A debut novel for this author and I feel it was well written. Loved the mystery and the thrill of the story. Look forward to more from this author.

This was an unusual but compelling read. It was not what I expected but it was an intriguing tale non the less. There were clear Agatha Christie vibes - the story is set to a 1920s backdrop, the hotel guests are snowed in and there is a game afoot.
Not the historical fiction I expected but still a good read.

This book was an instant favourite. Its flashbacks slowly fleshed out the protagonist and had some truly chilling moments. It had elements of mystery and a slightly indefinite ending to really get the imagination going. Massive recommend!

Hokey Pokey is my first book from Kate Mascarenhas and I am impressed. An escapist, supernatural, part-historical, part-crime novel with some truly original characters. At first glance it appears to be a locked-room mystery but Hokey Pokey proves to be so much more than that. I'd compare it to The seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. The cover is gorgeous and accurately captures what a multi-layered, slippery, lush novel this is.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for allowing this.

This book was far darker than I expected. From the blurb I wasn’t expecting the graphic horror that was contained. It was a really well written book but I’d strongly advise checking content warnings if there are subjects you find distressing before reading this. I might not have read this if I was aware in advance of some of the content it contained.

Warning aside, it’s excellent writing, tense, atmospheric, creepy. I read a previous book by this author that I found fascinating so I was keen to read more from them. While the earlier book was around time travel, this novel centres on psychology. There’s often times when you’re wondering what’s real and what’s not in this book, and questioning the sanity of many of the characters. We have an unreliable narrator in this story and we learn more about what has happened in her past to explain her behaviour in the present.

The setting of the hotel is unnerving, particularly as the guests are trapped in through heavy snow. The cast of characters are deliberately unlikeable leaving you unsure who to trust. Some very good reveals in the present storyline.

I did find this very well written, tense and engaging. It is very dark and if you enjoy that style of book then this has a lot to offer.

I chose this book based on the cover and the blurb - thinking it would be a 1920's Agatha Christie type of murder mystery, so I was a little surprised by the direction the writing took. It is set in a hotel, a fictional Birmingham hotel in February 1929. The descriptions of the hotel are wonderful - the different rooms, the staff including the female floor wardens(!), the cocktails, and the lazy wealth of everyone there.
However, from there on in the book diverges from a traditional whodunnit. Nora Capek or Nora Dickinson is staying in the hotel in order to track somebody down, but as we learn more about her past, we find there is a lot more going on than first meets the eye. It is hard to be more precise without giving away much of the plot, but true to say the book becomes much darker and gruesome than any Agatha Christie I've ever read.
My main reason for not giving the book a higher score is that I didn't much like the main character. She appears unsure of who she is - with reason as we find out later - but I disliked the way she was bullied by her mother and then by Leo. I also found the section in Zurich with Leo quite long and involved without enough pace or enough to keep my interest.
I actually did enjoy the ending and found the final few chapters of the book, when several threads are pulled together, and I had understood what was going on, to be rewarding and satisfying.
All in all, not what I was expecting and possibly not a book I'd have chosen to read. Quite gruesome, gothic and fantastical, and not really fitting easily into any one genre.
With thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

This was a very surprising book in that the blurb on the back doesn’t give you any clue of the horrors and darkness to come. You think you’re starting on a Agatha Christie-esque thriller and soon you’re dealing with something very much darker.
The book actually kept me really gripped until the end which seemed rushed and a bit confused. Until the last 50 pages I was enjoying the very dark direction it was taking.
Thank you to Net Galley for this surprisingly gripping read.

