NOW LISTEN TO ME. I’m going to need a second book. I enjoyed this so much, I read it in one sitting! The world building that was started during the last chapter was phenomenal and totally scary! I NEED to know what happens next. This was seriously the best 5 star read I’ve had in a while. So many unexpected things happened throughout the book, it really kept me on edge. There was no lull throughout the whole book, and the character introductions were so good. If I’m being honest, I was just expecting something along the lines of the Escape Room movies, but I was given SO MUCH MORE. The story took a much darker and cataclysmic trajectory. I highly recommend this read. I could easily see this one going viral on booktok and bookstagram for sure. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had never read Duncan Ralston before, but I had heard good things about Woom and Ghostland. So when I saw the ARC for this book was available through Netgalley, I thought I'd give it a shot.

I'm normally into horror and this was more of a mystery/thriller with some horror elements, but I do like a good mystery and sometimes just want something fun and different.

I really enjoyed some of the suspenseful moments created by Ralston and it seemed as though he may have done a lot of research in preparation for this book. I had fun at times trying to figure out the riddles for the characters to get to safety and was genuinely curious how it was going to end for the first half of the book. Unfortunately, many of the puzzles seemed to become convoluted and the story became a little too difficult to suspend my disbelief.

Most of the characters were at least initially grounded in reality before becoming caricatures of themselves that happened to have very specific knowledge a little too far outside of the realm of reality. While others were stereotypical caricatures from the get go.

There is a lot of suspension of disbelief in horror, but what really keeps me turning the pages is characters that I like or like to hate with realistic dialogue, a good plot, or just being an overall fun read. I spent most of this book rolling my eyes and wondering how often action stars can think to rely on their "parkour training" while in life or death situations.

Ultimately, I would have enjoyed this book more if it had been a little more grounded in reality. It might have been easier to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the ride.

Thank you Netgally and wicked house publishing for the ARC of puzzle house.

This was my first Duncan Ralston book and will not be my last. This was a fast pace closed room horror book. I was hooked early in and could not stop reading. If you are a fan of puzzles and horror this is the book! I was not expecting the way this would turn and was pleasantly surprised.

I really enjoyed this. Just the right side of creepy and gory. The revelations of each of the characters was interesting to see. The ending disappointed me but maybe I just kinda didn't want the occult stuff to be real.

Twisted and Chilling!!

Puzzle House reeled me in after 4 chapters of introducing the characters with a little bit of their backstory. I devoured this book for 2 days only as it is such an easy read and a page-turner!

I think it would be great to turn this one into a movie!

Thank you to Netgalley for an Advance Review Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley and Duncan Ralston, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you to Wicked House Publishing.

This book was amazing! There were some typos here and there, but this book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Filled with suspense, fear, gore, and horror, it was well worth the read. You certainly root for your favorite character to make it out in the end, but I won't spoil anything.

A man known as the Puzzle Master creates the Puzzle House an extremely deadly escape room game for six individuals. They all have their talents and weaknesses. All of which are needed to get through it all. There are death, scares, puzzles, and so much into this story.

Of course, I do wish there was more to the ending. The book takes a twist I certainly was not expecting!

The theme here I'd say is that money will drive people to do horrible things. Of course, facing horrible situations and kindness can be found in the least likely people, too.

Definitely still needs another round of edits as there were multiple sentences that weren't finished and the page set up was not coherent at times. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book and how it went a different direction than I expected.

Six strangers are listed as beneficiaries in the will of deceased puzzle master Alexei Vasiliev. The catch: they must attend an in person reading at his home. Upon entering, the door shuts and locks, trapping the strangers into Alexei's puzzle house of horrors. I loved everything about this book. The switching POVs between Henry, Oscar, and Joy helped give fresh eyes to the various events. All the characters felt real, as did their fear. The pacing, attention to detail, and general tone created an atmosphere of tension so thick I could not put the book down. Puzzle House will be a hit for fans of horror, thrillers, and escape games.

Well wasn’t that weird, readers.

You know me by now. You know how much I love an escape room horror. You know how many of them are sadly disappointing.

This one was okay. Some of the puzzles were interesting, and the characters had a few good moments. But the thing is, I think concepts like this one work best when the characters come to life off the page. It’s why I loved the Escape Room movies so much. If you don’t have likeable characters to root for I feel like… what’s the point?

I wanted Atkins to have a redemption arc :(

Also most of the cult stuff was a bit confusing, and though some of the puzzles were spooky, some were hard to grasp because the locations weren’t described in much detail.

Not all bad, though! Give it a go if you like escape rooms.

This could have been five stars, it was sooooo close to five stars. Maybe it’s a 4.9 star

But why oh why did this have to turn into extreme supernatural. This was such a fun read but the supernatural part made it a little too much for me.

Review Copy

In PUZZLE HOUSE Duncan Ralston channeled Agatha Christie, the writers of Indiana Jones and The Traitors. He killed it.

OK, bad pun. But he really did a kickass job. It's such a fun, fast, easy read with the twists you want in all your mystery/thrillers.

I took a break at 0ne point and came back to settle in for another couple of hours of fun reading and you know what happened? The book ENDED! NO! I wanted more. What a great story. Make sure you add this to your tbr now. Great job Duncan!

What a wild ride! I feel like I'm smarter after reading this book. I don't think I could get past the first escape room but I'd hope I would be with others as smart as they were.

I was pretty excited when I saw this book being promoted in one of my FB groups and then happen to see it on NetGalley. I had to jump on the opportunity to read and review before the masses. Puzzle House did not disappoint. I didn't know who would make it to the end.

I have to give Ralston props on this story. He either did a ton of research or is the smartest person in the world.. probably the latter. 10/10 would recommend!

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston is seriously what I crave in a horror story.
The author did an amazing job with the details describing all the surroundings.
You felt like you were standing right there with the characters experiencing what they were living though.
It’s hard to find a horror story that holds my attention but Puzzle House was exactly what I was hoping for.
Chilling, tense and unputdownable.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Puzzle House: A Novel is a standalone horror masterpiece by author Duncan Ralston. A huge fan of movies like Saw and Escape Room, I’m always on the lookout for similar media and when I saw this advertised on the publisher’s page, I clicked pre-order so fast. I was delighted to receive an ARC and eagerly dove in without hesitation. I’m happy to report that one exceeds expectations and is one of my favorite horror novels I’ve read this year. The story revolves around a group of strangers who are benefactors in the will of a puzzle master and tasked to solve a series of escape rooms in order to receive the monetary prize. The author expertly combines suspense and horror and keeps you turning pages. I read way too late into the night; I couldn’t put it down. The author’s style is very strong and well written, it felt like you were right there alongside the characters and some of the scenes had me recoiling in horror and dread. For Escape Room or horror fans this one is not to be missed. Highly recommended, I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could.

This book left me saying, “What did I just read??” in the best way. Duncan Ralston once again delivers some great horror goodness.

This book was good, minus a few issues. First, several people were "experts" in little-known fields. I could buy if one person was an expert in one field, but a bunch of experts in a bunch of fields? That's a little too on the nose for me. And also, the ending was very very abrupt. It was very "and then I woke up!" in a little kid's story - Deus ex machina, almost. Other than these, it was really good. I enjoyed the characters and the writing and the puzzles - just not the encyclopedic knowledge of bizarre, ancient topics that everyone seemed to have. 2.5 stars, rounded up because I really did like it.

Puzzle House pits six strangers against six escape rooms- and at the end is a vast fortune from the world’s preeminent puzzle master that they get to split amongst themselves if they are successful. The contestants include the deceased puzzle master’s wife, who was in the process of divorcing him), a dying Virologist, a prisoner on day release with a prison guard, a senator, and an academic. It almost immediately becomes obvious that the puzzle house is far deadlier than anyone had anticipated, and that the group is being monitored by someone.

I’ve never read anything by Duncan Ralston before, but I’ll definitely be seeking out his other work after reading Puzzle House. The tension is high right from the get-go and at no point does Ralston let it dip as the story progresses. I was reading a bit before bed one night, and had to stop before doing something else, because the intensity started to freak me out a little. The pacing of the novel doesn’t give the characters or the reader time to breathe. If I hadn’t gotten freaked out I would have easily read it in one sitting.

In the best way possible, this book is not as straightforward as it seems. Despite there being many similarities between other works of horror like Saw or Escape Room, it really distinguishes itself when all is said and done. There’s also no shortage of gore and violence.

If I had to nitpick one thing, I just felt like the ending was a little abrupt, and left me wanting more story. It got a lot more intense, and the stakes felt higher than any other point in the story- but then it was just over. Other than that, I don’t really have any issues with the book.

This book is perfect for any fan of the “Saw” and “Escape Room” movies, with a little bit of a “Cabin in the Woods” thrown in there! The characters are perfect, the puzzles intriguing and the twist leaves you wanting more!

Duncan Ralston delivered with a great, fast-paced horror read. Six individuals, ex-wife included, visit the late Alexei Vasiliev’s home for a chance to win his fortune of one hundred fifty (150) million dollars. What they do not expect is the horrors that await them.

As a first time reader of the author, Ralston’s creativity of the story and writing style was an excellent. The ending leaves on an ambiguous note, leaving imagination to the reader. Highly recommend. The book is a quick and easy read!

This book doesn't pull any punches, and it was the perfect quick summer read for me. I already love all the elements in this exciting story, so I knew this would be a fantastic book. Duncan Ralston never misses, with the perfect blend of intriguing storyline and enough gore to make you wince.
I recommend this for fans of escape rooms, conspiracy theories, secret cults, quick reads, and a perfect ending!

Thank you Netgalley and Duncan Ralston for the ARC. I gladly leave my review!