⭐️⭐️⭐️

The audiobook was great. The narrators did a great job.

The premise sounded so good and drew me in.

The beginning had me hooked. From the suspicious meeting of the FMC to the competition contract I was so invested. I thought the game of guessing the age was my favorite. I was excited to see everything was going to go. Then… dinosaurs. I thought that was such an odd element to throw into this book…time travel.?!

When I finally understood what the real reasons behind all the scare I was already withdrawn from the story.

I do think the ending was very good.

The No-End House by Jeremy Bates, Narrated by Joe Hempel
(RB Media, Tantor Media Audiobook)

3.5 rounded up to 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The novel is as twisted as Pippi Longstocking’s two red braids. Firmly set upon her head, jutting out, as if casting out the demons from within. My forehead dripped with sweat as the Barcelona skies scorched my receding hairline. There sat Joe Hadfield, sipping on a coffee. Poor Joe. The story goes that Joe’s deceased ex-wife, Jen, experienced some up-close and personal turbulence and couldn’t escape the perils of exiting a plane on the tarmac. Joe has been on the walk ever since, committed to walking around the world to escape the misery of missing his wife. I turned my gaze to the left, slowly panning out and taking in the beauty of Helen, a firecracker in every sense of the word. Bravely, Joe approaches Helen and sits down next to her. They strike up an animated conversation, and I am left to wonder where this friendship might lead.

I am led, dear reader, into the mind of Jeremy Bates, whose adeptness in writing the macabre becomes virtually apparent from the beginning. A psychological horror story awaits my reading participation. The next morning, I followed them inconspicuously to a gothic mansion. As if I were indeed a ghost, I trailed their every move. From what I can overhear, this place offers a challenge. Surviving through nine rooms will garner a nice cash prize for both of them. However, if they can’t overcome the obstacles, their souls will remain within the confines of the house. With the obligatory contract signed, we await the fates of Helen and Joe. Each room presented a unique adversity and provided an array of chills and goosebumps. Can they see their way through this inescapable vastness? This begins the madness!!!

While I can make an obvious comparison to Saw, Bates throws a bit more zest in here for good measure. I did have some reservations about the use of some of the antagonists, the Nazi and dinosaur—yes, I said dinosaur—being a bit outlandish, and I concede that this may be a put-off for some readers, thus tarnishing the believability factor of the book. Some interesting choices are made by the author, Jeremy Bates, and I commend the confidence it took to go all in.

Overall, I read for escapism. I like being placed in imaginative worlds. The book often straddles the line of obnoxious insanity. That is the point of this novel. Joe is not well. Psychotic, demented. The story’s beauty lies in Bates’s ability to hide the truth from the readers. I was able to claw my way through the more “crazy” segments and was rewarded with some logical answers. Understandably, though, the story's execution will ruffle the feathers of those who want a more direct and plausible novel. Similarly, at the midway point, the novel was registering 3⭐⭐⭐ on my review-o-meter, but I persevered.

Did I have the advantage of the fantastic narration from Joe Hempel? Does the audiobook provide a better experience in this case? Perhaps! Hempel did a tremendous job of invoking some solid imagery in an otherwise psychotic story.

I saw life behind a man, normal as can be from onlookers. However, once I dove headfirst into his psyche, I saw pain and confusion. An emotional scarring and fragility slowly fracturing his existence. Joe Hadfield, who are you?

The novel won’t be for everyone, but it is recommended for those who like a bit of Tabasco on their eggs.

Many thanks to Tantor Media for the audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was given a chance to review an ARC of the audiobook copy of this book.

Plot and Characters: The plot, I admit had a good premise. Joe is traveling around the world after his wife's death. In Barcelona, he meets Helen in a hostel. They overhear other travelers talking about this haunted house, so they go there and it is confirmed to be true and they'd win $10K if they get through it. Throughout the haunted house, they have to solve puzzles, get chased by different people or things, and have very strange encounters. The characters, especially Joe has a good backstory. Helen is okay...she's a bit annoying, but I guess it's good if even a character has enough personality to be annoying.

Good execution at first, but ran on pretty long. The description was good, modern setting. The story was enough to keep me engaged, but I admit, some parts could had been shorter and more to the point. I was waiting for the horror, but it wasn't really much horror...more like thriller. The ending isn't disappointing. It's a pretty decent ending, good twist.

Caution: There can be some triggers, like it isn't the most politically correct book, like it uses the word "midget" and other things, so if you're offended by those sort of things, it won't be for you.

Narration: The narrator was pretty darn good. Good voice and tone, which matches the story. Engaging.

