“An Evil Premise” is wild fun. I wavered between 3.5 and 4 stars for this one. When a famous writer ends up in a coma her failed writer sister steps in to try to finish her manuscript she was working on and all hell breaks loose. While it is a bit messy in its execution there’s no denying what a fun read this book was. You will tear through these pages. I love a “cursed object” story and the idea of cursed manuscript just brings a smile to my face. I smiled through most of this cause it’s just clever and silly and thrilling. My biggest gripe is that most of the dialogue is atrocious and some of it made me giggle. Still, that doesn’t take away what a good time this book was. And the twists will either have you grinning in delight or throwing the book across the room. Overall, a good time and a quick read. Give it a shot! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! A good horror story can give you the chills without trying to hard to be shocking, and this one delivered! When the lines between the manuscript and reality begin to blur, the story really drags you in. Even though I became suspicious of everyone, the twist at the end got me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

An Evil Premise is deliciously twisted, darkly atmospheric, and exactly the kind of psychological thriller that keeps you reading long after you should have turned out the light. T. Marie Vandelly spins a tale that’s equal parts family drama, gothic mystery, and slow-burn suspense, with a creeping sense of dread that builds until it’s almost unbearable.
From the very start, I knew something was off—Vandelly’s skill is in making you feel the wrongness before you can put your finger on it. The setting is claustrophobic and charged, the kind of place where secrets settle like dust and no one is ever truly innocent. Every character is layered, flawed, and capable of far more than they let on.

What I loved most was the way the plot unfolds—never rushing, never tipping its hand too soon. The tension simmers, the relationships twist tighter, and the truth, when it comes, is both shocking and inevitable. Vandelly doesn’t just write suspense; she writes it with teeth.

If you love gothic-leaning thrillers with morally gray characters, simmering family secrets, and an ending that makes you sit back and say oh, An Evil Premise delivers in spades. Dark, smart, and deeply satisfying.

I am a huge fan of this author. Theme Music is one of my top 5 recommends and has been for years. I also loved the idea of the book-- when one sister ends up in a coma, the other has to finish her book but the evils that plagued Diedre eventually begin to get to Jewel, too. That being said, this book is an extremely slow burn. I put it down a handful of times before the 50% mark and struggled a bit after that as well. The last 25% had much better pacing, it moved well and had some of the creepy/evil moments I was hoping for. Though it ultimately wrapped up well, I think maybe the story-in-a-story thing combine with the slow burn just wasn't my favorite.

It was a slow start but the second half went quickly and was all over the place (in a good way). I was a little confused at times but looking back I think that was intended. Overall a solid read.

From the author of Theme Music, An Evil Premise offers an intriguing blend of possession, madness, and meta-fiction. The premise hooked me immediately: when Jewel’s famous sister falls into a coma after a bizarre accident, she discovers her sister’s unfinished, deeply unsettling manuscript—and decides to finish it herself. But as she writes, reality and fiction blur, her body betrays her with a strange rash, and the manuscript itself seems to be… writing back.

The plot had all the elements I love—creeping dread, psychological tension, and a story-within-a-story that promised to twist in unexpected ways. I even really enjoyed the characters.
However, I ultimately had to set this one aside before finishing. The writing style was heavy with metaphors—so much so that it often felt like each paragraph was competing to see how many could be crammed in. For me, this overshadowed the tension and pacing, making it difficult to stay immersed in the story.

That said, taste in prose is subjective, and I can see why others are enjoying it. The concept is sound, the atmosphere unsettling, and the layers of meta-fiction intriguing. If you enjoy richly metaphorical writing with your horror that plays with reality, it might be worth picking up to see for yourself.

Thank you to Blackstone and T. Marie Vandelly for the ARC!

Even though she is a bit estranged from her sister, Jewel rushes to her side when a strange accident leaves her in a coma. Deidre is a renowned author, while Jewel has struggled just to self publish. When she finds her sister’s most recent unfinished manuscript, she decides to finish it. The manuscript is strange and unsettling, and details how a writer finds an unclaimed manuscript, full of people carrying out violent acts. Jewel thinks she is being paranoid, but she swears she still hears typing at the computer. And the manuscript keeps growing. Jewel tries desperately to find a story in the madness while clinging to her sanity.

Wow, this was SO spooky and unsettling. Much like the manuscript Jewel tried to finish, it gripped me immediately. Though it definitely required a suspension of belief, it worked so well and I was totally pulled into the story, looking over my shoulder as I read. With its fast pace, questionable characters and dark vibes, this was the perfect read for spooky season (which is really any season for me!) Just when it seemed to be over, the final twist made my jaw drop! Don’t wait on this one.

”An Evil Premise” releases august 12, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

An Evil Premise follows Jewel as she rushes to her sister Deidre who has just gotten hit by a car and now is in a coma. Deidre also has strange lesions on her face. Both sisters are writers but Deidre is more successful and famous than Jewel. Jewel stays to take care of things while she waits for Deidre's condition to get better and wake up. While staying at her sister's apartment, Jewel is tasked with finishing a horror manuscript by Deidre with a deadline of the next 3 days. What ensues, is Jewel slowly succumbing to the story and its contents...someone or some thing is typing out the story while she isn't there with horrific predictions coming true.

The author's note at the beginning really got me hooked. I thought An Evil Premise was fantastic and cleverly written. The author writes in such a way that I felt like I was descending into madness along with Jewel. Very effective in making me question whether it's all in the main character's head or if it's demon possession and other things spoilery I can't say.

The book gets meta at times. I really enjoyed reading this. The last few chapters got really crazy and twisty.

I recommend to anyone who likes (psychological) horror and mystery to check out An Evil Premise! I would say there is some gore in this so keep that in mind if that's something you're sensitive to.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing a copy to review.

