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June 24, 2024
Wrobel’s diverting if somewhat lethargic latest (after This Might Hurt) introduces Hitchcock aficionado Alfred Smettle, owner of the eponymous hotel, a bed-and-breakfast (complete with a crow-filled aviary) in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. To celebrate the first anniversary of the hotel’s grand opening, Alfred invites five friends from his university film club for a four-day stay. Few members of the group—which includes security specialist TJ, entrepreneur Samira, hedge fund manager Grace, recently disgraced restaurateur Zoe, and luxury clothing heir Julius—have remained close in the 16 years since they graduated, but each has their own private reason for accepting Alfred’s invitation. The group’s mild interest in reuniting turns to unease as the weekend wears on and buried secrets from their university days rise to the surface, calling into question why, exactly, Alfred has summoned them. Eventually, somebody dies. Wrobel front-loads the narrative with too much exposition, but once the secrets are out, she delivers a fun third act. Hitchcock fans will delight in the copious easter eggs, but others will find this unremarkable. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Agency.
December 6, 2024
Alfred Smettle, a lover of all things Hitchcock, concocts a plan fit for the movies he so voraciously consumes--he has lured five of his old college friends to his Hitchcock-themed hotel under the guise of an overdue reunion. The weekend quickly turns sour as tensions rise over the long-buried secrets of the past, casting suspicion and paranoia over the secluded hotel. The plot thickens when a murder is committed, and all the guests maintain a desperate stranglehold over the past. The book is presented by a trio of talented narrators: Michael Crouch, Gail Shalan, and Helen Lloyd. Crouch stands out as the outcast Alfred; Lloyd narrates Alfred's unsettling assistant Danny; and Shalan gamely narrates the rest of the uncomfortable group. The novel's pace is somewhat languid but gains momentum as the twists and turns multiply. Listeners may be initially puzzled by how Wrobel (This Might Hurt) utilizes each narrator, but satisfying answers are supplied in the end. As clues are revealed, the atmosphere of tense watchfulness mirrors the characters' increasing seclusion. VERDICT While the resolution may receive mixed reviews, this locked-room mystery with plenty of Hitchcockian embellishments rewards with a creepy and sneakily innovative listening experience.--Gina Collett
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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