Holy Exceptional Plot Twist After Plot Twist!!

An Evil Premise has layers like an onion. There are so many facets to this story that my head is still spinning after finishing the last chapter. This book follows our aspiring author Jewel, as she returns home in the light of a tragedy. Her sister has fallen into a coma after being struck by a car. However, her sister being a prolific writer with an impending deadline, also means that’s Jewel has no choice but to pick up the pieces of her story and finish it. This latest story though, has all the makings of the most horrific story known to man.

This book is genuinely chilling. I was shocked at how unprepared I was to read it. I am still picking my jaw off the floor with how surprised I am. The writing style within these pages is magical and seductive. It made me want to keep reading and reading until I was flying through the pages.

An Evil Premise is written in such a genre defying way as well. Is this a psychological thriller like in the vein of Sian Gilbert or John Marrs - you bet. Does it contain multitudes of horror like Ania Ahlborn and Grady Hendrix? - absolutely. It contains all the perfect makings of an all-star novel and it absolutely needs to be on your radar. Check this out!

This was a crazy intense read! It took the first few chapters to get acclimated to the writing style and figure out what was going on, but the rest was a wild ride. This was giving Shutter Island meet Come Closer by Sara Gran and I loved every second of it.

Once I got my bearings, I felt like I had entered a psychological horror story that came alive and was profoundly unsettling. As I’ve said 100 times, I love a story where you can watch the MC spiral into insanity. It also had just the right amount of gore and eeriness to keep me awake at night. I love how the author was able to turn everyday items into horrific and disturbing images in my mind. This is horror done right.

A hauntingly unforgettable read.

T Marie Vandelly has written a BANGER of a horror/thriller.

Deidre Baldwin is placed in a coma after wild hit and run. Jewel, her sister, rushes to be by her side. Jewel is shocked by what she finds. Deidre is covered in a rash and has been completely disfigured. Jewel stays at Deidre's apartment while her sister recovers. Deidre was writing her next book, and Jewel has to negotiate with Deidre's agent, who is desperate for it to be done. Jewel, a failed writer, sees this as a win, she is both helping her sister AND herself by finishing the book.

What she finds....is that truth and fiction are intertwined and she's racing against the clock in more ways than one.

Well, I read this in one sitting, sacrificing sleep because OH MY GOD.

This is an easy read, but one that pays off with every turn of the page. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The moment I saw another book by T. Marie Vandelly come out, I was all in!!
I truly enjoy this authors writing.
This story is not for the faint of stomach.
I had to pause quiet a bit while reading from the jagged breathing, from the reading about the pulsating rash and dripping liquid coming from the main character and her sisters face and neck.
I powered through cause I know this author tells an amazing story!!
The grimoir and the Supernatural aspect and the twist at the end had me hooked!! Great book 5 stars!!!

Where to begin…
Honestly I feel like I should just do a bunch of mind blown emojis and leave it at that.

This was quite the ride. We’re talking unreliable narrator…story within a story…breaking that 4th wall in a brilliant way…a possible demonic muse…and gore (not splatterpunk gore, but some gruesome descriptions).

I didn’t know what was true, who was evil, who was controlling whom and what was truly happening vs possession/psychosis or both!! Really my mind is still trying to figure out what was true and what was just craziness.

While the end did clear up a few things for me, it also left me confused which fits this story perfectly. I may need to read it again to see if I missed things along the way. But, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes horror mixed with an unreliable narrator. This is, to me, filled with a few good unique ideas that really twist this story around and make you doubt your own cognitive skills.

4⭐️

As always I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing for my gifted ARC!

Holy hell. An Evil Premise has one hell of a premise. Ha. I was lulled into a submissive state for its entirety. Horrified by the gory scenes depicted, fascinated by the writing, fully believing in every character.

And then I got whiplash.

And I still don’t know what to think. What. The. F*ck. Was. That.

