Mortimer Queen as a famous horror author and he has just died. In his will he invites seven strangers to his bizarre house for the reading of the will. All of these strangers have ties to Mortimer when he was alive and each is hiding a deadly secret. After getting to know each other a little, they are invited to dinner and the mystery is revealed to them. Each room of the house contains a riddle. Solve the riddle and move on to the next room. Fail to solve the riddle and the house will claim a victim.

This book was easy to read and I liked the connection each character had to the dead Mortimer. The riddles and flashbacks were a fun way to read the storyline. What I didn’t like was the sentient house factor. There was other ways to accomplish the goal and this felt almost silly and not well flushed out.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!

This was an interesting book, I requested the arc to this series because it reminded me of the book "the most wonderful crime of the year" however, in that book the person sending invites is alive and goes missing whereas here the invites are sent by someone who has died and the invitees are coming to hear the will and have a connection to the deceased and then learn they have to play a game to make it out of the house. It's gripping, and I especially adore the multiple POV chapters, which give me all the viewpoints into the story, and that is my favorite thing to have in a book. I enjoyed this book, and I am so grateful for this ARC book; it got me out of the reading slump I was in, and I am so thankful for that.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Seven authors have been invited to the home of Mortimer Queen, a legendary horror author, to hear his last will and testament. Each of them has a history with the author that makes them question why he would even leave them in the will. But how can they resist.
They are soon to discover that they are actually there to play a game. Play if you want to survive.
This was a unique twist on the locked room trope. I enjoyed the way it all played out and the short stories thrown in. I thought I knew how it would end but I was wrong and am not disappointed. I could tell from the first page it would be good and was immediately hooked.

“All her English professors say the best authors write what they know, but all Melanie knows is what has already been written.”

How to Survive a Horror Story follows a group of seven horror authors who drive to Vermont to attend a will reading and find themselves trapped in a deadly escape room-like game set in a creepy sentient manor. The premise and execution is tropey and silly in the best way. If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller filled with twists, cheesiness, and unlikable characters that may or may not be getting the revenge they deserve, I would highly recommend this one!

I did find this story a little predictable at times and I wish certain rooms and riddles were fleshed out more. There was also a portion of the ending I did not love, but to explain why in this review would be a spoiler. However, at the end of the day this was a perfect popcorn read for me and I had such a fun time while reading it! I will be looking forward to whatever Mallory Arnold publishes next.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Netgalley, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to Goodreads 5/12/25.

Review posted to Instagram stories 5/12/25, and will be posted in my May reading wrap up at the end of the month. I will also post the review to my feed closer to the release date.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a middle of the road read, though still enjoyable. The premise hit all the buttons to interest me, locked door mystery, "haunted house,"and spooky setting. However, the execution just wasn't that outstanding to me. You pretty much know who survives at the end of it from the very beginning, and there is a twist at the end, but again, nothing we haven't seen before or mind-blowing.

The seven different points of view did have a purpose in the story, I just wish we could have gotten more character development out of them and that the deaths were a little more...intense. It could have really added to the spooky and terror filled atmosphere the book was trying to go for. All in all, it was a good read through once, but not something I would go rushing to the store to buy release day.

I enjoyed reading How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold! It felt like a blend of the movie Jumanii and the book And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie in the best way possible. I think it will sell well in our store!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I really like the plot of this book. Six people invited to a will reading for a famous horror author. Locked in the mansion, they must solve riddles in order to move to the next room. If they do not one of them is eliminated. The author does a great job of developing each character, however one character, Melanie, stands out from the rest. This book is exciting from beginning to end. Each chapter is from a different character's perspective, and as you go you learn why each is there. Overall, this is a very entertaining book from beginning to end, I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5. I loved the ending!

This book is so much fun! An addictive combination of “and then there were none” and the type of horror I like. Seven writers attend the manor of the late Mortimer Queen for the reading of his will. Before you can say “redrum,” creepy things start happening. They are trapped and need to play a game or else… Every chapter is written from the POV of each author. Horror being their genre, they know the rules but, will that save them? All the usual tropes are here, and they are fun to follow. The characters wronged Queen and this is his revenge. The plot kept me invested and entertained with a combination of the supernatural and the usual secrets being exposed. I especially loved the cast of victims, because I was never sure whether they were really just flawed people who’d made mistakes or the monsters that Queen is trying to expose. Obviously, the late author is no saint but, is he really a horrible psychopath? The brief insight into their work was also fun, like I would have been a reader if they were real. Doubly impressing is that this is a debut novel. I’m looking forward to seeing where Arnold goes next.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Poisoned Pen Press.

Mortimer Queen, known for his scary stories, has died, and has left an invitation to fellow writers to come to his secluded estate for a reading of his will. The house holds chilling surprises for the group as they find out they cannot leave without first playing Mortimer’s game. Multiple points of view give background to the characters’ stories and their connection to Mortimer. With a famous dead author set on revenge from the afterlife, a group of writers with secrets of their own, and a hungry murderous house—this sinister horror read is unputdownable!

I love the story, it was well developed and kept me guessing who was going to be next in the game. It’s a mix of Mystery and horror. I found the story very entertaining and very easy to follow. I will be recommending it to my customers .

How to Survive a Horror Story - Review

*I received an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.*

This story was one that I was incredibly excited by. The premise was fresh, the idea of a group of authors, not all of whom who are known to one another at the beginning of this story, being trapped in a situation devised by an author that was more well known, and personally involved with all of them, is truly wonderful. My issues with this book were the pacing and the characters.

