I thought this had such an interesting concept but ultimately fell flat in execution for me sadly. I was hoping to feel more intensity and stress and it just lacked the thrills for me.

Really enjoyed this “escape” house with a deadly twist.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

I wanted to like this book so bad. A puzzle master creates escape room type puzzles in his house and traps people in them? Saw vibes? Excuse me yes give it to me! However the execution…..not there. I didn’t enjoy the characters as they fell flat, the puzzles were underwhelming and the characters figured them out in unbelievable ways, and the motive fell flat. I really enjoyed the beginning of this and it just felt more and more like a chore the longer I read. I feel like if this was extreme horror it might have saved it for me but since it wasn’t I was bored. Still looking forward to reading more from this author as I read and enjoyed Woom.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to this due to the concept of it. I enjoy reading and watching escape room themed books/movies. Right away I already knew how the story would go and who the survivor was going to be Yet, that did not stop me from still reading this book. In fact, I did read the majority of it in one sitting.

Out of the six characters, there was not one that I particularly liked. Therefore, when their impending doom came, I was not sad for them. The puzzles for each room were not overly complex as each was specialty designed with each character in mind. So, once they figured that out, it was not too hard for them to solve.

Overall, I did like this book and would read another from this author.

I started out loving this book - six strangers invited to a house to claim a very large inheritance from a complete stranger. It's not really about that though, it's much more convoluted. I was getting right into the fatal locked room puzzle thing, which was over the top, but I was liking it. The end was just too much for me. Just plain bizarre, and seems to be the lead in to a sequel. It kind of ruined it for me, which was a disappointment.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. It started off super fast paced, intriguing, and kept me on my toes, but then towards the last quarter of the book, It got very weird and I was truly not expecting the supernatural twist. Maybe if I knew the author and the writing style more I would’ve been more accepting of this, but it just went from slightly far-fetched reality to “this is impossible.” I really liked it and it only took me 24 hours to read, but the ending really threw me for a loop and I don’t know if I can get over it. I would say a solid 3.5 star read because I really couldn’t put it down!

Sadly, I expected more from this book. I really went in hoping it would be like the Saw movies where its gory and clever and fun with all the puzzles. Unfortunately though it just didn't hit the mark for me. I didn't necessarily enjoy all the Greek myology aspects within the puzzles, I found myself often bored and wasn't really interested. I absolutely loved Ralston's book 'Woom' and will of course give some of his other work a try, but I'm sad this one was a miss for me.

Alexei Vasiliev is dead. He made escape rooms in life and has one last, grand puzzle left for after his death. The first three chapters introduce the first three players: Henry Hall who is in solitary, a former cop kept separate from the general population; Joy Reese is a movie star and Alexei's widow; Dr. Oscar Evans is an epidemiologist who has been ignoring the signs of his own cancer. Oh, and Henry has a handler named Atkins who doesn't seem to fit in his own skin. These three (four?) come together and solve the first puzzle which gets them the option to either keep playing or to leave the house. All continue to play where they are joined by Dr. Rudyard Thomas, an associate professor of archeology. As they wait, Joy notices a timer counting down and the five of them witness a devastating act which leads to a sixth member joining them, Ileana Athanasiou, a politician.
I really liked the first three quarters of this book and there were hints about what the end was going to be but it still felt a little like a hard left turn. I think other people would enjoy this book more but I am just grateful that I finished it during the daylight hours.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out September 15, 2023
ARC kindly provided by Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Six strangers are summed to the reading of the last will and testament of world-famous Puzzle Master, Alexei Vasiliev. Instructed to work through a series of escape rooms, anyone who successfully makes it through will split the one hundred- and fifty-million-dollar estate he's left behind. All from different walks of life, the six invitees agree to take on the challenge..... only to immediately understand that it's very unlikely they'll all survive.

I loved the start of this book. I loved the way you get a brief glimpse into some of the character's lives as they're informed they've been summoned. I also loved that it jumped right into the story and the pace moved quickly. While I won't spoil it by going into detail, this one was definitely, 100% unequivocally horror *not* mystery/thriller. They can be two very different audiences and this one is for the former, for sure. I personally am a little squeamish about movies like 'Saw' where people are actively tortured, and this one (for the most part) wasn't as grotesquely torturous, it's definitely got some pretty gross elements. Still, I did love certain elements, like the creepier rooms were deeply creepy and I loved it!

This was a little gross for me and the ending was just.... odd. The ultimate solution was very bizarre and way too out there for me. However, the writing is very good and the book was a quick read. Highly recommended for all horror fans, and for mystery/thriller readers who are more on the adventurous side.

3.5 rounded down.

