A hotel clerk prone to panic attacks turns amateur detective in this elegant and atmospheric murder mystery.If you want to spend a night amid the luxury and charm of the early 20th century, book a room at Hotel 1911. You’ll find 28-year-old Ivy Nichols behind the reception desk. The hotel is Ivy’s only link to the family that abandoned her when she was a small child. Now, plagued by panic … plagued by panic attacks, she pedals her sea-green Schwinn bicycle to work every evening, hoping desperately to hold on to her job.
When wealthy, imperious Ms. Swain arrives at the hotel and belittles Ivy, the young woman seeks consolation in the welcoming kitchen of George, the hotel’s chef. Despite her tormentor’s barbs, she dutifully informs George that Ms. Swain has a deadly allergy to shellfish. So when Ms. Swain collapses at dinner and dies, the police suspect that the chef made a tragic, inexcusable error. Desperate to save George’s career, Ivy sets out sleuthing. She learns that numerous people in and around the hotel had motives to contaminate Ms. Swain’s plate. Among them are Jeffrey Swain, the victim’s son and heir; painter Rose Jewett; and British expat Hemal Sandeep.
Even after the police find traces of shellfish in George’s kitchen, Ivy is determined to clear her friend’s name. But the stress of the investigation, in a hotel filled with suspects, threatens to precipitate another terrifying panic attack…or something more deadly.
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With shades of Agatha Christie, a relatable amateur sleuth, and a charming setting, MURDER AT HOTEL 1911 is an absolute delight. I was immediately drawn into Ivy Nichols’ life and plight, and the neatly-woven plot kept me theorizing. Cozy fans, and mystery lovers in general, consider this essential reading.
A unique mystery taking place in the present time, but at a hotel set in the 1900s. The main character is a loyal friend and a hard worker. She struggles with anxiety, but fights against it to help solve a murder. Her family history and her relationship with her father adds an interesting subplot to the story. First in a series. I received a free copy of this book.
Even with a rather slow start I was sucked into the world of Ivy and Hotel 1911. She’s in charge of the reservation desk when a guest checks in, the kind of woman who puts your teeth on edge. If you survive the encounter you deserve a medal sort of encounter. Ms. Swain is described in few but perfect words. She is not happy that she is not going to be staying in the adjoining rooms she requested. It takes all of Ivy’s proper Southern upbringing to keep her cool under fire. Not only does she have to placate Ms. Swain, Ivy must do it dressed in 1911 costume and in the manner of speaking, too. During the conversation Ms. Swain makes it clear that she is deathly allergic to all shell fish. The reader now knows she will not be checking out in the usual way of a hotel guest.
When Ms. Swain drops dead at dinner and the chef, a man who runs a one man kitchen with little staff (just the way he likes it), well the prime suspect has been picked. Ivy is certain that her dear friend George couldn’t possibly be responsible and sets out to track down the killer. Given that Ivy suffers from panic attacks along with other issues – some tied to the hotel itself – it’s quite the challenge for her to step out of her comfort zone and solve the mystery.
I enjoyed Ivy’s voice from the start. She has a way with words that I liked. She’s human, she’s real. The setting was perfect and the various threads of the puzzle kept me engaged from start to finish. I hope there will be more mysteries for Ivy to solve. I’ll happily read them.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Audrey Keown is a newcomer to the world of cozy mysteries and her debut, Murder at Hotel 1911, offers a mix of old and new. Her amateur sleuth, twenty-something Ivy Nichols, works the front desk at the hotel and suffers from panic attacks. The story may be set in contemporary times, but the hotel captures the essence of times gone by. The author paints glorious word pictures with her descriptions of the hotel and Chattanooga, TN.
I also enjoyed Ivy’s observations. Like this one of an obnoxious—but impeccably dressed in period costume—guest. Unfortunately, there were words coming out of her mouth, which distracted from the home run of her appearance.
Hopefully, this is the first in a series and readers will get to revisit the hotel and spend time with Keown’s cast of quirky characters.
Read 7.13.2021
Out September 8th, Murder at Hotel 1911 is the debut novel for author Andrey Keown. Unfortunately, this book is not set in 1911, which many readers will think, and the story could have benefitted from if it had been. The hotel itself sounds lovely, and having the staff dress in period costume is a fun extra.
Ivy is an unusual character. She is not one hundred percent sure of what she is doing most of the time, she has many issues mental and emotional in her life, and she has secrets that keep her on her toes. She is deceitful with her father, employer, and sometimes her friends, not that she has all that many. She is rude, pushy, and not overly smart but seems to think she is because she can quote Jung. She has the attitude of a teenager going through puberty. The hotel where she works used to be in her family, and why this needs to be kept a secret is never explained. Why she is lying to her father about where she works, her medication, and her therapy aren’t explained either. Overall, Ivy isn’t the type of character readers expect in a cozy or like.
On the other hand, the mystery of Ivy’s past and a current murder keep readers wondering and forces them to finish the book. Other characters were interesting, but more background for these individuals would have made the book enjoyable. The story could have benefitted from a better description of the historic hotel, and those who work there. Background is the main missing piece of this book, and hopefully, this will be rectified in subsequent additions.
Readers were left with no doubt as to whom the murder victim would be, or how the victim would die. Suspects were plentiful, but the perpetrator of the crime was never in doubt. The police are portrayed as bumbling idiots, which is insulting to real investigators everywhere. Many questions were left unanswered, and this made it challenging to like Murder at Hotel 1911. I can only hope that the author will grow along with her characters, and future books in this series will become more engaging and entertaining.
I am sorry to say that I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped but I do believe that the author has a good base for future books if she can tweak her characters and make the stories tighter and more believable. I will welcome the chance to visit the Hotel 1911 again.
family-dynamics, friendship, cozy-mystery, mystery, law-enforcement, Chattanooga
Having spent some time there, I find it hard to think of Chattanooga as a small town. Smaller than Cleveland, but really?
I guess it just wasn’t something that caught my interest. The was a mystery, but the greatest part of the book was the college age main character struggling with her panic attacks and other personal issues. The victim was easy to figure because she was clearly portrayed as an elderly virago, the police detective was a caricature of a controlling drama queen, the accused was pretty well done but it took forever for any forensic evidence to materialize. The characters were all well drawn and interesting. There were misdirections and red herrings, but all the ramblings of personal angst just seemed to take away from the mystery.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.