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The No-End House
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.
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 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.
Nine rooms. Nine tests. One chance to get out alive.
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 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.
321 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2025
513 people are currently reading
19064 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Bates
47 books1,846 followersUSA TODAY and #1 Amazon bestselling author Jeremy Bates has written over twenty novels and novellas, selling more than one million copies worldwide. His work has been translated into multiple languages and optioned for film and television by major studios. Midwest Book Review has likened his storytelling to that of Stephen King and Joe Lansdale, calling him a "master of the art." Bates is a KDP Select All-Star and the recipient of the Australian Shadows Award and the Canadian Arthur Ellis Award. He was also a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book honors chosen by readers.
His latest novel, *The No-End House*, is a standalone horror story set in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, where a pair of volunteers must navigate nine mysterious rooms in a sinister house. Scheduled for release by Kensington Publishing in July 2025, it’s a chilling tale of survival and escape.
Visit Amazon to get DENISOVANS for a special release-date price now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F...
Also, MOUNTAIN OF THE DEAD is currently only $0.99 in a limited-time deal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KW3N72
Finally, visit Jeremy’s website to receive a free copy of *Black Canyon*, winner of the Lou Allin Memorial Award.
https://www.jeremybatesbooks.com
His latest novel, *The No-End House*, is a standalone horror story set in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, where a pair of volunteers must navigate nine mysterious rooms in a sinister house. Scheduled for release by Kensington Publishing in July 2025, it’s a chilling tale of survival and escape.
Visit Amazon to get DENISOVANS for a special release-date price now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F...
Also, MOUNTAIN OF THE DEAD is currently only $0.99 in a limited-time deal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KW3N72
Finally, visit Jeremy’s website to receive a free copy of *Black Canyon*, winner of the Lou Allin Memorial Award.
https://www.jeremybatesbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 645 reviews
January 31, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2
You can’t win ‘em all. I’ve had a good run recently, and then I read this book. It seemed to be going alright, but then dinosaurs and Jason Voorhies showed up, and then it went less alright. I typically have the ability to suspend disbelief to enjoy a fantastical story, but the absurdity in this book overwhelmed, and there weren’t enough other redeeming qualities to compensate.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Paperback for the advanced copy, and the opportunity to provide an honest review.
Themes…
Despite my best attempt to parse through this book and pinpoint thematically relevant ideas, I really don’t think there were any to be gleaned. It was thin.
Character Work…
Oh boy, I couldn’t with these two. Joe and Helen were two-dimensional, hollow cutouts. Their relationship felt unbelievable, and their chemistry felt forced.
Prose…
It was fine. Nothing to remark upon in either direction.
Pace…
I mean this novel definitely moved. It was a non-stop barrage of action, with a few strategically placed flashbacks for character depth. It was well-paced.
You can’t win ‘em all. I’ve had a good run recently, and then I read this book. It seemed to be going alright, but then dinosaurs and Jason Voorhies showed up, and then it went less alright. I typically have the ability to suspend disbelief to enjoy a fantastical story, but the absurdity in this book overwhelmed, and there weren’t enough other redeeming qualities to compensate.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Paperback for the advanced copy, and the opportunity to provide an honest review.
Themes…
Despite my best attempt to parse through this book and pinpoint thematically relevant ideas, I really don’t think there were any to be gleaned. It was thin.
Character Work…
Oh boy, I couldn’t with these two. Joe and Helen were two-dimensional, hollow cutouts. Their relationship felt unbelievable, and their chemistry felt forced.
Prose…
It was fine. Nothing to remark upon in either direction.
Pace…
I mean this novel definitely moved. It was a non-stop barrage of action, with a few strategically placed flashbacks for character depth. It was well-paced.
January 22, 2025
ARC for review. To be published June 24, 2025.
1.5 stars.
Joe Hadfield, 44 is walking around the world, trying to heal from the death of his wife. While at a hostel in Barcelona he hears about a haunted house challenge near the Picasso museum where those who make it through win $5000. He also meets Helen, a woman in her 40s who works for UNICEF. She convinces him to seek out the house and to enter the challenge DESPITE THE FACT THEY DON’T NEED THE MONEY AND THEY HAVE TO AGREE TO FORFEIT THEIR SOULS IF THEY LOSE AND THE FACT THAT THE CONTRACT IS CLEAR THEY MIGHT NOT MAKE IT OUT.
Good Lord. These are meant to be sober adults in the middle of the day? There was some OK challenges in the house, but, also, Joe would be dead, so…..The whole thing was just silly.
1.5 stars.
Joe Hadfield, 44 is walking around the world, trying to heal from the death of his wife. While at a hostel in Barcelona he hears about a haunted house challenge near the Picasso museum where those who make it through win $5000. He also meets Helen, a woman in her 40s who works for UNICEF. She convinces him to seek out the house and to enter the challenge DESPITE THE FACT THEY DON’T NEED THE MONEY AND THEY HAVE TO AGREE TO FORFEIT THEIR SOULS IF THEY LOSE AND THE FACT THAT THE CONTRACT IS CLEAR THEY MIGHT NOT MAKE IT OUT.
Good Lord. These are meant to be sober adults in the middle of the day? There was some OK challenges in the house, but, also, Joe would be dead, so…..The whole thing was just silly.
