3.75/5 stars

I had trouble deciding whether to round up or not, but this book definitely did enough to give me reason to give it the 4 stars. This is clearly influenced/inspiried by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Another book that is very similar, but definitely YA, is Ten by Gretchen McNeil. Where the former was the foundation and the most iconic, and also seemingly to have inspiried (or inspiried by) Clue (<-- tons of controversy around that). The latter is a YA take on the iconic book revolving around high schoolers on a trip. The Dark Game takes more from Christie's original novel, surrounding itself with grown up characters and the mysterious millionaire.

So, what's so different about The Dark Game compared to the others? Glad you asked! The examples of previous works were both deeply set in reality, where The Dark Game is not. The Dark Game revolves heavily on the trauma and fears each author (contestant) has, where the millionaire uses these fears against them. While I could go on about these fears, I would really spoil the book. Can't do that! I will say though, the payoff from these fears is helped greatly by the fact that each contestant is an author.

Now that brings me to the next part; my thoughts. I thought that this book could've been cut down. There were many dialogue scenes and filler that I felt had no purpose. These scenes slowed down the whole plot. Think of it like when you're watching a good horror movie, but then a random scene happens where the characters start to talk about how they regret going to a party over and over again throughout the film. The first few times it might have boosted character development and plot, but after a while it just gets redundant and boring. It becomes a way to lengthen the running time. The Dark Game did very similar things, which unfortunately seems to happen a lot in thrillers, mysteries and horror. I got extremely annoyed reading the same lines again, to the point where I could predict the next few pages, or even chapters, and just skim without missing vital information.

My next con; the batshit crazy twist. There's a twist quite early than usual in a novel like this, and it doesn't really work right away. It just feels wrong, as if the author meant to go one direction but it wasn't executed fully. As the novel goes on, the twist becomes clearer in a sense, making it seem a bit more believable in its context. However, in the end it still didn't get me all the way. There are too many unanswered questions, and ones that definitely should have been answered. I don't think the ending justified the work the author put into this twist. This twist is paramount for the entire book, so it just didn't sit right with me. With others it was probably enough, but definitely not for me.

Even though I had quite a few problems with this book, it was still enjoyable when it wasn't killing me with needless dialogue and scenes. Had those been removed or shortened, I probably would rate it higher. These issues may be more for my taste, whereas others may think it's perfect. I would possibly end up reading it again for the unique plot and devices it used, but it may be a while before I ever do.

This morning I wrote a blog post in which I termed several novels "perfect" in my view, among them three by author Jonathan Janz, including THE DARK GAME. This novel and THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER (released Fall 2018) I think are his two best novels to date. THE DARK GAME intertwines psychological thriller, high suspense, paranormal, metaphysical, and wonderful character evolution (and devolution, as some of the characters experience decompensation, to their peril). Mr. Janz has a fine eye for the layers of personality and character usually hidden from the world. He also has an excellent understanding of the meaning of being a writer, and here I am speaking of both the act of writing itself, and of the act of presenting one's work to the world--agents, publishers, critics, trolls.

Ten writers are invited to the retreat of one of the most admired authors of our time (think Hemingway, Norman Mailer, Henry Miller status; also think of their lifestyles). The competition is for an enormous amount of prize money plus (unspoken) an in with publishers and agents: guaranteed best-seller outcome. But only one of course can win. If this seems like an act of tremendous generosity on the part of the host, Roderick Wells (whose work is studied in universities everywhere), it's really not--for Wells is a Narcissist (and more) who sharpens only his own axe, at the expense of all others. However, not all of the ten writers turn out to be patsies to be swatted like flies. We have heroes here, too, of both genders. The characters herein really rock this novel, and I think it ought to be read by every adult.

Quite possibly Janz's best work yet. His skills continue to sharpen, and it really feels like he's comfortable as hell behind that keyboard now. There's a piece about fearlessness in this book, and I think it's safe to say Janz is feeling just that-fearless. This was by far my favorite cast of characters in any of his books, and the story read like something straight out of the Leisure Books Horror Club heyday!
THE DARK GAME is a horror gem.

There is a fun concept at the core of The Dark Game, even if it isn’t a very original one. 10 writers get invited on a retreat with a famous author who will reward one of them with his patronage. It quickly becomes obvious that sinister forces are at play and the 10 start being confronted with dark secrets from their pasts and dying one by one.
It’s an okay idea for a book, and some of the horror sequences are well handled. Unfortunately it’s also really repetitive and none of the characters are engaging at all, meaning I quickly stopped caring about what was going on. Janz also ends pretty much all of the many chapters with a “da da dahhh” type like which quickly becomes annoying.
It was, I’m afraid, a complete miss for me.

Authors creating their own demise by their own creation. Sounds crazy doesn't it? Throw in a little Lovecraft, a haunted mansion, murder, betrayal, and a desperate cast of characters who all happen to be aspiring authors searching for the elusive fame and notoriety, and finally add an exceptional author such as Jonathan Janz to orchestrate it all into a cohesive, scary, suspenseful excellent horror novel, and you have "The Dark Game"...... It worked wonderfully and I love it!

Jonathan Janz is fast becoming one of my favorite writers. His works are just pure fun!

This one is a treat for both the horror and the YA the writers out there, full of little Easter Eggs that are sure to please.

Our characters are well drawn and the ‘game’ is chilling.

I will admit that I was a little bit surprised that our authors (bright and creative as they were) didn’t figure out what was happening sooner. However, I was still reading this at a rapid pace, dying to know how people would…well, die!

Truly a fun dark read. Can’t wait for his next offering!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley