This was an overall great read. I love the format he tells stories in. The building of Come Knocking the play was very very well done and this author is really great at creating memorable scenes that stick in your head. I felt like this one was missing a lot of the character work I loved in Fantasticland.

Not that I'm telling you anything you don't already know, but this is basically the author's Fantasticland in a slightly different font. Did you like Fantasticland? Great, you'll probably like this too. Did you hate/ DNF Fantasticland, and hoping this might hit the spot better? Hmmm, probably not.

It's interesting, it's fun, it has all the elements that made me like Fantasticland (take a shot every time I say....). Multiple POVs that often contradict each other in a delicious "Who do YOU choose to believe?" way while also providing the missing puzzle pieces for earlier people's testimonies, creepy setting, escalating violence, subtle (or not) social commentary, the book has it all.

Why the missing star? I don't really know how to explain it.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!! The tragedy being entirely preventable makes it a bit.... stupid, maybe? Unlike Fantasticland (shot!), where people were in a life or death survival situation that they couldn't possibly avoid (they were flooded in, where were they supposed to go??), so they just went all out to try and get through it, here it's mostly a combination of ego and stubbornness and a sprinkle of mass mentality hysteria. The motivations do make sense, but I never claimed to be a totally objective judge. I rate books based on enjoyment of the overall premise. I know it's unfair to compare 2 totally unrelated books like this, even if it's the same author, but like I said: just a slightly different font. The author knows it, we know it, everyone knows they'll be compared. SPOILERS END

"WHEN A GROUNDBREAKING THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE GOES HORRIBLY WRONG, A DEADLY NIGHT REVEALS THE DARK CONSEQUENCES OF BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN PERFORMANCE AND REALITY

When Come Knocking came to Los Angeles, the interactive theater production that took over six floors of an abandoned building was met with raves, lines for tickets, and reviews calling it the "must-see experience of a generation." But after dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured on a bloody night of chaos during the show's run, the nation was captured by one inescapable question: How could this happen?

As the dust settles, investigative reporter Adam Jakes is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the massacre. Through a series of gripping interviews with survivors, cast members, and witnesses, Jakes pieces together the chilling reality behind what was supposed to be the ultimate theatrical experience.

In Come Knocking, the enthralling and terrifying exploration of human nature under extreme conditions poses unsettling questions about the grotesque underbelly of immersive experiences and the true nature of reality."

I mean, I always thought that Sleep No More would lend itself to a murder mystery.

FantasticLand remains to be my favourite book written by this author, and when I heard that Come Knocking would have the similar instructure as the other one, I was in it!
Sadly, this book lacks the original and exciting premise that other book has. Maybe the lightening doesn't strike at the same place twice?!
Thank you, anyway, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

As someone who saw Sleep No More, the production this is inspired by, several times when it opened, I loved the concept of this book and it was easy to envision the chaos that kind of production could potentially have. I saw Sleep No More pre-Instagram/TikTok, so I found the aspects about the internet interacting with the show both interesting and, honestly, fairly believable. I also liked how the story was presented in a series of interviews like Fantasticland.

Definitely worth a read for anyone who loves theatre and horror!

I’m not sure what I was expecting with Come Knocking, I was interested in the copy based off previous works from Mike Bockoven. As much as I want to say that I enjoyed this book, it just was not for me. I’m not saying it’s not a good book, I personally just had a problem with the structure of the entire book being interviews with characters, Reddit posts, discord posts and voicemails. It had a really good premise but I think if it was done as a story following the same characters as the night in question occurred I would have rated this higher.

Mike Bockoven’s Come Knocking is a chilling, documentary-style horror novel that explores the deadly collapse of an ambitious interactive theater performance in Los Angeles. Told entirely through interviews, Reddit posts, and transcripts, the novel slowly unpacks what led to the March 14th disaster that left 56 people dead. The fictional play, an unsettling blend of Dante’s Inferno and reality TV, lured audiences into a six-story building where every floor represented a new level of moral decay.

One standout moment describes an actor being trapped in a mirrored hallway as panic surges through the building, eerily claustrophobic and vividly written. Another memorable section includes an online conspiracy theory thread that spirals from criticism of the show’s ethics into calls for violence. While some interviewees’ voices blend together, Bockoven’s slow-burn structure delivers a creeping dread that’s hard to shake. It’s a smart, sobering take on spectacle, mob mentality, and the cost of curated chaos.

I really found this book intriguing and enjoyed it. It is laid out in the format of interviews with different characters, discord posts, and reddit posts. I do agree with some other reviews that several of the interviews feel like they could have been given by the same character. This book builds is a great portrayal of mass hysteria and that feeling of dread when you know a situation is slowly culminating into what turns out to be a mass casualty event.

I was very impressed with Mike Bockoven’s previous horror novel Fantasticland, so when I saw that he wrote a book in the same format but based on the interactive theatre show Sleep No More, I was sold. As someone who saw and had a panic attack at Sleep No More, I thought it made for a unique and very probable setting for a horror story. Bockoven does a fantastic job writing about groups of people who turn animalistic- he’s a great commentator on the human condition.

