If you're like me and have a penchant for horror novels, you absolutely need to check out How To Survive A Horror Story. This book hooked me from the get-go! It centers around a legendary author who meets his untimely end and invites six fellow horror writers to his eerie abode for what seems like an ordinary will reading. But wait, things take a sinister turn. The house itself is diabolical, filled with all kinds of surprises that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. Revenge and horror intertwine in this gripping fast-paced read that's basically a race against time to see who makes it out unscathed. I couldn’t put it down, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, bam—another twist!

How to Survive a Horror Story is a fun, campy take on the haunted house/locked-room mystery, with a group of horror authors forced to play a deadly game inside the creepy manor of their late idol, Mortimer Queen. The premise is instantly gripping, and Mallory Arnold brings a self-aware, sometimes satirical flair to the genre.

While the plot leans into familiar tropes, it does so with intention—there’s clear enjoyment in the story’s over-the-top moments and gruesome (occasionally ridiculous) deaths. The pacing is quick, and the twisty reveals about each character’s connection to Mortimer kept me entertained.

That said, the execution doesn't always live up to the concept. With seven points of view, many characters feel flat or interchangeable, and the emotional stakes get lost in the chaos. The horror is more playful than truly frightening, and a few moments require a generous suspension of disbelief.

Still, it’s a popcorn read with some clever turns and a satisfying, if not entirely logical, ending. It won’t stick with you long, but if you’re in the mood for a spooky, tropey escape, this one delivers.

How to Survive a Horror Story sounded like such a fun book but didn’t resonate with me, unfortunately. The premise is that a group of writers are invited to the home of the recently-deceased Mortimer Queen, who was himself a well-known horror novelist. The manor is – you guessed it – haunted and the writers are trapped in a room, and can only advance once they solve a riddle. If they don’t solve the riddle within a specified amount of time, the house eats (absorbs? takes?) one of the writers and the remainder advance to another room or section of the mansion. Rinse and repeat. Ultimately, I didn’t find the characters nuanced or interesting enough to care about which one(s) of them were eaten. The riddles didn’t engage me either. In the end, the book seemed too long for the story being told and I really struggled to get through this one. I don’t read a ton of horror and perhaps that was the issue here so please don’t count this one out if you’re a horror fan.

After the death of a horror novelist, seven people are invited to his house. Thinking they will be left something in his will, instead they find themselves in the middle of a game. They must try to survive the game that reveals their deepest secrets as well as a house that seems to be alive and has no issue with punishing the loser of each round of the game. The book has an interesting premise as well a flawed characters which always makes for an interesting reading experience.

I was gifted a copy of this ebook from Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. This book is available July 8, 2025. I'm not sure how this one will be marketed, but I assumed it would be horror due to the title. It is more mystery with little bits of horror thrown in, which were not necessary to the story. I feel the characters weren't very well developed and some parts were confusing...who/what was the character Gia and why was she even in the story? If you're a horror fan, I'd skip this one but mystery fans might find it fun.

Unfortunately I dnf at 48%
As much as I tried to immerse myself in the characters and their relationships with Mortimer Queen, the story didn’t hold my interest. It seemed to jump around between the povs of all the characters which I found distracting.
Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Sourcebooks for the arc for review.

I really enjoyed this book! It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Who will survive the manor? Guess you’ll have to read to find out! Enjoy each character’s mystery unfold and why they are important to the center of the plot. A little bit gory at times, but consider the title! Great first book by the author and hope they keep writing.

Release: July 8, 2025
Author: Mallory Arnold
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Rating: 3.75 ★ 

When famed horror author Mortimer Queen dies, a group of writers—each with a personal tie to him—are invited to his sprawling estate, hoping to claim a share of his fortune. But instead of an inheritance, they’re pulled into a deadly game inside Queen Manor. The rules? Solve a riddle to move forward, or the house takes its payment in blood.

The estate itself is alive—built on a dark family legacy and still feeding off it. As the group tries to survive, long-buried secrets and rivalries rise to the surface. Think a locked-room mystery meets gothic horror, with a sharp edge and a few nods to classic genre influences. How to Survive a Horror Story is both a fast-paced thriller and a chilling look at the lengths we’ll go to for legacy—and survival.

This book kicks off with a killer premise—literally. Seven horror writers, each with a connection to the late horror legend Mortimer Queen, are summoned to his mansion for the reading of his will… only to find out that the real “gift” is surviving the house itself. It’s a trap, complete with twisted puzzles, shifting rooms, and the promise of death every hour unless they solve their way to the top.

