Title: The Guest in Room 120
Author: Sara Ackerman
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
1905. As the mother of a university and a woman with an iron will, Jane Stanford has made her share of enemies. After a scare at her mansion in San Francisco and on the advice of her doctor, she flees to Honolulu and the fashionable new Moana hotel. But as fate would have it, the island is not as safe as it seems.
2005. Zoe Finch is a bestselling author who desperately needs a jump start on her next novel when she makes a split decision to attend a writers conference at the Moana under an assumed name. As a storm brews offshore, she begins having nightmares that feel hauntingly real. Terrified, Zoe enlists the help of mystery writer Dylan Winters, and over the course of the week, races to uncover the shocking truth of what happened in the hotel one hundred years ago almost to the day.
1905. Iliahi Baldwin’s life changes the moment she lands a job at the Moana. Newly hired and reeling from a tragic loss, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with the formidable Jane Stanford upon her arrival, leaving young Ili devastated when the unthinkable happens. Ili knows things, but there are powerful people who need the truth to remain hidden, and to cross them could prove disastrous.
An unforgettable tale of betrayal, secrets, and death that still echoes through the years.
I enjoy reading Ackerman’s Hawaii-set historical fiction. I know very little about the history of Hawaii, and everything I’ve read of hers has been both a well-written, entertaining read and a chance to learn more about something I know almost nothing about. This was no exception.
Jane Stanford…was not a likable person. At all. But, she didn’t deserve what happened to her—nor did she deserve to have her death trivialized and ignored. I liked Ili’s storyline, but I loved Zoe’s the most—and that cat. This was an engrossing read that I read very quickly to find out what happened.
Sara Ackerman is from Hawaii. The Guest in Room 120 is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)
Tomorrow Is Another Day 