Our 6, well make that 7, main Protagonists find themselves in the House of Enigmatologist Alexei Fyodor Vasiliev …and we will join them in their little, shall we say, Adventure!?
They are Henry Hall, Joy Reese, Dr. Oscar Evans, Dr. Rudolph (Rudy) Thomas, Ileana Athanasiou, Jessica Danvers and unfortunatey Atkins.

The recently deceased 'Puzzle Maker' has chosen these six people to 'undergo' special Challenges in his Puzzle House.
But caution, nothing is what it seems.
For every Puzzle they solve, our group has a price to pay. Quid pro quo is the Motto here!

Will they all make it out of this House alive? 🧩

I have to say, that this was far more than what I anticipated from the Book when I first lay my eyes on it.

It had a lot of topics, which made reading this Story a very rewarding Read!!
Sumerians, Akkadians, Maya, Gods/Goddesses, Demons… *sighs*
Strangers coming together as a group, united to solve Puzzles. Making sacrifices as they go.

There was a moment, where I was so disgusted with an especially gory part, let's just say that one of the first few Puzzles shouldn't be read while eating. Trust me, Lovelies!

Out of the whole Group I really felt connected AND was most sympathetic toward(?) Henry, he was such a crybaby… but you would have been, too, if you had been in his Shoes.
I was totally rooting for him before we were even through the second Puzzle.

I can't say much more about the Book 'cause that would easily spoil it for you, dear Reader!
But let's just say, it's really worth every page!

And the End… it was kind of unexpected and I bloody LOVED it!

One thing I would like to add, the Author did good research regarding Mythologies and ancient Religions , thank you for that.

I give this a 4.8 🌟 Rating. Which I will gladly round up to a full 5 on GR <b>and</b> on NetGalley!!!

𝑴𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚 𝑷𝒖𝒛𝒛𝒍𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒉!

I was so engrossed in this book that I finished it in one sitting! The intricate world-building introduced in the final chapter was exceptional and genuinely unsettling.

I'm desperate to find out what unfolds next. This has easily been the most satisfying 5-star read I've come across in quite some time. The numerous unforeseen twists kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire narrative.

There wasn't a single dull moment, and the way the characters were introduced added a lot of depth to the story.

To be frank, I was initially anticipating something akin to the Escape Room movies, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover a much more intense and catastrophic storyline. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to others.

I loved this book!! It was such a fun and fast paced read. I love the escape room /competition elements which somewhat reminded me of saw. This is definitely a lot more tame than this authors previous books. So if you like horror but not so much extreme or gore, definitely lick this one up

I really enjoyed the puzzles and general concept of this book! The fact that the whole idea was to try and gain an inheritance and that each person had a different motivation. The connections made throughout were super interesting and I enjoyed, and our two main characters, Joy and Henry as I see it, were likeable in general. However, I never felt like each character was as explored as they could have been. While this was a shorter story in general, I still think it would have benefitted from an expansion of sorts.

Overall, this book gets 3 out of 5 from me.

Not having ever read a Duncan Ralston book, I went into this book with book expectations. It started out well, maybe a little predictable and contrived in dialogue and plot. The disgraced cop, the prison guard who treats him badly, the movie starlet having an affair with the director, etc. It got better with the entry into the house (no spoilers haha), had some good, solid gore in it and the plot twisted a little.

The ending was completely unexpected and I loved it. That alone garners 4 stars.

Thanks to Duncan Ralston, Wicked House Publishing and Net galley for allowing us access to the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
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So I saw this publishing group being promoted for their thriller/horror books on one of my Facebook groups and so I immediately had to check them out! I saw this book as an option on NetGalley and I knew that I wanted to read it to try it out and I am so glad that I did! I felt like this was a book version of a combination of the movie Saw and Escape Room. I loved the puzzles that the author included in the book and felt like they just kept the reader engaged thought out the entire book. I feel like there were some things that were a little unnecessary at times and didn’t add to the plot of the book as much. But it wasn’t enough to like make me want to stop reading or anything like that! Overall, if you are looking for a spooky thriller with the edge of solving puzzles and a little gore, then this is the book for you! I cannot wait to see what else the author has in store for us!

The Puzzle House was was pitched similar to the Saw movies so naturally I was immediately intrigued and had to get my hands on it. It was a very quick read and definitely had some creepy moments throughout, but unfortunately the second half or so reallllly lost me and became a little too over the top while being questioningly convenient some of the wild knowledge these characters had that just happened to get them out of their puzzles. If you're wanting a weird, over the top, Saw-like read, give it a try this spooky season.

Thank you Netgalley and Wicked House Publishing for my review copy!

This was an entertaining book. I liked the mixture of Saw and Escape Room and some of the deaths were very imaginative. All in all a very interesting read.

This was my second book by this author and he didn’t disappoint. I love the way he weaves each character’s own story with the bigger story, giving you multiple points of view while not confusing you. It reminded me a lot of my favorite movie called Cube, the mystery behind what each room would offer to its victims and how the characters themselves would unfold as the story progressed was perfect. I went one to read 3 more books by this author. I’m absolutely obsessed with their work.

Not a first time caller

I've been a fan for a while but this still surprised me. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read it earlier!!
I read a lot of horror and every author comes at it differently. I personally like books like this where I really like some of the characters because I get more invested.
The story is about a group of people hoping to earn an inheritance by making it through a puzzle house, but of course things aren't what they seem. I was surprised more than once, horrified a few times, and laughed out loud at the end, immediately feeling guilty. I can't wait to read more by this guy

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston is a really good, well thought out and researched book. I never want to go to an escape room ever again. Puzzle House is a nod to the Saw franchise which I loved.
Not overly gory for those who dont enjoy that sort of thing.
Whens the sequel dropping?

