Seven authors have been invited to legendary deceased author, Mortimer Queen's home for the reading of his last will and testament. Each has some form of connection to the late author. Each are invited to play a game....

I enjoyed the creepy and eerie vibe of this book - a grand manor, a game where the players must solve riddles to move on. If you don't solve the riddle, the house will make its move! This was an unusual, unique and at times entertaining book. This book is like a fantasy horror locked room game where the stakes are high, and consequences are deadly. Other times, I felt as if there were too many characters and my attention waned. As the characters connection to the late author were told, I found some interesting and others meh.

I thought I would enjoy this book much more than I did. It has a great premise, but the execution didn't quite work for me. Normally I loved that 'trapped' feeling in books, but this one didn't quit3 work for me. Others are enjoying this book much more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

Creepy, horrific, and eerie.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.75. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an e ARC for an honest review. First off sadly I did enjoy the writing and the story itself but I do feel like it’s very similar to another book I just read this year. A group of authors get invited to this house of a famous recently dead author to get some sort of inheritance but they find they can’t get out of this haunted house. It was a fun ride just didn’t feel overly original.

I loved this book. The premise was so clever and fresh — it felt like stepping into a real-life horror movie, but with a twist that kept me completely hooked. It was creepy in all the right ways, with just the right amount of suspense and unsettling moments to keep me flipping pages late into the night. Mallory Arnold did an amazing job balancing dark humor with horror elements, and I was fully invested in the characters and their fates. If you’re a fan of scary stories with originality and edge, this one absolutely delivers.

Melanie Brown arrives at Mortimer Manor. Mortimer Queen died and has invited seven authors, including Melanie herself to read the will at the manor. Melanie was not a successful author, although all the others were successful and well published authors. However, what seemed to be a relaxing vacation turned out to be a nightmare, when the seven people were given a task. Each one must solve the riddle before one of them dies and only one of them will inherit the manor.

This was little weird to read but it was interesting and intriguing to read as well. Each of the characters except for Melanie has wronged Mortimer Queen in some way. The deaths of the people were kind of gruesome to read and is very unusual as well (the house does all the killing). As I said, it was interesting and intriguing with an interesting concept but then the story is weird creepy and pretty much, not very logical and unrealistic. I know this is the debut book of the author but since I found the story interesting and kind of funny, I am willing to give this book a 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Seven authors are invited to the will reading of Mortimer Queen, renowned horror author. Not all of their connections are known immediately but they all hope to get a piece of his wealth. Instead they are thrown into a game of survival. One by one their pasts with Queen are revealed & they begin to pay for the misdeeds he held against them. The house itself seems at time other worldly & supernatural.

This is perfect for golden age mystery lovers who want a bit of edge & modern vibes added in. It blends horror very well into it, it’s dark without being needlessly graphic just for shock value. There’s definitely tropes & familiar character archetypes but I think that works to the book’s benefit. Those familiarities mixed into what the book itself adds to the genre, worked for me nicely. This is a very strong debut novel for an author & I plan to seek out Arnold’s future books.

🔪

Read if you like:
* The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
* Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
* The Traitors by C.A. Lynch

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
How to Survive a Horror Story releases July 8, 2025

Upon the death of horror author Mortimer Queen, seven authors are invited to spend the weekend at his manor for the reading of his will. But instead of bequeathing them with valuable items, Queen has orchestrated a deadly game, and the only way to escape his manor is by solving riddles that expose their wrongdoings.

This debut, comprised of an ensemble cast, forces you to suspend so much disbelief. Due to the formulaic structure of the story and the end of chapter summaries in the form of short stories, I found that there was a lack of intrigue and suspense.
The characters were flat, unlikeable, and showed no redeeming qualities. I really didn’t care who made it out alive or not.

I read the description and thought it was something I'd absolutely love. It's a fun, easy read, but it didn't hook me in as much as I wanted it too!
A fun read nonetheless though!

