MAZYWOOD by Tananarive Due – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Mazywood by Tananarive Due
Published by Saga Press on September 22 2026
Genres: Adult, Horror, Thriller
Pages: 504
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Tananarive Due mixes history and survival horror with well drawn characters and plenty of tense action in her latest, an entertaining tale with never a dull moment.

“Sometimes good luck whistled for bad luck to follow right behind it.”

Mazywood is one of the most surprising books I’ve read this year, for a couple of reasons. First, Tananarive Due has taken several ideas that have no business being in the same story together and made them work, a feat that shows what a talented writer she is. I was also surprised by how addictively readable this was, despite some very heavy themes. I had absolutely no idea where the story was going until about two thirds into the story, but this only made it more fun to read. I also want to mention this is my first book by the author so I can’t compare it to anything else, but I am now a fan for life!

The story opens in 1929 and follows nine-year-old Mazelle Washington and her family. One day, Mazelle brings home a stray dog (she names him Scout) who can dance and do tricks, and her parents realize their “act” is special enough to catch the attention of a movie producer. Mazelle and Scout land a job working for Lorenzo Studios, stars of the show Li’l Gumshoes, and from there Mazelle’s career as an actress takes off, although there are many ups and downs along the way.

In the present we meet Mazelle’s grandson Johnny Washington, a well known Black screen writer who is famous for a slasher franchise called Frat House Haunting, but he’s having trouble breaking into more serious projects. After a disappointing meeting with a producer who is trying to get his latest project green lit, Johnny decides to take his wife Tasha and their two teenage daughters Imari and Sharise to Bear Creek Lodge in Mount Shasta, the private ski lodge that Johnny inherited from Mazelle. The girls, who are avid snowboarders, are thrilled to leave Los Angeles behind for a few days and finally visit the place their father spent some time as a child. Tasha is excited to learn more about Mazelle’s history, since she’s writing a biography on her, and Bear Creek Lodge is sure to be a treasure trove of information.

But something happened to Johnny at the lodge when he was a boy, something he’s still having trouble believing. And coming back here is shaking loose some bad memories of Mazelle as well. When the girls find a bloody deer head in the snow, Johnny realizes the impossible creature he saw all those years ago might still be around—and it’s probably hungry.

Mazywood is both a thrilling survival story and a fascinating peek into the history of American Black cinema, and these are the two elements that seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum, and yet the author has figured out a way to tie them together. I loved reading about Mazelle’s life growing up as a child actor, although it was sobering to see how poorly Blacks were treated in the entertainment industry. Even as Mazelle becomes well known, she never feels like an equal and has to fight for every professional victory. At one point, she gets a small part as an extra in Gone With the Wind and meets Clark Gable and Hattie McDaniel. I loved all the name dropping, and throughout the story Mazelle meets such luminaries as Duke Ellington, Lena Horne and even Walt Disney.

Mazelle grows up being physically and verbally abused by her Aunt Ruby (her mother shrugs it off as normal) and the generational abuse in the story was one of the tougher things to read about. I didn’t necessarily like Mazelle—she does plenty of questionable things in the story—but I did respect her struggle and sympathize with what she was going through.

When we switch to the present timeline, Mazywood becomes pure horror, as Johnny and his family have to survive something on the property that is trying to attack them. I loved the snowy setting, and even though Due uses some predictable tropes, like the power going out during a snow storm and no cell service, it was all a lot of fun. There are also a couple of cool nods to The Shining, so be on the lookout for those if you’re a fan. I especially loved all the characters. Imari was my favorite, she’s thirteen and has ADHD, but she turns out to be the most resourceful one in the family. Tasha feels a strange connection to Mazelle and even looks like her, strangely enough. And Johnny is frustrated with his career as well as a bomb that Tasha just dropped on him, so when things go south up at the lodge, his life really starts to implode.

And remember Scout the dog? Well, he’s very important to the story, although I won’t tell you why or how. His appearance in the beginning is connected to a wish that little Mazelle makes, and that wish has consequences that follow Mazelle throughout her life in some very odd and terrifying ways.  

The ending was tense and exciting, and I loved the way Due wrapped everything up. Aside from a few spots that went on too long—like the scenes in the snow—Mazywood was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. 

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.