What worked for me was the fast pacing and the structure—it felt like a horror escape room come to life. The book cycles through each character’s POV, and I thought the unreliable narration was used in a really creative way. Every chapter peels back more layers, especially from Melanie, the character with no memory of why she’s there. As people start dying, her memories return, and it adds a nice drip-feed of suspense.

That said, I had some mixed feelings. While the plot moves quickly and the concept is clever, I struggled with some of the logic behind the puzzles. A few elements felt like they were there for shock value rather than making sense in the world of the story. I’m not the kind of reader who can totally “turn my brain off,” so those inconsistencies took me out of it at times.

Character-wise, some of the cast felt undercooked. There were moments I wanted to care more than I actually did, and that made it harder to invest in their fates. That said, others were fleshed out well enough, and the connections to Mortimer added some needed depth.

Overall, this was a wild, over-the-top ride with fun twists and some memorable set pieces. It’s definitely entertaining and would probably make a great movie. If you’re into locked-room horror with a side of camp and chaos, this is worth a try—but go in more for the ride than the realism.

Favorite Quote:
"there's no such thing as a safe place in a horror story. If you think you're safe, you're probably already dead."

April 2025:

I was lucky to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley and poisoned pen press in exchange for an honest review.

I actually quite enjoyed the locked room trope this room brought along with its twists and turns. I really liked how in between was added short stories around the main characters and their pasts and why they have been invited to Mortimer Queen’s ‘will reading’.

Seven characters experience a ride they didn’t expect.

As I was reading this I honestly thought I knew how it ended and I was absolutely wrong. I did not expect the plot twist at all.

The pacing of this story was a little slow to begin with and then it starts to pick up.

I would say this was more creepy than your normal horror story and I really liked that.

A haunted house story with ghosts, puzzles and riddles and to expect the unexpected.

You could actually imagine this as a movie.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. It was really well written and different from most horror books. I loved the switch between character point of views and how you found out the truth behind each persons story.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an eArc!

A fun time is always sure to be had (by me at least) when a book is ABOUT books and writers. This is a twisty time from start to finish and I had so much fun. If you’re looking for a really well paced mystery, thriller I definitely recommend.

If nothing else, this book kept me on my toes and making predictions the ENTIRE time. I made a boatload of notes and highlighted so many lines trying to figure out how things would play out. A lot of these notes started like, "OKAY but IMAGINE IF..." and then carried on with a (usually incorrect) prediction.

While I definitely was wrong in some of my guesses, I did find the conclusion as a whole to be fairly obvious from the beginning and so I was mostly just trying to sort out the details. Overall, it was a pretty un-put-downable experience and I had quite a lot of fun! In the end, I mostly just wish that Arnold would have leaned into the silliness a little more. Because I well and truly CACKLED at some of the absurd things going on in here, and yet I found the writing shied away from the shear goofiness of it all.

The house is hungry, the characters are detestable but intriguing, and the plot is predictable but with some solidly surprising moments.

This is a fun, quick read for mystery fans who can handle a touch of the grotesque. I found the horror elements to be fairly minimal, so it may not work for the suuuuuper squeamish, but should be okay for most folks.

How to Survive a Horror Story comes out July 8, 2025 if you want to check it out!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

Seven people called in to the reading of a famous horror writer's will find themselves trapped in the rooms of an old mansion. The only way out is through seven rooms, only to be unlocked when a riddle is solved pertaining to the past secrets of these strangers. An hour a room and a wrong answer can have deadly consequences. This locked room horror novel confidently takes its place in the genre.

This was an addicting, fast-paced read filled with detestable characters. Told from multiple perspectives, we are given glimpses of the past and are slowly shown the connections each person had to the deceased. Descriptive and vivid, I could easily visualize each person and room and found myself hoping to see an on-screen format in the future. I was shocked to find out that this is a debut as it was written like a well seasoned author. This was a fun, wild, outrageous ride. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Phew, what a wild ride! You know a book has you hooked when you stay up late reading it. I had to know how it ended, and who, if anyone, would be the final victor.

When a group of writers are invited to Mortimer Queen’s manor for the reading of his will, some are secretly thrilled and others terrified, and yet the group gathers out of curiosity. What could he have left for a group of friends, employees, enemies, lovers, or perhaps strangers? Why them? You’ll have to read it to find out!

At times gory and other times a haunted suspense, this book keeps you on the edge of your toes the entire time. Little snippets of revelation until the final chapter. I loved it!

Put this one on your TBR, people. It’s worth the hype!

“How to Survive a Horror Story” by Mallory Arnold is a cross between Clue and Saw. After legendary horror author Mortimer Queen passes away, seven horror authors are invited to his house for a will reading. The guests are eager to step into Queen’s life and legacy. But instead, they’re invited to play a spooky game crafted from Queen’s twisted imagination. Secrets, betrayal, confusion, and ominous terror fill the house. Seven authors enter the Queen mansion, but how many of them will survive? 

The book is told from seven POVs, which keeps you engaged. Though by the end, I was frustrated with the story and everyone involved…especially Mortimer Queen. The premise was promising, but it was just missing something for me. Overall, I enjoyed most of it.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

This was such a fun and engaging read! I really enjoyed how the story allowed me to slowly get to know each of the characters. By the end, I had strong (and sometimes conflicting!) feelings about all of them. Some I loved, some I questioned, and some I couldn't stand from the getgo.

There are definitely some twists here that kept me on my toes. You might close the book still wondering what the truth really is and who to believe.

I don’t typically go for books with much gore, so I appreciated that those elements were minimal and not overly graphic. It was just enough to raise the tension without turning me away.

If you’re into character-driven thrillers with a bit of mystery and moral ambiguity, I think you’ll really enjoy this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

An escape room thriller for adults--unfortunately the authors in this adventure don't necessarily play well together. Full of plot twists and gruesome deaths, this inventive tale is sinister without being truly frightening.

3.75 stars

thanks to netgalley for the arc!

the story follows a few characters who are essentially trapped in a haunted house and have to survive and escape from this house.

despite this being called "how to survive a horror story", for some reason, I somehow thought it would be more of a mystery book and was shocked at the slight horror elements but it was alright.

the story progresses rather well and the pacing is good. it was rather predictable though and the characters are alright.

I enjoyed reading about the story setting though, it was a very simple setting of the characters being trapped in a house and having to navigate to the end.

in simple terms, the pacing was good but predictable, the characters were okay and the setting gave an eerie and creepy vibe.

How to Survive a Horror Story opens with an end. A legend of the horror genre, Mortimer Queen, has died. Seven horror authors have received a letter shortly after, and now all of them have descended on his manor for the reading of his will. These seven range from the ultra-famous pop-horror writer Chester to the completely obscure aspiring author Melanie. Apparently Mortimer has a gift for each of them, though he failed to specify what exactly it is in his letters. They soon learn that instead of a trinket or cash, the gift is the chance to escape the house they have now voluntarily entered. See, the house is alive, and every hour it will take one of them as a meal. The only way to prevent this from happening is to solve the riddle in each locked room and make their way to the roof. No one’s survival is guaranteed, and the shadowy butler Gia has made this very, very clear. Why is Mortimer doing this? Well, each of his guests has significantly harmed him and this is his retribution from beyond the grave.

This was fun and felt like a literary account of an escape room / locked-in horror movie. In fact I could easily see this one being done in film. Probably the most effective part is how the main voice is blended into POV chapters from all other attendees (aka: victims) and she doesn’t remember why she’s there. That is, until people start dying and she recovers more of her memories with each one. I also really appreciated the creative use of unreliable narrator in each of the POVs, instead of just Melanie's, especially once it's explicitly clocked that someone - either Mortimer or the guests - are rewriting what really happened in each of their interactions.

Honestly, I’d have loved to rate this higher, but the main drawback for me was the in-universe logic. And it was such a drawback that I had to go lower than my experience otherwise indicated (since I’m not a reader who enjoys “shutting his brain off” as I read). The problem for me is that many of the challenges seemed to have dubiously related parts, or didn’t rationally lead to the threat (just a small example: why was there acid in a library? Why not have the sweaty room have the acid floor since it’s already liquid-based, and the library have the floor puzzle that led to a book as a reward, since those line up better).

A fast paced horror romp that beginner horror fans will enjoy.
That said, this was a miss for me. I'm a fan of trope-filled horror stories but this felt like the attempts to retell an oft-told premise all fell flat. I just couldn't care about the characters as they were presented and without that the rest of the plot was hard to push through.