The Murders in the Endicott Hotel, by American author David Murphy, is a chilling murder mystery full of action and suspense. It has a very unique premise, one that posits the ultimate solution to crimes committed by serial killers via the amygdalotomy, which, in theory, removes their ability to pose harm to others.

In the story, five imprisoned serial killers went through such a psychosurgery and are now fundamentally rehabilitated, or so argued Pioneer Medical Technologies, the biomedical company that sponsors Project Themis. The company then flies these five individuals to a luxurious hotel in Alaska for a PR event, whose attendees include a group of invited and uninvited guests.

Then, of course, things start to go wrong, beginning with the company's CEO poisoned to death. With all communications cut off, the weather conditions increasingly deteriorating, and their only helicopter pilot murdered, the hotel's guests and staff are being slaughtered one after another. A former detective must race against time and find the killer.

The author clearly wants to provide a comprehensive examination of human psyche through a large ensemble of characters with diverse backgrounds. Readers are given meticulous details of each character's personal circumstances, and the description of their dialogues and actions is often tedious, perhaps in an attempt to invite scrutinisation by those who love detective novels.

Throughout the narrative, the author keeps readers guessing who the killer or killers may be and who is likely to be their next target. More often than not, our attention is drawn to the question of nature versus nurture, as well as how the supposedly reformed serial killers perceive themselves and are perceived by those around them.

With that said, only a couple of characters are better developed to afford us a glimpse of their beliefs, desires, agendas and pursuits. While these are outstanding, the author's no-nonsense approach means there is often a lack of motives and repercussions given about the thoughts and actions of the other characters, which considerably diminishes our interests in them.

All things considered, The Murders in the Endicott Hotel as a story is well executed in the author's attempt to depict the reality mentioned in his preface, which is “made up of folk who are humble, proud, strong, weak, polite, rude, and in possession of those many manifold and often contradictory features that make up the human spectrum, and which...are so contrary and complex as to make it impossible to boil down into a single representative, a specimen who may accurately stereotype the others”. Along this particular line of reasoning, the large ensemble of characters makes good sense and enriches the story as a murder mystery.

But, to take the story to a higher level (such as an excellent psychological thriller), the author can fully utilise its unique premise and give us an in-depth and full-scale probe into the impact and effect of the psychosurgery.

This has such a cool concept. I'm a big fan of whodunnits and murder mysteries and The Murders in the Endicott Hotel is very reminiscent of Agatha Christie's style. It's a locked room situation where everyone is stuck in this hotel in the middle of Alaska during a blizzard so there's no hope of leaving. At first it seems pretty obvious that when they're locked in with five convicted serial killers (reformed or not), one of them has to be the murderer but as more people turn up dead it seems that everyone there has potential motives. It fell a little flat in some areas, though.

There were some parts that were hard to get through, but I pushed through because the story itself was so unique and interesting.
There were A LOT of characters, which is a great thing to have in a whodunnit, but the way the majority of their intros were squished into the very long prologue made it hard to remember who was who.
The writing was also repetitive and at times a little cheesy. As soon as they start looking for the killer, everyone unanimously refers to them as "he or she" and it just felt silly that over the many times they mention the killer the word "they" completely leaves their vocabulary. And when one specific character is the focus, they are described over and over either by their occupation or some random trait of theirs and it felt like a word count was trying to be met over anything.
Then there was the ending that, in my opinion, was not as fleshed out as it could've been. It went a little fast compared to other parts. And the epilogue wasn't necessary.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was unique and tense and the high stakes of needing to find the murderer quick was engaging. If anything the premise itself was enough to make me want to finish it and the detective Walter Churchfield was a very redeeming character

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ARC

This book, while fine in execution, didn't wow me the way I wanted it to. There were far too many moments that felt forced, taking me out of the narrative to examine why I wasn't totally captured by what was happening.

This is very much a Clue, whodunnit story. Its"who?" In the library with an ax, and "who?" In the pool room with a rope, etc. It's kinda predictable and you have to suspend disbelief, but all in all entertaining.
I think the addition of so many characters, and so many unnecessary details were to try to confuse the reader. It was fun. I wouldn't describe this as horror or thriller, even though there's a bit of gore and death, it reads very much cozy mystery with life and death stakes.
All in all I would recommend this to Clue fans, maybe Agatha Christie fans as well.

