Many others will explain how wonderful this book is, but to my mind several flaws keep it from that category.

First there are way too many names in the beginning without clear exposition of who they are and their relationship to the narrator. When the characters come up later, we have to wonder--Now, who was that? A few reminders when each person re-enters the narrative would help tremendously.

Then there's all the "Sturm und Drang" emo. It gets damn tiresome. Hart could tell the same emotional story without making us suffer through all that. Over and over. Endlessly.

Early on, we need a clear definition of exactly what "unstuck" means. If it's an actual physics phenomenon, and not just a psychological aberration, then why would pills help?

Some different typefaces would help to make it clear when the narrator is 'in the present,' as opposed to seeing past events. Or future ones. Or maybe just hallucinating.

This story is what, 50 years in the future? Gas appliances have already abandoned pilot lights as a source of ignition, for safety reasons. A pilot light in a professional stove, with no automatic cutoff (like mine had 50 years ago) in case it blows out, is not just an anachronism, but one from before thermocouples were invented. Oh, and how long would it take for the minuscule gas flow from a blown-out pilot light to fill a large commercial kitchen with an explosive level of gas?

Finally, all the movement through time, time freezing, leaking time radiation (?), etc. gets more and more ridiculous at the end. And then it just sort of ends. I was left scratching my head. What exactly just happened?

The Paradox Hotel is a very different type of resort. For the rich and famous and for those just wanting to travel in time, it really is an exclusive place to be. January is a house detective and she's trying to solve a murder, except there are a few problems. Especially things that only she can see and guests who make it quite difficult to figure out what is truth and what is fiction.
Loved Hart's The Warehouse - he is a fabulous scyfi writer. I don't think this is as good as The Warehouse, but still a good read.
3.5 stars.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for providing me an advance copy of Rob Hart’s science fiction novel, The Paradox Hotel, in exchange for an honest review.

#TheParadoxHotel is a locked-room murder mystery novel with science fiction elements. The story takes place in the futuristic setting of the Paradox Hotel wherein the uberwealthy can experience time travel. I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy reading anything written by Blake Crouch or liked watching Marvel’s latest installment for Loki.

January Cole is in charge of security at The Paradox Hotel. Unfortunately, the side effects of her job make ‘Sunday Scaries’ seem like child’s play. January can no longer discern reality from illusion due to her work in the “time stream.” It also does not help that these side effects cause her to see her recently deceased lover whom she is still grieving.

On the one hand, I thought the plot was engaging and included many clever details. Although certainly not unique after Star Wars, I liked that an AI robot (Ruby) was one of the main characters. I also liked that the author used Ruby’s humanistic qualities as a foil to January’s sterile demeanor.

On the other hand, I felt the story took eternity to go somewhere. It is possible that the author was intentionally redundant to complement the ‘time loop’ theme, develop the atmosphere, and enable readers to empathize with January, but some passages could have been edited. I also wish the author had incorporated a bit more about the time travel aspect. Additionally, for a book with long chapters, I thought the ending was relatively abrupt.

Overall, a solid and entertaining read with heaps of cynical humor, several heartfelt moments, and a few too many episodes of sheer depravity (at least for society’s sake, not the novel).

As a previous reader of Rob Hart's <i>The Warehouse</i>, I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of <i>The Paradox Hotel</i> in exchange for my honest review.

January Cole is a seasoned Time Agent - someone who goes back into the ripples of the past and fix those ripples. But after too much time travel, one can become Unstuck in time, where one jumps between past, present and future, all within a millisecond of the present day. When you're an Unstuck, out of commission Time Agent, you settle into a comfy gig as the house detective/head of security at the swanky Paradox Hotel.

The Paradox Hotel offers the rich a chance to jump into any time period they want to - to catch "flights" to whatever time period suits their fancy. The staff is dazzling, there's ghosts around and <b>I love the fact that the novel itself is LGBTQIA inclusive.</b> So far, January has a cushy gig, accompanied by her ever-present drone, Ruby, is going well. Except now there's a blizzard coming and there's a bunch of trillionaires rolling in to bid on the privatization of time-travel tech. And Cole's just found out there's someone getting murdered. At some point. She thinks. The Unstuck thing is really screwing with her mind.

I found <i>The Paradox Hotel</i> to be a hell of a read, though the unreliability of January's narration, due to her being Unstuck, plays a little bit on the readers own ability to keep things straight.

