Alfred Smettle is not your average hotel owner. He's also a devotee of all things Alfred Hitchcock. Smettle's Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in New Hampshire's White Mountains ("You bought the Psycho House!") offers guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, and an aviary filled with fifty crows.
To celebrate the hotel's first anniversary, Smettle invited his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion, although he hasn't spoken to them in sixteen years. Not after what happened.
What better group to appreciate Smettle's creation or to help him finish it? And never forget: no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.
~
Being an Alfred Hitchcock fan, I couldn't resist Stephanie Wrobel's The Hitchcock Hotel, and for the most part, it delivers the goods. The plot twists, the unfolding of the backstory, the Hitchcock tie-ins... all of these make this book fun to read.
So does the cast of characters. We get to hear from them all-- Alfred, Zoe, Grace, Samira, TJ, and Julius. Even the elderly housekeeper, Danny. Each time we hear from the characters, another piece is added to the puzzle. I may not have liked any of the characters, but the story was still fun-- and I couldn't believe that I didn't figure out what was going on!
The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel
eISBN: 9780593547120
Berkley © 2024
eBook, 352 pages
Thriller, Standalone
Rating: B+
Source: Net Galley
What an interesting idea for a hotel and for a novel, Cathy! I like Hitchcock's work, too, so I can completely see how this sort of hotel might appeal. And if the characters are interesting, too well, so much the better. You know, I'll bet a real Hitchcock-themed hotel might do very well.
ReplyDeleteYes, but if my room has a bathroom with a big tub and a shower curtain, I think I'll check out! ;-)
DeleteThis sounds like a fun mystery. I love Hitchcock's films, so I'd love all the movie tie-ins. :D
ReplyDeleteI know that I enjoyed them, Lark. :-)
DeleteBig Hitchcock fan here! So another one for my interminable reading list I guess...
ReplyDeleteReading this made me start watching Hitchcock movies all over again.
Delete