28% of the way in and I’m bored and struggling with this one. Ultimately decided to DNF it since the reviews are mid tier. Really cool
Concept bur this was a really slow burn !

Stephanie Wrobel takes the reader into a Hitchcockian thriller in The Hitchcock Hotel. With many movie references, this is part novel and part ode.
Alfred Smettle is a massive Hitchcock fan. His love of the director inspired him to found The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains. Part of the service includes round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, and an aviary of crows. To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, Alfred invites his college friends to stay free. This will be their first meeting in 16 after they betrayed Aldred in his senior year. But they were all part of the film club, and this would be the perfect place to make amends. Each person carries secrets, and these secrets lead to death as Alfred’s plans go awry.
This is no horror book. It’s a thriller. The novel even quotes essays on Hitchcock’s work being just that. (You will never convince me Psycho isn’t horror though.) In fact, the author uses quotes from Hitchcock and critics and tries to emulate them. There are times Wrobel succeeds and times she falls short. One instance is the idea that what an audience knows that the characters don’t is true suspense, and she tries to give readers the same effect. Except she was holding back crucial information that made me feel confused. I didn’t know who to root for and that is not because they were grey characters (though they are). It’s because I wasn’t given enough information to make a connection with any character and that’s not good for a story. I guess it falls to the quote “always make the audience suffer as much as possible” (Alfred Hitchcock).
The story’s twists and turns are the best part--especially the final one. The story pulls a Psycho, but I won’t divulge how so as not to ruin it. This turn leaves you spinning and wondering what the hell is going on. I enjoyed the conclusion and its justice. I wasn’t big on most of the characters, but it was interesting seeing their part in a murder and their versions of justice.
Overall, this isn’t as Hitchcockian as I would have liked (the author seemed to focus on just a few movies). But the mystery and twists are worth reading. If I were to give a starred review, it would be three stars: enjoyable but I wouldn’t read it again.

Many thanks to @prhaudio and @berkleypub for the free advanced listening copy of this thriller! Below is my honest review. #berkleypartner #prhaudioinfluencer

When Alfred Smettle invites his college film studies friends for a complimentary weekend at his boutique, Hitchcock-themed hotel, it marks the first time they’ve all reunited in nearly two decades. The hotel itself is a spooky homage to Hitchcock’s iconic films, featuring everything from an aviary filled with crows to a room where his movies play on a constant loop. But, as with any great Hitchcock plot, all is not what it seems—and by the end of the weekend, not everyone will make it out alive. Dark secrets from their past are resurfacing, and the six friends are still hiding things from each other.

As a die-hard fan of Hitchcock’s films (with Dial M for Murder being my personal favorite), I loved all the subtle and overt references scattered throughout the story. This is a slow-burn thriller that invests heavily in character development upfront, giving it the suspenseful vibe of Hitchcock’s movies without leaning into horror. While I did guess who was behind it all, the why caught me by surprise, which made for a satisfying twist. Despite being tagged as horror on Goodreads, this felt more like a classic suspense with minimal violence—except for the inevitable deaths, of course!

The audiobook was fun, with three narrators—two voicing individual characters and a third covering the rest. Their performances were excellent and added to the enjoyment of this well-crafted thriller.

Secluded location?
Tense former friend reunion?
Themed hotel?

SIGN. ME. UP.

Okay, maybe not to stay at the Hitchcock Hotel with this crew, but for sure to observe them!

Wrobel does a fantastic job of creating a unique cast of characters who she allows to each individually have a voice in the story as she alternates narrators between all of them. I know for some that this amount of narrators can seem like a lot, but it works really well with the plot and twist revelations in this story.

In addition to a solid group of narrators, Wrobel weaves throughout the story glimpses into the past. From the start the reader wants to know why Alfred would want to bring together a group of his estranged friends and speaking of, why the heck are they estranged? I loved sleuthing along with plot development and trying to guess what new secret would come to the surface.

The Hitchcock Hotel is a perfect choice for crime fiction/mystery/thriller fans looking to escape to an isolated setting filled with intrigue!

