Books
Murder at Hotel 1911

by Audrey Keown
Crooked Lane Books, September 2020, $26.99

When 28-year-old Ivy Nichols is hired as a receptionist at Chattanooga’s Hotel 1911, an early 20th-century-themed hotel, she realizes this may be her last opportunity to overcome the panic attacks that have plagued her since her mother deserted her and her father when she was a child. In addition, the new job offers her the opportunity to better acquaint herself with the premises formerly owned by her mother’s family before they fell on hard financial times.

Unfortunately, one night not long after Ivy’s arrival, a very wealthy and exceedingly boorish elderly woman and her equally boorish son check in. Among the woman’s demands is that the chef be notified of her deadly allergy to shellfish. Ivy makes certain that the talented chef, her best friend, George, knows of the allergy. Unfortunately, not long after this warning, the woman collapses and dies during dinner, seemingly from an allergic reaction.

While the police are waiting for final lab results, Ivy realizes that George’s future hangs in the balance if she cannot prove in a few days what she is certain of: that her friend, a stickler when it comes to safety, would never have accidentally allowed shellfish to contaminate the victim’s food. The alternative is that someone intentionally poisoned her, and Ivy hopes she can figure it out before it’s too late.

What follows is an enjoyable amateur detective yarn, as Ivy uses her position at the hotel to become better acquainted with the guests who were present at the fatal dinner and to try to uncover a motive for the poisoning. What adds interest to this first in a new mystery series is Ivy’s strained relationship with her father and her constant struggle against panic attacks. When she finally discovers the murderer and the motive, nearly losing her life in the process, I must admit that it caught me completely by surprise.

Joseph Scarpato, Jr.
Teri Duerr
6967
Keown
September 2020
murder-at-hotel-1911
26.99
Crooked Lane Books