Recovering alcoholic Kerry takes a job as a caretaker at a remote motel that is closed for the winter. She hopes the isolated location, away from distractions, will keep her off the booze and focused on completing the manuscript of her novel. However, things go wrong immediately. When she arrives and follows the written welcome instructions, she discovers her allocated room littered with a woman’s belongings and the debris from a seemingly wild party. And then, outside, she spots a hand with painted fingernails poking out of the snow. Let’s just say her writing takes a backseat to the small matter of getting out alive. And as for remaining sober, well… can you blame her?
Ideal for fans of slow-burn, straightforward storytelling with plenty of twists.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

Upon publication, I will post this review on my blog and on GoodReads.

This was a sort of modern-day take on Stephen King's The Shining, which was referenced a few times throughout.
Kerry has been hired to stay at a roadside motel to take care of the place while it was closed during winter. It's also supposed to give her time away to write her novel. She's supposed to be the only person there. However, she quickly finds a room filled with someone else's belongings and what looks like the aftermath of a booze and drug fuelled party. Soon after, she finds the body of a woman in the snow. Now she's stuck in the middle of nowhere, snowed in, with a dead body that keeps disappearing.

The synopsis sounded great, and I had high hopes for this one, but I struggled. It took me the better part of two days to get through it, with me continuously finding myself becoming distracted with other things just so I was doing something other than reading. Usually, if I'm super into a book, nothing distracts me. I just kept finding every reason not to pick it back up again.
The story itself was great, with plenty of twists that keep the reader guessing throughout. However, it was the pace of the story that I struggled with. It was incredibly slow, and I just kept waiting for something, anything to happen.
I am glad I stuck with it, as the twists kept me from giving up, but I found myself skimming some of the more dull parts.

First time I read this author, but I really enjoyed The Woman in Room 13. It was a slow starter but kept me on the edge of my seat. I found the plot exciting with lots of twists and turns and unpredictable happenings. Enjoyed the dual timelines as they fitted perfectly

The characters were alittle dry but non the less, I found this story very good.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books

I stopped reading this book at 50% so please understand that this book could have got better and therefore should be taken into consideration with my rating. I didn’t like how this book was written, I didn’t connect with the characters.

The Woman in Room 13 by Leah Konen
☆☆☆Publication date 30th January 2025
This book is brilliant 👏
An isolated motel.
A body in the snow.
A killer is lying in wait...
I love a good isolated location thriller, and this is one of the most sinister I've read. Plenty of shocks, twists, and turns, I loved every moment. The perfect cosy mystery to curl up with ☕️🔥❄️
Thanks @leahkonen @netgalley and @randomhouse for my arc. Highly recommended xx

I was looking forward to reading this book, and I thought it started out promisingly ,but then nothing much happened, and I got a bit bored .For me it never really clicked again and I found it to be quite slow. So it was a bit of a disappointment for me.

It is such a shame as I was looking forward to this book from its description. Please bare in mind this is entirely my opinion based on what I've read , this review in no way should be taken as "don't read this book". Everyone has their own tastes,

This book intricately weaves together the stories of two characters as it delves into the enigmatic motel. One timeline captures Kerry's unsettling journey upon her arrival, revealing her discoveries and the eerie atmosphere surrounding her. The other timeline immerses readers in the experiences of the previous caretaker, chronicling the haunting events that unfolded in the month leading up to Kerry's visit. Together, these narratives unveil the motel's secrets and the connections between its past and present.
There were a lot of different thriller tropes, and it did start becoming a little predictable. However, some of my guesses became red herrings, which was nice considering how predictable it was becoming. It took me about 40% of the book to get in, but once I got up in the morning, I ended up finishing the last 60% in just about one sitting.

My challenge with the story was that its pacing felt like a slow burn, making it hard for me to stay invested. I found myself longing for a pivotal moment to occur earlier, something to capture my attention and ignite my interest, drawing me deeper into the narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this.in exchange for my honest feedback

This book is a bit hit & miss for me. Is it the best book I’ve read? No. Is it the worst? Again, No.
It’s an easy read, but whilst reading it, it felt a bit familiar. It felt like I’d read it before.
The plot line was a bit basic and the characters could maybe have had a bit more to them. The writing style was relatively slow paced, so at times it felt like you’d been reading for a while yet the story itself was no further along.
I’d recommend anyone read it, as we all have differing thoughts and opinions and I know for a fact, this will appeal to others, it just wasn’t for me I’m afraid.

Whilst getting off to a slow start, this turned into a very easy read.

The storyline keeps you interested the entire time, and the characters are well developed and likeable.
I'm definitely looking forward to more from this author.

Oh wow...what a waste of time. I found this book to be strange, totally unbelieveable, unrealistic and, well, awful.
The plot was laughable. The characters were 2 dimensional. The writing, simplistic.
Give it a miss.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. After a slow start I ended up really enjoying this book and found it to be a great who done it mystery. I thought all the characters had a strange vibe about them which resulted in a greater sense of mystery. I did question a few times if the plot was the result of an over active imagination but I’ll leave it to you to decide. Overall an enjoyable book. 4 stars

The Woman in Room 13
By Leah Konen
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Slow start but got there! Very creepy storyline …. Kerry is a recovering alcoholic and the author makes you wonder what’s in Kerry’s mind and what’s reality ….

Hooked at some parts of this book and definitely creeped me out at times!

Edge of your seat thriller once it gets there - if you’re thing is isolated creepiness then this one is for you!

#psychologicalthriller #thriller #motel #creepymotel #leahkonen #gifted #busymum #catmum

Okay so for me this was a slow burner but once it got going I couldn’t put it down. Full of mystery and intrigue and I couldn’t work out what was going to happen. The main character is this I loved, they were super interesting and very well written. First book by this author but I would read again.

What an amazing book! This was right up my street and I loved all the twists and turns! I wish I could read this again for the first time!!

This was right up my street! I love a wee isolated location thriller woth lots of creepiness surrounding so was completely stuck in from the start. Some good twists and turns, the tension was built well throughout and this had the hairs on my arms standing on end more than once. Really enjoyable domestic noir

3.5 stars

Ok so I did enjoy this but it was a slow burn in some parts and some chapters were a bit boring and nothing happened but then you’d get a good chapter and well it wasn’t executed as well as it could of been and felt somewhat rushed but I loved the dual pov and it had some good twists and turns!

kerry struggles with her anxiety and alcoholism and the fact that there’s moments where we are questioning if this is in her head or is this real makes it more gripping.
Can I just say though who in their right mind goes to an empty motel out of season alone during winter? Yeah no thanks! Then you find a dead body in the snow!! There’s no way I’d be staying there!
Weird noises, footprints in the snow that ain’t yours, no electricity they are all things right there that make you think I need to leave!
The ending what a twist that I was not expecting so that in itself was a good surprise and I have to say I’d definitely read more by Leah konen

I LOVED the snazzy sounding motel setting and how it changes from secluded holiday spot to cut off from the world in a matter of seasons. Found it really easy to read with the early twists and end of chapter cliff hangers kept me reading and held my attention well.

Unfortunately I did find the actual storyline a bit bland and long winded. I felt like we went round in circles a few times before finally coming to the whodunit which I found a bit of a let down.. The ending especially was not for me at all... but we can’t love them all can we..

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early.

Wow was not sure where this was going to go so many possible suspects and I did not see the ending coming, well written

The Great US-American motel that had its heyday in the mid-1950s and has been mythologised in fictions spanning all genres makes an interesting proposition for a thriller. I was therefore delighted to be granted an ARC of Leah Konen’s latest book to see what literary treatment Leah Konen would give this iconic US-American institution. I soon found out … first of all, the dual timeline structure. Here, it is used to introduce two different females, both acting as caretakers of a motel in the Catskill Mountains during its winter shut-down. The contemporary character, Kerry, had hoped to use the wintry seclusion to finish writing her own book, but is soon unnerved by a body in the snow, the many belongings left behind by the previous caretaker, and a growing sense of dread that she is not alone. But in the face of such a mythological landscape, which of Kerry’s many sensory impressions are real and which ones are products of her increasingly frenzied imaginary?
An enjoyable read, I am happy to recommend this novel to fellow lovers of the ‘looked room’, ‘domestic noir’ and ‘great American novel’ genres. Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the free ARC that I was gifted in exchange for posting this honest and unbiased review.

Thanks for NetGalley and Leah Konen for providing this ARC in exchange my review.

This book is filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. It keeps me on the edge of my seat. It is also a thrilling read that combines suspense, mystery, and psychological drama. Konen’s ability to create an eerie atmosphere and her skillful plot twists make this book a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. I found the pacing a bit slow at times, the overall story is engaging and keeps you guessing until the very end. Suggest you to read it if you are the fans of thriller reading.