Somehow I think this was my first found footage book. I love found footage movies (if you haven’t checked out Host or Lake Mungo, I cannot recommend them enough), but similarly crafted novels have been a blindspot for me until now! For my first found footage novel, this was a great beginning by Craig DiLouie.

Following a team of ghost hunters involved in a reality show called Fade to Black, I was immediately drawn in by the setup of the story told mostly through journal entries, taped transcriptions, texts, etc. The characters all have really interesting stories as to why they are involved in the show and what their motivations are for continuing their ghostly endeavors. The marriage at the center between ghost fanatic Matt and skeptic scientist Claire really added a unique element to this story.

It does take a bit for things to get going, but it is definitely worth wading through the introductory parts. Because once things are moving, they really move. There are some very unsettling scenes that horror fans will love. The mystery at the center of this house kept me going, and I got to a point where I couldn’t put the book down because I had to know what was going on.

You will find yourself yelling at the characters and their actions as you would in many horror movies, but I cannot recommend this enough for ghost story lovers and genre readers who appreciate a slow burn that pays off in dramatic ways.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for granting me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.</i>

The premise of <i>Episode Thirteen</i> is fantastic, gripping, and its style of storytelling is fascinating. I've always enjoyed--and always will--stories that develop through multimedia, so to speak. But the premise of this book also makes it seem as if this is going to be a nail-biting, fast-paced ride that it simply isn't.

While the book was entertaining enough, I felt that at the end of the day this takes a scientific approach to "horror" that, for me at least, is far less interesting than the alternative. I thought I was going to read a spooky good time about a team of ghost-hunters, but was instead shown a few moments that were clearly supposed to be frightening (but weren't), with long intervals of not much happening, and an ending that was overall just okay.

The maze, labyrinthian aspect of the house <i>was</i> interesting, but at one point I felt like I was on a Skyrim quest leading nowhere until...well, literal disintegration into nothing.

The novel was just okay--a disappointing first novel by DiLouie for me, sadly.

As someone who used to love trashy reality TV ghost hunting shows, and still loves a great ghost story, I was very eager to check out EPISODE THIRTEEN by Craig DiLouie. And for the most part I wasn't disappointed! I really enjoyed the way that it was told, in an epistolary way that involves blog posts, transcripts, text and email communications, and descriptions of raw video footage to create a trippy and creepy ghost story that tinkers with expectations as well as time and space perceptions. Yes, you read that right. I liked how we got to know each character through these means, and how we learn about the history of Foundation House, the site of paranormal research and experimentation back in the 1970s. We get a slow build of creeping dread, and by the time our team of ghost hunters, believers and skeptics alike, starts to realize they are in deeper than expected, they are far too entwined (both emotionally and professionally) to back down. And you can imagine how that pans out for them. I do think that the ending got to be a little bit chaotic and haphazard, and I had a hard time keeping up with some aspects of it, but overall I thought that it was solid and scary, which is what I was hoping for.

EPISODE THIRTEEN is weird and unique and sure to please people who really like a haunted house story. Satisfying and unhinged in the best way.

Thank you to Redhook Books for letting me read an advanced copy of EPISODE THIRTEEN by Craig DiLouie. This book publishes on January 24.

You guys, this is one of the best horror books I’ve read in a very long time. I absolutely adored the writing style that felt like a script, the diary entries that made the alternating chapters and the beyond scary atmosphere that kept me up way past my bedtime. Do not pass this book up, if you like horror, if you like ghost stories, if you enjoy being entertained then this book is for you. Get your library holds and preorders ready, my friends, because this book is going to make a huge splash in 2023.

One of my favorite subgenres of horror is found footage. Even found footage horror stories in books and as soon as I heard about this book I knew I needed to read it. And yes I know you are wondering. I loved this book so much. I already pre ordered it on audible because I already knew its going to be a fantastic listen as well. I am so grateful for this eARC and so excited for January to get the audiobook to listen to.

