The Death House

by Joshua MacMillan

Nick and Jerry have been searching for the fabled extreme haunt: The Death House, and they may have bit off more than they can chew.
After being burned multiple times, the brothers find themselves catching a lucky break from a local haunter, telling them the elusive haunt will, in fact, be in their area this year. After contacting The Death House, Nick receives an invitation to visit the immersive experience.
Nick and Jerry, along with three friends plan to accept the invitation to the mysterious place. Things take a twisted turn for the worse when the group are hooded, drugged, and taken away in a van.
Nick and Doug awaken to find themselves bound to chairs in an old farmhouse with their friends nowhere to be seen. They suddenly find themselves in a violent fight for their lives as they navigate the area around them, searching for Jerry and the girls and the answers to their questions.
What is The Death House and who will survive?

Genres: Horror

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2022

About the author

Joshua MacMillan is a lifelong horror fan. He was born and raised in Texas, but he currently resides with his wife Audree in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Joshua has short stories published in multiple anthologies, but his main focus is novella and novel writing.
He is a proud and fervent supporter and fanatic of anything and everything within the realm of the horror genre and finds comfort and solace within the disturbing and the macabre!
His debut novel, The Best of Intentions, was published in the summer of 2021 through D&T Publishing and is available in eBook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook via Amazon!
His grindhouse-style novella, The Death House, was his first trek into self-publishing and is available via Amazon in eBook, paperback, and audiobook formats.
His latest release was written in collaboration with author Megan Stockton (...and Nobody Knows It But Me, Bluejay, Ethic), and is now available on Amazon in eBook and paperback formats.
He has written for the award-winning horror website Dread Central and has written for Stitched Smile Publication's House of Stitched Magazine.
He generally keeps paperback copies on hand for anyone interested in acquiring a signed copy! Feel free to send him a message if you’re looking for one! You can also visit his online store to purchase signed books as well!
When he is not writing or at one of his day jobs, he can be found at home relaxing, or at the local movie theater taking in as much horror as humanly possible.

Reviews

[Mort · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review available at The Mort Report:
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/bla...

This is the second thing I’ve read by this author and I can tell you one thing with certainty:
This guy writes clean.

What do I mean by that?
Well, shit, I have been trying to come up with a way to describe what I am saying, and the best I could come up with is…

Imagine an author standing in front of a curtain, describing what is behind it. Some would say:
It is a clown.
Everybody in the audience will immediately get a picture in their heads of a clown, but not necessarily the same one. Some might think of IT, some might think of TERRIFIER, some may think of a politician.

Others would tell you:
It is a clown. His hair is this color, his clothes are this color, his shoes are big, his nose is red and he has a smiley face painted on.
Most people will have an idea of what the clown looks like, but the picture in their heads will still come down to personal experiences.

A clean writer, like MacMillan, will say:
It is Ronald MacDonald.
Everybody will know what he is trying to show them, without being over descriptive.

I get the feeling that Joshua has the ability to show the reader a picture of what he has in his head. This is a talent and, if I had it, I probably would not have needed the long description you’ve just read.

In this story, THE DEATH HOUSE, we are dealing with a forbidden, top secret haunted house attraction that is, quite obviously, much more dangerous and sinister than the people who enters it might expect.
And I am not going to say much more than that – read the blurb and then read the story.

However, I just have to go on the record and say that I had this sort of epiphany when I read this book. Something like this will never happen to me.
Why?
Because I am way too paranoid to fall for something like this. If someone invites me anywhere, I immediately become suspicious.
Why would they do something like that? I’m not interesting enough to want around. Oh, and it’s a secret, you say? A once in a lifetime opportunity to experience what only a lucky few have gone through before…
Right.
So, how many people do you think were hung from a tree with a gimp mask while slowly being eaten by a crocodile and a birthday candle shoved up their ass?
Not many. Damn right! They also had a once in a lifetime opportunity, sir.
You see, what you fail to realize is that the moment I set my feet out my front door, I live my life like I am about to become a victim in a horror story. Expect the unexpected, don’t trust anyone and never, ever relax…

But, enough about me. This book is more brutal than I expected from this author, though not to the extent that it should shock the hardcore horror readers.

Very solid 4.5 STARS!

