THIRTEEN STOREYS Paperback – 14 October 2021

I had very high expectations for this book, and it has managed to surpass every single one of them! Being a long time horror fan it's difficult to find something refreshing as you can fall into common tropes very often. But this book was a breath of fresh air. Each chapter walks us through the life of a single resident and they seem like stand alone events, but eventually the threads connect to reveal a horrific mystery. The vivid descriptions help you clearly visualise the scenes in your head and I felt myself getting spooked quite often. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't put the book down until the epilogue! I've already read it twice through and plan to revisit it soon. This was an absolutely smashing debut by Mr Sims and I can't wait to see what his next book (currently being edited!!) is going to be about and get my hands on it as soon as possible!The book was well packed and quickly delivered by Amazon.

Jonathan Sims' modern horror makes you want to look over your shoulders in an empty room. It's the horror story we didn't know we needed. The Magnus Archives podcast is a reccomended hearing after this.

This book is a great deal of fun superficially, and you can have a good spooky story if you don't want to think too deeply. But if you DO read the book from a more thoughtful, analytic perspective, WOW. It does not disappoint.There are so many layers to the story that go beyond just what is happening. We delve deep into the psychology of every character, and witness how that shapes and is shaped by overarching themes of the story.And the characters are all so distinct, human, and very fleshed out. It's amazing that Jonny Sims managed to give us such well-developed characters with just one chapter for each of them. There is never any heavy exposition detracting from the plot, either. We learn the characters through their thoughts, actions, and fears.I particularly loved that all the characters are just a little bit terrible (some more than others, of course). They aren't heroes. They're just the ones who are there, just people. The final character introduced is absolutely the most terrifying and inhuman, but he definitely has swagger, not gonna lie.Overall, a lovely read, as expected of anything coming from the mind of Jonny Sims.

Took awhile to arrive but it was worth it! Was second hand but came in excellent condition.

Jonny Sims is an amazing horror writer and in this book he's given exactly what makes The Magnus Archives so compelling: different characters with very distinctive voices in each story. A great reading, can't wait to read more from him.

I don't usually go in for horror, but then I got tricked into listening to The Magnus Archives podcast (also written by Sims), and here we are.Thoroughly enjoyed that and wanted more in his style of writing, so I bought Thirteen Storeys.Without spoilers, this is a really unique take on the "haunted house" trope, built up with a series of interconnected yet stand-alone stories from residents in the building.What I really enjoyed was that each tale highlights a different facet of horror – it's not all guts and gore, nor is it all creepy and subtle. A really awesome mix that shows off Sims' ability to write across the horror spectrum.I enjoyed it so much, I bought his second work, "Family Business".

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for some properly spooky and creeping paranormal horror. This flavor of horror doesn't need a big scary monster chasing you down. Instead it uses the sometimes sublte, sometimes manic awareness, that something under these floorboards and in between the walls is very wrong and twisted.Nothing feels better than all the little hints, pieces and connectors hidden along the pages finally fitting into place.This book will very likely stay with me for a very long time.