Leanne Olson

by Duncan Ralston

Releasing September 15, 2023 from Wicked House Publishing

I’d seen quite a few 5-star reviews for this novella but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

The premise sounded fun: six strangers are mysteriously in a dead millionaire’s will, and must complete escape rooms in order to inherit his money. The escape rooms turn out to be deadly.

I do love books with puzzles, but this wasn’t the kind of book where the reader got to solve the puzzles along with the characters.  I didn’t have a great sense of place in any of the rooms, and the puzzles didn’t have much logic to them — or at least the clues weren’t provided to the reader.

I’m someone who loves horror with complex characters and themes, and Puzzle House just wasn’t that kind of book.  The characters are very shallowly drawn and I’m not sure that the book had anything to say.

I also am easily turned off when a male character’s story arc is based around the rape and murder of a wife or daughter.  

Overall, this felt like a very masculine horror novel, which is fine, but not my thing.  The ending was fun, and it was a very quick, easy read, even if it didn’t suck me in.  I think it will find plenty of fans.

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Thank you to Netgalley and Wicked House Publishing for my review copy of this book.