Mallory Arnold's "How to Survive a Horror Story" is a fast-paced thriller that will keep readers hooked from start to finish.

The story follows seven authors who gather at the manor of the late Mortimer Queen. Each one of them had a unique connection to Mortimer, and they are expecting to inherit part of his fortune. However, they are instead pulled into an escape room-style game where they need to solve riddles to progress to the next room or face deadly consequences.

The characters in this book are intriguing, and their varying personalities create a tense dynamic as the story unfolds and their secrets come to light, leaving readers unsure of who they can trust. The manor itself also holds a mystery, and the true purpose of the game creates additional suspense.

Arnold cleverly blends locked-room thrills with ghostly, haunted house horror in a way that feels fresh. This will be a fun ride for readers who enjoy suspense with a touch of supernatural terror.

It took me a second to get into this book but once I did was actually super fun. It’s like Knives Out mixed with Clue but make it a thriller. Also loved the little twist ending

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Its a fun read a little bit of slow burn at first but once it picked up I had a hard time putting it down. I dont want to give to much away I enjoyed the twist in the plot its not your typical story about strangers meeting in a house to hear the will of someone they barely know. As the story unravels you find out why each and every person is there and what type of person mortimer was. Great mystery, horror novel.

Thanks netgalley for the ARC copy

I liked the overall passing although the middle dragged a little. I wish I had more time to get to know the characters. All in all, it kept me interested and I found the plot pretty exciting!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was very excited to read this book when I saw it. I enjoyed the premise and the fact that the house was creepy. I didn’t feel like you had time to connect enough with the characters to feel some type of way about them if they survived or not. You didn’t even get to know the author who invited them to even feel he was truly justified in his game. So with that being said I wish it had a little more for you to learn or get to know these characters better. It keeps you engaged because you want to see the outcome and you want to know why they were put in this situation. So overall this is a great book.

𝒲𝑒𝓁𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒬𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝑀𝒶𝓃𝑜𝓇 ✨The manor is a character of its own. Chilling and devilishly fun. Locked-room mystery. Deathly games. Revenge. Each chapter gave just enough to keep you guessing.

How to Survive a Horror story is a good mash up between the locked door mystery and a haunted house/horror story. We are introduced to the six main characters as they arrive at the will reading for decreased horror novelist, Mortimer Queen. Most are fellow authors that had relationships with Mortimer, with the exception of an unpublished author who recently crossed path with Queen. They are expecting to be left with something valuable, but their aspirations quickly turn to uneasiness as Queen's final wishes are revealed.

The book has a good pace as we switch between each of the characters and gain insight into their relationships with Queen, and ways in which they have wronged him. The group is tasked with figuring out the answer to a riddle in each room, which will have dire consequences for one of the individuals if they answer incorrectly. A lot of the characters are immediately questionable but the ones that seem the most decent wind up having the worst sins. The group gets smaller and smaller as they progress throughout the house, with an ultimate survivor inheriting the estate.

The ending has an interesting twist as we learn that most of the group paid for their sins, while the last person in the group was given a unique gift. I definitely recommend checking this book out. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advance copy!

Seven authors, seven secrets - one house with no way out.

Seven authors are invited to the reading of horror author Mortimer Queen's will. They are eager to find out what share of his fortune they will receive. Instead, they find themselves caught up in a deadly game in which only the truth can save their lives. And each of them has skeletons in their closets…


There are seven characters, each with their own perspective. I was a bit overwhelmed by this, especially at the beginning. The individual characters are perhaps a little exaggerated, but I think it's important in plots like this that there are different characters that you can easily tell apart. For instance, there's an anxious kleptomaniac, an aggressive macho man, and a curious gossip. They are not particularly likable, but instead they have been intentionally given negative traits. In the course of the plot, it was interesting to see how complex human behavior is and that you can certainly sympathize with people you initially found unsympathetic.

