I dove into Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston and found myself trapped in a labyrinth of suspense, dark humor, and twisted puzzles. Six strangers are summoned to the mansion of a deceased puzzle master, Alexei Vasiliev, for the reading of his will. The catch? To inherit his $150 million fortune, they must navigate six interconnected escape rooms—each more perilous than the last. As they delve deeper, the line between game and reality blurs, and survival becomes a deadly puzzle in itself.  

Ralston crafts a claustrophobic atmosphere where every room is a ticking clock, and every decision could be their last. The characters are richly drawn, each with secrets that unravel as the story progresses. The tension builds steadily, with unexpected twists that kept me on edge. The horror elements are visceral, and Ralston doesn’t shy away from graphic scenes that add to the story’s intensity.

While the book is fast-paced and engaging, I found myself wishing for a bit more depth in some of the character backstories. However, the intricate puzzles and the escalating danger more than made up for this minor shortcoming. Puzzle House is a thrilling ride that combines elements of psychological horror with a classic locked-room mystery. If you’re a fan of high-stakes suspense and dark twists, this book is a must-read.

This was not... great. Trite, boring, and not well written. I know Ralston writes some splatterpunk stuff, which I'm fine with, but this was not for me at all.

I truly don't have a lot to say about this there was nothing horrible about the book, and the writing was not to my taste. This is a case of a very mid book. I also hated the ending that was not my type of thing.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book—
This was my first real dive into the genre, and for that alone, it was a great introduction. The level of gore was just right for me, and the plot kept a good pace with just the right amount of mystery. I especially enjoyed the conspiracy thread woven through the story.

That said, the beginning felt a little uneven. It took a bit of time for me to feel truly pulled into the narrative. Oscar’s death, in particular, threw me off. It wasn’t clear why his death was necessary, especially when there were other corpses around. Maybe I missed a clue, but I did find myself having to read between the lines more than I expected to understand what was really going on.

However, once the story hit its stride, I was fully engaged. The unfolding plot and the deeper exploration of the characters’ histories were really well done. I would have loved even more backstory—especially around the characters’ connections to the Infinity and how it all ties together—but overall, this was a compelling and enjoyable read.

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘
𝑻𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆: Puzzle House: A Novel
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Duncan Ralston
𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘:
Puzzle House is a gripping thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. The story follows a couple who move into a secluded mansion with a mysterious past, only to uncover secrets that turn their world upside down. Duncan Ralston expertly builds tension with a mix of eerie atmosphere and unexpected twists.

I really enjoyed how the plot slowly unraveled, revealing layers of mystery piece by piece. The characters were relatable, and their reactions to the strange events felt authentic, which made the suspense hit even harder. The pacing was just right—never too fast or slow—keeping me hooked throughout.

The ending tied things together nicely but left enough open questions to keep me thinking afterward. If you like psychological thrillers with a haunted house vibe, Puzzle House is a solid pick. I definitely recommend it for anyone who loves a twisty, creepy story.

Could not put down! This book is not for the faint of heart, there is gore. A must read for any horror fan.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of Puzzle House in exchange for an honest review. In true Ralston fashion, this was messed up in all the best ways! Definitely not a read for the easily offended or sensitive to grotesque themes as this is extreme horror.

I’m a big fan of puzzle games, escape rooms most of all, but I had never read an escape room book. When I laid my eyes on Puzzle House I knew I had to read it, I’m glad I did because the book delivered on the locked room mystery premise beyond my wildest dreams.

An engrossing mystery, interesting characters I cared about, snappy dialogue, and a handful of shocking twists and turns that made me gasp: Puzzle House had it all. I felt lukewarm about the ending, but the ending didn’t matter to me with how much fun I had with the story and characters.

I’m also not a squeamish person by any means and I’ve read books with far more disgusting content, yet I found myself feeling nauseated with one particular scene, which was a first for me. For that I respect Ralston’s ability to immerse me so much in the story to illicit a physical reaction out of me.

This was my first Duncan Ralston book and I understand why he has garnered such a devoted fanbase. Half a year after I read this book and I still think about it. I’m glad this book was my first by this author, and it certainly won’t be my last.

I own this and intend to read it in the future I'm just clearing this off my board to reduce stress. I will update when I read/review.

Duncan Ralston knows how to write scary books! Dark and murdery lol has a saw vibe to it and I LOVE those movies!

I really liked this book. It was a fun read and recommend it to a few of my friends 🧡 would definitely recommend this book and author to friends and family

This book is gory, dark, violent, sinister and traumatizing. 5 stars. When I'm in the mood for a good disturbing read I can always count on Duncan Raulston to come through. And what's more fun than a deadly escape room that leaves the participants at the whim of a crazy billionaire??? I'm disgusted!! 5 stars.

Twisty read that kept me coming back for more! I couldn't put it down. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Read if you like: a quick paced story, shady characters, cult-like vibes, characters you should hate but maybe like

For under 200 pages, this one packs an impressive punch. Random people finding themselves trapped in a house, having to complete one deadly escape room after another while being forced to trust each other - you'll think you've read three times the pages with how fleshed out this was written.

I was left wanting more at the end, so be prepared for possibly feeling a bit left hanging, but the ride is so worth it.

I am a major Duncan Ralston fan and I have read so many of his books so I was so excited to get this arc! After taking a long book hiatus after having my baby, it was so fun to jump back into some horror

This book was the craziest, most intense ride I've been on in a very long time. It reminded me of the Saw movies, but then it veered off into something I did not see coming! It was gory, funny, and just plain bizarre. I loved it!

This book was so good! It was a quick read that kept me on my toes. The ending didn’t really do it for me and the mythology and some of the clues and hieroglyphic things I was just lost. But other than that, Bravo!!

Duncan Ralston never disappoints! A group of people are asked to come to a will reading for someone they've never met. They arrive and find out in order to get the money they have to go through a series of escape rooms and whoever makes it out will receive money no questions asked. They find out that it really does seem to good to be true when they realize they may not survive this house. It really gave me Saw and Thirteen Ghosts vibes, along with the most recent escape room movies. Definitely enjoyable.

This was such a fun read! I loved watching everything piece together. Finding out the backstory of everyone and how they were connected felt like a fun puzzle itself, and the puzzles/games the characters had to play were very intriguing. The end of this one probably won't work for a lot of people because you really don't get a lot of explanation but I feel like the immediate plot wrapped up enough for me. Definitely an entertaining read!

Dang, this was disappointed. I kept hoping the final twist wouldn't be supernatural but the ending we got is worse than I could've imagined. Open endings can be fine, but why introduce so many questions in the final chapter? The plot changed from a unlikely scenario to a ridiculous fever dream.