An emotional book and quite a dark tale. Psychological thrillers are my favourite genre but I did not particularly enjoy this book if I am honest. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

The synopsis of this novel led me to believe that this was something I was going to enjoy. It turned out to be somewhat darker than expected and sadly did not meet my expectations.

The protagonist is June, the Hotel Maid of the title. The story is told by multiple characters who all have dark secrets involving self-harm, murder and child abuse. Just a few of the many disturbing topics covered by an unlikeable cast of characters. The mystery built slowly as told from the different perspectives and sometimes it was difficult to differentiate between the past and present parts.

If you are a fan of really dark thrillers then 'The Hotel Maid' maybe to your taste, but disappointed to say it was not to mine. With thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

This is one of those books in which, no matter how hard you try, or how much you have read this genre, you'll never guess what's going on. From the prologue to the end, all the pieces are connected in a masterful way, and once revealed, it blows your mind. Congratulations to Michelle Dunne (can't wait to read your next book), and thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing (all your books are amazing), for sending me this wonderful ARC.

I need a few days to digest this one. I read it all in one go, which means it totally held my interest. But it got really weird at the end and I kind of hated that. Also it gave me nightmares.
But I love the settings and the way the author describes everyone. That is true talent.

The Hotel Maid was an intense thriller, June is a maid in a lovely old manor hotel, nobody notices the maid in the room, but she sees and hears everything.

The book is told by June and Mia, Mia is a young girl who lives with her family, but is not treating like a daughter. I liked reading about both characters, June being a dark person with a trigger problem. Mia is a lovely 10 year old, but is being treating as a slave.

The book has got trigger subjects, but the plot is good, it’s a dark thriller but did make me turn the pages quickly. The ending really brought the whole story together. It’s a great 4 star read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

The covet feels very much like I've seen it before so I wasn't sure if I'd actually read the book and just forgotten but once I got started it was apparent, I hadn't read the book already and the cover art just isn't that original. It was a quick read and I really enjoyed it. Its one of those boost that are really easy to read with the Worting style, the characters were well written and it wasn't too overly complicated. Just straight up twists, tension and everything you want from a domestic noir

I honestly didn't know how to rate this one. The beginning was very slow, building the story a little at a time. There's a lot of, what I know now at the end, is going back in time. While I was reading I presumed the Mia chapters were in the same time/space as the June chapters. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and Erica was not a like able character at all! Some might really enjoy this story, but it wasn't for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

The Hotel Maid didn't quite grip me at the start. The first few chapters reminded me of another maid themed book and that threw me off a little. However, from reading The Good Girl, I knew this book was going to lead somewhere else and it did. I was glad I kept reading and ended up really enjoying it. This book is so twisty and well paced. I thought it was well written and had authentic characters albeit unlikeable! The multiple pov really adds to the suspense and makes it easy to fly through. There came a point where I couldn't put it down. I was desperately trying to figure it all out! I'd rate this book a solid 3.5 ⭐️ and I very much look forward to what this author writes next.

This was a wild ride! I knew exactly where this story was going but I was not mad at it at all! I’m glad everyone got what they deserved in the end, and liked how everyone was connected even if they didn’t see it at the time. This was great, I was afraid it was going to be similar to other “maid” stories but this wasn’t like any of the other stories I’ve read before! I really enjoyed this one and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future!

I found this book a bit confusing with so many characters and different timelines. I didn’t find any of the characters likeable . It wasn’t for me but others might like it.
Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

"The Hotel Maid" bears a strong resemblance to "The Maid," both in its premise and overall vibe. If you're a fan of thrillers that revolve around unsuspecting protagonists getting caught in webs of mystery, this book will likely appeal to you. However, it's important to note that it contains some trigger warnings that potential readers may want to consider beforehand.

The story is compelling, with multiple POVs that add depth and variety to the narrative. While it does share similarities with other books in the genre, I still found it enjoyable. The different perspectives provided a well-rounded view of the unfolding events, which kept the story engaging.

Overall, if you're looking for a familiar yet satisfying read in the mystery/thriller genre, "The Hotel Maid" is worth picking up. Just be mindful of the trigger warnings before diving in.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for the book #TheHotelMaid by #MichelleDunne. June is invisible to most everyone. She works as a maid at Cedarwood Manor and stays to herself. I do have secrets and they should never come out. Now, a woman has been killed at the hotel and a missing girl. How is this all connected?

This is the second book by Michelle Dunne that I have read and it is another cracker!

Told from the two different perspectives of June, a hotel maid who is invisible to everyone as she goes about her daily work and Mia, a 10 year old adopted child living in appalling circumstances. As the story progresses we learn more about the sad but totally different home life of each of these characters, convincingly described, making the reader shudder.

