I love a locked room horror, this was just like the movies. It kept me entertained the whole way through, I couldn't put it down!

Mortimer Queen, a horror writer whose death means the horror can continue. After the successful author dies, seven authors are invited to his mansion to seek their claim of his estate. It’s not as simple as it sounds and on arrival they are met with further challenges to help solve a riddle. It’s through these challenges that we hear why Mortimer invited these specific authors and what horror may await them.

I really enjoyed this book. There were seven different points of views which I personally enjoy. It made you feel a part of their story more. Some parts were quite descriptive and inventive. I did feel it was a “quick” read and it could have been padded out more. It was a bit rushed in parts.

Before reading this early release I had not heard of the author but I will definitely be looking out for more of their work.

Thanks to NetGalley, Poison Pen Press and the author for the pleasure of reading the book.

This story hit all the right points for a fun horror with a good touch of gore, creepiness, and an awesome sentient manor just waiting for its next meal! I will say, if I am not on good terms with someone famous and then they die and leave something for me in the will, I for sure would not go to their house and hand over my phone! But it made for entertaining reading and hard to put down as I waited to see who might be next to die and what their crimes were against Mortimer Queen! Some of the deaths were quite satisfying and well deserving and though the riddles were not really riddles, it continued the story and you get the confessions (or are have they been twisted/rewritten?) of the authors as they travel from room to room to escape or die. So, a mix of escape room (with deadly additions if they can get the answer before the clock runs out) and mini stories that are Mortimer Queen's version of what happened and why theses authors were chosen to enter the house. And I did enjoy the ending for justice is served for the guilty parties and the manor is always ready for another meal!

I think Mallory Arnold did a good job with this first story and I am looking forward to seeing what she will write next.

This book had such a cool premise—a group of horror writers trapped in a creepy manor after the death of a legendary author, each hoping for a piece of his fortune but instead finding themselves part of a deadly game. I loved the setting and the atmosphere most of all. The house itself felt like a character, full of strange puzzles and ominous traps. The story had some fun twists, and a few of them genuinely surprised me.

That said, the characters didn’t always land for me. Some felt more like stereotypes than real people, and the main character, Melanie, left me wanting more. layered. Still, I had a good time reading it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was entertaining, and I’d be interested to see what the author does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress #MalloryArnold #Horror #Fiction #Book #Review #HowtoSurviveaHorrorStory

Title: How to Survive a Horror Story
Author: Mallory Arnold
Format: eBook
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 8, 2025
Themes: Revenge, human monsters, celebrity authors,
Trigger Warnings: gore, violence, revenge plot, death of teenager, gossip, alcoholism, monsters,

This was pure fun. This mash-up of Scream, Clue, and Saw starts off with our female main character, unpublished and aspiring horror writer, Melanie Brown. Legendary horror author Mortimer Queen has died and she has been summoned to his home for the reading of his will. Strange since she’s only met him briefly one time. When she arrives she finds six other people, all horror authors, who have also been summoned for the same reason. Winnie is the gossip-loving, former neighbor and direct competition of Mr, Queen. Her plus one, a flamboyant man named Felix, has shown up uninvited. Crystal, writer of erotic horror, is the young mistress of the reclusive writer. Scott is the apparently amiable, very popular author of a beloved series of horror books. Petey is the squirrelly, and nervous one book wonder. Chester is the unsavory writer of extreme horror and lover of dangerous pranks, as long as they’re perpetrated by others. Lastly, Buck is the sweet and gentle author of splatterpunk novels. Each is anticipating a piece of Queen’s fortune. Each is surprised by his inheritance. Mortimer Queen intends to give each writer what is coming to him or her.

This was an enjoyable and fun read. Exactly what I wanted from it was what I got. It was full of delightfully creative traps and subsequent kills. I found each character to be fun to get to know, despite their personalities and motivations. Some of them got what they deserved and some didn’t. I loved how the reader was given the opportunity to decide whether or not each character had actually earned his or her spot in the will. I can honestly say, that while I was able to predict the whole “dangerous game” plot, I was pleasantly surprised by the way the game was executed and the involvement of the manor itself. I was surprised by the ending as well. It was very original.

I had a lot of questions by the end and many weren’t answered. There were a few detours in the plot that could have been left out in favor of a tighter plot. I would have liked the riddles to be a little more difficult. The answer to each should stay the same, but the presentation could have been a bit more challenging.

The novel was twisty and turny. Some of the twists I saw coming and some I didn’t. Was this a perfect novel? No, Could it have used some fine-tuning? Definitely. I would have liked to see less plot holes. Did I still really enjoy it? Major yes! Any fan of horror and the whole dangerous game trope will find a lot to love here. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Arnold.

Thanks to #NetGalley for sending me an ARC! This review is my own.

A solid horror story that is cliche at times and predictable but also still a good read!

The idea of forcing people into a secluded location and forcing them to confront their secrets has been done over and over again, but I never tire of it and I love how this relates to writing and the things some writers are capable of doing for their art, money and fame.

The most monstrous beings are humans, because only humans are capable of hurting others in such horrible and terrible ways.

Maybe 2025 will be the year I finally read more horror! I saw this described as a mixture of an escape room and Squid Games and thoght that was a fitting mix. This was such a fun and entertaining read. Using multiple POVs really paid off - Mallory was able to make unlikable characters pop off the pages. The tension is strong throughout as is the pacing.

A fun but flawed Mystery/Horror hybrid.

This sets up like a classic mystery, with a set of strangers invited to a remote location, trapped there, and threatened. But there’s a supernatural element to the story as well. I’m not sure the fusion really worked cohesively, but I admire the attempt at something a bit more unusual than yet another book following the And Then There Were None model to the hilt.

I’ll warn mystery readers that this functions more like horror/thriller in that the characters are mostly unlikable and in most cases not redeemable, and that includes the ones you’re theoretically supposed to root for. That said, this does have actual significance to the story, particularly for the twist at the end. I thought it was predictable and could have been better rendered, but at least the groundwork was laid properly.

I’m not sure this is really a good example of the sentient, creepy house trope. There’s a disconnect between the puzzle elements of the story that feel more like a mystery from the more fantastical elements common to horror, and the two feel disjointed at times and often create an atmosphere that seems unable to make up its mind about what it wants to be.

In all, a clever idea and an entertaining read that probably needed some further tweaks to improve the structure and execution.

3.75/5 stars (rounded up to 4)
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“There are so many monsters in this world. Not the ghouls and ghosts we authors often create, but true forms of evil masked beneath soft flesh, friendly eyes, and steady hands. I am giving you mine.”
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I really enjoyed the premise of this book! The house being alive and consuming the gathered authors one by one was great. The detail and gore was just what I was hoping for when I first read the synopsis. I think my favorite part was unraveling exactly what it was that each of the characters did to incur the wrath of Mortimer Queen. To be quite honest, there were definitely a couple deaths that were quite satisfying as well (looking at you Chester!).
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My only complaint was that the riddles often seemed too obvious, especially towards the end. It didn't take much thought to figure out who the riddles were about, but it was still such a fun read! I look forward to reading more books by Mallory Arnold in the future.

Seven authors are invited to the house of Mortimer Queen a deceased horror author. Each of the invitees have past secrets involving Mortimer. They gather together for the reading of his will expecting to claim a portion of his wealth. Instead of inheriting his fortune they are met with a series of riddles and deadly games brought on by his monster house.

This novel was a relatively quick read with a "who's next" type plot. I found the characters were well developed although the premise of the riddles followed by a death got repetitive. Ultimately the ending was predictable but it was an easy read. Generally I don't enjoy an supernatural story line of a house performing heinous acts, but I didn't have a problem finishing this book.

I give this book 3/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This one reminded me of Clue if it was extremely dark and the house was alive. I loved the question of what each character did to deserve the murderous torture they were placed in. I would happily read more from this author.

This is a book that questions… what skeletons are in your closet? It kept me guessing from the get go!

""𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕.""

Special thanks to @poisonedpenpress @malloryarnold & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one feels tropey but in a great way. I love the stories inside the story. And the final reveal was great. I loved every part of this fast-paced thriller/horror.

The riddles were my most favorite part! Im not very good at them, but I'll love to listen and let my mind work. For these people, probably their worst nightmare......or what comes next 😈

Read if you love:

🔪 Agatha Christie vibes
🔪 Secret will
🔪 Horror writers
🔪 Locked mansion
🔪 Riddles

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:


ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ What's your favorite movie? (Scary or not)

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #howtosurviveahorrorstory #malloryarnold #poisonedpenpress #poisonedpenpresspartner #partner #netgalley
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While it'd been on my radar before this, I was fortunately to be approved for a Netgalley ARC for the book. It seemed to have everything I wanted: a colorful cast of characters, a dangerous game with a dead man, and it's all about other writers. So count me in, Flynn, for this is right in my wheelhouse.

What I end up in was a present-tense mess. The ensemble cast introduction is awkward and disjointed. None of these characters are remotely likable except the character that may as well hung a sign that said: HORROR TROPE - FINAL GIRL around her next. In fact, it was ham-fisted storytelling that made me realize that was following horror tropes way too much. I expected some genre savvy, some lampshading and subversion (which to be fair, the Final Girl moment is a little bit subversive) and we'd have a good old time.

None of these people -- who have at least one horror best seller under their belts -- should be this stupid. I'm thinking of several writers who might be awful people and they'd still do better than pack on a good day, because I know how they talked about the genres they loved, what drove them to the work. I can't imagine any of the cardboard cutouts we're presented with could name three horror WRITERS let alone BOOKS they loved beyond 'Mortimer Queen.' Now some of this is because they're walking imposter syndrome given legs and half finished paragraph of character detail.

These characters are shallow. They will be hard to care about... at all. They are all genuinely awful people. I don't even care about the predictable results. At 20% I knew this was going to be potentially interesting, maybe even enjoyable still. At 70% I knew it wasn't going get better, and just as the death traps got lazy the writing got more so. Much like our Mr. Queen might say, 'It needs revision.'"

This book would have been good if the author had remembered that character not events that happen to characters are the real key to horror. People need to empathize to be able to sympathize with them, feel dread when they're in danger, to be upset if they are hurt. I couldn't say this at any single character. But by the time I was halfway through I knew the plot beats and exactly where it was going and the only reason I finished the book was a sense of duty was to see how bad the horrors of each room would get -- not the actual horror where I would share the protagonist's dread. No, I wanted to just how bland the book could be by the time I reached the end.

Final verdict: It puts words in a order I could read them in. Kiddle Pool depth disaster, but I couldn't turn my eyes from the book like a rubbernecker past a crash site. Was in a language I could read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold is a fun, spooky read filled with haunted house vibes and twisted games. The story centers around a famous horror author who, following his death, brings a group of writers to his eerie estate for a will reading with far more sinister intentions. I enjoyed the book’s creepy atmosphere and clever premise. The only challenge was keeping track of all the characters in the beginning, but once I settled into the story, it was an entertaining ride.

✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Mallory Arnold, & Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm always so grateful! ✨

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

Mallory Arnold delivers a clever, laugh-out-loud twist on the horror genre with How to Survive a Horror Story. Equal parts spooky and hilarious, this book is packed with sharp wit, quirky characters, and a meta take on every horror trope you can imagine. It’s the perfect read for fans who love their scares with a side of satire and heart. A wildly fun and original ride from start to finish!

3.5-4⭐️ This was a creepy mystery that is definitely different than any book I have ever read before. Creepy characters and even more creepy things that happen. Reminded me of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen for the gifted eARC.

How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold.

So fun! I really, really enjoyed this. Seven authors are invited to the famous Mortimer Queen's manor to accept the items he left them from his will. Instead, they're made to play a game of survival. Solve the riddle and progress to the next room.

I loved the clue inspired elements like the characters and the setting, but make it all horror. Chef's kiss. Definitely recommend this one.


I had already pre-ordered it before I was accepted for an e-arc, and im glad I did because now I have it on my shelf. But still, thank you to netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for the e-arc to review.

A group of writers are left something in the will of a famous horror author, but when they arrive to his home for the reading of the will, they find themselves trapped in a game of revenge. This was a decent read, some horror elements mixed with a mystery/puzzle story in which the "guests" need to solve a riddle to progress through each room before the house metes out justice for the ways they have wronged the dead author. I didn't love the ending, but it was good overall. 3 stars.

This was so much fun! It was a spookier/horror version of Knives Out and I really could not get enough.