories, angel tales, and fantasy. Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2025.In John Howell’s Detour on the Eternal Road (Keewaydin Lane Books 2025), Book 3 in the series, Sam, James, and the Oldsmobile are back with a new assignment, this one to rescue the soul of a young man who died but disappeared before his angel could guide his soul to his eternal road. They find him at the OK Corral, just in time to experience Wyatt Earp’s famous gunfight, but he has become an old man with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Sam and James set out to first reconnect him with his memories and then get him where he should be for all eternity. The problem becomes that Lucifer seems to have other plans not just for Billy Ray, but for the world and Sam and James figure they should step in and fix things before they can’t be rectified. Lots of problems arise covering a wide variety of eras in Earth’s existence, the least of which is Lucifer’s massive power to control everything around him. How are they to defeat this evil spirit and carry out their task? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
This is an exciting romp through time covering many historical events in factual detail as well as future events I have to hope are wrong though derived from current events. This is a good standalone story (I enjoyed it immensely though I haven’t read any of the earlier books in the grouping). Characters from other stories will make readers immediately comfortable with the tale and eager to see what happens. Recommended for those who enjoy time travel stories, angel tales, and fantasy.
Product Details:
Print Length: 297 Pages
Publisher: Keewaydin Lane Books
Publication Date: January 15, 2025
Language: English
Reading Age: 16-18 Years and Above
Religious Science Fiction & Fantasy
Crime Action & Adventure
Magical Realism
Mystery (Action & Adventure)
Thriller & Suspense (Action Fiction)
Thrillers (Historical)
Thrillers (Supernatural)
Religious (Fiction Literature)
Religious Mysteries
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/Detour-Eternal-Road-John-Howell-ebook/dp/B0DT4Q1FBR/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0
The Last Drive by John W. Howell.
Sequel To Eternal Road (Magical Realism).
In the sequel to Eternal Road – The final stop, Sam and James are reunited to look for two souls, Ryan and Eddie. Ryan was killed in Afghanistan, trying to avoid a schoolyard with his crippled plane. Eddie Rickenbacker, Ryan’s hero, is to guide Ryan to his Eternal Home, and now both are missing.
The higher-ups believe that there has been some interference in Ryan and Eddie’s journey by Lucifer, so Sam and James have the task of finding Ryan and Eddie to get them back on the road despite the evil interference. Unfortunately, the machinations designed to prevent Ryan and Eddy from completing their journey takes the pair to horrifying testing grounds. The places visited represent the best work of the Devil. They are the trenches of World War I in France, gladiators at the Roman Coliseum, the sinking Titanic in 1912, Hiroshima 45 minutes before the bomb, and the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943.
This book is for you if you like plenty of action, strong characters, time travel, and a touch of spiritual and historical fiction. So, join Sam and James as they try to find the missing souls while staying one step ahead of the Prince of Darkness, who is determined to destroy all that is good.
Review by Elizabeth Gauffreau: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2023. Verified Purchase.
A Sequel Full of Surprises!As the sequel to Eternal Road, The Last Drive by John Howell features the two main characters from the first book: James, a young man who was recently killed in an car accident, and Samantha (Sam), a now-grown friend from James’s childhood, who was murdered when she was seven years old. In Eternal Road, Sam served as James’s spirit guide to help him find his eternal home.
In The Last Drive, Sam has been asked by the Archangel Michael to find Eddie Rickenbacker, the World War I flying ace, and Ryan Sanders, an Air Force pilot who was recently killed in Afghanistan when he stayed in his burning plane to avoid crashing into a civilian settlement. Eddie is serving as Ryan’s spirit guide to find his eternal home; however, the two have gone missing. The Archangel suspects they have crossed paths with Lucifer, who is forever trolling for souls who haven’t yet found their eternal home.
Sam’s response to the Archangel is the same as mine would have been: “ ‘I’m surprised God and yourself don’t keep track of this kind of thing.’ ” Including this exchange in the opening chapter is a good demonstration of Howell’s skill in suspending the reader’s disbelief in the fictional world he has created.