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie (The Children of Red Peak, Suffer the Children)
Adult Horror Fiction
Sub-genre: Found Footage/Found Media
Writing Style: Epistolary format: journal entries, text messages, emails, raw video footage

What you need to know: The crew of "Fade to Black", a 'ghost hunters' like show, led by a married couple, Claire & Matt (who are a bit mismatched like Mulder & Scully) are given access to the Foundation House. This location was home to the Paranormal Research Foundation which did some experimental and controversial tests on human subjects back in the 70s.
Readers piece together everything that happens through a series of show notes, journal entries, interviews, and transcriptions.

My reading experience: I love found media stories. Multiple POVs enable the reader to look at the same situation from a variety of perspectives. The story progresses quickly because the narrative is broken up into the collected materials. Text messages between a crew member and her sister can take up to six pages but can be read in just a few minutes. The author clearly makes an attempt to familiarize readers with every character and their individual motivations for doing the show. They each have different intentions, aspirations, goals, etc. However, given the nature of being "behind the scenes," it does create some distance between the characters and the reader. I wasn't invested in these people or cared much about what would happen to them. This is fine. The epistolary format doesn't bring the reader into the story as much as exposition does.
All the crew members express how they feel about one another which is helpful in establishing a dynamic. I did feel like things take a minute to get going. Without exposition, the author relies on the characters to drive the storyline, so there's some repetition as we get each person's perspective before moving on to real-time events.
There are some pretty intense/scary scenes. Especially heading into the climax/ending. Worth continuing on through all the stops and starts.
My final recommendation: If you enjoy haunted house horror, found footage, strange scientific/paranormal experiments, and unexplained paranormal discoveries, you will enjoy this book. I had fun with it.

Comps: Ghost Hunters, reality TV, Event Horizon (especially the psychological aspect of the crew hallucinating corresponding to their past hurts and wrongs), House of Leaves (similar elements) and The Blair Witch Project.

What a wild, spooky read! A group of paranormal investigators, with hopes of making it big in the reality TV scene, uncover something truly sinister at The Foundation House. The story unfolds in personal diary entries and transcripts of the filming, which lets the reader see everything from various POV's, some true believers of the phenomena and others skeptics.

Great ghost/haunted house story.

Honestly, this book was creepy in the absolute best way possible, and I enjoyed every single minute of it.

Thanks NetGalley and Redhook Books for a copy of the book.

Whenever I talk about my favorite types of horror I always mention: deep winter, outer space, and underwater. But I also really, really like found footage. I like the immediacy and intimacy of the action you see on screen. So when I read the blurb for Craig DiLouie's Episode Thirteen, I was very intrigued, especially by how would the author write a found footage horror novel?

If you've read Dracula by Bram Stoker or World War Z by Max Brooks, then you have an idea. Episode Thirteen is kind of an epistolary novel. I say kind of, because interspersed with each character's individual blog write-ups, magazine articles, text chains, and emails, are sections written as screenplays depicting what the camera footage covers. I have to say I really enjoyed the way DiLouie presented his story - the various ways of covering Fade to Black's ghost hunting tv show adventure keeps the reader engaged and presents the various character voices, setting, and action in an almost interactive way. It really felt like I'd gone down an internet wormhole on some mystery, reading Wikipedia articles and watching YouTube videos or something. It felt self-guided in a way that's similar to playing a video game (though an on-the-rails one - it is a novel after all, so there's only one path and one outcome - "the journey is the destination.").

I also have to say that I appreciate the story goes in an unpredictable direction. I really hope none of the other reviews spoil it because I was surprised and I hope if you read this, you're also surprised! It was a unique take on your typical ghost story, but I can see it upsetting/annoying some people... overall, though, I really appreciated the uniqueness of how the story was both presented and how it ended.

A well-earned five stars from this horror lover!

Thank you for the e-arc.

After reading Suffer the Children, I was determined to get my hands on more of DiLouie's work. (Truly one of the best books I've ever read)

Episode Thirteen is about husband and wife team Claire and Matt and their paranormal investigation TV show Fade To Black. The crew (Jesssica, Kevin, and Jake) all also play large roles. Claire is a scientist, working to debunk theories on the show. Matt is a believer. Together, they take on hauntings and investigate haunted locations and try to decide if its real paranormal findings or just things that can be written off by science.