Summary: Alfred Smettle has created a one-of-a-kind boutique hotel in the White Mountains, with an Alfred Hitchcock theme and showcasing vintage posters, props and memorabilia, complete with a screening room to watch Hitchcock films. He has invited his college-days friends to come for the weekend and stay. He hasn't seen them all for years - Zoe, Samira, TJ, Julius, and Grace - since he was expelled from college. They have some reminiscing to do, and some scores to settle.

Thoughts: The Hitchcock Hotel tells the story of six friends, linked by their college experiences and the events that occurred shortly before the end of their four years. They went their separate ways, hoping not to see each other again, before the invitation to the Hitchcock Hotel arrived. Like any good mystery, all the players have secrets to hide and hidden motives for participating in a weekend they were dreading. None of them are likeable or good people, but are they guilty of murder? I enjoyed the flashbacks to their college days and the history that unfolded, even more so than the present day storyline. The conclusion and solution to the mystery ties up the loose ends, but is not completely unpredictable. Even so, this is a solid murder mystery to be enjoyed in your easy chair with a good cup of tea.

I loved Darling Rose Gold, so I was very excited for Stephanie Wrobel’s new novel The Hitchcock Hotel. The book tells the story about a group of college friends who reunite at The Hitchcock Hotel, opened by one of the group in the college town. Alfred Smettle, an odd duck of the grou is the hotel owner who is obsessed with Hitchcock and invites his friends from college to the hotel to reunite and settle some old scores. This is the slowest of slow burns as the mystery takes forever to get into and the characters will make you role your eyes over and over again. It’s an interesting premise, but it was just too slow for me. The story never grabbed me.

Imagine, just for a second, what your life would be like, without your friends?

They’re such a huge part of those “formative years”... but not so much, I think, a throughway.

For instance, there are friends you have when you’re a little kid—the ones you play with at recess, or hang out with after school. Everything is easy and fun, and any arguments tend to be trivial (and sorted quickly).

Then the tweens and teens happen, and suddenly you’re a mass of raging hormones, explosive bursts of anger, and buckets of drama-llama angst. Those earlier friends, from simpler times, may—or may not—still be in the mix, because the stakes have gotten much higher, with massive secrets and heartfelt desires to be shared... and kept close. You have your besties... but if just one confidence is broken, any bestie can be relegated to no-man’s land, in a millisecond.

High school is the last stop on the whole friend-making journey for a lot of people. Sure, other very casualfriendships can develop, as adults—work mates, pals of partners, maybe neighbors—but rarely are those extreme peaks of closeness ever replicated again.

Except.

If you go on to university—prolonging the start of “real life”—then the practice of building intense friendships actually continues... growing into some of the deepest relationships, because they blossom when you’re finally getting the chance (or are being forced, YMMV) to figure out who you really are, or want to be.

Stephanie Wrobel delivers a deliciously-complex deep dive into those college friendships—and what happens to them, down the road—in her impossible-to-put-down new novel of suspense, The Hitchcock Hotel.



Who wouldn’t want to spend a weekend—especially fully-comped!—in a beautifully-refurbished boutique hotel (done up as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock, no less), I ask you?

[Okay, maybe I shouldn’t ask that, as—I shudder to even contemplate it—a whole slew of Millennials or Gen Zers may barely recognize the prolific Hollywood thriller director’s name, but art is ART! (Sigh) Rant over...]

Anyway, that’s the question a small group of 38-year-olds find themselves asking, when their former college pal, Alfred Smettle, invites them—out of the blue—to an all-expenses-paid, intimate weekend at his pride and joy, The Hitchcock Hotel... located in the same small town they all experienced college life in, all those years ago.

He promises three days of relaxing, entertainment, and catching up—with himself, an elderly housekeeper, and a couple of other essential staff waiting on them—and no other cares in the world.

For reasons that take a good long while to come out, each member of Alfred’s little circle of friends—well, former friends, at least—finally, reluctantly, agrees to come.

Grace, the whip-smart, driven one, with her super-successful life. Zoe, the other-side-of-the-tracks wild child, whose life is still something of a mess. T.J., the likeable guy who went along with pretty much anything, and finally found his place. Julius, the flashy lad with the silver-spoon (held firmly in cheek), who hasn’t really changed. And Samira, the (mostly) good girl—and mother hen—who always tried to keep the peace, and now tries to make others’ lives more pleasurable.

