The simultaneous occurrences of past and present are alright, The overall story is okay, however I hope there was more mystery in it, one that can make me like curious or think what is going on. But I like it either way. Thank you netgalley and crooked lane books

family-dynamics, friendship, cozy-mystery, mystery, law-enforcement, Chattanooga

Having spent some time there, I find it hard to think of Chattanooga as a small town. Smaller than Cleveland, but really?
I guess it just wasn't something that caught my interest. The was a mystery, but the greatest part of the book was the college age main character struggling with her panic attacks and other personal issues. The victim was easy to figure because she was clearly portrayed as an elderly virago, the police detective was a caricature of a controlling drama queen, the accused was pretty well done but it took forever for any forensic evidence to materialize. The characters were all well drawn and interesting. There were misdirections and red herrings, but all the ramblings of personal angst just seemed to take away from the mystery.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.

I have to admit that I had trouble getting into this book. However, I finally figured out that despite all the trappings of a cozy mystery (supportive older relative, quirky setting, small town atmosphere, detective who really does not know what she's doing), this is not a cozy mystery. At that point, I really began to enjoy this read. In fact, there are quite a few subtle allusions to Clue, the boardgame, which tickled me pink when I finally got them. I did like the background of the main character and her dealings with panic attacks. Overall, a nice work! This is going on my "track this series" list.

The story of Ivy, a 28 year old front desk receptionist at Hotel 1911, a period themed Hotel.

Her childhood friend George, works as a chef at the same hotel but when a guest dies of an allergic reaction to Shellfish, all blame automatically falls on George and it’s up to Ivy to save him from the gallows.
Well not really the gallows but an accident manslaughter charge and death of his reputation.

First of all I can never really understand why people stick their noses where the don’t belong and second, is the Police seriously as dumb as they are in books?

A novice wannabe investigator (to not mention a psychologically disturbed) can unearth secrets and spy on people and get to the bottom of a murder while the actual police just take everything at face value and leave?

The mystery is not very mysterious and the plot doesn’t really pack a punch but it’s a fairly decent book and if you are looking for a very basic mystery this one’s for you.

2.5-3 stars
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

I was really excited to read this book. I loved the idea of past and present existing in the same story ... but felt I really missed the past part of it. I enjoyed the writing and the story, but felt it read more like a fictional piece than a mystery. I was invested in the characters and the setting, but the plotline fell flat for me a few times. I would seek out more books by Audrey Keown and could see this as the beginning of a series.

As a health professional, I could have gone without the attempts of mixing psychology concepts with the story. I get it that she liked the subject but she doesn't need to try to analyze everyone she sees. This is not what a psychologist do in day to day and is not helpful. And diagnosis are not done like this, you don't just know someone and after five minutes start to rattle a diagnosis. Rant over, this is a good cozy mystery book. The mystery is compelling and the characters are interesting. Despite that, I think that they make a mistake in the marketing of the book, I thought that I was going to be reading something set up in the early 20's century before starting to read, and for some people, this can be a deterrent to read it.

Murder at Hotel 1911 is a good, solid cozy mystery with a unique cast of characters. The story mystery builds slowly, giving the reader a chance to get to know the main characters on a bit of a deeper level. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

I was disappointed in this novel. The story is just too much into detail. The main protagonist of the story is Ivy, a front desk clerk at a hotel 1911, who has many problems (too many that I don't want to mention here). The story is too much focused around Ivy's illness. And although it is called described as a 'mystery' novel, I didn't find it mysterious at all. Overall, I would give this book 3.5/5.

I really tried to like this mystery. Too much detail and too much Jung. The main character, Ivy, kept quoting Jung which did not move the narrative along at all. Ivy has a lot of problems, panic attacks, lost of a mother, and working in a hotel which was originally her family's home. As she goes about trying to clear her best friend of murder, she thinks everyone is guilty except the right one. The story line is a good one, but there is so much that gets in the way of the story. Just too much detail about the hotel, her secret, and gardens. Ivy has as much finesse as a bull in a china shop. She is rude when she does not have to be. I realize that her psychological problems makes her rude, but it is a little over the top, in my opinion. Since Ivy is really trying to overcome her problems, there are times when she completely goes overboard. I do recommend this mystery but with reservations as stated above.

This mystery novel centers around a woman, Ivy, who works as a front desk clerk at Hotel 1911, a period hotel in modern day. She tries to uncover clues to what actually happened to Ms. Swain; was she murdered or was it a careless error by her friend, the chef, George?

The novel shows Ivy looking into each of the guests who were staying at the hotel, as well as some other people who are associated with the hotel, for clues to the death of Ms. Swain. She apparently is very good friends with George, the chef, but we don't see much character development on this angle, so it felt rather forced that we were to just assume it to be true.

There is not much to a romance angle, and it did not have any sex scenes or language.

While I found myself enjoying the novel for the first half, during the second half I kept thinking there wasn't much more plot to be explored, and what characters had been explored were shallow. I was wondering if I had missed something like a previous novel with these main characters where I could better understand who they were? Some back history was alluded to, but the little explanations there were did not clear anything up.

