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Dead End House
2024 SPLATTERPUNK AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST NOVEL
The abandoned house at the end of Millhaven Road stands on blighted and barren ground, as if nature itself shuns this tainted place. It is known simply as DEAD END HOUSE, and unspeakably terrible things happened there long ago. Murder, torture, mutilations, cannibalism, and necrophilia. Vile deeds spawning an enduring legend of horror.
But DEAD END HOUSE only looks abandoned. Behind its blacked-out windows and crumbling facade, the evil endures. So step up to the front door and knock if you dare. Crazy Calvin and his lunatic sister have been sharpening their knives and are eager to see you.
The abandoned house at the end of Millhaven Road stands on blighted and barren ground, as if nature itself shuns this tainted place. It is known simply as DEAD END HOUSE, and unspeakably terrible things happened there long ago. Murder, torture, mutilations, cannibalism, and necrophilia. Vile deeds spawning an enduring legend of horror.
But DEAD END HOUSE only looks abandoned. Behind its blacked-out windows and crumbling facade, the evil endures. So step up to the front door and knock if you dare. Crazy Calvin and his lunatic sister have been sharpening their knives and are eager to see you.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2023
101 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Smith
103 books759 followersBryan Smith is the Splatterpunk Award-winning author of more than forty horror and crime books, including 68 Kill, the cult classic Depraved and its sequels, as well as The Killing Kind, Slowly We Rot, The Freakshow, and many more. Bestselling horror author Brian Keene called Slowly We Rot, "The best zombie novel I've ever read."
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 18, 2024
I enjoyed my time with this book well enough but my was I on the struggle bus with the names and jumps back and forth in time (the jumps were well indicated, this was a me issue not a book issue).
It's graphic, gross and bleak. The torture scenes were fairly imaginative even though there's some of the bodily excretions centric moments we expect from the genre but it's not too much nor is it a core aspect of the book. I thought it was done well to mostly avoid the so over the top it's just funny territory that extreme horror titles often fall into.
It's graphic, gross and bleak. The torture scenes were fairly imaginative even though there's some of the bodily excretions centric moments we expect from the genre but it's not too much nor is it a core aspect of the book. I thought it was done well to mostly avoid the so over the top it's just funny territory that extreme horror titles often fall into.
January 17, 2024
"Crazy Wild!
Small backstory:
There is a house that is supposed to be abandoned at the end of Millhaven Road that at one time some brutal murders took place there. The killer "Crazy Calvin" is locked up in an asylum for the murders and the house has sat vacant ever since. When some teenagers go out to the road to make out things go on a terror ride quick when someone attacks them as nothing happens out near that house as it is consider just abandoned or so they think!
Thoughts:
This was a good story but there was tons of extreme and brutal situations within this book. I knew it was going to be twisted and gory as I have heard of this author but it was my first time reading him.
The book starts out with a bang in the beginning of the story but the reason this book is not getting more than three stars is because some of the story just seems to stay in one scene for a little while which I cannot go into without giving away spoilers but all I can say is the story gets kind of repetitive within certain areas of the book which gets annoying and made me want to skim some of the story as it drags along within certain scenes in the story. I was wanting the story to move along quicker during those spots but it just would drag here and there. Other than that the story was one gore ride of terror! Giving this book three "Twisted Terror" stars!
Small backstory:
There is a house that is supposed to be abandoned at the end of Millhaven Road that at one time some brutal murders took place there. The killer "Crazy Calvin" is locked up in an asylum for the murders and the house has sat vacant ever since. When some teenagers go out to the road to make out things go on a terror ride quick when someone attacks them as nothing happens out near that house as it is consider just abandoned or so they think!
Thoughts:
This was a good story but there was tons of extreme and brutal situations within this book. I knew it was going to be twisted and gory as I have heard of this author but it was my first time reading him.
The book starts out with a bang in the beginning of the story but the reason this book is not getting more than three stars is because some of the story just seems to stay in one scene for a little while which I cannot go into without giving away spoilers but all I can say is the story gets kind of repetitive within certain areas of the book which gets annoying and made me want to skim some of the story as it drags along within certain scenes in the story. I was wanting the story to move along quicker during those spots but it just would drag here and there. Other than that the story was one gore ride of terror! Giving this book three "Twisted Terror" stars!
