Twelve strangers wake up in a strange house with no memory of how they got there, and barely any recollection of who they are. They quickly learn that there is no way out, scarcely enough food and water to go around, and eerie music plays constantly in the background of every room. There is nothing to explain their mysterious incarceration except for a few scattered clues, a strange clock with … twenty-four numbers and one single hour hand, and a leather-bound sheet of rules that makes their situation all the more fatal.
The House Rules:
Rule one: No escape. You can’t leave, plain and simple. Try to escape and you won’t like what you find on the other side.
Rule two: Make what you have last. Whatever food and water you currently find in the house is all that you will be provided with during your stay. No more will be given to you under any circumstance.
Rule three: When the music stops, someone must die. The music you can all hear in the background will cease between the hour of twenty-three and twenty-four; when this happens someone must die. Failure to comply with this rule will result in everyone’s death.
Rule four: Only one, and only when the music stops! One death, and only one death, must occur in the allotted time between the hour of twenty-three and twenty-four. Again, failure to comply with this rule will result in everyone’s death.
We hope you have a pleasant stay, and don’t forget: Redemption is the key to escape.
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Gripping, Chilling and Suspenseful
Not many books make me want to read them in one go. This is one of the select books that did. Excellent! I was up till 5 AM in the morning to complete it. An excellent read and 100% recommended for anyone who likes psychological thrillers.
The House of Twelve is a mysterious and terrifying place. You start to see true human nature and logical fallacies all in one as the twelve people navigate their limited time in the house. The author has captured and articulated all of this in a profound manner.
What I liked most about this story is the premise and construction. The author has succeeded in crafting an amazing experience for the reader. I could write much more buy since this is a suspenseful psychological thriller, I do not want to divulge anything that could be a spoiler. I loved the book and hope I get to read more of these interesting stories from the author.
I received a free copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only but that did not affect my review.
Twelve strangers waking up in a house with no memories and having to find a way to escape isn’t the most unique idea out there but it usually never fails to keep your interest. The House of Twelve could have been much better and suspenseful.
There wasn’t really any emotion. Everyday one person had to die or else they would all die. I would think that in a situation like this when you can’t escape, people are murdered and you can easily be the next to die you would kind of… I don’t know, panic maybe? Well none of the characters ever acted like their life was in danger. It almost felt that they didn’t care at all. There is literally a character that thinks that the whole thing is a joke and she just goes around making fun even after people are starting to get murdered. I was never on my edge of my seat or felt any suspense during the story when the characters themselves didn’t show true fear. Even when weird supernatural staff happened they would just pass it like no big deal.
None of the characters had any brains. At all. They had the clue of how to get out right in front of them and they just ignore it, insisting on trying the same again and again with no result. There wasn’t much depth into the characters, which made me not caring even more about them.
Fortunately the book is pretty short and fast paced, so it wasn’t a struggle to finish it. To be honest I kind of wanted to find out how it would end. But overall the lack of development and depth on both the characters and story doesn’t really make it a worth reading book.
The House of Twelve by Sean Davies will deceive the reader many times. The idea seems familiar. Twelve people wake up in a house but can’t remember how they got there. They don’t know each other and can’t figure out a connection that will tie them together. It is almost as if they had been drugged, kidnapped, and imprisoned in one house. That they were imprisoned is obvious from many indicators. Doors are steel, reinforced, and locked. Where there should be windows, the glass has been replaced by thick constructions of brick. And on a coffee table in the living room, there is a document with House Rules. The first one says they will never be allowed to escape, the second rations the food and water, and the third relates to their imminent deaths. There is constant background music; think elevator music. Each evening at 2300 the music will stop, and one person must die. The victim can die by suicide or be killed by others. If no selection or volunteer happens before 2400, gas will kill all of them.
But there is a chance for escape, and it is contained in one sentence. “Redemption is the key to escape.” (Kindle Locations 147-148). This sentence will appear in many chapters of the book. Chapters are labeled Day 1, Day 2, and so on up to Day Twelve. There are twelve people trapped in the house. By Chapter Two, if not before, it should be apparent to the reader that all inhabitants have a fatal flaw. They have done something in their past lives and the only escape from the house will be to admit their wrongdoings and receive redemption. To aid them in this, some entity, perhaps the house and perhaps their own locked memories, fuel their dreams each night. The victims can revisit elements of transgressions that sentenced them to the house. But only if there is some admission of guilt will an entire crime or bad action be revealed. And even after that, the resident must accept that past actions were wrongful.
While the twelve are going through their dreams there is the pesky requirement that one person must die each day. Some residents will deal with this by drinking the helpfully provided alcohol. Some will seek solitude in one of the various rooms available in the house. Some will hook up for sex. And some will actively seek a means of escape. All will puzzle over how they can get redemption.
Obviously, the story is character driven. In the beginning, the reader will have to face twelve characters, each with at least a limited backstory and this can be annoying. But just like there is an ever-increasing supply of food and drink in the house as the population dwindles, the reader’s headache over remembering character will subside as the number of residents becomes fewer.
There are several clues as to how the novel will end about midway through the novel. But none is as important as the one given in the House Rules and presented in Day One. Mystery fans should appreciate the fun in interpreting the phrase correctly before the resident prisoners if even the prisoners are able to do so. This is a four plus Amazon star rating. I was alerted to the novel by Voracious Readers Only and could have gotten a free copy for review from the author. I thought it was good enough to buy from Amazon at USD 0.99. I will read more from this author.