How to Survive a Horror Story

As a lifelong fan of horror, I was intrigued by Mallory Arnold’s debut novel, How to Survive a Horror Story. It follows a group of seven authors (aspiring and published) who have been invited to the reading of a will. Iconic horror author Mortimer Queen has passed away, and he has bequeathed something special to this confused yet curious group. But they’re not prepared for the terrible game Mortimer has in store for them…. and not all of them will make it out alive.

What I Liked:

• Consciously cliché. How to Survive a Horror Story has a classic setup: wealthy old person dies, leaves a bunch of unsuspecting people in his will, and terror ensues. That the characters here are all horror authors themselves only adds to the knowing nod to genre storytelling. A locked-room mystery, a game of cat and mouse, a bit of supernatural harm… Every turn of events follows typical horror story patterns, and the authors comment on this frequently. It’s a deliciously meta way of telling a tried-and-true type of story in a fresh and fun way.
• Unlikeable characters. Full disclosure: Not everyone in this novel will survive. And another disclosure: Some of them kind of deserve their fate. It quickly becomes apparent that, not only do these people craft scary stories into sellable novels, they also commit some atrocities in real life. The level of their misdeeds varies, but each has ripple effects. Can they own up to their flawed actions? Or will they deny it all the way until the end?
• Revenge and legacy. Mortimer Queen takes vengeance very seriously. But he also has a legacy to leave behind. What will his final actions mean for his lasting reputation from beyond the grave?

Final Thoughts

How to Survive a Horror Story is a wild, terrifying tale of dirty secrets, weaponized knowledge, and ultimate revenge. It’s a love letter to fans of the genre, not trying to push new boundaries, but rather having fun with the tropes we know and enjoy so much. I had a great time reading this! Mallory Arnold has a new novel coming in just two weeks: Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die. It’s another vengeful work of horror, and I’m excited to read it next.

Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy How to Survive a Horror Story here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
Audience	Adult
Genre	Horror
Setting	Vermont
Number of Pages	368
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	July 8, 2025
Publisher	Poisoned Pen Press

Official Summary

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.