characters weren't super great but the plot was great and the ominous intensity was pretty good. 3.5 stars. tysm for the arc.

It was just ok to me! Not a big fan of ghost stories!!! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me try this!

Blackwell is one of my favorite mystery writers, and I was thrilled to see she’s started a new series set in a small town in northern California. Aubry Spencer is an architect and a photographer of abandoned building. When she learns about the Seabrink Hotel, the former grand resort and spa for the glittering stars of Hollywood in the 1930s, she has to take a peek. Without giving too much away, let’s just say she picks up a lover, a few ghosts and killers, a lot of enemies, and some misplaced jewels along the way. Plus, we get to enjoy the wonderful scenery of the Pacific coast. Blackwell’s books are always original, with entertaining, well-developed characters, and a mystery with more than enough clues to keep the puzzle lively.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The beginning starts out wild. Aubrey finds out about the Seabrink from a book. Aubrey visits Seabrink Hotel to take pictures which is abandoned and it’s a difficult place to even finding, You have to get directions from a local and information is just wiped out online about Seabrink. As she’s taking pictures she meets Dimitri who’s taking videos and pictures of Seabrink Hotel for a possible YouTube episode. The idea to see abandoned hotels and make a YouTube video about its historical history was intriguing. Have to look up it up some day. They join up in exploring the hotel together and the hotel gets creepy. They get spooked but still decide to.spend the rest of the day and night together. Aubrey then wakes up Dimitri isn’t there and is found at the base of the cliff dead. Of Aubrey is stunned and wants to find out what happened. Her friend Nikki comes to the hotel to accompany her with investigating. Nikki was my favorite character her dark humor had me laughing a few times. As the book progresses it’s filled with rich even dark history of Seabrink Hotel, beautiful scenery of coastal California, and town people. You start to wonder is the curse at the hotel real? Is there really a ghost at hotel? Is the hotel dangerous? The reason it go a three star from me is the ending becuase I didn’t like who the bad guy was. It felt anticlimactic at the end for me with who the bad guy was.

Asylum Hotel was atmospheric. My favorite scenes took place on the grounds of The Hotel Seabrink. I felt fully immersed with the vivid descriptions. The author did a good job at making you fall for Dimitri immediately and making you go through the same heartache as Aubrey. However, I didn’t think it was very suspenseful except for a few moments and the overall murder plot was anticlimactic. Some characters and conversations felt unnecessary. Also, “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding” was used at least five times, which is too many.

I have to say whoever did the research for this book deserves an A It is loaded with history and scenic descriptions that seriously got me to the finish line. What happens in the beginning was a little shocking. Dimitri was here and gone, poof, just like that. BUT then wait.. he isnt' who is said he was, there is a ghost in a picture and for a deserted hotel, there are a few people who show up there. It was creepy, a little scary and gothic I guess.

Overall a decent read with a lot to offer.

my hi-lights
"Everything that would scare you has in fact happened! The Dimitri thing right around 29% was sort of shocking even though we just met him"
April 3, 2025 –
0% "Had to look up Dadaists And the anti establishment anti art movement Weird"
April 3, 2025 –
0% "Rookery is a group of rocks breeds of bird breed in WTH am I reading now Thus turned weird and disjointed real fast"
April 3, 2025 – Finished Reading

I really enjoyed this spooky book, and I honestly couldn’t read it fast enough. It’s atmospheric and immersive – and the tension is palpable.

I love it when the story makes me question what’s real and what’s supernatural – and this one has that in spades. So much fun.

If you love an eerie read that keeps you guessing, this is the one.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Aubrey Spencer is a former architect that has taken to photographing interesting things, including old buildings. The crumbling remains of Seabrink hotel, in the north most part of California fit the bill and Aubrey sets off to capture the beautiful edifices and interesting interior when she runs into Dmitri Petroff, a YouTuber famous for roaming old buildings. The two hit it off.

After spending the night together, Dmitiri is found dead leading to a host of questions. Who did it and why is there a mysterious note in his backpack warning him to stay away? Aubrey is quickly joined by her friend Nikki and the two roam the area trying to figure out why Dmitiri was murdered and what questions still live in the Sebrink and have popped up around its renovation. Is Aubrey's life in danger too?

Asylum Hotel was one of those books that I just couldn't put down--I absolutely inhaled it. With plenty of twists and turns that aren't easy to guess and a stellar cast of well depicted characters that are immensely believable, Asulum Hotel is the perfect blend of entertaining, exciting and fun that you want your thrillers to embody. 5 well deserved stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell is a gripping and atmospheric mystery that blends historical intrigue with a touch of the paranormal. Set in a grand, albeit eerie, hotel housed in a former asylum, the novel follows the protagonist, who becomes entangled in a complex case of missing persons, ghostly occurrences, and long-buried secrets. Blackwell’s writing is immersive, creating a chilling yet captivating atmosphere. The plot is well-paced with unexpected twists, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. The characters are well-developed, with strong emotional arcs that deepen the mystery. Overall, Asylum Hotel is an engaging read for fans of historical fiction, suspense, and supernatural elements.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc of this book. Unfortunately, I just don't think this one was for me. The writing felt all over the place, and I couldn't stay focused. It has potential, but just fell flat.