The Paradox Hotel is a hotel unlike any other, and has an extremely interesting clientele. Playing host to wealthy time travelers waiting to catch their flight to their desired time period, the Paradox is also home to a few ghosts from it's own past. Up for sale and housing a few trillionaire's looking to get their hands on the hotel's deed, the Paradox Hotel is about the be plunged into mischief and mayhem of epic proportions. And in-house detective January Cole, is about to have her hands full with unruly trillionaires, dinosaurs, the ghost of her ex-girlfriend, and oh yeah, that dead body in the room on the fifth floor.

I really enjoyed this book. Author Rob Hart is an excellent writer. This book kept me engaged and enthralled; turning the pages to find out what happened next. It was a quick read, not overly wordy and the structure flowed really well. At times some things were a bit hard to follow, just because of the flashbacks and flash forwards of the plot, but nothing that confused me or made me want to stop reading. I thought Hart did a brilliant job at building the world of the novel.

The strongest part of this novel was it's characters. I really liked January. She was a foulmouthed, angry, badass, who really didn't care who's feelings she hurt. Now, that may sound like an unlikeable character, but she was funny and insightful. And as the book progressed we got to see all the trauma that she had experienced throughout her life that lead to her being the way she is. She grew throughout the novel, and had a very strong character arc. I also appreciated seeing a female character is this position of power within a Sci-fi/Fantasy novel.

I do have a few qualms with this book, but they are minor. I wish that we got to explore time travel a bit more. Our MC time travels in one of her flashbacks, but other than that our story just takes place in a world where time travel exists but our characters don't necessarily time travel themselves. I wish Hart would've delved into that a bit more, especially in the beginning while we are getting to know January, who because of her job, used to time travel a lot.

I also was a bit bummed out about the murder mystery part of this book. When I first read the description it was billed as a locked room murder mystery. But truthfully, the murder mystery is a minor part of this plot. Like, extremely minor. I found myself waiting the entire book for January to actually get into focusing on the murder, but it didn't really play out like I expected it to. Wish it was either made a bigger part of the plot, or not advertised as being a murder mystery sci-fi.

With that being said, I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to readers! I want to thank Random House Publishing Group, Ballatine Books and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy.

The Paradox Hotel has all the elements of science-fiction that I adore: time travel, AI, a snarky protagonist, mystery, and action. There's a lot here to like and it's right in my wheelhouse.

January Cole is the house detective at the Paradox, a hub for wealthy elitists who are going on time travel excursions as tourists to observe historical events. The hotel has been suffering financially so the government has decided to sell it to the highest bidder. A summit is held at the hotel where four trillionaires will bid on the ownership of the hotel and the time travel device, but each investor has their own selfish motives for wanting to own it. Amidst the chaos of the summit there are murder attempts by "ghosts" which means January has to figure out what's going on before all hell breaks loose. All the while, she is "unstuck" in time, hallucinating the ghost of her dead lover as past and future events intertwine with her present consciousness.

I had so much fun reading this. January is such a great character, with her sardonic wit and "take no B.S." attitude, and her personal growth throughout the story was well written. Ruby the AI drone is a great foil for her as well. The plot moves along at a great pace, and there's never a dull moment in the story.

As much as I enjoyed it, there were a couple of issues that keep me from giving this book 5 stars. I thought the book was pretty flawless for the first two thirds, but then a scene right out of Jurassic Park took me out of the story. The sequence was a pretty blatant lift from JP (the characters even admit this, but then they do it anyway) and I felt this could have been handled differently. Also, I felt the ending was a bit ambiguous and confusing, leaving me a bit disappointed.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book in spite of the issues I listed, and I would love to read more stories in this universe, especially if they feature January Cole.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Random House / Ballantine for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this ARC because I was a huge fan of The Warehouse, which was a prescient, big idea book that kept me turning the pages. Similarly, Paradox Hotel is a well-plotted, fast-paced novel that explores a big idea—the “what ifs” of time travel—in interesting ways. A blend of sci-fi and mystery, the story is set in an opulent hotel that serves as a way-station for ultra rich clients visiting the Einstein time travel port. There’s exploration of class issues (you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat people in the service industry) while dealing with obstacles caused by time starting to unravel (baby velociraptors, anyone?). The main character and head of hotel security, January, has become unstuck in time and has to deal with escalating challenges as she tries to stay grounded in reality.