Hokey Pokey by Kate Mascarenhas was one of those books that I couldn’t put down until I finished it and left me thinking about the story long after I finished the book- but while I’m still not sure if this was a book I liked, it is a book I won’t forget!
I received a copy for a free and unbiased opinion.
I was looking forward to a complicated psychological story and while there were elements of this, the book took a marked turn into another genre ( I don’t want to spoil the twist) which threw me. Nora is a complex character and her story is revealed bit by bit, I was never quite sure what was real and what wasn’t ( I really enjoyed this bit). There is also a murder in the background which adds more tension and mystery to the story as well as an interesting romance.
I loved the description of a British hotel in 1929, fascinating and the author has done her research with plenty of period detail.
I did feel there was a lot going on, and at times I found it hard to keep track of all the strands. I have to admit to having a strong physical reaction to one of the references to cannibalism which I think is a mark of the author’s skill as a writer,
I’ve would recommend Hokey Pokey would enjoy a book that challenges them but with plenty of atmospheres and historical detail.
Content Warning
References to Cannibalism

This is definitely a case of a catfish cover with this one - I ain’t mad, I absolutely love the cover and it’s what sucked me in. I also very much enjoy the multiple genres that this one spans, but if you were settling in for a cosy mystery Agatha Christie style, that isn’t what you’re getting! This story combines elements of horror, gore and fantasy into the mystery storyline and it’s well worth investigating some content warnings if there are potential themes that aren’t for you!

In terms of my experience of the book I’ll be honest in saying it got off to a bit of a slow start for me, part one took some getting in to and after part two I was wondering what I was reading as it took a turn!! By the time I was half way into the book it was getting into its stride and I read the second half in one sitting. Whilst I won’t reveal too much of that, it was certainly a very interesting premise and incredibly dark!

In the end I did enjoy this one, it’s very difficult to talk about without revealing what some would consider spoilers given how little is revealed in the blurb - it reminded me a bit of “The Book Eaters” though darker and more graphic. Definitely one that I will recommend to the right readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my EARC.

Hokey Pokey has an intriguing premise - glamorous hotel, famous opera singer, and disappearing guests. It is narrated through the eyes of a possibly unreliable author, a female psychoanalyst with her own secrets. The nature of truth, obsession, identity and madness dominate the second half of the book where we are given a glimpse into the back story of the narrator before circling back to solve the hotel murders. Straddling different genres those expecting a traditional hotel murder mystery will be surprised to read something darker but more substantive. I would be interested to discover more books by this author.
Review copy via netbooks

I really don't know what I felt about this book. It was unexpected and appeared to change genre across the four parts of the book. I loved the skill Nora had of mimicry and felt there was a lot of potential with it.

It starts with a 1920s hotel, and gives the impression of being a cozy mystery. Part 2 gets DARK really quickly, and then the book seems to change into a fantasy with mythical creatures. Dark ones.

It is written well, but I didn't really get a true understanding of the characters and tbh it could have been set in any era as the 1920s vibe wasn't really apparent.

I enjoyed it but I'm not sure I would necessarily recommend it.

I really didn't enjoy this book. I hadn't appreciated the fact that there is a big fantasy element, which completely spoiled things for me. I didn't get much of a sense of the period, and the characters were universally unappealing. Not a book I would recommend.

Genre Bending..
An opulent hotel, a plethora of guests, a famous opera diva and a psychoanalyst with a rather unique gift. Nora Dickinson has an agenda and she is determined to carry it to fruition. Genre bending mystery with elements of suspense, romance, fantasy and the downright grotesque combine in this cleverly crafted tale which weaves a fine thread between reality and the realms of nightmares.

Dr Nora Dickinson is on a mission. She has followed famous opera singer Berenice Oxbow to an upmarket hotel in Birmingham, hoping to discover whether the latter is up to no good. When the hotel residents are snowed in, Nora is forced to change her approach, but possessing as she does some unusual talents, she still makes progress in her quest. As the story unfolds, Nora’s history and the reasons for her interest in Berenice become clearer, and then, well just about anything can and does happen.
Fortunately, Hokey Pokey is a well written novel with strong characters, as everything else about it is unusual. In your wildest dreams you could not imagine how it might develop; entertaining, whimsical and sexy yes but grotesque and graphic at times too. A tale of coming to terms with what you are and maybe taking revenge when the opportunity presents itself, this is well worth a read, and while it’s a difficult book to review without the risk of spoilers and it drifted at the expense of maintaining the tension, I really enjoyed this, loved the possibilities in the ending

Where does this book belong? Like other readers, I embarked on this journey expecting a kitsch 1920s Agatha Christie style whodunnit. Snowed in Hotel - small group of characters, great style of writing. I feel a little deceived at the actual content story wise - fortunately I also love Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres so I was relatively happy with the way this panned out.