Each character fell into classic author, and horror genre tropes and the story did not develop the characters beyond these basic tropes. It was clear to me from the beginning of the story who the survivor would be. When the main antagonist is portrayed as abusive, manipulative, and a horror writing genius, I expect for the trap they devise for the people they view as having wronged them to be utterly spectacular. This story did not live up to my expectations. This book felt too crowded. There were too many characters and not enough pages.

I could have looked past the number of characters if the book had been longer. While I enjoyed the changes in character perspectives, and the flashback scenes, I have issues with the length of time spent on each character. In an attempt to expand all the character’s backgrounds and their personal motives, every character was left feeling underdeveloped. The authors remained as caricatures of their attached stereotypes. Even the house, a character in it’s own right, left me feeling underwhelmed.

Ultimately, I feel that while this book had an interesting premise, the story contained too many plot points. By removing one character and using those pages to further develop the main character, or the horror aspects, I think that I would have better enjoyed this story.

This is not to say that I disliked the way the book was written. I believe that Mallory Arnold has potential to craft a truly stunning horror story, and I look forward to seeing her future work.

2/5 stars

I couldn’t put this book down. I loved getting the perspectives from all the characters followed by what actually happened. The pacing of the story was spot on. I’m looking forward to her next book..

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

Really enjoyed this locked room mystery with a horror vibe. Give me all the secrets!

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure! Super fun read!

“How to Survive a Horror Story” is by Mallory Arnold. I thought the idea for this book sounded great - a combo of Christie’s “And Then There Were None” and a locked room setting. It didn’t always work for me - it had a slow start as the characters (and backgrounds) were set up (which was totally understandable!) but the pacing was uneven, which could have been taken care of by some editing and tightening. None of the characters were really likable - though it seemed like that was more due to the fact that everyone had something to hide and Mortimer Queen decided to dish out his justice - so that didn’t help much either. I think this book would appeal to those who like light horror with a dash of the more creepy (some of the deaths bordered on creepy cartoony, if that’s a thing). I may decide to read this a bit closer to the spooky time of the year and see if I enjoy it more on a second reading - it’s happened before.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Horror/Thriller
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 8, 2025
363 pages

Multiple POV
Monster House
Authors Behaving Badly
Affairs + Blackmail

Synopsis: "How to Survive a Horror Story" is an utterly insane game of "matching the crime to the perpetrator." In it, we follow a group of writers summoned to the home of the famous author, Mortimer Queen, to claim their gifts bequeathed to them in Queen's will. However, things quickly take a deadly turn when it's revealed that the gift is a "game" and they realize the mansion isn't just a bit creepy, it's absolutely ravenous.

Review: I loved the way the author revealed the crimes of each of the characters, as well as the way each of them meet their ends. The hungry mansion, twisted games, and gruesome deaths were all so very entertaining. I always prefer my horror with a little bit of gore (but not too much) and this one did not disappoint! Excellent read for thriller and horror lovers alike!

Thank you so much Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy! 🫶

This was a fun read. I feel like the author really leaned into the trope with this one, but it works. It was twisty and interesting and enjoyable. The characters were maybe a little over the top, but they made for a fun read. The author did a good job of layering secrets, and the slow reveals were fun. I also enjoyed the short stories scattered throughout, the ones that told the truth, which was interesting because you really got to see how much the characters were lying. There were also some gruesome and inventive deaths, and a good dose of magical realism, which was light on the realism. Overall this seemed like an exaggerated take on the locked room trope, but it really was an entertaining read. It could have definitely benefited from some logic and editing. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This book was a fun take on a mystery and for anyone who loves competitions and horror this is perfect.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

Some horror writers are invited to the reading of the will of a late colleague, until to find out… it is all a trap!

There have always been stories like this, where someone who is supposed to have knowledge about some area of expertise suddenly realizes they are all over their heads (horror amusement fans who are suddenly trapped in one is the first example that comes to mind, for some reason).
In the horror genre, both in books or movies, the reading of wills is never a good starting point for a group of people -even worse if they do not know each other in advance-, but they are also what really make it or break it, what makes all the twists and turns and over the top deaths worth the reading.
The characters in How to Survive a Horror Story are a peculiar bunch. There is a little bit of everything you would expect in people who make a living writing horror stories, and some of them hide more surprises than others.
So, are they an entertaining group? Definitely. Do some of them feel a little one-dimensioned? Yes. Do some of their actions not always make sense? …Yes, that does happen. And does the plot sometimes advance in an erratic way? …Also, yes.
The idea is not the most original, but it has potential. The group, exactly the same. But the “problems”, if you could describe the different odd parts like this, makes it difficult to really enjoy what the novel is trying to show and tell. Great potential, but did not quite deliver.
I had a fun time, though, and it is a really fast read, so if you feel intrigued, I would definitely give it a go.

Seven strangers, including six horror authors and one random aspiring writer, get invited to a dead horror author's mansion for a will reading, only to be trapped in a "deadly" game where they must face their past misdeeds or die trying. The dialogue was as painfully, the inner monologue was cringey, (OMG that one quote about Jennifer Aniston...seriously?) and what was supposed to be scary or mysterious came across more like a mediocre Halloween haunted house where the employees are required to stay six feet away from the guests. I kept waiting for the characters to develop personalities beyond "selfish jerk" or "slutty blonde," but no such luck. This seemed like it wanted to be a clever horror-comedy mashup of Clue and House on Haunted Hill, but somehow managed to suck the fun out of both concepts while adding nothing of its own.