May 4, 2023
If you know Bryan Smith well you know what you are getting yourself in for. In saying that even for his standards this is on another level of brutality and bleakness.
Dead End House is shunned by the town and has been abandoned for years after brutal murders took place and the perpetrator was locked away in a mental asylum. However people keen disappearing, sounds are heard coming from the house by those that dare venture near it. Is history repeating itself within its walls? Well read to find out. I cant really explain in any depth on what occurs in case someone not familiar with splatterpunk were to come across the review 🤣. Let's just say it's awesome with some twists you may not see coming.
Read at your own peril. Trigger warnings galore.
Dead End House is shunned by the town and has been abandoned for years after brutal murders took place and the perpetrator was locked away in a mental asylum. However people keen disappearing, sounds are heard coming from the house by those that dare venture near it. Is history repeating itself within its walls? Well read to find out. I cant really explain in any depth on what occurs in case someone not familiar with splatterpunk were to come across the review 🤣. Let's just say it's awesome with some twists you may not see coming.
Read at your own peril. Trigger warnings galore.
March 16, 2023
On Millhaven road stands a two-story Victorian, one of only three houses left on the dead end street; appropriately nicknamed "Dead End House," it is the subject of infamous local legend and rumors galore. Several brutal murders took place in the house years ago, at the hands of the deranged Wilcox clan - Crazy Calvin, his sister, Ursula, and their mother, Alma.
But that was all a long time ago; the family members are either locked away in a mental ward, or dead and gone. Right?
As it turns out, whether it be urban explorers, young lovers looking for a private place to park, or just someone walking too close to Dead End House, you'd better be careful... Because Crazy Calvin, Ursula and Alma are, in fact, still secretly residing in the old, dilapidated house - and once they capture you, you'll beg and plead for death, for what they have in store for their victims defies imagination.
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I love all the books this author writes, and this one was no exception. It wound up getting a bit confusing towards the end, which I won't get into for spoiler reasons, but other than that, I really liked it. And the cover is amazing.
But that was all a long time ago; the family members are either locked away in a mental ward, or dead and gone. Right?
As it turns out, whether it be urban explorers, young lovers looking for a private place to park, or just someone walking too close to Dead End House, you'd better be careful... Because Crazy Calvin, Ursula and Alma are, in fact, still secretly residing in the old, dilapidated house - and once they capture you, you'll beg and plead for death, for what they have in store for their victims defies imagination.
--------------------
I love all the books this author writes, and this one was no exception. It wound up getting a bit confusing towards the end, which I won't get into for spoiler reasons, but other than that, I really liked it. And the cover is amazing.
October 30, 2023
Depraved to the extreme!
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
Dead End House by Bryan Smith is a very good extreme horror book.
The story is well written, the characters development is good and the plot is captivating. I loved it!
There is no hope, or happiness in this tale. The tortures inflicted in this book made me cringe a lot!
In my opinion, this story could become a classic for Splatterpunk readers.
I highly recommend it!!
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
Dead End House by Bryan Smith is a very good extreme horror book.
The story is well written, the characters development is good and the plot is captivating. I loved it!
There is no hope, or happiness in this tale. The tortures inflicted in this book made me cringe a lot!
In my opinion, this story could become a classic for Splatterpunk readers.
I highly recommend it!!
April 8, 2023
Old school Smith, full of gore, depravity and a great twist.
Read
October 4, 20231. Tf did I just read 💀
2. I refuse to rate this
3. If you’re interested in reading this pls look up the TW
4. This was disturbing on a whole new level 🙂
2. I refuse to rate this
3. If you’re interested in reading this pls look up the TW
4. This was disturbing on a whole new level 🙂
August 30, 2024
Oh what the hell. I think my next read might need to be a rom com.
