Ooh...this was a good one!

Our Reality TV/Haunted House story takes a very unexpected turn – a very dark and mysterious one!

I loved our characters (even those I hated) and was completely creeped out by some of what happens in the book.

The build up is a little slower than I expected, but the build up of suspense was actually perfectly suited to the book – and I can assure you that when it ramps up into crazy town, it holds nothing back!

Thoroughly enjoyed this one!

• ARC via Publisher

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

This wasn't my favorite, but I am a picky reader. I think other readers will enjoy it, and this is an obvious addition to the collection.

Thank you NetGalley, Redhook Books, and Craig DiLouie for the advanced copy of Episode Thirteen in exchange for my honest review.

This one started out super strong, started to drag quite a bit in the middle, and unfortunately completely lost me by the end.

I really enjoyed the formatting of the book however. We get journal entries, text message threads, and transcripts of video footage, and I found that style was very easily digestible.

I did enjoy the author's writing style so I won't hesitate to pick up another book by him in the future!

EPISODE THIRTEEN brought much more than I had expected. Not just a "ghost-hunting" expedition, we get arcane and exotic "scientific" experiments from 1972 (shades of CIA Majestic mind-control protocols), quantum Physics, the nature of reality, and truly Lovecraftian Cosmic adventures. The novel is wildly imaginative and well-informed on both Science and Alchemy [and human devolution into sheer madness].

I'm such a huge fan of paranormal shows and was so excited to review Episode Thirteen!

I absolutely loved 95% of this book, the character development, the twists and turns, and of course the creepiness' of the story was incredible. I'm still torn on the ending, and I don't want to spoil it for for anyone. I'm sure the ending will be a 10 out of 10 for some, but for me, I was looking for something a bit different.

Overall, I enjoyed this book- 4/5

*4.5 stars*
Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Y'all, I absolutely adored this book. I actually deliberately took my time reading it because I didn't want it to be over. A found footage style book is hard to pull off, but it was done very well. I know some reviews mentioned that the action seemed to drag. While the first paranormal event does happen early on and there is a bit of a lull in action, I found myself more than placated with the constantly changing perspectives and types of evidence presented. The ending is a bit... odd? But it was clear from the lead up that it was always going to be odd, so it didn't come as a shock, and there's still a great wrap up that comes after the events chronicled in the 13th episode.

I will absolutely be reading more from this author. A good thriller (especially paranormal in nature) is hard to do right, and DiLouie did a great job.

I can see the appeal of this book- clearly, as I myself requested to read it. However, it just wasn't for me. The actual storytelling format was unique and creative, but I felt the story itself moved just a little too slow for my liking. As I only made it to about 60%, I don't feel it is appropriate for me to review or rate it elsewhere, aside from here, on Netgalley. I'd definitely look for titles by the author in the future, as his actual tale t was evident, even if this particular story did not speak to me.

This book sucked me right in and solidified my love of mixed-media books. It had all the typical aspects of a ghost hunting show, including some magnificently written jump scares. I felt like I was really watching Episode 13 of Fade to Black on a screen and I really didn't want to put the book down. The ending did leave some questions, but not in a bad way. I felt very satisfied with the way it all played out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the opportunity to read this digital advance reader copy in return for my honest review.

Episode Thirteen is my second read from Craig DiLouie. Wasn’t my favorite of the two, but it’s certainly nothing to scoff at. Loved the paranormal investigation group angle, and the twists were mostly unexpected. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of Claire, and feel that if the last 10% or so of the book had been different, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. But even as it is, it’s worth the read if you have a chance to pick it up.

I really enjoyed the unique way this story was written. I've never read anything quite like this and I would definitely pick up something else by this author. Only downside is that I thought some parts of the story dragged on and could have been edited out. The end was my absolute favorite part!!

Matt and Claire Kirklin are part of a ghost hunting team for a TV reality series called Fade to Black. Matt, the true believer, utilizes his experience to attempt to prove the afterlife while Clair, the scientific sceptic, attempts to debunk their evidence thus ending the show with the audience deciding for themselves what they believe. Their ratings are dropping when they get the opportunity to explore abandoned 1970 Paranormal Research Foundation. The Foundation house was known for the bizarre experiments conducted there as well as the disappearance of the scientists working there. This could be exactly what they need to get a second season...if they survive.

Episode Thirteen is a tense paranormal horror in which a team of ghost hunters finally meet their match. The story is told in a collection of found footage from the Fade to Black team as well as the scientists who were conducting experiments in the 1970's. The novel provides a slow but tense build up as the reader is introduced to the characters and the history of the house. As the story progresses the house becomes more active and tensions begin to rise between the crew members. As with his other novels, many of the characters reveal their true nature as the story unfolds. The ending was a bit unexpected and I was left with a few questions but overall this was a very enjoyable read. Craig DiLouie delivers another intense and engaging horror novel which will keep you on the edge of your seat and make the little hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

5⭐

This was such a crazy ride. I am so glad I got a chance to read this, but really wished I would have read it physically. Ebook takes away from the mixed media a little.
This is the story of a ghost hunting reality show crew, a famous haunted house, and what happens when you can't stop looking. This was so much fun. I loved the delivery of the story with interviews, found footage, and such. This story hooked me, and never let go. The end was what really pushed it over for me. So much emotion, creepy setting. This reminded me so much of "The Navidson Tapes" story line from House of Leaves, but more flushed out. I will absolutely be getting a physical copy when this book releases in January 2023.
Do not miss this crazy, heartfelt, scary, emotional roller coaster. I will now have to check out this author's entire backlist.

