I really liked this one, very pacy and twisty! I love a haunted house and a survival game so this was a really good take on that and it didn’t feel like anything I’d read before.

If I were to write my review over the first third of this book, I probably wouldn’t have much to say. I wasn’t interested in any of the characters and I thought it was going to be too much to keep up with.

BUT

As soon as I started dreading finishing it, it got GOOD. I mean REALLY GOOD. This book is full of horror tropes and shady AF characters that really got on my nerves, but in the best ways. It was very Agatha Christie meets reality tv, in my opinion. A sick, twisted Big Brother, if you will.

Seven authors are invited to late, highly acclaimed horror author, Mortimer Queen’s manor because they have all been written in his will. Instead of hearing the will, they learn they have to play a game. The rules are pretty simple: answer the riddle and move on to the next room. If they don’t, one of them dies. Easy peasy.

A very twisty, engaging story! I do tend to get lost with a big cast of characters and this took some time to get them all straight. Overall enjoyed! Thank you for the opportunity to read.

A dark manor, devious characters, and a deadly game that threatens to spill their guts as well as their secrets, I devoured this book like the delicious snack it is. A horror book about horror authors filled with classic horror tropes is the perfect nesting doll for the horror reader looking for a new twist on a classic haunted house story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a read! Mallory Arnold’s debut kept me gripped from start to finish.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about each of the authors as we progressed through the riddles lurking within the manor. I found myself conflicted, not knowing whether to pity them, not knowing who to believe.

I only wish we’d learned more about the manor and its origins.

A famous horror author has passed and he's invited some of the biggest names in the genre to attend his will reading. They all wonder, has he left me something? Except our main character, Melanie. She remembers she met this famous author, just once, and she can barely remember the evening. Why would he invite her with all these famous authors?

It's a great set up for a story, one you might even recognize, but this one definitely has its own unique twist. I did find the initial list of author names and their details to be a bit overwhelming, but soon their very unique personalities and stories came out and it was easy to remember who was who.

This is a great locked-room mystery. A fun horror story with a story within a story. The deaths were gruesome and so good. The plot kept me wondering what was going on and flipping the pages. The ending did wrap it all up and included a nice twist. This one is definitely fun!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Seven authors enter the manor of the late Mortimer Queen for a reading of his last will and testament. Seven authors hoping to be awarded part of his fortune. Instead seven authors are tasked with a game of survival and wit. Just how many will make it out alive?

Each author has a connection of some kind to Mortimer Queen and he’s extracting his revenge from the grave. They must solve a series of riddles to move forward throughout each room in order to make it to the finish. Get a riddle wrong and well….that’s for the reader to find out.

How to Survive a Horror Story is a locked door mystery with a horror twist. There are multiple POVs that give you background and clues to who is meant to survive. Though that aspect is pretty obvious early on, there is still a twist at the ending. I do wish there was more gore and horror riddled throughout. Other than that I enjoyed this read.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC opportunity. This is an honest and voluntary review. </i>

I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters. There was just enough background on each character to understand them and connect with them. I loved the creepy and dark nature of the house and the twists. Overall it’s a fun read!

An interesting premise that gets bogged down with too many characters. Still a worthwhile read, but I wanted to like this much more than I actually did.

How to Survive a Horror Story features a classic Locked-Room set-up, but does actually still manage to bring something new to the trope-filled table.

After the death of legendary Horror author, Mortimer Queen, seven writers are invited to his mysterious manor home for the reading of his last will and testament. It's believed that each one of them may be bequeathed a part of his estate. Our characters are Melanie, Crystal, Winnie, Felix (Winnie's uninvited +1), Scott, Petey, Buck and Chester. In addition, we also have Gia, working on behalf of Mr. Queen's estate.

This story bounces between the perspectives and follows them over the course of their wild time within the manor.

Kicking off with a very classic Clue-like set-up, our characters individually make their way to the manor full of questions. Each wonders why exactly they've been included, and what they can possibly get out of it. After everyone is settled, they're told they need to attend dinner together and that's when the rules of their stay are explained, and yes, it involves a dangerous game.

From here it proceeds into uncharted territory. The way the story was structured, the game itself and all that happened was fairly original. I wasn't expecting the direction it went in, particularly in regards to the manor house itself. And while I appreciate the author taking it in a new direction, it also felt like it was trying to do too much. For me, I wanted it to pick a lane. Was it going to be a gruesome, supernatural infused game for survival, or was it going to be a slow burn character driven literary horror story?

Nevertheless, I always love when an author takes risks and reaches to bring something new to their Readers. While the execution of this one wasn't a perfect fit for me, that doesn't mean it won't be for you. If you love this kind of classic set-up, but want something a little different, I highly recommend you check this one out. You could find a new favorite.