If I were rating on plot/story alone, I would’ve given it five stars. However, I struggled with the main character, January. This character came across two-dimensional, checking the boxes of a stereotypical female LGBTQIA+ character that lacked depth of character outside of her “angry lesbian” persona. Coming from an author who self-identified on LitReactor as a “white straight male”, I foresee this coming across as problematic to a larger audience. With more research and depth of character, this story could feel more authentic. As is, I question if this takes up space where marginalized authors could have written this voice better. Maybe that is a bigger question for publishing/authors in general that’s beyond the scope of this review.

As for the book, this is a quick read that handles what could have been confusing theories of time travel in away that is easy to understand. It makes you think about what you would change in history given the chance, even if the consequences mean karma gets its revenge another way.

In the future, a few decades from now, time travel is a reality. Near the timeport facility is a special hotel, The Paradox, where travelers stay while awaiting their time trips. January Cole is head of security at the Paradox where many things are afoot. A conference is about to take place where four trillionaires will bid to take ownership of the hotel and port from the government. But January has problems - she is "Unstuck," a condition that occurs to those who have spent too much time in the past, whereby she suddenly finds herself in past and even future events. And she may not be the only one, as the hotel itself seems to have one or more ghosts, a body only she can see, a glitching astronomical clock and moments of reality phasing in and out.
In some ways, the writing has similarity to that of Douglas Adams and David Wong/Jason Pargin in that the story is never completely serious, and has moments of hilarity. However, unlike those comparisons, I wouldn't say this novel is anywhere near as campy or straight out humorous or lampooning. It's a Sci-Fi/mystery/thriller that never takes itself TOO seriously and isn't afraid to take timeout to make you laugh. And I loved that the author managed to work in one of my favorite slang terms, "dudebro."
Despite all the timey-wimey stuff of time travel, the book managed to be quite easily understandable, except for some of the explanation at the end. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this outstanding novel!

WoW I couldn't get enough of this book!
The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart I just knew was going to be fantastic. So when I seen it on NG I had to try and get my little hands on it. So thank you!

This locked room murder mystery plus time travel was just what I needed to get out of my reading slump!
I couldn't get enough. This book was Incredible
This is an original and thought provoking novel. In addition to writing an engaging thriller.
Rob Hart’s vivid imagination and creative writing jumps off the page and he creates a world that is unnerving and downright scary. I had so much fun reading and I know y'all will too!

An intriguing murder mystery with a twist: a hotel for time travelers, and a victim only the detective could see. I loved January, and her banter/bullying of Ruby (who was fantastic as well). My main disappointment was that the hotel was in disarray immediately at the start of the book. The story would have benefitted by giving more of an idea what a normal day was like before everything hit the fan. A great crop of characters and a well conceived mystery, and a book I'll most definitely be rereading in the future.

The Paradox Hotel

[Blurb goes here]

When writing a strong female lead in books, TV shows or movies, some characters walk a fine line between being unbearable *cough* bitches (Teela, new He-Man iteration) and being strong independent women (Ripley, the Alien franchise) other characters come to rely upon. Rob Hart does a fine job stepping on both sides of the line with January, the strong female lead of the story. She crosses over the line as she pleases, but never goes too far on either side to be either unbearable or too dependant on others.

By now you've probably read the highlights of The Paradox Hotel, so there's a few things to ad. First and foremost, this is a fast paced adventure, the book, one hard to put down. Second, although this is a 'who done it' kind of adventure, the possibilities multiply as time travel is an important part of the story.

I enjoyed The Paradox Hotel and truly recommend it.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

Sir Walter Scott’s oft-quoted aphorism is an apt description for The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart, an impressive time-twisting locked-room murder mystery set in the near future. I read an ARC of the forthcoming courtesy of NetGally and the Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an objective review.

The Paradox Hotel is a U.S. government owned hotel for time-travelers anxious to explore the past through an adjacent timeport. Due to its ongoing financial crisis, the government needs to privatize the hotel/timeport and its technology, affordable to only a handful of uber rich trillionaires. Then the impossible happens - three young dinosaurs somehow appear and are let loose to stalk the hotel guests. Worse, January Cole, the hotel's head of security, discovers a corpse in her room, a corpse that only she can see.
Add to that mix a cadre of anxious bidders who, for nefarious reasons of their own, will stop at nothing to purchase the hotel, a paralyzing snow storm, a cute, smart-mouth robot sidekick, ever-worsening time shifts, and Cole, the head of security already grieving for her deceased lover, and whose grasp on the present is slowly and dangerously slipping away. Tangled web, indeed.

In lesser hands, this novel would have been a muddled mess. Instead, Hart has written a mesmerizing murder mystery and beautifully folded it into a tale of loss, love, the persistence of memory, and how we allow ourselves to be haunted by our past.

I loved this novel. It is an effortless melding of two of my favorite genres - murder mysteries and speculative fiction. But don't let the genres stop you from reading this book. It is a masterful accomplishment for Rob Hart.

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart. A deep sense of bewilderment as to where the story was going. No clear understanding of any of the characters except for Ruby. January seemed to be a total jerk, wouldn't want to be in their hotel, I imagine the level of service would be atrocious. There in is the Paradox.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This was sold to me as '<i>a locked-room murder mystery set at a hotel for time travelers</i>' which I found very intriguing. The premise has a high degree of difficulty and I was pleasantly surprised that the author actually pulled it off.

The time travel stuff is used in interesting ways and feels reasonably cohesive. A fun, quick read. The only downside to me is that the last 10-15% feels a bit too madcap, with the plot threads becoming significantly harder to follow.

The Paradox Hotel
Thanks to NetGalley
Rob Hart
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Ballantine Books
for the early arc to review my honest opinion, The Paradox Hotel is At once a dazzlingly time-twisting murder mystery and a story about grief, memory, and what it means to—literally—come face to face with our ghosts, The Paradox Hotel is another unforgettable speculative thrill-ride from acclaimed author Rob Hart.
I totally enjoyed the ride and Paradox Hotel. I loved January's sarcastic humor and his wicked ways. It was all things wrapped in a wild book. It is a sci-fi, love story, mystery, and who the hell did it. Thanks for the well-done read. I just want everyone to check-in. Cheers.

Well-written story. In science fiction, you can do almost anything you want as a writer or as a character, and the author does a good job with time travels thrown in and some very interesting characters.

I loved this book and had trouble putting it down. The characters, storyline, and everything were awesome. That said, going in I was a bit disappointed as Warehouse (earlier book) made me expect more (or at least it’s different and unexpected) but if I didn’t have that preconceived notion this would’ve been one of my top reads.

A snazzy full-service hotel serves as a departure point for time travelers into all eras of the past. Right now only the ultra-rich can afford such an adventure. Security head January is responsible for maintaining order and the safety of the guests, and right now she's chasing a dead man.

She saw him in the lobby, and the next time she saw him, he was dead. The maid in the same hotel room didn't see him. Her bot assistant didn't see him. Only January.

She starts tracking his movements in the hotel from the first moment she saw him as a live human, trying to figure out what happened to him, and why she's looking into the future to see a dead man. Does this dead man have a tale to tell?

The time travel industry is about to be changed in a major way. Does this have anything to do with the handsome (dead) man?

Like Doug Adams’ Restaurant at the Edge of the Universe, Hart takes his gorgeous Hotel and sticks it at the edge if time, specifically two miles from the timeport where the ultrawealthy dress in period garb and head off to their favorite places in history. For the most part, they make minor ripples, but for those who make (often purposefully) more of an impact, there are Time Agents who go back and fix things. It’s kind of like the original Westworld where the rich can indulge their fantasies and nothing can go wrong.

Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a story if nothing ever went wrong. Here, the star of the show is January Cole, house detective and head of security for the Paradox Hotel. The only thing is January has become Unstuck in time and she is slipping between present, past, and future, half in ghost world with her deceased girlfriend and fast becoming less and less dependable in the real world. Accompanying her on her rounds around the hotel by is the drone Ruby, but January is like Alice in Through the Looking Glass, half in the game and half lost in time.

More to the point, everything is quickly becoming Unstuck and there are those ready to bid for control of the timeport for their own nefarious ends. Thus, we get Jurassic Park with velociraptors.

One of the difficulties in reading this novel though is that we have an unreliable narrator who is half in reality and half out. Unfortunately, often the reader will feel lost in time as well as the storyline seems to meander often.

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart is excellent and an engrossing read with well-developed characters and plot. Well worth the read!