Q was a heart-stopping story that kept me hooked from start to finish. From the moment author Mari Morgan receives that fateful email, her life takes a terrifying turn. The author’s storytelling creates a sense of unease and curiosity that resonates with me. The narrator’s voice captures the fear and determination of Mari, immersing listeners in her harrowing journey. As the lines between fiction and reality blur, Wilson's narration intensifies the chilling atmosphere, leading me to the edge of my seat. The characters are well-developed and interesting.

What if you became the protagonist from your thriller novel and all those terrible things were now happening to you? Loved this! It is very intense and harrowing and I was hooked on every word. I read it in two days because I couldn’t stop. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job bringing the character and story to life in that way. This is my second book I’ve read from this author and she is quickly becoming a favorite auto-buy for me. Another binge worthy, edge-of-your-seat, popcorn thriller. This is a must-read and this author deserves way more hype! Definitely a five-star and you can bet I’ll be eagerly awaiting her next release as well as checking out more of her backlist. Highly recommend this exciting ride of a book!

I binged on this book! It was such a fast pace read and I was glued listening intently. The narrator, Mara Wilson did a wonderful job portraying Mari, the MC. The variety of tones and inflections came across well the utter terror and panic was spot on. The plots twist was genius and I didn’t see it coming at all!

In order to survive Mari must get out of her head and willing to do anything to survive. But will she?

A very special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

Do Not Open was such an intense ride. This thriller gives a Misery vibe, with the lead character also being an author who meets a crazed fan. Mari has lost her will to truly live. After losing her family she turns to the bottle. When she receives an email that could change her life she decides to just go for it. Unfortunately, this meeting doesn't change her life the way she had hoped. How far will an obsessive fan go to get what he wants?

If you think you know where this one is going you're wrong. I loved that although Mari is in a bad spot she continues to fight. When I say my jaw dropped at several parts, I mean it. Kiersten Modglin always creates an atmospheric read but I think this one may have sucked me in the most. I was so emotionally invested in Mari's journey. Mara Wilson's narration also helped to peak my interest, she did a wonderful job.

!!DO NOT OPEN SUSPICIOUS EMAILS!!

Author Mari Morgan has turned to alcohol after a family tragedy and hasn't written her serial killer / thirller books in a while. This displeases her "Number 1 Fan" so much that he scams her with the opportunity of turning her books into movies by pretending to be a film producer that loves her books.
Now she's locked in a basement with a psycho who starts acting out her book scenes when she tries to escape as a punishment.
Mari must use the strength of the women she’s spent years writing about. But her number 1 fan has spent years inside those books as well.
How will she defeat an evil who has learned from the best?

Thank you to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the arc of another amazing Kiersten Modglin book!

Do Not Open
By: Kiersten Modglin
Narrated by: Mara Wilson
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Release date: 12-26-23

Fast paced, gripping, and hard to put down! Coming in at 204 pages, Do Not Open can easily be read in one sitting/listening. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job of bringing this book to life.

Mari is an author who opens a message offering her opportunity that has the power to change her life. Mari must have forgotten that curiosity killed the cat, and she took a chance. She soon regrets it...

When I began this book, I wondered if I was listening to a retelling of Stephen King's "Misery." An author who has a ‘number one fan,’, etc. Yes, readers/listeners will get "Misery" vibes but KMod turns things on a dime and creates her own tale of obsession full of tension, dread, and creepy moments. I enjoyed the sense of unease and danger that flowed throughout the book.

This book had quite a few twists and turns throughout it. There were also many tense scenes which had my heart pounding. I had no idea where things were going to go or how things were going to turn out. KMod delivered a tense and riveting book! There is never a dull moment in this one, folks. This is proof that you don't always need a 400+ page book to deliver an enjoyable read.

Fast paced, tense, tension filled and riveting.

My goodness what did I just read?? This book was so good and I did not see the twist coming. It hit me like a sledgehammers. Kiersten Modglin books just keep getting better and better.
One of my faves so far!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest review!

Another fantastic, bingeable book by Kiersten Modglin. Another five star read that you will not want to miss but reader, beware and check the trigger warnings before starting.

This book was so cool it was like a retelling of Stephen King’s Misery. Like all amazing authors who admire other works, Kiersten does a nice job of giving a nod to Stephen King in this book when she references the psychotic Annie Wilkes.

The book is about Mary, a very depressed writer, who has become very agoraphobic as of late due to a traumatic experience. Losing Liam and Declan has fueled her depression over the last year. She’s turned to drinking to help her cope and now she has a serious issue….more serious than she could’ve ever dreamed.

Mary’s life is turned upside down, and you’ll get hit with a jaw dropping twist at the end, which if you’re like me, you’ve come to expect from this author.

Kmod squad for life. She’s an auto buy author for me for very good reason.

Love! Love! LOVE! This book gave me major Misery vibes, but in the best way! It was fast-paced, super creepy, and kept me biting my nails until the bitter end. A writers worst nightmare. The ending seals it up with a bow. The narrators voice was perfect and really suited the character. Another 5 big stars!

Thank you, Kierstin Modglin, Dreamscapes Media, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review this audio version ARC for an honest review.

Another hit for Kiersten Modglin! She is an auto-read author for me and I loved this one just like all of her other books I have read. This is definitely a binge-worthy book that you can read/listen to in one setting. The audio-book was excellent and the narrator did a wonderful job drawing me in and keeping my interest. Do Not Open is full of twists and turns and keeps you guessing throughout. This book is for fans of creepy, dark, obsession, and stalker vibes. This one is a sprint and not a marathon. Once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down! If you're a thriller lover, this is a must read/listen!

I'm beginning to think that Kiersten Modglin is a product of AI because she manages to produce SO many books so quickly and each and every one is well thought out, real, and exciting. This one had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. There was so much tension built up throughout the book. I loved the explanations at the end as well. The author always puts a nice bow on the end of the story and always has a human component as well. This was so well done and my only complaint is that it wasn't longer because I would have loved to watch the relationship between the captor and captee play out even longer. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

2/5 ⭐
0/5 🌶️
2/5 🎧

I feel like I'm alone in this thought, but I was mildly disappointed in this book... I saw most of the twists coming and the final big one was such a taboo twist that I never expected it out of the sheer audacity of using it. Maybe I let my own feelings on school shootings cloud my judgment of the work, but it seemed really unnecessary to use it as a plot device when their were other locations that would have made it more palatable. Of course it doesn't help that the UNLV shooting took place earlier today, but it's also why the point stands.

This along with the poor narration kinda dulled it for me. The narrator didn't have any distinction between character voices, male or female, which made it hard to follow dialogue at times.

I read Hemlock by Kiersten Modglin recently and said that that was my favorite book by her… well that sure didn’t take long to get knocked down. This book… THIS BOOK! Probably my favorite thriller I’ve read all year. I’m not one to get emotional over books or movies, but the twist at the end had me crying. I absolutely can’t get over that ending.

The audiobook narration was clear and I really enjoyed the narrator as well!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media & Kiersten Modglin for an audio arc of Do Not Open in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis Quoted:

"On the day author Mari Morgan receives the email, she has little left to live for.

The message—simple yet utterly life-changing—offers a glimmer of hope to her dismal existence. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and if she takes it, it could change everything.

Mari’s immediate sense of unease is eclipsed only by her curiosity—elicited from the supposed fan on the other end of the email. Unsatisfied despite doing her due diligence, and with no way to discern the legitimacy of the sender, Mari takes a leap of faith and replies.

What harm could come from one innocent message? Soon, as she comes face to face with her ‘number one fan,’ it’s all too clear things are not what they first appeared. Now trapped by a villain far more sinister than she could’ve crafted herself, the fate awaiting her is inspired by the darkest depths of the monsters in her own novels.

In order to escape and survive, Mari must use the strength of the heroines she’s spent years writing about. But this villain has spent years inside her worlds, too. How will she defeat an evil who has learned from the best?"

I am a huge Kiersten Modglin fan, but sadly, this one was not one of my favorites. The pacing was quick and it did pack a punching twist at the end, but overall, it's just a 3-star for me. Modglin is almost always a consistent 4-star author for me. I didn't dislike it, but didn't particularly like it either.

I will not promote this title but also will not discourage anyone from reading it.

So I thought the beginning was rather rushed. We were barely in and she was kidnapped. I seemed to skip through the middle and got to the end to see who was behind the kidnapping. I will just say I never saw that coming or what happened to Mary’s family. Wow.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•
Swipe for synopsis.
•
Do Not Open is a fast paced book told from the viewpoint of our main character Mari. Kiersten Modglin was able to created such an intense and panic inducing atmosphere in this one. I constantly felt like I was panting/sweating while reading this one, it was terrifying to think of what Mari was going through. I was in awe with Mari’s survival skills and was so investing in seeing what she would do next. As per KMod’s usual, this one has some jaw dropping twists that I never saw coming and such a fantastic ending.
•
I was glued to this one and read this entire book in one sitting. KMods books are so fast paced and gripping you cant help but fly through them. This one will most definitely be sticking with me for a while, I really couldn’t believe that ending.
•
I listened to this one via audiobook and the narrator, Mara Wilson absolutely nailed this performance. She was able to really give that panic driven feeling. Makes the story that much more bingeworthy.
•
Do Not Open was released on 10/31 but the audiobook is being released on 12/26 (would make the perfect christmas present!) and I am highly recommending it to all of my suspense / thriller fans!
•
Huge thank you to NetGalley, Kiersten Modglin and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Talk about a plot twist and a moral dilemma. Holy cow. I really enjoyed this, I just wish it was longer! The narration was great and easy to follow. Captivating from the very beginning!

This book is legit every author’s worst nightmare!

Mari, author of many books, has had no ideas or desire to write anything else since a shooting that changed her life. When she received an email from a producer, asking to meet her and talk about her books, coming to life on screen ALL of her instincts say no, but could this be her big break? She agrees to meet him, and very quickly finds herself kidnapped. He is her number one fan and needs her to write more books under his supervision, and without the crutch of alcohol which has consumed her life since the shooting.

I loved the single POV, not knowing what was in anyone else’s head and questioning their motives. The narrator was fantastic, and I listened to it in one day, ignoring most other responsibilities just to find out what in the world was going to happen next! DOES MARI ESCAPE?!?

I will definitely be recommending this book for all thriller lovers!

Thank you, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this fantastic read!

I listened to this title as an Audiobook. Narration was good. Narrator did a good job expression emotions. No background noise, breath noises etc.
This book is Miseryesque. First couple of chapters you may think, this is a copycat of Misery and Psycho and then the plot begins to twist and turn. You will soon forget that it was anything like those other titles.
This story had me guessing the entire time. I had no idea what was going to happen. Too much because I could not stop listening. I was on the edge of my seat attempting to put the pieces together. Just when you think you had it figured out! I had on headphones and yelled OH MY GOD! I stood up looking around like did you guys just hear what happened. As my family looked at me like I was crazy.
You will be entertained, shocked, heartbroken and more. Don’t miss out on yet another phenomenal book by this very talented Author. This is my second title by them in week.

Very engaging and interesting. A lot of shock factor, felt like a little too much towards the end. But overall very enjoyable. Full review on instagram