This was not at all what I expected. It started with what I felt were vibes of another book I’ve read then it veered off in another direction, a completely different direction. June Calloway has been working as a cleaner at the prestigious Cedarwood Manor hotel for six years and she is a perfect employee, the best cleaner. Told in dual timeline and dual POV, those of June and in the past 10 year old Mia. Very well plotted with a plethora of great characters.

Briefly, June lives with an elderly lady called Tess, they have barely enough money to eat and their home is a dump. Mia lives with her Mammy, Daddy and brother. Her mother treats her like a skivvy and her brother is cruel to her but Daddy is kind to her when no one is home to see them. June discovers a dead body in their hotel room one morning and she knows her, it’s a regular visitor to the hotel.

A very character driven novel that was a compelling read despite the very dark nature of the book. This is a very twisty story with some disturbing elements to it. It was only implied but June did appear to be on the Spectrum, but that may have just been her coping mechanism, she certainly had psychopathic tendencies. A dark psychological thriller that I found both shocking and heartbreaking.

At the start of this story, we learn that June Calloway is the most respected maid on staff at Cedarwood Manor, a luxury hotel for wealthy guests. June takes great pride in her work and enjoys seeing the job done properly. She also likes that this job gives her a sense of privacy. It has allowed her to get to know the guests, and their secrets, even though they don't seem to acknowledge her existence much at all. Just the way she likes it.

On the first day of the story, June opens a guest room to clean and finds the body of a woman who has been a frequent guest at the hotel for years. the story then backtracks to the previous weeks leading up to this mysterious death.

Soon after meeting June we also meet Mia. Mia is a young girl living a secluded and difficult life of her own. As The story unfolds, we learn more about both June and Mia and how they are connected to the shocking death at the Cedarwood Manor Hotel.

I enjoyed the characters of both June and Mia. The writing style of the author was easy to read and kept me wanting to know more at the end of each chapter. I did have a little trouble at times though because there are a lot of dark and disturbing things mentioned in this book. However, without knowing the history of the characters, we would not have come to fully understand the emotional state of those in the story.

Despite these triggers, I really enjoyed this book and found myself drawn into their lives. The twists and turns of the story were well plotted out and I look forward to seeing what this author will release next.

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this eARC copy. I am leaving a review of my thoughts and opinions voluntarily.

I’m sorry to say but this book didn’t grab me and I finished it feeling somewhat confused. The characters and timelines weren’t well enough defined for me - perhaps because I read last thing at night so wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Just not my cup of tea.

A lovely, cozy murder/mystery. A great read with lots of twists in it. I loved thecway it was written made it very interesting. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This book was definitely darker and more unsettling than I was expecting from the title. Thrillers about maids are having a moment right now and the other ones I've read have been fast-paced, twisty, and fun.

The story here moved along quickly and did have some pretty decent twists. I wouldn't call it a fun read though.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

A well written psychological thriller. There were many twists and turns and you are kept gripped without.

Will look out for more from this author.

Someone is found dead in a luxury hotel & a little girl is missing. Then there’s the hotel maid who’s receiving mysterious letters saying ‘I know who you are’.

3 stars from me. Good book, tad predictable about 75% through. Few different character’s stories you have to keep straight (and for my one brain celled mind, it was hard at times).

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Michelle Dunne for the advanced reader copy of this book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Trigger warning: suicide, murder, child abuse, pedophilia, self-harm

The Hotel Maid was a good read that gripped me early on, although I was uneasy about the subject matter. It's another book that's built on the premise of what the Irish Mother & Baby homes did by stealing children from unwed mothers and sending them off to be adopted. This one is much darker, though, as these events have a generational impact.

June Calloway is a maid at the prestigious Cedarwood Manor, a prestigious hotel for the wealthy. She flies under the radar most of the time as the people who stay there don't "see" the help. This lets her see and hear many different things that she tells her roommate, an elderly woman named Tess. They live in a flat and don't have much money aside from June's salary as a maid.

Mia is a ten-year-old girl who lives in a big house with her Mammy, Daddy, and brother. Both of the children are treated as slaves by Mammy, who expects to be catered to. Every few weeks, she visits Cedarwood Manor to spend some time alone for a few days.

You'll have to read the book to figure out how June and Mia are connected. I'll admit, it took me greatly by surprise.

June is painted as someone who may or may not have a learning disability, but she's clever and conniving when she needs to be. While she is at work, she receives an "I know what you did" note that frightens her. There's not much about her background until the end, and then it all makes sense. As the notes continue to pile up, June fears someone may have discovered her past, but who among her coworkers could it be?

The characters here are well-honed and have quite a bit of depth to them. Even the ones who seem to be supporting players have distinct personalities and contribute to the story. The main characters are all interesting, whether they are around June or around Mia. June herself is a remarkable person and dedicated to her job at the hotel. She polishes the brass and tables in the lobby every day as if they are filthy. It also gives her the opportunity to overhear things, which is part of what drives her.

Mia is young and only understands what she's been told. Her background slowly is told as she learns it herself. She has no idea that children in other homes don't act like servants to their parents as she's kept away from school as well. Mammy's idea of education is having her read the newspaper every day. Still, as she's getting older she's starting to question things and seek out more than what Mammy has allowed her to know.

Everything comes together nicely, or not so nicely. This is really a sad book in many ways as there are no real winners in the end. June is so troubled and finds out the person she thought was on her side for a long time actually had an ulterior motive. It doesn't seem like anyone really likes her for who she is, and it's a very lonely existence.

The Hotel Maid was a good character-driven dark thriller. Overall I did enjoy the read, but it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea. It will keep you guessing until the end.

I read something else by this author and had high hopes. It started out engaging, with June, maid who discovers a dead body. She lives with Tess, an older woman. There is Mia, a child who is abused and told that she is stupid. As the novel unfolds, we learn about the relationships between the characters, and who committed the murder. The book is very dark, increasingly so, which made this a challenging read. It is also easy to get confused and it was hard to connect to the characters. As a teacher, I find it very difficult to read bad things about children and I almost gave up on the book.
Thanks to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I would consider this book OK. I found it confusing through most of it. I kept getting all of the people and names mixed up. It did come together in the end, but I had pretty much figured it out by that point so it was kind of predictable.

Michelle Dunne's The Hotel Maid is a compelling psychological thriller that delves into the life of a seemingly inconspicuous hotel maid, June Calloway, and unravels a dark and intricate mystery set against the backdrop of the opulent Cedarwood Manor hotel.

The novel opens with a portrayal of June Calloway, who embraces her role as a maid with meticulous dedication. The luxury of Cedarwood Manor and the anonymity of her job provide her with a sense of comfort, allowing her to navigate the hotel’s corridors and rooms without drawing attention. Her anonymity is both a shield and a prison, as it allows her to maintain her secrets while keeping her true identity and past hidden from the guests and staff.

The story takes a dramatic turn when a woman is found dead in her room and a young girl goes missing from the hotel. The sense of dread is heightened when June receives a cryptic note suggesting that someone knows her hidden secrets. This note sets off a chain of events that forces June to confront her past and the precariousness of her carefully constructed facade.

Dunne excels in crafting a suspenseful narrative, using the luxurious yet confining setting of Cedarwood Manor to amplify the story's tension. The hotel, with its grandeur and isolation, becomes a microcosm of June’s own entrapment. The juxtaposition of the hotel's opulence and the dark secrets that unfold within its walls creates a gripping atmosphere that keeps readers on edge.

June Calloway is a well-developed protagonist whose complexity is revealed through her actions and internal monologue. Initially presented as a diligent and reserved maid, June’s character is gradually peeled back to reveal layers of vulnerability and psychological depth. Her interactions with the hotel staff, especially Malcolm Levy, the hotel security guard who seems to be one of the few who notices her, add further intrigue to her character. The dynamics between them, fraught with tension and unspoken history, contribute significantly to the novel’s suspense.

The plot of The Hotel Maid is intricately woven, with Dunne skillfully building suspense through a combination of red herrings and psychological manipulation. The mystery surrounding the woman’s death and the missing girl is interlaced with June’s own secrets, creating a narrative that is both engaging and unpredictable. As June races against time to clear her name and uncover the truth, the reader is drawn into a web of deceit, danger, and psychological tension.

Supporting characters are also richly portrayed, each adding depth and potential motives to the unfolding drama. The interactions between the staff and guests of Cedarwood Manor are laden with intrigue, contributing to the novel's suspenseful atmosphere. The tension between the desire for anonymity and the fear of exposure is a recurring theme, explored through June’s relationships and the unfolding mystery.

Fans of psychological thrillers will find The Hotel Maid particularly engaging. The novel’s exploration of themes such as identity, secrecy, and the impact of past trauma is handled with skill and nuance. Dunne’s ability to create a palpable sense of suspense, combined with well-developed characters and a tightly plotted narrative, makes this a standout in the genre. The luxurious yet insidious setting of Cedarwood Manor adds a layer of psychological complexity that enhances the thriller’s impact.

