The Hitchcock Hotel – Stephanie Wrobel

The Hitchcock Hotel invites readers into a world where obsession and suspense collide. Alfred Smettle, a devoted fan of Alfred Hitchcock, has transformed a secluded Victorian mansion into a shrine to the “Master of Suspense,” complete with film screenings, eerie props, and a flock of crows. To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he reunites his former college Film Club friends—estranged for sixteen years after a traumatic incident. But this reunion isn’t about nostalgia; Alfred has a sinister agenda.

As the group settles into the hotel’s themed rooms, tensions rise. Each guest harbors secrets tied to their shared past, and Alfred’s cryptic hints about “finishing” his creation leave everyone uneasy. The novel shifts between timelines, revealing the group’s fractured history and the dark event that shattered their trust. Wrobel masterfully builds dread, weaving Hitchcockian motifs—voyeurism, guilt, and duality—into every chapter.

The hotel itself becomes a character: claustrophobic, unpredictable, and brimming with cinematic traps. Readers will spot nods to Hitchcock classics like Psycho and Vertigo , but the story carves its own twisted path. Twists unfold steadily, keeping the pages turning until the explosive finale.

Wrobel’s sharp prose and intricate plotting shine as the characters grapple with loyalty, betrayal, and the ghosts of their past. The novel balances homage with originality, offering a fresh take on the locked-room mystery. Fans of psychological thrillers will relish the slow-burn suspense and gasp-worthy revelations.