Modglin is one of my favorite authors. The way her twists and turns get me every damn time! I can't get enough. I have read so many of her books and while this isn't my favorite I will continue to read every single book she writes. totally worth the read.

By now, everybody knows that I love Kiersten Modglin and her books. She is a master of twists and turns, drawing you in from the first page to the last or in this instance from the first word to the last.

Mari Montgomery is a writer, or she used to be a writer before tragedy struck her family, tearing her world apart. When Mari receives an email , she takes it as a sign of change for the good. The sender claims to be her "number one fan" and if thats the case, what harm can come from it? When Mari ends up locked in a room, she comes face to face with something more henious than anything she could have came up with. Now in a battle for ler life and a chance at survival, she fights as hard as she can to tell another tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of Do Not Open by Kiersten Modglin in exchange for a my honest review.

Wow! Kiersten Modglin does it yet again with another captivating thriller that I just couldn’t stop reading! I adored this one!

Psychological thriller author Mari finds she can no longer writer after losing her husband and son and turns to alcohol for comfort. When she receives an email from a movie producer inviting her for a drink, her best (only?) friend convinces her to go for it. Mari accepts, and her life is forever changed.

"Do Not Open" (I'm still not sure to what exactly the title refers as the line is never uttered in the book) is a gender-bent version of Stephen King's Misery, right down to the antagonist repeatedly calling himself "Your number one fan". But Paul Sheldon, Mari is not. When I first read Misery, every time I thought "Why doesn't Paul just do X", I'd turn the page and Paul would try to do X, and then another page and Annie already has cut him off. In contrast, Mari makes unwise decisions and a lot happens to her without her really taking an active role in her attempts to survive until late in the book. Some of her decisions are explained by hypovolemia, which always seems to hit her right at the worst time, while others are just so poorly conceived they make it difficult to suspend belief. There is a twist near the end that caught me by surprise, but I predicted the relationship between Mari and her captor very early on, and the twist only served to make me more suspicious of how Mari didn't recognize him at all. Whereas in Misery, I felt like, were I in Paul Sheldon's position, I wouldn't survive, in this book I had difficulty imagining ever getting myself into Mari's situation in the first place. Supposedly there is a reference to Annie Wilkes in the story that I missed, but since this is such a blatant rewrite I wish there had been a more obvious nod, like Mari asking herself "What would Paul Sheldon do?"

The descriptions are vivid, perhaps even too graphic at times, and there is a lot of good tension throughout the book. The premise is certainly a chilling one, and one that could happen. In this case, I think story was sacrificed to create a twist that doesn't quite pan out. It would have been better to know the antagonist's motives early on and focus on Mari's attempt to survive and escape. Mara Wilson does a fine job narrating, though, and kept me wanting to continue reading.

Thanks to the author and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair review.

2.5/5 stars

I usually really enjoy Kiersten Modglin’s fast-paces, chaotic writing with the huge twists. And while this book did have a really great and unexpected twist, the rest was frustrating to me! The build up of suspense was great, but it felt like it dragged on for a bit too long with little resolve. The ending felt rushed and so out of no where that it felt more haphazard and less like an intentional twist. Like all KMod books, I couldn’t put it down once I started, even though this one left me a little disappointed.

I liked this one,
It does remind me of Misery, following the same lines of an author being kidnapped by a crazed fan.
I did enjoy the consistent anxiety from seeing the MC trying to escape her situation
You can read this in one sitting, it's a fast read that keeps you interested enough to want to get to the end.
Solid read!!

Do Not Open by Kiersten Modglin. I LOVE Kiersten Modglin books BUTTT I think this one is one of my favorites. The ending was shocking. One of the best twists I have ever read in a book. I read this book so fast because I just could not stop! One of my top 5 favorites this year! READ THIS! Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC!

Do Not Open was a great read by Kiersten Modglin. Author Mari Morgan received an email that is life changing. It is the opportunity of a lifetime that could change everything for her. She is curious by the supposed fan on the other end of the email. She tried to do her due diligence but could not discern the legitimacy of the sender. She decides to take a leap of fait and replies to the email. But as soon as she comes face to face with her supposed number one fan, she realizes that things are not as they first appeared. For her to escape and survive, she must use the strength of the heroines that she writes. I enjoyed reading this book and cant wait to read more by the author.

So so good!!!! Fast paced and such a quick read! Absolutely loved this one! The audiobook made everything so much more suspenseful! This could possibly be my favorite of Modglin's novels!! Give this one a read!!

