This is a riotous and salacious romp that's a mix of film noir, old Hollywood, and golden age crime. It's audacious, camp and funny with a complex, twisty plot that keeps you glued to the page.

I loved the author's voice and the witty descriptions made me laugh out loud on several occasions. The observations are razor sharp and the setting is unique and evocative. Fabulous. Like nothing else you'll have read.

What an absolute delight of a book. Murder at the Hotel Orient is a whip-smart, winkingly sexy twist on classic noir — sleek, modern, and somehow timeless all at once. I highlighted so many passages that made me smile. The dialogue sparkles, and the tone is absolutely pitch-perfect. It’s twisty (one reveal genuinely made me gasp) and filled with witty, delightful characters. A joy to read. Highly recommend!

Hotel Orient is a sultry, stylish mystery that oozes charm and danger in equal measure. Set in Vienna’s most infamous love hotel—where anonymity is sacred and secrets are currency—the story introduces Sterling Lockwood, a concierge with razor-sharp wit and a flair for navigating the shadows.

When a guest’s night of pleasure turns deadly, Sterling finds herself at the heart of a twisted whodunnit, surrounded by masked motives and hidden identities. The hotel itself is a character—opulent, decadent, and brimming with intrigue. With Golden Age flair and contemporary spice, the narrative dances between flirtation and fatality, keeping readers deliciously off-balance.

Sterling is a standout lead: glamorous, clever, and just dangerous enough to make you wonder whose side she’s really on. The prose is crisp, the pacing electric, and the atmosphere thick with velvet and vice.

Perfect for fans of Stuart Turton and lovers of noir with a modern twist, Hotel Orient is a seductive mystery that invites you in with a wink—and leaves you breathless.

With thanks to Alessandra Ranelli, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The title of this book intrigued me, I thought it would be something akin to Murder on the Orient Express..
How wrong I was! This was so much better.

I was hooked from the first few chapters. Absolutely loved it, so much that I very nearly missed my train due to being so engrossed in Sterlings story!!

The intricate weaving and webs of relationships, stories and backgrounds of the characters are expertly illustrated. There are hooks in very chapter that keeps you wanting more.

Loved the relationship between Sterling and
Fernando, and the hotel itself.
Did not expect the twists at the end.
I will.be purchasing this next year.



Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a brilliant romp – and I mean that in absolutely every sense of the word!



This book has *everything*! It’s a spicy cosy murder mystery, with elements of espionage and organised crime, all mixed together.



It is tense and thrilling while being told with incredible heart and great humour at the same time. There is a brilliant twist or two and also a showdown in a theatre!

If it sounds like I’m ranting about this book, it’s because I literally am. I can’t wait to see this book to get into readers’ hands.



Ranelli has created a set of characters that you’ll find it impossible not to fall in love with. I’m thrilled that there is a follow-up on its way…

A gigantic thank you to John Murray Press and Alessandra Ranelli for providing me with an ARC of Murder at the Hotel Orient in return for an honest review.

Bienvenue à Vienne's most scandalous and clandestine address; the Orient Hotel, where desire collides with danger and secrets hide behind each closed door. In Murder at the Orient Hotel by Alessandra Ranelli, readers are transported into a world of velvet darkness, whispered names, and unspoken desire only to find that underlying the sensual façade is a lethal game of liars and killers.

The book is set in motion with a decadent Golden Age mystery atmosphere but laced with a sultry, modern twist. It takes place in a love hotel where cameras are forbidden and anonymity is assured which will get an instant hold of you. It's mysterious, it's glamorous, and it's perilous all at the same time. When a guest is found dead, the hotel's mysterious concierge, Sterling Lockwood, decides that she will solve the mystery herself. But with the body toll increasing, tension also increases and Sterling's wit and charm are the only things that stand between her and the killer.

The writing is crisp and cinematic by the author. The novel is as if one was sitting in a noir movie with a jazz background due to all the smoky corridors, candles that flicker, and flirtations that are perilous. Sterling is an engaging protagonist: she is smart, elegant, and refreshingly multifaceted. She’s not a traditional detective, but her sharp instincts and morally gray nature make her one of the most intriguing sleuths I’ve read in recent years. Think Phryne Fisher with a darker twist and a Viennese flair.

What really shines is the author's skill at combining Golden Age mystery conventions with a modern sensibility. The result is both nostalgic and new. There's subtle humor underlying the dialogue, erotic tension in each encounter, and an ongoing feeling that everyone including Sterling has something to conceal.

The plotting is faultless. With each chapter, another layer of the hotel's luxurious facade is stripped away, and the secrets it holds reveal themselves from illicit affairs to ancient resentments. The writer constructs her mystery like a symphony that begins slowly and beautifully and then builds to a heart-stopping climax that left me shocked and exhilarated.

And then there's Vienna. The backdrop is not just a prop; it's a participant. The author stains the city with rich, sensual description from its opulent coffee houses to its dark alleyways so that you can almost smell the espresso and touch the silk sheets with your fingertips.