But what none of them know is why, after not seeing or hearing from Alfred for the past 16 years, he wants to do anything with them... because their last encounters? Didn’t remotely scream “MUST CATCH UP ASAP!”.

Nonetheless, they eventually show up en masse to his admittedly-impressive creation. The hotel is everything a casual Hitchcock fan might want—24/7 showings of the master’s films in a cozy in-hotel cinema room, classic memorabilia and tchotchkes around every corner—and in other ways, provides delights that only the diehards would fully appreciate—like the attached aviary with 50 crows living inside.

It is, they concur, very “Alfred” (as in, both Alfreds).

It’s also, they agree—once safely out of Alfred’s hearing—a whole lot of OTT-creepy.

Even at that, though, they can only guess at what their host has planned. Merely showing off his finally-achieved success? Proving to them that the long hours he spent after college, working his way up from the lowest employee to manager at a La Quinta hotel, have finally paid off? Getting back at them for jabs and slights he took more seriously than anyone really intended?

Or... something else?

Because as much as any of them thought they knew or understood Alfred at 18... 20... 22? They have NO IDEA what this adult version of their one-time close friend is capable of concocting... or why.

One thing is certain, though: they’re about to find out... and experience a weekend not a single one of them ever saw coming.

Also? Not everyone will make it out alive.


The Hitchcock Hotel is, quite simply, one of the best things I’ve read in a while. It’s full of characters that I neither loved nor loathed... instead, they felt very, very real, like people I’ve known my whole life (and could identify with). Author Wrobel describes her characters to a tee, allowing them the freedom to be as accomplished and charming—and as flawed and terrible—as they want.

This book is also atmospheric as all get out... just as you’d hope/expect, given the setting (and famous muse). In the beginning, I longed to visit this cool hotel... but later, saw myself wanting only to veer far wide of its increasingly-ominous presence.

After a bit of a slowish start, it picked up speed, gaining intensity like a fledgling flame that finds a stash of gasoline-soaked dry timber. (Honestly, only a desperate need for sleep kept me from finishing it when I wanted to.)

As for the “who-(what, how, why)dunit”, well... Wrobel left me completely satisfied, giving me enough info to believe the resolution... but also enough room to let me mind fill in any remaining little dark corners.

The Hitchcock Hotel is easily my top pick for Best New Thriller/Suspense of the Fall, and one I’ll recommend regardless of how familiar you are with Hitchcock’s best works. (Although if you aren’t, I’ll also add... get watching! ;))

Happy Chilling Reading!
~GlamKitty

Stephanie Wrobel never ceases to amaze me! From crazy and twisty mother-and-daughter relationship in Darling Rose Gold, to the cultish and cringey This Might Hurt, and now an homage to the Master of Suspense, The Hitchcock Hotel, I can definitely say that she got me under her thumb! She’s a great storyteller - I was immediately drawn to her new novel about 6 friends reuniting in a themed hotel after 16 years of no communication. I’ve not watched a lot of Hitchcock films but now I want to after reading this book. The setting’s eerie, the plot unsettling and the characters are all unreliable. It’s quite a bingeable read despite being predictable. I always enjoy whodunnits and characters that want to exact revenge, bonus if they are unlikable —- I have no qualms if they got killed lol! Add this to your halloween tbr if you fancy an atmospheric mystery with a Hitchcockian feel. A total popcorn read!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Another book to add to your #spookyseason reading list! It’s almost October and as the book says “October is a month crafted for Hitchcock.” This group of college friends (I use the term friends very lightly) reunite at the anniversary of the opening of the Hitchcock Hotel. Alfred put his blood, sweat, tears and obsession into this hotel and he wanted to share it all with the fellow members of the film club who devoted much of their time to Hitchcock.
Not everything is what it seems and this is definitely best to go in blind!

I had a hard time getting into the story. (It's written in third person.)There were multiple povs and I had a hard time keeping up with who was who. The storyline was slow and didn't get me excited to read. I felt like it dragged. The twists were okay but kind of predictable.