Overall, the book is just okay, I'd give it a 3 of 5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book! Its a good combination of liminal horror with elements of Saw, Escape Room, and even Dante's Inferno. The execution was interesting and I liked how the two characters worked together to get through the house.

* Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor audio for early copy for review*

Did not like this. I felt weird about characterization at the beginning of the book, but about 20% in it got unbearable. I do not like how this author refers to people and builds their characters. The challenges were not interesting. This was not good.

wowwwwwwwwwww. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it was everything I had hoped it would be!!! Scary in a Grimm fairy tale vibe type of way. I did NOT know what to expect from the synopsis and was surprised how different each chapter was. I loved the narrator and the story. It started with a bang when the main character describes and accident his wife had...I literally gasped in the car listening to that part and knew the rest of the book would be a wild ride. Definitely recommend the audiobook version of this one! Although, I'm sure the book is just as satisfying to read. I need to go back now and read some of this author's other books!!! I think I have read a scary forest book by him, and that one was just as crazy. Crazy in a good way, like a heart racing crazy!!!!!

Thanks! :)

HOLY TWISTS!
A guy traveling in Barcelona meets a woman while staying in a hostel. They end up at a haunted house contest for a cash prize. 9 rooms and 9 tests. If you can get through 9 rooms you win. If you fail…well that’s the bad part.! It was like a crazy escape room designed to make you go mad.
This book gave me Fairy Tales, by Stephen King, vibes. It wasn’t scary or haunting. Just suspenseful. The writing was good, clear, and concise. The narrator was very good.
All in all, this book was good. Like I said it started slow and really picked up as it went. I didn’t want to quit listening. The ending was eventful and shocking. I actually enjoyed it.

Narrator was clear and concise. I had no issues with the audio or narrator

The No-End House has an intriguing hook: a strange haunted house/escape room with nine escalating rooms of terror? Count me in. I liked that Jeremy Bates played with perception and memory for the drive of the horror, rather than just blood and guts like so much Kindle Unlimited shovelware.

Joe’s grief over his wife’s death added emotional weight, but I didn’t always buy into the dialogue or the relationship with Helen, which felt undercooked. The house itself delivered some strong moments, but a few sections dragged or leaned too hard into dream logic, undercutting the tension.

It’s clever and ambitious, but uneven. I wanted more from the characters, but if you’re in the mood for something surreal and sinister that moves at a decent clip, this scratches that itch.

The No-End House follows Joe Hadfield who while on a trip to escape from the brutal loss of his wife, comes across a haunted house type escape room.

I am a fan of haunted houses, games and trials and Stephen King, so I was definitely a fan of the premise and did find it an enjoyable enough read. Had I gone into the book expecting similarities to Saw and Hostel though, I would have been disappointed. There definitely wasn't that level of horror and gore, though I personally didn't mind that.

I enjoyed the challenges of each room and I enjoyed the build up at the end. Part of me wishes the twist was fleshed out a bit more, while another part of me feels it has been left open to interpretation.

All in all, it was an enjoyable haunted house story and I felt the narrator was a great fit for the book.

This was a review of the ARC audio. Release date was 24 June 2025.

This was...weird. In a way I wouldn't recommend. It wasn't disorienting in a fun mindbending horror way so much as it was just all over the place and unsettling in an offensive way.

The No-End House is a haunted house escape room whose challenges are created using deepest fears from the players’ sub-consciences. Joe is walking around the world after his wife dies in a horrific accident. After a brief flirtation with a woman, Helen, in Barcelona, the two of them enter the No-End House where they encounter their deepest fears in room after room, with the promise of a $10k prize at the end. The audiobook narration was very well done and was an entertaining listen. While the characters were not extremely deep, the room challenges and overall story were engaging.

Thank you Netgalley, RBmedia | Tantor Audio and Jeremy Bates for the audio Arc of The No End House.
Narrated by Joe Hempel

The No End House was a fun locked house/haunted house trope which just messes with whether you are reading about a haunted house or psychosis of a grieving mad man. Our MC, Joe, in the midst of grieving from the loss of his wife decides to travel the world. After it being brought to his attention of a potentially " Haunted house " down town in Barcelona, Spain after talking to a local women, they decide to go an investigate this crumbling, gothic mansion. There's a prize to be had if you can get through the nine rooms. Sold right?!

Well, this book was a really fun read and I really engaged in the audiobook. Joe Hempel has a great paced, storytelling voice which suited this sort of horror/locked house book. Each room has a puzzle to work out and if our MC can't do it, death will ensue. I was that engaged that I was trying to work out what and how to work out how to escape the rooms right along with them. Each room becomes more and more fantastical and it becomes apparent that supernatural influences are at play. You might have to suspend belief with some of the rooms, but hey, it's a horror/supernatural mysery and anything goes! I loved the ending.

