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Do Not Unlock

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There's something wrong in HMP Endgate.
The arrival of a malevolent force, far exceeding the evils Tom Jones and his fellow prison officers face daily, renders everyone inside trapped and cut off from the outside world. Unsure of what to DO or who to trust, staff and prisoners alike find themselves in a fight for survival.

NOT willing to give up, one by one, they fall victim to the ancient evil UNLOCKed and wandering the prison grounds.



With everyone's life in the balance, their only hope is to band together against the evil and prevent it from escaping.

From C S Jones, author of Colours, Tethered, Baba Yaga & Yuletide Offerings, this will serve as his first full-length novel.

473 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2025

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C.S. Jones

8 books33 followers

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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Kate Victoria RescueandReading.
1,890 reviews111 followers
February 9, 2025
This squirmy 🪱🪱🪱 creature feature, body horror, witty, terrifying, thrilling, and somewhat cosmic tale from C.S. Jones blew me out of the water!

From the characters (especially Kev and Tom and their dry, sarcastic humour) to the plot to the twists and turns, I was fully engaged in this story. Jones knows how to mix the humour and horror to perfection; even at some of the most tense moments (someone getting a certain something bitten off 🍆) one of the characters will say or do something that has me laughing out loud.

So make sure you grab this book and follow along with prison guard Tom as his world turns from an everyday bore to an apocalyptic nightmare! You’ll meet his coworkers, the prisoners, and the newly arisen Legion. Buckle up for this crazy ride.
Profile Image for Corrina Morse.
815 reviews124 followers
April 7, 2025
After reading Chris’ shorter works and being highly impressed, I couldn't wait to dive into a nice, juicy novel by him, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed! In fact I was hooked! Completely! From beginning to end!

From deep sea to prison cells, this was immediately chilling and claustrophobic. A tense, charged atmosphere lingers around you at all times, and you'll be looking over your shoulder more than once!

Something fishy is happening at HMP Endgate. Where prison guards become prisoners and the term ‘Do Not Unlock’ takes on a whole new and terrifyingly sinister meaning for the people within its walls. And visiting time brings some very much unwanted visitors.

Most of the inmates have a taste for Spice, it helps pass the time and take over their tortured minds and thoughts, but then something else grabs a hold of them, making them forget all their troubles, taking THEM over.

"Hell was unfolding on A-Wing.”

Jones drip feeds you the information you need, just enough to keep you wanting more, and to ensure you go burning through those pages to get it!

This was utterly, utterly chilling! Skin crawling cosmic horror that'll keep you up at night…and linger along your peripherals during the day too. The tension builds brilliantly, it's enthralling and terrifying! I found myself thinking about this one on several occasions when I wasn't reading it, and it will nest in my head a while, I'm sure.

Brilliant world-building, a smooth storyline and an extremely likeable main character that Jones actually got me caring about!
And Bug!
Bug needs his own story…

Oh, and by the way, these things exist! 😲
You're welcome!
Profile Image for Milt Theo.
1,813 reviews151 followers
March 31, 2025
C.S. Jones' "Do Not Unlock" takes the horrors of prison life (for guards and inmates both), and imbues them with nauseating sea horror, bone-chilling cosmic horror, horrifying body horror, and bewidering eco-horror! So many horror tropes are employed in this story, in such terrific ways, it reads as a mystery, a medical thriller, an eldritch chiller, a creature feature, even social commentary on mass incarceration trends! But above all, it's horror - gory, almost plausible, filled with growing anxiety, horror!

The book is huge (literally, in terms of size, the book is a door-stopper), the cast is large (it takes Jones almost half the book to develop a feel for the characters), there are no gratuitous shock value scenes (each situation grows organically to the next), and the plot, though extremely complex, is tight, entertaining, and never fells flat; even the response of the government sounds real, not to mention the handling of the supernatural bio-threat by the people under lockdown in the prison itself. You have to read it to see the attention to detail gone into this. And the ending felt true to the story, cruel yet compelling.

