Hotels are an excellent setting for mystery novels. With so many people arriving from all different walks of life, it’s an ample backdrop to provide a variety of suspects and motives. My first two books (The Socialite’s Guide to Murder and The Socialite’s Guide to Death & Dating) are centered around a hotel heiress named Evelyn in 1958 Manhattan, and the hotel she lives in, the Pinnacle.
I also like to read mystery novels set in hotels, which is why I’ve compiled this list of about six recommendations. We’re looking for books that include a glamorous setting, guests who are visiting, and staff members who are working. I hope you can find a book on this list to enjoy as we move further into the ‘ber’ months and the weather drops, the cozy blankets come out, and reading becomes a necessity. We’ll start with historicals and move our way up to contemporaries.
EVIL UNDER THE SUN by Agatha Christie
First, let’s talk Christie. Agatha did not shy away from setting up a murder plot – fictional, of course – for her sleuth to solve while on vacation. I’ve been following along with the #readchristie2023 group on Instagram, and this year alone, I’ve read two books where Poirot was just trying to get a little sun, see the sights, maybe grab a bite to eat, and got pulled into a murder case instead. My favorite has been my first recommendation on this list: Evil Under the Sun. Evil Under the Sun is set on a resort with a private beach where a young lady is discovered dead in a more secluded section of the grounds. Christie uses the setting expertly – what doesn’t she do expertly? – and I honestly did not see who the killer was until Poirot revealed it.
If Marple is more your speed, check out Bertram’s Hotel. I love Miss Marple, but I’ve skipped this one somehow, having read Nemesis in its place. I’ll get to it soon.
Alternatively, in the Marple anthology released last year, the author Elly Griffiths takes Miss Marple to Italy in “Murder at the Villa Rosa.”
COVERT IN CAIRO by Kelly Oliver
One of my favorite sleuths is Fiona Figg, written by Kelly Oliver. In a recent novel, Covert In Cairo, she’s paired with Kitty Lane in a WW1 Egyptian hotel. They spend some time off the hotel grounds, but it’s a lot of fun. Fiona even rides a camel. Oliver brings the setting to life and Fiona is a character I love reading about and rooting for. She’s just got so many tools and disguises! Fiona Figg has dealt with another hotel murder in her backlist in High Treason at the Grand Hotel, and Oliver readers won’t be surprised to hear she’s wearing a bellhop uniform when she discovers the body.
MURDER AT THE MAYFAIR HOTEL by CJ Archer
Book one of the Cleopatra Fox mysteries by bestselling author CJ Archer is set in a hotel. The Mayfair Hotel, to be exact. Owned by her uncle, Cleo moves in after the death of her grandmother. This would be a great holiday read, as the victim is poisoned on Christmas Eve 1899, and Cleo’s doing everything she can to catch the killer before the Mayfair’s New Year’s Eve ball. But it is a seven book series, so prepare yourself for the inevitable binge.
THE HUNTING PARTY by Lucy Foley
Okay. I don’t know if this one counts, because the setting is more of a private estate than a public hotel, but it’s my list, so I’m using it anyway. I love Lucy Foley. I will read anything Lucy Foley writes, but I’m going to include the first Foley book I ever read here as a rec. The Hunting Party. A group of friends rents out a lodge for New Years in the Scottish Highlands during a snowstorm. One of them is a murderer. Or, it could be one of the staff members, like the handsome and brooding gamekeeper.
The Hunting Party is my favorite, but Lucy Foley has similar vibes in both The Guest List and The Paris Apartment. Again, they’re not quite hotel settings – The Guest List is set at an exclusive resort on an island, The Paris Apartment is set at (can you believe it?) an apartment building in Paris – but they all give the grand location + staff + visitors necessary for this list.
THE MAID by Nina Prose
This wouldn’t be an accurate list of mysteries set in hotels without including Nina Prose’s bestselling novel, The Maid. The Maid is about a lovable main character, Molly, working as a maid in the Regency Grand Hotel, who discovers a dead body when cleaning a suite. When the police suspect Molly, she and her new friends have to find the actual killer. The sequel, The Mystery Guest, releases this November! Oh, and by the way, it is currently in development as a movie starring the incredible Florence Pugh.
PERIL IN PINK by Sydney Leigh
Last but not least is a debut novel from fellow Crooked Lane author Sydney Leigh, Peril In Pink. I’m super excited for this book because it’s described as Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders In the Building, two of the very best things! Our main character, innkeeper Jess Byrne, is celebrating the grand opening of her B&B in Hudson Valley when her ex boyfriend’s step-dad winds up dead. The only downside to this pick is that it doesn’t come out until March of 2024. Oh well. Pre-ordering books is a bit like sending future me a present. I’d encourage all of you to treat yourselves, as well.
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