
Member Reviews

Some secrets stay buried and some come to light - but which secrets are the ones worth dying for?
Welcome to the Hitchcock Hotel - a bed & breakfast type affair themed after, you guessed it, Alfred Hitchcock! When proprietor Alfred invites his college friend group for a reunion-style weekend at the hotel, most of them try to find a plausible excuse to not have to go, but unofficial queen bee Grace manages to gather the crew. But even Julius, TJ, Samira, and Zoe can feel the tension brewing in the Hitchcock hotel - and the creepy hotel manager, Danny, does add a certain air of intrigue to a simple gathering of friends. But everyone has a secret to hide, or maybe kill for. A series of unfortunate events leads to big blowout - that not everyone will survive...
While not my favorite cast of characters (none of them are what you would call, innocent), the drama and plotting felt very true to Hitchcock's methods and I was willing to keep turning the pages, waiting for the next "Aha!" moment. A perfectly creepy story to take to the beach, but maybe not to the solitary B&B...
I just reviewed The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel. #TheHitchcockHotel #NetGalley

This wasn't for me unfortunately. I was expecting more horror but this felt more thriller and even that is giving it more credit. I found this a bit too lengthy for the plot and could have been shaved down. There were many times I really had to push myself to get through the read because it didn't captivate me and I wasn't thrilled about any of the characters. The characters weren't like-able perhaps by design, either way I didn't jive with it. I just expected more horror aspects to be at play with creepiness or gore or something? I'm sorry, I didn't post a review on GOODREADS because I didn't want to tear it down in the reviews. In retrospect I should have DNF it. I do appreciate the opportunity to read it and being approved for the ARC. Again I just think this one wasn't for me.

This book had all the vibes of a Hitchcock thriller! If your a fan of Hitchcock, or horror/slasher movies in general than you need to read this book. Perfect so some creepy autumn reading this upcoming spooky season!

"The Hitchcock Hotel" by Stephanie Wrobel is a masterful blend of Hitchcockian suspense and the classic mystery charm of Clue. From the very first page, I was captivated by the eerie atmosphere and the intricate plot twists that kept me guessing until the very end. Wrobel expertly builds tension, creating a sense of unease that lingers throughout the novel.
The setting of the hotel itself is a character, with its dark corridors and mysterious rooms, adding to the overall sense of dread and curiosity. The characters are well-developed, each with their own secrets and motives, making it impossible to predict who could be trusted.
I particularly loved how Wrobel combined the psychological thrills reminiscent of Hitchcock's films with the whodunit style of Clue, resulting in a gripping and thoroughly entertaining read. The suspense builds steadily, keeping you on the edge of your seat and eager to turn each page.
While there were a few minor plot points that felt slightly contrived, they did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel. "The Hitchcock Hotel" is a must-read for fans of classic mysteries and psychological thrillers. It's a thrilling, twisty ride that will leave you satisfied and eagerly anticipating Wrobel's next work.
I will post a public review closer to the publishing date as requested by the publisher.
Thank you!

The book really gave Clue vibes for a while. I kept thinking I knew what the ending was going to be... then out of left field the real answer and I gotta say - I did not even GUESS the ending. Well done to the author. I really liked the Clue vibes though. This was a super easy, quick read. You keep thinking you know what's going to happen, then you change your mind, stay convinced for a while. Then out of left field comes the twist. Loved it.

This was a fun one ! Enjoyed it day at to finish this cover brings all the feels to the original psycho great thriller !!!

Exceptional novel with lots of twists. Many surprises await the reader. This is one that you definitely don't want to miss out on.

This is a fun whodunit for readers who enjoy intrigue, spooky ambiance, and twisted personal relationships.
I would just caution fellow Hitchcock superfans that the references are not as deep or intricate as we may have liked. And given the depth of motivation of the characters, I'd have enjoyed longer flashbacks to their experiences. I almost wonder if this novel was over-edited to make it a bit more of a genre read rather than literary fiction?
But that said, my biggest complaint about this book was just that I loved the premise so much that I wanted more!
This novel was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

