Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie.

First things first, I highly recommend listening to this book! It's got a full cast, sound effects, and it will help you fully immerse into this spooky story.

This is a supernatural story about a ragtag bunch of ghost hunters who are desperately trying to hold onto their reality TV show Fade to Black. You have an earnest host with his scientist wife, an actress looking for a big break, a retired cop who can't wait to be the hero, and a camera man who is just trying to earn a living. After finally earning the time that they need in an old haunted house, they are determined to find the spirits lurking within, but none of them could ever anticipate what would happen in the thirteenth episode.

As far as actual listening experience goes, 5 stars, amazing production, so fun. The story in and of itself was cool enough, but it did drag a bit, and the ending had me going uuuuuuuuuuuuh okaaaaaaay. Not the show stopper I was hoping for, but I would read it again just for the fun audiobook.

Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for providing the book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 /5
This book was so good, has got an interesting setup and keeps you hooked from the very beginning. Told in multiple POVs, the plot is revealed as journal entries, videotapes, and recordings. I love when stories are told in unconventional formats.

The story revolves around a ghost-hunting reality TV show, Fade to Black led by Matt and Claire Kirklin. While Matt believes that spirit exists, Claire seeks a scientific explanation. For the thirteenth episode, they explore the Paranormal Research Foundation which is famous for its mysterious stories. In the 1970s it is rumored that scientists did unusual experiments here, trying to contact the spirits, and then all of them disappeared, and no one knows where.
This book is for those who love paranormal documentaries, spooky atmospheres, and ghost hunting. I will recommend the audiobook. As for me it didn't scare me as I anticipated but did a good job of holding my interest till the very end.

4.5 stars.

Horror written with the flavor of Daisy Jones and the Six, this book was a roller coaster of terror and fun. Told via a mix of multimedia, the tale follows the crew of a reality ghosthunter show, something that is not typically my fare but definitely worked. I was gripped and entertained throughout the read and did not want to put this down. I appreciated the addition of the skeptic to the main crux of the plot and how well the characters were balanced in an array of "believe" levels. The plot moved rather quickly and included a couple of good jump scares and some fantastic atmosphere.

So why isn't this a 5-star read, you ask? The ending. It's hard to get a good and solid ending in a horror novel of this type, so it's pretty understandable that this will be hit or miss with readers. For me, it just felt a little too abandoned. The ending had some fantastic qualities to it and I absolutely enjoyed where the plot headed, but it felt like it ended too suddenly and really needed another chapter or two to fully wrap itself up well.

Regardless, this baby was entertaining, intriguing, and perfectly spooky. I very much enjoyed it. HIGHLY recommend the audio for the full atmospheric effect. It is amazingly done with a full cast and some fantastic effects.

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book. I chose to review it and this in no way impacts my opinion of it.

This story unfolds in a series of tapes, journals, and correspondence from the paranormal investigators as they explore the mystery that is Foundation House. An infamous haunted house with wild lore, this is the place all paranormal investigators wish they could get into. Fade to Black will be the very first allowed entry and allowed to film.. But when the house begins to reveal all its secrets, everything starts to go horribly, horribly wrong.

I requested this book because I was feeling in the mood for something spooky and this felt like a novel that would have me looking over my shoulder as I read. While it was a fun read, it took a bit longer for things to get spooky than I'd have liked and it wasn't nearly as creepy as I was hoping for.

I enjoyed the way this novel was written and found it to be a very interesting read. While I found it a fun read, I did find the aspects of the haunting to be a bit weird at times. Some parts almost felt silly to me but I tried to ignore those feelings and just enjoy the story.

I think if you are easily spooked or love spooky stories, you'll enjoy this novel. If, like me, you live for horror, you might find this novel a little tame but still fun!