This was absolutely brutal, sadistic, and BLEAK. There is no happiness or hope found in these pages. If you think there might be a light at the end of the tunnel, you clearly haven't yet been tortured enough by Ursula. She will definitely have to fix that. I really liked the main plot twist. I think one theme I took away from this is the cycle of abuse and how victims become abusers. I highly enjoyed the supernatural aspect at the end. I really enjoy cults/religious horror. This is probably one of the most brutal Ive read, the torture just doesn't let up. I think this is one of my new favorites. It was my first of Bryan Smith and I am definitely looking forward to my next, even though I'm sure ill be grateful once it's over, much like my experience here
This was absolutely brutal, sadistic, and BLEAK. There is no happiness or hope found in these pages. If you think there might be a light at the end of the tunnel, you clearly haven't yet been tortured enough by Ursula. She will definitely have to fix that. I really liked the main plot twist. I think one theme I took away from this is the cycle of abuse and how victims become abusers. I highly enjoyed the supernatural aspect at the end. I really enjoy cults/religious horror. This is probably one of the most brutal Ive read, the torture just doesn't let up. I think this is one of my new favorites. It was my first of Bryan Smith and I am definitely looking forward to my next, even though I'm sure ill be grateful once it's over, much like my experience here
July 2, 2024
The Evil Cycle Continues
I decided to read this book as I wanted to take a walk on the wild side. This book was good but there were certain part where people just made horrible decisions but I guess that is to be expected in a horror novel. This book is about a house on an isolated part of town that has a dark and haunting history which makes it a place to avoid. Townspeople avoid this house in the day time which speaks volumes. There were scenes this book got explicit and I gagged. If you have a weak stomach and triggers I recommend you pass on this book anyone else enjoy.
I decided to read this book as I wanted to take a walk on the wild side. This book was good but there were certain part where people just made horrible decisions but I guess that is to be expected in a horror novel. This book is about a house on an isolated part of town that has a dark and haunting history which makes it a place to avoid. Townspeople avoid this house in the day time which speaks volumes. There were scenes this book got explicit and I gagged. If you have a weak stomach and triggers I recommend you pass on this book anyone else enjoy.
October 6, 2023
Fantastic book. Such an intriguing well structured tale, with great characters and moments, while always being fucking messed up and nasty beyond belief. Bryan Smith really is one of my absolute favourite authors.
April 13, 2023
Very well done, demented family/house of horrors, classic slasher story. With just enough twist and surprises to keep it “fresh” and add something to the genre.
March 31, 2023
BRUTAL and BLEAK
As I write this review, I am trying to remember all of Bryan’s books. I am pretty positive this is the most bleak and brutal of anything I have read. I guess the closest would be “Depraved” but even that seemed tame compared to this.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around my experience reading this. There were points in the story where I just did not want to continue because it just seemed so bleak, devastating, hopeless, and tortuous. But, then Bryan added a sub-plot surrounding Lara’s parents, and I started to be more engaged again.
This is really a hard one to rate because it was uniquely nasty with a lack of heroes to root for and any hope that they would escape their doom. The villains were not charismatic and it is hard to make the leap of logic that even the victims were some shade of evil. On the other hand, Bryan gave us a new twist on the tale of a house of horrors.
My ultimate feelings about this one are similar to the movie “Martyrs”. Something I did not necessarily enjoy watching and would never watch again, but yet it is a tale I will not soon forget.
As I write this review, I am trying to remember all of Bryan’s books. I am pretty positive this is the most bleak and brutal of anything I have read. I guess the closest would be “Depraved” but even that seemed tame compared to this.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around my experience reading this. There were points in the story where I just did not want to continue because it just seemed so bleak, devastating, hopeless, and tortuous. But, then Bryan added a sub-plot surrounding Lara’s parents, and I started to be more engaged again.
This is really a hard one to rate because it was uniquely nasty with a lack of heroes to root for and any hope that they would escape their doom. The villains were not charismatic and it is hard to make the leap of logic that even the victims were some shade of evil. On the other hand, Bryan gave us a new twist on the tale of a house of horrors.
My ultimate feelings about this one are similar to the movie “Martyrs”. Something I did not necessarily enjoy watching and would never watch again, but yet it is a tale I will not soon forget.
May 26, 2024
**The following review is not based on me being offended by extreme horror books**
3.5 stars for the grossness of this book. It's got almost everything you could think would be in a depraved extreme horror book - torture, necrophilia, cannibalism, fetus eating, human waste fun, and hey, I kind of expect all that in a extreme horror but what is this authors problem with women?
Not one man got any of the above done to them, 2 men got killed and that was a swift axe to the neck, and a shot to the face, but women got all the sexual assaults, female body parts tortured etc.