Now THIS is a twist. This is a surprise. I won’t say more. But this book takes a trope we’ve all heard a hundred times and turns it on its head. I am still reeling. Absolutely brilliant. I will be reading more from this author.

I loved T. Marie Vandelly’s debut Theme Music and was so excited for this one. The prologue hooked me immediately, and the early chapters set up a delicious sense of dread—the kind of fear you get when you’re home alone at night and swear you hear something moving in another part of the house. That creeping, unsettling atmosphere worked really well.

But ultimately, this one moved too slowly for me. I kept putting it down and realizing I didn’t feel pulled to pick it back up. I think it might be more a case of me being the wrong reader than a fault of the book itself—I’m not a huge horror reader, and the body horror elements pushed me close to my limit. Readers who love a slow-burn psychological horror with an eerie, pervasive sense of paranoia will probably get much more out of this than I did. I decided to dnf at about 40%.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Dnfing at 50%, which HURTS me. I gave this one almost two weeks of trying, which shows how confident I was and the potential I saw. But I’m just not in the mood to dragged along any further. I found myself annoyed every time I picked it up because I was just waiting for whatever was missing and never came. I wanna know what happens, I am open to trying again, but…. ugh. I think you can portray convincing psychological horror without the main character just being confusing and illogical.

Much like the manuscript in this story, every time I picked it up this book I felt like more pages had been added. I kept reading and just wasn't getting anywhere. I found this book to be daunting, convoluted and just a big mess.

When I first started this book I was enthralled thinking this was absolutely going to be a 5 star read. I loved the opening, the premise the mystery, the MUSE! but unfortunately, I just couldn't connect to any of the characters- several of which acted in the most bizarre ways imaginable ( which was addressed, eventually.) The more I read the less I liked. Then when the ending and the twists and big reveals happened it was just too absurd.

I did really enjoy the excerpts from the manuscript and honestly would have much rather read that book.

I feel like this was a really cool idea, but the execution just didn't work for me.

Wow, this book was crazy, it totally had me hooked. I just finished it, 10 minutes ago and may have to go back to the last chapter just to make sure I read it correctly. The writing at times was a bit confusing with big words, but I blame that on the fact that English is my second language, good thing kindle has a dictionary. The main character was very interesting, the story had me guessing and trying to figure out what the heck is actually going on. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good thriller with a crazy twisting story. Seriously good, now I'm off to read her other book.

The storyline of this novel was unlike anything I have ever read. While at times it was confusing, it was also brilliant, layered, and beautifully written. I honestly couldn’t put it down!

The lead, Jewel, comes from a family of writers. Her mother and sister both write as well, but only her sister has found success and fame. When that sister ends up in a coma, Jewel is handed the opportunity of a lifetime… or is it?

The twists and turns in this story completely blindsided me and kept me hooked until the very last page. The characters were so well developed, the hints so subtly placed, and that ending… wonderful. BRAVO.

Standing ovation and a solid 5 stars from me. An Evil Premise was a wild ride, and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

WOW. First, please do not judge this book by the lame cover. It does not do this jaw-dropping story justice. You know that feeling when you’re at a concert, where it’s loud and crazy, then you step outside where it almost feels like a different world, and you feel sorta disoriented? Now imagine that feeling as a book, and it is An Evil Premise. You’ll think something is happening one way, just for the very next sentence to have you like “whoa, what?” in the BEST WAY. The development and writing are wild, unique, and so well done. Not to mention, this book was absolutely terrifying. One of the scariest books I’ve read in a very long time. I found myself putting it down while reading in bed at night because it had me looking over my shoulder. I loved everything about this and was always jonesing to pick it back up. I felt like I really got to know the characters. I could clearly visualize them, get their personality, and feel their vibe because T. Marie Vandelly wrote them so well. I knew I’d like this because I really liked Theme Music, but this was better than TM by a mile. If you’re a fan of horror, this is a must read for 2025. I promise you don’t want to miss this one.