The characters' individual points of view consist of two types of thoughts: inner monologues that review past events and thoughts and feelings about the current situation at Queen Manor. This was good for getting to know the characters and giving them more identity. However, it is impossible for so many characters to be built up in so few pages with the necessary depth and three-dimensionality. The changing points of view and the switch between past and present constantly pulled me out of the situation and the tension that had been built up.

At the beginning, I found it a little difficult to immerse myself in the story. It took a while to get an overview of the different characters, and for the reading of the will to begin. The pace of the story is rather slow, especially at the beginning, and only picks up as the plot progresses. Our group of authors must cross several rooms and solve riddles or tasks in order to progress. If they don't succeed, one of them has to die. I was a little disappointed by the riddles, as I had expected them to be riddles that the reader could guess as well. Actually, they are clues about a certain person and their secret. The idea is not badly implemented overall, but unfortunately, it was too obvious and therefore less exciting. The focus is less on solving tricky tasks and more on the human psyche, guilt, shame, and the ego.

Despite its slightly clumsy execution, I was eager to find out what would happen next, who would survive - which was rather obvious - and what the "reward" would be. Although we get all the characters' points of view, they are not always reliable. In short stories, we learn more about the past, the authors' relationships to Mortimer Queen, and what secrets they are keeping. I really enjoyed these, as they sometimes showed a person in a whole new light. Overall, I also liked the group dynamics and how the proportion of mistrust and trust between the characters changed with each room. I was also happy to see that a calm and reserved personality was seen as a strength by several characters.

Although the ending was rather predictable, it did surprise me with one or two little twists. However, I hardly understood the motives for revenge, which were in no way worth killing people for. I also needed more explanation about the horror house and how Mortimer Queen discovered the secrets.


Summary

"How to Survive a Horror Story" is more of a mystery with horror elements than a horror story. Despite its eerie setting, the plot is a little too shallow and predictable. The story could have had more tension if it had used more "show, don't tell." Nonetheless, the book was quite entertaining. I liked the characters and the idea of the horror house. I can recommend "How to Survive a Horror Story" to anyone who likes escape rooms, multiple points of view, and the "stuck-together" trope.


3,5 ★

Release date: July 08, 2025

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to pre-read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mallory Arnold for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for How to Survive a Horror Story coming out July 8, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was excited to check it out. I love horror stories. The creepy manor set up sounded so fun. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I thought the story dragged in parts. I really couldn’t get into it. I wasn’t a fan of the characters. I would check out other books by this author.

How to Survive a Horror Story is a fun, fast-paced read with a clever premise that plays on classic horror tropes in a self-aware, tongue-in-cheek way. It delivers on humor and genre references, making it enjoyable for horror fans who like a meta twist. However, the characters felt a bit thin, and many of the plot turns were predictable if you're familiar with the genre. The tone also wavered at times, occasionally undercutting suspense with jokes that didn’t quite land. Overall, it’s an entertaining concept that doesn’t fully live up to its potential, but still worth a read for those who enjoy a horror story with a wink.

Loved how the horror story unfolded. Each character was fleshed out; they had nuance and honestly you could see both their good and horror traits. The ending was satisfying and I ALWAYS love a story with a twist. Definitely will be carrying it in our bookstore

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this arc.

This book was really good. I was hooked from the start. I had no idea what this book would be about so I went into it blind. It had a good premise and it was written beautifully, I will continue to read more books by Mallory Arnold when they come out.

If you like horror stories with some suspense, then this book is for you. You will not be disappointed.

3.5 ⭐️
The premise of this book was what originally caught my eye - 7 authors who have a past with a deceased author (Mortimer Queen) attend his will reading, but he has some tricks for them. Overall I think this book was good and has some potential. The ending was a little predictable as the story went on and I’d have liked to have a little more interaction between the main character and the deceased author as I felt they didn’t really have that much of a relationship and was confusing on Mortimer Queen’s actions at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!