The perfect novel for this time of year - The characters are relatable, whether you know someone like them or you see bits of yourself in them, and the suspense is baked right in as you know things the characters haven't revealed to one another yet, while similarly they are withholding secrets from the reader. I appreciate the reveals coming at every turn, keeping the pacing on point. This is an easy "one more chapter!" read that is ideal for a spooky season release.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an arc of this book.
This book is a perfect combination of lies, deception, murder and mayhem among a group of friends who get invited for a getaway to a hotel inspired by Hitchcock. I enjoyed reading this book and kept wanting to read it whenever I got a chance. I also am a Hitchcock fan so I loved the references to many of his movies’ themes and the way he directed his movies. There was also a spooky element added due to the backstory of the hotel’s previous owners and the general vibe of mysterious things happening around the characters which made it a perfect thriller to read during fall. All of the characters are unlikable with questionable motivations so I could not pinpoint any one of them to be the culprit which was fun. The ending was really well done, I had not guessed it before so I loved it! I am not sure if I can call this dark academia as majority of the scenes are set in the hotel but the story is also told through flashbacks to the characters’ college days. Nevertheless, would definitely recommend this one to all fans of twisty thrillers with a lot of drama!

THE HITCHCOCK HOTEL was fantastic. I felt like I was right there with these characters trying to solve the mystery. Alfred was perfectly creepy and mysterious. The other characters were each hiding something and it made it more fun to see how it was going to play out. Did I solve the mystery? Nope, there are two good twists at the end and I think the author did a great job in fooling me! Overall, this is such a fun read, I can highly recommend grabbing a copy. It's perfect for spooky season.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) soon.

If Donna Tartt’s THE SECRET HISTORY, WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THIS CASTLE, and a weird Russian folktale had a baby, it would be THE HITCHCOCK HOTEL and I’m not mad about it. This was a fantastic thriller that riffed on the locked-room (well, hotel) trope while putting a new spin on it, gave us something to hate about everyone, and gave us an ending I did not see coming which I appreciate immensely. The Hitchcock spin was weird, delightful, and also horrifying and I would 100% stay in a hotel with a crow aviary but my sister, who was traumatized by THE BIRDS in high school, would run screaming.

This was basically an okay murder mystery with a dark academia wannabe air to it. But the thing is, it wasn’t bad.
This was basically an okay murder mystery with a dark academia wannabe air to it. But the thing is, it wasn’t bad.
My reaction to the ending twist was, “yeah, that makes sense.” So was it shocking, no. Did I figure it out, again no but I didn’t put much into it either. Again, I want to stress, this wasn’t a bad book. I am not mad that I read it, it just missed that kick to make it truly impressive.

If you’re a fan of all things Hitchcock, then this is the perfect read for you!

It’s been nearly fifteen years since a tight-knit group of six friends left college and went their separate ways. They never expected an occasion where they’d get back together. But there’s unfinished business between these so-called friends.

And as it turns out, it’s much safer to get together than to ignore the invitation.

I tend to avoid storylines where college friends reunite and rehash secrets of the past. But this read intrigued me with the Hitchcock references, along with knowing how much I’ve enjoyed this author in the past.

The storyline is told from multiple POV’s in both the present and past. All characters were distinctly developed making it easy to differentiate. The storyline itself held my interest throughout.

But the ending? Frankly, just a bit too tame. I was hoping for more, (don’t I always though.😂) I was actually surprised when I turned (clicked on) the page and it was over. Hmmm…

This is the third book I’ve read by Stephanie Wrobel and while not necessarily a favorite, still a solid four star read!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing via NetGalley.

An eerie hotel, a murder of crows. Perfect for fall!

I’m already a huge fan of Stephanie Wrobel so was thrilled to learn she’d written a new book. Her previous novel, This Might Hurt, is still one of my top ten all time favorites. I loved this mystery and the prologue with the crows was perfect at setting the scene, leading me straight to the hotel where the story takes place. Old friends reunite at a Hitchcock themed hotel, owned by the black sheep of the group. Strange things happen and old secrets surface, leading to the discovery of a body. Everyone’s a suspect, and everyone has a secret.

This story was a lot of fun! I love a good mystery, especially when I have faith that the author will deliver exactly what I want. A juicy twist! When the characters were first introduced, their relationship dynamics intrigued me and Wrobel does a great job bouncing between them, revealing past events that might pit them against each another. As it turns out, everyone has something to hide. The author did a great job at flipping my suspicion between the group, and I was genuinely surprised to find out who died. The characters’ and their pasts felt believable and I was very satisfied with the ending.

The pace was steady, and I was gripped throughout. One scene that sticks with me (perfect for the hotel’s theme) is the image of the attic and the vents overlooking each of the guest’s rooms. A+ for creep factor!

4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For readers who enjoy a twisty mystery, multi POV, and edge of your seat suspense.