Overall I was disappointed in this novel. It seemed like the author could have developed this intriguing premise a lot more, into a much more satisfying book.

Sorry I couldn't finish this one.--or really get into it. The writing and characters are a bit flat and did not make me want to continue with the story. Maybe for someone else, but not for me.

This was a bit of a disappointment. There was more focus on the main characters illness to the point of distracting from whatever mystery may have been there. I skipped a large portion of this book in sections where it just dragged on and on about irrelevant stuff. In the end this is just a basic cozy mystery without much mystery. I can't really recommend this sadly. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

I would give this 3.5 stars. Overall, a good cozy mystery, but tended to drag a bit part way through, and ended up skimming a bit. Ivy works for a hotel, with a 1911 theme, and an odious woman gets killed. To protect her friend and chef George, she decides to find out who the killer is, and almost ends up being killed herself. I did enjoy this enough to want to find out the ending, and overall not a bad book. Would recommend.

Although the protagonist is somewhat mysterious, the story is convuluted. Too much about her illness and not getting to the point in the story. I find myself wanting to skip pages to get to what is really happening. Tedious reading. I love mysteries but this one is a miss. Sorry

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was very well written and had both interesting characters and storyline. It kept me guessing to the very end. I highly recommend.

Thank you to Net Galley for the copy of this book. It was a fast, enjoyable read. There were quite a few twists and turns before you finally found out who did it. Ivy is the narrator, determined to prove her friend the chef was not the murderer.
Ivy's mother's was brought up in the house but it fell into ruin and was eventually turned into a hotel. Ivy is trying to find more about her family while she works there. There are several sub plots about Ivy dropping out of college, and her missing mother, they add depth to Ivy's character but we never did find out what happened to her mother.
Overall it was a light read, perfect after some of the more intense mysteries I've been reading.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of Murder at Hotel 1911, a cosy mystery set in Chattanooga.

Mrs Swain is a rude and overbearing guest at the 1911 hotel. When she dies from her seafood allergy suspicion immediately falls on the chef, George. Ivy Nichols, a receptionist with secrets of her own, decides to investigate and clear her best friend, George’s name.

Murder at Hotel 1911 is a lightweight, cozy novel with a suitably ditzy protagonist. It is told in the first person entirely from Ivy’s point of view so the reader can view events only through her eyes. This may be charming to many readers but I found her thought processes tedious and disorganised. The novel basically consists of her throwing around accusations and getting it wrong until an eureka moment sets her on the right path. Don’t get me wrong, the actual mystery is quite clever but the path there is anything but.

There is a subplot about Ivy’s mother who was brought up in the house that is now the hotel and went missing many years ago. I have absolutely no idea what happened to her mother and am completely baffled by the last chapter of the novel. Perhaps I’m just too thick to understand all the inferences.

Murder at Hotel 1911 is just not for me but I don’t think my opinion should put other readers off.

Description
A hotel clerk prone to panic attacks turns amateur detective in this elegant and atmospheric murder mystery.

If you want to spend a night amid the luxury and charm of the early 20th century, book a room at the Hotel 1911. You'll find 28-year-old Ivy Nichols behind the reception desk. The hotel is Ivy's only link to the family that abandoned her when she was a small child. Now, plagued by panic attacks, she pedals her sea-green Schwinn bicycle to work every evening, hoping desperately to hold on to her job.

When wealthy, imperious Ms. Swain arrives at the hotel and belittles Ivy, the young woman seeks consolation in the welcoming kitchen of George, the hotel's chef. Despite her tormentor's barbs, she dutifully informs George that Ms. Swain has a deadly allergy to shellfish. So when Ms. Swain collapses at dinner and dies, the police suspect that the chef made a tragic, inexcusable error. Desperate to save George's career, Ivy sets out sleuthing. She learns that numerous people in and around the hotel had motives to contaminate Ms. Swain's plate. Among them are Jeffrey Swain, the victim's son and heir; painter Rose Jewett; and British expat Hemal Sandeep.

Even after the police find traces of shellfish in George's kitchen, Ivy is determined to clear her friend's name. But the stress of the investigation, in a hotel filled with suspects, threatens to precipitate another terrifying panic attack...or something more deadly.

My Review
Murder at Hotel 1911 is a winner!

The setting of Murder at Hotel 1911 is so real I want to step into "Hotel 1911" and live there for a while. The novel starts off with Ivy (which I must say is a well-crafted character) behind the desk at the hotel having to deal with the irate Amelia Swain. A difficult guest to say the least, Ivy tries her best to placate Swain and find her alternative accommodations to her satisfaction.

Ivy's main concern after finding suitable arrangements is to ensure Chef George is aware of Swain's severe allergy. However, at dinner something goes horribly wrong and Swain dies from an allergic reaction to shellfish. Of course Ivy must figure out who killed her impetuous guest before things go from bad to worse.

Can Ivy save the day? Can she figure out who really killed Swain? With various twist and turns arising throughout the book you will be surprised at the end.

Really great read, a must for cozy mystery lovers!

I was provided this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion, thank you.
I give this a definite 5 Star