Thanks @ netgalley and publishers for arc
The Hotel was a genuinely creepy novel, I jumped in places also laughed at times also stopped reading at night some times !
Follows the story of four young 18 year old students who want to go remake their own Blair Witch Project in a hotel in wales the derelict hotel was built in early part of 1900 and was never finished as owner ran out of money
He wanted it to be on the top of the Welsh cliffs and so named it Ravencliffe
Do all 4 survive? And if so why are they back ten years later with a professional film crew and what have they been doing in between?
Fabulous read well worth a look

Great beach read. Perfect page turner, finished in one day. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I do like a timeslip story and this is one that alternates back and forth between 10 years. Back when a group of 4 friends decided to make a visit to the abandoned hotel called Ravencliffe to make a film. Only 3 of the group return and as it is 10 years since the event there is a chance of a reunion. Will they discover what happened to the one that did not return?

Bex is the main character of the story, she is a recluse and has her own problems. The last thing she wants is to get caught up in a reunion but she knows this may be the only chance to discover what happened to Leo. The story tells of her and Leo’s friendship and also how they are joined by Richard and Oscar. Not a natural group but nevertheless they decide to go to Ravencliffe and make a film. It is one that will become a cult and internet favourite and gain a lot of followers.

In the present, the story stages the reunion and also brings the characters up to date. Whereas their earlier history is told in the past. The story flits easily between past and present and there are chapter headings to keep you on track. To be honest you soon become aware of the changes.

I did like how the focus remained on Bex and how this was more her story, but also slotting in things from Richard and Oscar, and I should mention other characters. There are a few extra’s so to speak, and they do have a role that keeps the story moving.

This is a tense story and one that has atmospherics and a certain creepy feel to it. I am not a fan of horror but this does have the feels of a horror without the blood, guts and chainsaws.

If you like tense thrillers with a cast that you are not necessarily going t like then this is a book that I would recommend. It is a great intro to the author for me and I look forward to reading more.

Ghost story.. check. Creepy, spooky… check. The Hotel has it all. Split between the past and present, The Hotel tells the story of four teens who decide to go explore an abandoned hotel, but only three return. What happened to Leo? Ten years later, Bex is still asking that question. At the hotel that night, they were filming their adventure. It was released and became a hit movie. Every year fans gather for RavenCon. This year is 10 years since that fateful night and they’re doing a reunion AT the hotel. Secrets will come to light.

Great writing. Creepy, scary, spooky but not so much that I had to put it down to sleep at night! I loved this one!

"The Hotel" by Louise Mumford is a captivating thriller that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. With its eerie setting, complex characters, and unpredictable twists, Mumford delivers a suspenseful and satisfying tale. The atmospheric writing and well-paced plot make this book a must-read for fans of the genre.

Mumford's writing is evocative, painting a vivid picture of the eerie hotel and its eerie surroundings. The author masterfully builds tension and creates an atmosphere of unease, making it impossible to put the book down. The sense of foreboding is palpable, and the suspense steadily escalates as the story goes on.

One of the novel's strongest aspects is its unpredictable plot. Just when you think you have it all figured out, Mumford throws in a twist that shatters your assumptions. The pacing is excellent, with a perfect balance between moments of quiet unease and heart-pounding action. The author skillfully weaves together multiple storylines, gradually revealing the connections between them, and building towards a climactic and satisfying conclusion.

Thank you HQ Digital for the advanced copy on NetGalley!

An enjoyable read but not quite the mystery I hoped for. There were some good twists throughout, but I predicted the main one

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

The story follows four students – Bex, Richard, Oscar, and Leo – who travel to Ravencliffe, an abandoned hotel on the Welsh cliffs, equipped with handheld cameras. Only three return, as Leo disappears and is never seen again.

Their trip becomes famous due to wannabe filmmaker Richard and his camera, and the cult film which follows – think a new Blair Witch Project. The years that follow feature the film's fans – Ravens – coming up with many theories as to what happened to Leo.

A decade later, they agree to reunite for a reunion documentary. But upon returning to the hotel, things start to go wrong again…

Told in two timeframes, The Hotel by Louise Mumford slowly uncovers the mystery of what happened to Leo on that fateful night, with an engaging plot and spooky Gothic atmosphere.