The Murders in the Endicott Hotel by David Murphy sets the stage for a gripping locked-room mystery with an intriguing techno-thriller twist: can science fundamentally alter a person’s violent nature, or is evil intrinsic and immutable? The novel brims with potential, combining snowbound isolation, morally ambiguous characters, and ethical questions surrounding biomedical experimentation. Unfortunately, despite its ambitious premise, the story struggles to leave a lasting impression due to pacing issues, underdeveloped characters, and predictable tropes.

The setting of The Endicott Hotel—a luxurious yet remote sanctuary in Alaska—immediately establishes an atmosphere of suspense and claustrophobia. Murphy effectively uses the blizzard as a narrative device, heightening the tension as communication is severed and paranoia escalates among the trapped guests. The locked-room mystery format has long been a staple of the genre, and Murphy’s addition of five rehabilitated former serial killers amps up the stakes. Are the rehabilitations real, or has one of these former murderers simply found new prey?

The philosophical question of whether people can truly change is the novel’s most compelling element. The biomedical company’s decision to “cure” serial killers through invasive brain surgery raises interesting ethical dilemmas. The court’s decision to release the killers is disturbing, yet believable within the world Murphy builds. However, the narrative doesn’t dig as deeply into these moral complexities as it could, instead opting for a more traditional whodunit structure that feels overly familiar by the midway point.

Walter Churchfield, the ex-detective who steps up to solve the murders, is competent but largely forgettable. His character lacks the depth and quirks that make fictional detectives memorable, and his backstory is hinted at rather than fully explored. Daniel Larch, the ill-fated CEO, and the supporting cast—including disgruntled employees, opportunistic lawyers, and secretive former killers—offer plenty of potential suspects, but few stand out as fully realized individuals. Instead, they fall into archetypes, which makes the eventual revelations feel more predictable than surprising.

The pacing is another weakness. The novel takes its time setting up the premise, but once the murders begin, the middle portion drags as Churchfield methodically works through the guest list without much urgency. The novel’s climax, though action-packed, feels rushed in contrast to the slower buildup, with some character motivations revealed too late to pack an emotional punch.

Despite its flaws, The Murders in the Endicott Hotel does deliver some genuinely eerie and suspenseful moments, especially in scenes where the characters question whether their own perceptions of morality can be trusted. The Alaskan wilderness, with its unforgiving isolation, serves as a powerful backdrop for the story’s themes of survival, guilt, and the fear of the unknown.

At 3 stars, the novel is a serviceable mystery but lacks the complexity and character depth needed to make it memorable. Fans of locked-room mysteries and isolation thrillers may still enjoy the familiar beats, but readers looking for a fresh take on the genre or a deeper exploration of psychological and ethical questions may come away feeling underwhelmed. Ultimately, The Murders in the Endicott Hotel raises fascinating questions—it just doesn’t quite stick the landing.

Wow… where to begin.

**some spoilers ahead!!!**

First, the formatting was… rather odd. The page numbers and author/title popped up in random places, but on my kindle, there wasn’t an option to read by page vs location. It really confused me at times. Also, in the epilogue, I think there might be a paragraph or page missing? It seems there’s half a sentence at the end of the page, but when I hit next page, it said Chapter 11 and started a whole new paragraph that had nothing to do with the page before. Why have an epilogue if you’re just going to add another random chapter? Very confusing.

This was honestly painful to read. Way too many characters to keep up with, and each chapter could’ve been broken up into like 10 chapters at least. And the characters didn’t start getting proper descriptions until about 20% of the book. So I couldn’t use imagery at ALL until at least a hair color or height was described.

This book would’ve been more interesting, in my opinion, in first person POV and switch for every interaction instead of having dividers 5+ times in each chapter, except for the epilogue. Also, each SHORTER chapter could’ve had timestamps and whose POV it was for ex. “Churchfield, Hotel Lobby, 5:30pm” or “Brooks, second floor hall, 4:00am” so we understand what the heck is going on.

The storyline itself was really interesting, the only reason why I kept reading was because I wanted to find out what happened next. I felt there wasn’t really an attention grabbing twist like I’m used to, but maybe this is a different type of writing that I personally am NOT used to.

Also, why have the big reveal of who the killer is, if the name of the killer is going to be right under the title this whole time? I didn’t notice before reading it, or else I would’ve just not read this book.

Also, when we find out who the killer is, it wasn’t very surprising to me. Anyone could’ve guessed the “message” from the poem lines, I’ve literally seen this in escape rooms before. Why would Churchfield, a highly trained (now laid off) detective for the LAPD, order everyone’s quotes in alphabetical order first instead of order they were murdered?