I enjoy a good Hitchcock movie. We often go to Bodega Bay and eat at the Birds restaurant so I was looking forward to this homage but I got so much more!

Alfred Smettle has opened the Hitchcock Hotel. Alfred has always been a fan. He has invited his "friend" group from college up for a weekend. They think they are reconnecting but he has other sinister plans. There are a lot of secrets between the friends that not even they know the extent of and Alfred intends to use that to seek his revenge.

Spooky happenings and of course birds make for a delicious bit of fun. I kind of figured out things toward the end but it was such a twisty story with some truly unlikable characters that I didn't care at all.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy for review.

Secrets have never done anyone any good. This story is filled with secrets, scandals, and suspense.

While I am not a Hitchcock aficionado, a hotel based on his works and filled with images and props sounds intriguing. And possibly a bit frightful! Those movies are not always for the faint of heart. The author weaves several plotlines into this book, but they all culminate with death. But whose death? Alfred has reason to want many of his friends in the hot seat, but why? The journey to uncovering the truth will keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

I enjoyed the twists and turns this novel provided. I was kept guessing. The author takes her time revealing the history between the friends, but I think that is what I liked the most: not knowing until near the end. But even as certain aspects are revealed, there are still some twists in the last few chapters that I didn't expect. Perhaps I should have expected something from one character, but there were no clues or hints to point me in their direction.

If you like twisty, suspenseful novels, you will most likely enjoy this one. However, don't expect everything to be revealed to you up front.

We give this book 4 paws up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Stephanie Wrobel, and including me on the blog tour to celebrate its publication. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Alfred Smettle is a huge Hitchcock fan. He's also the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to Hitchcock and his films. To celebrate the hotel's first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from their college film club for a reunion. He hasn't spoken to any of them in 16 years, since an event in their senior year broke them apart. But no Hitchcock film is without a body.

I'm a big fan of Stephanie Wrobel - have you read Darling Rose Gold? While I am not a Hitchcock movie buff, I appreciate the few I've seen and love the locked-room mystery genre. There are multiple mysteries here - what exactly happened to the group of friends in their senior year? And who is dead and by whose hand? This one kept me guessing until the end, because everyone is keeping secrets and no one is really very likable. The setting was creepy, complete with an aviary full of crows. It's a wonderful homage to Hitchcock and an even better mystery!

🏨Thoughts🏨

Growing up watching “Alfred Hitchcock presents” this book was a no brainer for me to read! The story truly embodied the creepy and chilling atmosphere most of those episodes had.

I enjoy stories of reunions that bring together people who need “lessons learned”. These 5 “friends” were unique and complex but also deeply maddening! There are twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and I love when that happens. Although Alfred lets his friends stay for free - we know nothing is ever free. This is a story of revenge, betrayal and murder simmering inside a locked hotel! Time to check in! 💀🗝️

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub
My rating is ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Here I am on outlier Island! Most of my friends loved this book so I encourage you to read a variety of reviews. I was really anticipating this read and I love Hitchcock's movies so I was all in!

The premise is good. Alfred Smettle (yes he was named after THE guy!) has bought a creepy hotel that looks like the Bates Motel from Psycho and has filled it with memorabilia. His Mother was a great Hitchcock film buff and Alfred grew up watching all the movies with her. He too soon became fascinated with the famous director. Now, it's his hotel's First Anniversary and he's invited five of his closest college friends to come and stay for a special weekend. The thing is something happened between them long ago and they really have not spoken for sixteen years. It will soon become clear as to why Alfred has gathered them all together.

The first half of this book was really dull for me. It just went back to their college years and told their stories. Nothing grabbed me. No one is particularly a good person so there is no one to root for here. It got a little better at the half way mark as the mystery picked up. I did enjoy all the mentions of various Hitchcock films and some quotes. I was surprised with the culprit and I did like the ending.

✨Happy Pub Day✨

📖The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

If you’re looking for a locked room mystery that’s absolutely PERFECT for this time of year … look no further!! Love all things Hitchcock, again look no further. A twisty whodunnit, look no further.