I really enjoyed the format of the book and think it would come to life even more in a physical copy. The journals from the investigators were fantastic for progressing plot but also for getting to know the individual characters.

The ending of this just didn't do it for me, and I found myself forcing the read from about 50-75 percent. I got bored in the repeated mention of physics and the focus on Claire's desire to rationalize everything. I think its a solid cosmic horror but overall that isnt my favorite genre. Will continue to be a DiLouie stan.

I wanted to like this book so much but I ended up Dnfing at 10%. I did not like the way it was written at all. The emails and interviews woven in between actual text felt like it was all over the place. This may have worked better for me if I listened to the audiobook.

Fade to Black is the ultimate paranormal hunting television show. Episode 13 takes them to the Paranormal Research Foundation, a mansion where crazy experiments took place in the 1970’s. It is also famous for being haunted. Things don’t go according to plan after the haunting begins.

Episode 13 is available January 24,2023

Thank you to netgalley and redhookbooks for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Episode Thirteen is a fun, well written horror story that crafts a fantastic story with classic horror tropes and ideas but also shines when it gives us new writing styles (video logs, articles) to bring us into the world and different character’s view of it.

Craig DiLouie makes us scared but also intrigued and reading Episode Thirteen felt like when I watched horror movies late at night as a kid: enthralled, scared and excited. I think the only gripe I have is the characters because while some are fleshed out others fall into tired styles (actress, skeptics).

Overall Episode Thirteen is a fun horror read to keep you up at night!

3.5 stars

As someone who loves found footage horror movies the premise of this book sounded like it was written for me. A paranormal show goes to investigate a haunted mansion that was the home of bizarre scientific experiments in the 1970s. The story is told in tapes, journals, research files, and correspondence of that investigation.

It started off strong, I enjoyed how the story was told in multi media format, and how each of the cast members kept journals so you were able to see the story from everyone's perspective. I found myself losing interest at certain parts somewhere in the middle, I felt the time between "exciting & spooky" events was spread out too much and at times there was too much time/focus on mundane things. The ending lost me. I found it slightly underwhelming, there was so "OMG WOW" feeling for me. The ending wasn't bad, I just wanted wanted more. Maybe its just my personal preference from all the found footage films I've seen and had my expectations for this book set for something else.

Overall, I had fun with this book. I think if you enjoy reading about found footage, old abandoned mansions, bizarre science experiments, ghosts and ghost investigations, with a hint of personal drama between the characters then I think you would enjoy this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Redhook Books, and Craig DiLouie for sharing the digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my authentic review.

As someone who has been in the paranormal investigation community for well over 15 years, Episode Thirteen is like a nightmare of a dream come true. I love the trope of “found footage” in a book and getting to see everything piece together as it’s happening. While I expected this to be just a haunted house story, it turned into so much more.

Ghost hunting show Fade to Black goes to a notoriously haunted house for their thirteenth episode. Matt, lead of the show, has always believed in ghosts. His wife, Claire, is the more skeptical, scientific member. Along with them are Jessica, Kevin, and Jake. At first, it seems just like a creepy house. However, after experiencing a spooky event, even Claire becomes convinced something else is happening there. They decide to keep investigating not just for the show but to try to find out what paranormal things are going on.

Overall, I enjoyed this! Lots of creepy suspense, especially early on. I’m a bit meh on the ending, partly because it was not as creepy as I’d expected. If you’re looking for a subtle sinister book, this one is good for you!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie, has all the hallmarks of a good ghost story. Secluded location, found footage, inter-character drama, damaged psyches, an old house with a mystery, and freaking terrifying moments when the entities show themselves. For that alone, in a world inundated with both found footage films, and ghost hunting shows, this book manages to offer some pretty bone-chilling fodder. What's even scarier than all of that, is the books' look at human motivation, flaws, and the reason why people may both seek to learn about the unknown, and seek to disprove it equally as fast. It's a commentary on our reliance on science despite its' failure to answer certain questions, and on our reliance to believe in things despite the lack of evidence. As the cast of characters literally descends into the depths trying to uncover the secrets of Foundation House, they descend deeper and deeper into doubt about each other, and into their own motivations, flaws, and the questions of what drives them.