Longer review to come in Rue Morgue magazine!

I ate this up! What a compulsive and sadly compelling read. Great pacing and chilling writing, this story smartly conveys its message, and I especially appreciate the focus on the tragedy's preventable yet inevitable nature.

I do wish the interviews were a bit more distinct from one another. It doesn't feel like interviews with different characters, as they all had the same "voice". Still worth the read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

After reading fantasticland, I knew I was in for a treat with this book, and I wasn't let down. The writing style of interviews, spliced into different formats and pacing really made you feel like you were uncovering the events along with the writer. The pacing was great, the premise engaging and unique, and all in all it was so fun to read through. I loved it!

I really enjoyed this. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror, especially if you appreciate epistolary style.

Come Knocking unfolds through a series of interviews with crew members, performers, attendees, and others, in the aftermath of a disastrous night at a multi-floor, interactive theater experience in LA. As each person recounts their own piece of the puzzle—ranging from seemingly innocuous production hiccups to ominous signs in the environment—a full portrait of the tragic events of the final performance begin to emerge.

⸻

I came to Come Knocking cold, having never read anything else by Mike Bockoven, and was pleasantly surprised by the author’s patient build‑up. The first half of the book moves deliberately, laying groundwork through detailed, interview‑style perspectives which mainly focus on the production itself. I appreciated how different personalities were clearly depicted in different interviews, although at times these characterizations seemed over the top. While it may feel slow at first, that careful pacing pays off when the first truly gruesome description lands (no pun intended)—its impact is all the more powerful because you’ve spent time inhabiting the world and perspectives of these characters.

Because the narrative is structured around many short interviews, character development is necessarily limited a bit, but Bockoven compensates by offering a broad mosaic of experiences. Each voice contributes a different shard of insight, and together they form a haunting portrait of how small lapses, hidden resentments, environmental hazards, and mounting tensions between performers and audience, align to form a perfect storm.

The real strength of Come Knocking is its page‑turning tension. Once the backstory is in place, I was anxious to know how the fateful night itself unraveled. Rather than guessing who the villain might be, the reader is left grappling with a more unsettling truth: that the true “evil” here is the growing trend in humanity toward anger, selfishness, and a willingness to exploit danger for entertainment’s sake.

Overall, Come Knocking is a thoughtful horror novel—one that uses a slow burn to heighten its impact and leaves you reflecting on what it says about our collective darker impulses.

*Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing & NetGalley for access to the eARC. All opinions are my own.*

When the immersive theater production *Come Knocking* premieres in Los Angeles, it's hailed as a groundbreaking experience, taking over six floors of an abandoned building. Audiences are thrilled—until one night, when the performance spirals into real-life horror, leaving dozens dead and hundreds injured. In the aftermath, investigative reporter Adam Jakes embarks on a quest to unravel the truth behind the tragedy. Through interviews with survivors, cast members, and witnesses, Jakes pieces together a chilling narrative that blurs the lines between performance and reality.

Reading this felt like diving into a true crime documentary, complete with suspense, unreliable narrators, and a haunting atmosphere. Bockoven masterfully crafts a narrative that examines the dark side of immersive entertainment and the human psyche under extreme conditions. The story's structure, reminiscent of an investigative report, adds a layer of realism that makes the horror all the more palpable. It's a gripping, unsettling read that lingers long after the final page.

This book was written for you if:
- You're intrigued by stories that explore the intersection of art and reality.
- You appreciate narratives that delve into the psychology of group dynamics and mass hysteria.
- You're looking for a horror novel that offers both thrills and thought-provoking commentary.

I have to say that this is better than FantasticLand but there’s still some work that needs to be done.

This follows the same shtick that FantasticLand did. A terrible event has happened and a fictional author has set out to interview the people who were witnesses/related to this event. It’s comprised of interviews, Reddit posts, letters, and voice memos.

In Come Knocking, the book is about a play with the same title that’s an interactive experience in a six story building inspired by Canterbury Tale’s and Dante’s Inferno. On March 14th, 56 people died during a hostile takeover of the play. The novel sets out to hear many sides of the events of that day.

Similar to FantasticLand, I felt like this was also so slow to start. The titular play is very elaborate so a lot of the early chapters are setting us up with the structure of the play, what’s happening at any given moment, the actual “story” of the play, etc… The early interviews are comprised of set designers and hardcore fans to help us set the stage. Which is fine, but I felt like it would’ve been easier to digest the complexity of the play if the details were spread out a little more.

I also felt like the interviews themselves lacked distinctive voices. I separated the interviews into two sections “Filler” and “Main Characters”. The “Filler” characters all had the same voice, so it was hard to differentiate them from one another. Some of the early, less memorable, interviews could’ve been shorten considerably.