If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie, Stuart Turton, or Deanna Raybourn, Murder at the Hotel Orient is going to be your next obsession. It’s a delicious cocktail of mystery, glamour, and danger which is shaken, not stirred.

By the last page, I was thoroughly enthralled by Sterling Lockwood and her addictive world. I can only hope we don't see the last of her because I'm already itching to return to the Hotel Orient for a second visit.

Murder at the Hotel Orient is clever, sexy, and highly addictive. It's a mystery that crackles with charm and menace in equal proportions.

Thanks once more to John Murray Press and Alessandra Ranelli for this great read.

Check into 2026’s most mysterious and saucy mystery…you’re in for a very good time!

Back in 2023 I had the privilege of meeting Alessandra Ranelli at Capital Crime and really enjoyed hearing about her book and its setting - Vienna’s infamous love hotel - the Hotel Orient. I was immediately fascinated by everything about it, so had huge anticipation (and dare I say, expectations) for this book. I can categorically say that it did not disappoint! Ranelli has crafted a world as sumptuous as the suites in the Orient, a plot as mysterious and beautifully crafted as any Golden Age crime novel, and a cast of characters you won’t be able to help yourself from falling in love with. I was completely invested in this novel for its unique setting and Ranelli really brings every wall of the Orient alive. I feel like I’ve been there and I experienced all of the love and respect that Ranelli has for the hotel, as well as Vienna itself. What kept me turning the pages though was the incredible characters and the absolutely absorbing plot. The mystery builds at a steady pace, with some very well executed twists and a lot of fun red herrings and opportunities to try and put the pieces together. I couldn’t work out where things were going, so when everything slotted together it was really satisfying. I absolutely loved the film noir vibes that are organically woven through the narrative. At times I felt like I was reading a story set in the 1940s and I was totally here for the iconic one-liners, innuendo, and classic wit.

My absolute favourite aspect of the book was the characters, though. Sterling Lockwood - concierge and keeper of secrets - is an absolute icon! She’s complex and intriguing, and I really enjoyed getting to know her. I particularly enjoyed her relationship with Detective Andreas, which is laced with the prospect of romance, but is equally a beautiful friendship that both of them need. There’s something reminiscent of Moulin Rouge around these characters, a sort of ragtag bunch of colourful and authentic individuals. I found each one fascinating and I am so pleased that a sequel is in the works so I can return to some of them. There’s incredible representation in this novel, which brings a real cross-section of society into the proceedings, making this a truly diverse story. It’s wonderfully inclusive, exploring all different angles of sex, sexuality, and desire, in a way that authentically feeds the narrative. I’m not a spicy reader, so if you aren’t either, let me reassure you that this book is far more innuendo based (and can at times be tongue-in-cheek) over explicitly spicy. For those of you who enjoy spice, I think there’s enough sauciness to keep you entertained!

MURDER AT THE HOTEL ORIENT is a remarkable debut that I hope finds its way into all sorts of readers’ hands. If like me, you love a classic murder mystery plot with a memorable cast of characters, pre-order this immediately!

Wow — Murder at the Hotel Orient completely took me by surprise. At first, I thought Alessandra Ranelli’s lush, almost gothic prose might be a bit too much, but within a few chapters I was absolutely hooked. The decadence of the setting — Vienna’s most infamous love hotel, where secrets are currency and no one is who they seem — quickly became part of the book’s irresistible charm.

This is a clever, darkly glittering “closed-room” murder mystery with a contemporary twist. The atmosphere is rich and claustrophobic, the intrigue deliciously tangled, and every character seems one step away from corruption. Ranelli keeps the reader guessing right until the end — just when you think you’ve got it figured out, she pulls the rug out from under you.

Sterling Lockwood, the hotel’s quick-witted and magnetic concierge, makes for a fantastic lead. She’s smart, flawed, and endlessly watchable — the kind of character you immediately want more of. Her circle of friends and confidants adds warmth and wit to the otherwise shadowy world of the Hotel Orient, balancing the tension beautifully.

It’s twisty, stylish, and just the right amount of spicy — a perfect modern homage to Golden Age mysteries. I can’t wait to see where Sterling Lockwood checks in next. Five stars, no hesitation.

Murder at the Hotel Orient by Alessandra Ranelli is a sharp and atmospheric book set in modern-day Vienna, where secrets are currency and every guest hides behind an alias. The story follows Sterling Lockwood, the concierge at the infamous Hotel Orient, who becomes entangled in a double murder investigation that threatens to expose the hotel’s code of silence.

What begins as a mystery soon deepens into something far more complex, exploring the city’s hidden corners and its fascination with secrecy, nostalgia and surveillance. Sterling is a brilliant lead character, clever and flawed, with a voice that draws you in from the very first page. The dynamic between her and Fernando is full of warmth and wit, giving the story heart amid the tension.

The pacing is perfect, with each chapter revealing another layer of deceit and desire. The twists are unexpected and the final reveal genuinely surprised me. The writing captures Vienna beautifully, balancing elegance and intrigue with a touch of noir glamour.

An engrossing and sophisticated mystery that lingers long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.