June 25, 2025
I listened to this one and the narrator did a good job. This is a very interesting book, but it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. It wasn’t quite the straight horror I was wanting. Joe decides to walk the world after his wife is killed horribly in an accident. While in Barcelona he meets Helen and overhears two others in the hostel talking about a contest at the No End House. He and Helen go and decide to try the contest. If they can get through all of the rooms they will get 10,000 dollars. But the no end house is devious and the cost of failure is higher than the rewards. I thought too much of the house was a little more silly than horrifying, but I did like the ending a fair amount. The writing was fine and the characters were interesting. It would have made a pretty good episode of Black Mirror. It was a good story, it just wasn’t the horror story I was hoping for.
September 25, 2025
4☆
What a ride! Wow! Bates wrote a book that drew me in and wouldn't let go until the last word!
Where do our nightmares and fears come from? The No End House is one nightmare after another for Joe and Helen. As they progress through the labyrinths and nine rooms of the house they must face and defeat their innermost fears. And, the answer to where our fears and nightmares come from is answered.
There are some, few, episodes of levity when Joe and Helen start the contest: Helen calling a vampire named Carmilla, Vampmilla, and Joe making the observation that Carmilla, "was the sexiest creepy woman I'd met." But, as the stakes grow higher the humor lessens. Tension ratchets up to hyperventilation.
I grabbed a free copy of this novel from Bookfunnel and I thank them, author, and publisher for the opportunity to provide my impressions of the novel.
If you enjoy a surreal journey with an unexpected twist to the end you will enjoy The No End House. It was a fun adventure!
What a ride! Wow! Bates wrote a book that drew me in and wouldn't let go until the last word!
Where do our nightmares and fears come from? The No End House is one nightmare after another for Joe and Helen. As they progress through the labyrinths and nine rooms of the house they must face and defeat their innermost fears. And, the answer to where our fears and nightmares come from is answered.
There are some, few, episodes of levity when Joe and Helen start the contest: Helen calling a vampire named Carmilla, Vampmilla, and Joe making the observation that Carmilla, "was the sexiest creepy woman I'd met." But, as the stakes grow higher the humor lessens. Tension ratchets up to hyperventilation.
I grabbed a free copy of this novel from Bookfunnel and I thank them, author, and publisher for the opportunity to provide my impressions of the novel.
If you enjoy a surreal journey with an unexpected twist to the end you will enjoy The No End House. It was a fun adventure!
June 15, 2025
I was liking this book for the first 100 pages, then it took a strange twist and it lost me. Nazis, dinosaurs, huge moths and a variety of other obstacles that Joe and Helen had to battle were just too out there for me.
June 21, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free audio arc in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me at 48% in. The premise of this book sounded really interesting and started off good with getting into the competition for the escape room really gearing up like it was going to be like a slasher horror. What this ended up being was a bad acid trip (or mushroom trip). Insectoid like monsters, traveling back in time, just a hodgepodge of things that were thrown in there that really took me out of the story. If the author would have stuck to a more escape room story with people hunting the characters down and delving more into their stories it would have kept my interest, but this was just a little too out there for me.
Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me at 48% in. The premise of this book sounded really interesting and started off good with getting into the competition for the escape room really gearing up like it was going to be like a slasher horror. What this ended up being was a bad acid trip (or mushroom trip). Insectoid like monsters, traveling back in time, just a hodgepodge of things that were thrown in there that really took me out of the story. If the author would have stuck to a more escape room story with people hunting the characters down and delving more into their stories it would have kept my interest, but this was just a little too out there for me.
June 2, 2025
Full review to come, but I don’t finish books that use slurs
I would thank Kensington Press and Netgalley for the ARC, but honestly, I can't. Ignoring the fact the book promised SAW and delivered Jurassic Park, but the real problem with this book is there was a slur about 25% in, the one used against the dwarfism community. It's 2025, horror writers don't need to use slurs to make us scared, the scene read wrong and cringe and weird, and the author doesn't belong to that community. It wasn't cool, isn't okay, and I wish I had my time back from reading this book.
Kensington Press, do better.
I would thank Kensington Press and Netgalley for the ARC, but honestly, I can't. Ignoring the fact the book promised SAW and delivered Jurassic Park, but the real problem with this book is there was a slur about 25% in, the one used against the dwarfism community. It's 2025, horror writers don't need to use slurs to make us scared, the scene read wrong and cringe and weird, and the author doesn't belong to that community. It wasn't cool, isn't okay, and I wish I had my time back from reading this book.
Kensington Press, do better.
November 3, 2025
Be prepared. The gore starts on page 6. We do not even know the lead protagonist’s name at that point but we certainly find out how his wife died. Jeepers. What a sweet introduction to my first book by Jeremy Bates. Let’s go…
The husband’s name is Joe. He is walking around the world after the untimely death of his wife. In beautiful Barcelona he meets Helen who is from Chicago but is working out there for UNICEF. They strike up a friendship that will grow. In the hostel where he is staying Joe overhears a couple of backpackers talking about the No-End house which is near the Picasso Museum. It sounds like an escape room that you can win money if you complete. Joe tells Helen of this and she is intrigued. They end up there and accept the challenge to win $10,000 and sign a legal agreement. There are nine rooms in total they have to get through.
