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18 days and 23:02:55
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Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die
Not yet published
Expected 14 Jul 26Win a free print copy of this book!
18 days and 23:02:55
15 copies available
U.S. only
One isolated cabin. One cheating boyfriend. One plan to get even.
When Nora, Ruby, and Cham discover that they've each been dating the same man, what starts as outrage quickly spirals into a plot for revenge. Together they hatch a plan to lure their boyfriend to a romantic getaway in a secluded cabin at the top of a snow-covered mountain.
Only what was meant to be harmless payback soon takes a chilling turn when their not-so-adoring boyfriend is found dead in the cabin.
Stranded and snowed in, the women begin to look at each other with increasing suspicion. And as tensions rise, hidden motives come to light. To survive, each woman must confront her own demons as they fight to uncover if one of them is the killer, or if something else lurks in the freezing wilderness, waiting to pick them off one by one.
When Nora, Ruby, and Cham discover that they've each been dating the same man, what starts as outrage quickly spirals into a plot for revenge. Together they hatch a plan to lure their boyfriend to a romantic getaway in a secluded cabin at the top of a snow-covered mountain.
Only what was meant to be harmless payback soon takes a chilling turn when their not-so-adoring boyfriend is found dead in the cabin.
Stranded and snowed in, the women begin to look at each other with increasing suspicion. And as tensions rise, hidden motives come to light. To survive, each woman must confront her own demons as they fight to uncover if one of them is the killer, or if something else lurks in the freezing wilderness, waiting to pick them off one by one.
- GenresHorror
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 14, 2026
14 people are currently reading
8543 people want to read
About the author
Mallory Arnold
4 books202 followersMallory Arnold is an editor and writer who resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and three cats. She's part of the Women's Fiction Writer's Association and enjoys writing drama, thrillers, and horror.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 4, 2026
I went into this book only knowing the basics about it: three women find themselves dating the same man and they get him up to some cabin to seek revenge. I was NOT expecting everything else that went on. This was an edge-of-your-seat thriller that I could not get enough of. However, the very ending left me wanting more, but I’m sure that was the author just playing with our heads.
Thanks to NetGalley for this arc!
Thanks to NetGalley for this arc!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die” by Mallory Arnold is a wildly addictive, high-tension thriller that starts with a revenge fantasy and spirals into something far darker. What begins as a John Tucker Must Die–style setup quickly transforms into a survival story packed with cult secrets, an isolated winter setting, and nonstop twists.
The story follows Nora, Ruby, and Cham—three women who discover they’ve all been dating the same man, Jason. Jason is swiftly established as truly despicable: a manipulative con artist who has stolen thousands of dollars, emotionally destroyed these women, and even convinced one of them to give him a kidney. There’s no question he deserves what’s coming. Refreshingly, the women don’t turn on one another; instead, they band together, directing their anger where it belongs and forming an uneasy alliance built on shared betrayal.
Their plan to get revenge involves luring Jason to a remote, snowbound cabin in the mountains. From there, the atmosphere turns sharply unsettling. The setting is creepy and claustrophobic, with rumors of a haunted mountain, whispers of a secret cult, and a town that feels just a little too insular. When something happens to Jason, the story explodes into chaos. Snowed in and cut off from help, the women must figure out whether one of them is responsible or whether something far more sinister is at play.
The story is told through multiple perspectives, allowing each woman’s secrets and motivations to slowly come to light. Ruby’s backstory, in particular, adds an unexpected layer to the plot, as revelations about her biological parents and their possible ties to a cult push the story beyond simple revenge. At this point, the book fully commits to its cult thriller identity, and things get delightfully unhinged.
Arnold keeps the pacing razor-sharp. Nearly every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, making it incredibly difficult to put the book down. Interspersed police transcripts hint at the aftermath of the cabin’s events, reinforcing the idea that even if the women survive, the danger and consequences aren’t over. While the second half may feel a bit messy or predictable at times, the tension never fully lets up.
At its heart, this is a story about female solidarity. Despite the paranoia, fear, and mounting body count, the bond between Nora, Ruby, and Cham remains one of the book’s strongest elements. Their relationship evolves into a found family forged through shared trauma, and the ending delivers satisfying emotional closure, even if a bit more detail on the legal fallout would have been welcome.
