Strange events, ghostly goings on, a snapshot of disparate and diverse lives as each separate character is lead inexorably towards one night in a penthouse suite that ends in visceral violence. It is scarily beautifully crafted, the author subtly linking each tale, carefully leading you to a brutal and edgy finale. I loved every minute of this despite the distinct feeling of underlying doom each separate strand offers. Jonathan Sims’ debut is a darkly twisted, genre-bending journey through one of the most innovative haunted houses you’ll ever dare to enter. My Thoughts It took me a little while to get into, I think partly cause I didn't particularly love any of the first few characters, but what kept me reading was the atmosphere. If you take one thing away from this review, let it be that My God, Jonathan Sims knows how to write a creepy atmosphere. I had literal chills. As I read further I started liking more of the characters (namely Cari - 7, and Damian - 12), but mid-way through the book I was completely invested - regardless of which character was being followed. This is an astonishing debut from Jonathan Sims. A wonderful new twist on an age-old genre. 5 out of 5.

I really liked how interconnected Banyan Court and the lives inside it feel, and Sims deserves great credit for balancing all these different perspectives together nicely. There are some really original ideas at play across the book, and that is always more interesting than stories that play things to a tried-and-tested formula. Creepy Ballet: The conclusion of Caroline Fairley's story (" A Foot in the Door"). After discovering the hidden ballroom that is the heart of Banyan Court, Caroline begins a manic dance as the walls of the jewel-encrusted room start to weep blood. The reason I find this work to be a modern gothic masterpiece is for the literary purposes through which other gothic/horror writers have exercised the fears prevalent in society at the time of their conceptions (e.g., Frankenstein and the fear of modern science replacing God, Dracula and its overt sexuality and xenophobic tendencies).Thirteen Storeys is the debut release by Award-winning The Magnus Archives podcaster, Jonathan Sims. Part horror, part thriller and part paranormal, this is a deliciously dark twisted tale where you will enter a haunted house quite like no other. The stories are about twelve people that live or work in a London high-rise building that’s created by Tobias Fell, and the last story involves the actual owner of the building. Thirteen Storeys is an excellent horror [...] everyone will find something creepy in Banyan Court.' - Grimdark Magazine

The performances by the narrators were amazing. Loved all of them. Although towards the very end there's some overlap with the voices that can be distracting. Still great work from all of them. It takes a lot to make me feel creeped out, but I have to give Sims credit here because a few of the stories actually managed to have me on edge. I think this lies in the way Sims’ writing is visually cinematic, and also unsettling because he writes about events which could very well be mental breakdowns rather than anything paranormal. Psychological paranoia and real-life terror is far more frightening to me than the idea of ghosts or demons, and as we are never sure which it is or what is real, I was left feeling apprehensive. By the end of the night, their host is dead, and none of the guests will say what happened. His death has remained one of the biggest unsolved mysteries - until now. This book literally has it all: simply faultless. A majestic tour de force of the imagination' NetGalley reviewer

The Treehouse book series in order

Writers like Denton and Griffiths recognise the child’s need for nature. So does Tina Matthews, in whose Waiting for Later a tree provides company for a child whose family is too busy to spend time with her. And so does mythology which regularly takes characters into nature, to confront, to challenge or to come to terms with life. Likewise the inclusion of diversity in gender, sexuality, and ethnicity is both essential to the story (spoilers!) and also treated with expert nonchalance, as it should be. These people exist and do the protagonist things and no fuss about it. Also although the trans character's childhood is briefly explored she is never deadnamed – an informed and thoughtful touch there. Even though there were guests at the party, people who should have been eye-witnesses to the murder, no-one saw anything, no-one admits to knowing what happened and there is no knowledge about Fell’s brutal demise. Half a decade later, the guests have never spoken about the dinner party and Fell’s murder has gained a level of infamy as one of the most famous unsolved murder mysteries in the world.