
Member Reviews

Incredible read by a fantastic author. It was like being immersed in the best horror movie I hadn’t seen

Actual rating of 3.5
Six strangers are approached and invited to puzzle master Alexei Vasiliev's will reading. Once they walk through the door of the mansion, they are given a choice. Play the game, solve the puzzles and potentially walk away with millions. Or leave the way they came, no questions asked. The only thing is, they all have to agree on which choice to make. All of them have secrets, all of them could use the money, but how were all of them chosen? The participants soon discover that the escape rooms have far deadlier consequences to failure than they first thought. Add to that, it seems like someone is watching them, toying with them, attempting to turn them against each other. Is this just some pointless, deadly game, created by a sadist? Or is there something more going on?
I was super excited for this one when I first saw it on Netgalley. The cover and the title drew my attention instantly. As you all know, I've been on a huge horror kick for like two years now. It's my favourite genre, and always has been. I guess that's what happens when you cut your reading teeth on Goosebumps as a 5-year-old.
The story started and jumped around a little between characters, which was fine. There are a small cast of characters that we follow throughout the story, so getting to know them was important. A couple I gravitated towards more than others, and I was rooting for a couple of them, the others I didn't really mind if they died along the way. It was a little odd for me as it's a multi-character story, but it almost felt like Alexei's widow was the lead character once the story moved into the house, I don't know why this sat weird with me, but it did. I found her a little bit irksome as everything she encountered brought her back to a part she'd played in a movie, a character she'd played and their profession or experience. The characters had interesting back stories and it was interesting seeing how it all came together and why they were all there. I enjoyed the character of the history professor, his knowledge was great, and I loved the information that it brought into the story itself. I loved the ancient religions and cultures that the story was based around. I did really like the prisoner; I enjoyed his character and his backstory. And I took a liking to the doctor as well. I'm not sure why, these three characters just endeared themselves to me pretty early on.
The story itself initially ran a bit slow as everything was being set up, and we were meeting the characters. Once they get to the house, the pacing picks up a lot and it had given me Cube and Saw vibes, which I love. Cube is a movie that I feel is severely underrated and needs more exposure even though it's considered old now. Nothing beats the urgency of life and death, locked in a room where you have to work out how to not die. Add to that a cast of characters that don't know each other at all, and distrust each other, and it makes for a riveting story. I did feel that the rooms themselves felt a little bit rushed, but I also understand that when they're running on a timer, there's only so long you can drag it out before everyone dies, and before it gets tedious and boring. I feel like Ralston did an awesome job at writing a horror story like this because it's very easy for it to fall into a repetitive and tedious pattern, for me, it didn't.
I was a little surprised at the way the story went, I wasn't expecting what ended up transpiring, which is always a huge bonus. It turned from a small, isolated horror into something bigger which was great. I'm wondering if Ralston is looking at continuing the story or whether he's leaving it how it is. The story definitely closed out, but there's room here for it to be continued if that's the route the author goes down.
All in all, it was an enjoyable story, not for the faint of heart as there is violence and gore described on page. I think I was expecting something a bit different, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think I had in my head what I was looking for and this story gave me something that was mostly different from that, hence my lower rating. If you're looking for a fun romp through life and death situations with an eclectic cast of characters, some of which you won't mind losing along the way. Give this one a go, it's definitely unique, I can say that I haven't read anything like it before. It turned into something bigger than I thought it would, and if there happens to be a sequel, I'll definitely pick it up because I'm interested to see what would happen next. The pacing does jump around a fair bit, and a lot of page time for most of the book was given to a character that I liked well enough, but she irked me.

Puzzle House felt like reading a fun mash up of The Inheritance Games and the movie Escape Room up until the end. The turn from murder mystery puzzle/escape house to whatever that wild ending was ruined the fun of the book. Upon further rumination I decided I didn't much care for the characters either tbh. I really enjoyed Woom so I will definitely be reading more from this author!
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Wicked House Publishing for this early digital copy of Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! It definitely gave me Saw vibes which is my favorite horror movie franchise. The author did a good job of making you feel for the main character, even though he is a prisoner and a murderer. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger but that didn’t bother me.

"Puzzle House" by Duncan Ralston was an entertaining 4-star read.
Six strangers are beckoned to the home of Alexei Vasiliev, a world-renowned puzzle master, for the reading of his will. The task is quite simple: complete his puzzle for a share of his $150 million fortune. However, as soon as the front door closes, it becomes clear that this challenge is much deadlier than any of these six individuals could have expected. Someone is watching their every move, toying with them, and turning them against each other.
I enjoyed most of this story. You get to know some of the characters, and their background stories are interesting. The gory details of how they were punished and then killed were gripping. Where this story lost a star for me was the ending. The conclusion felt like it didn’t quite fit with the rest of the book. Overall, though, the story was great, and I would definitely recommend it. I will be looking to read more from this publisher and from Duncan Ralston.
Thanks to Wicked House Publishing, Duncan Ralston, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to delve into this ARC and share my honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.
This is my 2nd book from this author and while it's a different style from the first one that I read I still enjoyed it. I enjoyed the pacing and the anxiety given each time they entered a new room. The ending could have been a little better but overall enjoyed it.