Life in the hotel has many characters, realistically portrayed, with most being quite unlikable, drawing no empathy from the reader, except for June, working thoroughly and reliably. So many layers here that I will not reveal more about, to avoid any plot spoilers.

The descriptions of the hotel itself and the grounds form clear pictures of a beautiful site, making the comparison to June’s home all the more stark.

Contrasting this to the rather stately home of Mia, a young child lacking understanding of her situation and terrified of her adoptive parents, makes for quite uncomfortable reading and yet I was compelled to read on.

The skillfully developed plot had me puzzling away for hours, trying, and failing, to make connections or predict where the story was going. Then pieces began to fall into place revealing brilliantly satisfying but dark completeness. I had to stop at one point and try to visualise who, how and why, the sign of a great story!

The language used and the vivid settings, bring Ireland alive for the reader. Another author for my ‘must read’ list! I would highly recommend this thrilling read!

I love the premise of a hard-working hotel maid who sees a lot on her job, but keeps everyone's secrets (and who has secrets of her own!) I enjoyed getting to know June Calloway, a young woman who keeps to herself and has a small flat she shares with an elderly woman. The book is compelling, and nothing is as it appears.

However, as the story progresses, it gets darker and darker. There are detailed scenes of self-harm, suicide attempts, and child abuse so large parts of the story are hard to read. There are a few different timelines and points-of-view so I was confused how everything was related. It is clever how everything comes together at the end and I was interested to see what would happen next, so I have given the book 3.5 stars. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advance copy of this ebook. Although I received the book at no cost, my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Michelle Dunne’s The Hotel Maid is a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat mystery that keeps you guessing until the very last page. The story centers on a seemingly ordinary hotel maid who becomes embroiled in a dark and dangerous web of secrets after discovering a dead woman in one of the rooms she cleans. The narrative is tense and immersive, drawing readers into the maid’s world where she moves unnoticed through the luxury Cedarwood Manor hotel, her own secrets carefully guarded. However, when a cryptic note suggests someone knows more about her than they should, the suspense ratchets up, leading to a series of shocking twists.

Dunne masterfully weaves a tale of psychological intrigue, where every character could be hiding something sinister. The missing ten-year-old girl adds another layer of urgency and emotion, making this more than just a simple whodunit. While the plot occasionally leans on familiar tropes of the genre, the author’s ability to create a palpable sense of tension and her skillful pacing make The Hotel Maid a compelling read. Fans of psychological thrillers like The Woman in the Window and Gone Girl will find themselves thoroughly absorbed in this dark and twisty tale.

The story unfolds at Cedarwood Manor, where a woman is found dead and a ten-year-old child goes missing from the hotel. Initially, I found the first half of the book to be somewhat confusing and challenging to engage with. However, once I reached the midpoint, the narrative seemed to flow more smoothly, leading me through various twists and turns and eventually tying together different story arcs in a satisfying manner.

Overall, despite a rocky start, I ended up really enjoying "The Hotel Maid" and am eager to explore more of Dunne's work in the future.

This was such a tense read all the way through. It had me gripped and not wanting to finish until I knew the truth.

I enjoyed this story. It started great. It is a slow-burn but I didn't mind. When I got to the ending I was definitely surprised. Overall, entertaining and engaging.

Page-turning thriller with an unforgettable twist

Without giving the game away, this is an unforgettable thriller with a remarkable protagonist and a twist that you will not see coming. Backgrounded by the lamentable history of the Magdalen Laundries, this is a clever mix of history, mental health and murder, and sure to hit home for a dark summer read.

It reminded me of Roald Dahl in its darkness and the innocence of the central character, until you get to the heart of the story, where Dahl's darkness truly comes back to bite. Not really my kind of book, but worth reading for fans of thrillers and women's fiction.

June Calloway has been cleaning rooms at the Cedarwood Manor for 6 years. As a maid, she’s practically invisible to the guests and other staff there. A bit of an odd duck, she says little but notices everything. She’s good at her job and enjoys it well enough, but her life outside of the luxurious hotel is quiet and lonely. Although she has a roommmate, she has little money and few possessions. She also has a tendency to self-harm. But June has big plans and even bigger secrets.

A bit of a slow burn, nothing really started happening until after the half-way mark and I was getting bored. The story’s main character, June, seemed a bit too much like another in a series I’ve also read. Also, the narrative flips back and forth in point of view and time jumps that made the flow uneven. I didn’t really enjoy the parts that featured Mia. The lies of Tess and the convoluted identity and names got muddled as well. From then, it became entirely forseeable . I didn’t care for June and how she handled her issues and past. Although I might initially have felt for her in the situations she found herself in, I soon believed that she was wrong in how things were handled. It was way too complicated for a plot that was so predictable in the end. Enough said.

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book as both were provided as ARCs by the publisher. I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook who did an excellent job of voicing the characters and I loved her accent. That definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.