Customer Reviews
Following the death of legendary horror writer Mortimer Queen, several writers are invited to his estate to claim an inheritance at the reading of his will. Each person has a link to Mortimer, either well known or otherwise. However, upon arrival, the guests realize that this will not be a quick and easy trip. Instead, they enter a maze in his family manor where they must answer a riddle to move through the house. The catch being that if they don't answer within an hour or they answer incorrectly, the manor will devour one of them at its choosing. The question becomes, who will make it out alive, and what secrets will be uncovered in the process.I enjoyed the horror vibes that were peppered throughout this novel, and all of the moments that made me doubt what was real and what was made up. The multiple perspectives were a bit confusing at the beginning, but it was easier to understand who each of the characters were as the story went along (and more characters were knocked off). I really enjoyed the originality of the story. At first, it seemed similar to another book that I read earlier this year, but I was surprised when it took a very different turn. The final twist at the end felt a bit lackluster for the buildup of the rest of the story.This book may be for you if you enjoy a locked door mystery, a story within a story, and a sprinkling of gruesome deaths and scary scenes.I voluntarily reviewed a free advanced reader copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
How to Survive a Horror Story. Seven authors enter renowned horror author Mortimer Queens manor following his death. Each have their own unique connection to this literary icon, but can anyone survive his final horror story?This was an easy 5 star read for me! I loved it! From beginning to end I was immersed in the story. I enjoyed getting to know each character and what they had to hide. I enjoyed the way the game within the story was set up. The characters were ones you loved to hate, but each one brought their own unique part to the story. I love when a book keeps me wondering what will happen next while also ending with all my lingering questions answered. This book did just that! Some of the twists were easy to predict, but it added to the fun of trying to solve the mystery of the manor. This story would make a really fun Netflix limited series. I enjoyed how the author brought the manor to life with the details written and had me feeling like I was right there with the characters trying to escape!
Following the death of prominent horror author Mortimer Queen, seven writers are invited to his manor for his last will and testament reading. Anticipation soon gives way to uncertainty and fear, as the writers find themselves trapped within the manor and are forced to play a game where the outcome truly is a matter of life and death.How To Survive A Horror Story by Mallory Arnold is a fast-paced novel that felt more akin to a locked-door mystery than outright horror. Although there are supernatural elements in relation to the Queen estate, the manor’s attendants and its creative means of dispatching characters, I didn’t find the story to be overly frightening. Though the atmosphere and tension do build as the characters deal with one unpleasant room after another.Told from the perspectives of the various characters, no one is quite who they initially appear. There are unreliable narrators coupled with revelations and by the conclusion of the story, a comparison to initial impressions of certain characters will illustrate a stark difference. Each character is very flawed and although they are not always very likable, moments of vulnerability and personal reflection prevented some of them from existing solely to meet their ends.The self-awareness of the characters being horror writers and thus possessing knowledge of the pertinent tropes they might experience is a good addition to the story and while the death scenes of certain characters are inventive, I was sometimes vaguely reminded of a nightmarish Rube Goldberg machine.The ending is slightly predictable and I found myself more curious regarding the manor and its grisly history. Although How To Survive A Horror Story isn’t a reinvention within the genre, it’s still an entertaining debut novel.Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing access to this ebook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
I wanted to like this one so much more than I really did. It took me longer to read than I thought it would because I was just not 100% interested when the book got to the middle sections.CONS: I wish there had been more backstory when it came to the house and its lore. Was it real? Was it an hallucination? It wasn't clear, and therefore I had a hard time really caring when something bad happened to one of the characters. Especially when one seemingly comes back from the dead. I also didn't really find it to be all that scary; there were a few creepy moments, but a lot of the "scary" set pieces just didn't get me going at all.PROS: The seven main characters were great! They were fleshed out, unique individuals with their own backstories and their own motivations. I liked that the chapters rotated between the characters' POVs and we got to see the story from their distinctive perspectives. This could have easily become a slog of seven similar characters who were hard to root for or care about their fates, but Mallory Arnold definitely crafted a well thought out cast!
A mix of Agatha Christie and Poe, this novel kept me reading. The author takes the haunted house trope and combines it with mystery trope and creates a unique story. If you like mystery and horror, you’ll find both.