Guess what? This is no ordinary house. I will not give anything away in this review but this really does give license to a horror author to go all out with their imagination. The set-up is good but unfortunately the meat of the book does not live up to it in my opinion. I was not convinced by Joe and Helen’s relationship. Odd chemistry and the actual ‘trip’ through the house / caverns / tunnels / forest / desert just felt a bit all over the place. It is supposed to be a bit of a mind trip for the reader and for Helen and Joe which it is but it is not scary in the slightest even when bad things happen. That is what disappointed me. My take on this is that for this to work you must like and care about Joe and Helen. You want them to win. You want them to survive. You do not want harm to come to them. I was just ambivalent towards them.
After the beginning of the book I was expecting more of a Shaun Hutson type horror with blood and guts. It ended up being a ‘bad trip’ for Helen, Joe and the reader. Got to say though. I did like the ending.
The husband’s name is Joe. He is walking around the world after the untimely death of his wife. In beautiful Barcelona he meets Helen who is from Chicago but is working out there for UNICEF. They strike up a friendship that will grow. In the hostel where he is staying Joe overhears a couple of backpackers talking about the No-End house which is near the Picasso Museum. It sounds like an escape room that you can win money if you complete. Joe tells Helen of this and she is intrigued. They end up there and accept the challenge to win $10,000 and sign a legal agreement. There are nine rooms in total they have to get through.
Guess what? This is no ordinary house. I will not give anything away in this review but this really does give license to a horror author to go all out with their imagination. The set-up is good but unfortunately the meat of the book does not live up to it in my opinion. I was not convinced by Joe and Helen’s relationship. Odd chemistry and the actual ‘trip’ through the house / caverns / tunnels / forest / desert just felt a bit all over the place. It is supposed to be a bit of a mind trip for the reader and for Helen and Joe which it is but it is not scary in the slightest even when bad things happen. That is what disappointed me. My take on this is that for this to work you must like and care about Joe and Helen. You want them to win. You want them to survive. You do not want harm to come to them. I was just ambivalent towards them.
After the beginning of the book I was expecting more of a Shaun Hutson type horror with blood and guts. It ended up being a ‘bad trip’ for Helen, Joe and the reader. Got to say though. I did like the ending.
January 23, 2025
This was definitely a case of mistaken identity for me. I was anticipating a Saw-esque escape room style horror, but thats not really what this story is. Instead, it’s a mind-bending fever dream about grief and losing your grip on reality. And while there was plenty of unsettling terror, I couldn’t get immersed in it due to the dialog that often felt too silly and out of place. This was a very creative and intriguing storyline, but unfortunately my dislike for the two main characters kept me from fully enjoying this nightmare carnival ride.
July 28, 2025
Jeremy Bates' the No-End House feels like a Blumhouse movie in book form and, unfortunately, it's one of the bad ones.
First of all, this book uses a slur for little people REPEATEDLY and I'm quite appalled that, in this year of our lord 2025, nobody edited that out. Like, wtf?? To make it worse, the characters at one point acknowledge that the language they are using is offensive, but then they are like, "oh well they call themselves that, so I can." Like, excuse me?
Everyone involved in this book's publication should be embarrassed and ashamed about this. I mean, the slur wasn't used only once or twice. It was repeated maybe two dozen times over several chapters. It actually made me physically cringe.
Second of all, the story here gets ridiculous. This is like Alice in Wonderland if Alice had gone into a haunted house and the rooms are phobia-themed fantasy suites instead of rooms with SAW traps. I mean, there's dinosaurs, a giant moth, evil balloons, big bad bugs, and like time travel?? It was in a nonsensical way that made everything feel childish.
Maybe if the characters weren't such dipshits, the setting wouldn't have seemed so goofy. It honestly felt more slapstick than scary. And speaking of those dipshits...
The protagonists here are two-dimensional, uninteresting, and cringy. I couldn't stand either of them. There's also somewhat of an insta-romance that was totally unnecessary.
By the end, I was skipping pages to get this one over with sooner. Jeremy Bates' The No-End House is one of the worst horror books I've read in a minute.
1 out of 5 stars.
First of all, this book uses a slur for little people REPEATEDLY and I'm quite appalled that, in this year of our lord 2025, nobody edited that out. Like, wtf?? To make it worse, the characters at one point acknowledge that the language they are using is offensive, but then they are like, "oh well they call themselves that, so I can." Like, excuse me?
Everyone involved in this book's publication should be embarrassed and ashamed about this. I mean, the slur wasn't used only once or twice. It was repeated maybe two dozen times over several chapters. It actually made me physically cringe.
Second of all, the story here gets ridiculous. This is like Alice in Wonderland if Alice had gone into a haunted house and the rooms are phobia-themed fantasy suites instead of rooms with SAW traps. I mean, there's dinosaurs, a giant moth, evil balloons, big bad bugs, and like time travel?? It was in a nonsensical way that made everything feel childish.
Maybe if the characters weren't such dipshits, the setting wouldn't have seemed so goofy. It honestly felt more slapstick than scary. And speaking of those dipshits...
The protagonists here are two-dimensional, uninteresting, and cringy. I couldn't stand either of them. There's also somewhat of an insta-romance that was totally unnecessary.
By the end, I was skipping pages to get this one over with sooner. Jeremy Bates' The No-End House is one of the worst horror books I've read in a minute.
1 out of 5 stars.
June 26, 2025
ok this book was not at all what I thought it was going to be but i enjoyed this one so much. It was very entertaining and kept me guessing. would i classify it as horror? probably not but it was still so good.
Joe lost his wife very tragically and after the loss he decided to walk around the world. After 3 years he had made it to Barcelona. One night at a bar he meets Hellen and they hit it off but still grieving Joe doesn't take it any further and they both go their separate ways. That night at his hostel Joe hears about the no-end house challenge where if you make it through 9 rooms you get $5,000. Not thinking of it the next morning he goes to get coffee and runs into Hellen again. He tells her about the challenge and their curiosity gets the best of them and they have to check it out. And well this challenge was something else. Will they survive?
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC!
Joe lost his wife very tragically and after the loss he decided to walk around the world. After 3 years he had made it to Barcelona. One night at a bar he meets Hellen and they hit it off but still grieving Joe doesn't take it any further and they both go their separate ways. That night at his hostel Joe hears about the no-end house challenge where if you make it through 9 rooms you get $5,000. Not thinking of it the next morning he goes to get coffee and runs into Hellen again. He tells her about the challenge and their curiosity gets the best of them and they have to check it out. And well this challenge was something else. Will they survive?
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC!
May 20, 2025
2.5⭐️s I was enjoying this book it was giving horror escape room vibes then all the sudden the characters are transported back in time ,dinosaurs showed up , balloons and giant bugs it got kinda strange. I felt like things could have been scarier. Maybe I was just expecting something different from the story.
The No-End House is about individuals who enter a supposedly haunted house challenge, where they face a series of increasingly disturbing tests. The challenge, located in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, involves nine rooms and nine tests, with the promise of a reward for those who succeed. However, the premise is that no one makes it to the end alive. One book tells of a man named Joe Hadfield, who is walking the world to heal from the loss of his wife, and a woman named Helen who convinces him to enter the challenge. Another version details a young woman returning home after visiting the house, only to find that everything has changed.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC for my honest review
Publication date : June 24, 2025
The No-End House is about individuals who enter a supposedly haunted house challenge, where they face a series of increasingly disturbing tests. The challenge, located in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, involves nine rooms and nine tests, with the promise of a reward for those who succeed. However, the premise is that no one makes it to the end alive. One book tells of a man named Joe Hadfield, who is walking the world to heal from the loss of his wife, and a woman named Helen who convinces him to enter the challenge. Another version details a young woman returning home after visiting the house, only to find that everything has changed.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC for my honest review
Publication date : June 24, 2025
July 10, 2025
I really need this trend of Creepypasta/urban legend retellings to die. You’re better off reading the original story *by the original author* because it did a lot more in its short length than this full-length novel.
As someone who has read the original story, I knew right off the bat that the “Saw meets Hostel” comps were inaccurate. The prose was nothing to hit home about. The characters were very bland and one-dimensional. I didn’t find any part of this book scary, and I was laughing at how absurd some of the scenarios were because what do you mean there are fucking *dinosaurs* in this book?? Girl, please 😭 The ending had me rolling my eyes because of how cliche and predictable it was.
As someone who has read the original story, I knew right off the bat that the “Saw meets Hostel” comps were inaccurate. The prose was nothing to hit home about. The characters were very bland and one-dimensional. I didn’t find any part of this book scary, and I was laughing at how absurd some of the scenarios were because what do you mean there are fucking *dinosaurs* in this book?? Girl, please 😭 The ending had me rolling my eyes because of how cliche and predictable it was.
May 19, 2025
When I requested The No-End House I really did think I was going to love it as the concept sounded right up my alley. An eerie, psychological escape room-style horror? Sign me up! Unfortunately, this one didn’t really meet my expectations. The synopsis promised Saw-meets-Stephen King and what I got instead was what felt more like a surreal fever dream that gradually lost me as a reader.
To its credit, the backstories behind the two main characters and how they somehow tied with the house were fun and intriguing. I actually found myself more invested in how the house was targeting their personal lives and bringing aspects of it to the different rooms and challenges both Joe and Helen had to surpass. And then… the dinosaurs and Jason Voorhees happened. It was a pretty bizarre shift and it honestly killed the eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere for me.
The ending felt muddled and unsatisfying. I see what the author was trying to do and I do think it was an interesting twist to the final part of the story, but it didn’t really hit the mark for me. Maybe it would have worked better if the ending got a little bit more room to breathe. Overall, the book might’ve benefited from being shorter and tighter since there’s definitely potential here.
A thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
To its credit, the backstories behind the two main characters and how they somehow tied with the house were fun and intriguing. I actually found myself more invested in how the house was targeting their personal lives and bringing aspects of it to the different rooms and challenges both Joe and Helen had to surpass. And then… the dinosaurs and Jason Voorhees happened. It was a pretty bizarre shift and it honestly killed the eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere for me.
The ending felt muddled and unsatisfying. I see what the author was trying to do and I do think it was an interesting twist to the final part of the story, but it didn’t really hit the mark for me. Maybe it would have worked better if the ending got a little bit more room to breathe. Overall, the book might’ve benefited from being shorter and tighter since there’s definitely potential here.
A thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
September 17, 2025
Wtf was this????
October 27, 2025
This has to be the worst horror book ive attempted to read 75 pages read. its stupid and boring. Just read something else DNF. I don't normally do this but it was too much to endure anymore. bad
June 25, 2025
The No-End House is a chilling and atmospheric horror story that pulls readers into a maze of psychological terror and surreal horror. The story centers around a mysterious haunted house attraction that promises to push visitors to their mental and emotional limits. But this isn’t just any haunted house — each room becomes more unsettling, more impossible, and more personal than the last.
The protagonists, determined to make it through all the rooms, soon finds themselves questioning what’s real and what isn’t — and whether they’ll ever truly make it out. I’ll admit, some of the rooms pushed me to my limit as a reader; they were so bizarre and unsettling that I started to wonder if this book was even for me. It definitely veered outside my usual taste — but by the time everything came together, I was hooked and glad I stuck with it.
The author does a great job capturing that claustrophobic, disoriented feeling of being trapped in a nightmare you can’t wake up from. While it might not be for everyone at first glance, fans of psychological horror, and eerie mind-bending narratives will find something deeply compelling here. If you’re someone who appreciates stories that challenge your sense of reality, this one’s for you. And if you’re unsure at first — like I was — stick with it until the end…
The protagonists, determined to make it through all the rooms, soon finds themselves questioning what’s real and what isn’t — and whether they’ll ever truly make it out. I’ll admit, some of the rooms pushed me to my limit as a reader; they were so bizarre and unsettling that I started to wonder if this book was even for me. It definitely veered outside my usual taste — but by the time everything came together, I was hooked and glad I stuck with it.
The author does a great job capturing that claustrophobic, disoriented feeling of being trapped in a nightmare you can’t wake up from. While it might not be for everyone at first glance, fans of psychological horror, and eerie mind-bending narratives will find something deeply compelling here. If you’re someone who appreciates stories that challenge your sense of reality, this one’s for you. And if you’re unsure at first — like I was — stick with it until the end…
June 8, 2025
Jeremy Bates' novel is bound to leave many people dissatisfied, on account of its touching on so many different aspects of one and the same story, coming to it from several different directions, with jarring variations in characterization, pacing, genre, and premises. It's not hard to see, from very early on, how this might confuse those readers who prefer a simple, straightforward plot, without disorienting mashups or seemingly unmotivated conceptual intrusions of one genre into another: what to make of a book that starts as an escape room challenge, transforms into a labyrinthine and messy, supernatural adventure with the promise of romance, then turns into sci-fi territory (there's apparently a visit to the Jurassic, then a trip to the far future), changes into a slasher (with two cameos by Jason Vorhees), flirts with dark fantasy (with a cannibal witch living in a mushroom), and ends up, finally, in typical grimdark style, with people fighting monsters to the death with katanas? Why deny it; such a book will definitely not be for everyone.
Yet for those of us who love dense plots, story-driven supernatural suspense, psychologically accurate characterization, liminal settings, jaw-dropping visuals, wild feats of the imagination, and twisty endings, "The No-End House" is pure gold! I myself loved the book from start to finish, realizing from early on it'd be an unorthodox excursion into grief horror, through an original spin on the familiar "escape room/haunted house attraction" trope; but I'd be lying if I said that I knew beforehand how far Bates' unbridled imagination would go from Barcelona, where the story begins, to entirely unknown, whole countries of brilliantly imagined terror and suspense. There is such a quick progression through the storyline, it's easy to feel curious about everything, and before you know it, you're deep into "The No-End House" and finding the experience hugely enjoyable. Occassionally, the action slows for the briefest of moments; this allows both readers and characters to breathe - before getting swept away again.
And the characters! They feel real, they talk like common people do (they even use slurs under stress, when they shouldn't; yes, there ARE such people in real life, so why not in fiction!), they think like you and me; and that's what made the ending hit so hard - a perfect WTF moment served right when you hardly expect it.
I recommend the novel very highly. It'll grab your attention from the first chapter, and if you like action, mystery, liminal horror, and shocking endings, you’ll enjoy "The No-End House" for sure!
Yet for those of us who love dense plots, story-driven supernatural suspense, psychologically accurate characterization, liminal settings, jaw-dropping visuals, wild feats of the imagination, and twisty endings, "The No-End House" is pure gold! I myself loved the book from start to finish, realizing from early on it'd be an unorthodox excursion into grief horror, through an original spin on the familiar "escape room/haunted house attraction" trope; but I'd be lying if I said that I knew beforehand how far Bates' unbridled imagination would go from Barcelona, where the story begins, to entirely unknown, whole countries of brilliantly imagined terror and suspense. There is such a quick progression through the storyline, it's easy to feel curious about everything, and before you know it, you're deep into "The No-End House" and finding the experience hugely enjoyable. Occassionally, the action slows for the briefest of moments; this allows both readers and characters to breathe - before getting swept away again.
And the characters! They feel real, they talk like common people do (they even use slurs under stress, when they shouldn't; yes, there ARE such people in real life, so why not in fiction!), they think like you and me; and that's what made the ending hit so hard - a perfect WTF moment served right when you hardly expect it.
