Cover Image: Thirteen Storeys

Thirteen Storeys

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Residents of the controversial Banyan Court are suffering from unexplained events. Feelings of being watched, mysterious stains on walls that can’t be cleaned, taps that run red all plague the residents in both the luxury apartments and the affordable housing section of Banyan Court. As these events intensify, threatening the physical and mental health of the residents, they receive an invitation to a dinner party hosted by Banyan Court’s enigmatic creator, Tobias Fell. Does he have the answers to what is happening in his building?
Thirteen Storeys is a collection of thirteen short stories focused around some of the residents and workers of Banyan Court who are struggling with malevolent forces in their lives. This is different from what the blurb led me to believe. It caught me off-guard at first, but once I understood the book’s format, I was drawn in.
For me, the collection had a few stand-out stories that gripped me. The first story in the group, Night Work, uses the setting of London at night, empty and silent, to build suspense as Victoria Ng begins seeing strange things coming home first thing in the morning.
Bad Penny gives us a child’s point of view with Anna and her imaginary friend, Penny. It is paired with Sleepless, where some of the events are witnessed by an adult. This pairing is particularly unsettling as we readers know something the characters don’t.
Round the Clock takes a different approach as we see the possible consequences for the residents if they don’t find an answer to their problems. It also gives us some answers to things other residents have witnessed as the main character in this story, Jason, pops up frequently throughout.
Other stories did not fare as well. Ghost stories work on the build-up of suspense, removing all of our logical explanations for unusual and frightening events until we are left with the unthinkable as the only possible reason. It worked well in Night Work and Round the Clock, but as other stories followed the same pattern, it lessened their impact and became a little formulaic. There are also three characters whose name begins with D; David, Damian, and Diego. Damian and Diego are similar in how they appear in the book, alone and at strange times. Keeping track of them and which D-character was who broke the flow of my reading.
Thirteen Storeys is a long book, lots of work goes into describing the lives of the residents as well as their experiences and changes because of Banyon Court. However, the ending felt rushed and cliched. The twelve stories before focusing on one person while the thirteenth jumps between all the characters, including Tobias Fell. This change in pace and style is at odds with the atmospheric build of tension and suspense of the previous stories.
Thirteen Storeys was an unusual read, and for fans of horror looking for something different, then I would recommend giving it a go.

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What scares you? Its probably different to what scares me. Our lives and backgrounds influence our fears. And that may possibly explain why some groups of society will never care for others. Any community is a strange group of social statuses all alongside one another and potentially working against each other on purpose or not. Fear may not really make companions of us all. Jonathan Sims explores our modern fears and what this tells us about life in the twenty first century in the brilliant Thirteen Storeys a thrilling interlinked yet tale of horror that really understands why life now can be so horrifying even without the supernatural.

Our story is set in Banyan Court in Whitechapel, London a strange mix of living accommodation for the ultra-wealthy and the poorest paid. We are told at the start that its owner the mysterious billionaire Tobias Fell died horribly after a party with thirteen guests for which no one has been punished. It’s a strange tale ending a strange man’s life; but no one knows what really happened. But finally, dear reader we’re going to find out. The book explores the months leading up to Fell’s death and the various inhabitants whose lives are changed thanks to Banyan Court that led to an invitation to Mr Fell’s last event. Banyan Court isn’t a normal place and within each room or those who work for it there is something eerie and dangerous lying in wait.

I loved this both for its ambition and huge amount of variety. It is an interesting portmanteau horror novel where we get thirteen tales of immense variety not just focusing on different characters but different types of horrors but as we progress we start to see an interlink both regards setting but also characters and causes. We cross the lives of a night shift worker losing her energy and starting to see shadowy figures in the corridors; an arrogant art dealer whose latest purchase takes over his life, a little girl whose imaginary friend is getting very dangerous and a security guard whose shift colleague is getting increasingly angry and edgy. We go through a host of stand out characters from different levels of society and for each Banyan Court plays on a fear that is connected to their lives. On pure plotting it’s wonderfully varied and creates a giant web of tales suggesting something else is going on.

What really impresses me is the way each tale’s voice changes in third person. Sims adjusts style for each type of story which means you never get a feeling of reading the same kind of tale again (I love MR James but how many haunted objects can you find in one go?) so Sims creates different types of tales. Some feel familiar to us and others do not – scary children and objects are classics but adds a lot of ones including a strange late night talk show that knows far too much about a viewer’s life; the immigrant plumber finding out what a building has been built with; and a particularly memorable encounter between an exec and his new health app AI that wants to take his life over. Each tale really set ups a very different character we quickly get a handle on before they are taken on a trip outside normal reality and pushed way too far. Sims brilliantly builds the strangeness of the encounters, the tension of something coming and then a satisfying conclusion in each tale.

