The Hotel Maid is a fast paced thriller that had me asking so many questions as I was reading. It has got all the right features to make this a solid thriller as it was an easy read with short chapters which allowed me to keep turning those pages.

There was a dual narrative from the perspectives of two characters; June and Mia, and as the story unfolded the pieces began to connect together. The ending was fairly satisfying however something did feel like it was missing from it. I can't put my finger on it though. Regardless, I liked the book enough and would definitely read another by the author.

Read this because you:
· Ask a million questions
· Enjoy not being able to put a book down because you JUST need to know what's going on
· Have a thing for books with unlikeable characters
· Love short chapters

Check content warnings if you are sensitive to particular themes.

Oh dear, I’m sorry but the plot in this book was too over the top for me. It deals with child neglect and self harm, neither in a believable way. I have experienced both, and I can tell you now that some of the things described in this book would never, ever, happen. Anyone who can suspend belief and enjoys inconceivable scenarios, for example when someone nearly dies but is at work the following day, or when the personality of a character does a 360 degree turn, or the timeline just doesn’t fit, will probably enjoy this book. Sadly, I didn’t. Thanks to Storm and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review, and I’m sorry that I won’t be recommending this to anyone I know.

First I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this incorrect proof.

This book is amazing. I was hooked from the beginning. I mean it starts with a dead body in a hotel room. Who wouldn’t be hooked?

This was real thriller. There are sections that deal with self harm and the book should probably have a warning to this effect. There were many twists and turns. I was confused about some of the timings in the book, but it was a different type of story and quite original.

The Hotel Maid checked a lot of boxes for me—unreliable narrator, Irish Catholic shame, and murder to list a few. While I enjoyed reading this book, certain things felt like a stretch to me and the repetition of names got very confusing at points. I would recommend reading a paper copy or a Kindle copy so that you can go back and check things if/when you get confused.

Probably needs a trigger warning for readers tbh as very dark,sensitive subjects covered,although the author did not over dramatise them and it was in context they are there
A dark very dark at times story that is set from many perspectives
Not a light read and nit all readers will enjoy

This was the first time I have ever read anything by this author- and it will not be the last!!!

June Calloway has been working as a maid at the Cedarwood Manor Hotel, a super luxury manor. We do not know much about June's past. She likes working in the background as a maid and prefers to keep to herself. The hotel is managed by Liz, with Marcus (total creep) as the security supervisor and grandson to the owners, Tess, Erica Kelley and her adopted daughter Mia. It opens with June discovering Erica's dead body and the knowledge that Mia has gone missing. They all have secrets!

I would like to warn you that this is a dark story, with many disturbing elements: cutting, mental abuse, suicidal tendencies, grooming. Although these are not graphic, except some descriptions of cutting, they are present and essential to the unfolding of the story.

The story is told between the POV's of June and Mia. It starts slowly, giving the reader an opportunity to observe the characters. I loved how June was dismissed by all, yet seemed to have the best understanding of everyone because she observed and listened. The characters simply talked to her, yet treated her as if she was a piece of furniture. But this is what drove the story in such a great way.

While reading the story from Mia's perspective, I felt really angry and wanted to jump in the story and rescue her. The way Erica, Erica's husband, and the son treat this girl is truly horrific. They use mental abuse and even imprisonment to keep Mia confined in the home, using her as an indentured servant. However, Mia- like June- observes and listens. This is to her advantage.

Tess is an older woman who is the roommate of June. She comes across as a motherly figure, but we do not know how these two really met. And she has so many secrets.

There are 3 strands to this story, with so many twists. I thought I had it figured out at about 60%, but then WHAM! I had the gist of it- but not the connections and details correct! And there are details! Michelle Dunne wrote this so well. She took all this and wound it so tightly, like a python when it captures a victim, wrapping around it and leaving no space between the coils for escape. Every detail and occurrence makes sense to the spectacular conclusion!

And the ending! I feel that the author had a great understanding and connection to the characters she wrote, that this ending was perfect!

This is not a cozy mystery or action packed thriller. It is a slow burn ride, with the driving force being the psychological elements! I highly recommend this book if you enjoy these types of reads!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I think my favourite thing about this book was the setting. The author described the hotel beautifully and I liked the range of characters that this setting gave us.

The book itself was just too far fetched for me. I couldn’t get on board with some of the themes explored and I didn’t really like any of the characters enough to care about their story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

June works as a maid at the luxurious Cedarwood Manor Hotel. She enjoys the anonymity of the role. But she soon starts receiving notes from someone who knows about her past. Who is sending her these notes? And what did June do?

The good:
Quick and easy read
I enjoyed the multiple POVs as it kept things moving along
The characters are fairly complex and character development is pretty on point as well

The bad:
I did see the "main twist" coming from a mile away.
There is not a lot of suspense or thrills for a thriller. I kept waiting for something more to happen. Probably my main issue with this book
There is a fair amount of filler
A bit messy and far-fetched

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Maids should be seen, not heard, and June is good at fading in to the background. Quiet and unassuming, she is good at her job. It’s always the quiet ones you have to watch though…

This thriller is DARK. Some scenes may be upsetting for some and I’d probably have preferred some trigger warnings with this one. Namely suicide, self harm and child abuse.

