I did received Puzzle House: A Novel by Duncan Ralston free for review on NetGalley. Thats why it pains me to say.. I didn't love this one. I'm sorry Ducan!
It just reminded me a little too much of a handful of movies in this same vein. There was a lot of repeated dialog between characters and the twist was just, silly. I love puzzles in all forms and I am easily scared so I was hopeful this one would get me good but it just wasn't for me I guess. Great idea, decent writing but relied a little too much on stories we've already seen or read before.
#PuzzleHouse
#NetGalley

I’d seen quite a few 5-star reviews for this novella but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

The premise sounded fun: six strangers are mysteriously in a dead millionaire’s will, and must complete escape rooms in order to inherit his money. The escape rooms turn out to be deadly.

I do love books with puzzles, but this wasn’t the kind of book where the reader got to solve the puzzles along with the characters.  I didn’t have a great sense of place in any of the rooms, and the puzzles didn’t have much logic to them — or at least the clues weren’t provided to the reader.

I’m someone who loves horror with complex characters and themes, and Puzzle House just wasn’t that kind of book.  The characters are very shallowly drawn and I’m not sure that the book had anything to say.

I also am easily turned off when a male character’s story arc is based around the rape and murder of a wife or daughter.  

Overall, this felt like a very masculine horror novel, which is fine, but not my thing.  The ending was fun, and it was a very quick, easy read, even if it didn’t suck me in.  I think it will find plenty of fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wicked House Publishing for my review copy of this book.

2⭐️

I was so excited for this book and the beginning chapters had me hooked.

But only giving background to three characters automatically told me which three wouldn’t survive. There’s no reason on why any of them were chosen; no real information on how they’re linked to each other. There’s obscure information about each one’s background, but not enough to give a reason why these 6 were chosen.

And the ending. What was that? It answered nothing, nor did it give any closure at all. What started out as a great book just left me feeling overall frustrated at the lack of information and a lack of an ending.

I’m giving it 2⭐️‘s because in the beginning I was hooked, and because I loved the references to ancient mythology (even though none of it was explained whatsoever).

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be - ridiculous, gory and just a really fun time. With a definite touch of the Saw film franchise and a not so subtle nod to Indiana Jones, the puzzle rooms got more and more cryptic as the story progressed and the stakes got higher. Yes, you do have to suspend your disbelief a lot here and yes, people do seem to know an awful lot about Mesopotamian and Mayan mythology randomly, but overall, this was a compelling and exciting read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston is a fun and fast action thriller with echoes of (a darker) Goonies as well as other movies with twisted puzzle masters like Cube and Saw. I hate when authors review a book as "very readable", but I actually see it as something you could say about this book. The action kept on coming, more puzzles kept arriving, and more blood kept flowing. The characters are maybe a bit generic at times, but this was also a short book so there wasn't a lot of time for character development. Henry's backstory was super interesting. There was also a bit of cheese in some of the dialog and the action sequences, but overall it was a fun time and the parting scene was extra cool. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. This was my first Ralston but it will not be my last. Thank you #netgalley for my free preview of Puzzle House.

This was far from what I expected but in the best way possible. Though reminiscent of the Saw franchise, this book touches more so on the phycological thriller side of things versus the gore. Death does play a part in the puzzles the characters face but it does spare you the sticky details.
Each character was wonderfully written and I loved having a glimpse at their lives and backstories. This is a perfect book for those who enjoy escape room-esque tropes!
Hoping to have a second book, that ending sent me reeling and I honestly need more! Though, at the same time, if it is kept as it, I can deal with that. The ending was delicious!

Puzzle House reminded me of Saw but also another movie (which if I say it will be a spoiler I think) but I love the movie and it's a weird one (because of the ending) and this book ending too. This took a turn at the end, like it was predictable but also not. It's hard to talk about it without giving too much away because it's so short.
You will have to read to find out.
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This I would highly recommend to people who love escape room puzzle type books or shows. It was fun, it did get a bit too specific in the medical field for me (that kinda just went over my head to be honest) but I had a fun time with this.
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It's short, fast paced, entertaining, and a lot of deaths in an interesting way.
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Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston
3.5⭐

I was not expecting this one to be as frightful and detail-loaded for every gore-filled moment as it was. It honestly made me quiet scared and afraid as I got deeper into the story.

Six individuals are contacted by a lawyer of a wealthy man who went by the name Alexei Vasiliev to come to his hearing for his will wherein they will inherit some of his fortune, splitting 150 million dollars. Other than Alexei's wife, Joy, a famous celebrity, the five other people have never met him. He is a complete stranger to them. Still, they are to inherit a part of his fortune as he has passed away only if all six of them agree to play along with his wishes and solve six puzzles in six different escape rooms together in his great Puzzle House. Either they do that, or walk away with nothing. But who can deny a big fortune from a wealthy man?

