How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold is an excellent thrilling story. It is like reading a combination of Agatha Christie's And There Were None combined with Clue, Saw, and House on Haunted Hill. It combines mystery with horror with supernatural elements to make a fantastic story with twists you don't expect. I absolutely loved everything about this story. The characters are all duplicitous, you don't trust any of them at face value which makes for a very suspenseful story. I hope Mallory Arnold keeps writing because I will buy all her books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy.

Enjoyed this book more than I expected to. It was a little by the numbers at times and cheesy but in a way that I had fun with it. Terrible characters but in the way that they’re meant to be terrible people so you enjoy seeing their stories progress. Only complaint is the ending felt a bit rushed and thrown together, would have liked it to be a bit stronger.

Arc Review: A group of writers are invited to infamous horror king Mortimer Queen’s house of horrors for a reading of his will. The sole survivor gets everything. This story was written so well and had me hooked from the very beginning!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The plot and characters were interesting. I liked how the locked rooms were executed.
Some of the writing was repetitive, particularly certain words and phrases. For example, within the first seven chapters there were many mentions of spines and backbones.
I guessed the ending fairly early. I think the clues were a little too obvious too soon.

This is a horror novel disguised as a mystery in the best way!

Six horror novelists and one ordinary girl must play a game to escape the legendary author Mortimer Queen's hungry manor alive. When they discover they are not meant to be his heirs but instead his victims, only one thing is certain: whoever survives will have a story to tell.

This novel keeps its readers guessing in the best way. It tells versions of events, and doesn't give away which versions can be believed until the final moment. The perspective shifts to each character, and even then it manages not to give away the truth! Fans of game based horror like "Ready or Not" or "Saw" will relish this well-plotted tale.

Very meta take on the genre. The switching perspectives made for a great look into every character's mind, and still had me doubting my conclusions at every turn. I kept flip flopping on who I thought was lying or telling the truth, right up until the final reveal, it was wonderful. The way that everyone said Mortimore exaggerated the truth threw everything he said and did into doubt until the very end because he had a grudge against everyone, and everyone had a grudge against him, and nobody could be trusted to tell the truth.
My only complaint is that the apparently people-eating house was never explored in more depth: why could Mortimore Queen devise these challenges and riddles and how the house lays out the rooms, in life or beyond the grave? What made it like this in the first place? What did his ancestors do to feed the house? How did Mortimore feed the house before his death? Why is Gia there but not Mortimore? WHAT is Gia? But honestly, not having the answers to these questions didn't detract from the experience at all and I still thoroughly enjoyed the whole book.

Imagine being invited to a will reading for a famous horror author you barely knew—would you go? That’s exactly how this story begins, with Melanie Brown deciding to attend the will reading for Mortimer Queen, a well-known horror writer. Upon arriving at his mansion, she discovers she’s not alone: six other horror authors have also received identical, mysterious invitations with no additional details. Little does Melanie know, this will be no ordinary will reading.

This book was a thrilling read. It took me a little while to get a handle on the various characters, and the timeline jumps a bit, but once the suspense picked up, I was hooked and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. While I did predict a part of the plot early on, I feared it would dampen my enjoyment (I typically appreciate unpredictability in thrillers), it ended up not affecting my overall experience. The story had enough depth to keep me fully engaged until the very end.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gripping mystery/thriller with a twist of revenge.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who enjoys horror and mystery, I was excited to dive into Mallory Arnold’s debut novel, How to Survive a Horror Story. The premise immediately grabbed my attention: seven authors are invited to a secluded manor, each hiding secrets tied to the late horror legend Mortimer Queen. What starts as an exciting weekend to potentially claim a share of Queen’s fortune quickly turns into a deadly game, with the manor itself seeming to punish anyone who fails its challenges.

At first, Arnold’s use of multiple points of view felt a little disorienting, but as the story progressed, I began to appreciate how it allowed for a deeper look into each character’s motivations and dark pasts. The atmosphere of the manor was eerie and suspenseful, and the way the characters’ backstories connected to the central mystery kept me hooked throughout.

Although the plot followed some familiar horror tropes, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. The mix of suspense, dark humor, and supernatural elements brought a fresh spin to the genre. While the ending was somewhat predictable, it still felt satisfying and wrapped up the web of secrets and twists nicely.

Overall, How to Survive a Horror Story is a strong debut that brings a unique twist to classic horror themes. Arnold does an excellent job blending suspense with character-driven storytelling, making it a fun and engaging read. I’m looking forward to seeing what she writes next.

Without question, Mallory Arnold will be remembered as one of the best authors of all time! I was completely blown away by her first book. It still stupefies me to think it was her first ever publication. I am immensely proud of her accomplishment, and I have no doubt that many people share my sentiments. Given how bright and brilliant she is, I truly wish I had the opportunity to join her book reader club or reading squad. I'm hoping she's currently working on yet another masterpiece! I sincerely appreciate Poisoned Pen Press's support in enabling her to fulfill her ambition. Publishing houses like yourself make it possible for readers like me to read a terrifying new narrative twist, and I am eternally grateful. I'm happy to report that, in contrast to my normal ability to predict narrative twists and know how the book would end before the halfway point, I was completely unaware of the story's direction this time. I just grinned widely and enjoyed the ride. An incredible, wonderful, scared-witless, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I appreciate you making such a masterpiece for future generations, Mallory.

This book is most deff wrth your time. I had a good time reading it and ill be buying this book when it comes out.

(2.5/5) When horror author Mortimer Queen dies, a group of writers are invited to the reading of the will, expecting to inherit part of his vast fortune. All the guests had ties to Mortimer while he was alive, except Melanie Brown–an awkward wallflower, a nobody who's found herself in an incredibly unexpected situation (so we know she's special, clearly).

However, when they get there, things quickly escalate as they find themselves locked within the house. As the doors close on our motley crew, the house is hungry, and they're ripe for the picking. They have to solve a riddle in each room within the allocated time, otherwise one of their group is devoured.

This is a fast-paced, chaotic read. Something's happening in every paragraph. A dead body falls through the ceiling. Flames jump from a candle, nearly burning a man to a crisp. And that's before we even get to the first room. Strange occurrences are happening at breakneck speed, yet it somehow still feels like nothing is happening–this reads more like a series of interconnected vignettes rather than a cohesive plot. The ending was also quite predictable, with our protagonist already singled out from the beginning.

Ultimately, an intriguing premise with plenty of action, but the overall execution and ending fell flat for me.

Okay Mallory Arnold. I see you. (in the best way possible)

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book ahead of its publication date.

Not going to lie, I went into this book thinking it was going to be more of a thriller but it ended up being more of a horror novel with some thriller thrown in and I loved it.

We follow seven people as they gather for a will reading at a late author's estate and nothing is what it seems. These seven people end up locked in and have to solve a series of riddles to escape. Think an escape room meets The Haunting and ta-da.

At first I was confused as to why we needed specific chapters for each of the seven people (seems like overkill to have that many POVs) but they were definitely needed and served such a purpose.

Overall, this was a great, spooky ride that was hard to put down and the ending was great. Just when you thought it was all over, here comes one more twist.

Can't wait to see what else Mallory Arnold has in store for me.

How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold is a witty and fast-paced love letter to classic horror tropes, packed with humor and heart. The book cleverly flips the script on genre clichés, offering a fresh take on what it means to be the "final girl." Arnold’s writing is sharp and self-aware, making it a delight for both horror fans and those who prefer to watch from behind a pillow. If you love a story that blends scares with snark, this one is a must-read.

Such a great book. Wish it would have went on longer. I couldn't put it down. Couldn't get it out of my head.

This was a fun one. I enjoy horror, but I don't enjoy gratuitous violence and gore. Obviously some blood and scary bits are part of the genre, but I appreciate when it isn't overdone. I thought that the author had a great balancreviewe throughout this book with some frighteningly savage scenarios and humor. I find this really enjoyable, and I don't feel like it was formulaic. I questioned throughout which characters were telling the truth. Some were more sympathetic than others (Melanie, especially). I'd definitely read another book from this author, and I recommend this book to any horror fans.

Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book! It was so campy and fun and I was invested from the start.

Thank you to @NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
How to Survive a Horror Story was a wild ride! Strangers are invited to a recently deceased horror author's mansion with no understanding as to why they are there. Weird things begin to happen and they quickly start to realize that they need to try to survive the night.
The story was fast paced and always kept you on your toes!

Look here...I love horror. I love campy. I love campy horror. This is a perfect campy horror novel and I can only hope one day this will be made into a campy horror movie.
I wasn't sure on the characters and who I loved or even trusted. I wasn't sure if Queen was a twisted lying jerk or a twisted hero.
I think the only thing Missy here was so background om the house. How did it come to be? Who discovered it? I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE a backstory on Mortmiers family history and the house. I just didn't get enough in this. Which is fine because I'm sitting on the story of the characters and their survival. Or lack of.
Really enjoyable read. Something I'll definitely do a reread of in the future.

The writing in this one was so gripping. The build up was great and moved the plot well. I wasn’t super attatched to the characters but enjoyed it nonetheless.

Unfortunately I just could not get on with the writing style. I think this is meant to be a little bit of a send up or satirical version of a locked room Saw-esque story line, but it really did not work for me. It's way too much tell and not show. The dialogue is so stilted and the characters going beyond being stock tropes, to just being empty stereotypes. Other people seem to have not had an issue with it so it's probably just me.