*Thank you so much @dreamscape_media for the #gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

It was a nice and quick read to scratch that thriller itch. The plot was well chilling and the plot twists at the end wrapped everything in a neat now. A fun read for sure. The narrator did a good job as well.

This was a successful horror thriller that kept me going. It was written and narrated so well I swear it was a based on a real story. This story is about an author who receives an email that promises to change her life and it truly does. This book takes you on a trip of fear, panic, horror, hope, sadness, and overall grief. The MCs life is in such shambles it shatters and breaks so fully she is faced to look at all the shards and decide if her life is really worth it or anything at all.

It pains me to leave less than glowing reviews for books new to or coming to the market. I know that this author is capable of much better writing so I plan to read whatever she puts out next, but this one….. it was a mess from start to finish.

If you’re going to use an idea that has been done (Misery by Stephen King), you need to bring fresh takes and twists. Sadly this didn’t come close to delivering anything new or exciting. The dialogue was stilted and cheesy, the FMC was the most inept thriller writer I’ve ever heard of, and the plot was repetitive. Sadly, this one was a miss for me, but I do look forward to what she comes up with next.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for this free audiobook in exchange for my very honest review.

Audiobook Review:

Do Not Open by Kiersten Modglin

My rating:

4.5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Mari, an author who is struggling with writer’s block receives an email about a possible job opportunity. When she thinks, “what do I have to lose”, she replies and meets the man at his home to discuss the opportunity. When she realizes that it was a trap by an obsessed fan, it is already too late for her to leave. Mari must find a way to get out, no matter what it takes.

Kiersten Modglin seriously is one of my new favorite authors! Her writing style and plots are always so addictive.

I really enjoyed the pace of this one and the author even threw in a little twist at the end that I did not see coming!

The narration was great and kept me engaged the entire time. I would absolutely recommend this one for a quick, fast paced thriller about what Mari will do to save herself from an obsessed fan.

Thank you netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC! You can read or listen to this one now!

3.5 Stars ~

I find this one a little hard to review. Although I have not read Stephen King’s book Misery, I have seen the movie a few times. And this just feels like a shorter version of this.

Although I don’t particularly enjoy King’s books (too wordy), I do enjoy his movies. And I did enjoy this book, and I’m glad it wasn’t super long.

So I guess if you enjoyed Misery, and don’t mind it feeling quite similar, this might be enjoyable for you.

Thank you NetGalley for an audio-ARC of this book, in return for an honest review.

I love Kiersten Modglin, this is the fourth book of hers that I've read, and so far, none of them have let me down. It's consistently a who done it, and why, and it's never who you think it is, unless they tell you from the beginning who did it.
This book is about an author who gets an email to make one of her books into a movie, all she has to do is meet and advise him. She doesn't think she should go, but her best friend talks her into it. Once she gets there, things aren't quite as she thought they would be, but after two drinks she loosens up, after a third she finds herself in a small room. What happened, why is she here, and who is the man that she met???

Thank you for the audio arc of this book! I always have fun with Kiersten's books. Sadly I didn't get to finish it before it expired on my shelf.

Again, Kiersten Modglin kept me on my toes! I was so shocked listening that, at one point, I didn't notice the stoplight had turned green and I was getting honked at. WOW. I am a KM super fan and will read anything she writes.



I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Do Not Open by Kiersten Modglin is a psychological thriller that follows the story of Mari Morgan, an author who receives a life-changing email from a supposed fan. The book is a haunting tale of obsession and survival that explores the darkest depths of the monsters in one’s own novels. The story is brilliantly crafted with well-timed twists and a few shocking surprises that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are so well-crafted that you empathize with them as if they were real people. If you are looking for a dark and suspenseful read, then Do Not Open is a must-read

Do not open is quite a short audiobook, around 5 hours in length. You can finish it in one or two sittings.

Audiobook was good, narration was good too but I did not enjoy the story as it was typical and nothing special. Mari was one of the most frustrating character. First of all never ever go to meet a person at their house, reddest flag ever. No matter who he claims he is. That was the first thing that annoyed hell out of me. Listen to your guts women. Let everything else to to hell.

This was too plain to actually enjoy it. We are left to wonder till the end what happened to Mari's family but I did not really care. Twist was okay in the end.

Thank you Netgalley and dreamscape audio for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Mari is an author with some major writer’s block after a personal tragedy. When she gets an email from a movie producer she feels excited for the first time in a long time. Little does she know that opening the door to this “opportunity” will cause upheaval in her life that she never could have seen coming.

Whoa…this is my 4th book by this author and my favorite so far. I love a good stalker story and this one has a “jaw on the ground” twist. I loved it all!