This was the first book I have read by Duncan Ralston. I do have his book Woom on my TBR and I will be reading that now that I know he is the author of it. This is fun with a unique horror premise to it. I felt like this was a fast pasted book with lots of twists. I like that it was a shorter book so you got through it pretty fast. This is a perfect book for spooky season. I would definitely recommend this book.


Thank you NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

I love any book by this author and he hit it out of the park with this one. This book started out with great characters who I was able to engage with. the puzzles were explicitly described to the point I could visualize them. I really enjoyed this book and will continue to recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley, Duncan Ralston and Wicked House Publishing for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a quick and gory, twisty read. I sat down and read this whole thing in one sitting. It reminded me of saw with the gore and I love saw. I loved the storyline and how fast this gets crazy.

I’m so glad I discovered Wicked House Publishing. They have a great selection of real horror novels. And they had my favorite horror author, Duncan Ralston. Finally! I got a horror novel that I could really sink my teeth into.

I became a fan of Ralson after reading Ghostland. I really enjoyed it because of the gore, and horrific scenes which true horror novels must have. And like Ghostland, Puzzle House did not disappoint with its graphic depictions similar to Saw.

The plot follows a locked room mystery. But it had a lot of gore and brain teasers that tested my deductible reasoning skills. I wasn’t surprised at the finale. But the journey was well worth it.

The characters could have been more developed. And I suspect that if the novel had been longer in length, the characters would have been fleshed out better than they were.

The finale was a bit open ended. Could a sequel be in the works? I hope so. Ralston is currently my go-to horror author. And I look forward to reading more of his works. 4.5 stars rounded up.

I received a DRC from Wicked House Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

I've always been a fan of escape room horror so when I saw this one I knew I had to read it. The beginning of the story and the horrors of the puzzle house were wickedly entertaining. I really enjoyed this one...until I didn't. It took an abrupt turn into a type of horror I just don't enjoy. Definitely a case of it's not you it's me. If you like Saw type horror and/or escape room horror I definitely suggest giving this one a go.

While I didn't love this book, I do look forward to reading more by this author.

Puzzle House follows six strangers as they arrive at the house of a puzzle master for the reading of his will. Each person comes from a different place in life (the puzzle master's widow, a virologist, a murderer, a politician, etc).. If the strangers decide to participate in the puzzle master's final puzzles, they have the potential to split a $150 million dollar fortune. They all have a choice to make - either they all participate or they all leave empty handed. The players quickly learn that the house is not quite as it seems and the puzzles are tricky and deadly.

This was my first Duncan Ralston and I really enjoyed it. It left me questioning everyone's motives, intentions and back stories. Everyone has their secrets and as we discover them one by one it makes you question even more aspects about each player. I enjoyed the pace at which the puzzles were played and exactly how each player's story was gone through. It was fast paced and jaw dropping at times. I'd love a sequel!

I would definitely recommend this! It will not be my last by this author!

I had such high hopes for this book. The premise of an escape room with Saw vibes was immediately intriguing to me. However, beyond the initial premise, the book fell flat for me.

I found characters backstories to be lacking in detail and, while the reader learns the puzzle house participants had a connection to puzzle designer Alexei, there was no mention of why those particular people were chosen or their connections to each other.

As soon as there was mention of ancient religions, cults, and demonology, I began to lose interest. Those subjects simply aren't my jam (although they may be yours!) and I was caught off guard since nothing in the book summary hints at those themes.

The end of the book was a complete let down and left me wondering why the author went that direction when he started so strong with the deadly puzzle house setting to begin with. Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed and disjointed from the first half of the book and gave me dark fantasy vibes rather than the horror and thriller I was expecting.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book had a great premise. Execution unfortunately wasn't that great. There was so much unnecessary things in the book and some things not talked about enough. I also thought the line about Henry looking up Ileana's skirt was really weird and had absolutely no reason to be there. It wasn't awful but you could probably skip it.




Thank you to NetGally for the ARC!!

I would like to thank Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

As a person who loves horror, and thrillers, and puzzles and escape rooms, I was VERY excited about this book. Six people are brought to a strange house by deceased "Puzzle Master" Alexei in order to hear his will and receive their money, 150 million dollars. The catch is that they have to solve a series of puzzles to get it. As a group. And while he first puzzle seemed easy enough, it only gets harder and more deadly from there.

We're thrown into the game with six strangers: Henry (a convicted murderer), Atkins (Henry's guard), Joy (Alexei's ex-wife/widow), Ileana (a senator), Rudy (a scholar), and Jessica. Together they have to make it through a series of dangerous interconnected rooms in "Puzzle House" and learn they may not be total strangers after all. They all have a very deadly link in common, but will the figure it out in time to win the game? Can they solve the puzzles surrounding ancient and mythological gods?

I really enjoyed this book, as it had major SAW vibes. However, in the last 1/3 of the book or so, it began to take Lovecraftian turn which almost made the plot kind of bizarre. The characters themselves were a little cliche, but still carried my interest. The escape rooms were very clever and the twists were exciting. The ending was a little anticlimactic and I felt left readers hanging a little bit. But it's hopefully a setup for a sequel. Overall I liked this book, and while it has a very specific target audience, I will definitely be recommending it to my horror friends.