Horror Book Preview-- Read or Skip?: How to Survive A Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
Seven authors enter a manor and are instructed to partake in a game. Can they all survive?
No, this is not a new game show introduction but rather the premise of this week’s Horror Book Pick: HOW TO SURVIVE A HORROR STORY By Mallory Arnold.
At first glance, the premise is eerily similar to The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, but as you read on, you will notice the differences.
The book was published in July 2025 and is on the bestseller's list for Ghost Thrillers and Ghost Fiction.
HOW TO SURVIVE A HORROR STORY Plot Summary
After legendary horror author Mortimer Queen passes away, a group of authors is invited to the will and testament hearing. They are all expecting a piece of fortune but are instead told that they are participants in a game.
The rules are simple. They must solve the riddles to progress to the next room, and if they fail, the house will take one of them for itself.
The Queens estate has been built on the bones of Mortimer’s family, and the house is very hungry.
Can the guests make it out alive?
HOW TO SURVIVE A HORROR STORY Preview and My Take
The book begins with a chapter that throws us right into Melanie Brown’s POV. It is quickly established that she is down on her luck, must call her mother by her name because she’s an adult, and has to miss a bridge tournament to go to Mortimer Queen’s manor for the reading of the will.
As soon as she enters, she meets with Scott Clay, apparently a very handsome author. But we cannot expect sparks to fly in a horror book, can we? Considering the premise, it is best to hope that this book will be more about the horror aspects rather than the romance ones.
And so, Melanie navigates through the manor, trying to quiet her Mother’s voice, who was formerly Miss Teen Rhode Island, and who has made sure her daughter follows all the proper etiquette.
Melanie has a scar on her forehead, which is why she had to give herself an impromptu haircut to hide it. But a breeze exposes a scar, and the way she fumbles with excuses suggests that there is a different story behind it.
Melanie meets with the other authors, and one of them, Crystal Flowers, mistakes her for the help, but Scott comes to her rescue and sets things right for her.
She then meets with the estate manager, Gia, who greets the other guests and gives them time to get to know each other. Gia is initially not happy that one of the authors, Winnie, has brought along her friend Felix, who was not invited. But then she has second thoughts and welcomes him warmly.
Melanie does talk to Gia about there being a mistake in her invitation since she didn’t know Mortimer that well, but gets a cryptic reply that she is meant to be here.
As the first chapter closes, Melanie gets second thoughts and wants to leave, but finds that Gia and her luggage and car keys are gone.
Next up is Scott’s chapter, and would you know it, he has an unexplained injury as well, which he dismisses as a clumsy accident. He and Winnie are authors under the same publishing house and have to go on tours together, which Scott absolutely hates because Winnie is too clingy.
Scott has had some anger issues for which he needs to take medication, but doesn’t because it hinders his ability to write. There is an incident where a pebble on the window cracks the glass. As the chapter comes to an end, Scott stumbles into a room full of coats, which he finds absurd, and then has Gia tell him that she hopes he makes it.
Next up is Buck, and he seems to know Mortimer a little more than the others, especially that he wasn’t fond of too many things. He is keen on learning the names of the guests, and Chester, one of the other authors, helps him write them.
READ OR SKIP?
So, there wasn’t much indication as to what the games or riddles are going to be, but the setup is definitely intriguing.
The writing flows well, and the pace is consistent throughout. The characterization is especially interesting, considering that no one is as they seem, but we don’t find out until we gain insight into their respective chapters.
Would I want to continue reading? Of course! This is definitely a READ for me because the suspenseful build-up is compelling enough to want me to pick this as my next read.
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