I recommend the novel very highly. It'll grab your attention from the first chapter, and if you like action, mystery, liminal horror, and shocking endings, you’ll enjoy "The No-End House" for sure!
June 21, 2025
I’m sorry, but I just hated Joe & Helen so much that I couldn’t enjoy the story. And what a bizarre story it was.
Thank you anyways to the author, NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing for a copy!
Thank you anyways to the author, NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing for a copy!
July 14, 2025
For some reason this was just silly.
June 14, 2025
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 24, 2025
Canadian horror author Jeremy Bates has delivered a pulse-pounding, fantastically horrifying summer thriller with his new standalone novel, “The No-End House”.
After his wife dies in a horrible accident, Joe Hadfield sets out to accomplish a lifelong goal- to walk across the world. When he makes it to Barcelona, he meets a woman by the name of Helen, who encourages him to try the infamous “No-End House” challenge. For the challenge, Joe and Helen must make their way through nine rooms in an historic and infamous mansion in the Gothic Quarter and, if they succeed, they will win five thousand dollars each but, if they lose, they risk losing their lives- and their souls.
“The No-End House” was a non-stop thrill ride from the very first page. Reminiscent of Pennywise in Stephen King’s “It”, the “The No-End House” creates an atmosphere where you are plagued by your deepest fears and confronting them head-on is the only way to come out alive- maybe. Every single room was more terrifying than the previous and it had me on the edge of my seat. Bates forces us to examine our broken inner child, and the fears that come with it.
Joe’s wife dying so tragically endeared me to him right away and his quest to walk across the world (where possible, of course) was engaging and intriguing. When he meets Helen, who is strange yet interesting in her own right, they instantly pair up to take on the No-End House together. Bates ensures that, just like Joe, readers are left deciding for themselves if Helen can be trusted, although she is likable enough that I wanted her and Joe to successfully survive the house and its horrors.
Can we talk about that ending, though? After Bates takes us on a horrific journey through nine rooms of terror, he hits readers with an unexpected, twisty-as-hell, surprising ending that literally had my jaw hitting the floor.
Bates has evaded my attention up to this point, though he has several novels under his belt, all in the horror genre but, if his other novels are anything like the No-End House, I will definitely be adding all of them to my list. “The No-End House” is sharp, scary and utterly unique and Bates has earned every one of my five, shining stars!
Expected publication date: June 24, 2025
Canadian horror author Jeremy Bates has delivered a pulse-pounding, fantastically horrifying summer thriller with his new standalone novel, “The No-End House”.
After his wife dies in a horrible accident, Joe Hadfield sets out to accomplish a lifelong goal- to walk across the world. When he makes it to Barcelona, he meets a woman by the name of Helen, who encourages him to try the infamous “No-End House” challenge. For the challenge, Joe and Helen must make their way through nine rooms in an historic and infamous mansion in the Gothic Quarter and, if they succeed, they will win five thousand dollars each but, if they lose, they risk losing their lives- and their souls.
“The No-End House” was a non-stop thrill ride from the very first page. Reminiscent of Pennywise in Stephen King’s “It”, the “The No-End House” creates an atmosphere where you are plagued by your deepest fears and confronting them head-on is the only way to come out alive- maybe. Every single room was more terrifying than the previous and it had me on the edge of my seat. Bates forces us to examine our broken inner child, and the fears that come with it.
Joe’s wife dying so tragically endeared me to him right away and his quest to walk across the world (where possible, of course) was engaging and intriguing. When he meets Helen, who is strange yet interesting in her own right, they instantly pair up to take on the No-End House together. Bates ensures that, just like Joe, readers are left deciding for themselves if Helen can be trusted, although she is likable enough that I wanted her and Joe to successfully survive the house and its horrors.
Can we talk about that ending, though? After Bates takes us on a horrific journey through nine rooms of terror, he hits readers with an unexpected, twisty-as-hell, surprising ending that literally had my jaw hitting the floor.
Bates has evaded my attention up to this point, though he has several novels under his belt, all in the horror genre but, if his other novels are anything like the No-End House, I will definitely be adding all of them to my list. “The No-End House” is sharp, scary and utterly unique and Bates has earned every one of my five, shining stars!
September 17, 2025
Felt more like a sci-fi
This book definitely had horror elements, but it read more like a sci-fi. The idea behind the story was great: nine rooms for nine challenges. However, some of the challenges weren't horror, or even creepy.
This was still a very fun read, and I'm glad I read it!
Spoilers
The ending absolutely got me though. I did not see him still being in the house at ALL. I do hate the fact that there was actually no way out, that death was truly the only way, I wish there still could have been a way out. But it was great
This book definitely had horror elements, but it read more like a sci-fi. The idea behind the story was great: nine rooms for nine challenges. However, some of the challenges weren't horror, or even creepy.
This was still a very fun read, and I'm glad I read it!
Spoilers
The ending absolutely got me though. I did not see him still being in the house at ALL. I do hate the fact that there was actually no way out, that death was truly the only way, I wish there still could have been a way out. But it was great
February 26, 2025
I can't tell if this book was written by AI.