As a horror fan, I was immediately drawn to this book after reading the synopsis. What horror fan wouldn’t want to stay in a Hitchcock themed hotel?
Wrobel did a fantastic job weaving Hitchcock trivia into this novel. I found myself wanting to go rewatch some of my favorites. She also does a great job of creating the characters’ college backstory.
My biggest complaint is the ending. I kept hoping that Alfred faked his death a la House on Haunted Hill. His character arch was very limited and cut short. His death was very simple for someone who was portrayed as methodical and calculated.
Although the ending wasn’t my favorite, I still gave this 4 stars because it was an enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

I think I may have been overzealous in my anticipation of Hitchcock Hotel. There were definite references to classic Hitchcock, but as a fan of his work, I was expecting to be lost in a world of nostalgic reverie. Overall, it's a good read, but the titular reference to such a prolific icon left me wanting more.

I enjoyed the book a lot ! I loved the different POV. I think the character building was good and on point. I will say I didn't feel super connected to any of the characters but I enjoyed the ride with them. I loved the hotel and Hitchcock references. the hotel gave off dark creepy beautiful vibes. I didn't know how the end would be but I enjoyed it throughly.

I am 0 for 2 with this author and I think that is curtains for me, unfortunately…
I can see why this author would appeal to people. I can see the issue I have is a personal preference, and can objectively see why people enjoy Wrobel’s books. Will I write this author off forever? Maybe not… but for now, this will be the last I read.
There isn’t anything inherently BAD about the author and the writing, but it just isn’t for me. I love books with unlikable characters!! I love books where people do bad things… I didn’t love this one because there wasn’t anything at all redeemable (imo), giving me nothing to grasp onto.
I loved the Hitchcock references and the overall vibe to the book. The writing flows really well. I was definitely invested. But there is just SOMETHING, that didn’t work for me.

Alfred wasn't a popular person. However, he became part of a small circle of friends with whom he shared a house in college. But something happened in their senior year and the group was never the same. Flash forward fifteen years, and Alfred invites his old friends to spend a weekend at his fledgling Hitchcock Hotel. He was always a superfan of Hitch and his works. There is, of course, something sinister going on. Fans of suspense - and Hitchcock - will be rewarded with twists and surprises aplenty. Trust no one.

⭐⭐⭐ 3 Revengeful Stars !!
The Hitchcock Hotel is a long slow burn classical mystery thriller with a modern age twist !
"What it boils down to is that villain's are not all black and heroes are not all white. There are gray's everywhere"
"The crow takes to the air again, finds himself ever more eager to return to his kin. What will the rest of the murder think? He flies around and around , yet still he cannot locate the path back to the aviary.
It's no use. He's trapped like the rest of them."
Read this if you like :
* Multiple POV
* Dual Timeline
* Creepy Hotel Settings
* Unstable Characters
*Revenges
* Drama
The Hitchcock Hotel novel had me so excited as I was a huge fan of Psycho growing up and was OBSESSED with the TV series Bates Motel!!
Meet Alfred , owner of the Hitchcock Hotel and incase you haven't guessed yet, he is a huge fan of Hitchcock and a movie buff and collector of movie sets memorabilia . He has invited several friends from his past for a 4 day stay at his hotel to celebrate his 1 year anniversary of being in business .
Quickly we discover Alfred is a bit of an odd duck and at about 30% into the book things start to get interesting and it also seems his friends from the past have some secrets of their own and possibly they're not as close as one Alfred would seem to think.
Danny the house keeper creeped me out and the book is very well written, I also did not expect this one little plot twist coming that happened which I thought was a nice welcome surprise .
I did struggle at times with the banter in the past between all the friends , I felt it was very long and drawn out and if I am to be honest with you , I was expecting more of a scare factor being the big classic Hitchcock fan that am, or maybe as a teenager back then things seemed more frightening to me ?
I did really enjoy how the author intertwined the Hitchcock references through out the Acts , I thought it was a great element that was essential for this book !
Thank you Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Stephanie Wrobel for this fun classic digital ARC!
Respectfully Another Read by Angie

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and Stephanie Wrobel for the chance to read this eARC for an honest review of the book.
This book isn’t like anything else I’ve read. It’s hard to talk about it without spoiling it.
I loved all the Hitchcock references sprinkled through the book and especially the ones about Psycho. So glad I’ve watched that movie a head of time. This book puts the genre on its head with the twist I didn’t see coming. This book kept me reading and I couldn’t put it down.
If a friend of mine invites me to their murder hotel, I’m declining the invitation!