Like, give it a fucking rest, man!
This book was very obviously meant to gross out a woman because this was pure hate on women by both men and women-in fact more by women and I got bored by it. Over and over again! O, this woman's gonna ____ done to her, another gets _____ done. A man shows up. An axe from nowhere, end of man.
BORING AND CHEAP
3.5 stars for the grossness of this book. It's got almost everything you could think would be in a depraved extreme horror book - torture, necrophilia, cannibalism, fetus eating, human waste fun, and hey, I kind of expect all that in a extreme horror but what is this authors problem with women?
Not one man got any of the above done to them, 2 men got killed and that was a swift axe to the neck, and a shot to the face, but women got all the sexual assaults, female body parts tortured etc.
Like, give it a fucking rest, man!
This book was very obviously meant to gross out a woman because this was pure hate on women by both men and women-in fact more by women and I got bored by it. Over and over again! O, this woman's gonna ____ done to her, another gets _____ done. A man shows up. An axe from nowhere, end of man.
BORING AND CHEAP
May 20, 2023
I enjoyed this most of the way through but the weird twist at the end unfortunately brought it down a star with me as it just seemed to come from nowhere.
March 18, 2024
All over place this one .....random character added halfway through no intro just there
June 29, 2024
What the actual fuck did I just read? It was so revolting I had to stop and take breaks. If you have any triggers whatsoever, this is not the book for you. Not for the faint of heart.
April 17, 2023
Every town has that one creepy house that fuels rumours and spreads fear, well Dead End House is the one that everybody fears.
Many years ago an evil family inhibited that house, cannibalism, torture and all kinds of messed up stuff happened behind closed doors and now it’s seemingly abandoned.
This book is by no means for the faint hearted, it’s graphic in ways you wouldn’t even imagine, there’s a whole lot of swearing, necrophilia, abuse and torture.
The Calvin family reminded me of a cross between the Texas Chainsaw Massacre family and The Firefly family from The Devils Rejects so that should give you a clue as to what to expect.
Personally for me I wasn’t a fan of the direction the ending took.
On a side note I absolutely love the cover!
Many years ago an evil family inhibited that house, cannibalism, torture and all kinds of messed up stuff happened behind closed doors and now it’s seemingly abandoned.
This book is by no means for the faint hearted, it’s graphic in ways you wouldn’t even imagine, there’s a whole lot of swearing, necrophilia, abuse and torture.
The Calvin family reminded me of a cross between the Texas Chainsaw Massacre family and The Firefly family from The Devils Rejects so that should give you a clue as to what to expect.
Personally for me I wasn’t a fan of the direction the ending took.
On a side note I absolutely love the cover!
August 23, 2025
Trixie and Lexie are TikTok influencers who have built their following by touring famous crime scene locations. For their latest video, the twins are going to tour the infamous Dead End House. Unspeakably terrible things happened there long ago. Murder, torture, mutilations, cannibalism, and necrophilia. Vile deeds spawning an enduring legend of horror. Unfortunately for Trixie and Lexie, Dead End House only looks abandoned. They’ll soon find out firsthand what makes this house infamous.
This is my second book by Bryan Smith, and I’m kicking myself for not reading his work sooner. This is such a great story from start to finish. Smith adds several new characters throughout the book, and at times, I was like, What’s the point? But as we progress, the pieces start to line up and finish with a killer twist. Smith does a fantastic job of structuring the story in such a way that it kept me engaged. From start to finish, there was literally never a dull moment. The story jumps back five years at times to give us backstory on a particular character, but there was never a point where I felt like I was taken out of the experience.
The characters in Dead End House were very well written, and the development was deep. We see firsthand some of these characters change in a terrifying way from the mental torture they endure. It’s difficult to talk about their growth, or rather development, without spoiling the story, so I’ll just say that these characters felt so real. In my mind, I pictured the Firefly family from House of 1000 Corpses, if they were written better. It was interesting to see minor characters become main characters and vice versa throughout the book, and see it done in such a smooth way.
