This was a compelling escape room/murder mystery that kept me turning the pages. But, not familiar with the author’s genre, I was taken aback by the sudden turn to the occult/supernatural and disappointed with the abrupt ending

I absolutely love Duncan Ralston's previous works- Ghostland trilogy, Try Not to Die at Ghostland and Woom so I had high expectations for this book but unfortunately I didn't like it.

The premise made me think it would be similar to Saw crossed with The Collector but the puzzles weren't that gruesome and had more of a logical aspect to them like an escape room.


The characters were unlikeable so I didn't really care what happened to them and the puzzles concept felt a bit rushed for each stage of the game.

A fun and very readable escape room type horror novel. We follow a group of seemingly unconnected characters as they attempt to escape Puzzle House with some rather gruesome results. This was reading as a solid 4 star read ...fun and engaging but somewhat predictable....but then we hit the ending and suddenly it became a 5 star read. A twist that really caught me by surprise even though there was a decent amount of foreshadowing along the way. Excellent read!
Big thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC of this title free of charge. I'm leaving an honest review voluntarily.

Thank you for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

This is about a puzzle maker who passes away and will be leaving his estate to 6 possibly very lucky people. The book draws you in with the first character it introduces.

WOW couldn’t put it down, such a cliffhanger

I won’t lie and try to understand everything that happened in this book, but it was amazing. I read through it in one sitting, and Ralston kept me pushing forward with his intriguing ideas and twisty puzzles. Thanks for allowing me to read this!

Fast paced escape room with vibes of House on Haunted Hill and Cabin in the Woods. Was definitely entertaining and a departure from the gore soaked writings if you’re coming to this book straight from Woom. There were a lot of interesting ideas and characters however it felt like it was too much. It left the characters relatively flat, the conspiracies half formed and the mythos, which was extremely intriguing, very lacking which was unfortunate. The end part caught my attention since it had some amazing build up for what I thought would be an epic battle of will with doom impending. Even with all that I did read this quickly and it did hold my attention.

Thank him to Netgalley for the advance copy to review !

Six strangers arrive at the home of preeminent puzzle master Alexei Vasiliev for the reading of his will. Among them are the deceased's widow, who'd already begun divorce proceedings, a virologist troubled by actions in his past, and a convicted murderer on day release. The potential beneficiaries will split Vasiliev's $150M fortune if they participate in his last great work.

I did not realise at the time that this was the same author who wrote Woom which is one book I will never get a particular image out of my head. Initially this started out really well. I loved the premise behind the story, it was clever and totally drew me in. The first 50% it was really good, moved along at a fast pace and I was captivated. The strength and depth of the characters was impressive and I thought I was in for an absolute gem of a story. Then it all got a bit too much for me as I thought it all became a bit ridiculous. The other reason I am lowering my rating of the book is that there will obviously be a sequel and I was disappointed that I did not receive all the answers to the questions that remained.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own.

This is the perfect quick, creepy read at only around 150 pages. This book was my first by this author and I will definitely be reading all of their others. 6 virtual strangers, one house, who will survive? This is perfect for fans of the movie escape room, or who enjoy doing escape rooms themselves. Usually I don’t enjoy cliffhanger endings but this one ends at just the right moment

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Wicked House Publishing, and Duncan Ralston for the opportunity to review an ARC of Puzzle House: A Novel. After the supposed death of puzzle master Alexi Vasiliev, six strangers are brought together for the mysterious reading of his will. Little do they know that they have instead been summoned to complete Vasiliev’s most complicated– and most deadly— puzzle yet. Will they be able to work together to make it out alive?

I would rate Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston 5 out of 5 stars. My only complaint is that I wish it had been longer so I could know what happens next! This book had my heart racing the entire time. Each page held a new terrifying scene waiting to be read. There were so many plot twists that I couldn’t see coming. I absolutely loved this book and would love to read Ralston’s future works as well.

If you like escape-room-based horror books, you need to check this one out. Honestly, if you like any horror books, you need to check this one out. It releases September 15, 2023, and I think it will be one of the best new horror books this fall.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this twisted novel.
I’ll begin by saying that while I did rate this 3⭐️, it was still an enjoyable read.
3 stars to me is a good book, enjoyable but not without flaws.

This novel started off so well. I loved getting to know each Character and the writing drew me in straight away. I was instantly eager to continue reading.

However, I found a lot of the “gods” and Egyptian mythology went way over my head. And then the twist at the end. Let’s just say this book took some wild turns and ended up so different to what I thought it was.

