Unfortunately this book was way to slow and I ended up dnfing it 20% into the book. It was difficult to keep all the characters straight and it took to long to get the back story to try and keep them straight.

Seven authors get invited to a will reading of Mortimer Queen, a famed horror author. They quickly discover there is more than meets the eye when it comes to his house. I love a locked room mystery book and this one did not let me down!

The characters are all pretty unlikeable - in the best way! You know quickly who you are going to root for and seeing everything unfold is pretty awesome. There are definitely some horror elements, but more so very much a mystery. There is some suspension of belief required, of course, and there is always an over arching "who's telling the truth" vibe.

Thank you to Netgalley, Mallory Arnold, SourceBooks, and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

i don’t think I’ve been this entertained by a thriller in a long time. the premise follows seven horror authors who are gathered at the mansion of a revered author who has recently died. they’re led to believe that he’s left them all something in his will, but the truth is more sinister. Mortimer reminded me a tiny bit of Jigsaw, but less brutal and if his traps were escape rooms instead.

each of the characters have done something terrible to Mortimer while he was alive and i loved getting the drama, details and snippets of their stories woven throughout the book. there’s also an interesting monstrous take on his mansion itself, it’s got a sort of sentience to it as well. i felt like this book was catered to everything i love in a book like this. it’s very ambitious to try and balance 7 povs but i thought the author did a good job and it felt necessary to get all of their povs. the way this ended and the reveals were all perfectly executed for me. i can’t believe this is a debut, but I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on this author now.

When famous horror author Mortimer Queen dies, a group of writers are invited to his eerie old mansion for the reading of his will, all hoping for a piece of his fortune. Each of them has some sort of connection to Mortimer, some obvious and others hidden, and they’ve been waiting for their chance to claim his legacy. But instead of walking away with money, they’re thrown into a twisted game where they must solve riddles to move through the house or risk being taken by it. The manor has a dark, hungry history and it is far from finished. I had so much fun with this one and could not believe it was a debut. I love a good locked room mystery and adding in the creepy horror vibe with the deadly game made it even better. The story shifts between past and present with multiple perspectives. Each character had their own secrets and connections to Mortimer, and I could not wait to see how it would all unravel. This debut kept me hooked the whole time.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and the author for a gifted copy of this!

I really enjoyed How to Survive a Horror Story! The premise hooked me right away authors trapped in a creepy manor solving riddles while something sinister lurks beneath? So good. Being a horror fan, I really appreciated all the nods to classic horror tropes, it reminded me of the stories I grew up loving, but with a fresh twist. The book kept me guessing the whole way through, especially around who was actually telling the truth and what had really gone down. It’s clever, creepy, and a lot of fun. Honestly flew through it without meaning too.

Mallory Arnold’s How to Survive a Horror Story is just fun. While they might be anything alike (and this may only be me) the story gave me a 13 Ghosts-ish vibe. Legendary horror author Mortimer Queen has died and a number of authors have been invited to his home for the reading of his will. Now each of these people has a connection to Mortimer, some stronger than others, and learn about those connections as the story goes on. But the reading of the will isn’t exactly what any of them as expecting. They are now locked within the house and must solve a series of riddles if they want to survive, otherwise the house will claim them. I will note that the writing itself is a little odd. The POV kind of changes each chapter, I say kind of because there is a focal character for each chapter but within the chapter you’ll still have sections that feel like they are being told by other characters, but honestly that didn’t bother me all that much, just seemed a bit odd. While not prefect, the book features an interesting cast of characters and I very much enjoyed the struggle they are put through. I’ll definitely be checking out Mallory’s future work. I’d like to thank Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of How to Survive a Horror Story.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-survive-a-horror-story-mallory-arnold/1146335581?ean=9781464227400&bvnotificationId=6642b767-5ccb-11f0-8a7c-0edd5e0ae5cf&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/351530447

I really enjoyed this story! I appreciated the setting, (who doesn't love a haunted house) and the characters were all unique. Some of the story was "trope-y", but I don't feel as though it took away from the story. The twists and turns were fun. It sometimes felt like the pace was a little off, but that is because of the structure of the story (each chapter in a different POV). When I really stop and think about the story, it didn't feel like there wasn't a lot of action, it just felt like a while to get to a POV I liked.

