Content Warnings: Gore / Wounds; Corpses

Murphy's novel has some interesting ideas and a great premise. Unfortunately, the writing brings down the potential shown in said premise in several areas.

First, all of the characters are flat. Part of this flatness may come from the sheer number of characters. In addition to the 5 serial killers and the detective, there are 2 psychologists, lots of business people, news people, and lots of servants/employees. All of them receive the same superficial introduction, not all with a physical description, and all are engaged at one point or another in the story. It's a lot to keep track of in general, but even more so when they have no real distinguishing characteristics.

Part of the flatness also comes because the novel moves between a lot of dialogue with no breaks to a lot of action with no dialogue. Regardless of the focus, though, readers are consistently told things, not shown them. We are told about the surgeries, we are told about the crimes of the serial killers, we are told about political issues, but we rarely get to actually see the feelings or changes in others.

An additional, specific problem with the representation of the serial killers can be seen in Gia Ho, who is a crossdresser and/or transfemme. The fact that it's not clear from the novel which is true is a problem in and of itself. The depiction is not the most offensive I've read, but it follows a bad pattern of representation of this minority group with serial killers/the mentally ill.

I originally read this on Edelweiss but decided to review here as well since it was in the read now section.

The novel has good prose that flows easily but could use some polishing such as using varying descriptions and better explanations for certain scenes so they are easier to visualise.

At it heart the novel raises profound questions about identity and change, particularly whether people can truly reform and become new individuals or remain tethered to their past selves. This idea is explored and clever used by the author to induce tension in the novel by asking whether one of the "former" criminals have resumed their killing ways.

The story also delves into morality, with passages of deep intersection and themes of corporate greed.

Pros:

Unique Premise: The concept of rehabilitated serial killers and the ethical dilemma surrounding their release adds intrigue and originality to the story. This theme parallels real life discussions of rehabilitation of criminals and how strong punishment should be meted out.

Engaging Mystery: The locked-room setup, with a snowed-in hotel, creates an atmosphere of suspense and isolation, very reminiscent of Agatha Christie's snowy atmosphere of The Sittaford Mystry or the Orient Express.

The Detective: Walter Churchfield, the detective, is sharp and provides the necessary grounding in a chaotic situation. The portrayal of a detective is well done.

Twist: The plot twist at the end is very exciting and worth the wait .

Cons:

Repetitive Language: At times, the blunt descriptions become repetitive, like when referring to unknown characters (e.g., "the killer" or "the poet").

Motives: While the twist at the end is very exciting the motive for the murder is very weak. Perhaps more indepth thought into the mind of the killer and what motivated them to do the act is needed, a motive that is compelling enough to drive one to murder.

Possible improvement: The serial killers could have been explored further to highlight their transformation or lack thereof, making the stakes feel more personal. We see very little of their thoughts and feelings regarding the procedures done to them and how those thoughts changed before and after. Whatever we do see is not enough to form strong impressions.

Arc review. This comes out Nov 19 2024. I will always enjoy a good murder mystery. I enjoyed the detective throughout this book. So many fun suspects and possibilities it had your gears going the whole time. I highly recommend for any fans of clue and only murders in the building tv show. The plot and characters were fun but I do wish we as the readers learned a little more into the killers motive that is the only thing I really wanted more in this book but other then that this is a 3.5 for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this wonderful arc to review.

A very entertaining whodunit in an interesting setting. It’s a locked room mystery, but definitely a hell of a locked room. So many great suspects and possibilities for the killer, when it gets to the end and the reveal I felt a little disappointed that it was so straightforward and such a traditional choice. The ride getting there is definitely fun, though.

The Murders in the Endicott Hotel is built on an interesting and unique premise, many many murders, and a sharp but believable detective. I really like the thought put into this, and the eventual reveal of the murderer was very smart, but I had just a couple of qualms with the book. Murphy's writing style tends to bluntly describe the events of the story, which on its own is completely fine, but at point where there was only a nameless, genderless person to talk about (e.g. "the killer" or "the poet"), the writing came off as a little repetitive. And generally, I would have been interested to see a little more about the murderer's motive, or maybe a greater discussion of the surgeries and the tension between psychiatry and neuroscience. All in all, this was very entertaining and I was glad to read it! This is a 3.5 for me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for the opportunity to read this as an eARC!

This was an interesting and fun read. I enjoyed the writing style and the mystery.

Minor editing errors but a good and enjoyable book.