It also features a book-within-a-book aspect, so if that's something you love, again, give it a shot. For me, it won't go down in history as a new favorite, but I am definitely planning to pick up future releases from Mallory Arnold.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm excited to see what other Readers think of this one. Maybe they'll change my mind on it...

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy of this creative horror book. The book had a very original premise centered on a group of individuals who are invited to a manor of a famous horror writer for reading his will. They soon discover that it is too good to be true and they are in for terror instead of an inheritance.
They must move room by room and solve riddles to hopefully escape the nightmare and discover what they all have in common.
The book was more gruesome than I expected. It was gory and had lots of supernatural elements. The house is its own character. It literally eats people and can transform.
Each chapter is written from the perspective of one of the characters. Their characters are flawed and troubled individuals.
I'm not sure if the book was the right fit for me as a reader. It was a little more rough than I anticipated, and I hoped there would be more characters to root for. But if you are a horror fan and looking for a new original story, check this one out!

well let’s start by saying i’m not a fan.

seven POVs who added absolutely nothing to the plot, all the different ‘’voices’’ made it confusing and nonsensical at times and i stopped caring about who was who not too long into reading.

i love a locked room/game moment and horror callbacks, so this should’ve been a win. alas, the execution just didn’t land. the pacing dragged, the stakes felt so low, and i had to talk myself into picking it back up more than once. it gets a little creepy in parts, and the concept is solid, but it never really does anything with it. all in all it was predictable, kind of boring, and honestly? a missed opportunity.

thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC—opinions are my own.

This book was exciting and fun! It started off with a very mysterious and almost cozy feeling. I felt as though I was reading Clue, I was wondering when something would happen.

I think being introduced to so many characters and having chapters dedicated to their experience was a great way to tell the story. This kept readers wanting to know more, and the tidbits about their backgrounds and how they knew the deceased kept me as a reader on the edge of my seat.

As dark as the story was, the way it was written had such a mysterious, even light feeling to it. I think this would be such a good vacation read, especially around winter! Its giving Haunted Mansion meets Clue.

This book was such a wickedly fun surprise! I went in expecting a clever horror-themed mystery, and got exactly that plus way more gore than I anticipated (in the best way).

The pacing is excellent. It kicks off quickly and never drags, keeping the tension high without ever feeling overwhelming. The riddles and reveals are smart and layered, giving you just enough to stay one step behind the story without feeling completely lost. It’s like an escape room collided with a slasher film, and somehow it works.

I wasn’t expecting the level of violence, but honestly? It made perfect sense for the plot and stakes. It felt earned rather than gratuitous, and it elevated the urgency of everything happening around the characters.

And that ending? Loved. It. So many thrillers fumble the final act, but this one delivered something satisfying, sharp, and exactly right for the world Mallory Arnold created.

If you love locked-room mysteries with horror elements, fast pacing, and a cast that’s not afraid to get a little bloody, definitely add this to your TBR. It’s inventive, unsettling, and so much fun.

How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold is such a good book, OMG!

An excellent locked room mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat.

7 authors enter , how many will survive?

Loved the different characters and all the twists and turns!

After surviving a horror movie-style massacre, Nora’s thrown into group therapy with other girls who’ve lived through the unthinkable. This book is smart, snarky, and surprisingly moving, the book blends deadpan humour with trauma recovery.

How to Survive a Horror Story was not quite what I had expected. It was entertaining and the ending was interesting. If you like a closed room not so much a who done it but thriller this is for you. I personally do not think it’s more on the horror side.

𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖:
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 / 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝟖𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲

A unique take on a haunted house story. A famous horror author (Mortimer Queen) dies and has invited seven authors to his manor for his will reading.

This was a locked room mystery with awful characters who have secrets and hidden agendas, it did make for good drama.

For me I felt like it could have been shorter & I felt a bit flat by the ending.

Recommend if you like
-Locked room mystery with a deadly twist
-Some gory scenes
-Haunted House

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟑 ⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley for this eArc! Releases 8th July.

#bookstagram #booktok #bookish #booklover #bookworm #horror #howtosurviveahorrorstory #ilovehorror #bookstaghouls #booksbooksbooks #bookgoth

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for my early copy of "How to Survive a Horror Story." While reading his book, I was invested in how it was going to end, and by the time I finished it, it blew my mind. Thank you again

I think I've read this before. The Writer's Retreat? Another book about a group of writers all on an island....can't remember that title.

Either way, both of those did it better. This really leaned into the tropes and of a locked room mystery. The characters and deaths were overdone and laughable.

THAT SAID, I still enjoyed!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.