[Gage Greenwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to read this book before release, and let me tell you, it’s amazing. From page one, the tension is palpable and it only increases with each page turn. The characters are multi-dimensional, and his villains have the ability to be as iconic as some of horror’s greats. Joshua knows how to write evil, and he ties it together with a thickening atmosphere of dread. Horror fans are going to devour this book. I expect this to make many lists of the best books in 2022.

[Jason Nickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

MacMillan delivers a brutal, blood filled Halloween story that delivers the violence while also being very story and character driven. I really enjoy when stories like this have substance to go with the carnage.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing too ground-breaking here, but there is a lot of good old-fashioned body horror and gore. Once the action gets rolling, it never stops until the very satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended, I'll be keeping an eye out for more by the author.
Note: I was gifted a Kindle edition by the author.

[Raven T. Nudd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first by MacMillan. It will not be my last!!! This book seriously keeps you on the edge of your seat the ENTIRE time.
Easy 5 stars for combining suspense with gore so perfectly. If you're into "who can survive?" Type book this is most definitely the one for you!!!

[Milt Theo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went to this a bit hyped, perhaps too hyped; it turned out to be mere torture porn. I love extreme horror, so I finished it but did not really enjoy it. There's nothing original, plus the ending comes up as soon as the author has run out of kills. The lack of atmosphere also bothered me a little: it felt like the characters were just going through the motions. MacMillan is a very promising author, though, so I won't give up reading everything he comes up with.

[stwdscrwdntat2d · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an introduction to Joshua MacMillan's work. I love a good slasher horror story. This had it all.

A group of friends seek out the ultimate haunt. What they get exceeds their wildest nightmares.

[cathey dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely horror

Read like a true horror story. Suspense, torture and horror ran throughout. I enjoyed picturing each outcome. The ending was great.

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Survive

Five friends are picked to visit The Death house. The ultimate haunted house experience. This is not the haunted house they envisioned.

[Jo-Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one

I really liked Josh’s first book and was excited when this one came out. They are completely different but both are good reads! I recommend you check them out.

[Indieterror13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy. . . I started this last night and just finished it up. This is my first Joshua MacMillan and I am blown away. The story line is a fantastic slasher and the ending is perfect.

Nick and his brother, Jerry, have been searching in earnest for The Death House, a reputedly extreme and realistic haunted house experience. They finally find what they're looking for - but it is what they really expected? The name of the game is in the title, and it's a fight for their lives to escape.

[Samantha Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Death House" by Joshua MacMillan. I was sent my copy in exchange for a honest review.

Brothers Jerry and Nick have been actively searching for the exclusive haunt called The Death House for quite some time. It's a haunt so terrifying and extreme that NO ONE has ever made it out and to participate is strictly invitation only. Partnering up with their girlfriends and friend Doug, they're about to experience the haunt of their lives.

This story was balls to the wall insane! It gave off serious McHamey House and Saw vibes. The scenes are incredibly descriptive, some scenes you wish you hadn't been able to envision at all. The tension while reading was so palpable that I stayed glued to the edge of my seat. It's very very different from MacMillans debute novel so keep in mind if you're easily triggered this story may not be for you. For me though, this was the perfect slasher story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Megan Stockton · Rating 5 out of 5]

MacMillan brings a hard-hitting and brutal bloodbath to his readers with THE DEATH HOUSE. He shows us that you don’t have to sacrifice your story in order to delve into the more extreme aspects of torture and horror. THE DEATH HOUSE is a game changing addition to the genre: raising the bar for future authors.

[Stephen Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just want to enjoy some good old fashion torture porn :)

[Stephanie Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, what a ride! I loved everything about this book. I read it in 2 days. Some kids think they are going to an ultimate haunt immersive experience, or is it? Will they survive, who will survive? What a fun read with some wonderful gore thrown in!

[Jennifer Bauter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read almost the whole book in one sitting. I really enjoyed this one, reminded me of Hostel. But the Director got away…😲🚙

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good👍If you haven't read it yet I suggest that you do 😉

It's about a group of friends who get invited to an extreme haunt. The Death House. Will they survive? 🎃🏚

[Jeffm518 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book but ending and who would survive was predictable. If you have read survival horror before you have read this book. Fun but nothing special. 4 out of 5

[Crystal Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking loved this! Super bloody, fast paced, nightmarish fun! What is in store when you finally find the elusive haunt you have been looking for?

