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Invitation to Death
Once upon a time they were the cool kids. The most popular by far in the class of 1999. Then in senior year something terrible happened, a tragedy brought about by their shameful behavior one drunken night. A solemn vow was made to never speak of it and never see each other again after graduation. Now, decades later, they’ve received invitations to an exclusive Christmas Day event at remote Raven’s Reach manor. The lure? A shot at winning a million dollars. Once they’re together again, bad things start happening. Is this the past finally catching up to them or something far more sinister?
160 pages, Paperback
Published December 19, 2020
32 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Smith
105 books765 followersBryan Smith is the Splatterpunk Award-winning author of more than forty horror and crime books, including 68 Kill, the cult classic Depraved and its sequels, as well as The Killing Kind, Slowly We Rot, The Freakshow, and many more. Bestselling horror author Brian Keene called Slowly We Rot, "The best zombie novel I've ever read."
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 26, 2020
The first half of the book is exceptionally entertaining. We get acquainted with all of the characters competing in this sick game and we feel all of their tension and apprehension as they slowly realize that they've gotten themselves in a situation which they can't escape. This part of the book was amazing and engaging, but the story gets a bit bland (in my opinion) once the game actually starts.
As a fan of extreme horror and a fan of Bryan Smith I found the death scenes to be pretty vanilla and unoriginal compared to his other iconic scenes like the "Hibachi scene" or the various prison infirmary scenes from the Depraved series. I was just expecting it to get alot more fucked up and it just never happened.
Also, the book kept alluding to some dark, twisted event from the characters' past which led to an innocent person dying - and although we hear bits and pieces of what happened, we NEVER get the full story. This sub-plot was being teased throughout the entire book and the author made it seem like it would play a pivotal part in the story but it just winds up going nowhere. I think this is probably the closest you can get to feeling blue balls while reading a book and it didnt feel good at all.
Dont get me wrong though - the book was entertaining for the most part and I respect Bryan Smith for trying something different, but maybe the whole murder mystery sub-genre just isn't for me. I'll be right here when you release your next hardcore splatterpunk novel though.
I give this book a 3/5. Not amazing, but not bad either.
If you want to see full in-depth video reviews please subscribe to my YouTube channel:
https://youtube.com/channel/UC-9EiDna...
As a fan of extreme horror and a fan of Bryan Smith I found the death scenes to be pretty vanilla and unoriginal compared to his other iconic scenes like the "Hibachi scene" or the various prison infirmary scenes from the Depraved series. I was just expecting it to get alot more fucked up and it just never happened.
Also, the book kept alluding to some dark, twisted event from the characters' past which led to an innocent person dying - and although we hear bits and pieces of what happened, we NEVER get the full story. This sub-plot was being teased throughout the entire book and the author made it seem like it would play a pivotal part in the story but it just winds up going nowhere. I think this is probably the closest you can get to feeling blue balls while reading a book and it didnt feel good at all.
Dont get me wrong though - the book was entertaining for the most part and I respect Bryan Smith for trying something different, but maybe the whole murder mystery sub-genre just isn't for me. I'll be right here when you release your next hardcore splatterpunk novel though.
I give this book a 3/5. Not amazing, but not bad either.
If you want to see full in-depth video reviews please subscribe to my YouTube channel:
https://youtube.com/channel/UC-9EiDna...
December 23, 2020
Agatha Christie meets Ready or Not
Prolific horror and crime author Bryan Smith has delivered an uncharacteristically festive murder mystery tale, with all the debauched mayhem we’ve come to expect from the author of ‘Depraved’ and ‘The Killing Kind’.
A mysterious invitation to the remote but luxurious Raven’s Reach Manor for an exclusive Christmas Day event promises the opportunity to walk away with a prize of one million dollars. What they will need to do to win the prize, nobody is sure, but it is too big an opportunity to pass up.
As a down and out former millionaire, a wealthy socialite, a drunk recluse, a middle-class family, and a pair of serial-killing sisters all attend the mysterious gathering, they soon realise they share a link to a tragic event from their pasts, and that the real prize may be escaping the Manor with their lives.
Invitation to Death is Bryan Smith’s own unique take on an Agatha Christie style murder mystery, complete with all the usual cliches of the genre (isolated location, mysterious death when the lights go out, everyone a suspect). It is a lot of fun to read a story in a typically fairly ‘safe’ and ‘cosy’ genre, written by one of horror’s most notorious splatter-punks. You can’t help but feel, had Poirot made an appearance in this book, he would have been one of the first to be violently done away with, in the bloodiest manner possible.
Fans of Bryan Smith know to expect two things from any book he writes; memorable characters and wildly unpredictable plots, and both of these things are front and centre with ‘Invitation to Death’. Each of the ‘guests’ gets an introductory paragraph early on and every one is distinct and given their own rich backstory and reason for accepting the invitation. The set up is fantastic and the build-up is slow, setting up more questions than it answers until a suitably over the top and manic finale.
There is a fun red herring plot device that is equal part clever and amusing and twists galore to keep you engaged. I confess that this was one of those books where I was still reading in the early hours of the morning, unable to find a suitable jumping-off point. Each chapter ends with increasingly electrifying cliff-hangers so that it’s nigh on impossible to stop once you’ve picked the book up.
While the set up is intriguing, and the build-up is suitably tense, when things get dialled up to eleven the story can feel a little rushed at times. It would have been fun to spend a little more time with some of the characters once their true colours were revealed and I felt some of the characters were dispatched far too easily. These are minor quibbles though, that don’t really distract from the overall enjoyment.
Unpredictable and unputdownable, with lashings of the inventive and over the top violence you have come to expect from Bryan Smith. This is not your grandparents' murder mystery story!
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
Prolific horror and crime author Bryan Smith has delivered an uncharacteristically festive murder mystery tale, with all the debauched mayhem we’ve come to expect from the author of ‘Depraved’ and ‘The Killing Kind’.
A mysterious invitation to the remote but luxurious Raven’s Reach Manor for an exclusive Christmas Day event promises the opportunity to walk away with a prize of one million dollars. What they will need to do to win the prize, nobody is sure, but it is too big an opportunity to pass up.
As a down and out former millionaire, a wealthy socialite, a drunk recluse, a middle-class family, and a pair of serial-killing sisters all attend the mysterious gathering, they soon realise they share a link to a tragic event from their pasts, and that the real prize may be escaping the Manor with their lives.
Invitation to Death is Bryan Smith’s own unique take on an Agatha Christie style murder mystery, complete with all the usual cliches of the genre (isolated location, mysterious death when the lights go out, everyone a suspect). It is a lot of fun to read a story in a typically fairly ‘safe’ and ‘cosy’ genre, written by one of horror’s most notorious splatter-punks. You can’t help but feel, had Poirot made an appearance in this book, he would have been one of the first to be violently done away with, in the bloodiest manner possible.
Fans of Bryan Smith know to expect two things from any book he writes; memorable characters and wildly unpredictable plots, and both of these things are front and centre with ‘Invitation to Death’. Each of the ‘guests’ gets an introductory paragraph early on and every one is distinct and given their own rich backstory and reason for accepting the invitation. The set up is fantastic and the build-up is slow, setting up more questions than it answers until a suitably over the top and manic finale.
There is a fun red herring plot device that is equal part clever and amusing and twists galore to keep you engaged. I confess that this was one of those books where I was still reading in the early hours of the morning, unable to find a suitable jumping-off point. Each chapter ends with increasingly electrifying cliff-hangers so that it’s nigh on impossible to stop once you’ve picked the book up.
While the set up is intriguing, and the build-up is suitably tense, when things get dialled up to eleven the story can feel a little rushed at times. It would have been fun to spend a little more time with some of the characters once their true colours were revealed and I felt some of the characters were dispatched far too easily. These are minor quibbles though, that don’t really distract from the overall enjoyment.
Unpredictable and unputdownable, with lashings of the inventive and over the top violence you have come to expect from Bryan Smith. This is not your grandparents' murder mystery story!
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
July 25, 2021
Weak for Smith. The deaths were poor and the link between the characters was pretty irrelevant to the plot. Never really went anywhere and the end was disappointing. Still one of my fave authors but this was a miss for me. 3 stars because even a poor book by Smith is still worth a read.
March 15, 2021
(Been backed up on book reviews for the past several months, so please forgive my lateness!)
As long as I'd been a fan of this author's work (since The Freakshow came out from Leisure Books way back when), I had no idea he was a fan of mystery grand dame Agatha Christie. Having said that, his latest release is a rather pointedly brutal nod to her. And that's to be expected from a Bryan Smith horror novel.
Several people receive a mysterious summons to Ravens Reach manor, with the allure of a million dollars just to be there. Little do they know that there's far more at work here, since they're inextricably entwined with an event they took part in as teens. And the cost they'll pay for that is a dear one. Death
As usual with this author, he takes a brutal twist on a time honored literary tradition--the whodunit murder mystery--and ratchets up the murder and plot twists. Lean fast read but wholly enjoyable!
