— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Hokey Pokey
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Kate Macarenhas
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Historical Mystery
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 8th June 2023
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 4th June 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.25/5

Well, this wasn’t what I expected!

With a description that states ”A grand hotel, a famous opera star and a psychoanalyst with a hidden agenda” and an art deco front cover, I expected a glamorous murder mystery, whereas in reality Hokey Pokey is a transcendent and morbid ghost story with supernatural elements

I really enjoyed the murder mystery aspect and wish it had the same strong focus in the last half of the story that it had in the first.

I also enjoyed the main character, Nora, who was a female psychoanalyst which was a rare occurrence in the historical setting of 1929.

I’ve actually read a Kate Mascarenhas novel before (The Psychology of Time Travel) and find her writing really good, it has such a compelling quality, but my favourite aspect is the fascinating exploration of characters that are so truly unique to the world of fiction.

Whilst this story has a lot going on to make it stand out from the crowd, I found the story way more weird than I expected and whilst it was still enjoyable, I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was more grounded.

—Kayleigh🤍
@ Welsh Book Fairy🧚‍♀️✨

Hokey Pokey by Kate Mascarenhas was not quite what I was expecting and the synopsis of the book certainly gave very little away.

At a grand hotel in Birmingham Nora a psychoanalyst checks in having followed the famous opera singer, Berenice Oxbow, from Zurich to Birmingham, she's determined not to let her out of her sight. She has been tasked by the opera singers husband Leo to spy on her and report back on any unfaithfulness.

But when a terrible snow storm occurs and everyone is cut off from the outside world, Nora's childhood resurfaces in nightmarish lines and Nora's past catches up with her in vampiric ways.

I found I was losing interest at the beginning as I could not really get what was going on but perseverance paid off when Nora's childhood story became more apparent.

The book is well written very descriptive and I liked the characters of Berenice and Nora despite their portrayal. There were plenty of gory twists and turns to keep interest going once I had got through the first half.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

When Nora Dickinson checks in to the Regent Hotel in Birmingham in 1929, she is planning to spend her short stay following the reknowned operah singer Berenice Oxbow. Berenice's husband has asked Nora to do this for him as he believes she may be cheating on him. When a snowstorm hits and cuts the hotel off from the outside world, Nora's stay becomes very different. Forced to face her past and who she really is, Nora's story takes a dark and disturbing turn.

It's taken me a few days to process this and try to figure out what I want to say - it's a hard book to review! I've seen a few reviews commenting that the blurb doesn't really paint the most accurate picture of the genre and content of the book, and whilst I can see what people are saying, both of Kate Mascarenhas previous books have had a supernatural/fantasy like element to them, so it shouldn't be a huge surprise to see that again here.

I was definitely drawn in to this one. It was really strange book to read, because on one hand I didn't feel particularly enamoured of any of the main characters, but on the other hand trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't had me hooked.

It's clear from very early in the book that Nora is a troubled young woman. She is the epitome of an unreliable narrator, but acknowledges this at stages in the book, and begins to doubt herself. Her actions and the way she treats peole don't endear her to a reader, but you at the same time you understand that her behaviours are the result of her troubled mind and so can make allowances for her. Berenice was also not particularly endearing, however I did appreciate her determination to live her life her way.

Plot wise this one is more of a slow burn than an action packed ride. It's not really a murder mystery, but more focuses on Nora's journey to rediscover her inner self. I think her struggles to disover for herself what was real and what was her mind is what makes the book.

As with her previous books, Mascerenhas' writing is exeptional here. There is a lot of description and detail embedded in to the story, but not in such a way that it over powers the story itself.

A very enjoyable read, and I think anyone who has enjoyed Kate Mascarenhas' earlier books will definitely appreciate this one too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

He was paying her to spy, but he must realise that, more than the money, Nora wanted to hear she was indistinguishable from the Icon. I've missed you being her. It was a victory to hear him say it. It made her want to cry. [loc. 401]
On a cold night in February 1929, Nora Čapek checks into the Regent Hotel in Birmingham under a pseudonym. She's there to follow opera singer Berenice Oxbow, who's married to Nora's fellow psychoanalyst Leo Cadieux, and report back to Leo. Nora has a unique gift: she recalls everything she hears, and can repeat every word she's ever heard, verbatim, in the style it was first spoken. "Because of this she saw herself as truthful." But she has a number of secrets to conceal, not least her own nature. On the other hand, Leo has convinced her that her memories of an unsettling childhood in an English forest, some time before the First World War, cannot possibly be real. They are, he asserts, fantasies rooted in her difficult relationship with her mother. Only gradually do we discover that Leo is wrong, and that Nora's 'fantasies' are the key to her nature.