[Books For Decaying Millennials · Rating 5 out of 5]

Notes from a Decaying Millennial:

I love supporting local/regional Authors and artists. Especially those who lurk in the horror spheres. I picked up a signed copy of this book from a boutique in downtown Eau Claire. It was an opportunity to sample a local writer I had never heard of. When those opportunities arise, I dive right in.
This is NOT a paid review.
-

A common piece of advice still heard today is "Trust your Gut". Conversely, people are often told now, to take a moment, consider if it's just anxiety, to check in with those around, to read the room. Because sometimes it's a false alarm. Sometimes everything this okay.
In The Death House author Joshua MacMillan provides the reader with a blunt reminder that Trusting your gut is the safest option, and if something feels odd or suspicious, it probably is. But if the characters in The Death House <\i> had listened to the warning bells, to the inner voices telling them to beware, then we wouldn't have a story. We the reader see the Red Flags, but all we can do is read on. Once author MacMillan has thrown us into the back of a van and tossed our terrified bodies onto the driveway leading to The Death House (it's an EVENT) then it's all over. It's clear that the author has a deep love of horror cinema. The veins of the story pump with blood from some of the great Millennial Nasties, and harken back to some of the gorier grindhouse films of the late 20th century. Fans of Hostile, Ed Piskor RED ROOM and Y.M. Miller s You're Going to Die Here will enjoy this book. The narrative moves at a fast pace, and the pages will make Splatter Punk and Extreme Horror fans smile.

Having just finished reading the book I am left wondering if there will be a sequel. Will THE EVENT continue?

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5
*I'm not going to give you the 'what this book is about' blurb - you can read that elsewhere.

1. Haunted houses are one of my favorite plots/tropes/settings whatever you call it, I'm there. So, when I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, I pounced on it, especially since it was so close to Halloween and I'm so glad I did! This is a haunted house story, but with a sinister twist. 😈
2. These characters are so real; MacMillian writes them in a way where you instantly feel like you know them. I'm pretty sure everyone will have someone in their real lives that they can relate each personality type to, and that's going to suck for you as the book goes on...Okay, not really, but feeling like you know the characters 100% makes this book what it is and adds to the horror.
3. There are a few common, and therefore comfortable, Haunted House tropes sprinkled throughout that (like the characters) provide a sense of familiarity. It draws forth those memories of past experiences which immerses you into the plot and next thing you know you're right there beside the main characters - can't put the book down because OH MY GOD HOW DO YOU GET OUT?!?!?
4. Lesson taken from this book (and Zombieland) - always ALWAYS double tap.

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raise your hand if you want to participate in an extreme haunt. Me! Me! Me! I have only ever gotten that experience once. But never this experience. If so, I probably wouldn't be here to write this review. Anyhoo, this book is a great idea. It started so strong! It's a good read overall, but a few things got on my nerves. Like the man proclaiming that they should have read the paperwork they signed. There is not a legal paper in the USA that would agree to your murder. Lots of action. Lots of fun. Lots of gore (not the level I'm used to to). Still, a fun read. I was looking forward to some haunt fun, but that's okay. Still a good book

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Somehow overwritten and underdeveloped, this mashup of Hostel and the real life McKamey House features one-dimensional characters (even one of the male leads mixes up the two girlfriends) and overly-long sexual assault scenes (the woman’s internal monologue about what is happening to her is one of the most insensitive narratives I’ve ever read) but is somehow missing the schlock grindhouse factor I think it is going for.

This is my first 1-star review in 12 years of being on GoodReads, but I guess it was bound to happen.

[Tara – The BookSirens Weekend Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the book is nearly 200 pages, it took me less than two hours to finish it - it’s a big deal for me :) The plot is pretty straightforward, but horror fans, especially those who like gore, will definitely be satisfied. I was very impressed with how Joshua builds upon his characters within the limited pages and concludes the story perfectly.

[Marie-France · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this story sounded very interesting but unfortunately this did not hit the spot for me. A major inconsistency took me out of the story. Plus the motive of the bad guys seemed very flimsy and my brain just wasn't accepting it. Some good scenes and it was a very quick read but alas, ultimately left me more annoyed than delighted.

[Brandy Brusseau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, gory read from beginning to end. Loved the story and felt it wrapped up perfectly at the end.