Such a THRILLING read! The ending Gabe me chills. Just as expected from K.Mod there were so many twists and turns. Let's just say I hope none of this stuff happens to K. Mod because wow!

Kiersten Modglin's "Do Not Open" is a thrilling exploration of a writer's nightmare turned reality, but it's a tale that walks a fine line between intensity and excess. While the plot ingeniously intertwines a writer's creations with a nightmarish scenario, some readers may find the level of violence, though not explicitly detailed, to be gratuitous and heavy-handed.

The story's strength lies in its ability to blur the lines between fiction and reality, plunging readers into the harrowing predicament of Mari Morgan, a writer ensnared by a fan-turned-villain. Modglin crafts an atmosphere thick with tension, drawing parallels between Mari's literary heroines and her own fight for survival.

However, amidst the cleverly constructed suspense, the narrative occasionally veers into moments of heightened violence that might overshadow the psychological depth and thrill of the storyline. While violence can be a tool to intensify the stakes, its portrayal here might feel excessive to some readers, potentially detracting from the overall immersive experience.

The echoes of iconic thrillers resonate throughout the book, yet the intense moments of violence could detract from the otherwise captivating storytelling. It's a testament to Modglin's skill that the narrative maintains its grip on the reader's attention despite these instances.

Ultimately, "Do Not Open" offers a riveting exploration of obsession and survival, but potential readers should be aware that the narrative occasionally leans into heavy-handed portrayals of violence that might overshadow the cleverness of its plot. The story's ability to keep readers engaged is evident, but the impact of certain violent elements might vary among individual readers.

THE CHILLS I HAD AT THE END. This never happens. I read so many thrillers that I am desensitized to most twists, but this one was genuinely unexpected. I recently read Hemlock by Kiersten and loved it, although I didn't consider it a thriller, but this one is definitely a thriller. Heart pounding from start to finish. Bravo, very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC.

Holy Moly! Excuse me while I pick my jaw up from the floor! This was a good one.... It was a quick, short read but packed full of suspense. I binged it in just a few hours! Make sure you carve time out of your day because this is one you definitely will not be putting down until the end!

I listened to a free copy of the audio version in exchange for my honest opinion. I am here to tell you- this is going up high on my list of favorite books by Kiersten Modglin! It might just be the new best.

It was thrilling for sure, disturbing at times & a bit gory. I was hooked. Definitely check the trigger warnings in this one before you get started. I don't usually have many triggers, but I was definitely not prepared for what lies in these pages. There is some excellent detail and it really sets the atmosphere and keeps you engaged the entire time.

Make assumptions as you will, but nothing will prepare you for the twist at the end of this one. Honestly if you actually guess the twist you're lying. There is no way. I did notice a little repetition in some things that were said among the characters, but it wasn't too bad. The ending is a satisfying conclusion, no loose ends. The narrator did an excellent job at capturing my attention and really sharing the story well.

HUGE thank you to #Netgalley & the publishers for the opportunity to listen. A++!!!

I really really enjoyed this bingeable thriller and devoured it in part of a day! This book skips a build-up and puts you in it pretty quickly. I also now adore Mara Wilson as a narrator and will be on the lookout for more books she voices.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-Format: Audiobook, Genre: psychological thriller

Mary has more than a few skeletons in her closet. With so many losses in her life, she has developed some not-so-healthy coping mechanisms. She barely leaves the house, but then she receives an offer that’s too good to be true. With the encouragement of her friend, she takes the risk. I really loved the rawness of Mary’s character. I cheered for her every step of the way! @MaraWilson was easy to listen to and did a great job going back and forth between characters. It was a quick listen ~6 hours. This story had so many twists and turns. I was blown away by the ending! You guys, go read this one right now!

Thank you @NetGalley, @KierstenModglinAuthor, and @dreamscape_media for this advanced listen for an honest review! I really enjoyed this one!

#DoNotOpen #KierstenModglin #NetGalley #PsychologicalThriller # audiobook #MaraWilson #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #TheMidNOCBookClub

3.75⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Setting ~ South Carolina
Publication date ~ book ~ October 31, 2023, audio ~ December 26, 2023
Est page Count ~ 206 (27 chapters)
Audio length ~ 5 hours 4 minutes
Narrator ~ Mara Wilson
POV ~ single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ abduction, stalker, assault, dark, disturbing, survival

Mari is an author that has received an enticing email. She'll soon learn that responding to it will be one of the biggest mistakes of her life when her captor starts taking pages out of her own disturbing books.

Does Mari make the best choices when she's fighting for her life? Not really, but who knows what we'd do if we were in the same circumstance...let's hope we don't have to find out. Her last ditch effort to save herself was a nice touch.

Fast paced and suspenseful with a nice twist I really didn't see coming, so woo hoo for that.

Narration notes:
I feel that Mara could have been slightly more frantic in some parts, but overall fine.

I love Kiersten Modglin but this book gave me the ick and isn’t my favorite. The plot was clever but the violence while not overly detailed felt gratuitous and heavy handed.

🙌🙌🙌 thanks netgalley for the ARC of this audiobook. This has got to be the best book I’ve listened to from this author. It was amazing and flowed so well. My interest the entire time was hooked to this book. Holy smoke the twists and turns of this book was amazing and so on point.

Another winner-winner-chicken-dinner from one of the top psychological thriller authors. "Do Not Open" was great.

Oh my god! I literally devoured this book in like 5 hours, I almost actually skipped my gym session to finish it!

I entered this read without knowing much, I actually thought it was about a stalker that kidnapped an author in the middle of the road and we were going to follow the authors journey in escaping, but I was a bit wrong there ha! Sorry, I see #KMod and I click want to read, what can I say.

Now, book talk. This one is DARK.

Or well, darker than I thought definitely. I had only read The Amendment trilogy, The Missing and A Quiet Retreat prior to Do Not Open so I was familiar with a “normal” amount of darkness in Kirsten’s thrillers but this one was upped a notch, so beware this book contains a bit of stronger scenes than other books.
Great read, not very popcorn as others have been like AQR or some Freida Mcfadden’s.

I just wish it was longer!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. Do Not Open is a psychological thriller with lots of angst and an unbelievable plot twist. Please check trigger warnings as it deals with sensitive topics like loss of a loved one, SA, kidnapping and violence.

Mari was living a life of sadness and grief after the loss of her husband and son. When suddenly an opportunity comes to her allowing one of her novels to be turned into a movie. Unfortunately, for her this was all an evil trap from an obsessed fan to lure her in. Mari must fight her captor while also enduring her traumatic past and present. As well as fighting alcohol withdrawals. As she tries to find a way to escape she also must try to get to know her number one fan in order to make her escape.

Review: I enjoyed reading this book and I had to binge it all in one day. I had to know what was going to happen next. Every time Mari tried to escape I was anxious to know if she would finally get free. I did not expect that plot twist at the end. This was an interesting read and I look forward to reading more books by Kiersten Modglin.

I couldn’t put this down! It kept me up late into the night. I couldn’t go to sleep because I was thinking about this book…

KM is a newly discovered author for me and her books are quickly becoming a go-to reliable ride! This might be my favorite yet! A must if you like KM books and if you’re into psych thrillers and haven’t read her yet, don’t miss this!

Thanks netgalley for my ARC ALC!!!!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Buckle up, this was a wild ride! So much action and anxiety packed into a quick little book. This was hard to put down.

I loved the ‘Misery’ vibe and was so invested in what was going to happen to Mari. And the twist! Probably one of the most shocking twists I have read, my jaw dropped.

Mara Wilson was a great narrator, very easy to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick scary and suspenseful read. Had me sweating bullets. One of the scariest books I’ve read in a long time.

The narrator wasn’t my favorite. Her voice was often a bit whiny sounding to me.

This was an enjoyable psychological thriller with a very similar plot to Stephen King's Misery. (Enjoyable in the same vein as a silly horror movie when you're constantly yelling at the characters, "Don't go into the basement!")
This was also the appropriate length, just long enough without having to add any additional outlandish plot twists.
I'd like to thank Netgalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I could not stop thinking about Misery. I wish something could have pulled me out of that, but I couldn’t keep from comparing.

Thank you, Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and the author for the audio book.

Thriller author, Mari begins living out her own real life horror story when she meets her biggest fan and things take a dark turn.

This was a quick read and the definition of popcorn thriller. Wowowow what a wild ride. I binged this one, not a dull moment! It was fast-paced, intriguing, and had an ending wrapped up in a plot twist I didn’t see coming! 4 stars because I am not a fan of alcoholic MC tropes.

Mari Morgan is a full-time author, but had yet to make the leap to TV and film adaptations. So, when an e-mail comes from a high-powered film executive, it seems like she'll finally realize her dreams.... until the meeting turns into a nightmare.

I loved this one. As often is the case with Kiersten Modglin books, this book starts with a very normal, relatable character but immediately launching into a crazy situation. The first bit of this was pretty obvious, but the twists the book takes in the back third took me by surprise. In combination with amazing narration, this one was hard to pause!

✦Do Not Open by Kiersten Modglin✦
Audiobook Narrated by Mara Wilson
★★★☆ 3.5/5 stars

✦ Synopsis
Infatuation turns dangerous when a struggling author connects with her biggest fan.

Thriller author Mari Montgomery has made a successful career out of creating some of the book world’s most sinister villains, but when her words are turned against her, Mari must channel the bravery of her fictional heroines to outwit her captor & make it out alive.

✦ My Thoughts
An intense ride from start to finish, I listened to this in one sitting! The audiobook narrator, Mara Wilson, absolutely nailed this performance.

Everything about this story felt slightly unhinged, but in an enjoyable way. There were quite a few twists & turns throughout, but the final twist was so unexpected! 🤯 I felt like it came together so perfectly, a very satisfying ending. Also, the beginning dedication was so sweet.

Fast-paced, tense & surprising, Do Not Open is a great little popcorn thriller that I’d recommend to any suspense-loving thriller fan.

Read if you like:
- Behind Closed Doors
- The series You
- Grape Lifesavers
- Books about authors
- Ever wondered what it’s like to get fan mail
- Bingeable popcorn thrillers you can read in one sitting
- Killer twists

Thank you to netgalley, dreamscape media, & Kiersten Modglin for the opportunity to listen to this arc, which releases on Dec 26! ◡̈