When a bizarre accident leaves author Deidre in a coma, her estranged sister Jewel stays at her sister's apartment. Jewel stumbles upon an unfinished manuscript. When Deidre's agent calls in a panic, Jewel, a writer herself, desperate for a break, suggests she can finish it by the deadline. But the story is unsettling. Jewel is determined not to be scared off, but swears she can hear someone typing when she's not at the desk. Terrified of losing her sanity, Jewel tries to find a story somewhere in the carnage. Did the manuscript drive Deidre mad? Jewel finds herself hoping her sister never wakes up and fearing what will happen if Deidre does.

"An Evil Premise" is a chilling horror story that is sure to leave you feeling uneasy, as though you might become possessed by reading this manuscript. Following a hit-and-run accident that has left Deidre in a coma, her estranged sister Jewel takes up residence in Deidre's home with the intention of completing her book. However, Jewel is soon to discover that she will experience a series of unnerving events that will lead to deadly consequences.

Jewel was an unlikable protagonist who could care less about her sister. She came across as self-absorbed, unstable, and rather erratic. Connecting with Jewel and the other characters proved to be quite challenging, as the experience often felt akin to a fever dream. As the narrative progressed, the creepy energy intensified, leading me to feel a sense of anxiety, as if a malevolent presence might emerge from the shadows.

Overall, I found the premise to be quite unique and brimming with potential, although, regrettably, it did not fully resonate with me. While I found the plot to be somewhat disjointed, the twist was decent. By the end, the final sentence confused me. Perhaps I missed something? It pains me not to love this one since Theme Music was top tier, but I have hope that Vandelly will grace us with more heart-pounding horror stories to come!

Well damn. I think I’m still processing this one. Fairly standard possessed item vibes, but throw in a pair of sisters who have always despised one another and you’ve got a story that goes pretty far off the rails. Neither Deidre nor Jewel are very affable but that’s seems to be intentional on Vandelley’s behalf. I have an extremely contentious relationship with my own brother with whom I haven’t spoken in twenty years so I definitely related to the psycho sibling aspect.

The ending is ambiguous and leaves the reader to choose an interpretation, which I appreciated. An Evil Premise employs a certain trope that is generally pretty hit or miss for readers. If you like books that will leave you constantly questioning sanity then this is a solid option.

The story at its surface is that of a pair of sisters. They live hours apart and when the older sister, Deidre, is hit by a car Jewel heads home to handle the situation. Deidre is a successful fantasy writer and Jewel is compelled to help finish her latest work at the insistence of Deidre’s agent. When people begin dying Jewel quickly realizes she’s in over her head.

If you vibe with books that leave more to the imagination then this is one I’d recommend. It’s likely going to be pretty polarizing within the horror community due to the trope employed but I liked it. It’s more of a slow burn but the ending had me unable to quit reading. Theme Music was great and it seems like Vandelley seems to have more up her sleeve.

Ooof...After reading Theme Music by this author, I was so excited for this book! But I am sad to say that this one wasn't for me. I found it to be such a slow burn with so much inner dialogue from the main character that I just became bored at times.

There were some creepy and gory parts, and the pace eventually picked up over the last few chapters. I did enjoy the twists at the end!

✍️ My review is an unpopular opinion as this book has a 4.42 rating on Goodreads with lots of glowing reviews. So if this sounds good to you, definitely give it a try!

An Evil Premise by T. Marie Vandelly is gripping and utterly chilling.

It had me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages on my kindle so fast that I’m surprised I didn’t get friction burn, 

This book was fantastic! It was engaging and it draws you in, you just want to settle in and rip through the pages.

If you ever wondered what a present-day, far more unhinged, possibly demonic, meta version of Misery would look like, you'd probably be in the ballpark of T.
Marie Vandelly's An Evil Premise.