The tone of the book is where it really shines for me. A lot of the extreme horror books I’ve read lately have been fun reads and, at times, very tongue-in-cheek. Dead End House is a stark contrast to those books. The cover may be cartoony and give off that vibe, but it’s anything but fun. The story is bleak, and the violence is absolutely brutal. We see characters that are stripped of life and hope and beg for death, only to be denied. Characters have to make gut-wrenching decisions in order to stay alive, and ultimately, those choices change who they are and what they believe.
I listened to the audio version of Dead End House narrated by Lizzie Canyon, and she was fantastic. The way she was able to give each character a different voice was spot on. The voice she did for Ursula just added to the character's unhinged personality. I tried to find other books she’s narrated, but this is the only one I could find. I really hope she narrates more books because she was excellent.
If you’re looking for a fun extreme horror story in the vein of Playground, Talia, or Genital Rot, this is not it. If you need a reminder of what’s really important in life and to be happy with what you have and who you have to share it with, Dead End House is the story for you. It’s a soul sucking journey into the depths of hell that Rob Zombie wishes he could write.
This is my second book by Bryan Smith, and I’m kicking myself for not reading his work sooner. This is such a great story from start to finish. Smith adds several new characters throughout the book, and at times, I was like, What’s the point? But as we progress, the pieces start to line up and finish with a killer twist. Smith does a fantastic job of structuring the story in such a way that it kept me engaged. From start to finish, there was literally never a dull moment. The story jumps back five years at times to give us backstory on a particular character, but there was never a point where I felt like I was taken out of the experience.
The characters in Dead End House were very well written, and the development was deep. We see firsthand some of these characters change in a terrifying way from the mental torture they endure. It’s difficult to talk about their growth, or rather development, without spoiling the story, so I’ll just say that these characters felt so real. In my mind, I pictured the Firefly family from House of 1000 Corpses, if they were written better. It was interesting to see minor characters become main characters and vice versa throughout the book, and see it done in such a smooth way.
The tone of the book is where it really shines for me. A lot of the extreme horror books I’ve read lately have been fun reads and, at times, very tongue-in-cheek. Dead End House is a stark contrast to those books. The cover may be cartoony and give off that vibe, but it’s anything but fun. The story is bleak, and the violence is absolutely brutal. We see characters that are stripped of life and hope and beg for death, only to be denied. Characters have to make gut-wrenching decisions in order to stay alive, and ultimately, those choices change who they are and what they believe.
I listened to the audio version of Dead End House narrated by Lizzie Canyon, and she was fantastic. The way she was able to give each character a different voice was spot on. The voice she did for Ursula just added to the character's unhinged personality. I tried to find other books she’s narrated, but this is the only one I could find. I really hope she narrates more books because she was excellent.
If you’re looking for a fun extreme horror story in the vein of Playground, Talia, or Genital Rot, this is not it. If you need a reminder of what’s really important in life and to be happy with what you have and who you have to share it with, Dead End House is the story for you. It’s a soul sucking journey into the depths of hell that Rob Zombie wishes he could write.
April 1, 2023
Every city has one. That road that is talked about in hushed tones. Maybe there are supernatural tales of ghosts or cryptids. Possibly a murder occurred in the past that will forever stain the cul-de-sac. Or there is a family or cult living there which led to some serious home value depreciation. There's no horror so chilling as a deep drop in your Zillow Zestimate. *shudder*
In true Bryan Smith fashion, we don't have to choose just one. There were murders there many years ago, but the murderers were institutionalized decades ago. Now it's just a dilapidated, abandoned house on a road so tied up in local legends that no one lives there anymore. Or is it?
It would be a short book if so. Shorter, at least. We find that, despite the original family dead or incarcerated, it seems like they're still there. And they are way younger than they should be. Could it be magic, ghosts, or something else that keeps them younger than they should be?
As anyone who ever had an interest in these creepy locations can verify - at some point in your dumbass teenage years you end up going and checking it out for yourself. That leaves a nice trail of victims showing up at their door, which is totally convenient. Once you visit, you can expect to be tortured. Extensively. The only way "out" is not to escape, but to prove you can be even more brutal than the the original clan. So, some of our victims become truly reprehensible monsters of their own, one-upping each other to make sure they stay the "torturer" and not "torturee".
I had a great time with this quick read. At times the reader doesn't know if things have a supernatural component or not - leading to some twists and turns without it being one of those books that lives or dies by its last chapter. It reminded me a lot of the early Depraved books from Bryan Smith - because there are a number of seemingly unrelated characters we follow and as the story comes to a close, you'll realize no one is safe and all bets are off regarding both logic and morality.