The plot was a slow burn, but it remained captivating and kept me guessing until the end with a shock reveal.

There are enough red herrings to lead you astray while each character is well-defined. Bex, the lead narrator, is haunted by her past and determined to uncover what happened to her friend Leo, to whom she remains loyal.

Overall, while there were some predictable parts, I found many aspects of this book to be captivating and tense.

Modern twists on the ‘locked-room mystery’ have become popular in recent years, so I was keen to pick up Louise Mumford’s ‘The Hotel’ which promised a riveting read in that vein. I was not disappointed! The mystery starts with a film project that teenagers Bex, Leo, Oscar and Richard complete at an abandoned hotel called the Ravencliffe. The project ends in tragedy, though, when Leo disappears without trace. When their story becomes known, Bex Oscar and Richard initially become celebrities, but Bex later withdraws from the world into relative anonymity. Now, some ten years after the tragedy, she is reluctantly persuaded by her two former friends to take part in a recreation of the film project. But from her arrival at the location, things become eerier and eerier, as among the media professionals, cameramen and other individuals who now populate the site, there is at least one person who knows far more than they let on. And soon, very soon, Bex finds herself in mortal danger …

Other reviewers of this thriller have commented on its slow build-up, and I agree that the first half of the novel is rather slow by comparison to events that start to unfold then. However, as the thriller is well-written, that is not necessarily a negative as I enjoyed every word. Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the free digital ARC that I received in exchange for this unbiased and honest review.

This is hard to talk about without talking about the plot and what it was or wasn't. What it was, was a really good premise - a creepy atmosphere and optical illusions. But it didn't quite deliver any spine tingles and turned out to be a more of an unlucky occurrence. Despite guessing the 'mystery' quite early and not particularly liking contradictory Bex (a feisty recluse) it was weirdly compelling with its past and present narratives and cult element. So a bit of a mixed bag really.

Four students travel to Ravencliffe, an eerie abandoned hotel perched on steep cliffs on the Welsh coast. After a series of unexplained accidents, only three of them leave. The fourth, Leo, disappears, and is never seen again.

Only three of them came back

A decade on, the friends have lost contact. Oscar is fame-hungry, making public appearances and selling his story. Richard sank into alcoholism and is only just recovering. Bex just wants to forget – until one last opportunity to go back offers the chance to find out what really happened to Leo.

Ten years later, they return one last time

But as soon as they get to the hotel things start going wrong again. Objects mysteriously disappear and reappear. Accidents happen. And Bex realises that her former friends know far more than they are letting on about the true events at Ravencliffe that night…

‘She was a pebble, a small object, but, in the right conditions, just big enough to bring a landslide crashing down.’

The book cover and description really caught my attention when I was scrolling through Netgalley, and I was really looking forward to settling in with a creepy mystery. This book was very atmospheric with descriptions of the abandoned, creepy hotel near the Welsh coast, which gave the story a gothic spooky feel. A bad luck place that would be the perfect setting for untold horror to transpire.

The plot was also good, I liked the dual timeline and the cast of characters and the path that the story took, but unfortunately the beginning was paced so slowly, that I kept losing interest. The storyline at the beginning was also a bit confusing (possibly due to the slow pace) and it wasn’t until at least the halfway point, that it started to pick up speed. There also seemed to be a lot of needless information, which felt a bit like padding and took clarity away from the storyline.

Overall, I did like this book and I am glad that I stuck it out to the end, despite feeling like it was ‘work’ some of the time. It could have been so much better though and unfortunately, it slightly missed the mark for me. It won’t, however, deter me from reading this author’s work in future.

My thanks to the author and HQ Digital for my advance copy to read and review via Netgalley. Out now!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I sadly had to DNF this book at 18% as I just couldn’t get into the story or enjoy any of the characters.

Ten years ago, four recently graduated students decided to go on one last adventure before heading off the University: they were going to visit an abandoned hotel, cursed by the owner who committed suicide when he ran out of money before he could open his grand retreat. Four of them went to the "haunted hotel," cameras in hand, and experienced the scariest night of their young lives. Three came home, became infamous horror film stars, dealing with their fame - and loss - in different ways. Now, on the tenth anniversary of their trip to Ravencliffe, they return, all for different reasons, for a reunion special. But once again, things start going wrong almost immediately. And the "Ravencliffe Three" begin to wonder if the curse is back to take revenge; and if they'll make it out of Ravencliffe again.

This book is told on two timelines: the present day, and ten years ago, when the group first visited Ravencliffe.

This is really a great thriller, it's spooky right off the bat, with a great, dark atmosphere - I mean a gothic hotel where an eccentric owner shot himself in despair? Then four students go back and shoot a movie "Blair Witch" style, which goes viral after one of them disappears- only this film is real. I mean come on, tell me that doesn't pull you in! So that's our starting point, and it really only gets better from there, as you dive into what happened that night, how it affected each person and what happens when they go back to Ravencliffe one last time.

And the ending is spectacular. It's really something. But I'm not saying another word about it. Just read it.

Anyway, As far as the characters go, I was hot and cool on Bex. She was a little whiny and overdramatic, but there were moments that her personality really got to show through and I loved seeing her like that. I think with everything she went through, she just became cold and cynical. I can understand that.

Overall, if you're into thrillers, especially ghost stories with great back stories, grab this book ASAP! It won't disappoint you!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the advanced copy of this book!

10 years ago four students traveled to an abandoned hotel on a mission to make a film about the infamous Ravencliffe. After a series of weird things and unexplained accidents, their friend Leo disappears. He's never seen again. The resulting film from that night becomes a cult hit and makes the three remaining friends famous. Now 10 years later the three survivors must reunite at Ravencliffe to film a retrospective. Bex only wants to go because it's her last chance to find out what really happened to Leo that night. The book hops back and forth between present day and the night 10 years ago as Bex tries to piece together the mystery of Ravencliffe. There are twists and turns, and not just in the creepy hedge maze. I can see this mystery making a good movie or mini series, and would be perfect for fans of Agatha Christie.

The description of The Hotel had me intrigued but unfortunately the book did not live up to my expectations. The writing style was great and very atmospheric but I just could not get into the story and didn't particularly like any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

I was so excited to start this book as I love thrillers, but I found this book to be boring. I didn’t find any of the characters really interesting and the plot was slow and made for a painful read. The premise was interesting, just not what I expected. Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the ARC.

2.5 out of 5 stars

The premise of this book sounded really good. Four teenager friends break into an abandoned haunted house on an island and film themselves - a bit like the Blair Witch Project - but it all goes wrong and one of the group, Leo, goes missing never to be seen again.

Fast forward ten years and the resulting film had become a cult classic. Two of the group, Richard and Oscar, have made a lot of fame and money from it while the other, Bex, has become a recluse still struggling to get over Leo’s death. It’s the 10 year anniversary and a new documentary is planned. Bex is persuaded to take part and the story is mainly about this with flashbacks to ten years ago.

So far so good, however, what came next with the filming was just a very long drawn out story that I think could have been wrapped up in half the time. There was pages and pages describing Bex trying to get out of a tunnel and then the same again when a fire started on the house- pages after pages of them trying to get out. This bored me and just felt it went on too long without a particularly interesting conclusion. Had been looking forward to reading this but did not enjoy it by the end.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an advance copy in return for my honest opinion. I have also posted this review on Goodreads.

Great atmospheric writing however I felt the story fell a little short and I didn’t feel overly attached to any of the characters, that said it was an interesting story line and I know others have loved this book so definitely give it a go!

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to review "The Hotel”. I am appreciative and leave my sincerity review voluntarily

A psychological thriller , 4 friends travel to Ravencliffe, an abandoned hotel to make a film. One of them ,Leo, disappears. The story gains a cult following amongst students and teenagers even having events to celebrate what happened. Oscar, one of the 3 survivors appears to crave the fame that comes with this and speaks at the events and also does TV interviews..Eventually the 3 survivors , Oscar, Richard and Bex ,are talked into returning to the hotel to make a film .Richard has become an alcoholic and Bex has tried to withdraw from the fame. They are supposedly trying to find out the truth of what happened but it eventually becomes clear to Bex that the others have always known more than they have admitted , especially after the finding of Leo's body near the hotel.

I liked the premise and it had potential, but the pacing was off from the start for me. We get a lot of description and background of the building, but felt like we didn't get enough on the characters.