Not the sort of book I usually read, it was a bit Stephen King meets Enid Blyton. But once I had read the first couple of chapters I had to keep going just to find out what had happened and to be fair it was a well constructed tale and in the end there was a good explanation for everything which made it well worth the read.

Four friends set out to explore an old abandoned hotel but only three return. The footage they captured on that night has turned into a wildly popular film with a cult following. Ten years later, they return to the hotel to film a reunion and find out what really happened that night.

I loved the concept of this book and was really excited to dive in. The beautiful cover and the spooky backdrop of the Ravencliffe hotel really drew me in. Unfortunately, the book just didn’t really deliver for me. I didn’t love the writing style and found myself rereading sentences and paragraphs multiple times trying to figure out what was being said. It also jumped around a lot and made the plot pretty hard to follow. The first half of the book was soooo slow and to be honest a little boring. It picked up a little bit at the end but I honestly really had to force myself to finish this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Slow burner that gripped me at times but other times not so much..Some of the characters were unlikeable. Twist I didn’t see coming at end.
Overall though its an ok read and I would give the next offering a chance. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

This book is insanely creepy. Four students try to film a “found footage” movie a-la Blair Witch Project, going to Ravencliffe, an abandoned, cursed hotel by the sea. One of them disappears right in front of his best friend, Bex, and everything is recorded. Ten years later, after millions of people have watched it obsessively, the mystery still remains. Where did Leo go? To mark the tenth anniversary, the three surviving members return to Ravencliffe. The plot is suspenseful and twisty. I really liked Bex and her assistant Holly. Their relationship is believable and their dialogues sparkle. I loved the descriptions of Ravencliffe and its environments. It is not clear if the problems are caused by ghosts, a curse or if there is a rational explanation. Some of my suspicions were right on, but other plot reveals were unexpected. Mostly, I really enjoyed the book. It kept me interested and turning the pages.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#HQ Digital!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-book of "The Hotel" by Louise Mumford.

Bex, Richard, Oscar and Leo were filming in the haunted Ravencliffe Hotel. They were 18 at the time. One person is missing. Almost ten years have passed since then. What happened there then? I'd love to know. Will Bex go to RavenCon 10? Someone is stalking her. The nightmare of ten years ago returns. Our heroine is terrified. Will she learn the truth about Leo's disappearance? Leo's father, Mr. Finch, advises her not to return to that cursed hotel. "I'm going back. Finally. I'm sorry it's taken so long. But I promise this time I'll do whatever it takes to find out what happened to you." Bex, Oscar and Richard are reunited after ten years. How did they react to each other? Were they nice or rather rough? We go back ten years. And we get to know their stories. Leo and Bex were real friends. Together they loved novels and horror movies. They chose an old and haunted hotel in West Wales to shoot the film. It was supposed to be fun and scary. Leo didn't like Richard. It was supposed to be a trip just Leo with Bex. How did Oscar and Richard end up there too? Was Leo happy about that? Were either of them responsible for his disappearance? Or was it the haunted hotel that drew Leo in? An interesting suspense thriller. While reading this book, I was very scared at times. I would be afraid to visit a haunted hotel. I like the Louise Mumford pen. I am looking forward to another work by this author. If you like thrillers with a thrill, then be sure to reach for "The Hotel". You will not be disappointed. The ending was a bit shocking. I admit, I even shed tears. A very exciting story. These books are worth reading.

This book is really good and reminiscent of The Blair witch project. Four teenagers decide to embark on a pre-uni adventure by exploring an old hotel allegedly haunted by the ghost of the owner who shot himself when his dream to build an exclusive hotel for rail visitors was shattered.

Four go to explore and film but only 3 come back. Jump on 10 years and the film of their adventure has become a sensation with a worldwide fan base and annual conventions. Everyone has a theory about what happened that night - did the ghostly hotel owner claim another victim or is there something more sinister in play. I couldn't put this book down and can't wait to read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

10 years ago Bex, Leo, Richard and Oscar went to an isolated hotel hoping to film ghosts. Only 3 of them came home. Leo disappeared and with no sign of him, the other have spent 10 years wondering. Their filled footage piece together became a popular film with fans all over.

Now 10 years on Bex is a recluse who lives with her books and plants, Richard a recovering alcoholic with a glass eye, and Oscar the ‘famous’ one who plays up to the film. With a reunion planned they return to the hotel with a film crew, and Bex is determined to discover the truth.