This novel doesn't take much time in building up the world or it's characters. The author gives a bit of an insight into the three main characters: Henry, Joy and Oscar as they have their own POVs while we have zero idea of what goes on in the heads of the other strangers that are trapped with them in the house. However, the lack of that building up doesn't effect the plot line or the novel badly in any way. I actually liked that it hit off right at the beginning.

The writing is amazing. It's intricate with details and the author does a fabulous job at describing the appearance of every escape room the prisoners enter. I didn't expect this to be as scary as it was. The details were too vivid and awful at times with how terrifying they were. So this is a pretty good horror for horror-lovers such as myself.

I did not expect that ending too. I wasn't really expecting anything good, honestly, I didn't have any time to think of the ending as the happenings in the novel always kept me on my toes. Twist after another, the characters just couldn't catch a break. As it is, some of the characters were a little annoying and at times, it was difficult to follow with what's being referred to regarding the mythologies in this book. So I couldn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. But it was still a really good read.

Thankyou to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the free e-book of this novel for my honest opinion.

At first, I loved this! It was so creepy and I loved the idea of the escape room element that it had. At first I didn't mind how much of the "old Gods" stuff there was in each puzzle. I thought it was a different element to incorporate into the story and I enjoyed learning about some of the Gods. However, the ending for me completely went off the rails. It just got too weird and too out there for me to really enjoy it anymore. I also thought the ending was very abrupt and didn't provide enough answers after everything that had happened. I thought this one was just okay, although the ending brought down the rating for me significantly. Also, this isn't the author's fault but the formatting in the kindle version was awful, to the point of it being distracting.

Six strangers are called to a mysterious house for a will reading. Each of them can share in 150 million dollars, but first they have to make a choice. Leave the house with nothing or continue in the hope of solving the six interconnecting escape rooms within this house. However, the participants soon discover Puzzle House is far deadlier than it appears, and that making their way through the rooms may be a matter of life and death. Someone is watching their every move, toying with them, turning them against each other. With their lives on the line, they are forced to wonder, is it all just a deadly game created by a gleeful sadist, or something far more sinister?

There is absolutely no way this can be a single standalone novel. I NEED another part right now.
I was drawn to Puzzle House on the premise that it had a SAW feel to it, and after reading a few of Ralston's other novels, I knew that it was going to be amazing. It wasn't just SAW like - it was better. The tiny breadcrumbs of information we were being fed; I knew I had an inkling to what was happening but then we had an epic cliffhanger conclusion that threw all of my theories out the window. Don't head into this one expecting Ralston's extreme horror - this one is the perfect blend of gross and messed up with enough story to keep everything interesting.

Thank you to Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This one releases 15th September, 2023.

I flew through this. This was such a unique and fun read. This got me hooked pretty quickly on. This had a mix of Saw and Escape Room vibes and I absolutely loved it.

ARC provided by NetGalley

I definitely enjoyed this novella. Previously I had only read Woom by Duncan Ralston, which I also enjoyed. This is not like Woom, it is much less gory, but there is more story and plot to it. However, the ending was a bit lackluster. Honestly I assumed there was still more book, I have so many questions left unanswered. Perhaps there will be a sequel and my questions will be answered then. One can hope.

This was a fast-paced book that I completely devoured in almost 24 hours. Puzzle House felt like a mix of Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, Saw, and Thirteen Ghosts. After Alexei Vasiliev dies, he leaves his fortune to 6 strangers. If they want the fortune, they have to come to his house that he has completely redesigned and complete challenges in order to survive to the next room/level. As these strangers compete through the house, they realize that the challenges are deadly.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to horror and thriller readers.

I felt like this book was very similar to a movie franchise that you’re probably familiar with. I wanted more details about almost everything in this book. I normally like fast paced books but thought it was moving a tad big fast to keep up with. Overall a book for spooky season if you’re a mood reader.

Six strangers find themselves in an escape room mansion competing for millions of dollars after thinking they were just going to find out what they were bequeathed in a stranger's will. At first glance I thought this book was going to be like the Saw movies--a theme we’ve all already seen. But I was so wrong. This book was a completely unique spin on the escape trope and I enjoyed it so much. The blending of historical occult, Gods, demons, artifacts and symbols was incredibly done (so much so that I found myself researching them more after reading the book!) It was a short read, but the author did a great job developing the characters and making you invested in their outcomes. That being said, I need the authors to write a sequel because the way this novel ends is amazing and I need to know more.