January 18, 2026
All they have to do is make it through 9 rooms of this old gothic mansion, and they will get a sweet payday—$10Gs! Seems easy, but it’s not. This is no normal house; each room is a different universe that takes them through space and time and has characters that come to life from their deepest fears and nightmares. Room after room is more difficult than the last, and no matter what happens, 10 grand is not worth this-not even close.
Right, I enjoyed it, didn’t love it. It was intriguing but as well got pretty ridiculous, and towards the end I got that dreaded character burnout—I just did not care what happened to the guy. Nevertheless, it was a fun read, and I’ll be watching for more from this author; he has a lot to offer.
Right, I enjoyed it, didn’t love it. It was intriguing but as well got pretty ridiculous, and towards the end I got that dreaded character burnout—I just did not care what happened to the guy. Nevertheless, it was a fun read, and I’ll be watching for more from this author; he has a lot to offer.
July 19, 2025
So I am unsure exactly what I had expected from this one but it turned out a tad different... For one it has a lot more adventure in here, adventure and action. And there were a few scenes in here (and environments) that I never, ever expected at all. But this story was simple enough that I didn't need to take any notes at all (as with some novels I most certainly do take notes). There is a ton of traveling around and facing dangerous situations and trying to figure out stuff.
First I will say the good ... The story moves at a good pace. It drew me in right from the beginning and lots of dialogue carries the story forward. There are huge plot twists. There are plenty of freaky demented scenes; really creepy stuff. Lots of the stuff in here is very creative.
Now the bad - and it's this particular thing why I am not rating 4 stars.
Now I like stories to make sense. I mean even if they have magic or aliens or portals that transport you to far away locations they have to follow some type of rules. And this is so the reader can actually believe in what is happening. Because if you can't believe in it the whole story falls apart. Well I ran into a problem with that in here. And it really bugged me too. Because I just couldn't believe that the particular thing is possible under those circumstances, especially with what happens right after that. I can't say what it is (because it would be a spoiler) but it's on page 125. It's something that happens to one of the two main characters. It pretty much ripped me out of the story for awhile and I found myself asking Google questions - and that only made me agree more with myself.
So yeah, that is a problem. Maybe there was some other explanation for it (and the end only creates more questions)...
But there is nothing worse than reading a book, some incident happens and then it's just so unbelievable that you struggle to believe it. And you say "But that's impossible!"
I did enjoy the rest of the book so I am giving it 3 stars. It's definitely more of an adventure story.
I did find Joe to be a rather weak character, which is why he gets into this problem with Helen.
The ending was a surprise.
First I will say the good ... The story moves at a good pace. It drew me in right from the beginning and lots of dialogue carries the story forward. There are huge plot twists. There are plenty of freaky demented scenes; really creepy stuff. Lots of the stuff in here is very creative.
Now the bad - and it's this particular thing why I am not rating 4 stars.
Now I like stories to make sense. I mean even if they have magic or aliens or portals that transport you to far away locations they have to follow some type of rules. And this is so the reader can actually believe in what is happening. Because if you can't believe in it the whole story falls apart. Well I ran into a problem with that in here. And it really bugged me too. Because I just couldn't believe that the particular thing is possible under those circumstances, especially with what happens right after that. I can't say what it is (because it would be a spoiler) but it's on page 125. It's something that happens to one of the two main characters. It pretty much ripped me out of the story for awhile and I found myself asking Google questions - and that only made me agree more with myself.
So yeah, that is a problem. Maybe there was some other explanation for it (and the end only creates more questions)...
But there is nothing worse than reading a book, some incident happens and then it's just so unbelievable that you struggle to believe it. And you say "But that's impossible!"
I did enjoy the rest of the book so I am giving it 3 stars. It's definitely more of an adventure story.
I did find Joe to be a rather weak character, which is why he gets into this problem with Helen.
The ending was a surprise.
Read
July 1, 2025Dnf
August 18, 2025
Review
🔂 The No-End House by Jeremy Bates⭐️⭐️⭐️ .💫 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed The No End House. It was definitely “out there” and yeah almost all parts weren’t super believable in a reallife sense, but honestly?That didnt bother me at all. I go into horror books actually expecting the surreal, and the DOWNRIGHT bizarre 💯
this one delivered that!
What stood out the most for me was how this book dives into the psychological side of horror. It really shows how terrifying the own human mind can be…how your thoughts, fears, and memories can twist and turn on you until you’re bitter, broken, and completely mad. I love when horror doesn’t rely just on jump scares and tons of blood but digs into something deeper.
There were some creepy moments and couple unexpected twists that kept me reading. A lot of people didn’t enjoy the ending,but I must say that I freaking loved it!!! 👌🏻I’m somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars on this one.
_______________________________
🔂 The No-End House by Jeremy Bates⭐️⭐️⭐️ .💫 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed The No End House. It was definitely “out there” and yeah almost all parts weren’t super believable in a reallife sense, but honestly?That didnt bother me at all. I go into horror books actually expecting the surreal, and the DOWNRIGHT bizarre 💯
this one delivered that!
What stood out the most for me was how this book dives into the psychological side of horror. It really shows how terrifying the own human mind can be…how your thoughts, fears, and memories can twist and turn on you until you’re bitter, broken, and completely mad. I love when horror doesn’t rely just on jump scares and tons of blood but digs into something deeper.
