This story does not disappoint. I loved how it set the scene around the hotel and the characters. It is definitely a hotel that I do not want to visit. Highly recommend.

A very enjoyable tale and very clear when the story went back in time to fill in the essential background to what had happened.

Good characters and a very well hidden denouement.

It took me a while to get into this book and whilst I did enjoy it I’m not sure how I feel about the reveal and whodunnit, I think I was just expecting something entirely different.

If haunted buildings are you thing, you will throughly enjoy The Hotel. It’s spooky, dilapidated, and you just don’t know what lies within its walls. The author did such a great job in building a picture of the hotel and an eerie atmosphere around it. I was certainly creeped out reading this book in the dark.

I enjoyed the story too. It was different from other books I’ve read. I particularly liked the reunion element, which was a great way of showing character development. While I liked to Bex as a character and she serves as a good narrator, more could have been done with Richard and Oscar. I found them to be equally interesting and more chapters from their perspective would have made for a more addictive read.

There was something telling me the ending of The Hotel fell flat. However, I’m arguing with myself on this one. I think I made the mistake of reading the book too fast or when I couldn’t give it my full attention. I didn’t see the ending coming and it was paced well, so not really failure material.

A fast paced tension filled book with lots of twists to keep you guessing. Totally atmospheric and the ghosts give you the creeps.

I had really high hopes for this book. Based on the synopsis it sounded really good. However, It had an extremely slow start and it was confusing at times. The switch between present day Bex and past Bex was not always marked well in the chapter headings. I'd be willing to give the author a couple more trys but this book was not it for me.

This book was an excellent thriller. So many twisted turns in the book that I did not expect. I was thoroughly surprised till the very last page at the characters and how they evolved throughout the book. Great. book for anyone looking for a thriller that they won't be able to put down.

The opening was so exciting and enjoyable that I couldn't stop reading. It's a thrilling tale that also incorporates elements of horror and humour, which kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved how the story switched between the past and present, providing a deeper understanding of what had happened before. Towards the end, I was eagerly trying to figure out the identity of the mysterious figure behind the creepy and spooky occurrences, and the resolution was nothing short of satisfying!
Moreover, the burgeoning friendship between Bex and Holly was delightful to witness, and the character development was impressive. The writing style was engaging and kept me invested in the story. The ending was perfect, with no loose ends and the mystery solved.

In 1878, Ravencliffe Hotel was intended by owner Reginald Morwood to be the perfect spa retreat. But when the planned train line to Cardigan Bay that would bring all his paying customers from South Wales and beyond is cancelled, Morwood was left in a mountain of debt and took his own life in his hotel office.

The novel has a dual timeline and follows the events that occurred 10 years ago, when Bex, Leo, Oscar, and Richard, all 18 years old at the time, visited a hotel that was supposedly haunted by Morwood's ghost. The story also focuses on present-day events, including the aftermath of what happened, which lives not only in the memories of the three survivors but also the whole world, thanks to the cult following the subsequent film using the group's "found footage" has since attracted.

As the story progressed, my suspicions about what really happened 10 years ago changed, and the ending was so dramatic that I raced through the pages of the final quarter of the book without taking a breath. Given its ominous setting and hidden secrets, I think this book would make a brilliant adaptation for television and a perfect autumn/winter thriller. I highly recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers with a good mix of ghostly horror! Overall, it was a delightful read that I highly recommend to anyone.

Ten years after the tragic events in a Ravencliffe, it’s time for reunion. What was meant to be an innocent trip, ended with the disappearance of one of the four young people who went to exploring the place. After years of speculations, fans are excited to see their beloved stars of a cult horror movie – Richard, Oscar and Bex - to come back to the abandoned hotel. But Bex is suspicious that one of her friends is hiding the information about the unresolved disappearance of her childhood friend, Leo. But when the things are going wrong again, who is the person that knows the truth?
In this full of suspense and tension novel we follow Bex as she decides to leave her life of a recluse and finally find out what happened ten years ago. The story is told from the point of view of Bex, and interwoven with it is also the first person narration from her first, fateful visit to Ravencliffe. It was that first person tale of a young and naïve Bex that was particularly well written. The uncertainty and unease with which she and her friends explore the abandoned hotel is gripping, her fear palatable. The second part is a bit less intense despite more unexplained events taking place. The plot twist was solid but the explanation somehow did not bring the type of intense experience I expected and the last scene just did not sit well with the whole theme of the book. But despite this, I enjoyed the gothic, heavy atmosphere of the book, where the location is as important as the plot. The isolated, remote house which does not its secrets discovered is agreat trope and The Hotel is a great novel for a rainy, cold afternoon.

A twist of all the things that interest me in life - ghost stories, history, mysteries and thrills! I sometimes struggle with dual timelines and would have to refocus sometimes through this book. Luckily, it all came together in the end. I appreciate how the author approached this story from a social standpoint recognizing how much people connect to “entertainment”. I will certainly be reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley, HQ Digital, and author Louise Mumford for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ten years ago, Bex and her best friends stayed at an old, abandoned hotel as a celebration for the end of school. Four set out, but only three returned when Leo was never to be found again. Richard recorded their entire trip, and the film became somewhat of a cult classic. Very similar to the real film Blair Witch Project.

As the ten year anniversary approaches, the group has the opportunity to return to the hotel and film a documentary. Even though Bex initially doesn’t want to participate, she decides to return in hopes of finding out what actually happened to Leo that day.

A tad slow, but very creepy and full of mysterious elements! This was a fun addition to my “creepy season” theme.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I first started reading, I quickly went to ‘this isn’t for me’ but I wanted to give it a chance.

At around 25% of the way in, I realised nothing had actually happened. There was a lot of setting up the plot to the point of where the book started, for the story to then continue. For me, to have read a quarter of the overall book and not really be much further on plot wise, is a little too slow.

Having said that, I continued to read because I needed answers! What happened to Leo? Sadly, I couldn’t finish it. The system of writing for me was almost as though it had been written by the teenagers at the hotel. I just couldn’t connect to them and the story just didn’t grab my attention enough

One thing I did like was the switch between past and present.

Four friends go on a Blair Witch type trip to a deserted West Wales hotel allegedly haunted by the ghost of its owner. Only there come back…. Years later the three reunite with a professional film crew to find out what really happened to their friend. In the interim a whole cosplay phenomenon has re-enacted the mystery.

I have been a fan of all of Louise Mumford's writings, she is an expert in creating a claustrophobic sense of place and an eerie feeling of foreboding. The Hotel ramps that up a notch and adds in a spooky layer of abandoned buildings with mysterious pasts, ripe to be investigated by some foolhardy students, not all who return from their mission. Ten years on and the others want to find out what happened - so off they go, back into the dark and the shadows.

I was perfectly creeped out whilst reading parts of it, the shivers up my spine were definitely real - the atmospheric writing was perfectly pitched and left me wanting more. I might have kept the light on for a few nights after I finished reading it though!

Abit of a slow burn that did pick up further into the story. I loved the atmosphere and setting of the book but it did take me a while before I felt really invested in the story

Read in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down. Absolutely gripping and kept me hooked all the way through, it was perfectly paced too

This was super fun and quick thriller that is good at keeping you guessing till the very end! I loved the creepy isolated hotel vibes this book provided and would recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced thriller with some spooky elements

Four friends set off one night for a little scary adventure. They will venture to Ravencliffe, an abandoned and said-to-be haunted hotel. Only three of them will return.

We meet Bex, who has been a recluse for the last ten years, ever since the ill-fated trip to Ravencliffe, where her childhood friend Leo disappeared, and has never been seen again. The other two who were on the adventure were Richard, her one-time beau, and his friend Oscar. Their home movie film of the night's events became a cult classic, and now there is an online group that is obsessed with the film and that holds conventions every year. Oscar is a frequent speaker at the events. Richard's life has gone off the rails and he was an alcoholic mess for awhile. Bex has not seen them since the horrible event of that night. But now a producer wants to film a ten-year-reunion of them as they return to the hotel.

Bex decides to go for one reason, she wants to find out what happened to her friend Leo, and she thinks that Oscar or Richard can help her with that. Maybe they were not totally honest about the events of that night. But once back at the hotel things begin to go wrong and Bex wonders if they may all end up losing their lives in this hotel that seems bent on revenge.

I enjoyed reading this book, once the action picked up about a quarter of the way through. I feel like it could have been edited slightly to give it more focus and action. I did enjoy the writer's style and thought it was well written.

Thank you to NetGalley, Louise Mumford, and HQ Publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Hotel" by Louise Mumford is a chilling and atmospheric thriller. Mumford's storytelling creates a sense of unease as the characters confront the secrets of a seemingly perfect hotel. The novel is a masterclass in suspense and psychological tension, leaving readers with an unsettling feeling that lingers long after the final page. A gripping and mind-bending read.

This is a slow burn mystery, an easy read amongst its genre, good for Spooky season if you want a slower paced thriller. Sadly the twists didn't live up to the premise for me but overall it was enjoyable.