The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart

The Paradox Hotel

by Rob Hart

“Time travel, murder, corruption, restless baby dinosaurs, and a snarky robot named Ruby collide in this excellent, noir-inflected, humor-infused, science-fiction thriller.”—The Boston Globe
 
An impossible crime. A detective on the edge of madness. The future of time travel at stake. From the author of The Warehouse . . .

FINALIST FOR THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: NPR, Kirkus Reviews

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.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

3.5 of 5 stars

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The Paradox Hotel is the latest novel to come from the mind of Rob Hart, though admittedly, it's the first novel I've read by him. Science fiction meets mystery in this paradoxical tale – as the title proves to be more literal than not.

The Paradox Hotel is a place where the ultra-wealthy come to party – in a different time. This is where they take flights into a distant (or not-so-distant) past. All of that time traveling wrecks havoc on the hotel, causing clocks to run backward, anomalies to pop up, the works.

It makes January Cole's job difficult, to say the least. And that was before the body turned up. Again, thanks to the duality of time travel, this is a corpse that is there and not there, creating all sorts of issues that need to be cleaned up and investigated.

Huh. If you're looking for an undoubtedly original twisting and convoluted tale, consider checking out The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart. Oh! Did I mention the time travel elements? Yeah, it gets real wibbly-wobbly. This has got to be the most unique novel I've ever read – and I mean that in the best of ways.

Essentially, The Paradox Hotel is a thriller that meets classic science fiction time travel. There are a few twists, of course. But that's the bare bones of this tale, and it makes for a strong foundation to build upon.

I'll admit that I didn't like the main character, January, as much as I would have liked. And trust me, I wanted to like them. But if that is my biggest complaint about this book, then we're doing pretty good.

Overall, I'd say that The Paradox Hotel is perfect for those Doctor Who fans in the audience. It gives off those vibes, but with a few twists to make it something both different and surprising.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Paradox Hotel is the latest novel to come from the mind of Rob Hart, though admittedly, it's the first novel I've read by him. Science fiction meets mystery in this paradoxical tale – as the title proves to be more literal than not.
The Paradox Hotel is a place where the ultra-wealthy come to party – in a different time. This is where they take flights into a distant (or not-so-distant) past. All of that time traveling wrecks havoc on the hotel, causing clocks to run backward, anomalies to pop up, the works.
It makes January Cole's job difficult, to say the least. And that was before the body turned up. Again, thanks to the duality of time travel, this is a corpse that is there and not there, creating all sorts of issues that need to be cleaned up and investigated.

Huh. If you're looking for an undoubtedly original twisting and convoluted tale, consider checking out The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart. Oh! Did I mention the time travel elements? Yeah, it gets real wibbly-wobbly. This has got to be the most unique novel I've ever read – and I mean that in the best of ways.
Essentially, The Paradox Hotel is a thriller that meets classic science fiction time travel. There are a few twists, of course. But that's the bare bones of this tale, and it makes for a strong foundation to build upon.
I'll admit that I didn't like the main character, January, as much as I would have liked. And trust me, I wanted to like them. But if that is my biggest complaint about this book, then we're doing pretty good.
Overall, I'd say that The Paradox Hotel is perfect for those Doctor Who fans in the audience. It gives off those vibes, but with a few twists to make it something both different and surprising.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 25 April, 2022: Finished reading
  • 25 April, 2022: Reviewed