The Hotel Maid by Michelle Dunne

                              

Ebook:  266 pages      

Genre:  Thriller, Mystery, Fiction                                    

Publisher: Storm Publishing  August 23rd 2024

Source: NetGalley

First Sentence: Just inside the door of Room 208, the maid stood uncharacteristically still.

Review Quote:  ‘I was hooked from the first page.’ Reader Review,

My Opinion: 

The synopsis of this novel led me to believe that this was something I was going to enjoy. It turned out to be somewhat darker than expected and sadly did not meet my expectations.

The protagonist is June, the Hotel Maid of the title.  The story is told by multiple characters who all have dark secrets involving self-harm, murder and child abuse. Just a few of the many disturbing topics covered by an unlikeable cast of characters.  The mystery built slowly as told from the different perspectives and sometimes it was difficult to differentiate between the past and present parts.

If you are a fan of really dark thrillers then 'The Hotel Maid' maybe to your taste, but disappointed to say it was not to mine. With thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

I straighten the apron wrapped around my waist and swipe the key card in the guest room door. As I place the cleaning bucket by my feet, I see the woman lying unmoving on the plush carpet, her eyes frozen.

Each morning, I arrive at the luxury Cedarwood Manor hotel, put on my crisp maid’s uniform and clean the rooms. I take great care in my work as I slip from one floor to the other.

Most guests barely know my name. I’m invisible to them. That’s ok. I prefer people didn’t know my secrets.

But today a woman has been found dead in her room and a ten-year-old little girl has been reported missing from the hotel.

Today, someone has left me a note saying they know who I am.

Author Profile:                

                                         

                                        Courtesy of Goodreads Profile

Michelle Dunne was born in Cork, Ireland, she writes crime and thriller novels. 

This month,  August 2024 The Hotel Maid, will be released as part of a two book contract with Storm Publishing. This follows June Calloway, a maid who finds the body of a murdered woman in her hotel room, just as a child is reported missing on hotel grounds. 

Michelle also wrote While Nobody is Watching and The Invisible, a series of thrillers following former soldier and UN Peacekeeper Lindsey Ryan as she tries to adapt to her new life in the clutches of PTSD. The series is currently in development for television and is inspired by Michelle’s own experiences as an infantry soldier and United Nations Peacekeeper.

Michelle is organiser and programmer of the Spike Island Literary Festival – a crime-themed festival set in Ireland's very own Alcatraz! 

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Goodreads Profile.   Twitter Profile