The No-End House by Jeremy Bates

 

The No-End House by Jeremy Bates - 320 pages

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.

I don't know if it was just me but I expected this book to be scarier...but I guess the thought of being stuck in a house for eternity is pretty terrifying.  This was a pretty good book, but I did nod off a time or two while reading it.  Of course that could've been b/c I read it in the car, which sometimes rocks me to sleep...

Small Things by Wanda M. Morris (Alibis Collection)

Small Things by Wanda M. Morris (Alibis Collection)

When a jewelry maker’s only escape from an abusive marriage is threatened, she must go to creative lengths to protect it in a haunting short story by the award-winning author of What You Leave Behind.

Hannah and her husband appear to live a good life. No one knows the emotional nightmare Hannah endures behind closed doors. A blessed freedom is in the jewelry she crafts in the shed behind her house. But what will Hannah do when her husband threatens to take away even the smallest things that bring her joy? Hannah has a plan. Now it’s just a matter of pulling it off without leaving a single trace behind.

Wanda M. Morris’s Small Things is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. 

This was my least favorite in the Alibis Collection, I think because of how Hannah's husband treated her.  But the plot was still good.  

Good Neighbors by Chad Zunker (Alibis Collection #5)

 

Good Neighbors by Chad Zunker (Alibis Collection #5) - 45 pages

Curiosity could get the best of a watchful neighbor in a chilling short story about friendship, secrets, and sneaking suspicions by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Family Money.

Kara will do anything for her best friend and neighbor, Mindy. Especially when she learns that Mindy’s husband might be having an affair. Kara promises to remain vigilant. Maybe she’ll even catch the rat in the act. Then one night when Kara observes someone sneaking into Mindy’s house, she decides to take a closer look. But what’s happening across the street isn’t what Kara expects. And what she sees could get her killed.

Chad Zunker’s Good Neighbors is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

Kara finds out that nothing good happens when you stick your nose in others' business.  This was a good story and I enjoyed the ending

The Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian (Alibis Collection #4)

 

The Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian (Alibis Collection #4) - 49 pages

For two brothers, an inheritance triggers a dark chain of events in a thrilling short story of loyalty and revenge by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant.

Aspiring musician Pete Hamilton has nothing in common with his older brother, Leo, an aerospace engineer. Until their late father leaves them the family farm, a sprawling dairy operation in Vermont. Pete wants to hold on. Leo wants to sell. All the embattled brothers can agree on is to skydive over the fields and sprinkle their father’s ashes—a grand gesture the old man would have loved. But when the plan goes terribly wrong, only one unexpected eyewitness can see what’s really going on.

Chris Bohjalian’s The Skydivers is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

I really enjoyed this short story and didn't predict the ending.  I haven't read anything by this author before but I may have to give some of this other books a try.

False Note by David Lagercrantz , Elizabeth DeNoma (Translator) (Alibis Collection #3)

 

False Note (Alibis Collection #3) by David Lagercrantz ,  Elizabeth DeNoma  (Translator) - 41 pages

A toxic father-son relationship unleashes dark impulses and unthinkable betrayals in a riveting short story by the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl in the Spider’s Web.

William’s father is a beloved opera singer in Stockholm, charismatic and unpredictable. Raised in the shadow of his father’s addictions—women, drink, and cruelty—he knows the man’s dark side. William believes he’s found the light when he falls in love with a fellow university student, a young woman named Ebba. But his father’s hold on his life is not so easily broken. Even in death.

David Lagercrantz’s False Note is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

This was a decent short story, not my favorite but it was ok.

The Ex-Wives Club by Sally Hepworth (Alibis Collection #2)

 

The Ex-Wives Club (Alibis Collection #2) by Sally Hepworth - 83 pages

Celebrity chef Ian Curley is found dead in his walk-in freezer. The prime suspects are his three ex-wives, who meet up every Friday evening in their favorite corner booth of his restaurant. It’s a tradition for Anita, Mary-Jane, and Rosie to drink, dine, and commiserate. But commit murder? All aggrieved, each one has a motive and an alibi. And a brilliant detective has reservations. Who did it? The night will tell.

Sally Hepworth’s The Ex-Wives Club is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

This was a great short story; I couldn't pin down who did it.  The ending was great!

Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

 Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose, 256 pages,  ⭐⭐⭐

After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm's length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn't been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.

While going through their parents' belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends.

Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.