Thank you Netgalley, BerkleyPub, and Stephanie Wrobel for giving me the chance to read this book early!
A man obsessed with Alfred Hitchcock seeks revenge against his college buddies.
I was really excited to read this book because I like Alfred Hitchcock movies. The genre is right up my alley.
I really liked the seamlessness of the flashbacks mixed in with the present time. Many books struggle to perform this feat, but this writer does it with ease. The buildup of suspense was thoughtfully put together, and not just a cheap thrill. I really enjoyed the Hitchcock easter eggs added in, as well as the obviously stated ones. I enjoyed several of the plot twists.
I wasn't entirely pleased with the assumption that because the Hitchcock movies have been out for 50 years means it's ok to spoil them in the book. It sounds pretentious to even mention something like that in a book. This book had a LOT of buildup. It actually got so much buildup, that it ruined its own suspense. The buildup wasn't high enough, and the climax was almost an afterthought. It seems that all the really great ideas were used for the plot, and it left the ending high and very dry. If this book was meant to be a mystery, it failed. If it was meant to be a thriller or horror, it also failed. This book is in a weird position of being a whole lot of things and nothing all at once. Your life isn't altered by this book, you never care about any of the characters, and the suspense after awhile gets pretty weak. I can see the author's concept for this book, it just wasn't executed very well.

"A Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel." This book had me at Hitchcock! The main character, Alfred Smettle, is a huge fan of all things related to Alfred Hitchcock...which also may include a body. I enjoyed the pace of this book as well as the flashbacks. This book was definitely a slow burn, and it built it up very well. I looked forward to the twists and absolutely devoured this book, going from one twist to another. If you are a Hitchcock fan, you will absolutely love the nostalgia in this novel!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers at Berkley for providing this free digital ARC in return for an honest review. My opinion of the book and the content of my review were not altered by my receiving this edition.
Hitchcock is a very polarizing subject. I enjoy some of the classic films as well as the newer Bates Motel show very much, and I think a thriller set within a super-fan’s version of the universe is a new and overall interesting concept.
Alfred morphs a love for Hitchcock into a multi-story hotel, welcoming a group of college friends for a weekend of reminiscing and catching up. However, there are dark undertones behind everyone’s interactions, things that are maybe not all the way in the past and forgotten. Alfred has a motivation that we as the reader can only guess at, but revenge seems at play.
The friend group and their shared history reminded me of The Secret History and If We Were Villains.
This was a masterfully layered read full of suspense - Hitchcock would be proud. The twists and turns as the end approaches were not angles I could have predicted. I tore through this book in less than the span of a day - I needed to reach the reveals and understand the motives.

Thank you to @BerkleyPub and @netgalley for this e-arc copy. All thoughts are my own.
Alfred is the owner of the Hitchcock hotel which offers a unique Alfred Hitchcock experience.
To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to them since that night sixteen years ago…
Now that they’re all together, they can help him finish his creation. After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.
I loved a lot of things about this book! I particularly enjoyed how the flashbacks were done. They were seamless and well crafted. They took me back while knowing I was in the past, and all without clear chapter markers. This is a huge thing for me because normally I need the chapter markers to help, but in this case the writing was so seamless it just worked. This book is quite the slow burn with no real action taking place until about the 50% mark, then it is still a little slow to build momentum. I really did enjoy the twists this book presented. There were some great red herrings and had me thinking one way, then bam another thing happened, it was great. I don’t agree that this book is really horror, though maybe gothic horror but only really because of the pacing and Hitchcock references. I wasn’t even creeped out like I would have expected to be.
For me this book had some really awesome points, but some not so awesome points. However, I think those looking for an atmospheric yet slower read light on the horror but some thought provoking twists, will enjoy.

Thank you for this ARC to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing.
If you are a fan of Hitchcock, this book is for you. The references from iconic movies, the props.
None of the characters are lovable, all of them have a secret. I actually thought I had found out what had happened, but I was wrong.
I could easily see this book into a movie.
I really enjoyed it. Thank you again NetGalley and Berkley Publishing.