I liked June, and my heart ached for little Mia. The rest of the cast were very unlikeable, which added to the emotion this book pulls from the reader. I felt the pace was fast enough to keep me turning the pages and I finished the book pretty quickly.

A solid 4 stars from me, but I couldn’t understand how some might not be able to finish if they’ve gone in blind.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my advanced copy.

well this book had me gripped! i couldn’t put it down. so many twists you have to concentrate to find out who is who!
a really strong read full of evil individuals!
trigger warning - self harm and touches on rape

Exciting page turner that kept me guessing the entire time! I was engaged the entire time and couldn't put this down!

The writing was good and drew you in. The storyline gradually got darker, which was quite exciting and added extra tension to the overall story. Lots of little things kept being added to the story and building it up which at the time confused me, but by the end I knew what was going on and appreciated the technique used.
It certainly kept me guessing as to how the whole thing would end.

The chapters were fairly long and were labelled with the name of the person whose perspective you were reading, which was helpful. The length of the chapters meant that you got a good chunk of the story before moving on. There was a lot of information to be given to the reader, but I didn't feel bogged down. I was intrigued to see how it would all turn out.

There was a good pace and flow to the story so once I picked it up I was quite happy to read it for chunks of time.

The characters were good. They all had dark secrets and it was interesting slowly uncovering them all. It was very emotional in places, which added to the intrigue of the story.

Lastly the settings. I love a hotel setting and this particular setting was a character in itself. I loved the appreciation that the main character had for the building and it made me feel the same.

Overall, it was a dark, emotional story with lots of different pieces that all came together well at the end.

Dark, Devious, Disturbing...a must read for anyone who loves a creepy thriller!

This was a great thriller with many twists and turns that kept me turning the pages late into the night.

Thank you NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my free and honest review. Wow, this novel wa nothing short of a roller coaster ride from start to finish. Take it slow, Dear Readers, and you may need a pen and paper to be able to keep up with the sharp curves and surprises that pop up here and there. Quite a treat, I must say.

In this gripping thriller, a maid at a luxury hotel finds a woman dead in her room and a note threatening to expose her secrets. A suspenseful thriller with many twists and turns.

The Hotel Maid by Michelle Dunne will be released August 23rd with Storm Publishing and is described as ‘a tense ‘just one more page’ emotional rollercoaster of a read that will have you racing to the twisty end.’

June Calloway has worked for many years as a maid at Cedarwood Manor Hotel, a luxury hotel on the outskirts of Cork city, a place ‘exclusively for the rich and powerful’. June relishes the anonymity of her role as guests check-in and check-out with barely a glance at her. She is almost an invisible presence within the walls and is noted for being a loyal and conscientious employee. She is fastidious in her preparation every morning before starting her rounds, always watching, always listening, always observing. But there’s a reason

‘June Calloway has been keeping her mouth shut all her life. She kept her own secrets, and those of so many others, locked away in the vault of her memory.’

When the body of woman is found dead in her hotel room, there is the inevitable shock and investigation that would be expected but someone knows more than they are revealing. And that someone has their reasons. In a narrative that spins between different POVs, Michelle Dunne delves deep into a darker and more sinister tale, one that unfortunately has its roots in fact as opposed to fiction. Criss-crossing timelines the story unravels revealing lies, grief, regret, revenge and too many secrets for anyone to keep alongside their sanity.

June Calloway is a young woman with a story to tell. Her days are routine. Her life is sparse. Her intentions are slightly skewed but June Calloway’s story is no ordinary story and June Calloway will tell it to you in her own idiosyncratic way. (Because I’m saying no more as it would be all to easy to drop a spoiler accidentally!)

The Hotel Maid is, at times, quite a distressing and disconcerting read. Yet I have come to expect that from the pen of Michelle Dunne. As an author, Michelle Dunne is unafraid of delving into the dark and the downright deplorable, as anyone who has read The Good Girl will attest to. The Hotel Maid is a complex and twisty tale with multiple layers that all do come together at the end. With quite the cast of characters, consider The Hotel Maid as a literary game of Cluedo. Who is the murderer? Why did they kill this lady? Where is the weapon? Mysterious stuff indeed!!

June works as a hotel maid and is very good at it. she pays attention to detail. To a lot of people she is invisible.
I was invested in finding out what June's story was and really liked the way the author drip feeds it. I kept guessing wrong for most of the book as to how it all linked together.

The story starts with a shocking revelation and from that moment on, my antennas were moving in all directions, trying to pick up the right signal in order to figure it all out.

The author alternates the points of view of different characters to give us some background information and to paint a picture of the situation.

You can keep people under your thumb for a while or for years even, but watch your back once they break free... Some people don't mind waiting even years to achieve their goals...

If you are looking for an intriguing, fascinating and complex story, you might want to try this book.

Very twisty, very dark read. 4 stars.

Thank you

As often is the case, those that seem inconsequential are often ignored. So it is with June Calloway, a hotel maid at the luxurious Cedarwood Manor. Moving through the halls with her trolley, cleaning the rooms of the guests, June is often overlooked. No one really knows June, maybe she even doesn’t know herself.
A dark thriller with a number of POV’s, so much so, I was often confused keeping everyone straight. But don’t give up! Everything ties up neatly (minus the blood) in the end. Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the early copy. I voluntarily gave my review of this book.