Six strangers.Six puzzles.Six ways to die.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 leave.The choice is simple: leave with nothing, or continue in the hope of solving the six interconnecting escape rooms with this house.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 a deadly game created by a gleeful sadist, or something far more sinister?
Having been a fan of puzzle-based horror ever since first encountering the Lament Configuration and films like "Cube," I was immediately attracted to the premise of "Puzzle House," which sees a group of six strangers drawn to the home of a renowned "puzzle master" to claim a portion of a massive inheritance most of them hadn't expected to receive.
I don't want to reveal much more as the fun of the story lies in experiencing it as the characters do but I will say that I was particularly impressed with the way the majority of it flowed, with satisfying bits of backstory and build-up for each major event that helped to keep things equally intriguing and propulsive throughout the tale's duration. I also really appreciated the more cerebral elements beyond the puzzles themselves, such as some clever twists and the fact that several of the characters thought and behaved like real, thinking, rational people as opposed to typical brain-dead horror fodder.
There are a few aspects of "Puzzle House" that certain readers might find a bit over the top, outlandish, or excessive but for me, everything ended up working and feeling as though it "fit"in the context of the story as a whole. Beyond that, any other minor issues I encountered weren't frequent or significant enough to note here.
Bottom line: If you're looking for an intense, no-holds-barred puzzle-horror novel with high stakes and a high level of execution (pun intended,) "Puzzle House" is definitely move-in ready.