4/5 stars

Thank you Berkley Pub for the advanced reading copy!

This was a really fun read! I was hooked from the start and couldn't put it down until the very end! I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but a wild ride it was. Each character had their own development and secrets, and I think the multiple POV's added a lot to the dimension of the book. It was kind of tricky to tell them apart at the beginning and keep straight who was who, but as the story got going it became more clear, so trust the process! I definitely wasn't expecting the various turns of events throughout -- there were some great twists here that made me gasp out loud at times! Overall, I loved the first 90% of this book. The end dragged and was pretty lackluster compared to the rest. I don't think we needed so much of Danny's perspective, but, even despite that, I enjoyed this book a lot.

SYNOPSIS -- Alfred Smettle is widely known to always wear turtlenecks and to be the biggest fan of Hitchcock around. So much so that he has spent the last few years opening an old Victorian home as The Hitchcock Hotel, dedicated to the director's movies. To celebrate the hotel's first anniversary, Alfred invites his college best friends, whom he hasn't spoken to in sixteen years, to come stay and celebrate. Despite all being a bit surprised by the invitation, everyone has secrets to hide that make it worth their while to attend. And when a body is discovered, all of these secrets come bubbling to the surface.

Do not miss The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel!

I thoroughly enjoyed this tense, atmospheric book from beginning to end! I loved the Hitchcock Hotel’s setting and the movie’s references throughout.

The writing is on point; the suspense kept me completely engaged, and I was left eagerly anticipating Stephanie Wrobel’s next book — she is officially one of those authors whose books I will always want to read!

Alfred Smettle is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of Suspense. There, Alfred offers his guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with fifty crows.

To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to any of them in sixteen years, not after what happened.

But who better than them to appreciate Alfred’s creation? And to help him finish it.

After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.

I was not able to finish this book, I did not like this author's writing style. Especially in the second chapter, I felt that the character's inner monologue had WAY too many dialogue tags. Everything was "I thought" or "she'd said" or "I wondered". I hope this is an issue that is getting / was fixed during the editing process but as a reader I was simply too annoyed to continue reading the book as it is in this stage. Since I did not finish this ARC I am not going to post my review publicly, but I am probably going to give it another chance once its published just to see if things got changed during the editing process.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Berkley Publishing Group for this advanced copy.

🗝️ Alfred Smettle has invited his college friends from the film club (and former roommates) for a weekend at the Hitchcock Hotel (a homage to the master of suspense). Alfred has painstakingly curated his hotel with objects and scenes from various Hitchcock movies, even ensuring that the vast Victorian home resembled that from Psyco. However, there seems to be some underlying tension and an ulterior motive for gathering them together. Something has happened in the past, and his friends can’t seem to shake the feeling that Alfred is up to something. None of them really want to attend, but they decide to go to see one another.

🗝️ This story, in the beginning, reminds me of an Agatha Christie novel since Hitchcock didn’t like locked-room mysteries, and if I can recall, never did any. However, it’s that typical template or format where people associated with one another all get together for a trip or event. Someone is hiding a big secret, another has a score to settle, and then there’s a murder.

🗝️ It’s a great mystery as you get invested in each character and learn a little backstory. The one thing everyone has in common in this novel is that they all hate Alfred, but there is another underlying story there.

🧐IT GET’S STRANGE🧐
There is tension between Grace and Alfred due to their past relationship. The paper-writing business they started in college (which was Grace’s idea) is the reason Alfred was kicked out of college. He took all the blame to protect Grace. The Film Studies teacher who was given an anonymous tip about the paper-writer business commits suicide…(or does he?).

The friends notice items left in their rooms that refer to a Hitchcock story. Even the story about how the hotel was acquired is murky as Alfred tells them the wife fed the husband (who was in involant) grass until he died.

Zoe thinks Alfred has poisoned her food because she’s been sick after the first meal. When she wakes in her room, she finds a patch of grass on her pillow.

Alfred has planned a few events for his guests during their stay, including a movie night where they will watch some Hitchcock. Alfred takes everyone's phones, saying that he wants them to pay attention to the movie and not have any distractions. After the movie, all the phones disappear, and Alfred claims one of the staff mistakenly took them. (This was absolutely planned)

Everyone decides to stay until the morning, as they plan to head out early and deal with the missing phones. When they get to their cars, all the tires have been slashed, and Alfred goes missing.

💖WHAT I LOVED💖
This mystery just gets better and better as the story goes on. We find out the motive behind all the characters, what happened after they graduated college, and whether they had success in their careers or were doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

It’s everything you’d expect in a locked-room (style) mystery: a murder, an affair, blackmail, and secrets. Everyone is a suspect in this story, and the ending completely caught me off guard. Everyone’s role in this story is essential, and everyone has a part to play.

This is a perfect seasonal mystery, and I enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and The Berkley Publishing Group for this advanced copy.

