*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"What are you reading lately...?"
"Murder as usual."

"Mari I'm your number one fan."

OMG! Seriously, how ominous are the words, "I'm your number one fan" to any artist, whether it be an author, actor, or singer etc.? In her latest heart pounding suspense, Do Not Open, the queen of thrillers, author Kiersten Modglin, takes those words to the scariest part of our imagination.

It has happened to all of us; the email from supposedly someone famous and you know in your brain it's spam but in your heart you hope, just maybe it's the real deal. Your life could change to something great, all your dreams come true...so you open the email and...

Mari is a suspense thriller author with severe writer's block from dealing with a personal tragedy. When she sees the email from a famous movie/TV producer she doubts it's legitimate but what, just what, if he's read her books and wants to talk about optioning one of them.

Oh the sender definitely read her books, in fact he can't wait to act out some of the more torturous parts with her. Voice actress Mara Wilson brought the terror as Mari slowly realizes that her words are literally coming back to bite her, burn her and eventually kill her.

My love for Kiersten Modglin is no secret and it's appropriate that the last thriller Thursday of the year is a review of this suspenseful pulsating thriller. Just remember Do Not Open any emails while listening to this mash up of Misery and You.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This one wasn’t my favorite. I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes at the main characters decision making. The main twist definitely took me by surprise though! I also thought the writing type was very captivating. The narration was also very well done.

Are you looking for a book that will distact you from whatever is going on in your real life? Do you need a really engaging book that will grab you and not let you go? "Do Not Open" by Kiersten Modglin is that book!

Marietta is a writer of thrillers, and she gets an email from a movie producer. He invites her to come over for a meeting. She does and then passes out during her second drink and wakes up in a locked basement bedroom. Her captor claims he is her biggest fan. He wants to save her from her depression and alcoholism so she will start writing again.

He wants to act out scenes from her books, which are all pretty horrific and involve physical abuse and violence. It's a "forced psychotic rehab" to use her words. She keeps trying to escape. It is really truly terrifying!!! It had an exciting ending with a twist.

I've read and enjoyed many books by this author, but I had not read one in a while. This was a big step up in the horror aspect. Written in first person also puts you right into the action.

Mara Wilson is a very good narrator. Her deeper, slower voice for the captor is creepy but feels realistic. Her voice is smooth and pleasurable to listen to.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Obviously, this says for fans of Misery, but honestly, it's too similar and uses some of the same phrases... hard pass. The narrator is amazing though.

by Kiersten Modglin

Thank you to the published and Net Galley for the advanced audio copy.

MY THOUGHTS:

This book was a wild ride. Not many books have made me say "holy s**t" out loud. It kept me on edge, wondering what Chris was going to do to Meri next and if Meri would escape.

It really makes me think about something I saw Kiersten post on her instagram about how she finds her ideas in her everyday life and vacations and such. There are so many similarities between her and this author character! Her imagination must constantly be going and coming up with ideas.

It was great on audio too- the perfect length to hold my attention. It was one POV so also very easy to follow. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio advance reader copy of this book. Love Love Love. Kiersten Modglin never disappoints!! This is a story about how a reader messes with an author and it is told as only Modglin can. Dark and twisty with characters the reader loves and hates! 5 stars

With a big nod to King's Misery, KMod gives all the creepy fan vibes and the audio only amps it up.

Mari is a down on her luck author with a drinking problem. We don't know right away WHY but we know something brought on her struggles.

She gets an email from a fan who owns a production company wanting to meet with her.
She investigates, seems legit, and she agrees.

And I cannot tell more because it would spoil the story. Know that it is dark and you feel you're along with her to endure it all.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This one kept me on my toes! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. At first I was a little put off by the Misery vibes but it was different enough for me that I enjoyed it.

For a woman with such a happy presence, KMod sure writes some dark fiction!

This book was so unbelievably good. The twisted backstory at the end flooded me. It was intense waiting to see if Mary would make it.

Shout out to the best friend! Ladies (and gentlemen) tell people where you are going! Have backup plans and always be thinking of your safety first, not being kind.

No. DNF at Ch 10. After viewing the reviews for this book, I don't want to waste my time. This already isn't working for me and I don't want to drag myself through it. It's a poorly crafted and executed homage to Misery, which frankly can't be duplicated. The narration was uninteresting and monotone with no voice variation between characters.

I flew through this audiobook. It was highly entertaining and had excellent narration. I loved the nod to Misery that the author made her own in every way. All the suspense, fast-paced, and with a nice twist.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A mystery novelist named Mari has found herself in a situation that she could only have imagined in her books. What could have been the plot of her next novel became her living nightmare. I was pleased that the author took a different approach by giving Mari countless chances to break free. This made the novel stand out from multiple other books with similar scenarios. Although I was eagerly waiting for a surprising ending, I found myself content with the final reveal. The author's skillful use of plot twists made the book an enjoyable and fast-paced read. However, I couldn't shake off the feeling that the novel failed to fully capture my attention as much as I had anticipated. I gradually lost interest and, unfortunately, the plot did not live up to my expectations.

Kiersten Modglin is hands down my favorite mystery author, and I'm on the hunt for more of her novels! Thanks to NetGalley for granting me an early copy of her latest novel.

Do Not Open
by Kiersten Modglin
Narrated by Mara Wilson

Rating: 3.5/5

Another fun listen from KMod! As many reviews have mentioned, Mari's story, the story of her being kidnapped by a fan of her writing, is very reminiscent of Misery, by the King of Horror, Stephen King. Yes, there are many things that will remind you of Misery...for the first part of the story. The second half takes a completely different turn and this is where it really picks up and keeps your attention. I'll admit that the first half of the book was a bit slow-moving for my taste, but KMod made up for it with plenty of surprises in the second half! If you're a fan of KMod, as I am, this isn't my favorite, but as always it offers up twists and turns galore and will keep you listening to the very end.

Mara Wilson narrated this story well and brought life to the characters. Thank you to NetGalley, KMod, and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen to and review this ARC!

4.5 Stars
Are you ready for a thrilling ride?

I believe that it's best to dive into this one blind. But for those who are curious, here's a quick rundown: Mari Morgan is a talented writer, a suspense and thriller author whose novels are nothing short of gripping, but after a personal tragedy, she finds herself struggling to put pen to paper. Just when she's about to give up hope, an unexpected opportunity comes knocking on her door. Though hesitant at first, Mari knows she can't let this chance slip away. But what she doesn't know is that this opportunity is not what she expected, and what follows is a rollercoaster ride of suspense and thrills that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Highly recommend to fans of darker thrillers! It was a quick and captivating read that could easily be devoured in a couple of hours.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Kiersten Modglin, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Do Not Open by Kiersten Modglin

This is my first time reading a thriller telling about a kidnapped woman and her struggle towards freedom, and my first Kiersten Modglin book. The idea of a thriller author being kidnapped by her fan and using her own words to torture her is truly terrifying. I somewhat agree when Mari said that it would take luck for her to get out of that place. And although many times I thought she was being stupid, I can never fully understand what she went through; all I can do is speculate and imagine the horror of her experience. The twist at the end really shocked me, never had I imagined the revelation would be THAT. This book gave me the feels, had me gripping my seat and biting my nails. It was a really good suspense and I would recommend it to lovers of dark thrillers.
Also, thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC.

3.5⭐️

This was a gripping story, great for fans of Misery, and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. But it kept me asking, just how many red flags can one character ignore? As frustrating as it was entertaining.

Thank you Kiersten Modglin, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars

I absolutely loved the book Misery and I think it was my first big book when I was a teenager. With that being said, I think I have held that book to a high standard in my memories. This book is pretty much a copy and paste of that book. Thus, I think nothing can really compare to Misery in my 3.5 stars

I absolutely loved the book Misery and I think it was my first big book when I was a teenager. With that being said, I think I have held that book to a high standard in my memories. This book is pretty much a copy and paste of that book. Thus, I think nothing can really compare to Misery in my mind. I think if I read this one without reading Misery, I would have liked this one more, but it pretty much felt like I already read it before. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good book, I just felt like I already read it and it didn’t feel new to me.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was fine. Not my favorite by the author. I love that it was short but there were some moments were I was a little bored.

The authors books are always one sitting, binge worthy reads for me but this one was on a whole new level of addictive for me. Auto buy all the time and this one did not disappoint. I listent to this book in one itting and couldnt put it down. I think this one is the best by far!!!

Warning - do not begin reading this book at night if you hope to get any sleep!! I like to listen to audiobooks for 1/2 hour before I go to sleep so I began this book with that in mind. When the 30 minutes were over, I reset the timer. Again and again - until I had finished the book. I simply could not stop reading this book!! I'm not familiar with the author but I'll certainly be looking into more of her work. The author has an excellent way of pacing the narrative and keeping the reader totally engaged. The characters are believable and some of the gory actions had me cringing. There are unexpected twists throughout the book with some final big ones at the end.

The narration is superb and adds to the suspense and creepiness of this excellent thriller.