I absolutely loved though that this was a horror story that has a unifying theme and as we explore these lives in Banyan Court twenty first century capitalism is shown to be pulling the strings. The characters reflect people trapped in jobs that influence their fears - a night shift worker who never sees daylight and now sees ghosts, the executive who airbrushes PR nightmares finds a stain in his home he cannot remove or an estate agent who evicts those tenants who cannot pay now being haunted by a dead tenant. I don’t think it’s by accident that above all this chaos we have a ruthless billionaire looking down on his inhabitants making his own plans. Abuse of power and using people for own needs comes across as a unifying theme and we see those who make themselves cogs of that machine happily trickle down the pain ever on to fee the machine. It is done subtly but makes the wider story that gets wrapped up in a memorable bloody finale hugely impressive.

If you are familiar with Sims work in the podcast The Magnus Archives you won’t be surprised that this novel has the same level of quality and inventiveness. For new fans and I think this book will have many be prepared for a thrilling walk through strange rooms and corridors and prepare to face many fears - you may be lucky and escape. An excellent example of twenty first century UK horror and I look forward to more from Sims in the future.

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Rated 3.5 really.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Gollancz (Orion Publishing Group) for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way. Also, in case you don't know, the author is the writer and narrator for the Magnus Archives podcast.

PRETTY LITTLE TWISTS

Thirteen Storeys is, for all purposes, a novel comprised of a series of short stories, each one focusing on one of the tenants of a reclusive billionaire's building, with only the last chapter bringing the whole cast together. I have to admit that short stories can be hit or miss for me, but when there's a connection of sorts between them and they ultimately form a bigger picture, I'm hooked. In this case, I'm also pleased to say that most of the stories, while building on familiar haunting tropes, either put a spin on them or bring something new to the table. Granted, not all the characters are what I would call memorable, and very few of them are genuinely likeable (though most aren't supposed to be); but the crescendo of tension and the clever (if sometimes little) twists in their stories (not to mention, the interplay of associations between them - though most you only manage to catch on a second read) largely make up for that. Also, while all the stories end with a hook to the last chapter, they're remarkably self-contained - especially since the basic reason behind the hauntings becomes apparent early on (but the final chapter will still hold a few surprises in that department).

FALL FROM GRACE

If the single stories (or, well, storeys) hold their own quite strongly, the book is less successful in its picking up the threads. While the tension and horror in the tenants chapters were handled gracefully (OK, it may sound like a weird adverb to use, but until the real shit hits the fan, even the horror has a certain finesse here), the social commentary that permeates the last one is more in your face, and while I commend Sims for making a stand (or a point at least), the final denouement could have used more subtlety. Also, even for a book with the supernatural at its core, what happens in the end requires some suspension of disbelief, especially because a certain event is a bit convenient and the rules are unclear - and yes, even the supernatural should have rules, or anything goes. That being said (and the less the better, since it would be so easy to spoil the whole thing), Thirteen Storeys has a lot going for it, and everyone who's into supernatural/psychological horror (and ghosts!) will get a kick out of this story.

P.S.: I know we're not supposed to notice typos and such in an ARC (and to be honest, there were only a handful here), and even when a side character had her name changed for the space of a paragraph, I didn't pay it much heed...but then I stumbled onto the usual instance of "who's" instead of "whose" ("Who's skeleton?"), and that I couldn't unsee 😣.

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I struggled with this book because I do not enjoy short stories. I struggle to get fully invested in them. If I had realised that this book was largely made up in this way I would have not requested it, but that is my fault, and other more patient readers may enjoy the format. It was certainly different, and I feel that if I review it based on what I like it is not being fair so I would say if you are open to a build up of short stories and enjoy getting to know the characters like this this will be great for you. As such I will give the book 4 stars, it is not a bad book .

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I'm a big fan of Jonathan Sims's creepy podcast drama, The Magnus Archives, so I was excited to be offered a chance by Netgalley to read his debut novel. Like The Magnus Archives, Thirteen Storeys consists of a number of linked narratives; in this case the connection is a London building, a mixture of shiny glass and metal bolted on to the remnants of a Victorian factory: half luxury apartments and half 'affordable' housing accessed by a 'poor door'.

The novel begins with a newspaper article about the mysterious and gruesome death of the building's owner at a party he has hosted; the party's guests are a strangely disparate group and the rest of the book tells their stories and how they came to be invited.

Sims is great at plunging you into the different lives of his characters, including a young woman revelling in her night-shift office job, a little girl with a frightening imaginary friend, and an art collector who becomes increasingly obsessed with a painting he has acquired.

Thirteen Storeys is very creepy book with some gruesome scenes and frightening moments, this combined with the different characters and a keen social conscience makes for a very enjoyable read.

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Well... this was a little different - and in a good way. Set in a residential block in London - catering for both the haves and the have nots. Commissioned and owned by billionaire (and then some) Tobias Fell who himself resides in the penthouse. At the start we know he is now dead, the circumstance around this, well, a bit up in the air. We then go back and meet a bunch of characters who all have some connection to the building in the form of short stories, all culminating in the receipt of an invitation to a dinner in the penthouse. Some are residents - from both "sides" of the building, others are connected by trade or work. Each story takes an element of their "personality" and, well, it's hard to describe without going into too much detail and that would spoil things. Suffice to say, nasty things happen, mostly in some form of horrific supernatural way...
Anyway... at the end of the book, after we have met each character, there's a dinner party where they are all asked to do something in exchange for their lives... and really, that's all I want to say about that.
On the face of things, it's a book of short stories. But it also isn't that at all as they are all connected in some way to what is hinted at in the beginning and expanded on in the final chapters. It's also an extremely hard book to review as it is nothing like anything I have ever had to review before and I am really struggling to formulate my thoughts on what I read.
I do know one thing though - I really did enjoy what I read. It was unique and novel and held my attention firmly throughout, leaving me satisfied at its conclusion. Obviously I enjoyed some of the "shorts" more than others as they are all completely different but the fact that they all connected was what really made the book on the whole so much more than the sum of its parts. Especially when we got to the crux of it all.
It's gory and ghostly and also quite poignant throughout, especially at the end. If you like your horror with a moralistic bent served up with a supernatural element then you might want to give this a spin.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book

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I was so excited by the premise but I have to say I got way too confused by the many characters and their back stories to fully appreciate this intricate story. I felt like I needed to make notes! A cast list would have been really useful to refer to!
The denouement was very late in coming but was well executed.

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Thankyou to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced reading copy of this book!
This is not the usual type of book i go for, but i did really enjoy it! It definitely gave me chills and let the imagination wonder to make me feel as though i wasn’t alone when reading it, so if you’re wanting to be spooked by a book then this is definitely it.
I also like the message it sent, how the choices you make, even through proxy’s, affect lives and that can definitely come back to haunt you.
The style of meeting one main character per chapter was a good choice as it really let the reader know the intricacies of their personal story, but i did then find that the characters we met near the beginning i had a hard time placing when we met them again towards the end (their names mainly, not their storylines).
Definitely worth a read!

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Superb Cover!
As for the story I am not 100% sure what I just read or how much enjoyed or was baffled by it
I will try and explain
Banyon Court is an affluent residential block in London, the penthouse is lived in by Tobias, a multi billionaire who commissioned and owns the whole building, there is also a not so affluent side ( at the back ) where the ‘poor’ people live, the book is then a set of short stories based around people who live there or are associated with the building ie a plumber, the concierges, an estate agent and tells their stories ( some more interesting than others ) and how they all link in to this Tobias chap, (who by the way is dodgy via various corporate wrong doings ) and then how strange things start to happen to them all, ghostly, horrific things and all culminates in an invitation being received by each of them to attend a dinner in his penthouse, at this dinner unspeakably gross things are asked of them all in a bid to live and if not they die and then....well, not saying anymore
I think that’s what I just read
It’s intriguing, disturbing, repulsive in parts, annoying in others and at times disorientating
But out of all those words Intriguing is the main one
I dont think, in fact I know it wont be, a book for everyone, more than that I am not quite sure what to say on it

For the ‘difference’ of the book it’s a
7/10
3.5 Stars

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A creepy read which certainly didn't disappoint. The book reads like several mini-stories as we meet each character and these mini-stories come together in the final chapter. Some characters stories and involvement were more interesting than others, but that's life, isn't it? A read which will hook you and leave you thinking over it for some time after finishing the book. 4 stars

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Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the arc of this book.

4 star read for me, a great quick read and a very hooking book. Had me wanting more so it was very page turning and great! I recommend to all as was a well written book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

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I’ll be honest I’m not familiar with this authors podcast but the premise of this book intrigued me. This book was certainly creepy and incredibly atmospheric - perfect for this time of year. I did think some of the characters and their stories were stronger than others - I personally enjoy the use of technology in horror so really enjoyed Carters (?) chapter. I think the main downfall of this book is there are way too many characters to keep track of. When it got to the end I wasn’t 100% sure who was who as we only have relatively short chapters where we meet each person.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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A very unique story. At times I thought it was brilliant, other times not so much. I am still undecided whether I enjoyed it or not, but it is playing on my mind- so there was definitely something gripping about it!

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A dinner party is held in the penthouse of Banyan Court, a multimillion-pound development in London. The building itself is divided into two different sides: one for the rich residents, one for the poorer ones.

All the guests are strangers - even to their host, Tobias Fell, the billionaire owner of the building. None of them know why they were selected to receive his invitation. But no matter who they are, they share only one thing in common (besides a postcode) - they've all experienced a shocking disturbance within the building's walls.