Another so-crazy-it's-kinda-funny genre mash-up from Bryan Smith, it's highly recommended to those who enjoy bloody and bizarre tales.
In true Bryan Smith fashion, we don't have to choose just one. There were murders there many years ago, but the murderers were institutionalized decades ago. Now it's just a dilapidated, abandoned house on a road so tied up in local legends that no one lives there anymore. Or is it?
It would be a short book if so. Shorter, at least. We find that, despite the original family dead or incarcerated, it seems like they're still there. And they are way younger than they should be. Could it be magic, ghosts, or something else that keeps them younger than they should be?
As anyone who ever had an interest in these creepy locations can verify - at some point in your dumbass teenage years you end up going and checking it out for yourself. That leaves a nice trail of victims showing up at their door, which is totally convenient. Once you visit, you can expect to be tortured. Extensively. The only way "out" is not to escape, but to prove you can be even more brutal than the the original clan. So, some of our victims become truly reprehensible monsters of their own, one-upping each other to make sure they stay the "torturer" and not "torturee".
I had a great time with this quick read. At times the reader doesn't know if things have a supernatural component or not - leading to some twists and turns without it being one of those books that lives or dies by its last chapter. It reminded me a lot of the early Depraved books from Bryan Smith - because there are a number of seemingly unrelated characters we follow and as the story comes to a close, you'll realize no one is safe and all bets are off regarding both logic and morality.
Another so-crazy-it's-kinda-funny genre mash-up from Bryan Smith, it's highly recommended to those who enjoy bloody and bizarre tales.
April 12, 2024
Bryan Smith is an author I've been finding myself getting into this year, his works are gruesome, outlandish, insane but compelling. Aside from House of Blood, I've enjoyed what I've read from him so far, Depraved probably being my favorite out of the bunch. Dead End House has intrigued me for quite a while, especially that gorgeous and atmospheric cover. But what did I think of it, Is it a good read, or did I find myself underwhelmed? Let's find out!
The abandoned house on Millhaven Road stands on barren ground. It's known as Dead End House because of its violent and brutal history. The town folk refuse to go anywhere near it, believing it to be cursed by satanic forces. But the house isn't actually abandoned, in fact, a family of crude, sadistic serial killers inhabit its walls and the violence isn't yet over. Lara Kincaid went missing five years ago, now it's time to find out what happened to her.
Bryan Smith has written an incredibly unforgiving and brutal tale filled to the brim with shocking amounts of horror and violence. It's a story with an interesting cast of characters who go through their own individual character arcs and a disturbing degree of violent brainwashing and manipulation. It's a really compelling novel with an engaging mystery that has you trying to figure out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together before its shocking climax.
There are some interesting subplots throughout this novel and some terrific twists. The ending to this novel is brilliant, but I do wish the story's final reveal had been better hinted at beforehand.
I will add some trigger warnings here, because oh boy is it a gruesome read. It is a novel filled with disturbing scenes containing elements such as murder, mutilation, suicide, necrophilia, r*pe, torture, cannibalism, etc.
Overall: It's a fantastic novel that makes for both a terrifying and compelling read. But it's not for the faint of heart! 9/10
The abandoned house on Millhaven Road stands on barren ground. It's known as Dead End House because of its violent and brutal history. The town folk refuse to go anywhere near it, believing it to be cursed by satanic forces. But the house isn't actually abandoned, in fact, a family of crude, sadistic serial killers inhabit its walls and the violence isn't yet over. Lara Kincaid went missing five years ago, now it's time to find out what happened to her.
Bryan Smith has written an incredibly unforgiving and brutal tale filled to the brim with shocking amounts of horror and violence. It's a story with an interesting cast of characters who go through their own individual character arcs and a disturbing degree of violent brainwashing and manipulation. It's a really compelling novel with an engaging mystery that has you trying to figure out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together before its shocking climax.
There are some interesting subplots throughout this novel and some terrific twists. The ending to this novel is brilliant, but I do wish the story's final reveal had been better hinted at beforehand.