If you are a fan of movies like Saw, then you are in for a treat with this book. It is gory, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

If YOU are a lover of the Saw series, this book is for you! This author always comes through with not only a good story, but the shock value as well! Highly recommend!

This book haunts me. From the visuals to the characters… everything was so beautifully spelled out it played like a movie in my head as I read it. The absolute heartache and horror this book evokes was unexpected. With a healthy dollop of terror and angst, this book was impossible to push out of mind. I found myself constantly thinking about what was going to happen next until I was able to read more. I lived in this book and I hope we will see more from this mega talented author.

i do not know why i waited so long to enjoy a duncan ralston book but never again. this book was giving the movie saw but better because books are better than the movies right! the rooms were so descriptive i was imagining being in there shoes what i would do

What a great read! Going into this story I had very little ideas what I was getting myself into. I was hoping to find a "Cube" like plotline filled with brutal death scenes and little to no hope for escape. What I got was way better! A group of strangers find themselves in the predicament with a chance to take home a large estate... if only they can defeat the late World's Greatest Puzzle Master's last and mightiest puzzles. This book reminded me of Saw 5 which is a huge compliment as Saw 5 is hands down the best of the sequels. It was less extreme compared to my last Ralston read, so readers be warned this is not shock horror, though I wouldn't say this is for the faint of heart either. I already purchased my home library a copy of this puzzling tale!

This book is probably the wildest escape room thriller/horror I've read in that the characters agree to subject themself to these insane puzzles. Needless to say, the puzzle rooms are different from what they expected. This book could have been longer and I would've kept reading.

Escape room horror? Sign me up. This was a ton of fun to read, albeit it far from perfect. It was creepy, gory, violent, and had a lot of aspects of horror that I love to read. This was my first read by Duncan Ralston, and it will not be my last!

I really wish I DNFed this but I’m trying to work though my Net Galley backlog so I kept reading.
The premise was really interesting but the execution was so bad. This book made no sense - it’s like the author decided to throw everything at the wall to see what would stick. The characters were one dimensional, the plot was nonsensical and it ended on a cliffhanger.

If you're looking for a thriller horror combination this is the perfect book to read.
I also love the cover art.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

Creepy and scary, make sure you read this in the morning and not at night. How can the lives of six strangers change in the most horrible way? You must read this to find out the horrors that await them. If you enjoy horror movies, with some graphic scenes then this book is for you.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
6 strangers arrive the house of puzzle master Alexei for the reading of his will. They don’t know why they’ve received the invites as Alexei was unknown to them as they are to one another.
Upon arrival they learn that they must complete a series of puzzles to earn the inheritance. Some graphic descriptions and Saw-like horror unfolds.

Alright, let's break this down. Six folks, a shot at a whopping $150M, and a dive into the puzzle house. I was all in for what seemed like a thrilling horror/mystery ride with "Puzzle House: A Novel," but man, it picked me up and tossed me straight into what I call outlier alley.
At the kick-off, the setup got me hooked—a sweet inheritance deal from the puzzle maestro, Alexei Vasiliev, but here's the kicker: you gotta tackle six puzzles/escape rooms. The strangers, clueless about their Vasiliev connection, take the bait for that fat paycheck. Yet, the nosedive into outlier alley kicks in as they dive into these lethal challenges. The story takes a hit, especially in the final stretch when things veer into a downright bizarre and unsatisfying lane.
The author kicked off strong, laying out the six strangers and setting the scene for the will reading. Initially promising, right? But then, as the crew faced the puzzles, the story lost its grip on yours truly. The rising danger and mind-bending twists in the latter part didn't hit the mark, turning what could've been an exciting premise into a letdown.
Now, I get it—some readers might dig the shock value, but for me, the journey went from enjoying the ride to a downright "meh" feeling. It took turns that just didn't vibe with my wavelength.
Here's the deal, though—others out there seem to be having a better time with this book than I did. So, it might be worth peeping additional reviews for a more rounded take. Shock factor's there, no denying, but when the narrative swerved into the unexpected, I was ready to throw in the towel.
Major shoutout to Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for tossing me a copy of this book for an honest review. You know the drill—my thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

Six strangers arrive at the home of preeminent puzzle master Alexei Vasiliev for the reading of his will. Among them are the deceased's widow, who'd already begun divorce proceedings, a virologist troubled by actions in his past, and a convicted murderer on day release. The potential beneficiaries will split Vasiliev's $150M fortune if they participate in his last great work.
After Woom, I didn't hesitate to take advantage of the Read Now option on NetGalley. I enjoyed Woom more (which some may question my reading interests), but I think this one ended too abruptly (maybe there's more to come).. I think Netflix should pick this up as a short series though!
Thank you to NetGalley and Duncan Ralston!
3.5/5 stars

This was an excellent read. The way it was written was perfect. I will definitely recommend it. Can’t wait to read another book