There were some creepy moments and couple unexpected twists that kept me reading. A lot of people didn’t enjoy the ending,but I must say that I freaking loved it!!! 👌🏻I’m somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars on this one.
_______________________________
July 26, 2025
3.5⭐️ This was a psychologically crazy ride! Loved this take on a haunted house/escape room type book!
June 21, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing an ARC of The No-End House by Jeremy Bates in exchange for honest feedback.
I had high hopes for The No-End House - the cover is eerie, the premise promises a terrifying haunted house, so I went in expecting chills. What I got instead felt like a strange mash-up of a budget Saw movie and a warped Alice in Wonderland escape room…and not in a good way.
The concept had potential, but the execution was all over the place. Rather than a horrifying experience, the plot devolves into confusing and repetitive traps that were more frustrating than frightening. It lacked tension, atmosphere, and the haunted vibe the blurb teased.
By the hallway point, I was desperate to DNF - but I pushed through hoping it would redeem itself. It didn’t. Ultimately, this book just felt like a missed opportunity and I left it feeling let down and annoyed.
I had high hopes for The No-End House - the cover is eerie, the premise promises a terrifying haunted house, so I went in expecting chills. What I got instead felt like a strange mash-up of a budget Saw movie and a warped Alice in Wonderland escape room…and not in a good way.
The concept had potential, but the execution was all over the place. Rather than a horrifying experience, the plot devolves into confusing and repetitive traps that were more frustrating than frightening. It lacked tension, atmosphere, and the haunted vibe the blurb teased.
By the hallway point, I was desperate to DNF - but I pushed through hoping it would redeem itself. It didn’t. Ultimately, this book just felt like a missed opportunity and I left it feeling let down and annoyed.
June 13, 2025
The No‑End House plunges readers into a phantasmagoric descent, equal parts magical realism, psychological horror, and surreal nightmare. With echoes of Stephen King’s unsettling atmosphere, this haunted‑house odyssey unfolds across nine increasingly grotesque “escape rooms” nestled in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter.
Bates orchestrates a dreamlike disorientation: each room collapses the boundary between memory, phobia, and supernatural menace. We, alongside Joe, are submerged into an active, fracturing world where fears materialize and twist. The pacing simulates a fever dream, slowly entrancing at first, then catapulting into hallucinatory terror.
This deliberate “weirdness” is central to the magical‑realist aesthetic: confusion, distortion, emotional rupture. It revives that uncanny sense of displacement, the very quality magical realism thrives on, melding the everyday with the impossible. Where some may argue the genre demands a gentler surrealism, here the brutal intrusion of the supernatural functions as a reckoning: Joe can no longer deny what he has stepped into.
Yet the novel is not without missteps. While the thematic trajectory and emotional tension are compelling, certain sequences, such as the extended dinosaur phobia room, feel incongruous, even indulgent.
Nevertheless, Bates’s vision remains largely effective. He channels visceral horror, trauma, and fear into a structure that feels like a livewired labyrinth, haunting in its design, personal in its cost. The No‑End House itself becomes a character: a shapeshifting altar to shame, grief, and terror. Fans of immersive horror, think Hostel crossed with King-style supernatural dread—will likely find this a darkly satisfying gauntlet
The No‑End House is an audacious hybrid, a haunting, hyper‑real haunted‑house novel that stumbles only when Bates indulges excess. Its surreal, phobic rooms summon real unease, and the emotional core anchors the supernatural with surprising depth. Though readers seeking literary magical realism may bristle at its heavy-handed horror, those open to genre-blending nightmares will find themselves both unsettled and entranced.
Bates orchestrates a dreamlike disorientation: each room collapses the boundary between memory, phobia, and supernatural menace. We, alongside Joe, are submerged into an active, fracturing world where fears materialize and twist. The pacing simulates a fever dream, slowly entrancing at first, then catapulting into hallucinatory terror.
This deliberate “weirdness” is central to the magical‑realist aesthetic: confusion, distortion, emotional rupture. It revives that uncanny sense of displacement, the very quality magical realism thrives on, melding the everyday with the impossible. Where some may argue the genre demands a gentler surrealism, here the brutal intrusion of the supernatural functions as a reckoning: Joe can no longer deny what he has stepped into.
Yet the novel is not without missteps. While the thematic trajectory and emotional tension are compelling, certain sequences, such as the extended dinosaur phobia room, feel incongruous, even indulgent.
Nevertheless, Bates’s vision remains largely effective. He channels visceral horror, trauma, and fear into a structure that feels like a livewired labyrinth, haunting in its design, personal in its cost. The No‑End House itself becomes a character: a shapeshifting altar to shame, grief, and terror. Fans of immersive horror, think Hostel crossed with King-style supernatural dread—will likely find this a darkly satisfying gauntlet
The No‑End House is an audacious hybrid, a haunting, hyper‑real haunted‑house novel that stumbles only when Bates indulges excess. Its surreal, phobic rooms summon real unease, and the emotional core anchors the supernatural with surprising depth. Though readers seeking literary magical realism may bristle at its heavy-handed horror, those open to genre-blending nightmares will find themselves both unsettled and entranced.
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