4 stars

Jeremy Bates always has a way of writing such vivid, eerie scenes that instantly making me feel super creeped out. The No-End House had me hooked immediately. I had NO idea where this was going at any point and found my jaw on the floor more than once! Even let out a few audible gasps! And that ending!!! I loved every bit of this book!
The narrator did an excellent job!

i dont know. that was odd, felt like i was eating magic mushrooms. it started out really good and then just went haywire. it was my first bates book. Im not sure.

Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia | Tantor Audio, and Jeremy Bates for early access to The No End House.

This novel definitely sits in the same vein as House of Leaves or Piranesi—twisty, surreal, and psychologically unnerving—but it’s far more accessible… at least until the ending, where things get a bit more abstract.

The premise starts off simple: Joe, a middle-aged man grieving the loss of his wife, sets out to walk across the world. Things are going fine until he reaches Barcelona and overhears a conversation about a mysterious challenge at a place called The No-End House. From there, the story plunges into a warped and unsettling journey through a shifting, impossible house of horrors, alongside Helen, a woman he meets along the way.

I enjoyed the ride. The atmosphere is creepy in all the right ways, and some of the imagery gave off strong Resident Evil: Village vibes—definitely a bonus for horror game fans. That said, the book touches on some intense and disturbing themes. Readers should be aware that there are scenes involving child abuse and implied child sexual assault; trigger warnings would be appropriate. Because of that, I wouldn’t recommend it for younger readers.

Overall, I’d give The No End House a solid 3 out of 5 stars. It’s a fast-paced, eerie read that held my attention from start to finish, even if the ending left me scratching my head a bit.

What a wild ride this book! I was immediately drawn to this book because the premise was just so fascinating. Nine rooms and nine test to make it out alive and win a hefty reward the only catch is no one has ever made it out alive. This just sounds like such a fun puzzle driven escape room scenarios and this is the journey our protagonist embark on. It’s twisty, creepy and high stakes and such a fast paced book. I really enjoyed the plot of this book and just found it so unique. If this book were a movie I would definitely watch it. The best part was the ending!! The freaking ending! If you know you know and I will not be spoiling anything just trust me and read it, it really was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia/Tantor audio for the advance listeners copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This felt like an old school horror novel. This novel by Jeremy Bates was full of action, adult hetero sexual tension, modern pop culture nods to escape rooms, and an all-knowing evil dark god couched in a slightly inappropriately dressed elderly Spanish Marquesa.

Although the story felt old school, the adventure was fast-moving and engaging, the characters were likable and individual, the back stories were strong and the challenges were intriguing.

The ending was confusing for me and I struggled to make all the connections the author tried to lay out at the end. This led me to conclude that this book was a fun yet maybe lightly forgettable read.

I received this book from NetGalley for a review. This book was awesome. It was nonstop and so much fun! It takes the horror house genre in a new and fascinating direction that I loved. Several of the books I’ve read lately have exciting premises but let me down in execution and this one delivered on every promise in the description. Especially since I kind of had it with Jeremy Bates in his World’s Scariest Places series. If you’re going to set books in some of the “most haunted” places in the world, they need a supernatural element, bro.

Joe and a new. friend he meets in Barcelona make their way to a haunted house offering money to people who make it the whole way through. After an ominous warning from the owner, and signing their souls away in the waiver prior to entry, the team excitedly heads into the challenge. While they’re expecting animatronic killers and spooky noises, that is not what they get. Things start off weird and just get weirder. Making their way out of this house of horrors and back into the real world is more challenging than they ever imagined, and they soon realize they’ll be lucky to escape with their lives and their sanity.

This book was awesome. I love the interactions between the two characters, their stories feel real. Jeremy Bates took a somewhat tired haunted house trope and made something truly exciting and original. Each room in the house is it’s own contained horror experience and I loved that. The terror isn’t in simple scares in this book, it’s in confronting trauma and exestential ideas of life. There’s no torture and very little gore (yay). If you’re a fan of supernatural horror, cosmic horror, and haunted houses, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

I received an advance audiobook copy of The No End House by Jeremy Bates from netgalley.

I'll start by saying the narration was perfect for the story. At first, I thought the narrator was a little boring and wasn't too sure. But, as the story progressed, it's actually a perfect match.

The descriptive details in this make it easy to imagine the setting (even if you wish so badly that you couldn't imagine it).

I rated 4 stars, and I'm still unsure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. This book will take you on a wild ride you're glad to be a part of but also with maybe you never started. (The characters probably feel the same way).

I'll be recommending this to my family and friends. Definitely recommending to my mom, she'll love me and hate me for it.

(Trigger warnings though; child SA)

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?