Overall, “Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die” is a fast, twist-heavy thriller that blends revenge, cult horror, and survival into a chaotic, binge-worthy ride. If you love isolated settings, morally messy characters, and stories where women refuse to turn on each other, this one is absolutely worth the trip up the mountain.
“Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die” by Mallory Arnold is a wildly addictive, high-tension thriller that starts with a revenge fantasy and spirals into something far darker. What begins as a John Tucker Must Die–style setup quickly transforms into a survival story packed with cult secrets, an isolated winter setting, and nonstop twists.
The story follows Nora, Ruby, and Cham—three women who discover they’ve all been dating the same man, Jason. Jason is swiftly established as truly despicable: a manipulative con artist who has stolen thousands of dollars, emotionally destroyed these women, and even convinced one of them to give him a kidney. There’s no question he deserves what’s coming. Refreshingly, the women don’t turn on one another; instead, they band together, directing their anger where it belongs and forming an uneasy alliance built on shared betrayal.
Their plan to get revenge involves luring Jason to a remote, snowbound cabin in the mountains. From there, the atmosphere turns sharply unsettling. The setting is creepy and claustrophobic, with rumors of a haunted mountain, whispers of a secret cult, and a town that feels just a little too insular. When something happens to Jason, the story explodes into chaos. Snowed in and cut off from help, the women must figure out whether one of them is responsible or whether something far more sinister is at play.
The story is told through multiple perspectives, allowing each woman’s secrets and motivations to slowly come to light. Ruby’s backstory, in particular, adds an unexpected layer to the plot, as revelations about her biological parents and their possible ties to a cult push the story beyond simple revenge. At this point, the book fully commits to its cult thriller identity, and things get delightfully unhinged.
Arnold keeps the pacing razor-sharp. Nearly every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, making it incredibly difficult to put the book down. Interspersed police transcripts hint at the aftermath of the cabin’s events, reinforcing the idea that even if the women survive, the danger and consequences aren’t over. While the second half may feel a bit messy or predictable at times, the tension never fully lets up.
At its heart, this is a story about female solidarity. Despite the paranoia, fear, and mounting body count, the bond between Nora, Ruby, and Cham remains one of the book’s strongest elements. Their relationship evolves into a found family forged through shared trauma, and the ending delivers satisfying emotional closure, even if a bit more detail on the legal fallout would have been welcome.
Overall, “Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die” is a fast, twist-heavy thriller that blends revenge, cult horror, and survival into a chaotic, binge-worthy ride. If you love isolated settings, morally messy characters, and stories where women refuse to turn on each other, this one is absolutely worth the trip up the mountain.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Five glorious stars!! Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die is yet another winner by Mallory Arnold. After reading and loving How to Survive a Horror Story, she immediately became one of my go-to authors. This book was pure, creepy, horror-filled fun! I loved the atmospheric writing style and how quickly the eerie isolation of the snowy mountain consumed me. I swear I could hear the wind howling...it was chilling. I can't say that I really connected with any of the characters one on one, but they were likable and well-developed. I thought of them more collectively, like one big unit of female solidarity and empowerment. And I absolutely loved the revenge plot! I also enjoyed the transcripts that were scattered throughout the story. They added an extra level of suspense to what would transpire near the end. What a fun read! I loved it and can't wait to read more from this author. Highly recommend!
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!
February 4, 2026
🏔️ARC REVIEW🏔️
PUB DATE: 7/14/2026
“I recoil at the word. Hysterical. For centuries, this was a catch-all diagnosis for women.“
“What if he proposed to all of us? Shackled us to his snakeskin and dragged us around for the rest of our lives?“
“I don’t know what it is about a good old-fashioned revenge plot, but man, it really makes you work up an appetite.“
💭Okay but let’s talk about this title!!
Slasher vibes, femme rage, and a small town absolutely rotting with lore, secrets, and side-eye. Think Tinder Swindler x John Tucker Must Die with knives out and receipts ready.
I loved how each woman’s POV felt so distinct. Messy and furious in different ways and then together it built this delicious sense of paranoia and inevitability. Everyone’s suspicious and everyone’s hiding something.
Smart, nasty, and deeply satisfying. This one is for the horror-loving girlies who like their revenge communal and their men nervous🔪
Thank you @netgalley @poisonedpenpress @malwriteswords
PUB DATE: 7/14/2026
“I recoil at the word. Hysterical. For centuries, this was a catch-all diagnosis for women.“
“What if he proposed to all of us? Shackled us to his snakeskin and dragged us around for the rest of our lives?“
“I don’t know what it is about a good old-fashioned revenge plot, but man, it really makes you work up an appetite.“
💭Okay but let’s talk about this title!!