In the spirit of offering an honest and full review, the ending was a bit of a let down for me, simply because in a horror I prefer feeling shock and terror rather than a profound sense of tragedy and sadness, but that's more personal preference than it is a commentary on the book itself. In the end, DiLouie did what he set out to do. He wrote a horror that will horrify you and will leave you thinking about it after you've set the book down.

Wow. That was just…wow. And how often do you finish the book and walk away in pure awe of the author’s talent?
I’ve been impressed with DiLouie since is Children of Red Peak, so I was excited to check out his latest and he certainly did not disappoint. The opposite, in fact. Well, ok then, now I’m very, very impressed.
There’s been a slew of novels lately that tell a story in found-footage style. It’s often surprisingly effective, and I saw surprisingly because I don’t much care for the found-footage style in cinema. It might just be something more suited to written word.
At any rate, DiLouie does it justice, utilizing camera footage, journal entries, interviews, etc. to present us, the readers, with an unforgettable episode of fictionalized television.
Fade to Black is another one of those ghost hunting shows, striving to distinguish itself by primarily utilizing the strong dynamic of its married cohosts–he’s a believer, she’s a sceptic. Together they investigate the paranormal.
And they find the best place to do it; a site of a long-abandoned psych experiment that seems to have been sitting around waiting just for them, untouched and shrouded in mystery. Sitting around all the way from the 60s and 70s, when groovy psych experiments were all the rage. Only this time, the experiment might have actually grazed upon something…in a way, though there’s no one left to tell the tale–the scientists have vanished, the subjects (mostly) didn’t make it.
So yeah, a perfect setting to hunt some ghosts, make some fun tv, distinguish oneself from a million similar shows.
Fade to Black team goes in. What they find in the place…well, you just have to read to find out.
If you dare.
It’s one of those trips–a terrifying descent into darkness and madness, where supernatural and metaphysical blend and distort all reality. A classic case of abyss gazing back. As mentioned, pure wow. Nearly impossible to put down, electric ride of a story. Bravo, author. Must read for genre fans. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

EDIT:
I originally rated this a 3/5 stars. Some of the themes of this book keep popping into my head and creeping me out weeks later (and after reading several other books), so I'm bumping it up to a 4/5. That's the mark of a good horror book.

Join a paranormal investigation via the transcripts and personal journals of the cast and crew of “Fade To Black,” a ghost hunting TV show. Their thirteenth episode covers the Foundation House, a holy grail of paranormal activity that has been untouched for around 5 decades ever since the previous occupants disappeared.

As a devoted fan of ghost hunting shows and podcasts, this book checked all of my boxes— early showing of a paranormal presence, interpersonal conflict between the cast and crew, and many secrets to be uncovered. As I delved further into the book, the whole mystery continued to intrigue.

The story dragged in a lot of places, with some of the subplots and breaks in action not giving the emotional build that they should have. I often thought that since it was written like a script, it would have been more consumable to just have this as a movie or TV show. 2.5 stars rounded up for the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a fun read. It brought so many elements to the table which made it so unique. It was a bit spooky too which was great. A great adventure into every paranormal aspect imaginable. And a few unimaginable--in a good way.

Well done!! I love the horror genre as evidence by reading my first horror book, Amityville horror, at the tender age of 10. Rarely does a book of this genre get to me but I have to admit that this one actually raised the hairs on my arms a little bit. I might even have woken up from a bad dream, involving some of the imagery from the story, the first night that I started reading it. There's no need for me to give anything away, although I have a feeling there's more to dissect in this book than I even realize. While I ponder that you should definitely pick this book up and give it a read.