I found this really slow to get going. It switches from present day to the past through the chapters. For me not enough happened. It was a case of waiting for the big revel for things to speed up and it to become more enjoyable.

I found this book to be very captivating. The storyline had me entrigued and I absolutely loved all the twists. It had a spooky aspect to it and it was very well described.
I loved Bex she was very head strong and although had her issues she knew what she wanted.
I quite enjoyed the book and would recommend.

This book was full of mystery and surprises ! A story of a missing friend, lost at a haunted hotel and how it affected their lives before a return to the scene of the mystery that brings to light some shocking twists and turns.

This is one of those books you don't want to stop reading and I look forward to reading more by Louise Mumford in the future.

After reading "The Hotel" synopsis I was really excited about this book. But it was very slow paced and repetitive. I felt like there wasn't enough story to make a full book so parts were dragged out more than necessary. I enjoyed the overall story but not the writing style.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance of publication.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with The Hotel - from the cover and blurb I was thinking more of a psychological thriller of three friends reunited years after a traumatic event. I was less prepared for a certain amount of horror to be in the story as well!

The story is told from the perspective of Bex, who is a somewhat unreliable narrator. The chapters are also split between present day timeline and 10 years earlier, when the sinister events at the old Ravencliffe Hotel happened and led to the mysterious death of Leo. The switch in timelines helps to keep the pace and tension high and to drip-feed certain aspects of information to us. I would say that in the ARC version, these aren’t labelled as well as they could be, with no heading for the present day and ’10 years earlier’ for the past ones. However, these are not always labelled as some chapters are back to back which made it a little confusing to work out which timeline we were in. I think perhaps a ‘Then’ and ‘Now’ convention for every chapter would be more helpful, as it is always 10 years ago in the past chapters.

The story is a little predictable – I had mostly guessed the main twist by the end, although there was an aspect I was not expecting. I think this is more down to the fact that there is a small cast of characters than an issue with the writing though! I really loved the descriptions of the abandoned hotel and the part of the storyline which examines the past of the building and its inhabitants was nicely integrated into the plot.

Each character is well defined and there are enough red-herrings to try and lead you astray as it went along. Bex was quite hard to empathise with initially, but I think she is kept at arms-length for a reason to add to the suspect pool, so I didn’t mind too much. Some parts are quite creepy, but it never ventures into complete horror genre territory and does not become too unrealistic either.

Overall, The Hotel is a creepy, fast-paced read that I found hard to put down. Thank you to NetGalley & HQ Stories for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and HQ for this eCopy to review

I enjoyed reading The Hotel, it is a good thriller but quite slow in places. I did work out many of the revelations quite early on in the story but Mumford's writing kept my interest anyway. The hotel sounds amazing, I only wish it was real. I like having the different viewpoints and time settings as it helps create a picture of what each of the 4 friends experienced at the Ravecliffe hotel that night 10 years ago and on set at the reunion.

In this book we visit the abandoned hotel named Ravencliffe. Which was built in the Victorian era and a decade ago a group of friends used it as a setting for their horror moving. During the filming a set op creepy things happen and one of the friends, Leo, disappears never to be found again.
Flash forward 10 years later and the horror movie has become quite a cult movie. Even inspiring a annual convention named RavenCon. And this years con is going to be a hit. Because it is announced that a reunion film will be shot at the hotel for the 10 year anniversary. Bex, one of the friends is desperate to finally figure out what happened 10 years ago.
The book has a solid premise and I actually quite like the story. However the execution could have been better. The story really drags what doesn’t really help with getting invested into the overall story arc. 80% into the book the story finally picks up, but then as a reader you have lost most of your interest.

“A bad luck place.”

The Hotel by Louise Mumford is a suspense story of four “friends” – Oscar, Richard, Bex and Leo – who go to a deserted hotel on the Welsh coast, Ravencliffe, as an adventure of sorts to film what happens while they are there. Known to be haunted, the hotel has taken the life of two people, including its owner, who is said to still walk around the grounds “seeking vengeance on those who would dare to step on his land.” After that dreadful night, Leo goes missing and is never seen again. The film was compiled into a video and is now a great hit, leading to conventions and mystery tales of what happened to Leo. Ten years later, Richard, Bex and Oscar no longer talk – but a film company wants to do a reunion show at the Hotel (of course for ratings and money). Bex is hesitant to go back but is desperate to find out what really happened to her best friend and feels certain that things have been hidden from her.