This review will also be published on Amazon.

As a die-hard Hitchcock fan, I was beyond excited to get my hands on this ARC! Now, I loved the book, but the characters seriously got under my skin — none of them were particularly likable. That said, it worked perfectly with the plot! Stephanie Wrobel’s writing is top-notch, and the story was brilliantly crafted. This isolated, locked-room thriller is packed with deadly secrets, unexpected twists, and nail-biting suspense. If you’re looking for something eerie, this one’s a must-add to your spooky season TBR!

Ok so this was 4.5 stars for me and I suspect I’m a great target audience for this because it wasn’t too frightening. Lol. I loved the premise of the Hitchcock hotel and the whodunnit feels. It was a weird change for me to read a book and not be rooting for anyone but I didn’t mind it with this story. A book I’d absolutely recommend for spooky season.

Thank you so much to @berkleypub for the gifted book!

📖Title: The Hitchcock Hotel
✍️Author: Stephanie Wrobel
📅Pub Date: September 24, 2024

🙌This one just hit the spot! I went in not knowing what to expect since it was my first by her, and I had an absolute blast with it!

👀A dude named Alfred runs a Hitchcock themed hotel and invites all his old friends from college who he hasn't seen in many years to stay with him. You just know something crazy is about to happen, and it sure does!

🛁I was expecting not to love this one since I've seen it categorized as "horror" which typically isn't my thing, but this was not too much for me, and I'm a baby when it comes to that stuff 😂

🛁The ending was also SO SATISFYING 🙌🙌🙌🙌 I really can't say much more without giving anything away, but just trust me! Add this to your fall TBR and you won't be disappointed!

Despite not being a Hitchcock super fan (I’ve seen 5 out of his 50-something movies), the title and cover immediately grabbed my attention. I decided to go in blind and while it was a fun read, it was just okay overall. Incredibly unlikable cast of characters but I kind of like bad things happening to bad people in fiction, particularly in horror. I would have liked to have had at least one person to root for, though.

Obviously a ton of Hitchcock references and spoilers, most overt but quite a few easter eggs as well. The homage to the late director was definitely my favorite part. Loved the setting of the hotel. Lots of red herrings. Everything comes together in the end in a pretty satisfying way. I found the middle a bit of a slog but beginning and ending did their jobs.

As far as a horror novel goes, this wasn’t doing anything especially original. A seasoned horror reader may be underwhelmed by this but I can see this being a great intro to the genre or good for someone who prefers more horror lite reads.

Thank you net galley for the arc of Hitchcock hotel. I opened this book and could not put it down. I needed to know what happened and why. I did think some of the background information was a little unnecessary and that made me drop my review from 5 stars to 4 stars but I still thought it was a great book and a very fun read.

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel
Release Date: 9/26/24
Format: ebook/audio hybrid
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really loved the premise of this book! I’m not a huge Hitchcock fan, so a lot of the references probably went over my head, but this thriller definitely had a good backdrop. Where it lost me, unfortunately, was the pacing!

I normally love the whole “hey let’s get the college crew back together and unearth all our dirty secrets” type of thriller but I just felt like this novel unfortunately didn’t have great momentum. It took up until the 55% mark for much to happen and even then, it was hard to stay engaged.

I don’t think this is a bad book by any means, but in the large sea of thrillers out there I unfortunately don’t think I’d be quick to recommend this story. Would be open to reading other books by this author in the future though!

As a Hitchcock movie fan, Wrobel's latest book was a must-read. It did not disappoint as it seamlessly blended Hitchcock's visual style with a plot that engaged the reader.

I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still can say I enjoyed my time reading it. I am a Hitchcock fan since I was a teenager. So for me this was a must read. Our main character opens up a Hitchcock themed hotel. That was enough for me to know that no matter what I was reading this book. He makes the hotel look like the psycho house, which is my favorite Hitchcock movie. He invites some friends to experience his new hotel And things quickly turn sinister. There’s a lot of twist and turns in the story and each character has a backstory and it’s interesting. I did feel that it was a bit drawn out and repetitive at times and I felt that the story could’ve moved along a little quicker, which would have made it a bit more interesting instead of getting caught up in the minutia of every little detail. That being said any Hitchcock fan should read this and it is a good mystery and fun seeing how it turns out.

Six college friends reunite at the request of Alfred, the proud owner of a Hitchcock themed hotel. Alfred had a rough go of it after college, so everyone reluctantly attends to assuage their varying degrees of guilt. Some arrive while battling demons, some just want to get home to their kids, and nearly all of them are desperate to keep their secrets hidden. Alfred, meticulous host that he is, has plans for all of them. As we learn what really happened all those years ago to set Alfred down his dark path, everyone must decide what price they are willing to pay for the truth, and just how far they are willing to go to survive. The pacing was excellent and the plotting tight.