This was an eerie and atmospheric read, the storyline keep me guessing! I binged the entire book in an evening because I had to know what was going to happen next.

During the pandemic I started watching videos of explorers visiting abandoned places. I loved hearing the history and imagining the places in the original state before time and neglect transformed the locations. While this book is fiction and tells a tale uniquely it's own, it gave me the same kind of enjoyment that the videos did. The author's writing is very descriptive and atmospheric, it made the story more immersive, I could visualize parts of it as it played out on the page and I loved that aspect of it.

I'm also a huge fan of Thrillers that leave me in a mental tug-of-war between trying to find a rational explanation of the events or accepting the fantastical one and this story definitely did that.

Overall this was definitely an enjoyable read and I will be recommending it!

Thank you Juliet Blackwell, Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Asylum hotel is such a great book! I stayed up well past the time I should have been asleep. Just because I couldn't bare to put it down. Five stars no doubt. Can't wait to see what else this author has to offer.

📖 Book Review 📖 In Northern California, an abandoned seaside hotel stands full of cobwebs and curious Greek marble statues, robust rumors swirling of curses and ghosts lurking in the shadows. Juliet Blackwell whisks the reader away to a far away place, the lore and glam of art deco and old Hollywood shine mysteriously in this richly atmospheric read. But the tragedy that has disfigured the beauty of Seabrink Hotel remains eerily alive when photographer Aubrey arrives to document the dilapidated structure before renovations. She meets Dimitri, an adventurer, with whom she explores the vast grounds. An instant connection is made - but then all is questioned when she discovers dead Dimitri's body at the bottom of the cliff the very next day. Blackwell pens an enthralling murder mystery rife with calamities and misfortunes so strange they must be otherworldly. Past and present collide as Aubrey weaves together the stories of Seabrink Hotel, creating a tapestry of legends and folklore so intriguing that this book is impossible to put down!

The following review was posted on Goodreads on 3.26.25:

I had high hopes for this Gothic mystery/thriller, so maybe I went into it expecting too much. Everything about the setup appeals to me: the isolated, abandoned hotel that was once an asylum; rumors of ghostly activities inside the crumbling building; the suspicious, baffling death of an enigmatic man; a family history filled with dark secrets; eerie Gothic vibes; etc. The setting did not disappoint as the Seabrink came alive in my mind (I kept picturing an abandoned Hearst Castle), with the creepy flute music, elevator noise, and more sending delicious shivers up my spine. Blackwell's prose is at its best when describing the Seabrink, which is why I enjoyed that aspect of the story most, I'm sure.

Unfortunately, the rest of the novel's execution didn't work super well for me. The characters are pretty humdrum. None of them are particularly complex or memorable. Aubrey got on my nerves a bit and I could never really get a handle on who she was supposed to be. She just seemed kind of...amorphous. Not to mention fickle, immature, and melodramatic. I didn't feel a lot of connection with her. As far as plot goes, the story moves along at a steady enough pace. There's a lot of sinister action going on throughout the book, which means it's never dull even if it's also not edge-of-your-seat exciting. The finale is definitely rushed, with the identity of the killer seeming to come out of nowhere. It didn't feel very convincing or satisfying to me. Blackwell's prose is pretty lackluster too. It seemed clunky and tell-y, and just not dynamic or immersive enough to allow me to really sink into the story. For all of these reasons, ASYLUM HOTEL was just an average read for me, which is disappointing because I wanted to love it. Bummer.

If this were a movie, it would be rated PG-13 for language (1 F-bomb, plus milder invectives), violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter.

Juliet Blackwell delivers a haunting psychological thriller in Hotel Asylum, where reality and delusion blur within the eerie walls of a mysterious hotel. The protagonist, grappling with a fractured past, navigates a shifting, surreal environment that feels like a character itself.

Blackwell’s vivid descriptions and deliberate pacing create a tense, immersive experience, drawing readers into a labyrinth of uncertainty. While its ambiguity may leave some craving answers, the novel’s psychological depth and supernatural elements make for an engrossing read. Fans of eerie, thought-provoking thrillers will find Hotel Asylum both unsettling and unforgettable.

Aubrey is staying on the coast of Northern California and loves to photograph abandoned places. She is told about a old haunted hotel and cannot resist. This visit leads to murder, kidnapping, and plenty of spooky happenings. I am not a lover of ghost stories but was pulled into this one from page one.

I’m Hotel Seabrink is an abandoned Hollywood Hotel from the 1920’s. Aubrey goes on an adventure to photograph the empty hotel before it gets renovated and runs into Dimitri, the famous YouTuber who also finds interest in abandoned places. But Aubrey’s whole world turns upside down when she has a passionate night with Dimitri, only to wake the next morning to find him dead.

This book was a TRIP. Spooky, mysterious, scary at moments. It had elements of thriller, as well as elements of horror. But overall it was EXTREMELY bingeable and I really enjoyed the experience. It had me guessing the entire way through.

It’s so hard to review thrillers without giving away major spoilers so I will say that I loved the way the story was woven together and the fact that I never guessed who “did” it.

I definitely recommend this one when it comes out!

I was hoping for so much more from this book, but it was just all over the place. It felt really juvenile, and I wish that it had focused on more of the historical aspects of the story.