The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

This wasn’t quite what I expected going in, judging from the title, cover, and description. That said, it turned out to be a great read. What I thought it would be: more thriller, more fright, more bodies. What I found it to be: plenty of suspense, an abundance of creepiness, and murder in the latter half—all in all, a tense situation for the characters and an edge-of-your-seat story for readers. Totally in line with what Hitchcock himself would present.

A tribute to Hitchcock, The Hitchcock Hotel is filled with references to his movies. A reunion of old college friends who created the school’s Hitchcock film club, held in a Victorian house turned into a Hitchcock-themed hotel—what fun! Except, it’s anything but entertaining for the guests, as their stay is threatened by someone who plans to get revenge. With the constant underlying hum of secrets, everyone wishes they were elsewhere. When strange things happen, I expected they would want to ‘check out’. 

The point of view shifts from one guest to another to the hosts, with a slow unraveling of the past through backstory, leading to a motive for murder.  The story is told in a backwards way, sort of in reverse, with flashbacks paving the path to understanding the vendetta. Revelations come through snippets, a character study of each participant built on past events and current life dilemmas. A sense of creepiness permeates the reunion as the guests sense that they are being closely observed. The reader knows what the guests don’t—by the end of the reunion, there will be a body in the hotel, which is where the thriller element comes to play.

A slow burn that builds intrigue in the first half of the book develops into a fast-paced, twisty murder mystery in the second part. Although not as frightening as I expected, The Hitchcock Hotel was a suspense-filled ride worthy of the Hitchcock stamp of approval.