Tobias Fell was a multi-billionaire recluse living in the penthouse of a rather strange apartment building.... until he invited thirteen very different people to a dinner party, all of them associated in some way with the building and all in some way haunted. It ended in the violent death of Fell, and with no one who was present being willing to breathe a word of what happened.

I picked this one up because I absolutely loved Jonathan Sims' horror fiction podcast, The Magnus Archives. And I think for fans of Magnus, there are a lot of elements here that will be familiar. We've got a bunch of little stories about people, each in their own unique ways, having creepy encounters with the supernatural, all of which end up eventually fitting together into a larger narrative, and we've got the use of supernatural horror to reflect on the real-life horrors of exploitation and capitalism.

But, while this isn't bad, I did find it a little bit disappointing by contrast. I was less impressed with the writing here than in Magnus, maybe in part because here we're lacking Sims' fantastic delivery to breathe wonderfully disturbing life into his words. And the social commentary aspects feel a lot more heavy-handed and a lot less nuanced. The structure, while interesting, didn't entirely work for me, either, as each little sub-story just ends quite abruptly, with a dinner invitation right where the exciting climax should be.

All that having been said, though, I did still certainly find it worth reading. When Sims hits with the creepiness, he really hits, and even if he mostly doesn't manage it here as well as he does in the podcast, there are still some very good moments. If nothing else, the chapter about the plumber is definitely going to stick with me for a while. And the central idea is a really clever, interesting, and suitably horrifying variation on haunted house stories, one that impressively widens their scope. ( )

A clever idea, 12 short stories tied together by a single narrative theme, each written with a different horror trope/style, coming together in the final story. Interesting, but not great, though I would read Sims again. ( )

An interesting cast of characters, each with their own story of being haunted while living in the strange building owned by Tobias Fell. A little wandering at times, though this may be because I was listening to the audio rather than reading the book, but the varied cast portraying the various occupants well read the audio. Of course, the stories come together in the climactic ending, one which wasn’t all together surprising but not entirely predictable. It’s one I might like to read on the page as well. A good one for the library of anyone who likes ghost stories. ( )

I've jokingly described it as "a modern take on The Christmas Carol if it ended in Scrooge's murder" or "If Trump Tower was haunted by the sins of capitalism." An extremely good read that seamlessly ties the individual stories together. Each character has their own unique voice and motivation. Definitely recommend the audio book (each main character gets their own voice). Will have to listen to it again now that I know the whole story to pick up on the subtle details I missed being woven throughout. ( )

A gentle yet spooky read, plays into classic tropes while also keeping you on your toes and flipping back and forth between pages. A few of the stories (sorry, storeys!) could have afforded a touch more horror. This leads to some parts being much spookier than others. Great characterization leading to distinct characters that are relatable in their own ways, even the ones who shouldn’t be. Very solid plot that has an actual ending, with a note of traditional tragedy that follows horror. Definitely a satisfying read and offers re-readability. I would say that if you are particularly squeamish about gore, there is a little throughout. Overall definitely recommend this to anyone interested in horror. ( )