The Archangel’s response to Sam’s question raises thorny questions of free will, predestination, and Divine intervention. These questions hover over the four main characters’ subsequent interactions with Lucifer. In fact, at one point, Sam proposes a deal with the Devil that took me completely by surprise–but was oh, so right.
As the prime mover of villainy, Lucifer chooses to torture Sam, James, Ryan, and Eddie with a series of moral dilemmas by plunking them into horrific historical events, including the sinking of the Titanic, the Auschwitz concentration camp, and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. For people who are essentially good, this would be the equivalent of being dangled over a lake of fire by one ankle.
However, the Lucifer of The Last Drive tries to present himself as the charming rogue or, at times, the cartoonish, mustache-twirling villain–all in an attempt to manipulate the souls he is going after into underestimating him.
One aspect of the novel I particularly appreciated was that, although the same afterlife “rules” were carried over from Eternal Road to The Last Drive, new ones were introduced that surprised me, in particular that education continues into the afterlife. Although this feature of the afterlife is used as a plot device to give Sam and James the knowledge they need to extricate themselves from Lucifer’s clutches, I think it’s more than that. If we think of the afterlife as eternal paradise, then it makes perfect sense that the ability to learn and gain new knowledge would be a part of it. Learning for its own sake is, at its heart, a joyous and life-affirming act. (Take THAT, Lucifer.)
To sum up, I found The Last Drive an engaging and satisfying read. The stakes of the plot are high, the action fast-paced, the historical research thorough, and the main characters well-developed and likable (with the exception of Lucifer, of course). In addition to the other surprises I’ve noted, the ending of The Last Drive also surprised me–in the best possible way. I highly recommend this surprising sequel to Eternal Road!
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Eternal Road: The Final Stop by John W. Howell.
James Wainwright picks up a hitchhiker and discovers two things 1. The woman he picks up is his childhood sweetheart, only Seventeen years older. 2. He is no longer of this world.
James began a road trip alone in his 1956 Oldsmobile. He stops for a hitchhiker only to discover she is his childhood sweetheart, Sam, who disappeared seventeen years before. James learns from Sam falling asleep miles back caused him to perish in a one-car accident. He also comes to understand that Sam was taken and murdered all those years ago, and now she has come back to help him find his eternal home.
The pair visit a number of times and places and are witness to a number of historical events. The rules dictate that they do no harm to the time continuum. Trying to be careful, they inadvertently come to the attention of Lucifer who would love to have their souls as his subjects. They also find a threat to human survival and desperately need to put in place the fix necessary to save mankind.
The question becomes, will James find his eternal home in grace or lose the battle with Satan for his immortal soul and the future of human life with it? If you like time-travel, adventure, mystery, justice, and the supernatural, this story is for you.
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About John W. Howell: John began his writing as a full-time occupation after an extensive business career. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories. His first book, My GRL, introduces the exciting adventures of the book’s central character, John J. Cannon. The second Cannon novel, His Revenge, continues the tension. The final book in the trilogy, Our Justice, launched in September 2016, concludes the thriller series. John’s fourth book, Circumstances of Childhood, launched in October of 2017, tells a different thriller story of riches to rags, football, Wall Street, brotherly love, redemption, and inspiration with a touch of paranormal to keep you riveted. The fifth book is a collaboration with the award-winning author Gwen Plano titled The Contract. Heavenly bodies become concerned about the stability of the Earth and send two of their own to risk eternal salvation in order to save the planet. The Contract achieved number-one status in its genre. John’s sixth book is titled Eternal Road – The Final Stop, which launched in September 2020. In search of their eternal home, Sam and James discover a threat to human existence. They also encounter the prince of darkness. The question is, can they save humankind and their eternal souls? John’s latest book is The Last Drive, a sequel to The Eternal Road. Once again, James and Sam must confront Lucifer in order to save not only their souls but those of two others. Lucifer tests them to the limit, and the challenge they face may be more than they can handle. All books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.
John lives in Lakeway, Texas with his wife and their spoiled rescue pets.
Amazon Author’s Page
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