How to Survive a Horror Story
A Novel
by Mallory Arnold
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Pub Date Jul 08 2025 | Archive Date Not set
Description
Come for the authors behaving badly. Stay for the carnivorous books. Thank me later." — Emma C. Wells, USA Today bestselling author of This Girl’s a Killer
Welcome to Queen Manor. If you survive... well, that's quite a story to tell...
When legendary horror author Mortimer Queen passes, a group of writers find themselves invited to his last will and testament reading expecting a piece of his massive fortune. Each have their own unique connection to the literary icon, some known, some soon to be discovered, and they've been waiting for their chance to step into the author's shoes for some time.
Instead, they arrive at his grand manor and are invited to play a game. The rules are simple, solve the riddle and progress to the next room. If they don't, the manor will take one of them for itself.
You see, the Queen estate was built on the bones of Mortimer's family, and like any true horror story, the house is still very, very hungry.
With the clever, locked-room thrills of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone with the ghostly horror of The Fall of the House of Usher, How to Survive a Horror Story is a bright, biting, thrill-ride that begs us to contemplate how the best horror stories come to be.
Advance Praise
"Mallory Arnold's bingeable debut, How to Survive a Horror Story, is the most fun I’ve ever had in creepy manor! Come for the authors behaving badly. Stay for the carnivorous books. Thank me later."
— Emma C. Wells, USA Today bestselling author of This Girl’s a Killer
"Equal parts clever and creepy, How to Survive a Horror Story kept me up all night reading (and jumping at every unexplained creak). Spine-tingling fun that you won't be able to put down!"
—Jilly Gagnon, author of All Dressed Up
“Mallory Arnold lures you into a hungry house of horrors where the mystery deepens behind every door. With colorful characters meeting grisly demises, this puzzle box of a book won't let you escape until you turn the final frightful page.”
—Brian McAuley, author of Curse of the Reaper and Candy Cain Kills
"Captivating adult horror for those of us still scarred by that furnace scene in Home Alone. Mallory Arnold's clever debut combines the thrill of dark theme park rides with the breathless intrigue found only in the creepiest whodunits. I devoured it and can't wait to read what she serves up next."
—MJ Wassmer, author of Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend
"A compulsive, unputdownable book which is equal parts terrifying and playful. Mallory Arnold takes the traditions of horror and mystery and turns them on their head to create something original and exciting.”
—L.J. Shepherd, author of The Trials of Lila Dalton
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781464227400 |
| PRICE | $17.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 368 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
George S, Media/Journalist
A real page turner and a potent combination of traditional mystery with horror and the supernatural. Compelling stories about each of the characters and twists galore. Highly recommended.
Reviewer 1144242
I knew from the description that this would be good and it definitely delivered!
Love a horror story where the characters are trapped in a demented creepy home which has a mind of its own? Then read this!
The plot follows 6 guests who are invited into the manor of a late horror author who has left something for them in his will. Each of the guests are also horror authors but they have more in common with the deceased than that, and over the course of the book you will discover just exactly what landed them an invite to their ultimate demise.
If you enjoy puzzles and riddles combined with a race against the clock to not get eaten by a haunted house, combined with complex characters that will leave you debating whether or not they deserve a terrible death then again.. read this!
This is a chefs kiss debut and deserves all the credit for a well thought out, well put together book. Over the course of the book I developed a soft spot for Melanie and Buck and my thoughts on Mortimer are still mixed up, I need more clarification on the wife components!
Overall thoughts - loved it, plenty of entertainment and suspense from page 1 to the finish and I very much look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.
Thank you to Poisened Pen Press and Mallory Arnold for the EARC!
Publish date: July 8th 2025
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