Fabulous Fun..
Infamous horror author Mortimer Queen has passed away and has left some rather strange requests. As a group of seven authors, each with links to the author himself, gather at his remote and bizarre mansion house prepared for the reading of Mortimer’s will - each hoping for a chunk of a massive fortune - they instead discover that they are players in a very dangerous game indeed. Cleverly woven with a host of eccentric and eclectic characters, a fast moving narrative and shocks and surprises galore. Edgy, immersive and fabulous fun.

🕰️Multiple POVs
🕰️ Creepy Manor
🕰️Likable and Unlikable Narrators

This story is fantastic! It follows 7 horror writers who have been bequeathed something from famous horror writer Mortimer Queen. The characters are a tiny bit unreliable which I felt added some depth to the story because you don’t know what to believe until it’s possibly too late. Great read! 10/10 cuckoo clocks IYKYK

I loved this book! The premise really caught my attention and I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience.

I really enjoyed the author's writing style and the way in which she presented the story. I found the characters interesting and I enjoyed the short backstories that were included about them and their connection to Mortimer Queen.

I'm a huge horror movie fan and think that this book really does lend to being adapted for screen. The descriptions of the scenes and events were so detailed I was able to create such a vivid image in my head of what I was reading.

I think my only negative was that I found the ending a little underwhelming. It seemed obvious from the start that Melanie was a more significant character than the others, so the ending wasn't too surprising. It was a totally fine ending, but compared to the rest of the book, I found it a little lacklustre. Apart from that, this was a fantastic debut novel and I will 100% read any future books from the author

This was truly a fascinating read. Between the premise of the book (them being trapped in a house and forced to solve riddles for an unknown reason) and each character's individual story.

I found myself constantly flipping between having empathy for the characters and hoping they make it out and being pretty disgusted by their actions & how they refused to admit wrong doing. At one point, I wasn't sure who was telling the truth and who was lying which I think added to the plot quite tremendously.

I think the ending really brought everything full circle. People are complex. We're all good and bad.

I did anticipate the "twist" decently early but it didn't take from the book at all.

Overall a really great read! Thank you for the arc!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mallory Arnold and Poisoned Pen Press for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great haunted house story - gives me 13th ghost vibes with the house moving and changing. This was fast paced, tons of gore and a great ending twist! I just love the idea behind this whole thing, a haunted house eating people to stay happy.

This book was incredible. From start to finish I was glued to the pages. I was worried going in it wouldn’t be “horror” enough (yes, I know horror is subjective) and that it would end up being another thriller marketed to the horror hands. I was wrong!

I love(d to hate) all the characters. Shockingly, some of the worst humans in this book were my favorite characters. This was like Clue meets 13 Ghosts. Can’t wait to read what the author comes out with next.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, not easy to put down. I’ll be looking forward to read more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reason for rating:
I loved the premise of this book and surprising enjoyed the different POVs. The ending was not what I expected and surprised me. At times I felt the storytelling was lacklustre. I would recommend this book to someone wanting to get into the ‘horror’ genre as it isn’t necessarily your typical horror book but contains elements.

Overview of the book:
When horror author Mortimer Queen passes, seven (morally grey) writers find themselves invited to his home for a will and testament reading.
Each are connected to the literary icon in their own way.
They arrive at his grand manor and are invited to play a game based off revenge and betrayal. The rules are simple; solve the riddle and progress to the next room. If they don't, the manor will take one of them for itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for providing me with a copy of this book.

How to Survive a Horror Story is a deliciously vindictive tale that keeps you engaged from the start. Mallory Arnold crafts a story where every character is flawed in a way that makes you sympathize with them, until you learn more. Just when you think you know who to root for, the layers peel back to reveal something darker.

The writing is strong, flowing well and keeping you hooked, yet there’s a subtle lull to it that allows you to step away for a day or two before diving back in. It’s not a relentless page-turner, but it always leaves you wanting to see what happens next. The balance between intrigue and pacing makes it an interesting, unsettling read.

For a debut, Arnold delivers a well-written, engaging novel that will keep you questioning motives until the very end. If you enjoy flawed characters, slow-burning suspense, and a touch of the sinister, this is a book worth picking up.

