3 5⭐️
I enjoyed this book. The No-end house escape rooms were strange, very out there. I was expecting more gore as thought it would be more Saw like. Overall enjoyed the story. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for ARC.

The sheer idiocy of this book defies human logic. First of all, a warning to anyone considering picking this up because the premise sounds kinda neat: DON'T. This book is nothing like its blurb. It reads like dumb YA featuring grown-ups, or what a fairly incompetent writer considers grown-ups to behave, look and sound like.

This author doesn't even know his basics, as is referenced by his unsufferable MC comparing some stupid thing he finds spooky to "a German fairy tale [...]. And you know how most of those end..." Yes. Usually with the line "And they lived happily ever after".

Then there's the "quotes" adorning every single chapter heading, little nuggets of profundity purportedly taken from some, I'm guessing, ominous tome or other the author has titled The Book of Nine, which, okay. That's the title you came up with, fine, whatever. But, you know, if you're after that ominous feeling (everything is so freaking ominous in this book), maybe come up with some less lame quotations. I mean, take Chapter 6: "A room is infinite space if not corralled by walls." Well, duh. Or how is this for depth: "To get lost and give up, or to give up and get lost, both are a union made in hell." Think about it!

The prose itself feels kind of helpless too, there's lots of trying very, very hard but not much in the way of payoff: "Candles in cast-iron wall sconces illuminated pockets of orange light in the darkness". Say what? The candles are illuminating the pockets of light? Why? Apparently that light is already shining through the darkness, no candles required.

On top of the Grade School plot (lots and lots of monsters in the dark!!! All infused with pseudo-Christian posturing -- might that crazy old Spanish aristo lady actually be... the Devil!?! -- and about as atmospheric as the Monster Mash after the thirteenth listen) and the underwhelming prose, the characters are stupid too.
Female lead Helen is Black and supercool, and the author will not let us forget it, which would be kinda hard anyway as those are the two single features this lady owns. First-person (ugh) MC Joe is a smug, self-pitying, insufferable idiot who's taking himself way too seriously. He also seems to think he's witty. (Spoiler alert, he's not.) And like being a moron's not enough, he's an asshole as well.
See, his main character trait is that he lost his wife, a pain so deep he dropped out of his old life and now backpacks around the corners of the earth, which currently, for some reason, happens to be Barcelona. Yes, he loved her so much. Beautiful, kind Jen with the ever-ready smile, light of his life, and all that. Ah, how he could go on and on (and onnnn...) listing her virtues. If only she hadn't died.
Or, more specifically, walked into that Cessna's propeller... because she wanted to thank her flying instructor. Like, what?? Or, as our MC puts it, "Walking into a spinning propeller was a terrible way to die -- but more, it was such a STUPID way to die." Um. Considering that just a few pages ago he was singing this lady's praises like nobody's business, I can't help but find this... a little harsh? Also, you know, who was it again that put Perfect Jen near that airplane in the first place? Let's see: oh right! It was Joe! Because: "She'd had two dreams she talked about since we met on Valentine's Day 2014: earning her pilot's licence and flying to all fifty states, and signing a record deal."
Um. Dream big? I guess?
Of course there's not much Joe can do about the lack of recording contracts coming Jen's way, "So I bought her the fifteen-hour flight course for Christmas." And then she has to stumble into that propeller and have her face sliced off, stupid bitch!

Anyway. I made it to the point where Joe and his Blaxploitation Lady Friend enter their first, er, haunted room challenge, and while up to then I had already been gnashing my teeth in a way that did not bode well, what came next was just so beyond stupid that it made me look around for a propeller or two I could stick my face into, so I gave up. DNF at 20%, and really, I'm proud of myself for even making it this far.

This gave me the feeling of a Redbox horror movie - one you'd see farther down on the poster of movies, one you'd never heard of, one you think might be fun to watch, but one that ultimately ends up being a silly, semi-fun, but forgettable time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

"In the tradition of Saw and Eli Roth’s Hostel, but with the evil supernatural twists of Stephen King, Alma Katsu, and Christopher Golden, two strangers unwittingly volunteer for the ultimate haunted house challenge in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter.

