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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
This is fine, but if this was supposed to feel like a Hitchcock movie it fell short of the mark.
There's some good twists, and I liked how the POV changed, but there are some plot threads that go nowhere.
With all the talk of 'Rope' it's inevitable that there's an attempt at a perfect crime, and the story does a good job of playing with your expectations, but it's just not a Hitchcock feel to it. There's even a line saying how Hitchcock didn't like murder mystery stories, which is why all his movies are horror/thriller.
So, by the point that this becomes a murder mystery I thought it had kind of lost the connection to Hitchcock.
It's still a good mystery though.
There's some good twists, and I liked how the POV changed, but there are some plot threads that go nowhere.
With all the talk of 'Rope' it's inevitable that there's an attempt at a perfect crime, and the story does a good job of playing with your expectations, but it's just not a Hitchcock feel to it. There's even a line saying how Hitchcock didn't like murder mystery stories, which is why all his movies are horror/thriller.
So, by the point that this becomes a murder mystery I thought it had kind of lost the connection to Hitchcock.
It's still a good mystery though.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Cancer, Death, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fans of Hitchcock will enjoy this quick paced thriller. Over explains a bit too much at the end… but still a fun read.
Alfred Smettle is the biggest Hitchcock fan. He opened a hotel and named it after the famous film director, complete with round-the-clock Hitchcock films, movie props, and memorabilia. In order to celebrate the hotel's first anniversary, Alfred decides to invite his former best friends from college for a little reunion. Everyone seems hesitant to go, and their reasons are revealed later on in the story. But once the reunion commences, secrets come out, fights erupt, and a dead body appears.
The book started off strong, giving eerie vibes and setting the stage for what was to come. The story does a quick profile on the other characters and their post-grad lives, but as the story progresses, we dive deeper into each of their pasts and how it all leads up to this big secret. From the start, we know that Alfred plays a huge part in this secret and is the reason why some characters aren't so keen on him. This story has a slow buildup of suspense for sure, but Wrobel certainly has the talent for mapping out this mystery and all its moving components. The references to Hitchcock's movies and how they were applied to the reunion weekend were a lot of fun!
While I love the premise of the story, I felt the execution was a tad underwhelming. The big secret that is revealed felt very cookie-cutter to me, meaning everything sort of fell into place and didn't go as dark as I was expecting. One point I have that is both a pro and a con are how unlikeable the characters are. It was hard to sympathize or gravitate towards any of them, especially as we learned more about them, but at the same time, I liked how I couldn't trust any of them. It made the "whodunnit" part of the story keep me on my toes. That is until it becomes obvious who was behind the murder. At least the motives of the perpetrator had me a little surprised, but not enough for me to love this book. The other issue I had was how we spent more time reflecting on past events and not enough in the present.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The book started off strong, giving eerie vibes and setting the stage for what was to come. The story does a quick profile on the other characters and their post-grad lives, but as the story progresses, we dive deeper into each of their pasts and how it all leads up to this big secret. From the start, we know that Alfred plays a huge part in this secret and is the reason why some characters aren't so keen on him. This story has a slow buildup of suspense for sure, but Wrobel certainly has the talent for mapping out this mystery and all its moving components. The references to Hitchcock's movies and how they were applied to the reunion weekend were a lot of fun!
While I love the premise of the story, I felt the execution was a tad underwhelming. The big secret that is revealed felt very cookie-cutter to me, meaning everything sort of fell into place and didn't go as dark as I was expecting. One point I have that is both a pro and a con are how unlikeable the characters are. It was hard to sympathize or gravitate towards any of them, especially as we learned more about them, but at the same time, I liked how I couldn't trust any of them. It made the "whodunnit" part of the story keep me on my toes. That is until it becomes obvious who was behind the murder. At least the motives of the perpetrator had me a little surprised, but not enough for me to love this book. The other issue I had was how we spent more time reflecting on past events and not enough in the present.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, it was really good and interesting
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Filled with unlikeable characters and plot holes, but still very entertaining.
I don't know how to put this nicely, so I'll just be honest: This was a slog that lacked substance and wasn't even the popcorn thriller the blurb purported it to be. Stephanie Wrobel clearly did her homework on Alfred Hitchcock's films, which is cool, but other than that, there's basically no substance in this glacially-paced thriller about an irritating and unlikable group of college friends who reunite at the eponymous Hitchcock Hotel run by their weirdo friend Alfred. I think Wrobel was so caught up in the idea of building Hitchcockian suspense that, as a result, so little happens in this book. It takes a solid 60% to arrive at an actual plot point/twist. And while there's many more reveals in the last quarter or so of the book, there wasn't enough story here to sustain me, nor was I invested in any of the characters. Even though this book was meant to entertain, there wasn't anything for me to grab onto in the story or characters so it was a flimsy, slow reading experience with no substance.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. Even though I didn't care for this title, it's always a treat and an honor to receive and review ARCs! The Hitchcock Hotel will be released on 9/24/2024.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. Even though I didn't care for this title, it's always a treat and an honor to receive and review ARCs! The Hitchcock Hotel will be released on 9/24/2024.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No