Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims: Review

Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims is a brilliantly conceived novel that manages to be both an engaging horror anthology and a cohesive mystery.

Synopsis: Thirteen Storeys

Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims is a chilling haunted house BOOK

In the penthouse of a glittering, multimillion-pound tower, a billionaire gathers thirteen strangers for an exclusive dinner party.

None of the guests know why they’ve been invited. Some are wealthy, others are struggling, but they all share one unsettling bond: each has encountered a terrifying disturbance within the building’s walls.

By the end of the night, their host is dead and the truth of what happened remains one of the city’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

Now, through thirteen interconnected tales, the horrifying reality behind the tower’s walls will finally be revealed.

Creepy, claustrophobic, and brimming with dread, Thirteen Storeys is a modern gothic horror that proves the most terrifying hauntings aren’t just ghosts: they’re the secrets we try to bury.

Review: Thirteen Storeys

Thirteen Storeys is a chilling blend of horror and mystery, cleverly constructed around both its setting, a tower block with thirteen floors, and its structure, with each chapter functioning as one of thirteen interconnected stories.

Setting and Atmosphere

The novel takes place in Banyan Court, a luxury development that reflects the deep social divide of modern London.

One side houses the wealthy, complete with concierge, working lifts, and gyms.

while the other side is run-down social housing where broken lifts and neglect are the norm.

This duality is at the heart of the novel, making the building itself feel like a major character, one that is full of secrets, silences, and sinister echoes.

Structure and Storytelling

At its core, the novel is framed around a dinner party hosted by Tobias Fell, the mysterious billionaire who once owned Banyan Court.

Each guest has their own story, and Sims devotes a chapter to each, giving readers a self-contained tale about each guest that could almost be read as standalone horror shorts.

Fans of The Twilight Zone or The Tales of the Unexpected will immediately feel at home here.

What elevates the book is the way these separate narratives overlap and bleed into one another. A side character glimpsed in one story becomes central in another, creating a web of connections that slowly reveals the bigger picture behind Tobias Fell’s death and the curse of Banyan Court.

One particularly standout chapter, involving a smart-home device that begins to turn sinister, calls back to the menacing HAL of Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, but with a contemporary, domestic twist.

Characters and Themes

The novel explores a broad spectrum of characters, from struggling tenants to ambitious professionals, showing how each is tied to the building and its history. Themes of inequality, exploitation, and the hidden costs of wealth run throughout.

All this adds a social critique to the novel through the supernatural dread.

Sims also plays with the question of haunting, are the horrors of Banyan Court supernatural, psychological, or a manifestation of the building’s rotten foundations and society itself?

Pacing and Tone

Each story maintains its own atmosphere and rhythm, with some leaning more heavily into psychological tension and others into outright horror.

By the time the strands converge at the dinner party, the narrative momentum has built into a crescendo of unease and revelation.

Who Should Read This Book?

• Fans of horror anthologies who enjoy interconnected storytelling
• Readers of modern gothic fiction that blends the supernatural with social commentary
• Mystery lovers intrigued by locked-room scenarios and sinister settings
• Anyone who appreciates inventive narrative structure with a payoff

Conclusion

Thirteen Storeys is a brilliantly conceived novel that manages to be both an engaging horror anthology and a cohesive mystery.

With its layered storytelling, atmospheric setting, and sharp social commentary ensure it resonates beyond its scares.

Whether you come for the haunted-building horror or the cleverly interwoven character studies, Jonathan Sims delivers a novel that lingers long after the final page.

Highly recommended for horror and mystery fans alike, and a strong pick for readers looking for a modern gothic tale with bite.

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Above all Keep Safe and treat people fairly.

Mark.