Nine rooms. Nine tests. One chance to get out alive. No one makes it to the end of The No-End House.

Bestselling author Jeremy Bates invites you to spend the night in The No-End House. Where the nightmares begin as soon as you enter - and the terror never ends...

It's the ultimate haunted house challenge. A crumbling stone mansion nestled in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, it may be the best-kept secret in Europe - a little-known attraction featuring nine escape rooms to explore, nine puzzles to solve, and a large cash prize for anyone who makes it to the end. There's just one catch: no one makes it to the end of The No-End House...

When Joe Hadfield hears about the house from a pair of backpackers, he's intrigued but not interested. He's trying to escape a nightmare of his own: the trauma of witnessing his wife's grisly death. Traveling the world to ease his pain and grief, he meets a beautiful stranger named Helen who convinces him to try The No-End House challenge together. Joe reluctantly agrees. But as soon as they enter its walls, meet its mysterious host - and sign an ominous contract - Joe begins to understand the seductive power of The No-End House...

It knows his darkest secrets. It feeds his greatest fears. It makes him do things he would never do. And there is no end to what he will do...to make it out alive."

Oh, oh yes. I love to read these kinds of stories because there's no way in hell anyone would get me into The No-End House.

This book wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned. I thought it was going to be a gore ridden horror filled story with two people fighting their way to get out of some cursed haunted houses. However; it turned out to be one of the most mind bending experiences I have ever read. There were many pros and cons to this book. I really enjoyed the beginning and the end and the whole premise of the story. On the other hand I feel the a lot of the middle of the story, the main part within the house, could have used some work. Some of the rooms/ scenarios didn’t seem scary enough and were too easy to get through.

Overall I think this was a great story just needed a little more fine tuning. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers you will probably enjoy this one a lot.

Thank you, Jeremy Bates NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

Oh my god, this book was absolutely phenomenal! Usually a book this long would take me three days to finish but it was so good I couldn't stop and took me two days. This is the first book I've read from this author, and i do have to say I'll definitely be looking into his works after this. This book is full of terror, anger, despair, mild humor, dark humor at parts, death, gore, and so much more. It's a dark, twisted take on one huge haunted house that I think was a truly unique and different style. You will definitely have feelings for the characters, and the further you get into the story, the more you won't know which way is up or down. You question everything that's happening, and that's such a thrill for me.

The ultimate haunted house challenge. Two people come together and decide to take part. What's ahead? No one knows, but they think its all fun and games. It is until it's not. Real fears and dangers are here, and they have to stick together. Will they be able to make it out alive, or will they suffer forever? The no end house tells no secrets.

I truly just can't say enough about this book. The pacing goes from medium to fast action packed throughout. I was biting my nails every chapter, and it was such a great book. I can't wait to get my hands on more of this authors books.

Joe is taking a few years to walk around the world after the death of his wife. In Barcelona, he meets an intriguing woman named Helen, and overhears about a haunted house called The No-End House where if you make it through you win money. Cajoled into finding the house and trying their hand at making it through by his new friend, Joe soon learns that there is much more to this house than he could have ever imagined. 

This starts out strong. I enjoyed the introduction to the characters and the story. About 35% in (on room 4?) I started getting bored. Maybe because they went into the house very early into the book and didn't get the stakes until pretty far into the "challenge". About halfway through the characters started grating on me and I started not really caring if they made it out/lived. I did enjoy like the ending. 

I rated it 2.75/5 rounded up to 3.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC!

I really enjoyed reading this book, kept me interested and guessing until the very end.i would read more books by this author.

Definitely One of those books where you continue to tell yourself, “just one more chapter”, and before you know it, the book is coming to an end.

You have 9 rooms/challenges and Each challenge was creatively different and fun to read because it had you at the edge of your seat continuing to turn the page to find out what happens.
The twist and turns keep you guessing and right when you think you have it figured out, it shoots you into the complete opposite direction. ☺️

I would say the premise of the book reminded me of phantasma, as far as the contract , different rooms/games/trials, magic… that sort of thing …
But take the romance out of it , add a little horror to it, and replace the demons and devils with a sorceress and you have The No-End house. 😊

A really fun and addictive read that just flys by while also mind screwing you! Highly recommend for all of my psychological thriller lovers!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Jeremy Bates, and Kensington Books publishing for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!

