First of all, what a book!! I mean, it’s like a combination of Lovecraftian horror meets Stephan King all in one. If your a fan of campy slashers, and cosmic horror then this is the book for you

I loved this book, and it had me utterly hooked from the get-go. I don’t usually spring for cosmic/supernattiral horror novels, but this one is an exception, and I’m so glad I read it. The characters were so gripping and real, and I found myself in the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next. I actually felt myself get chills in certain chapters 😭.

That being said, there were certain parts of the book that I found to be slightly slow paced, and some parts of the book I found a bit confusing and difficult to understand/follow along. Other than that, I don’t really have any complaints and I absolutely loved reading this, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good horror book.

Was the premise fun and interesting...yes
Was the characters engaging and fun to root for....yes
Was it executed smoothly ....kinda

To me this was a book that tried so hard to check s bunch of boxes to make it "epic" not bad but maybe bring it in a little

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were absolutely phenomenal, and the tropes were even better. I really enjoyed the references, and this feels like a nice dedication and homage to all the fun heist movies i grew up with.

It’s an epic tale through history and the underworld. It’s a Heist of great proportions. The tag team of friends that meet a rogue’s gallery of nightmares, is truly great writing. The mind blowing battles and obstacles these characters face will leave you breathless. If you are ready for a new journey into Hell, you will not be disappointed.

What a great homage to heist movies! It references them often, and executes the tropes in a very satisfying way, but in Hell, with cult leaders, demons and serial killers.

It's funny, full of action and doesn't takes itself too seriously.

Overall it was very entertaining and I had a good time.

This premise is one I'm envious about. It's genius! It's a good book but I think the premise deserves another edit because there are some parts that don't make sense. I felt a bit lost in the plot sometimes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for my arc copy of this book.
Well what a book, I loved this book. It had me hooked right from the start. I love cosmic horror books and supernatural.

Definitely right time of year for this book. The characters were written well and pulled me into the story even more.

I was definitely on the edge of my seat for this book, wanting to know what happens next and was definitely giving me chills.

This one is pure chaos in the best way — fast, wild, and totally original. Hell Heist throws you straight into a world where the stakes couldn’t be higher (literally, it’s Hell) and the action never slows down. It’s got that perfect mix of dark humor, clever twists, and cinematic pacing that makes you want to read just one more chapter… and then suddenly it’s 2 a.m. I tore through it in a few sittings. Smart, funny, and completely unputdownable — an absolute page-turner.

Thank you California Coldblood Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Hell Heist follows several characters across multiple timelines. Letta Starchild is running from her mother's dark legacy - an infamous cult leader and serial killer. Matthias is an ancient sorcerer who oversees a lethal guide of killers. When one them is killed, Matthias needs to hand over the guild to Letta - but she's going to have to prove herself. Strap in guys, we're going to Hell.

"The overall mission has several steps, starting with this tiny hell. We have to figure out whose hell this is, then break into, and-"
"Waitaminute! Is this a heist?!"

The premise of this book drew me in and I wasn't disappointed. The story shifts between different timelines and you see the characters at different points in their life, yet it feels constantly action packed. I really found myself drawn to the chapters that took place in 1993 with the Starchild cult. I really love horror that is seeped in reality, and what's better than a classic cult storyline? However this book does a great job of mixing reality with the supernatural.

"Memories are curious cousins and strange bedfellows. We live our lives one moment at a time but remember them in totality. Sometimes, past and future can whisper to each other."

Hell Heist is a wild, fast-paced ride blending horror, fantasy, and a heist thriller with dark humor. Letta Starchild leads a ragtag supernatural crew into Hell itself to pull off an audacious heist, and the story never slows down. While character depth sometimes takes a backseat to the chaotic fun, the inventive premise, over-the-top action, and genre-bending energy make it an entertaining and unforgettable read.

Gonzo horror novel, perfect for Halloween, a survivor of a cult needs to put together a team to snatch her mother out of Hell to retain balance in the Universe. The team includes stand-ins for famous horror movie villains like Freddy, Jason and Chucky. I enjoyed it, although it probably had too many ideas which didn’t fully come together and thus felt a bit overloaded at times. Still it’s a great premise which it mostly lives up to.

Great plot, when reading the description, good execution. It starts off strong, then it slows down, then builds back up. My major gripe isn't even a big gripe, but it isn't good for short reading sessions...the chapters are long. My interest in this book as I read it went up and down, but I am glad I stuck through everything. There is a lot of story to this book, a lot of plot, character backstory, character development, and of course comedy in there as well. Had me thinking throughout the book a little of Dante's Inferno, some of these 1970's - 90's cults, and popular supernatural stories.

Character development was good. Characters have a great backstory, feelings, past traumas that made them the person they are today, and as the book went on, they did change.

Overall, I found it to be a pretty entertaining read, especially when I was in the right mood.

Decades after Athena Starchild's cult fell apart, her daughter Letta is making waves of her own as a cult-adjacent life coach. But when her old friend Frith brings about the downfall of a killer straight out of a horror movie, hell's menagerie of monsters finds itself low on members. To keep the world from ending, Letta's going to have to assemble a team and stage the biggest heist in history: rescuing her mother from one of the circles of hell to add her to the menagerie.