This was a solid 4 star read for me. I really enjoyed this one.

ARC received in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to Berkley Pub & NetGalley. You truly had me at twisty locked-room thriller!! 🖤

#TheHitchcockHotel: 🏨🔪🎥🚿
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Thank you @prhaudio @berkleypub for my free copies! #PRHAudioPartner #BerkleyPartner⁣
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“Why is honesty the obvious solution only in retrospect?”⁣
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To be an ode for Hitchcock, I was expecting a bit more horror, shock and awe, razzle dazzle of thriller. It was more locked room mystery (which is my mother effing jam don’t get me wrong) but I felt like it could have been for another director to make it as tame as it was. The ending was shock and definitely living up to it, but the rest made me want more. ⁣
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Those ending chapters (what up 55) was so good. I love being able to see the table of contents, but I’m glad I couldn’t on audio because that would have spoiled it for me. Helen Lloyd was amazing on audio and I definitely feel like it is one you can’t miss. (She’s only towards the end but well worth it) I liked that there were multiple POVs and I wish I had a full cast of narrators. Regardless 3 is better than 1, and I loved the audio.⁣
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The Hitchcock Hotel is out tomorrow 9/24 and definitely fun for the locked room, ex school besties mystery lover like myself.⁣
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QOTD: Name a thriller or horror movie you definitely want to watch during spooky season.

I am such a big fan of Wrobel and her previous titles.
Her writing is just one of those that you can’t turn away from.
And I am a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock!
So this was such an exciting book for me.

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel was a damn good locked room mystery.
This book was amazing. It is well-written, intriguing, and straight up binge worthy.
This is a cleverly crafted story and I found to be so gripping I wasn’t able to put my Kindle away.
The overall vibe of the book was straight forward and then the tension was slowly increased until the plot felt so taut. I loved the slow build, the way the events started to unfold and turned more and more twisted. I was riveted and wanted to know what would happen.
It captures you, compelling you to turn the pages until all of the words are used up.

Wrobel has a way of pulling you into a narrative and not letting you go, she is a very talented author in my opinion.

Overall, I love this book, finding it a well written and very entertaining, enjoyable thriller.
Propulsive and addictive, The Hitchcock Hotel is the twisty new psychological thriller you need to read!

“A twisty locked-room thriller about a Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda who invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel. Wrobel pays homage to Hitchcock in a way that will appeal to both unfamiliar readers and devoted fans.”

Thank You NetGalley and Berkley for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
It was such an honor to read and review this outstanding new novel written by Stephanie Wrobel. Once again she did not disappoint.

Thank you letting me participate in your Blog Blitz!

The Hitchcock Hotel pays the ultimate homage to Alfred Hitchcock. Although I haven't seen all of his movies, I'm pretty familiar with his biggest works.

I enjoyed this one, it's a good locked room mystery with lots of surprises along the way.

3.5 stars

In college, the six of them—Alfred, Zoe, TJ, Julius, Samira, and Grace—were members of a film club as well as close friends—until it all fell apart. They haven’t all been together since something happened 16 years ago.

Alfred was devastated by what happened, but he’s always wanted to prove himself to his old friends. And now he’s ready, as the owner of a hotel dedicated to his most favorite movie director—Alfred Hitchcock. The hotel is filled with authentic memorabilia, offers movie screenings around the clock, and even has an aviary with 50 crows.

He’s truly proud of his creation, and arranges for a reunion of the group over a weekend. Every single one of them has secrets as well as some unpleasant memories from college. Alfred is ready to pull out all the stops in the hopes that his work will lead to notoriety and more guests at The Hitchcock Hotel.

This really was a great concept I was excited about. The book is full of trivia and references from various Hitchcock movies, although you don’t need to have seen them to appreciate what Stephanie Wrobel was doing with the plot. And who among us hasn’t wanted to show former friends that you’ve made something big of yourself?

My biggest issue with the book is that none of the characters were likable or even sympathetic, so I stopped caring what actually happened to them. While some had serious secrets, some had more mundane things they were hiding. And sadly, I guessed the twist in advance, which for me, didn’t require much detective work.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for my advance reservation for The Hitchcock Hotel!