Slasher vibes, femme rage, and a small town absolutely rotting with lore, secrets, and side-eye. Think Tinder Swindler x John Tucker Must Die with knives out and receipts ready.
I loved how each woman’s POV felt so distinct. Messy and furious in different ways and then together it built this delicious sense of paranoia and inevitability. Everyone’s suspicious and everyone’s hiding something.
Smart, nasty, and deeply satisfying. This one is for the horror-loving girlies who like their revenge communal and their men nervous🔪
Thank you @netgalley @poisonedpenpress @malwriteswords
February 3, 2026
4.5 ✨ Three women, Nora, Cham, and Ruby, each fall under the spell of the same charming man, and each pays a price for trusting him. When the story shifts to an isolated mountain town steeped in hostility and eerie rumors, the novel veers into slasher territory. What truly shines is the bond between the women, blending vulnerability, grit, and dark humor, including one scene that genuinely made me laugh out loud. With its mix of psychological intrigue, wintry atmosphere, and sharp character interplay, this suspenseful read keeps you guessing while exploring how far people will go once they realize they have been played and how justice can come from the most unexpected places.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book being compared to John Tucker Must Die is what first pulled me in. As someone who loves that movie, I was instantly intrigued. Unsurprisingly, I ended up loving this book just as much. I love a good revenge story and stories about creepy cults. This delivered on both fronts. I flew through this one, reading half of it in one night and then picking it right back up the second I woke up the next morning. I had to know how it all played out. The twists really caught me off guard. It was addictive, unsettling, and hard to put down.
January 31, 2026
2.5 rounded up for Goodreads and Netgalley.
It was alright. The first half of the book was a little bit better than the second. The second half felt more predictable, cliché and messy. The atmosphere was good though. I did like the friendship of the three female characters, it was quite refreshing. But I didn’t necessarily connect with the characters and some plot points felt like they could have been removed and the book would have been better — if that makes sense.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.
It was alright. The first half of the book was a little bit better than the second. The second half felt more predictable, cliché and messy. The atmosphere was good though. I did like the friendship of the three female characters, it was quite refreshing. But I didn’t necessarily connect with the characters and some plot points felt like they could have been removed and the book would have been better — if that makes sense.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was able to read this via NetGalley, and I’m so glad I was able to because reading this during the winter time hit a bit different!
I really enjoyed Arnold’s debut novel (so much that I followed her on IG and was privy to this release soon after!), and I have to say that her second novel has blown the first one out of the water.
If you like John Tucker Must Die-vibes, isolated winter settings, slashers, and sure, let’s throw in cults too, then this novel is perfect for you. I finished it in one day.
I will 100% be seated for Arnold’s future releases. TRUST.
I really enjoyed Arnold’s debut novel (so much that I followed her on IG and was privy to this release soon after!), and I have to say that her second novel has blown the first one out of the water.
If you like John Tucker Must Die-vibes, isolated winter settings, slashers, and sure, let’s throw in cults too, then this novel is perfect for you. I finished it in one day.
I will 100% be seated for Arnold’s future releases. TRUST.
February 4, 2026
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. I loved hearing all three of main characters stories. But then we got to part two and the story started to feel really ridiculous. So many things were happening that felt so unbelievable that it kept taking me out of the story. I think I will still check out more from this author in the future. This one just had to much going on for me.
2/5 Stars
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.
2/5 Stars
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Arc reader with netgalley!!
The things women will do for revenge!!
John tucker must die was one of my favourite films growing up so I knew this book would be a 5 stars for me, it was intense, thrilling and overall very well written, the scene setting was brilliant and I loved each character!
Great read
The things women will do for revenge!!
John tucker must die was one of my favourite films growing up so I knew this book would be a 5 stars for me, it was intense, thrilling and overall very well written, the scene setting was brilliant and I loved each character!
Great read
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Oh my gosh! My jaw was on the floor with this book. I loved the three main characters and how they bonded over their heartbreak. Ruby was my fave! I loved the revenge and the twist was so unexpected! I couldn’t stop reading once I started. Would love a sequel
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews