The Paradox Hotel

2022 • 336 pages

Ratings32

Average rating3.5

"A locked-room murder mystery set at a hotel for time travelers--in which a detective must solve an impossible crime before her own grip on reality crumbles ... On any ordinary day, the Fairbanks--affectionately known to its staff as the Paradox Hotel--is packed with ultra-rich tourists dressed for a dozen different time periods, all anxiously waiting to catch their 'flights' to the past. And as if that weren't strange enough, proximity to the timeport makes for some odd side effects. The clocks run backwards on occasion, and ghosts sometimes stroll the halls--or so it's whispered. Now, though, half a dozen of the world's most powerful people have arrived for a summit. Or maybe auction's a better word. The prize: no less than control of time-travel technology itself. On top of that, the hotel's snowed in, and the timeline's acting even stranger than usual. Which means nobody's leaving until further notice. And there's a killer on the loose. Or, at least, that's what head of security January Cole suspects. Except the corpse she's found is one that, somehow, only she can see. And the accidents starting to befall their prestigious guests ... well, the only way those could be assassination attempts is if the killer's operating invisibly and in plain sight, all at once. Which is surely impossible. And ... well, even January's got to admit her credibility's not as strong as it could be. Because her gig here amounts to paid retirement, a pity posting for a former agent whose temporal perceptions have been so scrambled by the effects of timeline radiation that she's not fit for active duty. January's sure her condition is letting her glimpse something others can't. But she also knows her symptoms are getting worse--which means she might not solve this puzzle before she loses her grip on reality altogether"--

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Scott - Book Invasion

After reading and enjoying The Warehouse a couple years ago, I really enjoyed Hart???s take on the culture and future that we???re digging ourselves into. With The Paradox Hotel, a bit more suspension of disbelief is required of the reader.

The story takes place in the year ???twenty-goddamn-seventy-two??? following the hotel ???security??? guard January Cole. January has been around the hotel for quite a while and seen some shit. She embodies the no-nonsense, jaded, zero-F???s-gven, kind of attitude that results in hilarious exchanges with her all-knowing AI drone Ruby that floats over her shoulder. Also including a wide cast of characters from the rest of the hotel staff to the big-wigs and foreign diplomats wanting to put in their bid for ownership.

“He has wild hair and thick plastic-framed glasses, his paisley button-down tucked into a pair of mustard khakis. He???s the kind of person i would have taken seriously if not for the fact that he???s also wearing a bow tie. Some things are hard to forgive.”

The Paradox Hotel mixes up a stew of delicious concepts from time-travel, closed-room murder-mystery, spiraling psychosis, mistrust, raptors running-amok, and lost love. It then sprinkles on top some great humor and perspective from January which makes it go down smooth. The story was intriguing and engaging and there was constant question of the ???who??? and ???why???. The concept of January being ???unstuck??? in time, the flashbacks, and flash-forward really spun a solid web of intrigue and curiosity.

“This is a jigsaw puzzle someone dumped on the floor and then kicked a handful of he pieces under the couch. And they won???t show me the box, but they still want me to put it together. Quickly and in the dark.”

The complexity of this incredibly enjoyable story leaves readers guessing until the end, chuckling all the way through. I really enjoyed January???s character and the wit and humor throughout. I would recommend this for a light sci-fi fan who also enjoys a rich game of Clue.

March 9, 2022