The 2006 classic Monster House meets Escape room in this gory tale. It was a terribly fun read. Told in multiple points of view you get into the head of each character and how they jump through the hoops that landed the skeletons in their closet, and their invite to the house. It’s the perfect summer read, easy to devour but without being the same tropes you find.

A fun quick horror-lite read

I really enjoyed this as a quick read but I was hoping for a little more either way with the mystery or horror elements, not quite mysterious enough due to the alternating povs and short stories interspersed to tell the story of each character and not quite scary enough when the horror does appear.

This was amazing, a quick read, and I was hooked since page one. I really liked the characters, even flawed, and although it had only small twists, I enjoyed it a lot.
I'm going to read more books by Mallory Arnold from now on.

this was a fun, quick read! I wasn’t entirely expecting the supernatural aspect so that was hard to accept but other than that i enjoyed this a lot!

When legendary mystery writer Mortimer Queen passes away, his will summons a diverse group of individuals, each with a vested interest in his estate. The group of authors invited to the reading includes a thief, an inadvertent murderer, a gossip, a wallflower, a hothead, a seemingly gentle giant, and a scorned ex-lover—all people who have crossed paths with Queen in some form. As they gather at his remote estate, they are eager to claim their inheritance, but they soon discover that Queen's final challenge is unlike any they could have expected.

In a chilling twist, the inheritance can only be claimed by surviving a series of complex riddles that will push each person to their limits. The group must rely on their wits, but every answer could be their last. As the deadly consequences of their choices unfold, old grudges resurface, alliances form, and secrets are exposed. In this high-stakes game, no one can be trusted, and the line between friend and foe quickly blurs.

The true mystery isn’t just what Mortimer Queen left behind—it’s how far each person will go to survive.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC of this book.

I've gotten a physical arc of this one, which is my preference, so I'll be reviewing it elsewhere when I finish reading!

In the early chapters there is a conversation about how the gory scenes are perceived as the most important part of a horror novel, while in truth the characters that are. I felt like it was foreshadowing, so it stuck in my mind.
In this book the cast of characters really is the most important thing, they are so different from each other but also similar in the way they're not good people, or are they? They also feel very alive, the author put a lot of work in the writing, and the atmosphere is great too. The line between truth and fabricated lies is thin here, and I loved that.
This is a fast paced read, I couldn't stop once I started, it's addictive.

This book is a fun romp through a horror story. Many of the characters are unlikable, which is fine because you’ll root for them to be killed. I think I was just expecting something different but I’m not sure what.

Holy cow for characters. I had to make a list and write small descriptions to just keep everybody straight. The story line was completely bizarre and random. I’m a huge horror fan but this one was a little to much of a fantasy.

This book was the perfect mix of horror, mystery, and thriller all in one. I thought the characters were really thought and the story just flowed. I couldn't put this down and was able to get this done in a day.

Well, this book was a lot of things! It was entertaining, captivating with its fast paced storyline, really disturbing at some points (in a scary good way), but the real horror-part lacked a bit for me. Maybe it was the pacing, I didn't really had the time to immerse in the haunted house 'mindset', if you know what I mean.

So we have a dead author and 7 people who are invited to the will reading. Later on it becomes clear that everyone wronged him in some way and this entire set-up is a kind of punishment for them all (no more spoilers I promise). And here comes one of my most beloved tropes, deadly trials! It was clever, how all the participants had to face their past, I enjoyed reading their reactions and inner thoughts. The multi POV was phenomenal for this! The most chilling part for me was the flashbacks, when we get to know the unfiltered stories of the 7 others crossing Mr. Queen.
Personally I liked that the house was creative with its punishments, I've read reviews saying it was odd at times but it was OK for me.
Melanie's part in the story didn't entirely sit well for me, especially her last scenes in the mansion (again, I don't want to spoil anything). I guess I understand what happened and understand her reasons, but also.... I don't think all of her actions were legitimate. Hence the 4 stars.

Overall, it was an entertaining read and one you can easily binge through! Thanks for the ARC opportunity to the publisher and author!

Creepy home where people are trapped? Sign me up. This hooked me right from the start. It's crazy how much you think about this book after you read it. Absolutely crazy. Thank you Netgalley and Mallory for the ARC.

I didn’t love the characters and I ended up fairly confused. Felt like I missed something. Gory enough too I can’t see wanting to reread it or recommend to a fellow lover of thrillers maybe this is more horror judging by name which is not my go to genre

Just fantastic! Horror, thriller, supernatural, all rolled into one amazing book! Fantastic plotline, amazing setting (super creepy) and loved the ending! This one was a 5 star read, for sure! Loved it!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This was overall an enjoyable horror story with thrilling parts. There was some gruesome scenes that make your jaw drop but I loved those parts. I just couldn't connect with any characters and parts of it seemed so far fetched. An easy read that will keep you hooked.

This was so much fun, I read it in one sitting!

Fast paced and girls you right from the start

It combines everything you love about mystery, horror and thrillers and blends it in to one fantastic, gripping story!

Highly recommend this

Thanks again to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this arc

While it took me several days to read this book, this is one of those books that could easily be read in one sitting.

The plot is very fast paced, and the story doesn’t really lag at any moments at all. And the premise is super fun: a bunch of horror authors are invited to the will reading of another big horror author. Only, they’re not really attending a will reading, but instead find themselves trapped in a horror story of their own. Riveting.

I strongly disliked all of the characters, which was absolutely the author’s goal. These are not good people, no matter how they try to spin the story. They lie, they manipulate, they do everything in the worst possible way, and yet you still find yourself rooting for at least some of them to make it out alive.

The story itself is written in third person, alternating between the thoughts of seven characters. Interspersed throughout the chapters are also short stories that hold crucial elements to the plot. I was obsessed with the way this story was laid out, and right when I thought I knew everything, I was completely wrong.

There’s a secondary mystery sprinkled throughout the book: why is each character involved in the story, especially one who seems to do no wrong. You’re in for a treat if you think everything is as it seems.

I’m looking forward to seeing reactions to this book after its official publication. Also, a horror book with sprayed edges? Yum.

Thank you very much to Poisoned Pen Press, Mallory Arnold, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I had a really good time. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by the manner in which I received it.

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.