With the help of spirits, demons, and mortals (including some old acquaintances from her Starchild days), Letta will have to cross the boundaries of depth and plunge into the depths of hell. Along the way, she and her associates will discover more about Athena's true nature, and indeed the shape of the universe, than any of them bargained for.

By and large, HELL HEIST is a solid dark comedy adventure, built on the bones of the best heists. The worldbuilding, integrating mythology and spirituality from around the world, is deep and interesting. Most importantly, it's given plenty of satisfying exploration against the backdrop of the heist itself. The descriptions are dark and visceral, just this side of Hellraiser, especially in the third act.

The only flaw in this otherwise tight narrative is that some of the humor, especially the quirky humor from team "Murdock" Nicky, feels a little too try-hard. The comedy broadly stays at an effective level, counterpointing the horror with humor, but it will occasionally get a bit too Hollywood writer's room. (Nicky falling head over heels for a hell lord? Beautiful. Joking that his voice made her pregnant? Funny the first time; exhausting the third and fourth times.)

Though some scenes may have fallen flat, the upshot and ending are fantastic. Peterson weaves an excellent and enticing story.

It suffers from tonal whiplash and conceptual unevenness (imagine Ocean's 8 meets Constantine by way of Tank Girl), but Hell Heist shines with its characterisations and setpieces, even when a lot of it falls apart along the way. Come for the heist, stay for the heroes.

In Hell Heist we follow Letta Starchild, daughter of cult leader and serial killer, Athena, as she assembles a group of beings who may actually be insane to participate in a heist in literal hell. The bounty? Her mother’s soul.
Hell Heist is a dark comedy horror that begins slowly, giving the reader plenty of information about Letta’s world. This worldbuilding is solid without feeling overwhelming, though it does draw out the beginning of the story. The latter part of the book is dialogue heavy, and it was difficult to keep track of which character was talking at times. What would be fun banter and snappy conversation in a film didn’t quite translate on paper, though it feels like that was the intent. Where the dialogue lacked flow, the narrative never did.
Hell Heist takes place over multiple chaos filled timelines and is definitely a plot driven story with character development taking a backseat, as it often does in horror flicks. The pacing starts slow, revs up and slows down again. It’s a fun read and doesn’t take itself too seriously plus I enjoyed the nostalgia evoked by some of the references to the 80’s/90’s. The story would benefit from another edit, purely to even out some contradictions and consistency issues.
Overall, I enjoyed Hell Heist, though it felt longer than it was. It’s one of the rare instances where a book would make a better movie or RPG. The premise hooked me, and while it wasn’t exactly what I hoped for it was entertaining.

This book is Ocean’s Eleven but in actual HELL and honestly?? I was LIVING. Chaotic crew, unhinged decisions, demon drama, and banter sharp enough to slice my feelings in half. It’s fast, funny, stressful, and feral in all the right ways. A heist story dipped in pure goblin energy — 10/10 would follow this disaster squad straight into the flames again 🔥😈🩷

Hell Heist is an absolutely wild ride—part supernatural thriller, part horror-heist adventure, and entirely unforgettable. The story follows Letta Starchild, a protagonist with a dark past and big ambitions, as she assembles a bizarre team of allies to stalk through Hell itself in pursuit of a seemingly impossible goal. The combination of horror elements, creative world-building, and off-the-wall characters kept me turning the pages with a mix of excitement and horror.

What I enjoyed most was how the novel balances gruesome, intense scenes with surprising humor and energy. The cast’s dynamic lends both heart and chaos to the narrative, and the blend of mythic lore, slasher vibes, and heist-style plot twists makes this stand apart from more traditional horror reads.

While the tone is bold and at times over-the-top (which won’t be for all readers), Hell Heist delivers a fresh, genre-bending adventure that’s as entertaining as it is eerie. A great pick if you’re in the mood for something imaginative with plenty of edge and attitude.

I mentioned the book as one of my top ten reads here: https://aqueductpress.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-pleasures-of-reading-viewing-and_0799950170.html

2. Hell Heist - Robert J. Peterson (Ocean’s 8 meets Hellraiser)

I love a heist, no notes!
This was such a fun read, it made me wanna watch all my favorite heist movies!

Hell Heist by Robert J. Peterson is a bold, genre-blending novel that mixes supernatural horror with a heist-style adventure set in Hell itself. Following Letta Starchild as she assembles a strange and chaotic crew to pull off an impossible mission, the book leans heavily into action, mythic lore, and dark spectacle. Its creative premise and willingness to embrace the bizarre make it stand out from more traditional horror stories.

The novel balances intense, sometimes gruesome scenes with flashes of humor and off-the-wall energy, giving the story a pulpy, over-the-top tone that will appeal to readers who enjoy fast-moving plots over emotional depth. The frequent time jumps and detached character reactions may limit immersion for some, and the pacing can feel uneven, with heist elements arriving abruptly rather than building tension.

