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An Evil Premise
From T. Marie Vandelly, author of the acclaimed horror novel Theme Music, An Evil Premise is a mind-bending, thrilling metanovel about possession, insanity, and the lengths a writer will go to find inspiration.
When a bizarre accident leaves her sister, bestselling author Deidre Baldwin, in a coma and suffering from a grotesque skin malady, Jewel rushes to her bedside. Though the sisters are not close, she is determined to do what she can for Deidre. Staying at her sister’s apartment, Jewel stumbles upon an unfinished manuscript, the one that Deidre was rushing to complete for her publisher. When Deidre’s literary agent calls in a panic, Jewel—a self-published writer herself, desperate for a break—suggests she can finish it by the deadline.
But the story is unsettling. It begins with a writer looking for inspiration, who finds an unclaimed manuscript. But said manuscript is just a series of protagonists who feel compelled to act out their heinous contributions to the grisly plot.
Jewel is determined not to be scared off, but the novel hits a little close to home. She tries to tell herself she’s being paranoid, but swears she can hear someone typing when she’s not at the desk, and somehow the word count of the novel keeps going up. Her skin begins to itch.
Terrified of losing her sanity, but equally terrified of losing her one shot at success, Jewel tries to find a story somewhere in the carnage, even as her rash becomes worse and she starts to have not-so-neighborly thoughts about her neighbors. Is this what happened to Deidre? Did the manuscript drive her mad? Infect her somehow? Jewel finds herself hoping her sister never wakes up. And fearing what will happen if Deidre does …
When a bizarre accident leaves her sister, bestselling author Deidre Baldwin, in a coma and suffering from a grotesque skin malady, Jewel rushes to her bedside. Though the sisters are not close, she is determined to do what she can for Deidre. Staying at her sister’s apartment, Jewel stumbles upon an unfinished manuscript, the one that Deidre was rushing to complete for her publisher. When Deidre’s literary agent calls in a panic, Jewel—a self-published writer herself, desperate for a break—suggests she can finish it by the deadline.
But the story is unsettling. It begins with a writer looking for inspiration, who finds an unclaimed manuscript. But said manuscript is just a series of protagonists who feel compelled to act out their heinous contributions to the grisly plot.
Jewel is determined not to be scared off, but the novel hits a little close to home. She tries to tell herself she’s being paranoid, but swears she can hear someone typing when she’s not at the desk, and somehow the word count of the novel keeps going up. Her skin begins to itch.
Terrified of losing her sanity, but equally terrified of losing her one shot at success, Jewel tries to find a story somewhere in the carnage, even as her rash becomes worse and she starts to have not-so-neighborly thoughts about her neighbors. Is this what happened to Deidre? Did the manuscript drive her mad? Infect her somehow? Jewel finds herself hoping her sister never wakes up. And fearing what will happen if Deidre does …
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2025
212 people are currently reading
12473 people want to read
About the author
T. Marie Vandelly
2 books500 followersT. Marie Vandelly is a fulltime writer and the bestselling author of THEME MUSIC. She lives on Gwynn’s Island off the Chesapeake Bay with her husband. AN EVIL PREMISE is her second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 410 reviews
September 21, 2025
This is one of those books you wanna reread immediately after finishing because WTF JUST HAPPENED
January 16, 2026
**4.5-stars**
Upon hearing that her sister, Deidre, has been egregiously-injured in a bizarre accident, Jewel drops everything and rushes to be by her side in the hospital.
All she knows is that Deidre was involved in a hit-and-run and remains in a coma. That's horrible, and of course upsetting, but even more shocking to Jewel is the terrible skin malady that seems to be plaguing Deidre as well.
Her sister looks nothing like herself. How long has she been dealing with this strange condition, and what exactly is it? Jewel has so many questions.
She decides to stay at Deidre's apartment, so she'll be closer to the hospital while Deidre hopefully recovers. It's at the apartment, as she tries to settle in, that Jewel comes across her sister's current unfinished writing project.
While both are published authors, Deidre is very successful, while Jewel's work has never garnered much attention.
After a conversation with Deidre's literary agent, who called to inquire about the unfinished story, Jewel agrees to help meet a very serious deadline. It's the least she can do to help her sister during her hour of need.
Also, more selfishly, maybe Deidre's agent will be impressed with her work and it could help boost Jewel's career as well. Silver linings.
As she starts reading Deidre's manuscript though, she discovers something very unsettling. It seems to be mimicking her current circumstances, but how?
Not only that, she thinks it is possibly getting longer every night; that she can hear someone else typing while she's in the other room. Jewel tells herself she's just being paranoid. That would be impossible. Wouldn't it?
Determined to see it through, to finish the manuscript, help her sister and possibly jump-start her floundering career, Jewel pushes on. No matter what happens, she will honor her commitment. Then her skin begins to itch.
Y'all, this was brutal and very, very good. I was all over the place with it, trying to figure out WTH was going on.
I was so entertained by being in Jewel's mind and watching her interact with everyone around her. Staying at Deidre's, she has many interactions with the other tenants in Deidre's building, as well as quite a few interesting encounters at the hospital as well.
It's clear Jewel might not be the most reliable narrator, which I love, but what was going on with everyone else? Was there anything going on, or was Jewel just pitching them to me in a way that would make me think that?
I love reading stories that revolve around authors, and this one certainly had that nailed with not one, but two authors. It incorporates sections of the book Jewel is working on, and those book-within-a-book elements were incredibly well-executed. NGL, it was impressive.
I thought it was losing me at the end, a little bit, I felt like I was going to be disappointed with the conclusion, but Vandelly brought it around with a jaw-dropping, evil grin inducing conclusion.
I would absolutely recommend this to Horror Readers, particularly if you enjoy a book-within-a-book story. I felt like Vandelly created some chilling horror imagery, with many scenes genuinely getting under my skin. Also, speaking of skin, excellent body horror.
Thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Everyone should be adding this to their Summer Scares TBR!!!
Upon hearing that her sister, Deidre, has been egregiously-injured in a bizarre accident, Jewel drops everything and rushes to be by her side in the hospital.
All she knows is that Deidre was involved in a hit-and-run and remains in a coma. That's horrible, and of course upsetting, but even more shocking to Jewel is the terrible skin malady that seems to be plaguing Deidre as well.
Her sister looks nothing like herself. How long has she been dealing with this strange condition, and what exactly is it? Jewel has so many questions.
She decides to stay at Deidre's apartment, so she'll be closer to the hospital while Deidre hopefully recovers. It's at the apartment, as she tries to settle in, that Jewel comes across her sister's current unfinished writing project.
While both are published authors, Deidre is very successful, while Jewel's work has never garnered much attention.
After a conversation with Deidre's literary agent, who called to inquire about the unfinished story, Jewel agrees to help meet a very serious deadline. It's the least she can do to help her sister during her hour of need.
Also, more selfishly, maybe Deidre's agent will be impressed with her work and it could help boost Jewel's career as well. Silver linings.
As she starts reading Deidre's manuscript though, she discovers something very unsettling. It seems to be mimicking her current circumstances, but how?
Not only that, she thinks it is possibly getting longer every night; that she can hear someone else typing while she's in the other room. Jewel tells herself she's just being paranoid. That would be impossible. Wouldn't it?
Determined to see it through, to finish the manuscript, help her sister and possibly jump-start her floundering career, Jewel pushes on. No matter what happens, she will honor her commitment. Then her skin begins to itch.
Y'all, this was brutal and very, very good. I was all over the place with it, trying to figure out WTH was going on.
I was so entertained by being in Jewel's mind and watching her interact with everyone around her. Staying at Deidre's, she has many interactions with the other tenants in Deidre's building, as well as quite a few interesting encounters at the hospital as well.
It's clear Jewel might not be the most reliable narrator, which I love, but what was going on with everyone else? Was there anything going on, or was Jewel just pitching them to me in a way that would make me think that?
I love reading stories that revolve around authors, and this one certainly had that nailed with not one, but two authors. It incorporates sections of the book Jewel is working on, and those book-within-a-book elements were incredibly well-executed. NGL, it was impressive.
I thought it was losing me at the end, a little bit, I felt like I was going to be disappointed with the conclusion, but Vandelly brought it around with a jaw-dropping, evil grin inducing conclusion.
I would absolutely recommend this to Horror Readers, particularly if you enjoy a book-within-a-book story. I felt like Vandelly created some chilling horror imagery, with many scenes genuinely getting under my skin. Also, speaking of skin, excellent body horror.
Thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Everyone should be adding this to their Summer Scares TBR!!!
October 24, 2025
THIS IS FCKING CRAZY I LOVED IT!!
February 19, 2025
Screaming, crying, throwing up. First of all, because I received this ARC. Second of all, because this author KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK AGAIN. If you didn’t read Theme Music (you’re wrong but okay) you’ve missed this author and that’s a shame.
Now into the book itself. I could not put it down. The characters are great, the story is insane, and you almost feel a part of the tension. Parts of a manuscript have been added to the story and they are PERFECT inclusions that make the novel even more amazing. This is already going on my top horror of 2025. I even liked it more than Theme Music.
Lastly I’ll just say that I think everyone should read this okay? As soon as it’s published (August 2025). I’ll see you in line for it; because I can’t wait to have this one in my hands.
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC (seriously, bottom of my heart)
Now into the book itself. I could not put it down. The characters are great, the story is insane, and you almost feel a part of the tension. Parts of a manuscript have been added to the story and they are PERFECT inclusions that make the novel even more amazing. This is already going on my top horror of 2025. I even liked it more than Theme Music.
Lastly I’ll just say that I think everyone should read this okay? As soon as it’s published (August 2025). I’ll see you in line for it; because I can’t wait to have this one in my hands.
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC (seriously, bottom of my heart)
July 15, 2025
✏️ AN EVIL PREMISE ✏️
I loved T. Marie Vandelly’s debut horror novel, Theme Music, so when I heard she’s coming out with another horror novel, I just knew that I needed to dive in immediately! Thank you @blackstonepublishing for my gifted copy.
When famous author Deidre Baldwin is placed in a hospital with a coma after a confusing and outright insane accident, her sister Jewels comes to her rescue. Deidre is completely disfigured and has a rash all over her body, but is unable to speak. Jewels decides to stay nearby to watch her progress and chooses to stay at Deidre’s apartment while he recovers. While at her sister’s home, Jewels discovers that Deidre was working on another novel this time—a horror novel—and her agent is desperate for her to finish. When given the chance to help her sister and have a chance at her own opportunity after repeatedly having flop novels, Jewels decides that she’s going to try and finish it. That is, until she starts noticing that the manuscript is a lot more than just words on a page…
AN EVIL PREMISE is both haunting and bingeable. I steamrolled through this book in two sittings and if I didn’t have work, I’d probably be done in one (thank you MTA for delayed subways!). I wrapped up the novel wanting more, so I’m ready to see what this author has for readers next. I am so glad T. Marie Vandelly is back—if you missed Theme Music, now is the chance to read both her horror novels! STARS: 4, PUB: 8/12
I loved T. Marie Vandelly’s debut horror novel, Theme Music, so when I heard she’s coming out with another horror novel, I just knew that I needed to dive in immediately! Thank you @blackstonepublishing for my gifted copy.
When famous author Deidre Baldwin is placed in a hospital with a coma after a confusing and outright insane accident, her sister Jewels comes to her rescue. Deidre is completely disfigured and has a rash all over her body, but is unable to speak. Jewels decides to stay nearby to watch her progress and chooses to stay at Deidre’s apartment while he recovers. While at her sister’s home, Jewels discovers that Deidre was working on another novel this time—a horror novel—and her agent is desperate for her to finish. When given the chance to help her sister and have a chance at her own opportunity after repeatedly having flop novels, Jewels decides that she’s going to try and finish it. That is, until she starts noticing that the manuscript is a lot more than just words on a page…
AN EVIL PREMISE is both haunting and bingeable. I steamrolled through this book in two sittings and if I didn’t have work, I’d probably be done in one (thank you MTA for delayed subways!). I wrapped up the novel wanting more, so I’m ready to see what this author has for readers next. I am so glad T. Marie Vandelly is back—if you missed Theme Music, now is the chance to read both her horror novels! STARS: 4, PUB: 8/12
January 10, 2026
This book tried to make Fetch happen. Fetch did not happen.
January is a new record for my first one star book of the year. I made it to the end of October last year before I uno-dubbed my first book. I can't believe I actually finished the book, but the premise (what drew me to it in the first place) was too intriguing, so I had to know how it ended. Honestly, what I found was worse than mid-book-me could have imagined. This book was a hot convoluted mess. The longer it went on, the messier, and yet somehow more uninteresting it got.
The main problem with this book is that I just don't think this author can write very well. I laughed out loud when I saw that another reviewer had pointed out that "quite frankly i do not need to be a published author to know that you cannot hide your own awful prose by saying that your protagonist is a bad writer." And this really might be on me for not DNFing in the first chapter like I sort of wanted to, because there were bad-writing red flags all over the place. I actually don't like when people say "the writing was bad"* because that means 10,000 different things and is way too vague a criticism to mean anything at all.
*Saying the prose was bad is actually pretty specific. Prose is a part of writing, the actual stringing of words together to create meaning. But so is: characterization, plotting, pacing, dialogue, transitions, and knowing when you have put too much or too little on the page, along with thousands of other things. They all encompass "writing."
So, to elaborate:
*The prose was not good: Sentence fragments all over the place, figurative language that made absolutely zero sense, terrible dialogue, excessive dialogue, at times overly descriptive, others not enough. The actual writing made the story feel disjointed, and I don't think that was a stylistic choice.
*The book was way, way, way too long. There is an unbelievable amount of repetition in this book, perhaps to cover the lack of characterization or the lack of relationships between characters. Or maybe this just didn't have enough meat to cover the full sandwich, if you know what I mean.
*This is a meta book, but meta books need to have depth by necessity, otherwise what is the point of the meta. Here it just seems to be for show. Show me an endless series of mirrors and get me confused by all the reflections, and the reflections of reflections, and hope I don't notice the subject of those reflections doesn't exist.
*Relatedly, this author seems to be of the variety that believes making something more elaborate, to the point of confusion, is the same as being clever. Throwing twist after twist at the reader does not make your book have more depth. Confusing the reader so badly that they lose their bearings entirely is not good storytelling.
*THIS BOOK DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE.
*Also, this isn't a criticism I throw out lightly, but I'm pretty sure it has ableism at its core. This is spoilers, so beware and skip ahead if you don't want that. The reveal of is The Plot Twist, and that's as far as it goes. It's kind of gross. But more importantly, it's terrible storytelling.
*Nothing in this book was scary? Or tense? Or thrilling? Absolutely nothing at all. I could have fallen asleep at any point while reading and dreamed of bunnies and unicorns frolicking with kittens. There was no satisfying exploration of anything at all related to human darkness, just lots of cardboard cutouts saying weird things and an occasional puddle of blood.
*The book within a book was one of the worst things I've ever read.
In summation, this was a horrible reading experience, I am disappointed, angry, confused, mad about being confused, and I have a headache. The cover and the premise get an A, though. They did their jobs, I bought this book full price.
January is a new record for my first one star book of the year. I made it to the end of October last year before I uno-dubbed my first book. I can't believe I actually finished the book, but the premise (what drew me to it in the first place) was too intriguing, so I had to know how it ended. Honestly, what I found was worse than mid-book-me could have imagined. This book was a hot convoluted mess. The longer it went on, the messier, and yet somehow more uninteresting it got.
The main problem with this book is that I just don't think this author can write very well. I laughed out loud when I saw that another reviewer had pointed out that "quite frankly i do not need to be a published author to know that you cannot hide your own awful prose by saying that your protagonist is a bad writer." And this really might be on me for not DNFing in the first chapter like I sort of wanted to, because there were bad-writing red flags all over the place. I actually don't like when people say "the writing was bad"* because that means 10,000 different things and is way too vague a criticism to mean anything at all.
*Saying the prose was bad is actually pretty specific. Prose is a part of writing, the actual stringing of words together to create meaning. But so is: characterization, plotting, pacing, dialogue, transitions, and knowing when you have put too much or too little on the page, along with thousands of other things. They all encompass "writing."
So, to elaborate:
*The prose was not good: Sentence fragments all over the place, figurative language that made absolutely zero sense, terrible dialogue, excessive dialogue, at times overly descriptive, others not enough. The actual writing made the story feel disjointed, and I don't think that was a stylistic choice.
*The book was way, way, way too long. There is an unbelievable amount of repetition in this book, perhaps to cover the lack of characterization or the lack of relationships between characters. Or maybe this just didn't have enough meat to cover the full sandwich, if you know what I mean.
*This is a meta book, but meta books need to have depth by necessity, otherwise what is the point of the meta. Here it just seems to be for show. Show me an endless series of mirrors and get me confused by all the reflections, and the reflections of reflections, and hope I don't notice the subject of those reflections doesn't exist.
*Relatedly, this author seems to be of the variety that believes making something more elaborate, to the point of confusion, is the same as being clever. Throwing twist after twist at the reader does not make your book have more depth. Confusing the reader so badly that they lose their bearings entirely is not good storytelling.
*THIS BOOK DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE.
*Also, this isn't a criticism I throw out lightly, but I'm pretty sure it has ableism at its core. This is spoilers, so beware and skip ahead if you don't want that. The reveal of is The Plot Twist, and that's as far as it goes. It's kind of gross. But more importantly, it's terrible storytelling.
*Nothing in this book was scary? Or tense? Or thrilling? Absolutely nothing at all. I could have fallen asleep at any point while reading and dreamed of bunnies and unicorns frolicking with kittens. There was no satisfying exploration of anything at all related to human darkness, just lots of cardboard cutouts saying weird things and an occasional puddle of blood.
*The book within a book was one of the worst things I've ever read.
In summation, this was a horrible reading experience, I am disappointed, angry, confused, mad about being confused, and I have a headache. The cover and the premise get an A, though. They did their jobs, I bought this book full price.
November 3, 2025
Okay this one had a lot of fun twists!!! I love a good psychological, suspenseful book about books!
May 4, 2025
4.75 stars - thank you Blackstone publishing for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback
Publishes Aug 12
This was incredibly multilayered, riveting, and mind blowing. The way this book messed with my mind!!! Wow. If you’ve read Theme Music you know that Vandelly sure knows how to write a descent into madness and this was no different.
I didn’t at all know where this story would take me and it absolutely bended my mind into a pretzel and wouldn’t let up.
Dark, disturbing, grisly, twisty, messed up, and such a good time.
My only qualm with this book was the ending. It had a great stopping point that I loved and then just kept going and I don’t think the continuation did it any favors.
Video review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjArABuh/
Publishes Aug 12
This was incredibly multilayered, riveting, and mind blowing. The way this book messed with my mind!!! Wow. If you’ve read Theme Music you know that Vandelly sure knows how to write a descent into madness and this was no different.
I didn’t at all know where this story would take me and it absolutely bended my mind into a pretzel and wouldn’t let up.
Dark, disturbing, grisly, twisty, messed up, and such a good time.
My only qualm with this book was the ending. It had a great stopping point that I loved and then just kept going and I don’t think the continuation did it any favors.
Video review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjArABuh/
August 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing and ARC of Evil Premise by T. Marie Vandelly in exchange for honest feedback.
This was a crazy intense read! It took the first few chapters to get acclimated to the writing style and figure out what was going on, but the rest was a wild ride. This was giving Shutter Island meet Come Closer by Sara Gran and I loved every second of it.
Once I got my bearings, I felt like I had entered a psychological horror story that came alive and was profoundly unsettling. As I’ve said 100 times, I love a story where you can watch the MC spiral into insanity. It also had just the right amount of gore and eeriness to keep me awake at night. I love how the author was able to turn everyday items into horrific and disturbing images in my mind. This is horror done right.
A hauntingly unforgettable read.
This was a crazy intense read! It took the first few chapters to get acclimated to the writing style and figure out what was going on, but the rest was a wild ride. This was giving Shutter Island meet Come Closer by Sara Gran and I loved every second of it.
Once I got my bearings, I felt like I had entered a psychological horror story that came alive and was profoundly unsettling. As I’ve said 100 times, I love a story where you can watch the MC spiral into insanity. It also had just the right amount of gore and eeriness to keep me awake at night. I love how the author was able to turn everyday items into horrific and disturbing images in my mind. This is horror done right.
A hauntingly unforgettable read.
July 18, 2025
Im not screaming you are!
I was soooo excited to see a new release from the author of “Theme Music” which was in my humble opinion an excellent horror book especially for a debut and so I was obviously extremely happy to see the author had published another book, and another horror no less.
Have no fear it absolutely lives up to expectation and I think I actually liked this one even more than theme music!
The premise follows Deidre who is hospitalized after a strange incident which leaves her disfigured with a mysterious rash and an inability to communicate. Despite not having a close relationship her sister Jewel rushes to her bedside and decides to try and help Deidre anyway she can. After going to her home and finding an unfinished manuscript and having a conversation with Deidre’s publisher she promises to try and help finish Deidre’s book by the publishing deadline..except there’s something kinda weird about the manuscript (and not just weird in the writing content but actually weird about the manuscript itself weird 😂)
This book was so unsettling! It was fun to watch Jewel begin to question everything and slowly unravel whilst trying to figure out if this is what happened to Deidre. I definitely felt a sense of unease whilst reading, if these events happened to me I would definitely lose it 😆
Please read this is you love a good psychological horror 🫣🫣 The story writes itself, literally 😂
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and T Marie Vandelly for the gifted copy!
Publishes - August 12th 2025
I was soooo excited to see a new release from the author of “Theme Music” which was in my humble opinion an excellent horror book especially for a debut and so I was obviously extremely happy to see the author had published another book, and another horror no less.
Have no fear it absolutely lives up to expectation and I think I actually liked this one even more than theme music!
The premise follows Deidre who is hospitalized after a strange incident which leaves her disfigured with a mysterious rash and an inability to communicate. Despite not having a close relationship her sister Jewel rushes to her bedside and decides to try and help Deidre anyway she can. After going to her home and finding an unfinished manuscript and having a conversation with Deidre’s publisher she promises to try and help finish Deidre’s book by the publishing deadline..except there’s something kinda weird about the manuscript (and not just weird in the writing content but actually weird about the manuscript itself weird 😂)
This book was so unsettling! It was fun to watch Jewel begin to question everything and slowly unravel whilst trying to figure out if this is what happened to Deidre. I definitely felt a sense of unease whilst reading, if these events happened to me I would definitely lose it 😆
Please read this is you love a good psychological horror 🫣🫣 The story writes itself, literally 😂
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and T Marie Vandelly for the gifted copy!
Publishes - August 12th 2025
September 19, 2025
4.25 stars
Completely unhinged and darkly humorous, An Evil Premise is another solid effort from T. Marie Vandelly, who already impressed me with the underappreciated horror novel Theme Music (2019). If you enjoy stories about sibling rivalry, meta-commentary on writing and storytelling, and a high, gory kill count—this novel delivers on all fronts.
An Evil Premise reads like a fever dream in the best possible way, due in part to its writing style. T. Marie Vandelly intentionally avoids clichés, and I find the way she constructs sentences and describes scenes to be refreshingly unconventional, with a distinct signature touch. (You can definitely tell this is the same author who wrote Theme Music.) At its best, the prose is inspiring and gleefully grotesque—especially when visualizing the kills. That said, there are moments when it veers into being a bit too showy, trying so hard to be 'different' that clarity occasionally suffers. Still, those moments are minor and don't detract from the overall experience.
In recent years, I’ve noticed a trend in novels becoming more interactive, with embedded puzzles for readers to solve (Beautiful Ugly and We Used to Live Here come to mind). An Evil Premise includes one as well—not as intricate as the others, but it adds a nice punch to the ending.
Because of the meta nature of the plot, I highly recommend reading An Evil Premise in physical format. The formatting and typographical changes help distinguish between the different 'stories' being told. I’m curious how the audiobook will handle this without turning into a confusing mess.
My one nitpick with An Evil Premise is similar to what I mentioned in my review of Theme Music: the plot drags slightly around the 60–80% mark, cycling through similar beats with only slight variations in characters and circumstances. Since the story is rooted in an unreliable reality, the chaos and deaths can start to feel desensitized—less shocking and more disposable—when there’s little consistency or grounding to latch onto. Fortunately, the final 20% is a whirlwind of satisfying reveals, graphic violence, and thematic payoff that more than makes up for those earlier lulls.
If you enjoy horror and haven’t yet read T. Marie Vandelly, this is another great entry to start with.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Completely unhinged and darkly humorous, An Evil Premise is another solid effort from T. Marie Vandelly, who already impressed me with the underappreciated horror novel Theme Music (2019). If you enjoy stories about sibling rivalry, meta-commentary on writing and storytelling, and a high, gory kill count—this novel delivers on all fronts.
An Evil Premise reads like a fever dream in the best possible way, due in part to its writing style. T. Marie Vandelly intentionally avoids clichés, and I find the way she constructs sentences and describes scenes to be refreshingly unconventional, with a distinct signature touch. (You can definitely tell this is the same author who wrote Theme Music.) At its best, the prose is inspiring and gleefully grotesque—especially when visualizing the kills. That said, there are moments when it veers into being a bit too showy, trying so hard to be 'different' that clarity occasionally suffers. Still, those moments are minor and don't detract from the overall experience.
In recent years, I’ve noticed a trend in novels becoming more interactive, with embedded puzzles for readers to solve (Beautiful Ugly and We Used to Live Here come to mind). An Evil Premise includes one as well—not as intricate as the others, but it adds a nice punch to the ending.
Because of the meta nature of the plot, I highly recommend reading An Evil Premise in physical format. The formatting and typographical changes help distinguish between the different 'stories' being told. I’m curious how the audiobook will handle this without turning into a confusing mess.
My one nitpick with An Evil Premise is similar to what I mentioned in my review of Theme Music: the plot drags slightly around the 60–80% mark, cycling through similar beats with only slight variations in characters and circumstances. Since the story is rooted in an unreliable reality, the chaos and deaths can start to feel desensitized—less shocking and more disposable—when there’s little consistency or grounding to latch onto. Fortunately, the final 20% is a whirlwind of satisfying reveals, graphic violence, and thematic payoff that more than makes up for those earlier lulls.
If you enjoy horror and haven’t yet read T. Marie Vandelly, this is another great entry to start with.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
May 27, 2025
I’m very selective with ARC’s rule number 1 it has to peak my interest and this book was no exception. Reading the description I knew this book was gonna knock it out of the park for me. Sadly that was not the case. This book had all of the key element’s demonic possession, psychological mind twists, murder and horror.
The book is about a woman named Jewel who has to rush home and take care of her famous author sister, who unfortunately is in a coma. From here the book does get interesting. I am a fan of a good slow burn book but this book was just slow. There was information provided in the book and it was thrown out but much later explained.
I couldn’t connect with the characters there was no emotional connection for me I was just reading words about people. Also, the length of the book was long considering the content that was written. I think due to the fact the book is about a manuscript with a demonic possession and there was no back story of how it came to be didn’t help the book any.
Describe this book in three words: Confusing, Drawn out and Erratic.
This was not the book for me, I wouldn’t discourage any from reading this book but I won’t recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley, T. Marie Vandelly and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
The book is about a woman named Jewel who has to rush home and take care of her famous author sister, who unfortunately is in a coma. From here the book does get interesting. I am a fan of a good slow burn book but this book was just slow. There was information provided in the book and it was thrown out but much later explained.
I couldn’t connect with the characters there was no emotional connection for me I was just reading words about people. Also, the length of the book was long considering the content that was written. I think due to the fact the book is about a manuscript with a demonic possession and there was no back story of how it came to be didn’t help the book any.
Describe this book in three words: Confusing, Drawn out and Erratic.
This was not the book for me, I wouldn’t discourage any from reading this book but I won’t recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley, T. Marie Vandelly and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
July 19, 2025
This book was EVERYTHING. OMG. I absolutely loved Vandelly’s debut Theme Music and this one was even better!! T. Marie Vandelly does horror well and knows how to shock readers with a handful of twists that come out of nowhere! 😱
An Evil Premise follows Jewel. She’s just learned that her sister, Deidre, was recently involved in a hit and run and is in a comatose state. Jewel leaves her home and goes to be with her sister in this time of distress. Jewel is thrown completely off guard by Deidre’s shocking physical state. Her face is completely disfigured and seems to be overtaken by a severe rash of sorts. Jewel stays at Deidre’s home nearby so she can continue to monitor her sister’s state. Meanwhile, Jewel has been contacted by Deidre’s publisher to finish her current novel she has been working on. There’s a deadline to meet and the book needs to be finished. Jewel is also an author but not sure she’s up for the task. She’s even more surprised to discover that it’s a horror novel. Her sister is a fantasy writer, so why all of sudden the horror genre? Jewel decides to take it on to help her sister anyways but soon discovers that this manuscript is indeed haunted and has a mind of its own.
Highest of recommendations! This is going to be such a huge book success when it’s released to the public. Horror fans with completely devour this and their minds may never recover… I’m sure in a doozy.
Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and the author for this ARC. An Evil Premise releases on August 12th, 2025.
An Evil Premise follows Jewel. She’s just learned that her sister, Deidre, was recently involved in a hit and run and is in a comatose state. Jewel leaves her home and goes to be with her sister in this time of distress. Jewel is thrown completely off guard by Deidre’s shocking physical state. Her face is completely disfigured and seems to be overtaken by a severe rash of sorts. Jewel stays at Deidre’s home nearby so she can continue to monitor her sister’s state. Meanwhile, Jewel has been contacted by Deidre’s publisher to finish her current novel she has been working on. There’s a deadline to meet and the book needs to be finished. Jewel is also an author but not sure she’s up for the task. She’s even more surprised to discover that it’s a horror novel. Her sister is a fantasy writer, so why all of sudden the horror genre? Jewel decides to take it on to help her sister anyways but soon discovers that this manuscript is indeed haunted and has a mind of its own.
Highest of recommendations! This is going to be such a huge book success when it’s released to the public. Horror fans with completely devour this and their minds may never recover… I’m sure in a doozy.
Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and the author for this ARC. An Evil Premise releases on August 12th, 2025.
September 27, 2025
This is one of those books where, after finishing the ending, I immediately felt like I needed to go back and reread everything because what did I just read?! I had no idea what was going on (in the best way) and couldn’t wait to see how everything would tie together. The twists were fantastic, and the way the story wrapped up completely surprised me.
The only downside for me was that I needed zero distractions while reading, if I lost focus, I’d have to flip back and reread sections to catch up. But when I did have uninterrupted time, I absolutely couldn’t put it down. It’s so different from the other books I’ve read recently, and I really enjoyed that.
The story follows two sisters, Jewel and Deidre. Deidre is a famous author who ends up in a coma after a bizarre accident. Jewel rushes home to her aid and becomes determined to finish the manuscript Deidre was working on, hoping it will be her own big break. But the book she’s finishing is deeply unsettling and hits far too close to home. As Jewel continues writing, she begins seeing, hearing, and experiencing things she can’t explain. Is she losing her grip on reality? Is the manuscript cursed? Will her sister ever wake up and can Jewel even finish the book?
The only downside for me was that I needed zero distractions while reading, if I lost focus, I’d have to flip back and reread sections to catch up. But when I did have uninterrupted time, I absolutely couldn’t put it down. It’s so different from the other books I’ve read recently, and I really enjoyed that.
The story follows two sisters, Jewel and Deidre. Deidre is a famous author who ends up in a coma after a bizarre accident. Jewel rushes home to her aid and becomes determined to finish the manuscript Deidre was working on, hoping it will be her own big break. But the book she’s finishing is deeply unsettling and hits far too close to home. As Jewel continues writing, she begins seeing, hearing, and experiencing things she can’t explain. Is she losing her grip on reality? Is the manuscript cursed? Will her sister ever wake up and can Jewel even finish the book?
August 14, 2025
Ooof...After reading Theme Music by this author, I was so excited for this book! But I am sad to say that this one wasn't for me. I found it to be such a slow burn with so much inner dialogue from the main character that I just became bored at times.
There were some creepy and gory parts, and the pace eventually picked up over the last few chapters. I did enjoy the twists at the end!
There were some creepy and gory parts, and the pace eventually picked up over the last few chapters. I did enjoy the twists at the end!
July 27, 2025
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 12, 2025
“An Evil Premise ” is the second novel by author T. Marie Vandelly . How far will an author go for inspiration? How much is success worth? Vandelly’s novel takes the desperation of an inspiring author to extreme heights, where the line between insanity and the paranormal is blurred.
Famous author Deidre Baldwin is hit by a car and left comatose, which is how her sister, Jewel, ends up rushing to her bedside, even though the sisters have been estranged since the death of their mother when Jewel was eight. Deidre has a book deadline looming and Jewel, an aspiring author herself, decides to finish it for her and send it off to Deidre’s publisher, hoping to get her own chance to shine. But as Jewel reads through Deirdre’s unfinished manuscript, dark and evil things start happening and Jewel knows the only way to stop it is to give up writing and make sure no one ever reads the book. But something sinister has a hold of Jewel and is determined to release the novel in the world- no matter what it takes.
“Premise” has good bones- the spooky factor is off the charts, the characters are solid and the premise of the novel is intriguing. The novel had strange transitions, however, which didn’t make sense until the final pages of the book. I am grateful for the ending which finally brought all the parts together, or this novel would’ve been confusing and I probably would not have finished it. There were characters that were talked about once and never again, such as Jewel’s husband, and I had a lot of questions throughout the plot but luckily, I was able to find some resolution in the ending.
Deirdre and Jewel have a complicated relationship, with six years between them and the shared grief of losing their mother, and Vandelly created a brilliantly emotional yet complex connection between the two that I found to be honest and realistic.
This novel is a “novel within a novel” of sorts, as, aside from the story itself, the manuscript that Deidre wrote is also front and centre, although it is clearly delineated (in the Kindle version anyway) , so readers can easily keep track of which story they’re reading. Both stories were gory, graphic and scary, so the terror factor is definitely present in both.
“Premise” is creative and terrifying, which always gets my attention, and I was able to get behind the characters and relate to them. The ending totally made this novel, in my opinion, as it was sharp and spectacular, bringing together the loosely developed plot points and skipped transitions.
Expected publication date: Aug. 12, 2025
“An Evil Premise ” is the second novel by author T. Marie Vandelly . How far will an author go for inspiration? How much is success worth? Vandelly’s novel takes the desperation of an inspiring author to extreme heights, where the line between insanity and the paranormal is blurred.
Famous author Deidre Baldwin is hit by a car and left comatose, which is how her sister, Jewel, ends up rushing to her bedside, even though the sisters have been estranged since the death of their mother when Jewel was eight. Deidre has a book deadline looming and Jewel, an aspiring author herself, decides to finish it for her and send it off to Deidre’s publisher, hoping to get her own chance to shine. But as Jewel reads through Deirdre’s unfinished manuscript, dark and evil things start happening and Jewel knows the only way to stop it is to give up writing and make sure no one ever reads the book. But something sinister has a hold of Jewel and is determined to release the novel in the world- no matter what it takes.
“Premise” has good bones- the spooky factor is off the charts, the characters are solid and the premise of the novel is intriguing. The novel had strange transitions, however, which didn’t make sense until the final pages of the book. I am grateful for the ending which finally brought all the parts together, or this novel would’ve been confusing and I probably would not have finished it. There were characters that were talked about once and never again, such as Jewel’s husband, and I had a lot of questions throughout the plot but luckily, I was able to find some resolution in the ending.
Deirdre and Jewel have a complicated relationship, with six years between them and the shared grief of losing their mother, and Vandelly created a brilliantly emotional yet complex connection between the two that I found to be honest and realistic.
This novel is a “novel within a novel” of sorts, as, aside from the story itself, the manuscript that Deidre wrote is also front and centre, although it is clearly delineated (in the Kindle version anyway) , so readers can easily keep track of which story they’re reading. Both stories were gory, graphic and scary, so the terror factor is definitely present in both.
“Premise” is creative and terrifying, which always gets my attention, and I was able to get behind the characters and relate to them. The ending totally made this novel, in my opinion, as it was sharp and spectacular, bringing together the loosely developed plot points and skipped transitions.
December 4, 2025
I'm so confused why I heard such negative reviews for this book. This was wild af! Damn, that ending.
October 22, 2025
i wish this was edited down to a good short story
September 5, 2025
T. Marie Vandelly you freakin' QUEEEEEEEEEN. This was worth the 6 year wait, girl! You continue to take your time and keep churning out these nightmare enducing page turners. I'll just be over here hanging off of every single word you write!
October 26, 2025
A bit too slow but it was fun!
January 14, 2026
Update: I am SO GLAD I reread a physical copy of this after struggling with the audio. It is way too meta, switching from reality to manuscript, to be understood in audio format (for me at least). I was able to read with much greater care and I DO know what the “gibberish” at the of the book means now. Seems very obvious now that I can see it on paper. So happy I tried this again, it was wild!!
// first read, audiobook: I could barely follow this at the end. I have no idea what the acronym is supposed to mean in the final sentence and I definitely think I’m supposed to know. 😐
Probably should have eye read this. Loved the authors debut.
// first read, audiobook: I could barely follow this at the end. I have no idea what the acronym is supposed to mean in the final sentence and I definitely think I’m supposed to know. 😐
Probably should have eye read this. Loved the authors debut.
March 5, 2025
5⭐️
This was an INSANE book, in the best possible way! With its unique plot, riveting twists and turns, and intriguing characters, this has got to be one of the best horror books I’ve ever read. This is definitely going to be the best horror book of the year for me! That ending?? Had my jaw on the floor.
I was so excited to receive the arc for this book because I read Vandelly’s other book, Theme Music, and loved it. This one was even better though.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was an INSANE book, in the best possible way! With its unique plot, riveting twists and turns, and intriguing characters, this has got to be one of the best horror books I’ve ever read. This is definitely going to be the best horror book of the year for me! That ending?? Had my jaw on the floor.
I was so excited to receive the arc for this book because I read Vandelly’s other book, Theme Music, and loved it. This one was even better though.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 13, 2025
BOOK TOUR: AN EVIL PREMISE by T. Marie Vandelly
OUT NOW!
Hey, all you die-hard horror lovers, “An Evil Premise” needs to be on your Spooktober list. I thought I was prepared after “Theme Music,” but I wasn’t ready for what this book hurled at me. The possession, the skin-crawling images, and the utterly twisted sister dynamics brought back those vintage Stephen King vibes, back when I would devour his books.
Jewel's famous author sister is in a coma, so Jewel steps in to finish her creepy manuscript. That's when things start getting eerie. She hears the faint sound of keys clacking fiercely in the middle of the night, yet Jewel is nowhere near the keyboard. She finds pages she doesn't remember typing; word counts that keep climbing on their own, and a nasty rash that's definitely more than just a rash.
Jewel’s sister, who happens to be a big-deal author, is in a coma, so Jewel takes over her unfinished, extra-creepy manuscript. That’s when things get weird. Imagine hearing furious typing at 2 a.m. when you’re not near the computer. Pages appear out of nowhere, the word count keeps going up by itself, and Jewel develops a rash that’s way too gross to be just a rash. And that's just scratching the surface (couldn't resist).
Vandelly doesn’t hold back on the gross factor. There were scenes that made me want to gag, but if you’re into that kind of thing, you’ll be grinning the whole time. T. Marie Vandelly somehow manages to make the horror both skin-crawling and brain-bending.
If you want something eerie, gory, and guaranteed to mess with your head, this is the one.
Thanks to the author, Bibliolifestyle, and Blackstone Publishing for this gifted ARC. All opinions are my own.
#anevilpremise #tmarievandelly #horrorbooks #thrillerbook #bibliolifestyle
Blackstone Publishing - thrillers book tok - horror books - meta horror - Spooktober reads - Stephen King vibes - haunted manuscript
OUT NOW!
Hey, all you die-hard horror lovers, “An Evil Premise” needs to be on your Spooktober list. I thought I was prepared after “Theme Music,” but I wasn’t ready for what this book hurled at me. The possession, the skin-crawling images, and the utterly twisted sister dynamics brought back those vintage Stephen King vibes, back when I would devour his books.
Jewel's famous author sister is in a coma, so Jewel steps in to finish her creepy manuscript. That's when things start getting eerie. She hears the faint sound of keys clacking fiercely in the middle of the night, yet Jewel is nowhere near the keyboard. She finds pages she doesn't remember typing; word counts that keep climbing on their own, and a nasty rash that's definitely more than just a rash.
Jewel’s sister, who happens to be a big-deal author, is in a coma, so Jewel takes over her unfinished, extra-creepy manuscript. That’s when things get weird. Imagine hearing furious typing at 2 a.m. when you’re not near the computer. Pages appear out of nowhere, the word count keeps going up by itself, and Jewel develops a rash that’s way too gross to be just a rash. And that's just scratching the surface (couldn't resist).
Vandelly doesn’t hold back on the gross factor. There were scenes that made me want to gag, but if you’re into that kind of thing, you’ll be grinning the whole time. T. Marie Vandelly somehow manages to make the horror both skin-crawling and brain-bending.
If you want something eerie, gory, and guaranteed to mess with your head, this is the one.
Thanks to the author, Bibliolifestyle, and Blackstone Publishing for this gifted ARC. All opinions are my own.
#anevilpremise #tmarievandelly #horrorbooks #thrillerbook #bibliolifestyle
Blackstone Publishing - thrillers book tok - horror books - meta horror - Spooktober reads - Stephen King vibes - haunted manuscript
December 6, 2025
2.5/5
I preferred Vandelly’s debut novel, Theme Music. In An Evil Premise, Jewel, the main character, is utterly unlikable. The jealousy and antipathy she displays toward her hospitalized sister, Deidre, is overtly antagonistic and quickly grows tiresome.
I preferred Vandelly’s debut novel, Theme Music. In An Evil Premise, Jewel, the main character, is utterly unlikable. The jealousy and antipathy she displays toward her hospitalized sister, Deidre, is overtly antagonistic and quickly grows tiresome.
August 17, 2025
“Are you going to let a little thing like a demon stand in your way? Deidre didn't. Deidre grabbed the little fucker by the balls and is paying hell for it. Because she's a winner. And you're a loser,” (p. 103).
Jewel’s sister was found lying in the middle of the road almost getting hit by a big rig, and now she’s lying in a hospital bed in a coma. Deidra had been living in the sisters’ childhood home and now the police want Jewel to go back there.
But theres something more happening with Deidra because she is covered in some weird rash and no one knows what it is from. But their childhood home isn’t a typical house because it’s haunted.
Both Deidra and Jewel are authors but Deidra is very well known and famous for it. When Jewel learns her sister has a deadline coming up in a week’s time she decides she will have to finish this book for her.
Oof what a book! It’s disturbing from the first page to its last. But I also found this story to be way more hilarious than it was supposed to be. The audio and the noises Deidra was making had me dying.
A classic and fantastic possession horror. Possession happens slowly, so you can imagine the pace of this book. But the happenings between that will keep you fully entertained.
It’s also one of those books that have a story inside a story. Sometimes muses can be deadly.
Jewel’s sister was found lying in the middle of the road almost getting hit by a big rig, and now she’s lying in a hospital bed in a coma. Deidra had been living in the sisters’ childhood home and now the police want Jewel to go back there.
But theres something more happening with Deidra because she is covered in some weird rash and no one knows what it is from. But their childhood home isn’t a typical house because it’s haunted.
Both Deidra and Jewel are authors but Deidra is very well known and famous for it. When Jewel learns her sister has a deadline coming up in a week’s time she decides she will have to finish this book for her.
Oof what a book! It’s disturbing from the first page to its last. But I also found this story to be way more hilarious than it was supposed to be. The audio and the noises Deidra was making had me dying.
A classic and fantastic possession horror. Possession happens slowly, so you can imagine the pace of this book. But the happenings between that will keep you fully entertained.
It’s also one of those books that have a story inside a story. Sometimes muses can be deadly.
October 14, 2025
Holy moly with the twists in this one!!! If you are a horror fan AND thriller fan, this is the one!
Themes:
🖋️Unreliable narrator
🔪 serial un-aliving
😵💫Psychosis issues
🏨Medical/physical condition
👭Estranged sisters
📖Isolated author
☠️ possessed manuscript
I don’t want to say too much, but I will say that the unreliable narrator was the hook and sinker for me! Literally it has you hanging til the last page and beyond. What a great spooky season read!
Themes:
🖋️Unreliable narrator
🔪 serial un-aliving
😵💫Psychosis issues
🏨Medical/physical condition
👭Estranged sisters
📖Isolated author
☠️ possessed manuscript
I don’t want to say too much, but I will say that the unreliable narrator was the hook and sinker for me! Literally it has you hanging til the last page and beyond. What a great spooky season read!
September 14, 2025
Fucking crazy. I’m not sure if I like it or hate it. It felt like I was gaslighted the whole time in a horrifying way. The twist was insane. Didn’t knew what to believe anymore. My mind was like ????? Will be reading more from this author surely!!
July 30, 2025
Thank you so much @blackstonepublishing for my #gifted copy! I absolutely devoured Theme Music, so I was very eager get back into the mind of Vandelly.
Wasn’t this just a little haunting story?! I love everything about possession and this one definitely delivered. The dread is felt from the very beginning and doesn’t let up until the extremely unhinged ending. I love that you are kept on your toes and don’t really know who to trust or what is happening. I will say toward the end I thought I knew what was going to happen and started to get a bit disappointed, but NOPE-I was so wrong in the best way. Twisty, bingey and unhinged-add this to your Summerween reading list!
Wasn’t this just a little haunting story?! I love everything about possession and this one definitely delivered. The dread is felt from the very beginning and doesn’t let up until the extremely unhinged ending. I love that you are kept on your toes and don’t really know who to trust or what is happening. I will say toward the end I thought I knew what was going to happen and started to get a bit disappointed, but NOPE-I was so wrong in the best way. Twisty, bingey and unhinged-add this to your Summerween reading list!
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