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A review by thecaptainsquarters
Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Ahoy there me mateys! I discovered Juliet Blackwell's mysteries this year and have been enjoying her work immensely. This standalone novel features Aubrey Spencer, an architect whose hobby is taking photographs of abandoned buildings and places.
One such location is the Seabrink Hotel. Though it was a celebrity hotel back in the 1920s, it sits forgotten on the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. It doesn't appear on the internet or on any maps. Aubrey finds a mention in an old document and decides to take photos while on holiday.
While taking photos, Aubrey meets Dimitri, a YouTube star there to take notes for his new Netflix series about abandoned buildings. The next day, he is found dead at the bottom of a cliff and the death is ruled a suicide. Aubrey believes it is murder and wonders if Seabrink has something to do with it. She decides to investigate.
This was an extremely fast read and I loved the abandoned hotel's atmosphere. My favorite thing were all of the historical deaths in the hotel and the curse. Aubrey learning about the hotel's history from the locals was a lot of fun. I thought it was great how the locals gossip and genuinely believe in the curse. All of the scenes at the Seabrink were great. I enjoyed the ghost aspect too. There were plenty of possibilities of murderers and motives which kept me guessing.
The main problem with the book was the ending. I thought that the reveals didn't make much sense. I also thought the best friend's stalker subplot was messy and should have been left out. I guess I expected there to be a better resolution. There were better options hinted at but not used. The twists were just weird. I also hated what Aubrey does with the Seabrink at the end which I can't reveal because spoilers. But seriously, it was silly. There also seemed to be some plot holes or dropped threads in the end. Basically it finished and I thought "huh?".
The book really was fun up until the big storm and silliness. I had fun reading this and have no regrets. Arrrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
One such location is the Seabrink Hotel. Though it was a celebrity hotel back in the 1920s, it sits forgotten on the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. It doesn't appear on the internet or on any maps. Aubrey finds a mention in an old document and decides to take photos while on holiday.
While taking photos, Aubrey meets Dimitri, a YouTube star there to take notes for his new Netflix series about abandoned buildings. The next day, he is found dead at the bottom of a cliff and the death is ruled a suicide. Aubrey believes it is murder and wonders if Seabrink has something to do with it. She decides to investigate.
This was an extremely fast read and I loved the abandoned hotel's atmosphere. My favorite thing were all of the historical deaths in the hotel and the curse. Aubrey learning about the hotel's history from the locals was a lot of fun. I thought it was great how the locals gossip and genuinely believe in the curse. All of the scenes at the Seabrink were great. I enjoyed the ghost aspect too. There were plenty of possibilities of murderers and motives which kept me guessing.
The main problem with the book was the ending. I thought that the reveals didn't make much sense. I also thought the best friend's stalker subplot was messy and should have been left out. I guess I expected there to be a better resolution. There were better options hinted at but not used. The twists were just weird. I also hated what Aubrey does with the Seabrink at the end which I can't reveal because spoilers. But seriously, it was silly. There also seemed to be some plot holes or dropped threads in the end. Basically it finished and I thought "huh?".
The book really was fun up until the big storm and silliness. I had fun reading this and have no regrets. Arrrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.