This book was a Saw movie mixed with an episode of supernatural where shit just kept going wrong for our characters.

Overall, enjoyable but I won’t be going out of my way to recommend this one.

This was amazing!

I had to force myself to put this down and get some sleep, otherwise I would have finished this all in one sitting. When they say 'hooked from the first page' this is what they mean.

Five strangers find themselves trapped inside the Puzzle House, with each person desperately trying to solve all the puzzles before the clock runs out. Think Escape Room meets Squid Game meets Saw, with a little bit of Dante's Nine Circles of Hell mixed in. This was bloody and shocking, but not gory or graphic. There was just enough backstory to get to know each character and you actually feel sad when (some of them) die. Honestly, I could not stop thinking about this book for 24 hours and I'm praying for a sequel. Highly recommended.

Puzzle House is reminiscent of Saw II with a touch of an Egyptian God adventure. 6 people are the beneficiaries of a puzzle master's fortune, but only if they can each solve the puzzle house and make it out alive.
The characters were well-developed, and the dialogue was easy to follow. I definitely think there were a few shocks and twists throughout, some of them I guessed and some of them I didn't. I enjoyed the added Egyptian God riddles and research. The ending definitely shocked me and stuck with me for a few days.
If you love a good and gory horror mystery, Puzzle House is for you!

The world's top puzzle master leaves behind a will and six people are summoned for the reading of this will. When they all arrive at the designated location which is the puzzle master's house, the fun and horror begins. They all stand to inherit a large sum of money but must solve six puzzles to get out of each escape room in what becomes a game of life and death. This is a fast and intense read with a horrifying twist on a locked room mystery.

I definitely DID NOT see the twists coming ... looking forward to a part 2 in the future! Will definitely be looking for more reads from this author!

This was definitely a fast paced thriller which i love! I was able to read in between my breaks and lunches at work and there were times when i didn't want to put it down!

I absolutely love the Saw movies, so this book was right up my alley. The ending was a little rushed and slightly disappointing, but I enjoyed reading this book.

I was so excited to read this book before it’s release. It was like an escape room on steroids!

A group of people are contacted about being beneficiaries on a man named Alexis Vasiliev’s will and testament. Who is also supposed to be the worlds best puzzle maker. They’re expected to arrive at the reading to receive their cut of the money.

When the group arrives they quickly realize nothing about this “will reading” is normal. They’re quickly thrown into room after room of puzzles, having to solve each rooms own puzzle to advance to the next room.

People do die within the rooms but this book isn’t gorey (if you’re someone worried about that) this is a suspense type of horror book. I loved the tie in of history and the ending was something I thought would possibly happen. But all in all this was a super fun read.

Wow! This was so so much more than a deranged escape room story!!!

6 people, unknown to each other are brought together for the reading of a Last Will & Testament of a puzzle master. Only 1 of these people actually knew the deceased; why the others are there is a mystery! Or a maybe a conspiracy? To get their new inheritance they have to be willing to solve the clues within the house.

Soon the players start to realize this is more than just a game…. Their lives and humanity’s continuance may hang in the balance.

I love the concept of games/puzzles/Saw type rooms in this story! What would’ve been beneficial would’ve been some illustrations of the gods’ symbols or the puzzles/rooms as I had a hard time picturing some of them. I also wonder why Alexei’s personality changed once he joined the company. Didn’t he love his wife for over a decade? So why did he become sadistic? What happened to the character left in the room with the gas mask? Wasn’t there another door in the box?

This was a fantastic story and if it was a series, I’d definitely keep reading! I really want to know what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Wicked House Publishing for a copy.

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston
tells the story of what happens to the heirs—

his widow,
a doctor,
a professor,
a dean,
a prisoner.
and a politician

—of Puzzle Master Alexei Vasiliev when they arrive at his house for the reading of his will.

They are instructed they can leave with nothing or work together to solve the puzzles left for them in his house in order to gain his $150 million dollar fortune.

One by one and room by room they fall.

Will any of them successfully complete all the puzzles and receive the promised inheritance?

The story was riveting, I could not put it down!

Thanks to Netgalley and Wicked House Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read this eARC.

This was a quick read and I enjoyed it up until the final game/ending. It would have been 5 stars if I hadn't read the ending. The games were well written and kept me interested in the character storylines but the weird sci Fi ending ruined it for me. It had vibes of a mild Saw style game and seemed thought-out but the ending felt rushed and random and out of place.

This one was creepy and read like a low budget horror movie. It was predictable and gory but I still had a good time reading it. Not for everyone, but some will love this!