Highly recommended!
As long as I'd been a fan of this author's work (since The Freakshow came out from Leisure Books way back when), I had no idea he was a fan of mystery grand dame Agatha Christie. Having said that, his latest release is a rather pointedly brutal nod to her. And that's to be expected from a Bryan Smith horror novel.
Several people receive a mysterious summons to Ravens Reach manor, with the allure of a million dollars just to be there. Little do they know that there's far more at work here, since they're inextricably entwined with an event they took part in as teens. And the cost they'll pay for that is a dear one. Death
As usual with this author, he takes a brutal twist on a time honored literary tradition--the whodunit murder mystery--and ratchets up the murder and plot twists. Lean fast read but wholly enjoyable!
Highly recommended!
December 26, 2020
On Christmas Day, a group of men and women are invited to stay at Raven's Reach and offered a tantalizing reward in exchange for staying at the plush mansion for twenty-four hours. Although none of them can exactly afford to miss out on the million dollars on offer, not all of the guests are there of their own free will, and not all of them will make it out of Raven's Reach alive.
Invitation to Death is a bit of a slow burn, but one that grows increasingly interesting by degrees, and Bryan Smith's premise has a number of unique angles to it. In some ways, it has the promise of a locked-room mystery, but Smith sacrifices any pretense of a mystery by cluing readers - but not the characters - in on the real scoop, before twisting things even further and going all-in on the mayhem. Imagine Knives Out turning into Slaughter Higher and you'll have an inkling of what to expect here.
Smith delivers a few tantalizing ideas toward the hidden captors motivations, but there's just something about this book as a whole that doesn't quite congeal. There's a few too many disparate elements that never quite connect in this planned-yet-random plot, including a fairly large cast of characters that are never truly developed in this slim story except to know that none of them are truly redeemable or worth rooting for.
Invitation to Death is also oddly paced, with the entire first third of the book devoted to introducing all these various characters as they arrive at Raven's Reach, and then another twenty percent of the book becomes devoted to getting them all into the same room. It's plodding and, at times, frustrating in its repetitious nature and lack of real forward momentum, and then, bang!, it's a sudden and frenetic race to the finish.
A lot of Smith's latest feels half-baked, but it does at least have a few moments of intrigue, even as the promise of a much more interesting story than what's actually presented here lurks beneath the surface, frustratingly disconnected from central narrative. Smith does deliver a few shocking kills in pretty glorious fashion and they present some welcome jolts in an otherwise uneven narrative. Unfortunately, they never amount to more than jump scares given how little we care about the victims or the motivations of the victimizer.
Invitation to Death is a bit of a slow burn, but one that grows increasingly interesting by degrees, and Bryan Smith's premise has a number of unique angles to it. In some ways, it has the promise of a locked-room mystery, but Smith sacrifices any pretense of a mystery by cluing readers - but not the characters - in on the real scoop, before twisting things even further and going all-in on the mayhem. Imagine Knives Out turning into Slaughter Higher and you'll have an inkling of what to expect here.
Smith delivers a few tantalizing ideas toward the hidden captors motivations, but there's just something about this book as a whole that doesn't quite congeal. There's a few too many disparate elements that never quite connect in this planned-yet-random plot, including a fairly large cast of characters that are never truly developed in this slim story except to know that none of them are truly redeemable or worth rooting for.
Invitation to Death is also oddly paced, with the entire first third of the book devoted to introducing all these various characters as they arrive at Raven's Reach, and then another twenty percent of the book becomes devoted to getting them all into the same room. It's plodding and, at times, frustrating in its repetitious nature and lack of real forward momentum, and then, bang!, it's a sudden and frenetic race to the finish.
A lot of Smith's latest feels half-baked, but it does at least have a few moments of intrigue, even as the promise of a much more interesting story than what's actually presented here lurks beneath the surface, frustratingly disconnected from central narrative. Smith does deliver a few shocking kills in pretty glorious fashion and they present some welcome jolts in an otherwise uneven narrative. Unfortunately, they never amount to more than jump scares given how little we care about the victims or the motivations of the victimizer.
November 29, 2021
I found this on Audible when looking for Christmas/winter horror. The narrator was truly terrible, so it's hard to know how much that affected my enjoyment level.
All of the characters in this book were over the top caricatures. I'm ok with that if the story has a lot of humor in it, but this one didn't. The writing was very cold and disconnected. I wasn't drawn into the story at all. I honestly wasn't sure what was going on by the end of it, and I didn't really care.