Big kudos to the author for crafting this found footage style story,  from the moment I heard the premise of this book I was excited but nervous how the story would be executed in written form.
I thought it was done really well.  Telling the story through emails, journal entry, and footage transcripts created an immersive and entertaining reading experience.   
In this story we follow a group of paranormal investigators on a ghost hunting reality show.  Some of the group believe in the supernatural while others are there simply to prove that there is a scientific explanation for it all.  Readers are dropped straight into the action as the group embarks on their latest "haunt" that is sure to shoot them to stardom.  Thats all readers really need to know going into this as the mystery unfolds pretty quickly and every little detail really adds to the experience.
The reality television concept was  intriguing, mashing a crew of believers and non believers of the paranormal was a brilliant idea.  I enjoyed reading the science behind paranormal investigations, you can tell the author did a lot of research and the story felt very authentic.
There are some creepy moments, and really fun twists.  I especially enjoyed how the mystery behind this haunted building explores elements of the occult, there is mention of occult magic and specifically Alister Crowley which is a huge interest of mine.
 My only point of contention was that there was not enough of the actual paranormal phenomena, I really wish there had been more spooky elements to elevate the creep factor.  I was also very confused by the ending and felt like there was just something missing.  Overall a great, experimental story that I think readers should pick up especially if they are fans of ghost hunting reality television.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books as well as the author for this ARC. I’m deeply grateful.
#NetGalley #CraigDiLouie #RedhookBooks #EpisodeThirteen

I have never read a book like this before. It was like reading a found footage movie. That trope may have gotten a little tired in film, but it’s alive and well in book form. This book follows the cast and crew of reality show, Fade to Black, as they investigate the holy grail of haunted houses, Foundation House, Virginia. Only one research team has been granted access before and they have disappeared without a trace. Now, the property is to be sold and torn down and the current owners really don’t care about it, so they grant permission to the show. Matt and Claire are the married team who lead the show. Matt is the passion and the true believer while Claire is the scientist and debunker. They have yet to find a true haunting that can withstand her scientific method. Matt and the rest of the crew are hopeful that this is the house that
will change all that. Be careful what you wish for, Matt.
This book is presented as a series of set notes, camera POV, scripts, articles, and cast and crew member journals. Therefore, multiple points of view are offered. The camera work is presented in such a way that I could feel the shaky cam. The characters are strong and most are likable, with the exception of Kevin, whom I loathed. I loved the character of Claire as I can relate to her quest for a good, solid scientific explanation for anything. I also loved her husband, Matt, who’s passion for all things ghost mirrors my own. The two together have a very Scully and Mulder thing going on. Super fun. The writing does a great job of keeping the reader twisting and turning enough to keep us interested before giving a great ending with a lot of dread and scares along the way.
If one criticism must be given, it is that the book is a touch too long. The formatting was, on a few pages, difficult to read on the kindle because the font was too small and I couldn't enlarge it for whatever reason.
Overall, I loved it and, if you love ghost stories and haunted house stories, or if you’re obsessed with Ghost Adventures, then this book is right up your alley.

If you’re looking for a truly eerie horror read, enjoy reading mixed media style writing, are a fan of haunted houses, and think found footage movies and/or reality ghost hunting shows are entertaining, then pick this one up immediately!

When the Fade to Black reality show team gets exclusive access to Foundation House, they couldn’t be more thrilled! A location, where a group of scientists known as the Paranormal Research Foundation disappeared in the 70s after conducting human experiments in search of paranormal activity. Now it’s up to Fade to Black to create an incredible season finale in pursuit of the truth of what happened at Foundation House all those years ago.

The imagery is seriously creepy and while a bit of a slow burn with lots of character analyzation, it all paid off! Everything paranormal was also backed by a ton of science which at times went over my head but I really enjoyed the contrast! The last half of the book really upped the scary meter and had me on the edge of my seat with the ending resulting in a very satisfying conclusion.

I am in between 4-4.5 stars and overall highly recommend! Thank you so much to Netgalley for this gifted ARC!

~ 4.75✰ rounded to 5✰ ~

When the ghost hunting team behind the popular TV show Fade to Black get permission to investigate the infamous Paranormal Research Foundation mansion, they're sure they've struck paranormal gold + bought themselves a second season. Sure enough, the mansion delivers on its promise of supernatural activity, leading the team to dig further into its mysteries + make contact with whatever entity is residing there.

This was a fun + horrifying ride from start to finish! Absolutely loved where it ended up going! I'm always a little wary of books written in an epistolary format because it's so hard to do right, but this book completely delivered for me. It wastes no time in plunging the reader into the story. I found the pacing and evolution of the story to be super compelling. Fantastic read overall + would definitely recommend!

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie, kept me interested. Creepy, twisty, did not know what to expect. "Found Footage" sort of read. I think would make a great movie, or limited series. Thank You to NetGalley and Craig DiLouie for the complimentary e-galley.

I had a great time with this book! The premise of a ghost hunting show finding more than they expected was intriguing to me to begin with, but I especially enjoyed watching it unfold through journal entries and found footage. This book starts off a little slow, but I was intrigued right away so I didn't mind too much. By the point, about half way, when things start to get really interesting and more obvious horror elements come out I was hooked and along for the ride. Things escalate quickly at that point! I enjoyed most of the characters (Kevin, the cop, was a bit annoying to me) and felt I understood them/their motives well. The book is self aware and gives fun nods to other books and ghost hunting shows in general. I also enjoyed the play between science and ghosts. A haunted house where experiments were done in the 1970s in the name of paranormal research was pretty perfect in my opinion! Overall great read and I recommend if you like ghosts, haunted houses, and mixed media!

3.75/5 -- In this book, a group of ghost hunters gets more than they bargained for while filming the thirteenth episode of their reality TV show "Fade to Black." When they get the chance to investigate paranormal activities of the very famous (and very haunted) Foundation House, they soon realize they are way in over their heads. Through a combination of mixed media - found-footage, emails, text messages, video descriptions, journal entries, interviews, etc. - Episode Thirteen unfolds in a way where nothing went according to plan.

This was a unique and intellectual type of thriller. I felt very immersed in the action & atmospheric setting but in the end it was too much of a slow burn for me. I think the main plot points could have occurred more consecutively rather than breaking the flow for character development. The story was creepy and suspenseful, but at times I felt like I had to overlook some choices the characters made because their motivations seemed unclear. Overall, I would read another book by this author and recommend this to fans of found footage movies or paranormal lovers.

"Not all ghosts haunt houses, some try to live in your head."

Holy Cow!!! This was such a great read. This was my first book by Craig DiLouie and I will be reading more. I flew through this book. He had me from page one until the end. He left me wanting more. If you enjoy haunted house horror, found footage, strange scientific/paranormal experiments, and unexplained paranormal discoveries, you will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

Thanks NetGalley and Redhook Books for allowing me to read this ARC.

This book was really good actually. I wanted to read it so bad and I was so happy when I got an arc. I really enjoyed it. The ending of the book was so good. I wanted to reread the book again.

I rate this book a 3.75. I love found footage movies, so the premise of this book sounded amazing. I did like the writing style and I cared about what would happen to the characters. This was an entertaining book with a interesting concept.

I really liked the idea of this story, but I wasn't expecting the entire story to be told through mixed media (i.e. emails, journal entries, text messages) and I found that exhausting. I wish there would've been some 3rd person narration interspersed between the mixed media, or just generally more long periods of story-telling to help bring the story to life.

I am a very character-driven reader, and I had trouble connecting to these characters because of how long it was taking to get to know them between all the mixed media. Plus, I was hoping it would be more spooky earlier on in the story. Ultimately, the book wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A group of paranormal investigators decide to film their tv show at an old haunted building where other researchers had gone missing in the past.

The book is written like a script, which was an effective way to tell this type of story. It was almost like I was reading the text of their tv show as if I was watching it with subtitles on.

