No Escape by M A Bennett

✦ BLURB ✦

Estranged twins Mabel and Kai each receive an unexpected invitation to stay for a week at their grandfather's Parisian chateau. Neither remember meeting their grandfather, and neither had any idea that he was still alive.

The author of a notoriously difficult puzzle book, their grandfather is bed bound and dying. His last wish? For Mabel and Kai to solve it. The prize: unimaginable riches. The catch? They are trapped in the house until one of them wins ... or dies trying.

Their only other hope for escape is a mysterious student who has been working for their grandfather and seems to have eyes for both twins. But the walls are closing in and the contest takes darker and darker turns towards the supernatural. In this deadly game, there can only be one winner.

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Pre-Reading Thoughts
Bennett is a master of teen thrillers, and the locked-room mystery setup immediately drew me in. Closed-circle games, supernatural hints, and deadly riddles promised an intense read.

Post-Reading

• As I thought… The suspense and puzzle-solving were tight and engaging. The gothic Parisian chateau created a tense, atmospheric setting.

• It surprised me by… The treatment of the allergy scene. Kai has a severe nut allergy, uses an epipen, and seems fine afterward. While this keeps the story moving, it perpetuates the myth that an epipen is a total cure—a dangerous misconception. Not enough to ruin the story, but worth flagging.

Music Pairing

• 🎵 Featured Song: “Bury a Friend” by Billie Eilish

• 🎶 Vibe Album: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish

• 🎧 Artist Recommendation: Melanie Martinez, for playful-yet-dark suspense

Vibe Check

• 🎨 Colour Palette: Slate grey, blood red, shadow black

• 🎼 Soundtrack: Footsteps echoing on marble floors, whispering voices

• 🍂 Season: Autumn, rain against the windows

• 😶 Mood: Anxiety, cleverness, lurking danger

• 🌹 Scent: Old paper, candle wax, faint perfume

Tarot Pull
🗡️ 8 of Swords, Nightfall Tarot — Shadows close in and mental traps abound. The twins are confined, forced to navigate danger and puzzles with no clear exit, every choice a test of wit and courage.

For Fans Of

• The Stags series by M.A. Bennett

• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

No Escape publishes on the 25th of September, 2025. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.