this was a fun, fast-paced escape room type horror that definitely went in directions i did not expect. this is a bit different from Ralston’s usual extreme horror stuff like Woom - gruesome elements are still there but it was definitely toned down a lot

This a FUN horror book. It would make a great movie. Six strangers enter the home of a deceased puzzle master with the hope of solving a series of puzzles and inheriting millions of dollars. The catch? These puzzles are deadly! Highly recommend this fast paced read for all horror lovers.

Duncan Ralston's newest horror thriller is a harrowing mystery full of gore and unexpected violence!


Puzzle House is a story that follows six characters that are summoned to Alexei Vasiliev's mansion of a home. They are lured there for various reasons in addition to the promise of a portion of a $150 million dollar payout. What follows beyond that small introduction is a journey into the darkness of the human spirit, evil mythology, and more.

Puzzle House starts in a classically fun format. We get introduced to our characters that are going to be diving into the mysterious Puzzle House. We get introduced to them via some interesting traits that made me want to learn more immediately. I wanted to know how the Doctor, the Ex-Wife, the Convict interacted with each other. That was the immediate hook.

What kept me entertained and enthralled is the great writing that Ralston generates. His horror is unlike anybody else that is currently out there right now. It's dark, humorous, and it's untrustworthy (or maybe that's just his characters). Ralston makes characters that I root for despite dubious morals, backstories, or flaws.

I absolutely loved this story. I feel somewhat embarrassed to say that Woom was my first Duncan Ralston novel (followed closely by Gross Out - seriously go read it!), but he has since become an author who I love. I own most of his work now. Puzzle House is just another great book and I look forward to reading more and more of his work.

PS - for fans of GHOSTLAND - this edition also includes The Moving House the prequel and I loved that story!


Perfect for fans of Escape Room, Escape Room 2: Tournament of Champions, the Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, and even Indiana Jones!!

I had so much fun reading this book that I devoured it in like five hours! I love horror and thrillers, mysteries and puzzles of any kind, but escape rooms are my weakness. I pressed that 'read now' button so hard I popped a blood vessel in my finger! Ralston definitely excels at the weird and macabre, and this book did not disappoint. Six strangers summoned to a will reading, only to find themselves trapped inside a house full of escape rooms and left with a choice: Stay, solve the puzzles in the rooms and inherit 1.5 million dollars or leave with nothing. Yea right. If you know Ralston, that's definitely NOT how the story goes. And I loved every minute of it except for the ending. Too abrupt. I am left wanting more of a conclusion and not fully satisfied. My frustration is real! I really need to know what happens next. That's my only negative critique on this book. It was well written and a very good mystery. The puzzle aspect was extremely interesting and very creepy. The characters were well developed and perfectly suited for the story. It was a great read!

Thank you to the author, Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston follows six strangers as they are brought to the house of a deceased millionaire for a will reading only to find themselves participants in a deadly game. They have to learn to trust one another to solve the puzzles and advance through the house in order to get their chunk of the inheritance.

Having only read Woom by this author, I had a feeling this would be very violent and gory and while it does lean that way a bit, it is not an extreme horror novel. So if you are weary after reading Woom, rest assured, this book is much more palatable.
I really enjoyed my time reading this book. The writing was easy to follow and the puzzles were intriguing. There were times when it seemed like the characters had too much knowledge about niche topics but I had to remind myself of their background to remember that it was very plausible for them to have that knowledge. The different things discussed in this book were fascinating (I don’t want to go into exactly what it was because it would be a little spoilery). I found myself picking up my phone to look further into some of it. I love a good book about a game or puzzles. There is just something about that trope that I love pretty much every time.

There is a specific movie that I really love and this book reminded me of it in a way, especially the end. The overall stories are completely different but the vibes are similar and I can’t wait to see other early reviews to see if anyone else makes the comparison.

I thought this was a lot of fun. If you like books about puzzles that aren’t really set up for the reader to solve and don’t mind some blood and gore, this book is a great time. I read it all in one sitting because it’s a great length for the story it is trying to tell.

Great premise! Six complete strangers are told that they need to attend a will reading at the house of a puzzle master. they learn that they have the option to benefit from 150 million dollar fortune if they the puzzle master's latest work - six interconnecting escape rooms.

The six, including his widow, a doctor, an incarcerated man learn quickly that to complete the final puzzle is more of a life and death situation as each step becomes deadlier and deadlier! If you love escape rooms, puzzles, locked rooms and meglamaniac millionaires this is a deadly fun book for you!. #wickedHousepublishing #wicked #wickedHouse #PuzzleHouse #DuncanRalston

I devoured this. It piqued my interest immediately which I love. This took such a bizarre turn and I loved the elements in this story. It was a different take on Saw and Escape Room and I enjoyed it a lot! Except of Atkins…he is an annoying prick. Well done!

Basic thriller. Very basic. Nothing new here at all. Just a guy trying to GRT his wife back but in a Cube like puzzle put together by some mad man. These books are a dime a dozen and I'm tired of hoping for something new and exciting from them.