An unexpectedly cozy tale of mystery and romance among a dynamic cast.
A woman’s new position at a Gothic-style hotel comes with romantic prospects—and possibly a curse—in Lieber’s suspense novel.
Katherine “Wren” Mabry barely makes ends meet while working two full-time jobs in Philadelphia and helping to support her 16-year-old sister, Izzy. Since their dad’s death several years prior, their mother has practically dismissed the sisters in favor of a new family with her latest husband. Wren jumps at the chance for something better: a photography job at an old mansion being converted into a hotel. There are definitely some drawbacks; the internet says that the place is haunted, and it’s located on an island that will take her farther away from Izzy. Still, Wren can finally use her skillset and work fewer hours. On the island, she mulls a potential romance as she’s drawn to the hotel caretaker, Watt Fitz, and the owner, William Courtland Bennings. Both men, mysterious in their own ways, harbor secrets. Wren unearths a book filled with affecting poetry from a writer who believes he’s cursed—revelations may lie within. The story doesn’t often play up the alleged haunting of the hotel, and the atmosphere isn’t particularly spooky; Wren seems comfortable on the island and mingles easily with her affable fellow staff. The narrative primarily centers on Wren’s romantic complications as she’s torn between the brazenly flirtatious Watt and the kindhearted but sometimes “cold and unapproachable” William. Vibrant prose makes the ride inviting, as blue waters that “sparkled in the sunshine” surround the island, and both Watt’s presence and the humid air warm Wren on a “chilly misty morning.” The mysteries involving the two men, (as well as a touch of the paranormal) lead to more than one startling revelation. Lieber develops the characters exceedingly well, including Wren’s bubbly, whip-smart coworker, Alia, and her best friend and college roommate, Cecily, [6] who (maybe) has precognitive dreams.
An unexpectedly cozy tale of mystery and romance among a dynamic cast.Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781951239299
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.
A woman accused of shooting her husband six times in the face refuses to speak.
"Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband. They had been married for seven years. They were both artists—Alicia was a painter, and Gabriel was a well-known fashion photographer." Michaelides' debut is narrated in the voice of psychotherapist Theo Faber, who applies for a job at the institution where Alicia is incarcerated because he's fascinated with her case and believes he will be able to get her to talk. The narration of the increasingly unrealistic events that follow is interwoven with excerpts from Alicia's diary. Ah, yes, the old interwoven diary trick. When you read Alicia's diary you'll conclude the woman could well have been a novelist instead of a painter because it contains page after page of detailed dialogue, scenes, and conversations quite unlike those in any journal you've ever seen. " 'What's the matter?' 'I can't talk about it on the phone, I need to see you.' 'It's just—I'm not sure I can make it up to Cambridge at the minute.' 'I'll come to you. This afternoon. Okay?' Something in Paul's voice made me agree without thinking about it. He sounded desperate. 'Okay. Are you sure you can't tell me about it now?' 'I'll see you later.' Paul hung up." Wouldn't all this appear in a diary as "Paul wouldn't tell me what was wrong"? An even more improbable entry is the one that pins the tail on the killer. While much of the book is clumsy, contrived, and silly, it is while reading passages of the diary that one may actually find oneself laughing out loud.
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-30169-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
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