I had a difficult work week and this escape into 1870s Vienna made me immeasurably happy. As a devoted fan of Eva Ibbotson, I’ve always adored historical Vienna as a literary setting. The waltzing during the winter Ball Season! The shocking social scandals! The political intrigue surrounding the chaotic imperial dynasty! I love the drama of it all, and this book is nothing but drama.

In HOTEL OF SECRETS, Maria Wallner is throwing a grand ball for her hotel’s comeback into society, but keeps getting distracted by an American agent investigating leaked codes (and her). The hotel sabotaging incidents and assassination attempts on Maria’s life are, however, more troubling than some leaked codes. Something is afoot, and it’s clear that the scandalous Wallner family is knee-deep in imperial intrigue. There are three generations of Wallner women, and each secret is more shocking than the last.

HOTEL OF SECRETS is a standalone but I hope the author considers writing more books set outside England and the United States. I was incredibly impressed by the depth of historical research regarding the 1873 financial crisis and political uprisings neighboring the Austro-Hungarian empire. If I had one criticism: there are a couple plot points that I didn’t totally grasp due to confusion. I also didn’t care at all because I was so swept up by the rest of the story. Longer RTC closer to publication date.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.