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!

Review below is posted on goodreads.

Got this for review on Netgally.

Didn't realise this was by the same author as Woom. Puzzel House was short but very entertaining read, was intruiged by the set up and did not disappoint. Might try an pick up Woom again this year as I dnfed it previously.

In this thrilling tale penned by Wicked House Publishing, six strangers are summoned to the enigmatic home of the renowned puzzle maker, Alexei Vasiliev, for an unusual reading of his will. Among the invitees are Alexei's ex-wife, a brilliant virologist doctor, a convicted murderer on day release, escorted by his vigilant prison guard, an esteemed senator, and an erudite academic. Little do they know that this gathering holds the promise of unimaginable wealth - a staggering $150 million - but only if they can navigate through Alexei's final, deadly puzzle.

The story artfully blends elements of horror, mystery, and humor, creating a captivating read that keeps you engaged from start to finish. As the plot unfolds, the characters' intriguing backstories are meticulously explored, adding depth and intrigue to the narrative. The collaborative escape room concept introduces an exciting challenge, and readers will find themselves immersed in solving the intricate puzzles, while diligently tracing the cleverly placed clues.

Despite its strong points, some readers, myself included, may have hoped for a bit more intensity in the horror aspects of the story. Additionally, the ending left something to be desired, leading to my decision to rate this book with three stars. It felt somewhat abrupt and missed the opportunity for further exploration. Unexpected twists took an odd turn that I personally did not appreciate, and the conclusion arrived too swiftly, leaving unresolved questions.

I want to extend my gratitude to Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for providing an Advance Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for this candid review. #PuzzleHouseANovel #NetGalley

Another winner from Ralston author of the infamous Room novella. Fast paced and impossible to figure out with well fleshed out characters you care about in between lots of gore and blood. Who can ask for more? Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC for my honest review. I am a huge fan of Ralston.

Puzzle House was a great thriller/horror! If you love escape rooms and mystery, this is a great read! I love how each chapter is titled and gives you a glimpse into each character's backstory. This story kept me reading till the very end and had a lot of twists. I enjoyed seeing how the characters connected to "piece" together the mystery. I hope to read more of Duncan Ralston's books!

Six strangers are called to the home of Alexei Vasiliev, a puzzle maker, for the reading of his will. Of the six strangers, there is Alexei's ex-wife, a virologist doctor, a convicted murderer on day release who is accompanied with his prison guard, a senator, and an academic. Upon arriving at the house, the benefactors learn that $150 million is up for grabs, so long as they participate in Alexei's final puzzle.

There are 6 escape rooms in the house. The strangers quickly learn that they have to work together in order to escape. However, they also discover that this is not a typical escape room - the puzzles are deadly.

The author does a great job of combining horror, mystery, and humour. Character development was excellent, with back stories explored. This is a quick and easy read. It was also fun to try to solve the escape room puzzles and keep track of all the clues.

Personally, I found the horror elements could have been upped a bit. I was also dissatisfied with the ending, which is one of the main reasons for my 3 star ranking. The ending was rather abrupt and could have been further explored. It took a weird and unexpected turn, which I did not like, and then just ended.

Thank you Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because the premise seemed really interested however I was VERY warry when I saw that the book was by Duncan Ralston given what I have heard others say about his past books. However I would not but this book into that same, extreme, category. I loved the idea of an escape room as a twist on the more traditional locked room mystery but knew with Ralston this would have a horror vide (I was thinking of the "Escape Room" horror movies). I think this premise works better as a movie because I had a very hard time caring about any of these characters, which is usually my driving force to read a book. I found the ending disappointing which never leaves me feeling happy with a completed read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication

I'm personally a big fan when it comes to games and tricks such as the SAW movies and this is the vibe it gave. I really enjoyed the games in the book and the overall story of it.

The only thing I would say is that I didn't feel attached to the characters, it personally didn't bother me if they lived or died and I think that's what I was missing, as I love feeling attached to characters when reading so then I feel more emotion when reading this book

4 stars

Listen, I loved this! I was a bit hesitant given Duncan’s previous books (which I haven’t read because I’m a scaredy cat), but this is definitely not extreme in the way that I’ve heard Woom described. I definitely felt the Saw vibes here, and that is one of my favorite franchises, so great comparison to whoever said that.
Now having read this I’m a bit more prepared to jump into Woom. The writing was great, and the story and world building were fast paced.

This book started out pretty good, i like the writing style, and some of the scenarios/puzzles were pretty intense but overall the story felt like t=you came in halfway thru a bigger story that you don't have any idea what is missing you just know you don't have all the information. The ending had me literally looking back and fore ward a couple pages thinking i had missed something? I really cant recommend this one it just didn't flow well or have much explanation for really anything that happens. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wicked House Publishing for an ARC copy of Puzzle House.

I LOVE escape rooms so I had to give this one a try. It was kind of like an escape room and the Saw movies mashed together. I found it to be a page-turner and difficult to put down because I wanted to see how it all played out. Unfortunately, that's where my praise for the book ends. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters and didn't really care if they lived or died. The story also contained a ton of really obscure information about ancient gods/civilizations/religions that didn't add anything to the story and distracted from the suspense of the rooms. The ending was by far the worst part..it didn't answer any of the important questions or give any closure to the story. To me, this was really just not worth the read and I would recommend skipping it.

Unable to post directly to Goodreads due to an ISBN error. Please find my review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5704271937

I'm completed wowed by Puzzle House! I love puzzles and the high stakes mystery involved with the whole story was just fantastic. I definitely didn't see the ending coming the way it did.

Well I’m already a Ralston fan! So I was excited to read this. I’m an avid escape room player so this put two of my faves together!!! And it was a crazy puzzle that I had thought I had figured out but nope. I wonder if he will go into a second book with this? I could totally see that and if he did I’d be in line to snatch it up! I love his work! Don’t let some of the reviews from some of his gory work fool you, this man is an amazing writer and knows how to tell a great story! Thank you for allowing me access to the eARC!

When I saw that Duncan Ralston had a new book out, I immediately jumped on it. In the past few months I’ve read Woom, and it is one that sticks with you. I absolutely loved it. Now if you’re trying to compare the two, then Puzzle House is NOT extreme horror. It is more Saw / Escape Room. There is terror and some gore, but nothing like Woom, I really enjoyed Puzzle House. I love reading about puzzles especially when they are deadly. I enjoyed the characters. There were ppl to root for and some to hate. I flew thru this book and recommend if you’re a horror fan, whether it’s extreme or if you’re looking to get into reading horror.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for the opportunity to read and leave and honest review

Thank you Net Galley and Wicked House Publishing for the advanced copy of Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston, out September 15, 2023!!

For anyone who liked Escape Room, Saw, and/or the Puzzle Master, this novel is definitely for you!

This story follows 6 strangers that are all brought together in a house were they have to work through rooms, that are puzzles, in order to escape & win the ultimate prize. They quickly learn that each puzzle only ends with a sacrifice and only 1 person will win in the end.

Not too much horror but definitely a lot of thriller aspects that keep you on your toes and turning pages.

I have to say (in my very own opinion), I loved it up until the ending and I think that definitely brought it way down for me. While most of the puzzles went way over my head because I do not have a lot of background knowledge in the history behind them, I was still very invested. However, once the winner emerged into the new world, I was disappointed because I just felt it took a weird unexpected turn. With that said, it is a quick thrilling read that will keep you entertained, and I am glad I gave it a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for this ARC! I had read Woom by Duncan so when I saw he had another book coming out, I was curious.

This is definitely not extreme horror like Woom, but super creepy nonetheless! This felt like the movies Escape Room and Saw meshed together. This was a fact paced story that I really enjoyed!

Puzzle House is like Saw meets National Treasure with a touch of the apocalypse just for good measure!

I wasn't sure where this book was going at first. Six people are told they've each inherited a fortune from a man they don't know (except for his ex wife). And all they have to do is solve some escape room type puzzles at his estate. Easy, right?

If you've read this author previously you know some horrifying things are going to happen and we find out quickly that these puzzles are deathtraps in disguise. But things get worse...far worse!

I loved this book. The characters were great, the concept was amazingly well done and written, and the diabolical kills were excellent. And the end was unexpected but was like the cherry on top. What has been unleashed!? I'm sure this will be a series and I'm definitely looking forward to the next.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Puzzle House.

When I found out Duncan Ralston was releasing a new novel I jumped on it as fast as I could. I will recommend Woom all day everyday to horror readers, so that when I began reading The Puzzle House, I was a tad disappointed that it was more thriller/suspense than horror. Don’t get me wrong, it has horror elements, but coming from Woom, I guess I was expecting The Puzzle Room to be more in your face shock factor.

This story keeps the reader hooked the whole way through, and is a good quick thriller read. I did feel the cult/ancient history involved was very well thought out and written as such. As for the characters themselves, they have good back stories, but I didn’t find myself behind any one person. Meaning I didn’t connect with any of them. I was eager to see who I thought would make it through though.

Some cons to this book for me personally is I feel it could have been just a tiny bit more detailed in some places. I felt in certain spots it would jump ahead without describing a situation or scene fully. It didn’t hinder the story too much, but I’m a very vivid reader so I had to stop a couple times and reread parts where it felt a bit rushed.

Also I was hoping to be able to solve the riddles and rooms with the characters but I have absolutely no background knowledge in the material in this book, so I was just here for the ride and unable to play along.

I will recommend this book to those who enjoy puzzles, riddles, mythical themes, and for anyone looking for a quick read. Thank you again NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing and to Duncan Ralston for the read!