This was really disappointing. I found it slow and the story a bit bland. It was lacking any twists or turns and even when you find out who the killer is, they just admit it and there’s no drama at all.

The setting seemed really promising, but there was no expansion from the original arrival. None of the characters were particularly likeable and I didn’t feel like they developed throughout the story either.

Just meh. Fine. Forgettable.
A generous 3 stars. Sorry.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy.

This sounded very much like "The Shining" - desolate motel, caretaker looking after it on their own, strange things going on - and definitely sounded like my kind of read. We meet Kerry who takes on the job of being the caretaker over the winter. She is a recovering alcoholic and hopes that the time here on her own will keep her off the drink. The motel is very isolated in the Catskills and time of year brings heavy snow. That all sounds creepy enough on its own, but when Kerry gets there it looks like there is someone else living at the motel as well.

I really liked the idea of this book, and the beginning really had me hooked. However, as the storyline moves on, it's becomes clear that not everything is as it seems and the story begins to twist and turn. Other characters are added and the chapters switch between their perspectives. I have to admit I did get a little confused with the switching of the timelines and characters and I found myself having to go back to the beginning of the chapter to find out which character I was on.

There was lots of tension and suspense and it did leave me feeling a little unsettled. But I did find the storyline quite slow in parts and found myself having to concentrate too much for my liking. The beginning and the end of the book was definitely the better parts!

I loved the suffocatingly thrilling premise of this novel and was eager to read it, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.

It started off very well with our protagonist finding a body in an isolated motel but the story is too slow and with characters that aren't likable. I appreciated the twists in the story but there just wasn't enough happening overall and the ending felt like it was too little too late for me to enjoy it.

I will say though that I was interested enough to want to know what would happen and how it'd end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the e-copy!

2.5/5

The Woman in Room 13 is a seriously creepy and atmospheric read that keeps you on edge the whole way through. Kerry, a recovering alcoholic, takes a job as a winter caretaker at a remote motel, hoping the isolation will help her stay sober and finish her novel. But from the moment she arrives, things feel off...

A slow-burn story full of eerie twists. The motel setting is so vivid it almost feels like a character itself – claustrophobic, creepy, and full of secrets. Kerry is a flawed but compelling lead, and her struggle with addiction adds another layer of tension to an already unsettling story.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Firstly, thank-you to @netgalley for this ARC! Unfortunately it was very difficult to read on my kindle due to formatting.

Such a quick read for me even with the formatting issues. Thoroughly enjoyed the story. Each chapter left you wanting to know know more about characters and the situation of the hotel etc. Very enjoyable.

This had great promise to be an amazing read, which in parts it did just that I just found it a bit on the slow side and a little repetitive in parts. But having said that it had a good storyline, I liked the dual POV as this gave a good insight to events that were happening and that had happened in the past. I didn’t particularly like the main characters, I thought they were quite self centred so I didn’t get behind either character to survive. This is my first book by this author and would read the next one they write.

3.5 stars
This is a good mystery thriller but is a bit slow in some parts of the story.
It starts off well with Kerry arriving for her new job as a caretaker at a remote motel, and she soon discovers a dead body.
When the Police eventually arrive, the body is gone so Kerry starts questioning herself.
Things are clearly not what they seem and we also get an insight from the previous caretaker as part of the story.
Overall this is a good read if you stick with it.
Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read this book.

4.25
Firstly, thank-you to @netgalley for this ARC! Unfortunately it was very difficult to read on my kindle due to formatting (AGAIN!). It did affect my experience as a reader, having to read it on my iPad!

Onto the review, and this was an absolutely enjoyable book! Something was happening from the beginning and each of the chapters ended with you wanting to read more! 😳 it follows Kerry in the present day as she arrives at a remote hotel to a room that has left in a state and a dead body outside! We then change to a POV 2 days earlier as we try to find out what is going on! This was quick paced and I did enjoy it! Slight drop in rating is due to a slight drop in pace around 3/4 into the book but this is a MUST read! 🥰 I mean, the epilogue still kept you guessing and I loved it!! ❤️

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this eCopy to review

I recently finished reading "The Woman in Room 13" by Leah Konen, and it was a thrilling experience. The novel is set in a remote motel in the Catskills, where Kerry arrives to start a new job as the caretaker.