Lastly, when the author was actively talking about the killer, he would say “the killer” at the beginning of every single sentence. And when he switched it up, he would say “he or she” why not just use ”They” like you did in later chapters? It was honestly bothering me so much (lol).
Just cheesy writing in general. Towards the end (maybe 75%ish through?) a quote was “and his ‘well’ sounded like ‘vell’. Him and his wife are Russian, I kind of pieced that together way at the beginning of the novel.

I honestly have SO much more to say, but I’ve already exhausted myself thinking about this book too much.

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Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Although I do love the idea of the book and the plot, however, I feel too many characters were brought into the fray.
This made character development difficult which led to no connection to the characters or having any feelings if/when they met their demise.

The structure of the book lost me as well. It was a fight to get through.
Also, the book seemed to spoil it's own ending a couple of times throughout the book.

I think this one just needed a little more time and attention paid to it.

Unfortunately this was not my favorite! There was way too many characters and it was confusing. I was intrigued with the storyline but unfortunately as a whole the story was too complicated.

It gave Agatha Christy vibes until the end. I enjoyed most of the story. I was disappointed with the ending. I didn't see the killer coming, so I give the author point for that. I was expecting a different out come and left with questions. Mostly whats with the poetry? Overall it was just ok. I would recommend to someone looking to start reading mystery/thriller.

This book is a gripping blend of techno-thriller and murder mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish. The premise of "curing" serial killers and releasing them into a remote luxury hotel is as unsettling as it is fascinating. The tension ramps up when the blizzard hits, cutting everyone off, and the bodies start piling up. The mix of corporate drama, personal betrayals, and high-stakes survival makes for a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read. If you love locked-room mysteries with a sci-fi twist, this one’s worth picking up.

I unfortunately dnf’d this book less than 25% through. The writing style and I were not compatible which disappointed me greatly as the description of this book had me very intrigued. I am giving the book a two star review in fairness to the author. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read & review.

DNf’d at 25%. I wanted to love this book so much given the synopsis caught my attention very quickly.

One thing for me are the chapters are dreadfully long.

I may come back to this book ant a later time and give it another try.

A pharmaceutical company is convinced they can cure serial killers by removing a part of their brain and giving them intense therapy. After claiming 5 such individuals have been rehabilitated, they decide for a press conference with them in a chalet in the Alaskan wilderness. Immediately, bodies start turning up, and they're left to wonder who's responsible.

*****

This was one of the weirdest structured books I've ever read. The prologue was so long and rambling that I wondered why it wasn't just titled Chapter 1. It had so many side characters and views for seemingly no reason. I can say with full honesty that this is the first time I've ever had to write out character names, their roles, and their relations in order to be able to read a book. At 17% in, there were over 25 separate characters that were constantly brought up, sometimes with first name, sometimes last name, sometimes with full name. As someone whose brain is wired to have vivid recall and detailed scenes play out in my mind as I read, I found the way this was laid out to be baffling. There was no consistency in how characters were described. Sometimes there was hair and eye colour, sometimes height, weight and body type, sometimes how they walked or groomed themselves. It left incomplete pictures so the individuals were just a jigsaw puzzle of random descriptors.

From there, we deal with pages and pages of pure dialogue, juxtaposed with walls of descriptions. There was no way to take information in that stuck. It was a mishmash of too much and not enough, all at the same time. There were so many characters that the author couldn't truly dive into each one. Everything was surface level, with corny, stilted, and dry interactions. The characters were so underdeveloped that they felt like how the author thought people would talk who held these roles and descriptions, and not as people first who happen to have these life roles. It was unrealistic at minimum and deeply flawed at best. To top that, the author seems to have an underlying distain for women. At no moment were they brave, intelligent, or insightful. Instead, we saw them be overly emotional to the point of hysterics, shrill, unprofessional, conniving, naive, snarky, and morally corrupt. He treats Gia Koh's drag character poorly as well, as it's so stereotypical and over sexualized to the point that it's offensive.

From there, the answer to the mystery itself was practically spoon-fed to us. By 20% is was blatantly obvious, and even then it was made obvious again at 50% when we get a scene from the perspective of the killer, and then repeatedly shown in clear ways who it was from then on, especially with the poetry. This made the entire book evident about its attempts to misdirect, which ended up causing the pacing to drag.

There were also consistency issues, where an entire scene was presented where one character proposed to another (despite multiple murders occurring over the few days prior), yet these characters were introduced as already engaged in the prologue of the novel. I'm not sure how that got missed, but it was jarring.