"Do Not Unlock" is essentially Levinson's found-footage film, "The Bay" (2012), meets the brilliant and very dark prison drama "Oz"; Jones ignores current genre restriction settings, and takes no prisoners (pun intended)! I would eagerly recommend the book to all horror fans looking for an immersive, gripping, and hugely imaginative reading experience!
Profile Image for Stephanie.
155 reviews8 followers
July 6, 2025
Do Not Unlock takes you inside a prison in the UK where the inmates are not the most dangerous part of being inside the walls. Tom Jones is one of the veteran staff at HMP Endgate, having 10 years of experience working in other facilities prior to his current role. When he and his fellow officers report for their shift the morning after the arrival of a previously incarcerated inmate whose behavior was completely out of character, he has no idea the day will devolve into chaos and terror. Because when that inmate arrived, he didn’t come alone. He brought with him an ancient, unseen evil, one that has been waiting decades to reemerge into the world. Now, Tom, his friends and colleagues, and the inmate population they have a duty to care for will have to put all differences aside in order to survive what’s coming.

I went into this book with some reservations. After working in corrections close to 14 years, books (and movies and tv shows) set in prison or jail just aren’t my cup of tea. But having read Jones’ shorter works and loving them, and seeing so much praise for his first novel, I knew I had to at least give it a try. I’m so glad I did, because this story blew me away. It was obvious that Jones has experience working in this setting. The banter between the staff, the inmates’ interactions, and the relationships between all of them were so well written and completely relatable if you’ve ever been inside a prison. But all of this just served as the backdrop to a story that was unsettling and made more frightening because no one could simply just leave. There were moments that were incredibly tense, and once the final scenes were in motion, shock after shock kept me turning pages. I couldn’t finish this one fast enough, and the ending was more than satisfying. If creepy crawlies mixed with a touch of cosmic horror are your thing, I can’t recommend Do Not Unlock enough!
Profile Image for Jordan.
Author 2 books33 followers
August 6, 2025
I have never been so itchy as I was reading this book. I got to a certain point where I had to stop reading because I swear I could feel little squirmy bug things crawling on ME and got very wigged out by it. What a horrifyingly creative creature, and the knowledge that something like this (albeit on a far smaller scale) actually exists will haunt me the rest of my life.

Do Not Unlock is Jones at his absolute finest. His experience working in the prison system shines through in the sheer amount of knowledge and expertise present in the story. I swear he has this ridiculous ability to make me feel his words in a more visceral way than I've ever experienced reading anyone else; I almost felt like I was right there with the characters sometimes.

And speaking of characters, every single one had so much depth and complexity to them that they felt like real people to me. I could very easily see myself having a pint with Greg at the end of a long shift or watching stupid shows on the telly with Kev. They were all written so damn beautifully that they came alive off the page the more I got to know about them. It's unreal the punch that Jones has managed to pack into this book....

This story is bloody brilliant and has completely ruined me for anything else! AND THAT ENDING!!! I finished the epilogue and sat staring at my book in total disbelief for MINUTES. I'm still completely dumbfounded trying to sort my thoughts out!

With a cast of characters I just couldn't help but get attached to, and a story that had me in its crosshairs from the very beginning, Do Not Unlock will be my top book of the year. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars because it deserves all of that and so much more.
Profile Image for Jim Ody.
Author 42 books161 followers
March 13, 2025
Last year was a phenomenal debut year for Mr Jones. His novellas just keep appearing, and all were entertaining and well written, but for me I yearned a full-length novel. With Do Not Unlock, I got that and much, much more!

I love books based in prison, but they are normally crime from authors like Edward Bunker or the UK's brilliant Ross Greenwood. This is the first horror I've read based on that setting, and it was so refreshing.

The prison details inside HMS Endgate are really well described, and the characters are all unique - most quite scary. The story of how 'it' got inside was well thought out. I never knew where the story was going, or even who was going to live or die, but I was fully invested immediately.

There are multiple perspectives throughout, with Prison Officer Tom Jones being the main one struggling to get through his shift as life goes to hell in a handbag!

