Review: Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston

Puzzle House

by Duncan Ralston

Release Date: September 15, 2023

2023 Shadow Work Publishing

Ebook; 210 Pages

ISBN: 978-1988819402

ASIN:  ‎ B0F9FTQCMH

Audiobook: B0CGY2BGKR

Genre: Fiction / Horror

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

2.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Six strangers arrive at the home of preeminent puzzle master Alexei Vasiliev for the reading of his will. Among them are the deceased's widow, who'd already begun divorce proceedings, a virologist troubled by actions in his past, and a convicted murderer on day release. The potential beneficiaries will split Vasiliev's $150M fortune if they participate in his last great work.

Once there, the participants soon discover Puzzle House is far deadlier than it appears, and that making their way through the rooms may be a matter of life and death. Someone is watching their every move, toying with them, turning them against each other. With their lives on the line, they are forced to wonder, is it all just a deadly game created by a gleeful sadist, or something far more sinister?

 

My Thoughts

Puzzle House had a lot of things that I like in a horror novel; there were puzzle rooms, escape room horror, a big house with lots of secrets,  and lots of secrets amongst the characters. So, what's not to love? Unfortunately, while this was a quick, easy read, I do think the story was pretty predictable and everything seemed to be told to you rather than letting you feel what is happening through one of the character's eyes. Personally, I tend to disconnect when I am told every single thing rather than letting me figure it out as I am reading. And honestly, that is the fun of a horror novel, isn't it? Not knowing what is going on, keeping the tension up at a high level, anticipating what may happen, all earmarks of a fun horror novel that was kind of lacking in this one.

 

We have no idea how the characters were chosen to be the recipients of this inheritance, but three of the characters got their own personal chapters so we got to know a bit about them as the story progressed. I was not a fan of this format as it seemed like a dead giveaway as to what was going to happen to the characters, and in what order.  And while the other three are given some background information, to this day I really couldn't tell you much about them and I have a pretty good memory for books so that should tell you how much of an impression they made on me.  Plus, as I've previously mentioned, I don't like being told every single thing, and I felt like I was being told everything or that I wasn't capable of reading through the lines and figuring out what was happening for myself. 

 

And I love puzzles and puzzle rooms, but this house was supposed to be created by a puzzle master. I would have thought the puzzles would be a bit more difficult, not so difficult the characters couldn't eventually figure them out (maybe?), but much more challenging than what they were. And compared to other books I've read by this author, the horror element was rather light compared to the other books. And I mean, much lighter than the norm. I would have been okay with that if I wasn't being led around by the nose so much though. So while the pace of the story moved rather quickly, it became pretty predictable and formulaic, and I wasn't shocked by any of the twists and turns. Disappointing, really.  

 

Verdict

Puzzle House is a relatively short, easy read, one that can be read in one sitting. It did start off strong and I enjoyed getting to know the characters at they entered the house and began to play the game, but I felt like things sort of deteriorated after that as I felt like what was happening just didn't seem to fit the vibe of the story, as in it just didn't seem to feel believable. There are some interesting twists and turns, but because of the 'telling' nature of book, they didn't have the usual punch they would have. And I also felt like the author couldn't decide which type of horror this book was as it went from a puzzle/mystery horror to some type of body horror to cosmic horror?  I do recommend this one though, to anyone who is looking for a short, lighter horror read. However, I would recommend the Ghostland Trilogy (my favourite) or Helloween by this same author if you are looking for something punchier / more impactful.