Book Review: The Guest in Room 120 by Sara Ackerman

“A gripping novel inspired by one of America’s most mysterious deaths, that of Stanford University’s founder Jane Stanford.”

Goodreads blurb for The Guest in Room 120

Review:

Inspired by the true story of Jane Stanford, The Guest in Room 120 follows two timelines. In 1905, Iliahi Baldwin, a hotel employee, kept journal entries discussing Jane Stanford’s time at the Moana. In 2005, Zoe Finch attends a writing conference at the same hotel and ends up in the same room in which Jane Stanford had stayed (and ultimately died). 

Though I’ve only read one book by Sara Ackerman, I have others on my TBR. I love that they’re set in Hawaii and written from the perspective of someone who lives there. This book was a great mix of historical fiction and mystery. I did struggle with it at times, though, the pacing felt inconsistent, and I felt the writing could have been a lot stronger based on the other book I’ve read by the author.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for inviting me to read a digital ARC of the book!

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The real-life mystery.
• Great setting.

What I didn’t like:

• The writing felt oddly weak with repetitive passages and some cliches.
• Tried a little too hard to be ‘spooky’.

Afterthoughts:

I liked the mysterious tone of this book, and I know I can only compare this to one of Sara Ackerman’s books, but it felt very different.

Where to buy the book: