I didn’t finish this one. It seemed promising when I requested it but I lost interest a third of the way through. Not a good choice for me unfortunately.

Loved the description of this book - the premise sounded great - but feel like it didn’t quite deliver. But I did have high expectations, so I think this is more my issue than the book’s!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of James Han Mattson's Reprieve.

The storyline appealed to me and I was pleasantly surprised in that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. The concept of a murder in a escape room setting can easily become tedious as there isn't many places people can go. The author alternated between the court testimonies of the witnesses and the events leading up to the murder. I found that I did not like Jaidee, he is unpleasant and tends to rub people the wrong way. And as a character that is great, as not every character is meant to be loved, and Jaidee will remain memorable, perhaps for the wrong reasons though. It shows that the author has a great knack for character development.

This was a book that I found very easy to read and it kept me interested throughout.
The story has an unusual setting for a murder mystery (though perhaps not such a mystery!) and an unusual narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Really unusual thriller, with necessary trigger warnings for graphic violence and grief. The format of the court transcripts interspersed with the various viewpoints of central characters makes for an interesting structure. This was not my cup of tea, but I do think this will appeal to the more bloody minded thriller lovers out there. Hunting for clues as to the murderer and how the crime happens is part of the fun here, but I didn't connect with any of the characters.

This book felt like a cross between Hunger Games, Squid Games and something else I can’t quite put my finger on.
I found it confusing and didn’t really connect with the characters or storyline and found it hard work to finish.
Maybe it just wasn’t for me, and I acknowledge that we can’t all like the same things, but I’m afraid I struggled with this one. Apologies.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book

Unfortunately, this really wasn't the book for me.

I found it difficult to read & extremely repetitive to the point I had to put the book down for periods.

I have seen other good reviews, so this is probably more of a personal thing.

Unfortunately not the book for me.

Reprieve- James Han Mattson

Unfortunately I Didn’t get to finish the book had too much going on. Too many books at once

I tried to read Reprieve at least ten times, but could not get into it. My netgalley arc expired and I got the published copy from my local library so I could give it another go. No luck.

It's fair to say that Reprieve is nothing like what I was expecting-- which was the horror novel the book was marketed as-- but that in itself is not a bad thing. The problem is that I couldn't make myself care about the characters long enough to become invested in their story. It is a very slow book, and character-driven, which is not great if you don't gel with the characters.

I so badly wanted to love this book!

Bold inviting cover ✔
Gripping blurb ✔
Escape room plot ✔

BUT it left me feeling disappointed, something was lacking to the point I really struggled to finish the book.

The characters were horrible, despicable and completely unrelatable. I know that's what the author wants you to feel towards them but I just couldn't invest in any of them.

Loving an escape room scenario I was disappointed that that aspect takes up only a small part of the story.

The ending felt very rushed and there was no real conclusion.

I've given 2 stars as I did manage to get to the end even though I didnt particularly want to. The plot could be great if it hadn't been for the characters and more time was spent on the supposed 'horror' escape side.

Thanks to netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing plc for the ARC.

Not really what I was expecting after the description, a solid horror thriller with a very deep look into the characters background. Somewhat difficult to get into.

A really solid addition to the genre; reliable, if a little predictable in places. Would recommend if you know what you want from this sort of book, as it definitely delivers that.

Finished reading Reprieve today. If you think this book is going to be similar to Squid Game, you’re going to be disappointed.

Overall it was a good, interesting read but it wasn’t as scary as I’d expected.

It has a good storyline and I like how all the characters get to know one another before they enter Quigley House but I did find the ending rather rushed and disappointing.

This book is advertised as an escape room horror. Whilst the book does revolve around an escape room, you do not actually hit the escape room 'horror' part until around 80% in. Sadly, I was left quite disappointed as I was expecting something along the vein of the Escape Room film (2019), with horror aplenty.

The book itself follows a cast of characters over some years, and how the decisions they made ultimately led them into the escape room in question. The writing is stunning and beautifully descriptive. The story was fantastic at its heart, and James Han Mattson's writing very much reminded me of Emily St. John Mandel, who is an absolute auto-buy for me.

I appreciated and enjoyed the book for what it was, I just feel that the marketing may mean the wrong audience is picking the book up. I am looking forward to seeing what else James Han Mattson produces in the future.

An interesting concept that didn’t deliver to the point that I’ve struggled to finish the book.

In 1997, four contestants from very different backgrounds join a haunted escape room with the dream to win the $60,000 winner prize. In a shocking turn of event, before they manage to complete the task, someone breaks into the house and murders one of the contestants.

Although the premises were interesting, and touched on many interesting topics: racism, sexism, identity… I really didn’t manage to get into it.

Most of the characters were despicable and I couldn’t relate to any of them. I couldn’t get invested at any point.

Reprieve is an interesting book. A great concept and pretty original, but it left me somewhat detached.

The concept is an immersive haunted house experience that goes tragically wrong. A master manipulator pulling strings from behind the scenes sets up a stunt to gain publicity. But things go awry.

We learn more about the players lives, and this did give the story depth. But I just didn't connect with any of the characters which meant I didn't really care what happened to them. I didn't love or hate any of them enough to be invested.

All in all, I'd say it was a book that I liked enough to want to finish, but it just lacked a little credibility and I would definitely have enjoyed it more had I cared more about the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not a bad read, but not the best.

Confusing, disjointed and ultimately disappointing.
It is billed as an escape room horror but the escape room scenes make up a very small part of the story and as for the horror, what horror? There was no sense of foreboding and even any real intrigue. You knew what was happening and who was manipulating them all along although you never really discover why. The ending made no real sense and there was no real conclusion to it at all. Whilst the characters were well fleshed out and we really got to them none of them were particularly likeable. There really wasn't anyone to root for. and lots of the plot ends up being largely unresolved or just abandoned.

I gave it two stars because I did actually finish it although to be honest when I got the end I was so disappointed that I wish I had not done so. Also the actual writing is fine but the plot/story needed massive work to make it work.

Reprieve by James Han Mattson is a bit darker than books I would usually choose, but when I read the blurb I couldn't resist giving it a go. I'm so glad I tried it, as the story was incredibly thought provoking and very well written - I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Quigley House is believed to be haunted, so owner John Forrester opens it as an escape room, with dark themes and spooky costumes. As a far of thriller movies and stories, it’s a perfect job for Kendra Brown. But disaster strikes when her cousin Bryan is killed in the house,


I enjoyed the principle of Reprieve, with the different challenges and rooms being interspersed with the characters’ background, but I felt it really lost its way towards the end. I still have no real idea why Bryan was killed, whether he was the intended victim or even why Leonard was there at all.

Too complicated and confusing for me, sorry.