3.5-3.75 stars

This book was okay, but not as good as I wanted it to be. It was a interesting premise in the kind of setting that I enjoy in a thriller (an isolated hotel, castle, island, etc.), but the plot and twists weren’t quite as memorable or intriguing as I’d hoped. There were also a couple of pretty graphic scenes (in terms of violence), so FYI for future readers. All in all, I didn’t dislike this story, and I’d still be interested in seeing what the writer comes out with next.

Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this.

I really enjoyed reading this and, although it was slow in parts, it had a good storyline and intriguing characters.

The atmospheric setting, gripping plot and a cast of untrustworthy characters come together wonderfully in this novel.

Four of them went to the hotel - Only three of them came back - Ten years later, they return one last time
Great read – reminded me a little to start with of the Blair witch project and the hype with that.
I loved this book, the way it had completely messed up Bex’s life and how things were with her now still totally spooked 10 years later.
The reunion show and what starts to happen, accidents, strange events and Bex trying to find out what actually happened all those years ago and what did her friends have to do with it.
It’s a great read and kept me hooked. I’d really recommend it.

I really felt the atmosphere on this one. But to be honest with you it was just to slow for me. At times it was also confusing. It didnt hold my attention in spots.

Going smoothly from the past to the present throughout this book literally had me on the edge of my seat. An absolutely fantastic thriller that needs to be a film!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I feel that although this book had lots of promise, interesting characters and a good plot, that I easily guessed the plot twist. That being said, it is definitely worth a read! I found the characters were the saving grace of this book, they were larger than life and quirky. I enjoyed following along them on this journey and seeing them try to work out what was happening. It caught my attention quickly and I loved the creepy locale and overall feeling of the book.

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>The Hotel</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This novel presents four teens who visit an abandoned island hotel in search of a mystery, intending to make a film chronicling their visit. Rumored to be haunted, Ravencliffe was built years earlier by a wealthy entrepreneur but it never opened. While under construction, a laborer died and the owner committed suicide. Now Bex, Richard, Oscar and Leo travel to the hotel but only three of them return. Their film of their tragic visit becomes an unexpected sensation.

Ten years later a film company draws the survivors together to determine exactly what happened. The author goes back and forth in the two time frames through the eyes of Bex who never recovered from the disappearance of her friend.

<i>The Hotel</i> is an enjoyable story but the creepy abandoned hotel setting has been done before. Still, this made for a fun beach read.

Fun dual timeline of a teenage tragedy
Bex and Holly are a great duo
The location was proper spooky

Ten years ago college student Bex, her boyfriend Richard, her best friend Leo & Richard's friend Oscar set off for Ravenscliffe, an abandoned hotel on the Welsh coast. They plan on filming around the place, as there are many spooky tales of creepy goings on. However, only 3 of them return, and the film they make is an international hit. The 3 friends become internet celebrities and Bex gradually becomes a recluse.
A decade later, another film crew want them to return to Ravenscliffe to revisit the scenes they filmed, and they try to persuade Bex to join them. She decides that she will go, but her priority is to find out what really happened to her friend Leo all those years ago. She needs to find some closure so that she can go on with her life.
The filming is plagued by a number of odd incidents, and it is as if someone/thing is trying to stop them from finding out the truth.
What a great book. I love the idea of an abandoned hotel, and this didn't disappoint. A1.

This heart-pounding thriller serves up a cocktail of fear, tension, and unexpected surprises, making it a guaranteed page-turner.

Lots of twists in this one! I really enjoyed reading this one. Took me a bit to get in to it, but about halfway, I couldn't put it down!

An atmospheric, gripping thrilling from Louise Mumford, well worth a read.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read an early copy.

Loved this idea of this - the writing was great abt the plot was well executed! Thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy of this, really liked it.

Loved the atmosphere and the creepy vibes. It kept me intrigued but i struggled with the characters and wasn’t invested in them. It did keep me entertained throughout and had some good twists.

Abandoned hotel, four teenagers wandering where they shouldn't, British cliff side at night... this was an easy read, the characters weren't too annoying, if perhaps a bit unlikely. But I didn't feel any suspense or creepiness.

Given the love for all things true crime right now, I liked the early almost satirical chapters that were set during RavenCon - a fan event for those people obsessed with the death that had happened at the hotel 10 years prior.

I was given an advanced copy of this book by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is exactly my cup of tea. Everything I love. The setting is eerie and intense. Love the dual timeline. Love the characters and how everything shaped them to their present self... easy read even if it's slower pace. Five star easily

This was the first book I have read by this author and I found the story to be a little creepy.I did, however, find it a bit predictable in parts, guessing one of the final story lines quite mid-way through the book but that didn’t stop me enjoying it.

Unsettling and devastating mystery that proves Mumford can write anything!

Louise Mumford has become known as a brilliant psychological thriller writer who can expertly weave a dystopian thread through her books. Her first two novels were both in the vein and throughly excellent. It therefore may surprise you that The Hotel is a departure from this mould. But let me tell you up front that it is a BRILLIANT one! Blending psychological thriller and horror vibes, Mumford confirms that she can lend her hand to any type of crime novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not see where it was going. This book is steeped in atmosphere, peril, dread and tension. The Ravencliffe hotel is so evocatively written that I genuinely had chills down my spine on a number of occasions. The imagery is incredibly creepy and I could really picture this dilapidated and abandoned location. It’s ironic that the plot involves a horror film, because this book would translate to the screen so well. The central mystery is tautly plotted and really suspenseful, but it was also alive with the very real human emotions of it. This is something Mumford does really well, blend the plot and the characters.

In her previous books, a strong mother/daughter relationship has been central to the narrative. This is something that Mumford has crafted really well, so I really enjoyed the comical relationship between Bex and her mum, which in some ways felt like a tongue in cheek acknowledgment of her previous depictions. It’s also representative of another aspect of the novel that I really enjoyed: the humour. Mumford laces this narrative with a superb wit and moments of dark comedy. This makes her writing so accessible and is a wonderful relief from the dark and unnerving imagery that proliferates. The interaction between the characters is really well developed and I loved how Mumford explored the youthful friendship between them and how the mysterious events of their trip and the aftermath deteriorated these relationships. It’s a brilliant character study and I really enjoyed witnessing the interaction between the remaining friends.

If you enjoy creepy, unsettling psychological thrillers that are beautifully written (this book is both poetic and lyrical in places), I can’t recommend this book enough!

I could not put this one down! This was dark, twisty and addictive. I can not wait to read more by this author.

"The Hotel" started really good for me, but after the first 1/3 of the book, things got a little slow.
From the beginning of the book my interest and curiosity were captured, as the author very well presents the mystery to the reader, without saying almost anything about what happened, leaving me to collect the pieces of the puzzle myself during reading until the climax. Mumford's writing style is generally fascinating and detailed, but it was this insight into the details that made reading a little slower and harder.
The atmosphere is suffocating and oppressive throughout the whole book and has been conveyed so well that it made me feel its suffocating grip every time I started reading. Each and every character of the book is deeply build, even if there’s only one POV through which I had the opportunity to get to know the others. And the two timelines give the reader small crumbs of what happened in the terrible night of the disappearance of Leo, without ever helping the reader with where the story would go. Honestly - up to a point, somewhere in the middle, I thought there would be some supernatural elements, because that's where things went, but then they went in a completely different direction, so the book remains within the framework of a normal thriller. The action is not very dynamic, things are slowly developing, which made me not want to reach for the book very often, but at the same time, I was interested to find out what had happened.
And I admit - some revelations were a huge surprise to me, because the answers to what had happened is very different from any of the theories that were spinning in my head. It shows in a very interesting way how something, seemingly stupid, can lead to horrific consequences.
I really liked that one of the mysteries was right under my nose the whole time, and I hadn't even noticed it and didn't know that I should have paid attention to it until it was revealed.
The climax surprised me pleasantly, as it was very good, full of tension and there was no unnecessary stretching of the action for book volume.
The ending is also nice - fair and trustworthy.
~~~
Rating: 3/5