The Hotel by Louise Mumford is a gripping mystery thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. The story follows four university friends who travel to an abandoned hotel on the Welsh coast. After a series of unexplained accidents, only three of them return, and Leo, the fourth friend, is never seen again. A decade later, the trio returns to the hotel to uncover the truth about what happened to Leo. However, things quickly turn sour as strange events begin to occur. The narrative is masterfully crafted, building tension with each twist and turn. The characters are well-developed, each with their own unique motivations and secrets. Mumford's writing style is atmospheric and vivid, bringing the eerie setting of the hotel to life. The Hotel is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and mystery novels.

I very nearly gave up on this after the first few chapters but my stubborn streak kicked in and I kept reading, I’m glad now I did because the pace and storyline picked up and I almost read it in one go, it’s moody and atmospheric and while I was surprised by the ending, it was a good one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the preview copy!

This was so enjoyable - a mix between a gothic horror story and the Goonies. Four film students visit an abandoned hotel with their cameras in the vein of the Blair Witch Project (which is referenced, and that made a BIG difference. At first I was annoyed that it was so much like it, but when they mentioned they were doing it like that, it made the story so much more believable). I really like Bex and there were a couple twists I didn't see coming. I loved the modern twists with how these things would play out now, like RavenCon and the fans, the reality TV aspect of the reunion, etc.

Definitely recommend.

I was expecting the same kind of haunted house story I always read. It was so much more and different than that. Bex, Richard, Oscar and Leo take their cameras and head to the never opened Ravencliffe Hotel which is supposedly haunted by the ghost of the owner who committed suicide before ever opening the hotel. Four friends go, only 3 come back. 10 years later they return to the hotel with a film crew along with Bex hoping to find her friend.

Interesting characters, a lovely atmospheric abandoned hotel and a great mystery. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery, thriller or horror genres. Great read.

Four teenagers on an expedition where tensions are running high.

An abandoned hotel - said to be haunted - set in a remote location.

A film idea inspired by the Blair Witch Project.

What could possibly go wrong?

Ten years ago, Bex and her best friend Leo came up with the wild plan to make an unauthorised visit to the ruins of Ravencliffe, a long-decaying structure of what was once intended to be a grandiose hotel project on a Welsh clifftop. When the original idea failed, due to a series of mysterious mishaps and a discarding of the planned railway route, the owner - who faced financial ruin -committed suicide in his study. Now the two friends, both horror fans, decide it would be cool to break in and film themselves in that room.

Except that things don't quite go according to plan. First, Bex invites her arrogant boyfriend Richard to join them, despite Leo's outrage; then, to make matters worse, Richard's friend Oscar also invites himself along. Amidst the tensions flaring over the original plan being hijacked, things go badly wrong, resulting in Leo's death, and a traumatic end to the adventure for the three survivors.

Ten years on, the cult film that resulted from their Ravencliffe rendezvous has spawned a cottage industry of sorts, with obsessive fans hyped up at the prospect of having the trio return to the scene of the accident (if that's what it was).

Oscar, who is a total glory hound and has milked their original 15 minutes of fame to well beyond its natural shelf life, is all too happy to participate. Richard does so with more apparent reluctance, citing his need for money to ensure his little girl's future. But Bex only agrees after receiving a mysterious parcel which reignites her determination to find out what actually happened to Leo that night.

As a TV crew accompanies the trio back to the hotel in order to film the reunion, two things become increasingly clear to Bex:

Something weird is going on, as the history of strange events at the place once again starts to repeat itself.

And Oscar and Richard may both know more than she does about the happenings of that fateful night.

Question is, will they survive to tell the tale this time around?

The book is an easy read. The dynamics between the three one-time friends, and the antics during filming, keep the reader's attention well-occupied. The atmospheric location is almost like another character in the novel. And the suspense is well maintained throughout the story, making it an engaging reading experience. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it to those who like their thrillers with a side helping of creepiness.

Four students travel to a creepy abandoned hotel but only 3 return home. Leo is missing, gone without a trace and presumed dead. Years later our MCs head back to the scene of the crime to find out what actually happened that night.

This book was everything I want and expect from a Thriller. The storyline was exciting, mysterious and gripping! I read through it in one sitting because it was absolutely unputdownable.

Thank you Net Galley, HQ Digital and Louise Mumford for an ARC of this book.

Review posted on Goodreads.
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Bex is a bloody star! But would Leo agree?

Four friends go on vacation and only three come home – a trope we’ve heard before, but this book is fairly fresh. My first Louise Mumford - made me want to check out her other books. Fun pool read for Summer.

Four students visit Ravencliffe, a hotel abandoned after the owner mysteriously takes his own life. Once they arrive a series of accidents occur and only three of them escape, leaving the fourth to never be seen again. Struggling to cope with the loss of their friend Leo, their lives are forever changed by what happened on that fateful day. They each cope differently, one taking on the spotlight by making public appearances, hungry for fame.
A decade later they all agree to return and find out what really happened to their friend Leo.. But when history starts to repeat itself, they learn that someone has been keeping secrets.

I really wanted to like this story. A decent plot, a creepy hotel, and a mystery to solve. Completely up my alley. But while I liked the characters and the setting, I found that I was over half way through the book before I really felt invested. I found it to be a unnecessarily slow start, but ultimately an enjoyable read

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

A fantastic read! The twists just keep coming and coming. The isolated setting of an abandoned hotel added to the creepiness and paranoia. The characters were really well drawn and you really felt the impact of the tragedy all those years before and what effects it had had on the individuals. A fast-paced and vivid read, really enjoyed it.

Firstly I would like to thank HQ and the author Louise Mumford for access The hotel.

The review I am going to make is an honest review regardless of the access I received for this book. It should be noted I was not paid for this review and ensure honesty in all my reviews.

Four students travel to an abandoned hotel in Wales. However only three of them leave after Leo disappears. Sadly years on the three friends have lost contact with each other but they decided to return one last time and strange incidents occur again making them question who knew what happened to Leo.

This was a quick read for me as I was very intrigued to see what happened and who knew about it. I could easily picture the creepy hotel as there was a lot of descriptions (sometimes too much compared to dialogue). This book is tense and left me wanting more from this author.

Atmospheric, creepy, uncomfortable. All in all a really good spooky story that I enjoyed. Thank you so much for the e arc.

Four students travel to abandoned hotel, Ravencliffe… only 3 return home. Leo is missing, presumed dead. But what actually happened?

The three friends return 10 years later with a film crew to find out! There is much more danger and secrets to come!

I really enjoyed this one, it kept me reading on intrigued to find out what had happened and who was involved. I quickly read it across two days.

The descriptions were really vivid, I could definitely picture Ravencliffe and all its spooky grounds in my mind. A great suspenseful read. The ending wasn’t quite what I had in mind but I liked it… a really interesting storyline. Would read more from this author.

The beginning of this novel is slow, but hold on! This is the first genuinely creepy novel I have read this year.

Don’t be fooled this isn’t a couple of friends simply reliving the past, it’s an achingly tense novel that will leave you unsettled.

Fantastic Thriller! Years ago, four Welsh friends dared themselves to film inside Ravencliffe - an abandoned hotel structure thought to be haunted. Disaster strikes and the released film makes three of them famous and wealthy. Years later, the friends are convinced to visit the hotel again for a reunion. Will the mystery of the missing fourth be discovered?

Much more complex than your everyday friends' reunion trope, this story is complex and creepy and very believable. If you like reunion stories with a mystery, reality show based tales or just an excellent thriller set in a very scary building, The Hotel is for you!
#TheHotel #LouiseMumford #HQ

The cover was what got me interested in the book as it reminded me of the hotel in the shining.

I was interested from the first sentence!

Felt fast paced to me and I enjoyed the ride

The first half of the book was quite slow, I wanted to know what happened to Leo but Bex was going in circles. At least, the other half was packed with mistery and action, I liked the twists and I was not expecting them. I'm going to read more books by the author for sure.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Hotel. It's fast-paced and suspenseful, and the atmospheric description of the island is so vivid. While most of the twists were fairly predictable, there's still a lot of nostalgia and emotion, which bolster the payoff. However, the flashbacks felt more distracting than helpful — I wish the author could have worked that information into the present-day plot.

Brilliant a really good book I couldn’t put down, so much was in it, I can’t wait to see what’s next

I thought this was a good read. I was left wanting a little more, but I cannot pinpoint what needs to be added (maybe character development). I was not overly invested in any of the characters, which kind of took me out of the story.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, A good who done it, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!