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.

I didn’t like this book… I don’t really know how to feel about it and I don’t want to leave a whole review or get there with the explanation because it would just be a rant of the book…

Duncan Ralston's *Puzzle House: A Novel* is a thrilling blend of mystery and psychological suspense that captivates with its intricate plot and dark twists. Ralston’s atmospheric writing and complex characters create a compelling and immersive experience, keeping readers guessing until the final revelation. The novel’s clever narrative and tense pacing make it a standout in the genre.

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston is a thrilling horror novel that kept me on edge from start to finish. The story begins with six strangers arriving at the mansion of Alexei Vasiliev, a master puzzle maker, for the reading of his will. They are given a choice: leave with nothing or solve a series of deadly puzzles to claim a fortune. The suspense builds as the characters navigate life-threatening challenges within the house, revealing their darkest secrets and true natures.

Ralston’s writing excels in creating a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere. The puzzles are ingeniously crafted, adding layers of complexity to the narrative. The characters are well-developed, each with their own backstories that unfold as the plot progresses. The novel’s pacing is perfect, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger that makes it hard to put the book down.

Overall, Puzzle House is a must-read for fans of horror and psychological thrillers. The blend of intense puzzles, character-driven drama, and a sinister atmosphere makes it a standout in the genre. If you enjoy books like Saw or Escape Room, this one is definitely for you.

thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and duncan ralston for the advanced readers copy of "puzzle house". the concept of this book was immensely intriguing!! i love stories that involve games and puzzles (especially in a survival/thriller/horror setting), so i scrambled to request an ARC copy of this book. the concept and synopsis reminded me a lot of if "squid game" and "escape room" had a love child. six strangers have the opportunity to win a grand prize of 150 million dollars if they successfully make it through the puzzle house. what they don't know going into the challenge is that their very lives are at stake. this book was in striking contrast to ralston's extreme horror novella "woom" (that i had to dnf), and so it was a surprise to discover they were written by the same author. in "puzzle house", there is literally no described gore or violence at all. i found it hard to connect with the characters, so when they would die, i wouldn't have much of a reaction because i could not grow an attachment to them.

Puzzle House started out very strong as an escape room horror. Six strangers are brought together by Alexei Vasiliev after his death to compete for the rights to a portion of his vast estate. Things aren't as they seem, and it quickly becomes apparent that this game is not intended for everyone to win....just one.

The idea itself of an escape room Murder Castle was definitely an interesting one, and the rooms themselves were really cool to read. Each seemed to be tailored to one of the beneficiaries, and as the book wore on, you get to know the dark things in their past. The characters themselves were kind of eh; I was truthfully only invested in two of them. They all seemed fairly shallow and cardboard cutout-y to me; almost like all the creativity and intrigue went into the scenes themselves with next to nothing left for the characters.

Then things started getting hokey. While I always appreciate demonology and ancient myth, I don't feel like it added to the plot at all. Really, it detracted for me as the book became less about cool murder escape rooms and more about completing a ritual without even trying to circumvent it. I also don't really understand how all of these characters got involved with Infiniti. I can sort of see Oscar and Rudy, but what about Ileana, Henry, Jessica, and Joy? Why were they chosen when Joy and Jessica have a surface-level connection (at best), and Ileana and Henry didn't seem to have a connection with Infiniti at all?

I wanted more out of this than what I got, truth be told. I was set up for harrowing escapes from near-death situations in booby-trapped rooms, but this just didn't quite get there for me.