To offset the novellas, this is a big boy of a book, but I flew through it in a few days! Chris is great at writing intriguing stories, but it's his writing that is very well defined and makes him a definite watch for the future. I'm no clairvoyant, but I see huge things in his future!
Profile Image for Catriona Mowat.
Author 2 books41 followers
January 26, 2025
When a strange inmate enters Endgate Prison, it sets off a chain of events that will change the lives of everyone living and working in the prison. They just have to remember one thing to try and stop an apocalypse: Do Not Unlock.

Do Not Unlock will tug at your heartstrings, make you laugh, keep you enthralled…and maybe lose your lunch. I was hooked from the first page, and just kept on turning the pages. You see individual chapters for each character to give a huge amount of backstory, as well as seeing online news articles for a POV from outside of the prison. It all works seamlessly to create a fully rounded narrative that gets under your skin…ironically.
Creature feature, eldritch horror, gore and psychological horror all combine here, and it is pure brilliance.
The best work from C S Jones yet
Profile Image for M.L. Rayner.
Author 8 books231 followers
July 2, 2025
I finished Do Not Unlock by C S Jones last night. Now, this was a wild ride. I've read Chris's shorter works and loved them, so although I went into this blind, I had high hopes. Needless to say, it delivered. I kind of regret leaving it so long before reading it. It's a lengthy book for sure, but somehow Jones manages to keep the pace fast throughout and still maintains the chilling atmosphere, leaving the reader with a dreadful sense of claustrophobia.

If you're attending B&B in August, be sure to pick up a copy of this. You won't be disappointed. Alternatively, if you know someone who's in prison, gift them this.

A great read!
Profile Image for Stephen Barnard.
Author 58 books43 followers
September 28, 2025
Excellent book that builds and builds, weaving characters and their fates - prisoners and staff alike - at HMP Endgate. Bug and body horror that's a slick mix of 'The Thing' and 'Assault on Precinct 13'.
Profile Image for Shanda.
118 reviews4 followers
May 21, 2025
The prisoners and guards are getting more than they bargained for when a new prisoner is brought into HMP Endgate. The prisoners and guards must join forces or being overrun by an infestation of lice.... Remember DO NOT UNLOCK!!

I devoured this in one night. Perfect blend of gore, creature feature, and horror. I absolutely couldn't put it down. Fantastic!!
Profile Image for Rhiannon.
46 reviews3 followers
June 27, 2025
What's going on at HMP Endgate? The arrival of a strange malevolent force takes the prison by utter carnage that leaves them trapped from the outside world. What do they do? Who do they trust? Who gets out alive?
After reading and loving Chris's shorter books, I was so looking forward to getting into something chunkier that I could get my teeth stuck in to. Do Not Unlock is Chris's first novel, and it knocked my socks off. It physically made me itch! Chris incrementally provides details to the story that keeps you turning the pages (while incessantly itching EVERYWHERE, even after you finish reading) while keeping the story going so well, that you do a little (insert Art the clowns incessant grin here!) inside. It's like your insides do a little happy dance when bits of information come together at just the right moment. Chris doesn't leave you waiting 10 plus chapters to piece together vital bits of information or additives of the characters that makes everything a little clearer and gives you perfect chunks of character development throughout.
Do not unlock kept me turning the pages, had me thinking about the story while I was away from the book and also made my periphery vision go into overdrive with thinking I could see tiny bugs crawling everywhere. I cared about the characters, I felt like I knew their stories and felt like they were real people.
Overall, Do Not Unlock is a spine tingling, genuinely chilling read, and I feel there's a few characters that deserve their own story coming out of this. Ali and Bug especially, imo 😊

Also, side note - I loved that I could tell Chris had worked in the prison system in some way from the way every detail was so precise. I felt like I could smell HMP Endgate, and Chris's involvement was confirmed in his thank you's at the end. This really helped to make the story work so well. I laughed at The Simpson's references, and I loved the Russian angel demise of a certain character. It reminded me of Lieutenant Boyle being hung against the cell in the same way in Silence of the Lambs.

Remember, happiness is door shaped!
Profile Image for Alison Faichney.
427 reviews2 followers
March 30, 2025
Happiness is door shaped. Dope debut novel by Jones! This one is right up my alley. Tiny bit of deep sea horror, throw in some clever parasites with a bit of cosmic in there and you’ve got Do Not Unlock. The action is there from page one but I’d say the pacing is steady.

