Murder at the Hotel Orient

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

For fans of The Maid, Tourist Season, and The Grand Budapest Hotel comes this spicy whodunnit inspired by a real love hotel, which legend claims has existed forever, luring lovers inside for a night of debauchery.

In modern Vienna, American ex-pat Sterling Lockwood is the loyal Concierge at the infamous Hotel Orient. Cameras are forbidden, aliases are required, and every guest has something to hide. For those seeking illicit liaisons, Sterling is the perfect concierge. Sultry and poised, she’s the ultimate keeper of secrets, including her own.

But when dawn breaks and two guests are found dead in their suite, Sterling must break the Orient’s sacred code of discretion, turning detective to find a killer and clear her own name. Alongside Fernando, her quick-witted friend and bellhop, she will risk everything to solve this double murder haunted by the past, in a city with a fetish for nostalgia.

Don't be shy darling, ring the bell...

Alessandra Ranelli is a queer American writer living in Vienna, Austria. Murder at the Hotel Orient is her first crime novel. She has the full support of the real Hotel Orient, and has been allowed access to all its rooms, even the secret ones. As part of her extensive book research, she left her career as a pastry chef and became a hotel receptionist. She is currently writing her second novel. Alessandra is known for her New York Times Modern Love essay “Two Kisses We Never Talked About.”