In the end, the book was cheesy and overdone, and the climax just wasn't climactic - it was obvious to the point of being lazy. The epilogue styled in "what happened next" was strange, and I could see what the author was trying to do, but it was a rambling mess that continued to drag out the book into a flat finish.

*****

Thank you, NetGalley, and Dreameyrie Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Despite the mixed reviews I find this a fairly enjoyable read. Loved the atmosphere, the claustrophobic/snowstorm-bound trope. Lots of complex characters and their sinister motives each one being more twisted than the last. Reminds me of No Exit which I also enjoyed.

Wasn’t aware this was about Covid. Covid should not be a topic of fiction as we all lost so much during this time. Family members, community members , nurses and healthcare providers and many elderly unable to get care for devastation from this virus.

DNF'd at 42%. While I found the premise of the book to be interesting, I really struggled with the writing style. I felt that the author was telling, more than showing, the events as they unfolded. I also found the writing style to be a bit redundant for my tastes. The plot was definitely interesting, but it just wasn't enough to hold my attention throughout the remainder of the book. With some editing, I do think that this could be a fantastic read for readers that enjoy books with a cozy mystery feel.

Because I DNF'd the book, I have given this book a 3 star rating in fairness to the author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What do you get when you mix the icy tension of Murder on the Orient Express, the ruthless family drama of Game of Thrones, and the eerie dangers of unchecked science like Jurassic Park? A heart-pounding, twist-filled thriller you won’t be able to put down.

The Murders in the Endicott Hotel plunges readers into a snowed-in Alaskan hotel, where billionaire Daniel Larch has gathered an eclectic, dangerous group—including five supposedly reformed serial killers. When Larch himself is found dead, chaos ensues. With a blizzard trapping everyone inside, a relentless detective begins unraveling secrets, poetic clues, and bloody betrayals as the body count rises.

What I loved:
❄️ The claustrophobic, snowstorm-bound setting—it amps up the suspense to chilling heights.
🌀 Complex characters and sinister motives, each more twisted than the last.
🖋️ The poetic crime notes! A clever and haunting touch that had me playing detective alongside Walter Churchfield.
🔬 The exploration of science and morality—can true evil ever be “reformed”?

This is a locked-room mystery on steroids, blending high-stakes drama, corporate greed, and murder into an unputdownable package. Perfect for fans of intricate whodunits and psychological thrillers.

📖 The Murders in the Endicott Hotel is a must-read for anyone who loves high-tension mysteries that keep you guessing until the very last page.

The writing could to good with a little bit of editing but the premise was fun and innovative. I would like the author to have a little more faith in his readers to actually not describe everything very bluntly. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

2 1/2 stars. This was a mixed bag for me. The premise is very interesting: Five serial killers have undergone surgery which expert claim have so changed the person they are no longer who they once were and as a result have been released from prison. Now, the convicted serial killers, VIPs of the company responsible for the medical procedure, and PR people are flown to a luxurious but isolated hotel where they become stranded during a snowstorm and the killings begin... Is it one of the serial killers or someone new?

I love a murder story set with a group isolated in a snow storm. A classic and there is so much potential there. This story takes advantage of some of that. And I like the former detective who takes over to establish some order during the chaos. There is good tension as the danger torques up. However, there is also too many characters that are not distinguishable from each other, repetitive phrases, being told things instead of shown them through the narrative, and editing problems.

In conclusion, I have conflicting feelings about this. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

this was bad. like, bad-bad. i kept giving the author the benefit of the doubt and they didn’t deserve it. there is a character, gia ho, who is described to dress like a woman but uses he/him pronouns (they said this in the first paragraph they spoke). however, it is clear that they feel like a woman and are a woman, but the ‘man in their head’ tells them they’re a man. so two things going on: someone who is a transgender female and has a dissociative disorder. it is never said she has a dissociative disorder, just that she has a man in her head, which is a red flag already. she is also exclusively referred to with he/him pronouns. i was ready to call this just a mistake and the author just didn’t do enough research. but. (i am spoiling these only for other readers. ) <spoiler>she is the killer the whole time. so essentially the author is using her dissociative disorder and her being trans as a scare tactic, like so many others do. and it’s a cop out, one of the serial killers being the killer? really? for fucks sake. </spoiler> this author clearly did 0 research on what he was creating these characters to be. seriously, it’s not hard for one of the multiple psychiatric / neurological doctors to mention the words ‘dissociative disorder’ is it? nor should it be hard to not treat trans characters like monsters