This grabbed my attention from the start. A millionaire passes away, and has turned his will into a game. He chooses 6 candidates to attempt to make their way through a house of puzzles he has built to win the grand prize at the end. When they agree to give things a shot, they don't realize that it will become a deadly game.

I loved the introduction to the characters, and the set-up of the plot. About halfway in, I started to get bored. Partly because it was difficult to imagine some of the puzzles in my mind, so I was just waiting for the characters to figure things out and move on. Near the end, there was a twist I didn't see coming, which I appreciated....then there was another twist with an abrupt ending to the book.
I thought my kindle malfunctioned for a minute....then I realized that it had truly ended. The ending felt rushed and incomplete to me. You won't get many answers with this one.

The beginning of this starts really strong introducing the characters who will be entering puzzle house. At about the 50% mark, I kind of started not enjoying everything happening. This didn't feel all that original, and I was really hoping for more of a twist in the plot. The end got pretty weird out of nowhere, and I feel like it was too close to the end to introduce a whole new twist without much explanation.

I’m a big fan of this author and this book is a quick read that did not disappoint. The story centers on 6 strangers who are summoned to the house of a recently deceased rich guy who had promised his fortune to those that can solve a series of puzzles. Ralston is never afraid to kill people off so we quickly see that these puzzles are more deadly than anyone was expecting.

For a short read, I think we got to know the characters pretty well. I enjoyed the creativity of the puzzles, though I did get a little lost during some of the conversations around mythology. The ending was abrupt and left me with some unanswered questions.

Overall, I enjoyed this quick read and thought it was creative and enjoyable. Definitely more horror than mystery but I expected that. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Writing: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5

Themes: Mystery, Suspense, Horror

Puzzle House is about a group of people who are asked to a will reading of a famous puzzle maker. In order for them to get their money they have to solve the deadly puzzle house. I really liked the mythology aspects to the story. It added another level than just a group of people trying to solve different puzzles. Sometimes the puzzles and clues seemed random and they were lucky someone in their group always knew about the obscure facts. The writing was well done and it was easy to follow the story. I wouldn’t mind if the author added more book to this world.

I received an arc and am leaving an honest review.

I love puzzles and thrillers, so when I saw the cover and read over this book's plot, I immediately added it to my TBR.

Six strangers are summoned to the will reading of an uber-rich, deceased man who was a puzzle master. They must solve problems in an escape room puzzle throughout the deceased’s mansion. If they win, they win the treasure. If they lose, they die.

The plot initially grabbed my attention. It seemed like a high-stakes thriller that would be a page-turner. The overall pacing of the novel is good; from the very beginning, you meet three characters in detail, so you care about the people playing the "game".. Each room is unique to the characters and their expertise. For example, one of the characters is an expert in Egyptian history, and one of the rooms follows this theme. Another room is a medical lab, nodding to the doctor in the group. Ralston gives you a lot of twists and turns. What starts as an innocent escape room game gets darker as the book continues.

I initially believed that this was a thriller/mystery. However, the novel suddenly shifts into the horror genre, and there’s no indication that this will happen. Also, there were so many unanswered questions at the end. I’m unsure if the author is setting up a sequel. This reminded me of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (one of my favorites). The plot also reminded me of a twist on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory because the participants play for a prize. However, Puzzle House did not provide a clear resolution or explanation of events. It also introduces gore, violence, and supernatural elements that might not appear to some readers who prefer a more realistic approach.

This is my first read by Duncan Ralston. He is a Canadian author who writes dark fiction, horror, and thrillers. His most-known novels are Woom and Ghostland. If you’re familiar with Duncan Ralston’s work, you may better understand the novel than I did. However, many readers may find the sudden change in tone off-putting, especially if they aren’t into the horror genre.

I gave this book 3/5 stars. It was an entertaining and suspenseful read. I wanted to know what happened at the end. However, it left me confused and unsatisfied by the end. I would recommend this to fans of horror/thriller and puzzles who don't mind ambiguity and gore. I want to read more books by Duncan Ralston in the future because I like his unique writing style.

Alexei Vasiliev was a great puzzle master. Upon his death, six people are invited to take part in his greatest puzzle yet, The Puzzle House. The six people, who include his soon to be ex-wife, are invited to the house for the reading of his will. When arriving, they discover each has a chance to win part of his fortune of $150 million dollar. All they have to do is solve and survive the Puzzle House. The rooms of the house are set up like escape rooms and the potential beneficiaries soon learn that not all will escape with their lives.

I really enjoyed the cleverness of this novel and the puzzles of each room. The author did a great job introducing each character in the beginning and slowly unveiling their flaws and their connect to each other. The ending was a complete surprise and I hope the author continues with the story. I need to know more!

Thanks NetGalley, Wicked House Publishing and Duncan Ralston for the copy of this book.