I did really enjoy the discussions here though with how anonymity has caused some people to become absolutely vicious—with the main focus here being anonymity when using online platforms and engaging in communities filled with hate. All of it expressed here felt so realistic and was one of the more interesting aspects of this novel. Seeing the tension ramp up was very well written but I wished it started a little earlier on in the novel.

I am so excited for this book to get published and for everyone else to read it. Anything with mixed media is my jam and this book is filled with it. Fantastic land also was an amazing book and it’s great to see that the author continues to deliver.

I read Bockoven’s previous offering, Fantastic Land last year and I enjoyed it which is why I was eager to try Come Knocking. The structure is similar to his previous book, the narrative is told via interviews and online postings. I think that style was adequate to paint the story, but Bockoven’s writing style seems a bit one dimensional.

Overall, the pacing worked in most areas, though some of the interviews could have been shorter without damaging the plot in any significant way.

This book is gruesome and drips with social relevance. This read felt claustrophobic and I credit the author for cultivating that atmosphere despite having so many characters and viewpoints. The tension in this novel is palpable and at times I had to stop to look around to make sure I wasn’t about to be trampled.

If you are looking for character development or beautiful prose, you won’t get it here. But, you will get a bloody good time with just the right amount of depravity.

Avevo adocchiato Fantasticland, anche se non sono mai arrivata a prenderlo in mano, ma lo spunto di Come Knocking mi ha intrigato ancora di più: uno spettacolo di teatro immersivo che si trasforma in una carneficina.
Come la tensione sale sale sale al punto da rendere gli artisti capaci di tutto, perché qualcuno odia lo spettacolo al punto di progettarne la distruzione, al costo di decine di vite?
La vicenda viene ricostruita tramite documenti, interviste, messaggi raccolti da un giornalista - ed è una forma che a me piace molto, e che rende bene le varie voci, i punti di vista, le infinite sfaccettature della verità.
Una bella sorpresa, recupererò i romanzi precedenti dell’autore.

I absolutely loved Fantasticland, so I was really excited to see a new novel from Mike Bockoven. While Come Knocking didn’t quite pull me in the same way, it was still a chilling and highly entertaining read. (I listened to Fantasticland on audio, which was brilliantly narrated, so that might be why I enjoyed the experience slightly more).

The story centres around an immersive, interactive theatre production called Come Knocking, which explores the inevitability of death. While initially successful, the show faced intense online backlash, with critics calling it disturbing, evil, and worse. That outrage snowballed into a horrific night on 14th March, where dozens of people were killed and hundreds more injured.

Told through a mix of interviews, Reddit threads, letters, voice memos, and transcripts, the book presents a fictional reporter’s account of the tragedy. This mixed media approach (which Bockoven excels at!) gives the story a sense of realism that is almost too convincing. It truly feels like something that could have been ripped straight from the headlines.

I did enjoy this one overall, but I found the first half to be a bit slow. Much of it is dedicated to explaining the concept of the theatre production, its rise in popularity, and the controversy surrounding it. While that setup is necessary, it became a bit repetitive, and I kept waiting for the narrative to move on to the events of 14th March. At times, a few points of view felt too similar, with different characters essentially saying the same thing in slightly different words. That said, the social commentary stands out, and I appreciated the exploration of how the internet fuels fear, outrage, and misinformation, and how quickly humanity can unravel when thrust into chaos and danger.

Where Come Knocking truly excels is in its emotional depth and realism. Mike Bockoven has a gift for creating authentic, heartbreaking characters whose voices feel all too real. The horror doesn’t just come from the violence – it comes from the raw fear, the heartbreak, and the way everything spirals so fast and so believably. The sense of panic is palpable and the fear is all consuming. This is one of those stories that is deeply disturbing but you can’t stop reading, even when you want to look away.

Thank you to Mike Bockoven, Skyhorse Publishing, and NetGalley for the early access.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

One of my top reads of the year so far!
Though perhaps not one for the faint of heart…

Told from the different perspectives of those who were in some way entangled in a now infamous interactive theatre production, through interviews and reddit posts we slowly piece together the events that lead up to the night in question, before chaos erupts and the gory and gruesome night itself unfolds.

Initially I worried that the different POVs might get confusing or repetitive, but even when different characters were describing the same event, you could hear the individual voices so clearly that it never felt that way. Each character shared their own experience and I loved hearing new snippets and slowly unfurling what had happened through their eyes.

Another of Mike Bockovens books, FantasticLand, which has been on my radar for a long time gets a mention in Come Knocking, and I will definitely be bumping it up to the top of my list and picking it up ASAP after having read this!

4.5 rounding down - solely because one chapter felt like it didn't fit.

Overall what a RIDE. If Come Knocking were a real show I would 100% be vying for tickets based on the picture Bockoven painted. I'm enthralled by the premise and that made the downfall of the show all the more delicious to read. The pacing of this was exquisite. The style was exquisite. It's been a long time since I read something like this and it will be sitting in my brain for quite some time to come.