Nora's not the only one with secrets. A fellow guest, Arthur Crouch, has lived in the hotel for years, claims to know every inch of the building, and says there's a well in the cellar that will bestow forgiveness on any who drinks from it. He seems to know a great deal about the staff, too. And Berenice draws all eyes to herself on her first night in the hotel, when she seems to go into a trance and declares that 'a lady with flowers tattooed on her forearm' is in terrible danger. When she's escorted from the dining hall, Nora returns to her own room to apply panstick to her distinguishing mark, a tattoo of a chrysanthemum surrounded by little pink dots, like nettle rash. It's worth noting that Hokey Pokey, in this instance, is the name of a cocktail made from absinthe and stinging nettles (recipe provided). Arthur treats Nora to several of these.

The shifting relationships between Nora and Arthur, and Nora and Berenice, begin to feel even more claustrophobic when trains to and from the city are cancelled due to a freak snowstorm. And Nora's goal metamorphoses, from listening to -- and 'recording' -- every word Berenice says (or sings), to a desire to know Berenice for herself.

This was an original, and extremely atmospheric, horror novel: beautifully written with considerable psychological depth, and revealing its secrets with tantalising langour. It's a love story, a story of professional rivalry, a tale of the supernatural: I liked it very much.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy, in exchange for this full honest review. UK publication date is 8th June 2023.

This is a surprising read you start off thinking it is a detective story trying to find out if a famous wife is involved in adulterous behaviour but it is much more than that.
A dark fantasy novel with a surprising conclusion.

First things first, thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy for the book and for giving me the chance to read it.

Overall, it is an entertaining and easy to read book, something that is appreciated when you are not a native English speaker. The writer's prose is beautiful and narrative, so the plot is easy to follow and also immerses you completely in the setting and era of the book.

However, the main problem for me is that the book is not what I expected. I thought I was going to find a very Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery, but it ended up being something more akin to supernatural horror, which is not my kind of book at all. Also, the pacing of the book is strange and sometimes takes you out of the narrative a bit: the beginning of the book is slow and too long, while the end feels rushed. It devotes too much space to some parts while others happen too fast, and sometimes that is annoying for the reader.

Even so, I want to highlight the characters, which are interestingly constructed. I loved following their stories and the way in which some of them converged with others as the story progressed, so much so that I would have liked to know more about them. This, coupled with the twist at the end, means that I liked the book despite it not being what I expected it to be.

In conclusion, it is a fun story that can captivate anyone who comes looking for something full of horror and supernatural, as well as interesting characters. For me, personally, it is a three star read for everything I've said.

I requested this book based on the cover and the description which made me expect a stuck at a house party ( or hotel in this case) due to the weather vibe from the 1920's an Agatha Christie type feeling. This wasn't at all what I got. This was more a supernatural horror book and should really be marketed as such. It really wasn't my thing and I wouldn't have requested it if I has known. I struggled through the start where it seems to drag and came so close to not finishing I just didn't enjoy it sorry.. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hokey Pokey is a dark and unnerving horror novel that packs a genuine thrill factor and an engrossing storyline. I found myself, at first, liking our protagonist and her undercover persona, however we quickly learn that there is a lot more to Nora than meets the eye. Full of gory twists and turns, this book blends fantasy and historical fact to create a stunning portrait of hotel life.

I also found this vaguely reminiscent of the pandemic and lockdown, with everyone being stuck in the hotel due to the storm, raising questions about how human nature fares under pressure, and how madness can ensue when people are forced into confined spaces and restricted of the freedom to wander.

I read this whole book in once sitting and this just goes to show how enthralled I was. I have read previous novels by Kate Mascarenhas and whilst continuing her brilliance at blending realism and not-so-realism, this is a very different vibe from those I have read before and I have to conclude that this was an extremely brilliant venture into the world of horror writing.

This took me by surprise. I thought it was going to be a jazz age 'jolly good' mystery, folk trapped by a snowstorm with bodies appearing here and there, but it goes off in an altogether weirder direction, involving a shapeshifting monster and a horrific psychoanalyst. Enjoyable, but different.

Hokey Pokey

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the arc.

Welcome to the Regant Hotel Nora Dickinson, a psychoanalyst, has booked into Birmingham's The Regent Hotel in February 1929.
She is observing and reporting on the movements of a famous opera singer.
However, when a storm forces the hotel to close its doors, Nora is forced to confront her secrets.
At times, there is mystery, suspense, and even horror. Imaginative and occasionally surprising, even shocking.The flashbacks were flawless, and the narrative unravelling was flawless. Of course, I would have loved to like someone in the book, and I was reminded once again why I despise psychoanalysis, but this was done with enthusiasm. If you liked "Let the Right One In," you should check out Hokey Pokey.

This was a great read with a terrible blurb! It doesn't give an accurate depiction of the majesty of this read and the complexities enclosed. I loved the setting and the characters and found it to be really engaging with brilliant world building.

If this wasn’t a review copy, I probably would have DNF’d this book, mostly because it was really slow to start with and took a while to pick up. It wasn’t a bad book at all, but I don’t think it was for me.

Nora Dickinson is sent by Leo to follow his wife Berenice from Zurich to Birmingham in February 1929. He believes she is having an affair but wants proof.