I went into this book hoping for a Saw/ Hostel horr experience sadly that was not the case. It's more like a fever dream on grief and losing grip on reality with unlikable characters and a confusing ridiculous storyline,

Hmm I would give the author another shot. But for me this was not it.

I feel like I was definitely misled from the synopsis of the book. It not only did not deliver what I was expecting but it was much worse. This was silly and not believable at all.

I went into this with high hopes and unfortunately was let down.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🄰🅁🄲 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆 - 🄱🅈: 🄹🄴🅁🄴🄼🅈 🄱🄰🅃🄴🅂 - 🅃🄷🄴 🄽🄾-🄴🄽🄳 🄷🄾🅄🅂🄴
💀🏠💀🏠💀
I went into The No-End House expecting a Saw-esque, escape-room-style horror—high-stakes puzzles, psychological tension, and maybe even some clever twists. What I got instead was something much more abstract: a surreal exploration of grief, identity, and what felt like a metaphor for dissociation or split personality disorder.

There is a lot of creative horror here. The rooms themselves were imaginative, ranging from eerie mind games to physical survival scenarios—including having to fight to the death. But even with those intense moments, the flow felt off. The transitions between the rooms didn’t feel cohesive, which made the pacing feel uneven and left me more confused than intrigued.

The atmosphere had potential, and some scenes were genuinely unsettling—but the dialogue completely took me out of it. It often felt silly or misplaced, clashing with the darker tone and killing the immersion. I couldn’t connect with the characters either. The FMC was overly bossy and rude, and I couldn’t understand why the MMC just accepted it. Their dynamic didn’t feel believable or engaging.

Overall, I loved the concept, but the execution just didn’t work for me. I spent most of the book feeling detached and, honestly, bored. It’s a great idea on paper, but it never quite came together in a way that kept me hooked.
Thank you, @netgalley and Jeremy Bates eARC.

3.5 Thank you to Netgalley who allowed me to get my hands on this arc.

I haven't read a Jeremy Bates book in a few years but I have always enjoyed how he takes a place such as the Suicide Forest or the Island of Dolls orrr the No End house and writes a whole story around it using the lore.

This book was sooo much fun. The part with the mirrors and blackness literally made me Claustrophobic and able to feel what that situation would be like if I were in it.. The rooms and their stories were all so creative.

The ending was the only fault for me because I don't tend to love this type of ending but that is a me thing.

There are addictive books, and there are “I know I have to eat/work/sleep but I can’t stop” reads. This is one of the latter. Bates writes the kinds of horror that I truly enjoy. It starts with normal, adds a little dread, gets creepier and ends up all-out “inbred cannibals” territory (not a spoiler from this novel). This explains how the characters don’t say “hey, maybe let’s go back to the hotel” immediately. His characters are also somehow relatable. They are not the stereotypes that usually star in these novels. Joe is devastated by the stupid loss of his wife (it was a silly, preventable accident) and is walking around the world to get over it. He meets Helen, a mysterious woman, and overhears a conversation about a contest in a haunted house. Joe and Helen head toward the titular No-End house. Now, one of the things I love about Bates’ novels is their settings. This time it’s a haunted mansion, one of my favorite tropes. And boy is it creepy. Yes, the plot keeps getting more and more over-the-top by the chapter and of course it’s not believable in the real world. And that ending! I will keep thinking about the implications long after finishing. I had a blast and loved, loved loved it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Kensington Publishing.

౨ৎ | ‘so, sure, fear can save your life… but it can make you do some crazy shit, too.’

— ★ 3/5

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

i genuinely don’t know what to think of this. the concept was so cool! but i found myself bored throughout most of it. it wasn’t scary, or mysterious, or sad or anything really.

the last 10% grabbed me though hence why this is three stars and not two. the ending did leave me with more questions than answers though which is a bummer.

i did like the writing style though, and i feel like it’s definitely a book i’d recommend to people who like mystery/thriller it just unfortunately wasn’t for me.

The No-End House was a fever dream from start to finish. Joe left his home 2 years ago to walk around the world. Yes literally walk around the world. He's doing alright all things considered after the death of his wife until he and a new friend Helen find the No End House. What they think is just a game to win some prize money quickly turns real and scary.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending but it was an overall fun read. I'm not sure the author was going for this but it ended up reading a little campy for me; although that's not a bad thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC!

I must express my surprise regarding the unexpected developments within the narrative. This book is truly exceptional, characterized by its original plot. The characters, though few, effectively engaged my attention to the extent that I found myself moved to tears at one point. I anticipate providing this book with a five-star rating and will share my thoughts across all my social media platforms upon its release. With over 3,000 subscribers on Goodreads, I am eager to inform my audience about this remarkable work.

3.5 stars rounded down. ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jeremy Bates has quickly become a horror favorite for me. I’ll never forget my husband surprising me with “The Sleep Experiment”. I was so excited to start it. Little did I know it would scare the hide off me. I still have nightmares featuring the creature at the end of the book. That started a deep dive into Bates’ novels. Since then, I’ve read at least three more, each twisty and full of horror.

This one promised to be a cross between Saw and Eli Roth’s Hostel, with plenty of horror filled supernatural elements. Fun fact about me, Saw is one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite horror movie. It was one of the very first ones and I’ve always loved the psychological aspect of it. So when this book promised lots of Saw-isque elements, I was completely sold.

This wasn’t, in my opinion, Bates’ best work. The psychological element didn’t really appear until the very end. I still don’t know what pills Joe was taking, if he had made the whole thing up or the truth about his wife. Bates made in obvious throughout the entire book that the rooms could/were an invention of their subconscious but it was weirdly done. I didn’t get the twisty feeling of my mind being messed with as I had in other works such as “Suicide Forest”.

The characters were also a bit one dimensional. Was Helen even real or was she a figment of Joe’s imagination? Or was it some poor woman he killed? Very little was known about the characters until they got into the rooms and information was revealed as to why the room was the way it was. I would have loved to seen more character development before they entered the Gothic Square because as it stands, I wasn’t even fazed when they entered room 9 and what happened to Helen happened.

The ending was a bit twisty in true Bates fashion. Did Joe ever really leave the No End House? Or was he still in its depths, doomed to repeat the rooms over and over again? There were aspects to the book that literally took me out of it (prime example, the dinosaurs) and I couldn’t wait to get past that room. Not because it was scary; none of the rooms were honestly that scary. To me the dinosaurs was a bit cliche and I was over it.

Overall I did enjoy the book but I don’t view it as Bates’ best work. It felt a bit subpar in a few ways. Maybe I went into it with the wrong expectations and that’s why I was a bit disappointed in the novel. Would I recommend it? Yes with warnings that in my opinion there are better Bates’ works.

When the blurb for the book mentions Saw and Hostel, I thought I would be in for a very different story. I feel duped. That is nowhere near what this story is about. There are definitely supernatural and fantasy aspects to the story that I enjoyed but I with those components were blurbed instead. These characters also just were not very likable. I really didn’t like the derogatory term that kept getting thrown out so freely. There were also some other pejorative words that just felt unnecessary. I think this premise was great and if the story was fleshed out more and heavily edited, it could have been so much more enjoyable.

The No-End House by Jeremy Bates is an enthralling and extra scary novel. It is not for the faint of heart but I believe most horror fans will enjoy it.

We follow Joe, a widower, who, while walking around the world to cope with his grief, meets a woman named Helen in Barcelona. They hear about a local haunted house with a cash prize and decide to go together. The house challenge seems simple- get through 9 rooms, get the money.

The pacing and imagery in this book are incredible. I’m familiar with other “no end house” tales from Creep Pasta and Channel 0, but this take felt unique enough to still be a real page turner. Each room is very scary; some rooms have high prices to pay to get through.

I am rating this 4 stars instead of five because I did not find the characters incredibly likable, and felt like I wanted to yell at them to make better choices! Joe is a very realistic depiction of grief, however. Since we are mostly with Joe and Helen in the book, this stands out a little.

All in all I throughly enjoyed this. Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and Bates for the ARC!