That said, Hell Heist is clearly written with confidence and ambition. While it won’t work for every reader—especially those seeking strong emotional engagement—it offers a wild, imaginative ride for fans of edgy, action-driven horror with a supernatural twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

ARC Review.

Did i enjoyed this book? Yes i did… It give me so many vibes.. There was gore not to much, just enough. I love the paranormal like the vampire stuff.. I love the fantasy in this book.. I liked the cult with what the book started and demons and serial killers in the mix..

Yes!! I had a lovely time with this book!

Loved it. Very grateful for the advance copy. Highly recommend! So much suspense and gore. Trust me you’ll love it!

Fast based thriller/horror/mystery.

Really enjoyed this, and was quite a fast read - long chapters.

Lots of back story for the characters so they felt really well developed and bought to life really well. I really enjoyed the story and the writing.

Hell Heist was a fun, action-packed read with a surprisingly deep cast of characters. There are a lot of people to keep track of, and I’ll be honest—there were moments where it felt a little confusing—but the story always circled back and made things click.

One of my favorite parts was the use of religious lore and mythology. If you’re into that kind of world-building, this book really delivers. The way those elements were woven into the story felt natural and added a lot of depth without slowing things down.

The writing is very descriptive, which helped bring the action and settings to life, especially during the more intense scenes. Overall, this was a fast-paced, entertaining read that balances fun with solid storytelling. Definitely worth picking up if you like mythology-heavy, action-driven stories.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Hell Heist. This was a fast-paced, entertaining read that delivered plenty of action and supernatural chaos from beginning to end.

I really enjoyed the high-energy tone and the balance between darker fantasy elements and humour. It made for a fun and engaging reading experience that I think will appeal to readers looking for something bold, adventurous, and a little over-the-top in the best way.

I’ll be sharing my review across my reader platforms and would happily recommend this to readers who enjoy action-driven fantasy with supernatural elements.

Thank you again to the publisher, Author and NetGalley for the advance copy — it’s always appreciated to receive early access to new releases.

Hell Heist was such a thrilling and exciting book! I was drawn in, right at the beginning! The characters are absolutely amazing & have such lively personalities. This book had me completely engaged and on the edge of my seat, the entire time. This book has some dark themes, but its not over done or too harsh. Great book from start to finish & the ending was superb!

Hell Heist is a cosmic horror that follows 3 former cult followers as they perform, per the book title, a heist within hell. The premise of this book is quite unique and intriguing. Instead of angels versus devils in terms of good guys and bad guys, it is about balance: once the demon population (called Lord Morningstar's Menagerie [Lord Morningstar = Lucifer]) on earth diminishes to below 666, a new leader of the Menagerie must be chosen and balance brought back. Enter Letta, the daughter of cult leader and killer Athena Starchild. To become the new leader, Letta must undergo a right of succession, which equates to performing a hell heist to balance the scales before all existence is wiped out.

The plot was slow for a heist novel. For the first half of the book, it is a mix of flashbacks of the cult experiences of Athena and the children she leads and the present day where Letta is learning her destiny and gathering the heist players. The heist didn't really start until the 50-60% mark. At first I was more invested in the 1993 and 1303 timelines than the present day, although the action did pick up towards the end. The players were numerous and their introductions became very formulaic. We should go find this person (or demon), explain the situation, talk a bit, figure out we need another role filled, go get another person, rinse and repeat. And there are a lot of players, maybe over 10? It would probably have benefited from some trimming of characters.

I had some issues with continuity throughout the novel. Characters were suddenly called different names, little things brought up that weren't mentioned before and served little purpose, contradictory sentences, and repeat descriptions. Events got a little confusing at times, maybe from all the different bits of information that the author wanted to include. I also felt there were a few too many deux ex machina moments - random books brought up that suddenly gave more info or solved problems, Letta suddenly breaking out super-fighting skills when there was no prior experience, incongruent timings to suddenly make things more tense.

Of the characters, a few of them fell flat. In the version I read, sometimes the author had to do a "name:" before dialogue so you knew who was speaking. I felt that was needed because many of the characters sounded exactly the same. Nicky, Richard, and Matthias were very distinctive and full bodied, but Letta, Frith, and Traxler all sounded the same. My favorite, as it should be, is the serial killer in the teddy bear body. Very Chucky-esque.

The settings were richly imagined, especially the infernal downfalls (hell) with its Dante influences and author's detailed descriptions. This may be my favorite part of the book as I love some good world-building. There was some gore and violence, but it felt subdued and non-central to the experience. I also really wish I knew more about the sixth maxim, but maybe it's better to stay in the unknown!

I appreciated the unique take on angels and demons, the world-building, the intriguing flashbacks, and some of the characters that felt fresh and lively. Readers who enjoy cosmic horror similar to Lovecraft's Cthulhu may enjoy this book, and although the heist was not the book's strongest point it may also appeal to those who enjoy a team-up of very different personalities as they go to steal from hell. Thank you to NetGalley and California Coldblood Books for allowing me to read this eARC.