The scene is set but once snow causes phone lines to go down and transport stop running, strange things start happening at the hotel and people start disappearing.

Very good characters with twists 6th could not have expected. Not everyone is as they se3m and danger and death are on the loose. Really enjoyed.

I think it's important to start this review by saying this book was a lot darker than I was anticipating and I would have liked the blurb to have detailed this a little more. I think some readers may be surprised by the content as both the cover and blurb give a very different feel to the vibe of this book.

That being said, I did enjoy this book overall, though it's very different to my standard reads. It's an interesting psychological thriller with a very atmospheric feeling from the outset and will suit those who enjoy dark, supernatural stories. I didn't feel there was a huge amount of depth to the overall story and plotline, but this may have been because this genre feels a little out of my normal comfort zone.

A good read but be aware, the blurb gives little indication of this novels darkness!

Thank you to Netgalley, Kate Mascarenhas and the publishers for this advanced readers copy.

Its February 1929 and Psychoanalyst Nora Dickinson has checked into the The Regent Hotel in Birmingham.
She is following the movements of a famous Opera singer and reporting back to her husband.
However, when a storm causes the hotel to shut its door Nora finds herself battling with her secrets.

This is not the sort of book I would normally read - I wasn’t expecting it to stray firmly into supernatural vampire/ werewolf territory. A fault of the blurb on the book, I would say. But nonetheless I did enjoy it.

I fear any review is going to be quite spoiler-y for this book. We have a 1920s grand hotel cut off by snow, a famous opera singer being watched by a psychoanalyst with a mysterious remit and an even more mysterious past, disturbing recollections that may or not be fantasy…

From the cover I thought this could be a classic mystery, but it’s much more than that. Mystery, suspense, even horror at times. Imaginative and rather surprising, even shocking, at times.

If you read stories for the plot, for the twists and turns and human psychology, if you don't care about liking your main characters but rather prefer them to be interesting, if you enjoy your fantasy with an extra layer of darkness, then this is a book for you.
I was attracted by the cover, intrigued by the blurb and hocked by the end of the first page. This is a very neat book and I will definitely look at the other work from the author. That said, I really didn't like any of the characters, which is something that usually bothers me quite a bit and will make me stop reading. Writing style and great plotting become the center of the story when characters cannot be relied upon to keep you hocked, and this novel delivered. I wanted to see where it all lead, and why, and how, those atrocious people has been created.
The flashbacks were perfect and the unraveling of the plot was masterfully done. Of course I would have preferred to like someone in the book, and I was freshly reminded of why I hate psychoanalysis so much, but this was done with gusto. If you loved "Let the Right One in" do try Hokey Pokey.

I was excited to read this book because I really loved the last Kate Mascarenhas book I read and I was surprised and impressed by how different the whole feel of Hokey Pokey was to The Thief on the Winged Horse.

I don’t read very much horror, despite being a fan of speculative fiction in general (a grouping that includes horror, fantasy and sci fi, to my understanding); but I thoroughly enjoyed Hokey Pokey and the near paranoia it inspired while I was reading it. By about two-thirds of the way through the book I was convinced the hotel was crawling with murderous monsters, and the way things tied up satisfactorily without leaving loose ends or seeming overly convenient was impressive. Some of the twists were expected, but no less interesting or horrifying for that.

I liked the vintage feel of the setting and world, and the classic literature elements of being snowed in, relying on long-distance trains and expensive, not entirely reliable telephone service added nicely to the feeling of isolation and suspense. The cover nicely captures the vintage feel of movie posters, or perhaps more appropriately opera posters, although I wished the supernatural horror themes were represented too.

Nora is a fascinating main character, and I loved the way she did thoroughly unsympathetic things at times. The way sexism is examined through her relationships with the hotel staff, other guests, past lovers, her parents and especially Berenice is excellent. The representation of queer people in different time periods is always appreciated, though I do wish Berenice as a bisexual people didn’t also play into the negative stereotype of bisexual people being cheating nymphomaniacs.

The non-linear plot really helped to make this story what it was, and I especially enjoyed slowly learning about Nora’s parents and past. The creeping dread and fairytale feel of her childhood in the woods, contrasted with the stiff formality of her life as an adult practicing medicine was fantastic. I love a strong, haunting ending to a novel as well, and there are definitely some eerie things still happening, even with the happy (if gory) ending that wraps up most of the mystery elements.

Overall, Hokey Pokey was a fantastic read that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys classic horror or ghost stories, or modern mysteries and haunting tales but with a novel setting. I think this book would be good for anyone who enjoys Anne Bishop’s World of the Others novels (Lake Silence, Wild Country and Crowbones); Charlie N Holmberg's The Will and the Wilds, VE Schwab’s Near Witch, or classics like Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novels, or Dracula by Bram Stoker.

The story centres around: Nora Dickinson & Berenice Oxbow, I guess the book is some form of supernatural horror. For me I struggled to settle into the book although the characters were intriguing. The book just didn't work for me but it is well written and will appeal to those who like this genre.