I’m not normally a horror reader but if I had to guess I would put this on the lower end of horror not super scary or gruesome in anyway. It was the cover that stood out to me and while I am glad I read it, I would give it 3.5 stars.
The story itself puts seven writers of the horror genre in the manor of a recently deceased, world renowned horror writer Mortimer Queen. They are all there for the reading of Queens’ will. They quickly realize things are not as they seem. They are locked in this manor and need to get through several rooms in order to escape. Each room has riddles they need to find and answer before the doors will unlock only to lock them into the next room.
Why are each of these writers here and what do they mean to the story? Well, for that answer you’ll have to read yourself.
I did think that Buck had one or ten to many southern-isms…..I could have done without half of them, they definitely got on my nerves especially for a guy who hasn’t lived in Texas for what seemed a long time.
Overall I did enjoy the story and would recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I liked this book, but found the twists to be predictable. It was an interesting spin to the locked room theme, but it still felt like it was missing something.

***ARC
Pub date: 07.08.2025

How to Write a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold is a unique take on the genre, and while I enjoyed it, it didn't fully resonate with me. The plot is certainly interesting and engaging, but it took some unexpected turns that felt a bit out there. If you're someone who enjoys a more unconventional or surreal horror experience, you may appreciate the creativity behind it. However, for me, the plot was a bit too wild in some places, which made it hard to connect with on a deeper level. Overall, it’s an intriguing read, but not quite what I was expecting.

This was such a fun read, a different take on a horror story. As I was reading I could visualize everything as if I was watching a movie!

When legendary horror write Mortimer Queen passes away he invites 6 notable authors and one inspiring author to his manor for the reading of his will. Thinking that they have all been given a piece of his estate, but all is not what it seems. In order to receive the prize they must survive the manor.

The game is simple, answer all the riddles left correctly and they can leave, answer wrong and be punished. Can they put their differences aside to survive?

The first 80% of this book makes it completely unputdownable. It's such a fast-paced escape room thriller with so many secrets.

I absolutely loved how this book was set up and the way each person's story is told. Each character is enticing in their own ways and I liked being able to be in their perspectives. I was completely enthralled by this book and the fact that it was a debut novel.

Sadly, the last 20% felt disjointed from the rest of the book because it felt very slow and some of things happening didn't completely line up with some comments made previously in the novel.

All in All, if you are looking for a fast-paced, high stakes, gore-filled thriller How to Survive a Horror Story is a wonderful choice! Although the ending was not to my liking I think what this book has to say about the publishing industry, abuse, power, fame and survival is very relevant and important.

How to Survive a Horror Story has a very interesting concept, and I really enjoyed that it was written from different perspectives. Something was missing for me though. I didn't really feel invested in the story and wasn't really rooting for any of the characters.

I'm a huge fan of "And Then There Were None' type stories - a bunch of individuals are invited to a party and one by one murdered by their mysterious host, often for their past treacheries. How To Survive a Horror Story adds a unique wrinkle to the story by bringing in supernatural elements, which add a layer of excitement and the grotesque. I enjoyed the story and I was interested from the start to see where it went. Recommended!

A famous horror author has died and seven other author's are invited to his manor for a will reading. Unfortunately for them, instead of inhering something of value they're forced to play a deadly game to try to survive the night.

I found myself really enjoying this and even though the story premise is reminiscent of other works of fiction, the author did enough to make the story feel her own. I found the progression of the story really satisfying of how we got to know each of the characters and their secrets. I do say that this isn't particularly scary and at times can be quite ridiculous, but is so purely entertaining that I'm willing to look past that.

Congrats to the author for her debut novel and hoping to read many more from her in the future!

This locked-room mystery boasts a fresh, modern voice and a dark, twisted narrative that is fun to read.

Thanks to Netgalley.

⋆ ✧ . 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 . ✧ ⋆

🔒🔒🔒/5

📖: How to Survive a Horror Story
✍️: Mallory Arnold

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐑𝐂.

💭 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
How to Survive a Horror story is like a cozy mystery x The Fall of The House of Usher. The characters are unlikable and over-the-top and it’s hard to pinpoint who’s the worst at any given moment. But wait! No, I empathize with them. That’s part of the fun of this locked room, monster house novel. You just never know what to think as the pages chew you up on one page and spit you out into a different mindset on another. Mortimer Queen toying with people from beyond the grave is simply diabolical and exactly the kind of thing his character was born to do. This one kept me guessing until the bitter end. I quite enjoyed the ride but ultimately it leaned more towards having to suspend my disbelief than I originally envisioned. It was a bit campy for me and I can’t put my finger on what it left to be desired but ultimately I’ll be looking out for this author’s work!

I really enjoyed this book the plot was so cool to read about

I loved all the characters and how they were presented

I do recommend this for people to read and give a chance