In Do Not Unlock we follow prison guard, Tom Jones, as he works his shifts at Endgate Prison in Bagnin Bay (fictional, but I think Wales? Definitely UK). The arrival of a prisoner who’s acting very strange from his usual vibe sets the prison into complete upheaval. The gore is fantastically strong in this one and some of the kill scenes (both from other humans or the parasites) are so vivid. Jones goes hard with the body horror in this one and you definitely won’t forget some of his descriptions.

The pacing is solid. Plenty of world and character building but also enough action to keep the reader squirming. I struggled a bit in the first quarter to keep up with the various characters. There’s both prison staff and inmates which are alternatively called by their first and last names. This made me have to circle back a few times, but is more likely my stoner goldfish brain. The setting is pervasive in the best way. I love books that represent well, and Do Not Unlock nails it. At times I had to reread some of the dialogue to figure out what was said, but again, just adds that authenticity layer. If you vibe with longer books involving squirmy boys 🪱 and isolation horror, don’t sleep on Do Not Unlock. The prose is solid and the dialogue and characterization felt true. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Trish.
440 reviews21 followers
January 19, 2025
High adrenaline horror action that will make you squirm and pause for breath.

Something is happening in the water. With the docks closed off and cordons in place, only a skeleton staff report for duty at Endgate Prison. Tom Jones (not that one!) and his prison officer colleagues follow the mantra that happiness is door shaped. But are they keeping something in, or keeping something out?

This is the ultimate horror book for action lovers - think Patient Zero but with the most eye watering and visceral imagery. There is one scene in particular that every male reader will remember for a long, long time!

The narrative is interspersed with whistleblowing news reports that gives the reader the advantage, alongside some switches from showing to telling to uncover the origins. These did momentarily take me out of the story, but I can tell you they have every element that would be needed to convert this mighty fine novel into a screenplay.
Profile Image for Jen Ramsden.
355 reviews7 followers
January 21, 2025
Having read some of Chris' novellas, I was excited to read his first full length novel- and this did not disappoint! From the moment you start reading, the story never lets up, providing horror, thriller, twists and turns and plenty of gore. You can't help but root for characters, and the way they are developed throughout the book shows real skill, and means that you're constantly hoping for the best possible outcome for them. The story itself is brilliantly written, with great pacing, and you're guessing right up to the end what's going to happen next. I shall most likely be having nightmares!
Profile Image for Llrâc Nôdbé.
Author 1 book10 followers
April 16, 2025
This is the first full length novel that I’ve read of Chris’s (probably cause it’s his first), but I‘ve read a few of his short stories and novellas, and I must say that DO NOT UNLOCK did not disappoint.
Chris’s writing is fabulous and he draws you into the scenario and the tension that his characters are unwillingly dragged into, which keeps you turning the page.
I won’t go into detail of the storyline as I’ll probably chuck in a spoiler without realising it.
An easy 5 stars, snd I look forwarding to reading his next book 🤘🏻💀
18 reviews
March 27, 2025
 can't believe that this is C. S. Jones first full length novel because…


 WOW! 


Terror, Gore. Action, you name it. It's all here. I felt like I was in a Japanese horror survival game.

Don't be afraid of the large page count because it pulls you in from the first chapter and keeps you reading just to find out what happens next! To say that readers are going to get sucked into this story is an understatement because I devoured it in two days.

I highly Recommend it!
Profile Image for Rainbeaux Harvest.
229 reviews5 followers
February 23, 2025
Do Not Unlock had me with the bubble guts. It is a highly intense story that will have you clenching your cheeks. There's blood, violence, and gore. All the things I love in a story.
Profile Image for Jesy Joy.
119 reviews12 followers
March 5, 2025
This book is such an amazing, action packed adventure. In the beginning, you're trying to figure out what the hell is going on and you're dying to know. As you learn, so do the main characters. Unfortunately for them. I don't want to give anything away but be prepared for craziness, fear and just the right amount of gore.

Absolutely recommend this book! Get it today!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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