How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold Published by Poisoned Pen Press on July 8, 2025
Genres: Horror
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I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Seven authors enter the manor
Can they survive the story within?
When legendary horror author Mortimer Queen passes, a group of writers find themselves invited to his last will and testament reading expecting a piece of his massive fortune. Each have their own unique connection to the literary icon, some known, some soon to be discovered, and they've been waiting for their chance to step into the author's shoes for some time.
Instead, they arrive at his grand manor and are invited to play a game. The rules are simple, solve the riddle and progress to the next room. If they don't, the manor will take one of them for itself.
You see, the Queen estate was built on the bones of Mortimer's family, and like any true horror story, the house is still very, very hungry.
With the clever, locked-room thrills of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone with the ghostly horror of The Fall of the House of Usher, How to Survive a Horror Story is a bright, biting, thrill-ride that begs us to contemplate how the best horror stories come to be.
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How to Survive a Horror Story was such a unique read. It starts off with seven authors going to Mortimer Queen’s manor after his passing. They sure did not expect to wind up trapped there and forced to solve riddles to progress through the house in an attempt to survive. This house is wicked, and I could not look away. It is not only monsters that go bump in the night but wicked people too.
I loved the writing style, we alternate POV’s between the authors with each chapter and it built the back story of each of them into it. We also figure out why they are all there. Not just the story they tell us but the truth behind their lies. As the story progresses you wonder who will survive this horror story and if any of them deserve to. If you are a fan of horror novels you need to try this book.