Thank you for the ARC of this title but it is not for me. The demon possession and hauntings are more than I am comfortable with reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Screaming—I LOVED THIS! An Evil Premise is a dark, unsettling, and brilliantly twisted psychological horror that burrows under your skin and stays there. T. Marie Vandelly takes us deep into the shadowy world of academia, where obsession, manipulation, and fractured friendships collide in the most horrifying ways.

When an ambitious professor’s controversial experiment spirals out of control, paranoia sets in, and no one is safe. Secrets are weaponized, loyalties are tested, and the line between genius and madness blurs until you can’t tell who to trust or if you even want to. The atmosphere was dripping with dread, the slow-burn tension building until it exploded in ways I didn’t see coming.

I devoured this book in one sitting. It’s sharp, unnerving, and deliciously disturbing in the best possible way. T. Marie Vandelly has crafted a story that’s equal parts brainy, bloody, and brilliant. This is dark academia gone feral utterly captivating and impossible to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and T. Marie Vandelly for this unforgettable ARC. If you want a book that will haunt you long after you finish, this is it.

I had high expectations for this one as I love a possession trope- my favorite type of horror. I found it a little slow at times. I did enjoy the sibling rivalry and the dynamic between Jewel and Deidre. The chapters from the book slowed the story down for me.

What a slow burn. You don't really understand what is going on until around the 80% mark, and then you REALLY don't understand what is going on, but in a good way? I think.
This is a true unreliable narrator story with many misdirections, misunderstandings, and crazy theories.
The ending moved quickly and was a bit confusing, but still a really interesting story in the end.

A horror based novel that hooks you and scares you at the same time. But even tho it scares you, you have to keep reading to put the pieces together and hopefully survive to the end of the story. You just do hope you survive the ending...

The premise of the book is good and I thought the beginning was promising. Between the beginning and the end though, I got lost along the way. The narration was disjointed and transitions were choppy. I realize some of this was purposeful, to track the descent into madness, but it just didn’t translate well in-terms of readability.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

T. Marie Vadnelly's latest novel dives into meta horror, offering up a world full of chaos and evil. Unfortunately, the novel doesn't stray from safe horror conventions, leaving an interesting premise going exactly where you'd expect it to be. It's a novel that wants to be edgy, but plays it safe at every chance it gets. It's a good introduction for those looking to first get into the horror genre, but ultimately doesn't do anything outside the realm of the conventions that it follows.

An Evil Premise is a chilling, layered horror novel that blurs the line between ambition and madness. When famous author Deidre Baldwin falls into a coma, her estranged sister Jewel decides to finish her manuscript—only to discover that something dark and dangerous is attached to it.

The novel-within-a-novel format is creative and disturbing, with both narratives delivering strong terror and gore. The emotional complexity between the sisters adds depth, and while the transitions are jarring at times, the ending pulls everything together in a sharp, satisfying way.

Creepy, original, and unsettling—this book lingers after you finish it. A solid pick for horror fans who enjoy a slow burn with a strong payoff.

This was a good, suspense novel. Full of edgy moments and jump scares. I enjoy this authors work and look forward to more.

I absolutely love a horror story about obsession, they never get old because the horror itself is so real! This was a great take on that trope. Wonferfully paced and kept me guessing, I can't wait to pick up more from this author.

This book was so unsettling! I absolutely loved this! It was creepy and unsettling but full of dark humor. This was a delightfully twisty and fun read. I loved every single thing about this book. I usually can see where a book is going and I absolutely had no clue at any point what was going to happen next. It’s dark, it’s smart, and it’s one of those books that lingers in your brain long after you finish.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 12, 2025
“An Evil Premise” is the second novel by author T. Marie Vandelly. How far will an author go for inspiration? How much is success worth? Vandelly’s novel takes the desperation of an inspiring author to extreme heights, where the line between insanity and the paranormal is blurred.
Famous author Deidre Baldwin is hit by a car and left comatose, which is how her sister, Jewel, ends up rushing to her bedside, even though the sisters have been estranged since the death of their mother when Jewel was eight. Deidre has a book deadline looming and Jewel, an aspiring author herself, decides to finish it for her and send it off to Deidre’s publisher, hoping to get her own chance to shine. But as Jewel reads through Deirdre’s unfinished manuscript, dark and evil things start happening and Jewel knows the only way to stop it is to give up writing and make sure no one ever reads the book. But something sinister has a hold of Jewel and is determined to release the novel in the world- no matter what it takes.
“Premise” has good bones- the spooky factor is off the charts, the characters are solid and the premise of the novel is intriguing. The novel had strange transitions, however, which didn’t make sense until the final pages of the book. I am grateful for the ending which finally brought all the parts together, or this novel would’ve been confusing and I probably would not have finished it. There were characters that were talked about once and never again, such as Jewel’s husband, and I had a lot of questions throughout the plot but luckily, I was able to find some resolution in the ending.
Deirdre and Jewel have a complicated relationship, with six years between them and the shared grief of losing their mother, and Vandelly created a brilliantly emotional yet complex connection between the two that I found to be honest and realistic.
This novel is a “novel within a novel” of sorts, as, aside from the story itself, the manuscript that Deidre wrote is also front and centre, although it is clearly delineated (in the Kindle version anyway), so readers can easily keep track of which story they’re reading. Both stories were gory, graphic and scary, so the terror factor is definitely present in both.
“Premise” is creative and terrifying, which always gets my attention, and I was able to get behind the characters and relate to them. The ending totally made this novel, in my opinion, as it was sharp and spectacular, bringing together the loosely developed plot points and skipped transitions.