It's hard to write about this novel without giving spoilers, but I was jogging along nicely with the Agatha vibes until I got to part 2. Where it gets dark. Like - REALLY dark. Actually so dark (and this is a credit to the writing style) I had to put the book down and take a break (I think this was also due to the unexpected change of tone). In my Good Reads review I'm going to put a spoiler alert, because it probably needs a trigger warning.

If this sounds like I didn't enjoy the book you'd be wrong - I really loved the story actually - I just feel a little mis sold, and would have enjoyed the novel more if I'd have known what I was walking (or reading) up to.

It's very atmospheric, I really enjoyed the psychoanalysis of the characters and how this was woven into the tale, very gothic, unreliable narrator (or is she), all of thie things I really enjoy tightly knitted together in an enjoyable Fantasy Horror. This is a Fantasy Horror book gang - packaged up as something different. If you're in the market for a good horror - you'll enjoy this.

If you wanted a Historical WhoDunnit - you're about to be disappointed.

An atmospheric horror set in the early years of the 20th century. The Regent, home of the Hokey Pokey cocktail and the destination of psychoanalyst Dr Nora Dickenson. Nora is here to observe the opera singer Berenice Oxbow and report her findings to her former lover who just happens to be Ms Oxbow's husband. Sudden snow storms bind the guests to the mercy of the hotel and a mysterious predator who seems to know Nora and is keen to make her acquaintance again.

I finished this book 10 minutes before writing this... and I've been left with a feeling of - what on earth did I just read? So excuse the haphazard nature of my thoughts!

Firstly, the cover and the description of this book do NOT give a true idea as to what this book is about in my opinion.

I quite fancied a 20's murder mystery set in a hotel. The blurb literally says:

But when a terrible snow storm isolates the hotel – and its guests – from the outside world, the lines between nightmare and reality begin to blur and Nora will find herself face to face with a past she thought she had long left behind...

But what we get instead is an almost horror story.

Trigger warnings: this book has dismemberment and cannibalism. I am not exactly feint-hearted but I know what I like and I do not like either of these things. Had they been included in the description or some form of inclination, I would have been able to make a judgement call early on.

I was also quite surprised that when I tried to find out what a Hyring was - I figured it was some form of mythical creature based on folklore - I couldn't find anything other than a load of IT recruitment sites.

I openly admit, this was first read of a book by this author - potentially I would have been more prepared if I'd read one of her previous works?

Did I enjoy this? No. Even at one point, The Bloke turned to me and asked - "Are you ok? You're not enjoying that are you?"

BUT I can appreciate a good story even if it's not my cup of tea. The writing is good and I think it was constructed well - the whodunnit was not obvious to me at all and take out the horror elements, I probably would have enjoyed it enough for 3.5/4 stars. But the lack of disclosure threw me enough - I would never have read it had I realised what I was signing up for.

It was surprising and intense. I really enjoyed it, and being set in 1929 just added to its charme.

Very enjoyable, or disturbing, take your pick.

Gosh.... this was much darker than I expected! A great sense of location - loved the descriptions of the hotel - and a very atmospheric novel. Beautiful descriptions and some brilliantly dark characters. I do think there's a bit of a disconnect between the cover and blurb and what's actually between the covers. This is a darker, more gothic and quite twisted tale than I'd anticipated. A good read, nonetheless, although outside what I'd usually read.

February 1929, set in The Regent Hotel in Birmingham, a glamorous, cocktail drinking murder mystery.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I requested to read this one, I wanted something out of my comfort zone. Even though it was horror, it was also mythical.

I enjoyed getting to know Nora, our FMC. I was engrossed in her childhood and what lead her to where she was. I was shocked at what she had to endure!!

The chapters were nice and short and Kate’s writing kept you turning those pages as you had to know what the hell was going on.

I don’t want to say too much but 100% recommend this, if you want something dark, mysterious and set in the 1920s!

Thank you Netgalley & Head of Zeus for supplying me a copy for an honest review

Makes me want to try a Hokey Pokey Cocktail now too.

What’s your favourite cocktail? I’ve got to love a White Russian!