Following a terrible accident, Jewel is tasked with potentially finishing her sister's, Deidre, manuscript, a horror novel her publisher is eager to get their hands on. Having always lived in the shadow of her sister's success, Jewel wrestles with the decision, especially when something seems to be inhabiting Deidre's apartment that Jewel is staying in. Something that smells terrible, that moves in the shadows. Something awful.

Okay, this was so much fun. Truly, there's no telling up from down with this novel, and Vandelly made sure to load this thing up with twists galore. It's dark, gritty, and full of suspense. Fiction about writing fiction is always fun, especially when there are tones of darkness painted throughout. T. Marie Vandelly paints this picture in all black as we wonder where fact and fiction really deviate for Jewel and Deirdre.

And the ending!!! Unhinged! Insane! Chaotic! SO MUCH FUN. If you're a horror fan who isn't afraid to get wild with these ideas of reliability, evil, creativity, and responsibility, you've gotta spend some time with this novel.

After how much I adored this author’s debut novel, Theme Music, this was a must read for me! It has been a long time since I read a book that left me so confused and full of questions in a good way. This is maybe the most paranoid book that I’ve read and reading it before bed definitely led to some crazy dreams for me. I am going to try and be as vague as possible with my review here because this one is certainly one that you don’t want spoiled before you get a chance to check it out!

This was ultimately a very meta novel about book writing and finding inspiration for art in everyday life. This book really turns the basic possession story on its head and creates something much more chilling than most of the possession stories that I’ve read. This is a very graphic and gross book at times with some truly horrific scenes of body horror, particularly relating to a rash that our main character and her sister both acquire. The author is so descriptive with these ghastly scenes that I could picture everything in my head in startling detail.

This is also a book where it is almost impossible to determine who to trust, including the narrator. Trust me, I am with a lot of others that are kind of over the unreliable narrator trope. But this one is done so well that you truly don’t know if she is reliable or not, along with every other character in the novel who seems like they might not be who they say they are. This is a psychological thriller/horror novel done right as it keeps you guessing until the very end (and even once you think you have it figured out, it takes a totally different turn). The book within a book trope really added another layer of tension and confusion here and made this such a unique read.

This is a must read for horror fans, particularly those who love possession stories and don’t mind having their minds completely devoured and bamboozled. I will be recovering for some time to come

Jewel, a struggling self-published writer, discovers a disturbing, unfinished manuscript in her sister Deidre's apartment after she is admitted to the hospital in a coma after a mysterious accident. As Jewel attempts to finish the story for Deidre's agent and reclaim a sense of purpose, the manuscript begins writing itself. It's word count is increasing every night while Jewel sleeps and it's terrifying events are bleeding into her reality. As the lines between fiction and truth blur, Jewel must confront the darkness within the pages and within herself, before the story consumes her entirely.

Dark, disturbing, and completely addictive, An Evil Premise is a standout in psychological horror and metafiction. T. Marie Vandelly has crafted a deeply unsettling tale that gets under your skin like an itch you just can't scratch. The slow unraveling of Jewel's sanity, paired with the creeping supernatural dread of the manuscript had me hooked and unable to put it down! Brilliantly written, emotionally layered, and genuinely terrifying, An Evil Premise is an absolute five star must read!

Thank you to NetGalley, T. Marie Vandelly, and Blackstone Publishing for both the eArc and physical ARC! Publication date is August 12th 2025.

An Evil Premise is an intriguing, well-plotted, and insidious horror novel full of jump scares and goosebump-raising chills. I really wish that was enough to make me like it, but it wasn’t. This book felt slow, repetitive, tiresome, and ultimately so long I questioned why I kept sticking with it when I didn’t want to keep reading it. Normally I’d just DNF such a book, but I kept hoping it would get better or that it would kick into a higher gear, but it didn’t. By the end, I found myself really wishing I had taken the hint my mind had been giving me to DNF far earlier in the book and not wasted my time. It just wasn’t for me. 2⭐️


I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. All reviews rated three stars or under will not appear on my main social media channels. Thank you.