A remote motel in the Catskills? I’m in.

Plenty of tropes ahead, storms and the power goes out and there is a dead body but unfortunately nothing gelled correctly in this novel.

I like a dual narrative but Kerry and Siobhan as narrators felt a bit unconnected and made this quite a difficult read.

The final nail in the coffin was the twist at the end. It was so ridiculous it left me disappointed that I had spent so much time on the book.

Have you ever picked up a book and wanted to enjoy it thanks to the superb synopsis? This was my experience with Konen’s latest release. The plot description sold the book to me, and I wanted this to be a five-star read.

Regrettably, the book's pace was not my liking, with its dual timeline and character viewpoints feeling less fluid than I had hoped. It was too much of a slow burn, and I struggled to absorb it fully. Despite this, I could appreciate the author's intentions, and the plot twists kept me engaged, even when I considered abandoning the book. I'm glad I persevered.

While there were a few predictable twists, most of the storyline was engaging yet not as addictive as others. I look forward to reading this author's future releases, hoping for even more captivating narratives.

This is not the worst psychological thriller I have read; it was mediocre yet still readable according to my preferences.

Kerry signs up for a slot as winter caretaker of a remote motel in the Catskills as a way of forcing herself to finish her novel. She's delighted by the old-school Americana of the setting but soon realises something is wrong when she discovers a dead body in the snow outside. As storms set in and the power goes out, Kerry is unable to escape - and she believes the killer is still out there. The Woman in Room 13, Leah Konen's fifth adult novel, alternates between Kerry's point of view and that of her estranged friend, Siobhan, who was the previous motel caretaker and planned to use the creepy setting to shoot a low-budget horror film. It's an atmospheric thriller, and I found both voices distinctive, convincing and likeable, despite both women's obvious flaws. Konen makes good use of her snowy setting and the plot unfolds satisfyingly. My only issue was the compulsion to include a twist in the final pages; it's something I've been seeing more and more in recent thrillers, and it never works for me. Either the added twist jumps the shark or (as is the case here) reveals something we almost already know. Nevertheless, this is a fun, chilly read: I'd recommend it to those who liked Julia Bartz's The Writing Retreat or Ruth Ware's The Woman in Cabin 10 and One By One.