There were a lot of sci-fi elements that were not adequately explained. This was primarily why I was disappointed with the book. Towards the end, when they are all roaming around this mysterious maze in the basement, a lot of details were unclear. So you’re forced to assume or make guesses as to what exactly is happening to everyone and why. The very end was strange and didn’t make sense.

I am torn about recommending the book to others. I do think it would make a good movie.

I don't care how old I get, I will probably be the person who can easily freak myself out and be afraid of the dark after I watch a paranormal flick or read a creepy paranormal book. Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie is like taking the movie The Quiet Ones and merging it with The Lazarus Effect and Paranormal Activity Ghost Hunters. Using manuscripts, emails, journals and the like, we follow the ghost hunting crew of Fade to Black to their holy grail in their thirteenth show... The Paranormal Research Foundation.

As we all know, where there is a creepy mansion that once hosted hunan experiments there is probably restless spirits waiting in the shadows. The team gets more than they bargained for and as a reader, I feel like I did in a way too.

There comes a point where it goes from sinister atmospheric haunting to scientific ramblings that were way outside of my mental spectrum. I was highly invested until that point. It wasn't a change my reading brain took to quickly. Its unique and intriguing in its own right but a bit much considering how solid it was at first.

I wouldn't call this scary but it had moments that made the novel's atmosphere tingle sinisterly. The characters have a good bit of depth but I didn't connect with them. Thats typical for me with horror novels though. The ending brought a little bit of movie ending pizzazz to the plot. I won't say much more than that though.

This is a horror fiction novel but there is a part of me that feels there's a bit of science fiction in here too. I'd recommend this novel to those who enjoy the more existential type of horror. Thank you Redhook for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. True rating 3.5/5.

Matt and Claire, husband and wife members of a ghost hunting TV show, film their 13th episode with their team at Foundation House, where strange experiments had been performed in the 70s leading to rumors of haunting after the entire research team disappeared. This was a weird one, not a typical haunted house by any means. Like Claire, I felt drawn in, wanting to know what was really going on, but I can't say I came away all that satisfied. I'm not a huge horror/ghost fan, but I will read this type occasionally, and I can confidently say I have never read anything like this one. 3 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Redhook books for an ARC of this novel!

I think, perhaps, that this book was not for me.

I'm going to start with the good and then give a couple critiques. First, this was very readable. I really like this style of book where it's told through journal entries, videos, documents, and so on. I did wish there was more context provided. I think there could have been a lot of interest in having asides and retrospective analysis by whoever is putting this book together. Give me footnotes, give me allusions to whatever intriguing info is common knowledge about this case in the fiction of the book. I also thought the scary action sequences were quite fun, though I had trouble at points keeping it straight exactly what was going on.

Now, the not so good stuff. The character work, I think, left something to be desired. This is a personal issue. I prefer books with a character focus vs a plot focus, and I don't think that was present here. All of them had distinct personalities, but I don't think any of those personalities were particularly well drawn. Claire, for instance. She felt like a character fulfilling a role in a book with actions that were distinct from other characters, but she didn't feel like a human. I also felt the pacing really dragged in places. I found myself often checking to see how many pages I had left in a given chapter, flipping forward in my ebook, skimming in parts. I was bored. It was great when something new would happen and I'd get pulled back in, but that came in bursts between chapters of drag.

For all the mystery Episode 13 tries to build, I have to admit, I just didn't care. It didn't matter to me what happened to these characters, and the mystery itself didn't work. If this seems like it'll be your sort of story, give it a try! This was a really personal hangup - I didn't hate it, it just wasn't for me, but maybe it'll be for you!

This was a super interesting take on found footage in book form. Extremely easy to read and digest, each chapter made me eager for the next. Other books employ the same kind of diary/logging/mixed media narrative but this one does an exceptional job of making it feel like you're really watching a found footage film! I can see where it might lose people at the end but I enjoyed As Above, So Below a lot so this reminded me of that as well