I really enjoyed Woom from this author but this one was so interesting! Not at all what I had expected but the writing had me hooked from the beginning and I'm obsessed.

Escape Room meets Saw meets Hell!! I have never been so emotional invested in a story as I was with this one. Yes, there were tears shed.

6 puzzles, 6 people and 6 ways to do. Will anyone get out alive? If you love Thirteen Ghosts, any Saw movies or the 2018 Escape room movie. This is a read for you!

You have the prisoner, the widow, and the healer, are they connected or completely strangers. There is so much detail it keeps the story line going without giving too much information. You get a back story of some of the players right off the bat. It gives you that emotional connection. What secrets are they hiding? Why were they chosen?

This was so well written. Duncan has done it again! If there was a sequel to this story I would read it.

I tried to post to Goodreads and got an error. I just went to my page and added the review.

Puzzle House: A Novel
By Duncan Ralston
Publisher Wicked House Publishing
Release Date September 15, 203

Characters: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Pace: 4/5
Suspense: 4/5
Overall Enjoyment: 4/5

This is what some might say another escape room horror story. Alexei Vasiliev was a puzzle master and now after his death, six strangers are at his home for the reading of his will. There are several people of importance there, his widow who had started divorce proceedings, a convicted murderer and a virologist who has been troubled by his past actions. They are to take a piece of the 150M fortune if they can do one thing. They must participate in one of his great works…puzzle house. It is not exactly what the participants think it is when they get started. Someone is watching their every move. Someone is playing a game with them. Who is going to win and who will lose? It is a very deadly adventure and they each know that they must finish the game in order to get to the money. The ending will prove to be quite deadly.






4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review

This wasn't terrible, but unfortunately for Ralston I 1) love escape rooms, 2) love escape room horror, and 3) just read this same story earlier this year, but done better, unfortunately. Is Puzzle House a bad novel? It really isn't, but then it's not very good either. For a quick afternoon easy breezy horror read though, it works well.

Let's start with the story itself: six strangers are invited to a will reading, all told that if they solve all the puzzles in the dead man's house, they'll win his inheritance of many millions of dollars along with the crazy puzzle house. Ralston introduces the "main" characters in their own chapters, which are three of the six players, immediately giving away the other three as for sure dying because they're given brief introductions and minimal backstory. But then - Ralston is NOT subtle. At all. Every hint to each "puzzle" is spelled out. Every character's action, every thought, every. single. thing. is told to the reader. Everything! It was so frustrating. Even when it made no sense.

For example: One of the main characters picks up an item and keeps it. The 3rd-person narration of the story makes note of this. The character thinks on it. Then Ralston has another character mention noticing the other person has this item... and then does nothing with it. The item does make a brief reappearance later on... is Ralston afraid of readers claiming MacGuffins? If so, he either doesn't know what a McGuffin is, or he genuinely thinks he is a genius and all of his readers are morons and so is dumbing down absolutely everything in Puzzle House to an inane, repetitive, nonsensical degree.

That's my other issue - the creator of the puzzle house our protagonists find themselves trapped in is noted, often and frequently, as being a 'Puzzle MASTER'. Not puzzle maker, puzzle MASTER. At no point in this novel did that come across as believable, because the puzzles weren't that exciting or confusing or intricate. Now, I love escape rooms and escape room horror and I'm not expecting some insanely clever trap but the incessant focus on 'Puzzle MASTER' is, of course, going to have the reader reflect on the puzzles... which were not impressive.

Then there was the twist, which again mostly reminded me of Jon Cohn's Slashtag. That's the similar novel that I read a few months ago that did almost this exact same topic but was a lot more fun, with more exciting action and a much more interesting cast of characters. Which is how Ralston's own Puzzle House could have been saved, because at the end of it I just cared not one iota about any of his characters, all of which felt little more than cardboard cut-outs.

I don't feel like I wasted my time, and anyone who has a passing interest in this type of horror will likely feel the same but will I remember this book or want to revisit it ever again? Meh.

First of all, thank you for allowing me to read this book!
I would say this was my first real one in the genre, and for that it was great - not too much gore, exciting plot with a bit of mystique and I liked the conspiracy theory line.
In the beginning I felt things were a little bumpy, the story didn’t pull me in as much as by the half of it. Oscar’s death pretty much threw me off as it wasn’t clear to me why he had to die, when they had multiple corpses around - perhaps I missed something, but I did feel that I needed to read between the lines to understand what’s going on exactly.
From there on the story line and the characters backstory unfolded greatly, I enjoyed it very much.
I would appreciate more details about the backstory of the characters, learning more about how they’re all connected to the Infinity and etc, but overall I very much enjoyed this book.