"Let us begin with an establishing shot. A three-story Victorian house stands alone on a hill in the White Mountains. The house boasts a wraparound porch, mansard roof, and bay windows. Despite the building’s age, her shingles gleam, shutters sparkle. In other words, she is beloved.
We swoop in through an open window on the third floor to reveal a handsome hotel room. A woman with a face of cracked earth leans against the four-poster bed, watching a man in his thirties survey himself in a pedestal floor mirror.
I twist away from the mirror to face my housekeeper.
“How do I look?”
Danny takes her time considering me. “Like Norman Bates,” she jokes."

"What if I had never met this group at all? On one hand, they were the cause of my eventual ruin. On the other, these people were fundamental to the man I’ve become. For four years we were family. They shaped my beliefs and sense of humor. They cheered me on. They accepted me. Right up until they didn’t."

A locked room mystery in which the sins of the past are brought into the present, threatening the future. There will be blood. There will be suspense. There will be twists. There will be irony. There will be readerly fun.

It was my mother who introduced my very young self (I was four when the show premiered) to Alfred Hitchcock, not so much through his films, which I would get to eventually, but through his TV series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Each episode featured Alfie offering often macabre intros, a la Rod Serling, but with considerable tongue-in-cheek humor. As for his films, Psycho remains one of my all-time favorites, as do many others. Consider me a fan, although, like the author, I have seen only a portion of Hitchcock’s 53-feature-film oeuvre.

“I was introduced to Hitchcock via North by Northwest during a film studies course in college. (If you’ve read my book, this will sound familiar.) I’ve been a big fan ever since. What surprised me most as I rewatched some films and watched others for the first time was how much they hold up in 2024—especially the humor. Hitchcock is known as the Master of Suspense, and he is, but I would argue he was just as much a master of comedy. I still can’t believe how funny his movies are. I don’t think humor is something my generation associates with Hitchcock unless you’re a big fan.” – from The Big Thrill interview

Like my mom, Alfred Smettle’s mother was a big fan as well, a gift she passed on to her only child. He carried that interest into college where he became a central figure in a class on film taught by a gifted teacher. (Wrobel had a Dr. Scott as an inspirational teacher in college, and honors him with the naming here.) He even started a film club to take his interest further, sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with others. These included a band of five fellow students. Alfred was never one of the popular kids, but he found acceptance in the Blue House that they shared. Well, until something went very wrong. There are hints about a debacle in senior year, but we are not let in on what happened until the back end of the book.

The friends parted after college, but Alfred retained his fascination with Hitchcock, and now, sixteen years later, he has opened a Hitchcock-themed hotel (a B&B really) not far from the New Hampshire college they had attended. It features lots of memorabilia, many filmic artifacts, and considerable atmosphere. It is an old Victorian Alfred had done over. One might be reminded of a Hopper painting, and the infamous house it inspired. He invites them all to a free weekend there, hoping, among other things, to get the place some ta-die-faw publicity. Business needs a boost.

The group (the five guests plus Alfred and his housekeeper, Danny) is made up of the guilt-ridden, the vengeful, the desperate and the forlorn. In The Readers Couch interview, Wrobel talks about aligning her seven main characters with the seven deadly sins. (pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth) It kind of works out, but there is plenty of overlap and double dipping, with one character seeming not to fit very well to any of these human proclivities. Grace is a hedge fund manager; Zoe is a chef who drank her way to a furlough; Julius was born to great wealth and little direction; Samira, newly divorced mom, had started a personal device business that had caught on; TJ is a security specialist who appears to be in some sort of trouble.

If you are looking for Hallmark likeability, I can recommend about a thousand films and a gazillion books that will take care of that for you. None of these characters is entirely ok. The closest, I guess is Samira, who seems most eager for everyone to just get along. Alfred is definitely an odd duck, just a weeeee bit obsessive, but is he dangerous? (I am sure he “wouldn’t hurt a fly.”) Grace certainly has some hard edges, and a seeming disregard for others. TJ seems somewhat ok, but is sleeping with a married woman, and who knows what he might do given the external pressure he is under? Zoe has a serious alcohol issue. It has already cost her her job. What is fueling it, and might it lead her to dire blackout behavior? And what’s up with Danny, the housekeeper, who seems maybe a bit too fond of Alfred?

References to Hitchcock films abound throughout the book, beyond the Bates Motel House exterior and screenplay-like opening. Avian life puts in an appearance or two, (The Birds) As do a suspicious glass of milk (Suspicion), high places (Vertigo), voyeurism (Rear Window), rope (Rope) and others. Part of the fun of this read is identifying as many of these as possible, making it a bit of a treasure hunt.

There is an abundance of non-Hitchcockian reference as well, TV and film mostly, from Dracula to Parks and Recreation. Not that these are all key to the plot, but they are fun markers nonetheless.

Major twists will keep you off-balance, as the game continues of trying to figure out whodunit, how and why. The Hitchcock Hotel offers a page-turning bit of suspense with a considerable payload of Hitchcockian homage. There may be death in store by the end of this novel, but one thing is for sure. With Stephanie Wrobel’s able assistance, Alfred Hitchcock lives.

"What conclusion can a young man draw when he’s the only one who has a hard time making friendships that last? Maybe they stay away for a reason. Maybe his core is rotten. Maybe they all know something he keeps hidden from himself."

Review posted – 12/27/24

Publication date – 9/24/24

I received an ARE of The Hitchcock Hotel from Berkley in return for a fair review, and a few drops of my personal poison stash. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.

A closed room-esque mystery, with a group of friends who have history, and themed Alfred Hitchcock activities or treats! This was such a fun read, full of Hitchcock nostalgia and twisty turns that kept me shocked. I tandem read this with the book and audio, and the narration was fantastic with multicast for the different POVs. Cannot recommend this enough!!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I love all things Hitchcock so I was really intrigued when I saw this title pop up on NetGalley.

Alfred owns the Hitchcock Hotel and invites his friends from college to stay with him. What secrets are everyone hiding? What is the deal with the housekeeper/assistant? and how does a murder end up happening?

I really enjoyed this one!

This was entertaining. Somewhat silly and a palette cleansing kinda book- but it was pretty enjoyable and I loved the twist at the end!!

This is one of those books that keeps you slightly on edge the whole time—in the best way. The setting was such a standout for me. The creepy, old Hollywood vibes of the hotel were so vivid, I could practically hear the suspenseful music playing in the background as I read. The characters were layered and just suspicious enough to keep me guessing. I found myself questioning everyone’s motives at some point, which made it so fun to read. I also appreciated how the story slowly unraveled without ever dragging. There were just enough twists to keep the pace up without feeling gimmicky. If I had to nitpick, there were a few moments where I wished the plot had dug just a little deeper, especially with some of the emotional backstories—but that’s minor. Overall, it totally delivered on the suspense and atmosphere I was hoping for. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with a cinematic feel (and a little Hitchcock flair), this one's worth checking into.

3.5⭐️

This book was fun. And I liked the premise of the story and all the references. It’s hard to like any of the characters once you learn more about them. So it was even harder to root for any of them. It was a fun popcorn thriller. None of the twists surprised me, but I still enjoyed my time listening to it.

My latest buddy read with my husband, who adored this even more than me. I am not a Hitchcock fan, but definitely appreciated the tie in. This was a slow burn suspense that centers around a group of college friends who reunite at a Hitchcock-themed hotel.

I enjoyed the story and did an immersive read with the audio too.

*many thanks to Berkley, and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

As an avid fan of Alfred Hitchcock, I enjoyed this one! Imagine a hotel that is completely Hitchcock themed, memorabilia in every room and movie screenings playing – what an atmosphere! Alfred Smettle didn’t just imagine this, he created it and on the hotels anniversary he invited his once close college friends for the weekend even though it’s been years since they’ve all been together.

I loved the various dynamics between the ‘friends’ that kept the tension tight and helped move this twisty plot along. The mystery is, indeed, devious! A great locked room mystery that kept me guessing!

My thanks to Berkley Pub for this gifted DRC!

I thought the premise of this book was unique. Im not a Hitchcock fan - I’ve never seen a single movie - but I can appreciate all of the references. This was a very slow burn. Like. Very slow. Not a lot happened for a good amount of time. The ending I didn’t see coming - I was way off. However, I feel like my guess would have been a better twist. This was just a very basic whodunnit and I wanted more.

A book handcrafted for fans of Hitchcock, though non-fans will appreciate the story just as much!

A group of college friends who haven’t seen each other in almost twenty years are invited to spend the weekend at a Hitchcock-themed hotel that’s run by an old friend of theirs, someone who happens to have a bone to pick with all of them. But how far will he go for revenge? And just how inspired is he by his obsession–Hitchcock films?


I enjoyed this book quite a bit, and the twists toward the end were quite surprising and made up for the book’s slower start. Alfred Smettle is a peculiar character. He’s absolutely obsessed with all things Alfred Hitchcock. The narrative is rife with references to Hitchcock films, both tidbits from the movies and behind the scenes. It’s very clear that this book is more than just superficially inspired by Hitchcock’s work–as the author’s obsession shines through in the way the story is told as well as the twists. While Smettle isn’t a particularly likable character, he’s quite compelling and fascinating. Unfortunately, the other characters in the book lacked the same spark. That said, the setting and the plot make up for the fact that I wasn’t particularly rooting for any of the characters.

I recommend this story to those who want a classic thriller story with an original setting. Just beware–there are plenty of spoilers for Hitchcock’s films throughout.

A fun tribute to Hitchcock written by and for true fans. Engaging even if you are not familiar with the master of suspense's work, but with lots of Easter eggs if you are.

The Hitchcock Hotel is a contemporary thriller set in an Alfred Hitchcock-themed hotel.

Our main character, Alfred (of course), has invited his best friends from college to his themed business, the Hitchcock Hotel. The hotel is located in the college town where the characters all went to school together at fictional Reville College (side note, Hitchcock's wife was Alma Reville). Each classmate is a stereotype: the alcoholic chef who is about to lose her job, the former intellect-turned bodyguard who is in some kind of mysterious trouble, the entrepreneur juggling work and family, the bitchy hedge-fund manager, and the uber-rich playboy, excuse me, philanthropist. Rounding out the major characters is the mysterious maid, Danny, who is also Alfred's confidante and accomplice.

The descriptions of the hotel were well-done and made me want to visit. Alfred has collected a lot of memorabilia and displayed it in the hotel in creative manners. There is an aviary full of crows that is given some attention, but I was disappointed that it was not part of the plot, or brought up much later in the book.

While I found the book interesting enough to keep going, the pacing just about did me in. When I realized I was over halfway through and still had absolutely no idea what happened to split the group in college or what Alfred had planned for the reunion, I was frustrated. I'm okay with slow builds, but nothing started getting explained until well into the last half. Up to that point, it was all "They were inseparable in school, until they weren't..." and "The hotel will be packed with visitors after this weekend..." Once the particulars of both the backstory and the current mystery began being unraveled, though, the book picked up steam.

The final resolution, while satisfying, was somewhat annoying because we had not really been given enough information to figure it out. The motivations were not anything the reader could have been expected to glean from the story. Not to say it didn't make sense, but I personally don't like when the conclusion is based on motivation that we have not really had privy to prior.

Overall I found it interesting enough to want to read another of Stephanie Wrobel's books. so I'd give this a 3.5/5.

Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers and classic Hitchcockian suspense, The Hitchcock Hotel does justice to its cool title!

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Multiple POV, whodunit, Hitchcock references

This was interesting, but just didn't hold me like it should have. It was dull. I loved this authors debut. This one wasn't quite for me.

As a crime fiction and Hitchcock lover, I was intrigued by this book. Even though I liked the concept, I was a little thrown by the tense usage. It changes from 1st person present to third person present when following a new character. That's splitting hairs because other than that I cared enough to keep reading despite that. It's a great suspense with a nod to Hitchcock.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel!

The premise of this book sounded SO interesting. A Hitchcock themed hotel is the setting for a film club reunion, and of course past secrets come to the surface and there has to be a murder.

Unfortunately, the first half of this book was too slow for me, and it was hard to pick back up. I think the second half of the book was better, but the first half of the book made it difficult for me to enjoy the last half of the book.

I did really like the idea for getting the crow's POV in the prologue. That was very creative and gives the book another layer of originality.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged with my ARCs but working diligently to get caught up. I really enjoyed the premise of this book! It felt creative yet still real, as I know many people who are huge fans of horror movies (luckily not Hitchcock in general)! I feel like I saw certain aspects coming and others completely caught me off guard. I love books where you get real information along with a solid story and this book for that bill. I would recommend to anyone who likes horror, scary, and mysteries!

Tried to read this then lost interest, so I put my name on the hold list for the audio and finally finished it. It wasn't anything special. The Hitchcock aspect of it was fun, but even the descriptions of the hotel were Lacking. This book is very Character-driven but also very Slow-burn, so I found myself struggling to have any interest in it. I didn't find myself rooting for any of the characters because I didn't like any of them. I also guessed how the ending was going to play out very early on.

This is a book that will keep you guessing right to the end. Alfred, named after the famous director, has opened a Hitchcock themed hotel. He has had a rough time since university and he blames his best friends for his debacles. We find out throughout the book that there are some good reasons for his feeling that way but he now is living the dream and has invited those friends for a reunion to his hotel. No one is quite certain of his motives but he has not become any more “main stream” than he was as the oddball in university.

Right from the get-go the reader knows his motive is revenge. For what we are not sure and how he intends to exact said revenge is unknown, even to him. That will be part of the fun for him. There are some deliciously wicked pieces to this puzzle in which no one is without sin. But there is also a much deeper and even darker game going on that only at the end becomes clear to the reader- even if it is still shrouded for the characters. As in any game, some players are more adept than others. The one who wins will be the one who plays it best. Filled with surprises and twists and turns, this is a great read from beginning to end. Five stars and two paws up.