From the moment Kerry steps into the motel, she senses something is off. Her room is filled with the belongings of the previous caretaker, who seemed to have left in a hurry. The discovery of blood trails and a hand reaching out from the snow sets the stage for a chilling mystery.

What I found most captivating about this book was the atmosphere. Konen masterfully creates a sense of isolation and suspense that kept me on edge throughout. The snowstorm and the eerie, deserted motel add to the tension, making it a perfect setting for a psychological thriller.

Kerry is a well-developed character whose fear and determination drive the narrative. Her interactions with the local police and her quest to uncover the truth about the previous caretaker's disappearance are gripping. The twists and turns in the plot kept me guessing until the very end.

A great combination of mystery, tension, and a touch of horror really gave me the chills whilst reading

I was immediately intrigued by the locked room premise of this story, combined with a deserted motel in the wilderness of the mountains seemed like the perfect combination for a suspenseful, even slightly spooky thriller to while away some winter nights. I found the beginning of the book completely lived up to expectations, as Kerry our main protagonist arrives she is shocked - and slightly annoyed - to find the motel she is caretaking for the month in an absolute state, but when she goes to the room she is supposed to be staying in it too is a mess, seemingly the past caretaker hasn't even moved out yet. And then she sees it, a hand poking out of the snow. In a panic, she rushes to the nearest neighbours who assist her by calling the police (there's a power cut at the motel, of course!), yet when they arrive back the body is gone. Kerry starts to distrust her own mind and senses as she combines anti-anxiety medication with alcohol, a combination that has caused her problems in the past, and we spend a good part of the beginning of the book along with Kerry wondering how much she is blowing things out of proportion. This was my favourite part of the book, and gave me exactly what I was looking for - that claustrophobic, locked room feel. As the plot progresses, Kerry does visit the neighbouring houses again, meeting another neighbour Jeremy. This, for me, brought me out of the story slightly, as I had been hoping for a proper cabin in the woods type feel, however on the whole the plot is solid and does make for some interesting twists as we try to work out what is really happening at the motel. In summary, a satisfactory plot and real strong hook make for an entertaining read.

The Woman in Room 13 is supposed to be a modern-day take on The Shining. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite live up to this sort of billing.
Kerry is our main character. She appears to have some mental health issues and has fallen out with everyone in her circle. Subsequently, she applied for and was accepted for the caretaker position at the Twillite Hotel in the Catskills area in middle of nowhere. Kerry has never met her employer, all the arrangements are being taken care of digitally.
On arrival, she finds one of the rooms in complete chaos, with possessions from the previous occupier in situ, and what looks to be the aftermath of a party. Then looking outside, she sees what appears to be a hand sticking out of the snow. Further investigation reveals this to be a body. Because of the motel’s remote location, she has difficulty contacting anyone, but eventually, she manages to contact the police. When the police finally arrive though, the body is nowhere to be found.
At this point, the story looked promising, but it deteriorated to such a slow pace, that it became not very interesting at all. The story is told from a dual point of view between Kerry and another person, but there is not enough differential between them, so you get confused about who is who.
None of the characters feel very well fleshed out and the book has a Lifetime daytime movie feel to it. There was potential for this to be a great story, but it just misses the mark.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Leah Konen and especially Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for the much-appreciated ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

I absolutely loved 'The Perfect Escape' by Leah Konen, so I was delighted to read 'The Woman in Room 13'. Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy. This book will be released on 30th January, 2025.

This book has all the makings of an absolutely terrifying thriller - a remote motel in the Catskills, some very inhospitable weather that renders the motel even more inaccessible, plus the total lack of any trustworthy locals. It's a creepy setting and one that I could feel myself wanting to yell at the main character about! Why would you want to be a motel caretaker when there's no other guests? Why would you go there alone? Why on earth would you not take the horrendous weather as a terrible omen and stay home? Why would you seek out help from some odd neighbours?
Why, why, why?!

Still, into this horrific personal nightmare goes our main character, Kerry. When she gets there, she discovers that the previous caretaker hasn't exactly left...there's all her belongings left in one of the rooms, then the discovery of a body in the snow. By the time the police arrive, the body has disappeared and Kerry is left questioning what she saw. Questioning, and potentially avoiding a killer in the motel...

This is an enjoyable thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, even as you question Kerry's choices and watch her blundering around in the snow. I didn't always know what to believe, but enjoyed trying to work it out. I definitely wanted to see what happened and it had some good twists along the way.

Kerry in a desperate attempt to get the creative juices flowing decides to be a caretaker at an isolated motel. She hopes that the environment and The Shining-like vibes of the motel will provide inspiration for her book but inspiration quickly turns into reality when she discovers a dead body.

The author does a good job of setting the scene and building tension with descriptions of the dark and secluded environment. Even in the circumstances I didn’t feel any sympathy for the main character and found her to be generally unlikable. Also, for someone who has knowledge of the horror-world, she makes a lot of questionable decisions.

There were a couple of twists which I was surprised at but the ending really let the book down. The story is built up to be scary and tense so I was expecting the reveal to follow suit - maybe a chase scene or something. Instead it was pretty anti-climatic and rushed, which ruined the story for me.

I’ve never read anything from this author before and I won’t let this book put me off reading any others in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kerry who is heading for a breakdown sees a perfect opportunity when an advert for a caretaker at an isolated motel comes up. She arrives there with the plan to finish writing the book she’s working on but as she settles down with a blizzard outside, she spots an arm buried under the snow. Is she trapped alone with a killer?

I’ve read past books by Leah Konen and enjoyed them. I also liked the idea of a locked room mystery in an isolate setting and a comparison to The Shining, therefore wanted to read this. The atmosphere was done well, I got a feel of the remoteness and cold environment. I was intrigued to see how it would all pan out, although I ended up finding it all fairly predictable.

I wasn’t completely enamoured by the main character, as she seemed similar to other protagonists I have read recently, therefore lacking anything new, although I easily understood her paranoia and feelings. Even though this was a fun, interesting thriller, I did not pick up the feminist or The Shining vibes and it ended up quite standard for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

a great mystery that i sped through. i love how with each new thing revealed so too is the level of our anxiety over what to come next! i was getting more and more het up at one point and either needed to carry on or stop and rest and calm down haha.
it has the Ruth waire creepy vibes that some authors do so well. so its not horror but there is the sam unsettling feeling about it all.

Kerry's life is falling apart, so a fresh start as the caretaker of a remote motel in the Catskills is just what she needs to get back on track. But, arriving in a snowstorm and power outage, the first thing Kerry stumbles across is a dead body...

The Woman in Room 13 mines several of the themes of Konen's previous books - female friendship, substance misuse, city vs. rural living - and results in a pacy, gripping thriller.

An isolated hotel, A body in the snow, A killer lying in wait.

Kerry finds the ideal chance to escape everything and finish writing her book. Looking after a remote hotel will offer her solitude and a distraction free zone, except it’s far from that. The mysterious disappearance the last caretaker, concerning neighbours and battling her own demons mean Kerry is facing far more than she anticipated.

I enjoyed this book, fab setting and it kept me wondering throughout. Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and good luck to the author on its release.

Publication Date - 30/01/2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheWomanInRoom13
#LeahKonen

From the premise I was keen to read this book. An isolated motel. A body in the snow. A killer lying in wait. Kerry arrives to start a new job as caretaker at a remote hotel. She’s looking for a fresh start but soon realises something is very wrong. Her room is full of the previous occupants belongings and then Kerry sees trails of blood, leading to a hand poking out of the snow. All the trappings of a fantastic psychological thriller. The plot is great with plenty of twists but for me it was just too slow paced. I was hoping for short, punchy chapters to draw me in but in reality it was all just a bit laboured. Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and the author for the chance to review.

I really liked the concept and atmosphere of this one. The winter setting, the locked-in mystery, the mystery of this single motel room. It definitely plays homage to some classic horrors.

For me to love it more, I wanted the horror elements to be heightened. But it's definitely a great read for anyone who enjoys a lighter thriller with dark tones.

Kerry takes a winter caretaker job at a remote motel, only to find a room left in disarray and a dead body in the snow—except when the police arrive, the body is gone. With a solid premise and a dual POV adding depth, the story had its moments but felt repetitive at times. The main characters weren’t particularly likable either.. Still, it was a solid thriller and I’d check out the author’s next book.