I would recommend this book!

Mallory Arnold’s debut novel cleverly combines classic locked-room thrills with a splash of haunted-house horror. Seven horror authors are invited to Mortimer Queen’s family manor under the guise of a will reading—but it quickly becomes a deadly escape‑room scenario, where each riddle answered wrongly results in a grisly demise.

This was creepy, atmospheric and overall very entertaining. I wouldn’t class it as typical horror, but more of a creepy- thriller in my opinion. A gripping page turner that I thoroughly enjoyed!

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book, from the start. But it ended up with winning me over. There are so many great plot twists, and amazing character development. I had to put the book down a time or two, and think about what I just read. Because I was in shock, but in a good way. A few times I became a bit confused as to why some of them were there. But I later found out why.

How to Survive a Horror was nothing short of awesome. If you’re like me and love the Escape Room movies, then buckle up this book is like those movies got fed to a haunted house that bites back literally. Each room comes with a one-hour timer solve the clue or screw it up and, well… let’s just say the house is really hungry.
Every room was so creative, it felt like a twisted game show where the prize was maybe survival. I couldn’t put this book down even if I wanted to. I devoured it in 24 hours and now I’m on a mission to make all my friends read it!

This was trippy and fun, and also had some realization moments. Famous horror author Mortimer Queen is dead, and a group of writers are invited to the last will and testament reading, expecting a piece of his massive fortune. Each of the writers were a bit much, but it worked well in this book.

It took me a bit to distinguish a couple of them, but the story itself was entertaining enough for me to want to overcome that part. This was very similar to Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston with riddles and crazy and wild settings and rooms, and pushing the characters to a point where they were having to reveal their true self. It was a familiar trope, but it was creative and the horrifying moments were written well.

There were a few parts that I needed more closure, but this was still entertaining through and through. I really enjoyed this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Arnold brings so much creativity to the table—from the inventive kills to the sharp jabs at horror tropes—and I loved the way the book leaned into classic haunted house vibes while also poking fun at the genre’s predictability. The tone balances eerie tension with snarky wit, making it a perfect read for fans of horror with a side of dark comedy. I especially enjoyed the dynamic cast (Melanie and Buck were standouts), and the eerie unease that built steadily with each chapter. While some aspects (like the disconnect between rooms and deaths) didn’t fully track for me and the ending felt a touch predictable, I still had an absolute blast reading this. It’s bloody, clever, and refreshingly self-aware—think Clue meets House on Haunted Hill with a splash of Saw-lite. I’d recommend it to horror fans, dark comedy readers, and anyone who loves a locked-room survival story with a paranormal twist. Arnold is a talent to watch, and I could easily see this being adapted for the screen. Huge thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the EARC!

How to Survive a Horror story is simply put, a good time! With it's campy premises and who dunnit narrative it's a fine book to sink into over the summer months.

When a group of writers are asked to attend a last will and testament reading of a beloved author, expectations veer towards the mundane. When they arrive , said expectations are quickly thrown out the window when they learn that a game is afoot and it's a great deal more dangerous than anyone could imagine.

I would liken this story to a summer blockbuster, it's big, over the top, and it moves. I had such a fun time getting to know all the characters and turning pages until the final conclusion. I don't think it will be a story that sticks with me long...but man is it entertaining!

I’m guessing the authors favorite childhood movie was Monster House.

This book was good but I was wanting more gore if it’s how to survive a horror story. I wanted the horror and not just a monster house.

I did like that with each person we find out how and why they were targeted by Queen. The story was interesting and I was throughly entertained but I knew who was going to survive by the beginning of the story.

Genre: Horror?
APK: Ebook
Pages: 363
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

3.5 stars, rounded up. This is an entertaining debut, and since all of the characters are writers and their relationships and writings are juicy parts of the plot. As someone who reads horror much in the same way I watch it- with whatever the reading equivalent is of peeking between my fingers- this one was probably at the upper limits of what I could handle, but I was curious enough about the connections and the resolution to keep going.

This book starts off a bit shaky with metaphor-heavy prose, but quickly shifts into a more gripping rhythm. The premise is strong. A house full of escape room style traps, each deadly if solved incorrectly. The tension rises as a group of volatile characters, who are a cast full of writers, are forced to work together to survive.

While another book with author protagonists feels overused, the character dynamics are engaging and messy in the best way. The interpersonal conflicts add energy to each scene, keeping things tense. The author also delves into dark comedy at times, which makes some scenes even more delicious!

The book does start to feel repetitive when the structure becomes a cycle of trap, panic, partial teamwork, survive or die, repeat. That said, it sticks the landing with a clever and surprising twist that makes you rethink a lot of what came before. There's a theme in this book of a rewriting history for your own benefit, and I like the play on that as we absorb the twist.

The story reminded me heavily of the Escape Room movie, and it’s fair to may have been influenced by it. Still, it’s an engaging book, even if not quite as slick or polished as I think it could have been. But overall, it works as a modern horror experience.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seven horror writers. One mansion. Who will survive this horror story?
There was so much that I enjoyed about this book. The creativity of the kills and stories about the deceased's relationship with each writer kept me moving forward. Especially towards the beginning and end, there is a tone of poking fun at the traditional horror story which I appreciated. I also enjoyed the cast of characters and their personalities. This was a book that gripped me and kept me invested.
Each room represents a character and their history with the deceased. It didn't make sense to me that the character isn't killed in the room. This might have been to keep it from being predictable. But it didn't make much sense to me. I did feel like the ending was a bit predictable, but enjoyed it none the less.

An odd book. The writing is competent and some of the characters were interesting, but at no point did I understand what on earth was going on. These characters don’t seem surprised at ALL that they are experiencing supernatural horrors. Like, yes, of course, they’re shocked that bad things are happening to them, but they don’t seem to react at all to the fact that the bad things happening to them are completely implausible in their seemingly realistic world. If this was happening to me, I wouldn’t be defending myself— I would be trying to figure out at what point Mortimer Queen obtained magic powers. Like did he and the house collaborate on the riddles? Or did he just sort of let the house do its thing? I have so many questions and this book is only 280 pages so it had time to answer them! I’m just so confused.

This is my first read from Mallory Arnold and I had a blast with it. This book really serves creepy and unsettling like the rent is due. Arnold knows how to make the reader feel like something is off, unsafe, and building uneasy anticipation towards something. We are introduced to seven authors who are tricked into visiting prolific horror writer Mortimer Queen's estate (aptly named Queen Estate). I say tricked because if they had known the real nature of the visit, I doubt any of them would have signed up for it. Prepare for a gruesome and unnerving evening with a home filled with secrets and ready to cause terror.

The book is filled with riddles and puzzles, and the authors have no choice but to play the house's games to survive. I did find the writing to be witty and this take on the possessed or haunted home to be refreshing compared to other similar creepy-house-centered-stories I have read as of late. I recommend this to horror readers, dark comedy fans who like multiple POVs, and discussions about horror novels themselves.

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

If you’re looking for a locked room mystery with revenge, deadly games, a monster house with some bite, and all the final girl energy then is this book the one for you.

How to Survive a Horror Story finds 7 authors invited to the infamous home of legendary horror author Mortimer Queen as apart of the reading of his last will and testament. Each of the 7 authors has their own unique relationship with the famous author and of course accept the invitation in hopes to obtain a piece of his massive fortune. When they arrive tho rather than being met with your typical will reading they find themselves being forced to play a game within this grand manor with the final winner being the one to inherit everything. The game at first sounds simple enough, solve the riddles found in each room to move on to the next. However this house has a deadly hunger and failure to move forward means the end to their “lively” visit.

As a huge lover of locked room mysteries set in old manors (I blame the cult classic Clue film for this) I couldn’t help but enjoy this bingeable book. The story unfolds with each character getting to be featured and tell how they are connected to the famous horror author as they embark on the houses deadly riddles and game of survival. With a mix of dark humor, creativity, paranormal elements, and a tad bit of bloody horror you can expect to find that not all the guests will survive this house of horrors. And while some parts are gruesome I wouldn’t say this is hard core horror but more of a light sprinkling making it a great read for a newer reader to the horror genre. I also adore a good finale girl story which this debut novel absolutely delivers on. Overall I just had a lot of fun reading this puzzle filled paranormal thriller/mystery/horror combination of a book and could easily see this adapted to television or movie format which I would definitely watch.

How to Survive a Horror Story comes out today July 8th, 2025. Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.