The Paradox Hotel

Paperback, 336 pages

Published Feb. 7, 2023 by Ballantine Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-9848-2066-2

(1 review)

January Cole’s job just got a whole lot harder.

Not that running security at the Paradox was ever really easy. Nothing’s simple at a hotel where the ultra-wealthy tourists arrive costumed for a dozen different time periods, all eagerly waiting to catch their “flights” to the past.

Or where proximity to the timeport makes the clocks run backward on occasion—and, rumor has it, allows ghosts to stroll the halls.

None of that compares to the corpse in room 526. The one that seems to be both there and not there. The one that somehow only January can see.

On top of that, some very important new guests have just checked in. Because the U.S. government is about to privatize time-travel technology—and the world’s most powerful people are on hand to stake their claims.

January is sure the timing isn’t a coincidence. Neither are those “accidents” that start stalking their bidders. …

January Cole’s job just got a whole lot harder.

Not that running security at the Paradox was ever really easy. Nothing’s simple at a hotel where the ultra-wealthy tourists arrive costumed for a dozen different time periods, all eagerly waiting to catch their “flights” to the past.

Or where proximity to the timeport makes the clocks run backward on occasion—and, rumor has it, allows ghosts to stroll the halls.

None of that compares to the corpse in room 526. The one that seems to be both there and not there. The one that somehow only January can see.

On top of that, some very important new guests have just checked in. Because the U.S. government is about to privatize time-travel technology—and the world’s most powerful people are on hand to stake their claims.

January is sure the timing isn’t a coincidence. Neither are those “accidents” that start stalking their bidders.

There’s a reason January can glimpse what others can’t. A reason why she’s the only one who can catch a killer who’s operating invisibly and in plain sight, all at once.

But her ability is also destroying her grip on reality—and as her past, present, and future collide, she finds herself confronting not just the hotel’s dark secrets but her own.

At once a dazzlingly time-twisting murder mystery and a story about grief, memory, and what it means to—literally—come face-to-face with our ghosts, The Paradox Hotel is another unforgettable speculative thrill ride from acclaimed author Rob Hart.

3 editions

Nerywood reviewed The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart

Review of 'The Paradox Hotel' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Book has trigger warnings of: violence, blood, gore, guns, depression, swearing. If you don't like (or don't want to read) any of those, then don't read this book.

A science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and storytelling book all mixed into one, and a wild story that happens along the way. When you start the book you feel out of place, unsure of what is going on, but as you continue to read it all makes sense. The details in this book allow you to imagine yourself there, being one of the characters, and looking around.

"Breathe deep. Can’t tell Ruby. Can’t tell anyone. Not until I figure out what this is."

There are some places you will feel confused, and many have to read over multiple lines again. It's particularly because it's so weird, but also because there may be multiple characters speaking and you aren't sure who is saying what. …

Book has trigger warnings of: violence, blood, gore, guns, depression, swearing. If you don't like (or don't want to read) any of those, then don't read this book.

A science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and storytelling book all mixed into one, and a wild story that happens along the way. When you start the book you feel out of place, unsure of what is going on, but as you continue to read it all makes sense. The details in this book allow you to imagine yourself there, being one of the characters, and looking around.

"Breathe deep. Can’t tell Ruby. Can’t tell anyone. Not until I figure out what this is."

There are some places you will feel confused, and many have to read over multiple lines again. It's particularly because it's so weird, but also because there may be multiple characters speaking and you aren't sure who is saying what.

There were a few times I just had to laugh from the situation or words that were said.

"Godfuckingdamnit I forgot about the dinosaurs."

From what I can tell, multiple stories happen within this book, and it can be confusing to know which story you are currently in. Most of them do come together by the end, but it can be confusing until you get there. Some of those stories feature jumps in time, either back or forwards, and you may not even know there has been a time jump until you read one particular thing.

“I like learning, and getting hurt is the only way you learn.”

When you get near the end, the main character does a great job giving a recap of what all happened and how some of the stories come together. That isn't the end of the book, there is more, which I'm not sure the author needed to include as finishing may leave you in a state where you aren't sure if it was a good or bad thing.

"“The fuck?” I ask."

There will be times that you don't feel like continuing, and that's ok, keep reading, overall it's a good book.

"Silence, which I accept to mean I am correct."
"I almost want to say this out loud. But I’m not ready. Not yet."