TL;DR

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie is a character driven story about a missing television crew. It’s highly stylistic presentation makes for a quick read without sacrificing depth of character. Recommended.

Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.

Review: Episode 13 by Craig DiLouie

Stories depend on how they’re told as much as what is being told. The easiest example of this is to take a first person point of view story and switch it to third person. By taking the story out of the character’s head, the unreliable narrator effect is lost. By moving third person to first, readers become limited to only the things the protagonist can notice or experience. But form depends on more than just point of view. Is the story set is the past? The present? The future? Is the prose minimalistic or rich and lush? Does the story start at the beginning, middle, or end? All of these stylistic choices affect the story as much as the plot. In Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie, style dictates when and what type of information flows to the reader. The conceit of DiLouie’s book is that it’s a behind-the-scenes investigation into the disappearance of ghost hunters in the form of a ‘written documentary.’ Basically, DiLouie has ‘compiled’ information from the cast and crew to form the text of Episode Thirteen. It’s a bold choice executed well.

Fade to Black is a ghost-hunting show with a crew of five people. Matt Kirklin is the lead investigator and star of the show; he’s also a true believer. Kevin Linscott is the show’s tech manager; he’s also a true believer and ex-cop who believes a demon forced him to kill a person. Jessica Valenza is the only person of color on the show; she’s an actress, single mother, and voice of common sense. For her, Fade to Black could be the vehicle to launch her career. Behind the camera is Jake Wolfson; he’s a professional camera operator who doesn’t have an opinion. He wants to get the job done and get paid. Rounding out the group is Claire Kirklin, Matt’s wife. She’s a physicist with a Ph.D. and a healthy dose of skepticism who’s grown a little tired of being the killjoy that debunks all the nonsense. These five have put out twelve episodes and are approaching the end of their first season. The network producers aren’t sure that Fade to Black’s formula is working enough for a second season. Pressure is on to deliver something new. Claire is unhappy; Jessica misses her kid; and Kevin thinks he’s the best investigator on the team. Episode 13 needs to be special if Matt and company want to keep their show on the air. For that episode, Matt chose to look for ghosts at Foundation House, formerly known as Wright Mansion. Reports of an abnormally tall woman appeared in the upper windows of the house. In the 70s, a group of paranormal scientists bought, lived, worked, and experimented in the mansion in rural Virginia. This group was known as the Paranormal Research Foundation. Their methodology was parapsychology, pseudoscience, New Age mysticism, and heavy doses of mind-altering substances. The researchers had three test subjects. One refused to be filmed, and the other two died years back. But the researchers themselves went missing in 1972. In episode 13, Fade to Black goes looking for the scientists. Except things begin to break down and, then, go horribly wrong. Episode Thirteen tells the story of the disastrous and infamous final episode of Fade to Black through the investigator’s own words.

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie is a story told in many different styles. From blog posts to emails to text messages to video transcripts, the five characters describe the disaster that befalls them at Foundation House. The multi-stylistic approach makes for quick reading, but DiLouie doesn’t sacrifice character or description. The varying style choices had different impacts depending on who was talking.

Style over Substance?

At heart, Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie is a novel, and certain expectations come with that. There is a plot there, and in a weaker writer’s hands, so much style change would signify a lack of something: character development, plot, world-building, etc. But DiLouie finds a way to fit depth into the various choices. All five characters are explored to different extents, but they all feel like fully realized characters. Claire and Jessica get the most character work, and frankly they’re the most likeable characters. DiLouie builds a good group dynamic among them. They all work well together, but, as with any working group, tensions exists sub-rosa between varying members. It’s well played as their small in the beginning but show more and more as stressors pressure the group.

Setting description is a bit minimal. I would have liked to see more of the house, but really I have no complaints about the amount we got to see. I had a decent picture of each of the scene settings, and I liked what I saw.

The plot was the weakest element. I’m still a bit confused about things that happened at the end of the book. And the haunting aspect seemed to not matter in the last 25% of the book. There are definitely a lot of questions left unanswered, and this could be a side effect of the ‘written documentary’ style choice.

Smart People Do Stupid Things

If I were every to write a book length critique of horror, I’d call it “People Doing Stupid Things.” This tradition continues in Episode Thirteen, but this time it’s smart people doing the stupid things. There’s a cliche that a crowd is only as smart as the stupidest person, and I think that applies here as well. Every single member of the group makes bad choices, and each of these choices pushes the group collectively along towards their horrific fates. DiLouie’s writing and character work makes these bad choices spring from the characters, and it’s only in hindsight do we see them as dumb choices. This is fantastic writing. The bad choices are needed for the plot, but since they spring from the characters, they drive the story as opposed to being forced on it.

Often, the word stupid applies to book learning. But in reality there are just as many kinds of stupid as there are smarts. Jessica may not have the academic credentials of Claire, but she has a common sense level of self preservation that the other four seem to be missing. Claire’s Ph.D. training makes her intelligent but constrains her in a way she doesn’t understand until things start going wrong. Matt has a naivete that makes him a good ghost hunter and a good connection for the audience, but his ambitions blind him to the state of his wife. Kevin might actually be the better investigator, but his need to prove himself makes him reckless. These flaws, these intelligences and stupidities, drive the plot. Their actions dictate the narrative, and the characters are what make Episode Thirteen worth reading.

Conclusion

Craig DiLouie’s Episode Thirteen does feel like a written documentary. The stylistic choices take a bit of getting used to but then open the story up into a richer experience than that of a single viewpoint. The various styles help characterize the Fade to Black crew members. It’s the characters that make the book special and worth your time. Recommended.

Characters of a ghost-hunting show stay in a mansion with secrets. One of the secrets is what happened to the group of 1970 scientist hippies that disappeared there. Told by tapes, journals, and letters, we find out the story of Episode 13.

Let me tell you a story about reading this book. It’s 11:30 pm. Im on my bike trying to get to my 10,000 steps for the day while I read. I hear a creak in the basement, which is open across from me. I stop pedaling and reading and stare. A few seconds later my cat runs up the basement stairs and I scream and almost fall off my bike. This book got me y’all. It was interesting and informative all the way through, but then the ending is just straight spooky! I liked that it wasn’t just simple horror, it had some science to it and was detailed at times. The unique way it’s written adds to the spook because it feels real! The very very end was a bit of an eye-roll for me but I still liked it.

“Not all ghosts haunt houses. Some try to live in your head.”

Episode Thirteen comes out 1/24.

Episode 13 is the written version of a found footage horror flick and I am here for it. We follow around a group of paranormal hunters as they delve into the mysterious Foundation House and the experiments that occurred there, documenting the experience along the way.
I went in thinking that what I was reading had a typical haunted house trope and was firmly corrected, it became so much more. The found footage style writing is amazingly clever and worked out extremely well. “Sound” played a large part of the occurrences, with disembodied voices over the walkie-talkies and suitably creepy songs, all of which creeped me the hell out.
All in all, I had a great time reading this book, rarely putting it down. I highly recommend for anyone who loves a spooky time with a twist!

Happy Pub Day!
I liked it, I didn't love it.
I found myself a little bored throughout the entire novel even though it was written in multi-media type writing (which tbh was a lot of fun).
This almost-500 page novel didn't need to be almost 500 pages. It definitely needed to be longer for the storyline, but not 500 pages. HOWEVER, I do think most will enjoy this as it talks about the science behind the hauntings and the ins and outs of ghost hunting shows. Because it was longer, we do get to see the slow descent into madness for most characters.
If you enjoyed the writing style of Illuminae and genuine haunted houses with a past, this one is for you!

Thank you Redhooks Books, Craig DiLouie and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC e book. This was my first book I have read by DiLouie. The scare factor for this book was real. I love a good horror book and this one did not disappoint. Although I felt the beginning began with a bit of overload on info once the story got started the scare factor was real. This was no monster you would normal think of but almost more a psychological demon that even after reading (which I absolutely left the lights on to read) I was questioning, like could this happen. It was an overall great book that while meant to terrify it also tapped into your thoughts as if it could be real. I gave this book 3.5 stars I felt the ending tried to explain a bit too much after delivering such a great performance but overall I really enjoyed this book.

This was such a fun ride that kept me on my toes. It truly read like a ghost hunter show, I loved all the interviews and journals throughout. Such a unique and compelling ghost story.

Episode Thirteen is a behind the curtain view of a ghost hunting reality television show. A team of ghost hunters, led by a husband and wife, get access to a house in which psychological experiments were done in the seventies and paranormal activities have been reported. The team plans to spend several days there to either prove or debunk the notoriety of this mansion.

This was my first epistolary style novel. While I didn’t initially care for this style, as I got further into the story, I came to appreciate seeing the events from each team member’s perspective via individual journal entries, text messages and transcripts. This style provided surprisingly exceptional character development. It allowed the reader to experience the unsettling terror from the perspective of each team member.

I love haunted house stories. While some fall flat, I found Episode Thirteen to be a perfect mix of hair raising creep factor and plausibility. I found myself on the edge of my seat as a witness to things going horribly wrong.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-arc, in exchange for an honest review.

Episode Thirteen follows a group of paranormal investigators with their own tv show, as they go to a famous haunted building where experiments were done on people during the 70’s, to try and determine if it is actually haunted. The leaders of the tv show are a husband and wife couple, and the husband is under big pressure to deliver good tv to the producers, or the fate of the show is in jeopardy. However, he’s not the only one struggling or keeping secrets. When they begin their investigation, it becomes clear they have gotten a lot more than they bargained for.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved how this was written in an epistolary format, it made the story feel like a found footage movie, and I really enjoyed it. I also thought the characters were great, every character felt like a real, fleshed out person, and I had a lot of opinions about them. When I care enough to dislike a character, that’s a sign of good writing. The ending was also excellent, so creepy and eerie to imagine.

However, I did feel like there were a few issues with the book. I feel like this is marketed as a haunted house/building book, and it’s more of an existential, science gone wrong book. It was very heavy on the science aspects, and as someone with zero interest in that, it made the story drag for me. I also found the pacing very slow; nothing really happens until the 50% mark of the book.

I wanted to love this book more than I did, but unfortunately a lot of aspects didn’t work for me. I don’t think this is a bad book, just one that is not for me. I’ve seen many other people loving it, so I think most people will really enjoy it.

Somewhat disappointing effort from DiLouie about a team of paranormal investigators taking on Foundation House, where a prior team of hippie scientists vanished in 1972 while trying to summon spirits. The investigation is designed to be Episode Thirteen of their show, Fade to Black, whose rating have peaked and needs a boost to keep viewers. The story is told through found video footage and journals after the events depicted in the book. The biggest problem is that it's way too ponderous, over-analyzing and explaining everything to a fault while forgetting that you need things to actually...happen. When it does, it's good, but it's too few and far between. I have no problem with the philosophical aspect and the exploration of what "ghost hunting" should be, as well as the nature of some of these spirits. However, there is such a thing as overkill, and it's present here in spades. I liked the book generally, and the last forty or so pages kick into gear and end the book nicely, but it should have been better considering the premise. Less talk, more action. 2.5 stars bumped to 3 for the quality of writing and style. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Scary, fascinating, shocking -- a wild journey into a reality TV episode that turns into a case study of obsession. Dark and full of twists, an altogether terrific read.

The members of a reality TV show called Fade to Black goes to a "haunted" house to file their "Episode Thirteen".

If you are looking for a scary haunted house story, you've come to the right place! The story is told from five different point of views and using different formats. I really enjoyed how the author uses different ways to convey the story to the reader. If you don't like a story being told you using emails, journal entries, and scripts, you may not like reading this book.

You will need to read the book to find out what happens because any type of hint will spoil the book.

Thank you Netgalley for this Advance Reader Copy.

Actual rating 3.5 stars
I think this was written so well, but the actual plot just lost me about halfway and never recovered itself. I loved the characters, especially Jessica/Rashida, and the style of journals, film records and research notes was a great way to tell the story. The problem was that for a haunted house story, there was absolutely nothing scary about it. While I appreciate the research that went into this, I think DiLouie forgot to also make the story more entertaining.
I would definitely read another book by him, but I don’t think horror is his genre.

I am a big fan of paranormal TV shows. I can kill an entire day watching Ghost Adventures. Ghost Hunters, or Ghost Brothers. So when I read the premise of Episode Thirteen, it was a no-brainer for me.
A paranormal TV show goes to explore a supposedly haunted mansion where a team of scientists and investigators disappeared in the 70s.
The writing was spot on, capturing the real feel of these reality ghost shows and I did turn every page with the hope the spooks would come out to play.
My only issue, and the reason for 4 stars, is the last third of the book. Here the story seemed to get off track. I wasn't sure they were chasing ghosts anymore. I found the final phase slightly confusing and very different from what had proceeded it. I am still not sure about the ending or know if the mansion was haunted, if they were haunted, or if aliens had landed.
But that takes nothing away from this book. I still recommend it as a fun and quick read.
Thanks to @netgalley for allowing me to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
Episode Thirteen will be released on January 24, 2023

Absolutely perfect, I love the way it's written like an actual documentary happened. Pacing was brilliant doesn't go all out too quickly and knows how to keep you interested and continue reading. When I started this I thought it was going to be the book version of Grave Encounters and nothing else, I was very surprised.

I loved this! A paranormal husband-and-wife duo are filming their thirteenth episode (they said the name of the book in the book!) at the Paranormal Research Foundation. Prior to this present day investigation, an entire team (:o) disappeared there in the 70s. They go there to try and figure out what in the world happened and get some good evidence of spirits, but everything absolutely hits the fan. I had such a fun time reading this I loved the setting and the characters, and this was a really fast read! I highly, highly recommend this one! :)

4 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Winning format, creepy house, atmosphere

Episode Thirteen is perhaps not quite what I expected in some ways and I think that’s a good thing in this instance. I think I had in mind a regular traditional style ghost story with things going bump in the night. Instead this as a refreshingly unique feel, a style that I am an absolute pushover for in more ways than one and a group of characters that are expertly developed, plus things going bump in the night.

I’m not going to go into the plot (which is one of my constant refrains at the moment or at least it seems to be) but let readers discover things for themselves. What I can tell you is this is a story put together using found footage (whoops, that doesn’t really bode well in the first instance does it). The setting is a derelict and dilapidated mansion where a team of scientists undertook some dodgy experiments before seemingly disappearing into the ether – this also doesn’t bode well does it! On top of this the characters are producing a reality tv show that has proved a great success but is flagging a little, they’re determined to make this a winning episode – guess what, it’s episode 13 (unlucky for some) – what could possibly go wrong?

So, for me, the first thing that immediately drew me in was the format of story telling. I’m a sucker for epistolary style and this includes journals, blogs, camera footage, texts, etc. I just love this approach because you get a rounded feel for the characters and the action rather than simply following one pov. And that leads me to the characters themselves. I’m so overawed at how the author manages to develop all the characters in such a convincing way using this format.

The characters. They’re an eclectic bunch. We have the married couple, Matt and Claire Kirklin. They are almost like polar opposites. Matt believes in ghosts whereas Claire is all about debunking the stories using science. Fade to Black is in fact Matt’s creation, as a child he believed he was visited by a ghost and has pursued his fascination with the supernatural ever since. The element of Claire taking part as the ‘disbeliever’ waiting to be convinced is the winning element that originally boosted the show up the ranks. The rest of the team consists of a cameraman, an actress who brings the glamour to the series and a technician responsible for setting up all the paraphernalia needed. What I really liked about the characters is that they all have their own concerns and these play heavily into the story. On top of that I would say I struggled to find a favourite here and I think that’s because there are underlying resentments and jealousies not to mention egos that don’t always paint the characters in the best light. I mean, I love this because they come across as flawed and real. They have doubts and insecurities and these really come to the fore and send some of them over the edge.

The setting. The house is a great setting. The team are all so excited to be given access and can’t wait for the creepy goings on to begin. In fact the house itself is almost like a character. It takes it’s time to show it’s hand and revealing what it’s really capable of. In fact the team are super excited when they manage to capture ground breaking footage on camera. All I will say about this is what they’ve witnessed to this point is the tip of the iceberg, the main bulk of the monster remains hidden and the team teeter on the brink of a huge rabbit warren. I won’t say more.

To bring this to a conclusion, whilst I wouldn’t say I found this scary in particular I did find it easy to read and totally compelling. There’s plenty of atmosphere and the conclusion is not only downright creepy but I would say ripe for adaptation. The writing and pacing are perfect and I galloped to the end like a maniac. If you enjoy psychological hauntings this could be just the thing for you.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks, the above is my own opinion.

A husband and wife team of paranormal researchers/ghost hunters are filming their thirteenth episode at the Paranormal Research Foundation. Active in the 70’s it’s infamous due to the entire research team disappearing. With their show hitting a wall, they try to solve the mystery of the missing researchers and prove that spirits are real… but they’ve gotten more than they bargained for.
What a good book. It can’t be stated better than that. Easily the best one I’ve read so far. I devoured it. Everything in it is just phenomenal. The characters are dimensional and engaging, the story is well paced and gripping, and the format is unique and fun. I really have no notes. Go read it.

There were parts that were intriguing but I felt that this book was overly long and could have used tighter editing. I also didn't like how so much detailed exposition was awkwardly dumped by the characters.

Its definitely a "oh God what have I gotten myself into", it's a story which is disturbing and weird and unsettling, but also incredibly well-written and completely captivating. Wonderful read.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected. I really like the whole "found footage"/ documentary style. The characters were different and interesting with different personalities that worked to make the story seem more authentic. I also thought the little splashes of cosmic horror elements added to the vibe and eeriness of the story. The author's writing style flows well and I thought the journal entries for each separate character was a nice touch. I'd definitely recommend this book for readers that love movies like Blair Witch.