This was an extremely fun book. It felt like a horror take on the Westing Game with a twist at the end that I did NOT see coming! I'm really glad it veered into culty, Cabin in the Woods territory towards the end because I absolutely want more books in this series. The set design in each room was super well done and the characters were surprisingly complex.

I have tried to get into this "authors" stories and I just can't. I don't think he is a good writer.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but it draws you in and is a page-turner. The premise is that an eccentric man, husband to an action movie star actress, has died and sends out unexpected invitations to the reading of his will that is stating that each will receive a significant sum of money if they attend the reading in person. They show up at the home of the deceased for the reading and are introduced the “The Puzzle House”. This gentleman is a master puzzle creator and has essentially turned his home into the ultimate escape room experience. Each section being a new set of puzzles to work out in order to receive the inheritance. This ramps up quickly and becomes much more that I even anticipated.
This is a story that is 100% perfect for someone craving a spooky read for autumn. Highly recommend!

#PuzzleHouseANovel #NetGalley #WickedHousePublishing

This had me at Duncan Ralston. I truly love his work, this one however started off great and ended just MEH. I almost wish there was more of the escape room aspect of this novel with less of the "cult" aspect mixed in. With that said I did enjoy it and it got me out of my reading funk I had been in. I enjoyed the story up until the end, but I wouldn't mind reading another one in a series if it comes down to it. It was a little 13 ghosts meets indiana jones meets constantine. I will be recommending this fast paced read to my friends.

Imagine if Robert Langdon from Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” or Nicolas Cage from the “National Treasure” movies tangled with the love child of Aleister Crowley and the Marquis de Sade. That’s pretty much what you get in Duncan Ralston’s “Puzzle House,” a novel resembling the recent “Escape Room” movie on steroids with an unhealthy dose of the supernatural added.

The novel’s titular Puzzle House was designed by a recently deceased, eccentric inventor who specialized in creating such structures for puzzle fans. In his will, the inventor left his $150 million estate to six potential beneficiaries, provided they show up at the house for the reading of the will. Not surprisingly, all agree. The beneficiaries are the various, seemingly unrelated types who often appear in books like this. They include a convicted murderer, an epidemiologist who is dying of cancer, and the inventor’s widow, who happens to be a famous action-movie actress. When they show up at the house, the dead inventor appears in a recording, telling them they must find a way out of the house once locked to receive the inheritance.

The bulk of “Puzzle House” follows the potential beneficiaries as they try to figure out the exit from the house. Like most escape rooms, this involves figuring out the exits as they go from room to room. They have to figure out clues, such as spotting the words “merchant” and “Venice” in one room and realizing this refers to the Shakespearean play. Unlike most amusement park escape rooms, this exit involves a literal pound of flesh. And, to make matters worse, the “contestants” are under a form of a countdown timer in each room. If time runs out, they don’t just lose the inheritance, but also their lives from perils like rising water and poison gas filling the various rooms.

The author shows considerable ingenuity in devising these various potential death traps. I don’t want to spoil any of them, but the clues frequently involve understanding somewhat obscure references to different ancient religions and mythologies. Fortunately for the group, each time they encounter references to these obscure deities, one member knows enough about the mythos involved to inform the others… and the readers, who would otherwise be baffled.

Part of the fun of the Dan Brown and “National Treasure” works is seeing how the heroes always know just enough about the arcane subject matter to solve each puzzle. The same principle is at work in “Puzzle House.” Author Ralston has clearly done his homework in researching a vast number of subjects, many of which I didn’t even know existed. I couldn’t follow many of the references, but it didn’t matter. The author didn’t dwell on any single subject or peril the group faced, instead keeping the action going rapidly.

As “Puzzle House” progresses, readers will realize that there seem to be some supernatural elements at play. I wondered whether the author would reveal the secret behind the house and whether it would be dramatically satisfying instead of seeming like a cheap copout. The answers are yes and yes. (The book concludes on an open-ended note, leading to a possible sequel.) Ralston reveals why each character was chosen for their potential inheritance. The plot is complex and interconnected, but the author handles it well.

Readers also learn enough about the three characters I described earlier to have a rooting interest in their success or, at the very least, their survival. My major gripe about “Puzzle House” was the author’s failure to develop the other characters to the same extent. Instead of describing how they arrived at the house, the author just sort of dumped them in there with little explanation of their earlier adventures. I had a feeling that these book sections had been edited down for some reason.

For those who don’t mind (or those who really enjoy) graphic violence, “Puzzle House” is ghoulish fun. The author learned the genre’s conventions and embellished them with blood and guts. He also adds some creepy supernatural references. I admit I would never have figured my way out of even the first room in this house. But genre fans will enjoy following these characters on their way out of the house… or not.

NOTE: The publisher graciously gave me a copy of this book. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of that review are entirely my own.