The filming/video in the novel brought me right back to seeing The Blair Witch Project 20 years ago, and you always wonder what is real – and what was scripted / left on the editing floor. Bex, having no part of the editing of the footage, drives this story and adds to the mystery since she doesn’t fully know what is going on either (becoming a recluse after losing Leo).

I felt like this book had great potential – good plot lines, character development, structure – but it was a tad rough around the edges for me. With some polishing and fine tuning, it would have kept my attention more. There were parts that were anticlimactic and had this great lead up – and then just fell off the cliff for me (no pun intended!). I wish the end had more of a bang to it as well (which came a chapter or two prior, and then fizzled out).

I do believe this novel would make a great series or movie and think this could be used as a great starting screenplay. I give this novel 3 stars for its slow starting pace – I was about 40% into the novel before I was actually pulled in, and with a plot like this I think stronger beginning chapters could have immediately grabbed my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley for this read! All opinions are my own and honest!

“They broke something of the hotel’s and in return, it had decided to break them.”

As I read this book, my rating of it increased from a low three after the first couple of chapters through to five by the end. I arrived at this heady award after realising that I really did want to find out what had happened ten years ago and what would happen to the characters by the end of the story. I guess that what I am saying is to definitely stick with it, it grows! I wasn't disappointed with the way that the mystery is resolved after wondering whether the author would opt for a cosy, easier ending. I confess that I didn't really see the other surprise, which was a bonus. Perfect for a cosy night in or feet up on a sunbed read.

The hotel has a really cool premise and sounded really up my alley when I requested it. Problem is, I did not feel the story, did not believe it, did not care for the main character even though she is wrecked by guilt and pain of her loss. And now they're going back to put the ghosts to rest once and for all - one can hope. But I could not find it in me to fell thrilled reading this,

I am an impatient reader, and I found this book to be too slow for me .I didn't really take to any of the characters .So sorry but not a great read for me.

Four students go to a remote hotel to film a project for their university course but only three return.
The film goes viral but the incident has affected the other three badly.
Ten years later and after losing contact they find themselves at a reunion organised by a televison company.
However, things soon start to go wrong and some of them know more about what happened than they have let on.

This is one of the books which will suit some and appal others. It was quite different from my usual reads. I won't be rehashing the plot here as you can read what the professional blurb writers have to say. In brief its a story about 4 teenagers who go to an old hotel to film a movie based on it's historical past. As the book opens we are 10 years on and the characters are now adults. Obviously something went very wrong on their first visit to the hotel and as you may expect, things don't go well on the return either.
The book is a mixture of mystery, horror and exploration of human relationships, particularly in relation to the young adult. This is not a book I personally enjoyed but I think it would be great for older teens looking for something a bit different. However, word of warning; if it was made into a film, I suspect it would be at least 15 rated if not an 18 so take that on board before you recommend it to younger or sensitive readers.
Oh and I think the title is lame...it should have a much more interesting and appropriate name...Ravencliff at least or The House of Ravens.

A dual storyline thriller. Four teenagers go to an abandoned Victorian hotel, which comes with a murky past, to make a film and generally get up to hijinks in the gap between school and university. Things go terribly wrong and only three leave the hotel. Where is Leo? What happened on that fateful night?

It is now ten years later and there are fans who organise an annual convention, complete with merchandise, which has grown up around the original film that was put online. There is intense speculation about what really happened.

The now scarred twenty eight year olds are invited to meet at the hotel once again, to join in the making of a reunion film with a professional company. What could possibly go wrong?

A gripping read in part, this is an interesting premise for a thriller, but some aspects of the story were distracting; the hotel is started in 1878 yet there are still decrepit gardens in the present day, rather than the land having reverted to wildness, Victorian ballroom windows which are still intact, not broken by intruders, or the elements, a chandelier still in place, not pillaged, and even a little wooden box on a mantelpiece in a room in the hotel. This is completely unrealistic and kept distracting me from the story.

Also, how long is it since the author has spent any time in hospital? There would not be a private room full of flowers, there are no flowers allowed in hospitals at all. Also, staff do not record patient readings on clipboards anymore, it is all on iPads!

The resolution was what I expected, but I did enjoy the twisty action of the story. Bex was a good character and at the end I wondered what she would go on to do, which is indicative of sound writing and character development.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.