I will add some trigger warnings here, because oh boy is it a gruesome read. It is a novel filled with disturbing scenes containing elements such as murder, mutilation, suicide, necrophilia, r*pe, torture, cannibalism, etc.
Overall: It's a fantastic novel that makes for both a terrifying and compelling read. But it's not for the faint of heart! 9/10
May 28, 2024
"The house itself became like a living thing, and as a living thing it possessed an awareness of its own history, as well as a desire to uphold and perpetuate that history."
Dead End House has wormed its way into my top 5 reads of this year (so far). The moment the story starts, Bryan's masterful story-telling sucks you in full blast and never lets go until the very last page. This story reminded me of Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses" as well as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." The setting, storyline, characters, dialogue and plot all meshed together perfectly, making this a highly compelling read.
If you like sick, twisted, gory and demented family curses/legends of pure chaos and endless bloodshed, then this story will absolutely exceed your expectations! GORE GALORE! The descriptions were so vividly detailed and even gag-worthy at times...
Dead End House has been abandoned for decades after a string of brutal murders that took place. The murderer was sent away to an asylum for the horrific crimes committed. The townsfolk have been weary and have kept their distance ever since, but with all "haunted houses", people are drawn in, out of sheer curiosity. Once you set foot on the property, its nearly impossible to leave it.
Highly Recommend!
Dead End House has wormed its way into my top 5 reads of this year (so far). The moment the story starts, Bryan's masterful story-telling sucks you in full blast and never lets go until the very last page. This story reminded me of Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses" as well as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." The setting, storyline, characters, dialogue and plot all meshed together perfectly, making this a highly compelling read.
If you like sick, twisted, gory and demented family curses/legends of pure chaos and endless bloodshed, then this story will absolutely exceed your expectations! GORE GALORE! The descriptions were so vividly detailed and even gag-worthy at times...
Dead End House has been abandoned for decades after a string of brutal murders that took place. The murderer was sent away to an asylum for the horrific crimes committed. The townsfolk have been weary and have kept their distance ever since, but with all "haunted houses", people are drawn in, out of sheer curiosity. Once you set foot on the property, its nearly impossible to leave it.
Highly Recommend!
March 11, 2025
Oh man this book felt too real!
All those horrible things happening in the book felt like actual events to me, like somebody in real life really did endure all that torture and humiliation. And for this the book is great, cruel and merciless with both the reader and the characters.
When I read extreme horror I never feel or think that anything in the book can actually happen in real life and this makes the reading fun and easy going, entartaining. But for some reason I had to read this one in many sittings because I felt too much for the victims. I was so immersed in the story that at many times I couldn't detach myself from it. And for this I salute the writer, great job man!
The only reason I gave the book four stars, instead of five, is because I did not like the ending. I was actually dissapointed by it. But fortunately for me it was very-very short. So, in my opinion, the book actually deserves four and a half stars. Great setting, hateful villains, great story, great writing.
All those horrible things happening in the book felt like actual events to me, like somebody in real life really did endure all that torture and humiliation. And for this the book is great, cruel and merciless with both the reader and the characters.
When I read extreme horror I never feel or think that anything in the book can actually happen in real life and this makes the reading fun and easy going, entartaining. But for some reason I had to read this one in many sittings because I felt too much for the victims. I was so immersed in the story that at many times I couldn't detach myself from it. And for this I salute the writer, great job man!
The only reason I gave the book four stars, instead of five, is because I did not like the ending. I was actually dissapointed by it. But fortunately for me it was very-very short. So, in my opinion, the book actually deserves four and a half stars. Great setting, hateful villains, great story, great writing.
September 8, 2024
This book is a fucking bloody good time. If absolute depravity is your jam, pick this shit up now. And that ending! Goddamn, where the hell did that come from? Believe me, however you think this book is going to end as you’re reading, forget about it… because this finale is gonna blow your mind and splatter it all over the wall like a fucking Rorschach test.
Yeah, this book is vile and disgusting, and admittedly, I did puke my guts out a couple times from it. However, I have since learned my lesson from other splattery books I’ve checked out and did NOT indulge in my beloved spicy Big Macs slathered with extra mayo and horseradish before reading this, because I already knew that blowing-chunks shit was gonna go down. And as delicious as those Big Macs are, I do not want to see them for a second time around post-consumption, especially when they’re all moist and half-digested looking. But yeah, this book will fuck you up in all the worst ways possible. Aside from ralphing up your stomach contents, you’re probably going to curl up into the fetal position with your thumb up your asshole after reading it. Good times.