The Hotel Maid by Michelle Dunne is a gripping psychological thriller that masterfully combines suspense with intricate character development. The novel’s compelling plot, rich setting, and nuanced exploration of identity and secrecy make it a must-read for fans of the genre. Dunne’s skillful storytelling ensures that readers will be captivated from the first page to the last, eagerly unraveling the secrets of Cedarwood Manor alongside June Calloway.

The Hotel Maid had me hooked from the beginning. Dunne has readers captivated in a story of secrets, hidden agendas, aliases, and revenge.

June Calloway is the best hotel maid the resort has ever seen. Her attention to detail comes only second to her ability to remain invisible to the VIP guests that frequent the place. But when someone starts leaving June notes hinting to her secret past everything changes.

Although the twist in this story didn’t come out of the blue, the way Dunne wraps everything up in a bow at the end for readers has me wanting more.

This was creepy and twisted, it went through a lot of different triggering type issues through out the story. I was really into the story at first though it just kind of dropped off midway for me. I feel it’s still a good read though if you are triggered it may not be for you.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Storm publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Hotel Maid by Michelle Dunne.

June Calloway is a maid at the prestigious Cedarwood Manor Hotel, one who takes pride in her work, keeps her head down, and shows her love for the hotel in the way that she cares for and cleans it’s possessions. June’s coworkers find her to be a bit odd, but some depend on her trustworthiness and work ethic. One morning June enters room 208 to give it a good cleaning, but she is halted by the discovery of a woman’s body. The story then rewinds back six weeks in time to everything that leads up to finding one of Cedarwood Manor Hotel’s most frequent guests, Mrs. Kelly, murdered on the floor of her suite.

During the novel, readers will meet Mia and Tess, through different timelines. Mia is a young girl who is mentally abused by the woman who takes care of her. Her story is troubling and heartbreaking. Michelle Dunne really made Mia’s life come alive through my reading and tugged at my heart strings. Tess is an older woman who shares a small apartment with June. Tess’s own story is a bit mysterious to June. June does some digging to attempt to find Tess’s truth.

Michelle Dunne does a great job of making the reader “feel” the characters through her use of imagery. At certain points of the book, I was feeling a bit uncomfortable, reading what the characters were going through in their lives, but this is a sign of the author doing his/her job through his/her storytelling. Although there are some tough topics the book covers, such as self-harm, mental abuse, child neglect, and murder; I did find that Dunne’s new novel was one worth reading. I am a reader that enjoys reading different types of stories and understand how some happenings add to the story’s plot; however I want to be fair and mention the topics that come up in the book in case that is not something readable for the person reading my review. This book was out for publication on August 23rd. 4 stars.

These books just continue to get more and more exciting! You would think this genre and type of book would get old but authors like this continue to hit the mark.

Trying to get back to reality after reading this book. Several stories at different times run seamlessly together, winding tendrils of confusion - just as the reader gets to grips with one scenario, the stage changes and new actors appear. Only, they're not new actors, are they? Very well done, and lovely to have a story based in Cork.

I'll be honest in saying that I put this book down several times not wanting to finish.
I couldn't connect with the character, the different POVs and the time lapse. It eventually came together towards the end.
It seemed slow paced with not much happening. It was more about the hotel guests and the staff and I kept waiting for all the pieces to connect.
The maid sure had a lot of secrets that made the story turn quite dark.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
The hotel maid is June, she keeps herself to herself, she moves around the hotel almost as if she is invisible, she watches everyone, staff and residents included. June is a self harmer, she lives with Tess who is 80, they are not related, they know very little about each other, both of them keep secrets.
The story turns darker as Mia who is 10 years old narrates her story, she is physically and mentally abused, treated like a maid by those who are suppose to care for her.
I was constantly trying to work out how everything would come together, I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, but the plot held my attention and it comes together very cleverly at the end.
Well deserving of 4 stars

This was a definite page turner. So binge worthy! It's dark and twisty. The characters are great. Told by different POVS on different timelines so you are sure not to get bored. Thank you for the opportunity to read this!

The story line was a bit slow at the beginning but towards the middle of the book it really picked up and became interesting. The “plot twist” was very easy to figure out early on, but the storyline itself was very interesting and the book overall was well-written. There are a lot of triggers in this book. Mental and emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, self-harm, and murder. So that’s important to mention.

June appears like a normal, quiet, reserved young woman to most. But on the inside, she’s anything but. As a hotel maid at one of the most luxurious manors in Ireland, she takes pride in her job everyday. But she sees and hears things, that she often turns a blind eye to. The Cedarwood Manor staff is full of drama, scandal, betrayal and secrets. But the one dark, deep seeded secret of them all falls within June. What is her secret? And what lengths is she willing to go to keep it hidden?

Overall, it was a good read. The plot twist was predictable, but otherwise a good read that kept my interest!