All of the characters in this book were over the top caricatures. I'm ok with that if the story has a lot of humor in it, but this one didn't. The writing was very cold and disconnected. I wasn't drawn into the story at all. I honestly wasn't sure what was going on by the end of it, and I didn't really care.
January 21, 2026
2,75* Started off interesting and promising, but imo failed to deliver. Nonetheless it's a short story quickly read, so I won't back up my reasoning with examples. Instead read it and judge for yourself; it's not a complete waste of time ;)
April 6, 2021
I’ll start this review by saying that I am a huge fan of Bryan Smith. I feel that the reader always has a great time with his stories. However, this one was pretty thin in plot.
I whipped through the story because like all Smith tales, it picks up quickly and you barrel along with the characters and their horrific adventures. This is also the kind of plot I love: weird and shady characters are invited to an isolated mansion for nefarious purposes. So here’s the deal: loved the plot, great characters, sped read the book, had a great time...... BUT, has left feeling unsatisfied with “the secret”, and the ending seemed rushed.
The biggest question I have: is Bryan planning to add more with a sequel? Hmmmm... that could potentially change things.....
Either way, though, this does not live up to Bryan’s other books. This is what you read when you are a fan and have read everything else from the author.
Last comment is about the cover. I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I call BS on that one. Of course, the cover entices readers to pick up a book. Duh! This cover was not reflective of the actual story and would not draw in new readers to Bryan Smith. The cover is very bland, unassuming, and not visceral enough to be synonymous with Bryan Smith. Who chose this?
I whipped through the story because like all Smith tales, it picks up quickly and you barrel along with the characters and their horrific adventures. This is also the kind of plot I love: weird and shady characters are invited to an isolated mansion for nefarious purposes. So here’s the deal: loved the plot, great characters, sped read the book, had a great time...... BUT, has left feeling unsatisfied with “the secret”, and the ending seemed rushed.
The biggest question I have: is Bryan planning to add more with a sequel? Hmmmm... that could potentially change things.....
Either way, though, this does not live up to Bryan’s other books. This is what you read when you are a fan and have read everything else from the author.
Last comment is about the cover. I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I call BS on that one. Of course, the cover entices readers to pick up a book. Duh! This cover was not reflective of the actual story and would not draw in new readers to Bryan Smith. The cover is very bland, unassuming, and not visceral enough to be synonymous with Bryan Smith. Who chose this?
January 15, 2023
A very fun horror version of Clue!
December 26, 2020
The first half of the book is exceptionally entertaining. We get acquainted with all of the characters competing in this sick game and we feel all of their tension and apprehension as they slowly realize that they've gotten themselves in a situation which they can't escape. This part of the book was amazing and engaging, but the story gets a bit bland (in my opinion) once the game actually starts.
As a fan of extreme horror and a fan of Bryan Smith I found the death scenes to be pretty vanilla and unoriginal compared to his other iconic scenes like the "Hibachi scene" or the various prison infirmary scenes from the Depraved series. I was just expecting it to get alot more fucked up and it just never happened.
Also, the book kept alluding to some dark, twisted event from the characters' past which led to an innocent person dying - and although we hear bits and pieces of what happened, we NEVER get the full story. This sub-plot was being teased throughout the entire book and the author made it seem like it would play a pivotal part in the story but it just winds up going nowhere. I think this is probably the closest you can get to feeling blue balls while reading a book and it didnt feel good at all.
Dont get me wrong though - the book was entertaining for the most part and I respect Bryan Smith for trying something different, but maybe the whole murder mystery sub-genre just isn't for me. I'll be right here when you release your next hardcore splatterpunk novel though.
I give this book a 3/5. Not amazing, but not bad either.
If you want to see full in-depth video reviews please subscribe to my YouTube channel:
https://youtube.com/channel/UC-9EiDna...
As a fan of extreme horror and a fan of Bryan Smith I found the death scenes to be pretty vanilla and unoriginal compared to his other iconic scenes like the "Hibachi scene" or the various prison infirmary scenes from the Depraved series. I was just expecting it to get alot more fucked up and it just never happened.
Also, the book kept alluding to some dark, twisted event from the characters' past which led to an innocent person dying - and although we hear bits and pieces of what happened, we NEVER get the full story. This sub-plot was being teased throughout the entire book and the author made it seem like it would play a pivotal part in the story but it just winds up going nowhere. I think this is probably the closest you can get to feeling blue balls while reading a book and it didnt feel good at all.