Thank you to Red Hook Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Craig DeLouie, Redhook Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read one of my most anticipated book releases for 2023! I was so hyped to read this book. Found footage, mixed media presentation, ghost hunting crew investigating a location while uncovering it’s historical and spooky secrets…it checks all my boxes of what I want in a horror book. This book totally delivered for me, and I was at the 36% mark when I knew that this book was going to be a personal favorite. The unique way this story was presented kept me hooked and also did a great job (particularly with the journal entries) of quickly connecting with the whole cast of characters. I don’t want to go into too much more detail because I do think this book is a puzzle (or maze) that is best read without knowing much beforehand. I typically don’t reread books, but this one is definitely getting a reread once the physical copy releases in January. Thanks again, Craig! I’ll be sure to check out more of your work!!

Big thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for this ARC! This was such a great paranormal thriller book told through journal entries, emails, texts and episode descriptions. I love everything to do with ghosts and the supernatural so this was a wonderful read. This was my first read by this author and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more of his books!

Episode Thirteen relates the tale of a ghost hunting team, cast of the reality show Fade to Black, who are given the opportunity of investigating their Holy Grail, the Foundation House. This was the site where experiments into the paranormal led to the mysterious disappearance of the staff years before the events of the novel. Matt, his wife Claire and the rest of the crew hope to find the ghosts and make the thirteenth episode of the show a major hit.

The narrative, relating their fateful forays into the house, is made up found footage, diaries, text messages, emails and more. Normally, this doesn’t appeal to me, but it worked this time, though the text message format was a tad annoying. Using this method made events more unsettling as the narrative progressed, and made it more difficult to put the book down. I have to say that I didn’t foresee the final events at all.

Well done, and highly recommended. The book is one of the most original ghost stories I have ever read.

My thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of Episode Thirteeen.

DNF - I was beyond excited to receive this ARC so I started it right away. Unfortunately, this is too similar to "Hell House" (1971) by Richard Matheson; a book that I wasn't much a fan of. The writing style will certainly appeal to readers who did enjoy that book & those who enjoy the quirky aspects of Horror films such as "The Blair Witch Project" & others of the like. I am perhaps too exposed to the genre or maybe this just isn't my cup of tea. The writing was simplistic & blunt whilst supporting characters who were quite dull & annoying, leaving me with little desire to read-on. Regardless, I know that people will go bananas for this story & power to them, truly.

Instagram Post goes live Jan 24th

Episode Thirteen is what I’ll call ‘Diet House of Leaves’. The story is told in a mixed media format as the ‘definitive account’ of what happened to the paranormal investigation show Fade to Black on their last and most tragic investigation. The crew goes to investigate a haunted institution, where in the 70s a group of researchers attempted to spark paranormal abilities in regular people. Everyone involved in that but one person went missing and was never heard or seen from again. And as we read on in Episode Thirteen we begin to wonder if a similar fate might not befall our investigators.
I actually super enjoyed the first quarter of this book, and got chills from just the ambience and setting Craig DiLouie was making. Then we get our first spooky event early, too early and I was immediately worried. From there the story goes on to explore what that reveal did to our characters and how they slowly get lost in the Foundation house, literally.
The format on this leant itself well to this idea, especially since we got diary entries from everyone all the way until the end. This is where the strongest part of this book was, was the characters. I loved some and hated others - as I think I was meant to. But that was the strongest part for me sadly, and the book ended up lacking the umph I want in a spooky book and honestly the themes he explores are ones I do not enjoy (which was a big reason I hated House of Leaves).
If you enjoyed House of Leaves and like watching characters devolve down into possible madness, and getting lost in a building that is more than it seems - this is going to be one you want to pickup. Otherwise it’s a miss for me.

You know those ghost hunting shows that you find yourself watching, with the overacting, and the night vision? Yeah, this isn't that. Episode Thirteen follows a reality show team as they film their thirteenth episode of their show Fade to Black.

Led by husband and wife team, Matt and Claire, the team has reached Matt's mecca, the Paranormal Research Foundation. The mansion holds secrets from the 1970's experiments that left the place abandoned and the foundation's members never to be heard from again.

Told in journal entries, text messages, raw video footage transcripts and research files, this is one of the scariest, weirdest books I've read in the longest time. There is a need to suspend reality and let your mind just go with the flow and down into the maze with the team. Time and reality do not exist, but ghosts do.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

My thanks to Redhook books, Craig DeLouie and Netgalley.
Not a favorite DeLouie book.
It's just a fact. I adore the stuff that this author puts out. But? Yeah, it's all those big buts that get in the way. "That's what she said!"
I just couldn't go whole hog on this book! For me,.it just eventually became a bit ridiculous.
I'll admit that I'm a bit weird when it comes to "haunted" stuff. I've lived in 1 majorly haunted house and 2 haunted apartments.
This book ended strange or me.