"The Hotel" by Emily Shiner is an exciting psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes until the very last page. This is the second book by the author that I have read, and I am looking forward to reading more of her books.
The book follows the owners of B&B, Mark and Abby. Abby runs the B&B, while Mark supplements their income by working as a handyman. They have been married for 20 years and have a two-year-old son. To increase their depleting income and to attract more guests to the B&B, Abby offers a huge discount, and Lottie and Tim Rowes bite. They rent out the entire hotel for three weeks and come with their 16 year-old-daughter, Chelsea. However, this vacation is not what it appears on the surface. The Rowes claim they have been there before, but Abbey doesn't recall that.
Add to that, Mark is acting strange and seems to be hiding something. In fact, each character has an agenda and a plan of his own. But, as the saying goes, "Man plans, and God laughs". A severe blizzard leaves them stranded and without electricity, and this is where things turn bad. Odd incidents keep popping up, nerves are frayed, and tensions rise. As secrets are revealed, upheaval takes the stage.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "The Hotel" by Emily Shiner
The book follows the owners of B&B, Mark and Abby. Abby runs the B&B, while Mark supplements their income by working as a handyman. They have been married for 20 years and have a two-year-old son. To increase their depleting income and to attract more guests to the B&B, Abby offers a huge discount, and Lottie and Tim Rowes bite. They rent out the entire hotel for three weeks and come with their 16 year-old-daughter, Chelsea. However, this vacation is not what it appears on the surface. The Rowes claim they have been there before, but Abbey doesn't recall that.
Add to that, Mark is acting strange and seems to be hiding something. In fact, each character has an agenda and a plan of his own. But, as the saying goes, "Man plans, and God laughs". A severe blizzard leaves them stranded and without electricity, and this is where things turn bad. Odd incidents keep popping up, nerves are frayed, and tensions rise. As secrets are revealed, upheaval takes the stage.
I loved the tale, the writing, and the atmospheric settings. The dark atmosphere was well-sketched and convincing to boot. The tension builds up nicely, leading to a final showdown and a somewhat satisfying ending. Not all threads were fully explained, though, and some closure would have been nice.
The pace of the story was slow at some points, but there is enough tension to keep your interest. It is written in the first person from the perspectives of the four main characters and alternates between them. I liked the way the book was executed. It is full of twists and turns, and the building of the suspense is superb. While I guessed some of the secrets, which you can call predictable, some twists caught me by surprise. I didn't like any of the characters besides the kid, and some actions (especially Abby's) were unbelievable to me. My liking for one of the characters pretty soon turned into dislike, but I still rooted for them. That said, I still enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it to lovers of the genre.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "The Hotel" by Emily Shiner
No comments:
Post a Comment