Dont get me wrong though - the book was entertaining for the most part and I respect Bryan Smith for trying something different, but maybe the whole murder mystery sub-genre just isn't for me. I'll be right here when you release your next hardcore splatterpunk novel though.
I give this book a 3/5. Not amazing, but not bad either.
If you want to see full in-depth video reviews please subscribe to my YouTube channel:
https://youtube.com/channel/UC-9EiDna...
December 6, 2022
This was a fun little horror story that reminded me of i know what you did last summer, saw, and the hunt. A group of people who are connected in a way all are lured to a mansion on christmas day for a chance to win a million dollars, but they don't know each other are going to be there, which sparks a good amount of drama. Will they survive the night? I understand why some reviews don't like the second half, but i thought it was fun. I just wish the backstory of the girl on the ice would have played out a little bit more and have more to do with the ending of the book. Also would have liked the last 4-5 chapters to be a bit longer/ more detailed. Other than that this was a very fun and violent Christmas horror book.
July 21, 2023
This was my first Bryan Smith novel, and it grabbed me right away. It has an intriguing setup: group of people receive a mysterious invite to a secluded mansion, bad guys behind the scenes, multiple character POVs, and of course, murderous revenge—or is it? This book took over my life in the best way. Everything else was just in the way of me getting back to reading. Mood, atmosphere, and evil characters you can’t help but be fascinated by. My only complaint is the novel was too short. Once the stage was set and the mayhem got started, everything was resolved too quickly. I wanted to see more of how the characters handled being hunted, and dealt with conflict amongst themselves.
December 8, 2022
Didn’t like it from the beginning. I thought the characters were almost all pretty unlikeable…like it might be hard for me to “root” for any of them. After I started it, I went back to read the summary and some of the reviews. I decided then that there was no reason for me to continue, if the fans of the author thought the first half of the book was the most entertain8ng part, I was in trouble.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2020
Bryan Smith does it again!
Fans of Bryan Smith have come to appreciate his fast paced over the top horror books and some of us love his crime noir books as well. With INVITATION TO DEATH, Smith fuses mystery and horror only as Smith can. Fans of Smith who love his horror books will not be disappointed with this one, plenty of horror that we have come to love while going with a mystery flavor.
Fans of Bryan Smith have come to appreciate his fast paced over the top horror books and some of us love his crime noir books as well. With INVITATION TO DEATH, Smith fuses mystery and horror only as Smith can. Fans of Smith who love his horror books will not be disappointed with this one, plenty of horror that we have come to love while going with a mystery flavor.
December 29, 2021
Hostile meats The Most Dangerous Game. I really thought I would enjoy this one more, unfortunately I just feel the author rushed through the story too quickly, not all short books can pull off a GREAT story. I felt the author just didn't provide enough detail or explanation. Would not recommend.
July 12, 2021
Thought the twist halfway through with the reveal was very surprising, but the book spent too much time with the guests that didn't really matter. Should have spent more time with the hunting portion and less so with the introductions and arguments.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2022
Tendré que darle una segunda vuelta a esta novela. Hay elementos muy clásicos y otros que van en dirección contraria, y aunque creo que el resultado es bueno, no estoy segura de que se haya aprovechado todo el potencial de la historia.
February 6, 2023
Exactly what the title describes
An invitation to death, exactly what was promised with a quick pace and plenty of horror. A really good mix of interesting twists and brutal murders.
An invitation to death, exactly what was promised with a quick pace and plenty of horror. A really good mix of interesting twists and brutal murders.
December 29, 2024
It didn't get interesting until about 70% and then the graphic scenes were pretty nice so I gave it an extra star. But I was so confused as to whether this was a revenge or a for fun situation. Ending was dumb
July 28, 2021
WOW
This novel is full of so many twists and turns that it literally boggles the mind. This is without a doubt, a MUST READ.
This novel is full of so many twists and turns that it literally boggles the mind. This is without a doubt, a MUST READ.
December 19, 2021
2.5 stars
December 27, 2021
Always game for Christmas horror. A fun little murder mystery that is not what you think it is at all.
February 21, 2022
Decent read. Plenty of light-hearted horror fun.
October 16, 2023
Title is very accurate. Was pretty excited to see where it was going for the first half but the second half left much to be desired
August 27, 2024
Decent enough revenge/trapped in a house with a vengeful killer story, reminded me of several other stories at partsbut there were a couple of twists and turns that I didn't see coming.
Read
November 4, 2025DNF @58%. I don't know, I'm just bored...
Read
November 30, 2025DNF at 50%. Not my vibe at all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews