For me, Nevill is one of the best horror authors in the business right now, so I go into his books with a higher level of expectation than most. It is perhaps because of those expectations that No One Gets Out Alive did not fully hit the mark for me, but that is not to suggest that it is not a recommended read.
This almost feels like two books in one, with the first half telling the story of Stephanie. She is a girl, down on her luck, who moves into the only place she can afford in a new city. From the off, she believes that the place is haunted, but that soon becomes the least of her problems, as the two men running the place have other ideas for her and the girls who live in the house.
The decisions made by the main character will frustrate, you, but there are also some great moments of the folk horror that Nevill is known for throughout, although the pacing feels stilted at times. The scene in the basement is nightmare fuel of the highest order.
The second part of the book deals with the aftermath of Stephanie’s time in the home. It is also a little meta, as she has written a book about her experience called No One Gets Out Alive, which was a nice touch, since it made me feel like I had just read her book. In this portion, she is living a much better life, but the house i still haunting her for reasons that soon become apparent.
My main issue with the book was the length. There were definitely times where it felt as though it were dragging a little, but Nevill’s writing is so good that I never felt like setting it aside. While this is not, in my humble opinion, his best book, it is still one that I would recommend to folk horror lovers, as Black Maggie is going to stay with you long after you finish reading.
4 stars out of 5
Nacker was a great character in the worst way.
I read this book, years ago, and agree with your assessment. It's a little too long for me, especially the first part, where it became clear it was only going to end one of two ways (die or escape). That might be because I've seen that scenario before. The second part felt more unpredictable to me.