The Hitchcock Hotel

Written by Stephanie Wrobel

Narrated by Michael Crouch, Gail Shalan and Helen Lloyd

THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER ∙ A Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel in this fiendishly clever, suspenseful novel from the international bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold.

"A clever, sinister fun-house ride."–People

Alfred Smettle is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of Suspense. There, Alfred offers his guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with fifty crows.

To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to any of them in sixteen years, not after what happened.

But who better than them to appreciate Alfred’s creation? And to help him finish it.

After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.

"Jaw-dropping."–Riley Sager

"Hugely readable and tremendous fun."–Alex Michaelides

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Sep 24, 2024
• ISBN: 9780593913871

Stephanie Wrobel

Stephanie Wrobel is the author of Darling Rose Gold, a USA TODAY and international bestseller that has sold in twenty-one countries and was shortlisted for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Wrobel grew up in Chicago and now lives in London. This Might Hurt is her second novel. Visit her at StephanieWrobel.com and connect with her on Twitter @StephWrobel and Instagram @StephanieWrobel.

Reviews for The Hitchcock Hotel

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Alfred has purchased an old Victorian house and transformed it into The Hitchcock Hotel, including several artifacts and replicas from Hitchcock movies. For the grand opening, he invites his best friends from their college film club. The group hasn't kept up with each other for years, but they do show up. Alfred has kept a skeleton crew at the hotel to help with cleaning, meals, etc. They are as spooky as the setting.
But, even more sinister are the secrets being held. It seems there was an incident at college, and because of this secret, the lives of the friends are in danger. Of course, there is a murder, but who is the murderer and why?
Creepy and a little long.

[kalliegrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think this is more mystery/suspense than horror, which wasn't apparent from the vibe going in. The homages to Hitchcock were fun, and made this a little better than your standard dinner party where people start dying story.

[pdebolt_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Alfred Smettle and his college friends created a film club during their senior year in college. Ten years later, Alfred owns and runs a large house as a B&B with a theme dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock's films. To celebrate its one-year anniversary, he invites his former classmates for an all-paid extravagant get-away. Each arrives with different expectations, and each has a secret and a grudge, including their host and his creepy, elderly concierge.

This may be very interesting for devoted film fans. The cast of characters is individually and collectively very self-absorbed and unlikeable. I thought the book could have been shortened dramatically to achieve the same results

[waldhaus1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Filled with Hitchcock References. It has been too many years since I have watched any Hitchcock. When I was growing up I used to watch the Hitchcock TV show on Tuesday nights. I was in seventh or eighth grade so more years ago than I care to remember. I was a fan. I even watched some of the TV episodes more recently on Netflix- still twenty plus years ago. For some reason I didn’t see his movies when they came out. I remember when both Psycho and Birds were released but it was many years later when I saw them. I did see North by Northwest when it was in theaters and somewhere along the line I watched Read Windows and Vertigo. I am inspired to go back and watch the films and even the TV episodes.
The book it’s a border story with some strange twists. Somehow the final ending seemed to lack something.

[gingirl70 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book for the most part. The characters may have been close friends in college, but they have all drifted apart and really don't know each other any more. The story unfolds through all of their points of view. The pacing was just so terribly slow at the beginning. The entire first half of the book kept alluding to this big mysterious event that happened while they were all still in school. Once that was revealed, it really picked up through to the end. The other thing that didn't make me love it more, is that there was nobody to really root for. I didn't like any of the characters, so it made it hard to get invested in their stories. The main story was good and had a satisfying ending.

[richardderus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 3* of five

The Publisher Says: A Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel in this fiendishly clever, suspenseful new novel.

Alfred Smettle is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of Suspense. There, Alfred offers his guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with fifty crows.

To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to any of them in sixteen years, not after what happened.

But who better than them to appreciate Alfred’s creation? And to help him finish it.

After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Amusing idea for a horror story, one I was really looking forward to; I love Hitchcock's films even as I grow ever more disillusioned with his living persona. I was very entertained by the film references, especially to his lesser-known masterwork Rope.

So I was ready for some fun. I got less of that than expected...why were these people friends? how did Alfred get the money to set up this elaborate haunted house?...as I pondered the practical problems inherent in the set-up. Like any horror-tinged read, I can't stop myself from asking these questions unless I'm utterly ensorceled.

I wasn't.

[cathyskye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Being an Alfred Hitchcock fan, I couldn't resist Stephanie Wrobel's The Hitchcock Hotel, and for the most part, it delivers the goods. The plot twists, the unfolding of the backstory, the Hitchcock tie-ins... all of these make this book fun to read.

So does the cast of characters. We get to hear from them all-- Alfred, Zoe, Grace, Samira, TJ, and Julius. Even the elderly housekeeper, Danny. Each time we hear from the characters, another piece is added to the puzzle. I may not have liked any of the characters, but the story was still fun-- and I couldn't believe that I didn't figure out what was going on!

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)