Great book, def recommend. 👍👍
Yeah, this book is vile and disgusting, and admittedly, I did puke my guts out a couple times from it. However, I have since learned my lesson from other splattery books I’ve checked out and did NOT indulge in my beloved spicy Big Macs slathered with extra mayo and horseradish before reading this, because I already knew that blowing-chunks shit was gonna go down. And as delicious as those Big Macs are, I do not want to see them for a second time around post-consumption, especially when they’re all moist and half-digested looking. But yeah, this book will fuck you up in all the worst ways possible. Aside from ralphing up your stomach contents, you’re probably going to curl up into the fetal position with your thumb up your asshole after reading it. Good times.
Great book, def recommend. 👍👍
May 7, 2025
Dead House was recommended to me by Amazon while I was doing one of my regular bulk book buying sessions.
Reading the blurb on the back instantly reminded me of one of my favorite movie series. Which of course is the House Of 1,000 Corpses / The Devils Rejects / 3 From Hell trilogy from Rob Zombie.
So of course that made it an instant add to cart and buy for me.
It is more on the extreme horror side and gets pretty brutal at times. Also the author did a great job of creating a bleak and depressing existence for those unfortunate people who end up trapped in the Dead End House.
Usually I struggle a bit with lots of POV jumps (my ADHD brain can only handle so much jumping around!) But this one did the POV jumps well and set a pretty good standard for each character that I was able to tell the difference easily.
Overall this was a dark, brutal and at times gross read but in a good way.
Reading the blurb on the back instantly reminded me of one of my favorite movie series. Which of course is the House Of 1,000 Corpses / The Devils Rejects / 3 From Hell trilogy from Rob Zombie.
So of course that made it an instant add to cart and buy for me.
It is more on the extreme horror side and gets pretty brutal at times. Also the author did a great job of creating a bleak and depressing existence for those unfortunate people who end up trapped in the Dead End House.
Usually I struggle a bit with lots of POV jumps (my ADHD brain can only handle so much jumping around!) But this one did the POV jumps well and set a pretty good standard for each character that I was able to tell the difference easily.
Overall this was a dark, brutal and at times gross read but in a good way.
May 22, 2023
I'm a big fan of Bryan Smith so I knew what I was getting into, but this one is hardcore even for him. It is well-written and fast-paced, as is usual for his work, but honestly, at points, this one just seemed a bit...extra...just for the sake of it. If you like his work, I definitely suggest this one, but be forewarned: there is not a lot of room to breathe in this one and the darkness never breaks. It only gets darker.
May 30, 2023
I get that this book is extreme horror, but it read like a 12 year old kid wrote it. There wasn't too much of an actual plot. It's more like let's throw some nastiness out there and then top it off with more nastiness to see how much of a gross-out factor we can get. It could have been a really good story with character development and diving into what people would do to stay alive when faced with life or death situations but instead it was more of a "hold my beer and watch this sh¡t" book.
September 10, 2023
disgusting, Gory
The story is disgusting, gory from beginning to end. The author though is very good and I found no faults in misspelling or other., I somewhat enjoyed the book but personally prefer spooky over gory, bloody. The story reminded me of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre but gorier. It’s quite disturbing, and not for faint hearted. I’ll
stick to my haunted houses, spooky stories!
The story is disgusting, gory from beginning to end. The author though is very good and I found no faults in misspelling or other., I somewhat enjoyed the book but personally prefer spooky over gory, bloody. The story reminded me of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre but gorier. It’s quite disturbing, and not for faint hearted. I’ll
stick to my haunted houses, spooky stories!
December 31, 2023
I love Bryan. We converse from time to time electronically. That said, after pushing myself through DEAD END HOUSE, I realize extreme horror is far more difficult for me to read these days. As extreme horror books go, Smith does not hold back a thing. I mean, I felt like puking reading some of these horrors. To Smith's credit, he knows how to write these kinds of books and at this point, could probably do it in his sleep.
Extreme horror fans should check this one out.
Extreme horror fans should check this one out.
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