by Mallory Arnold

A Horror, 2025 by Poisoned Pen Press, 368 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• The setup felt very cliche from the beginning. I kept waiting for more to be revealed that would feel more original. While there are original moments, this does follow a particular pattern, making it easy to predict. 
• There are a lot of characters to keep track of but there’s no variety in their POV chapters to help you keep them separate. It reads like it was all written by one person, despite the chapters being labeled with someone’s name. That, combined with the fact that everyone seems to be hiding some kind of “secret” they’re mentioning without talking about, means they all sort of blend together. 
• The ending feels lackluster, missing the pizzazz you were expecting. 

What I Did Like:

• The puzzles were intriguing. The reader can try to guess everyone’s secrets ahead of the reveals using the clues that are sprinkled in.
• The paranormal element of the house itself was fun. I can’t say much about it without spoilers but I did appreciate that element.
• Overall, the message about trusting others was interesting. The most original thing about this one was the fact that they trusted when they maybe shouldn’t, bringing up interesting lessons about forgiveness and honor.

Who Should Read This One:

• Fans of the puzzle aspects of the Saw movies without so much of the gore. 

My Rating: 3 Stars