The first page of the novel sets the stage for the paranormal horror: the dinner goes incredibly wrong, with Fell dead by the end of the evening. And each of the guests refuses to talk about what happened that night.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different guest -- building up everything from their background to their day-to-day lives -- before diving into how they start to change, and the horrors that are waiting for them at Banyan Court.

It was a bit tricky, at times, to keep track of all the characters and the underlying connections between them all. There were parts towards the end which referenced the start, and I found myself flipping back-and-forth for a refresh.

But overall, I found that the book held a different kind of horror -- I was never sure what was real or not, and I found its stories of hauntings, obsession, and paranoia really got under my skin.

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Each of the first twelve stories focus on a different invitee to the party at the end of the book. These chapters are a bit of a mixed bag but are definitely the best part of the book with the ending being rather predictable. Each story (or storey) are rather creepy and different in their own rights - I don't want to give away any spoilers but they are all creepy and very different - and the characters all attend the party at the end. Recommended.

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The debut novel from Jonathan Sims, best known as the creator and star of the horror podcast The Magnus Archives, revolves around a London building. Banyan Court is the creation of billionaire entrepreneur Tobias Fell (who supposedly inhabits the penthouse, though nobody ever seems to see him). It's divided into two parts, and they are polar opposites: a set of expensive luxury apartments on one side, a designated block of 'affordable housing' on the other. Each chapter concentrates on the story of an individual resident; these characters hail from both sides of the building, and sometimes from outside it. There are – you guessed it – thirteen stories in all.

Every story is engrossing, though they vary in quality. The first – about Violet, who works night shifts – is good, but not remarkable; it's a readable, workmanlike tale of modern life and its cruelties, depicting an exhausted woman struggling to stay afloat (and awake). When I reached the second (Jésus, a wealthy and arrogant art dealer), however, I knew I was getting into something good. This story mixes ekphrasis, which is one of my favourite literary devices regardless of context, with horror; it's a winning combination, and the result is electrifying. The fourth story features a little girl and her imaginary friend, and contains a few lines that are more blood-curdlingly creepy than anything I've read this year. The tenth is another highlight: focusing on a mismatched pair of security guards, it boasts a blinding twist.

Like many readers, I was initially interested in this because of The Magnus Archives. I am extremely picky when it comes to podcasts, and Sims has written some of the best episodes I have ever heard. However, I think the currently airing series of the podcast (the fifth) has lost its way, so I wasn't necessarily predisposed to think Thirteen Storeys would be a work of genius. I was happy to find it has the same characteristics as all the finest Magnus Archives episodes, and indeed all the best horror: it's mostly grounded in reality, and it manages the difficult task of crossing the line into unadulterated supernatural terror without becoming overblown or silly.

Each story ends with the protagonist receiving an invite to a dinner party hosted by Tobias Fell, so it's pretty obvious throughout that the climactic chapter will depict the party. That climax is the least interesting part of the book, and its overarching moral is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. The greatest pleasures of Thirteen Storeys are definitely to be found in the individual stories, which make each character interesting and each distinct haunting memorable.

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Unexpected, Creatively Written....
Unexpected, creatively written and macabre telling of tales, each a story in own right, from each dinner guest at a multi-million pound penthouse party. All of the guests are strangers, even to the host. What secrets lie within the walls of this building? A dark, Winters night read and hugely entertaining.

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Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims a collection of stories about residents of Banyan court. A building owned by Billionaire Tobas fell who died when he invited 12 people to dinner. Each story about the residents tell us of paranormal experiences that they have while residing there and after each of them being given an invitation to join Tobas fell for dinner.
I really enjoyed these unique stories about the residents that came to an inclusion at the end. Each from different backgrounds and some of them not knowing each other until that fateful night that brought them together and others meeting each other around the estate. Conversing with each other to see if they are experiencing the weird goings on that they have been witness too. This book was creepy and atmospheric with some weird characters that kept me engaged throughout. I thought this was quite apt for this time of year.

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Creepy as hell and absolutely brilliant, this is an easy 5 stars. A perfect read for Halloween.
Full review to follow!

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If there were the perfect creepy, paranormal, gory thriller for Halloween then this would be it. A debut novel told from the points of view of 12 dinner guests of the veritable overlord Tobias Fell leading up to his death. I wasn’t sure what to make of this book to begin with but the more I read the more I was hooked. Each characters account is filled with details that put me on edge and made me anticipate the next twist. I definitely found some of the chapters scarier that others but Anna’s, Jason’s and Alvita’s stories were probably the ones who I thought were going to give me nightmares! It made me uneasy, jittery and on the edge of my seat every time I picked it up and then I didn’t want to put it down!

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