📖 Publication Day Book Review ~The Midnight Guests by Alex Hay

Headline
10 September 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

 

1923. Diana Gold, owner and impresario, throws open the doors to the most opulent new hotel in London. As the champagne flows and the chandeliers shimmer, millionaires and gamblers rub shoulders with film stars and royalty. Everyone who's anyone is here.

Everyone, that is, except two guests due at midnight. Powerful and dangerous, they've dragged Diana from the gutter and taught her all she knows. Her fate rests in their hands. If everything goes right, a whole new life awaits. One mistake will cost her everything.

For this is much more than a hotel - it's the heart of Diana's intricate masterplan. Over twenty-four fateful hours, her guests will learn why they're really here. And Diana will take perfect care of them - unless they take care of her first.

But when a body is found in the depths of the hotel, Diana's lavish opening night suddenly spirals out of control..

📖 My Review..

In 1926 Diana Gold launches her most ambitious venture, that of opening the stunning Hotel Artemis to the grand clientele of London. However, this is Diana’s last chance to gain the upper hand as there are dangerous people who are out to wreak havoc on everything she has worked so hard to achieve. With amazing verve and je ne sais quoi, Diana manipulates and controls everyone like the puppet master she undoubtedly is but things don’t go quite as smoothly as she anticipated. 

Set in two distinct time frames we occasionally jump forward a hundred years to 2026 where we follow Joe Carberry who has a special interest in the hotel and who is investigating what happened at the Artemis on its fateful opening night, revealing secrets which have been buried for far too long. There are some fascinating characters amongst the main players and the author brings their faults, foibles and peccadilloes into the spotlight so that they become as fascinating to observe as Diana.

The story initially unfolds rather slowly, setting the scene, introducing us to a world of utmost luxury as no expense has been spared in the building of the Artemis and this opening event reflects the sumptuousness of its surroundings. As the story gathers momentum so the pace increases and the characters have a darker undertone with a distinct sensation of menace lurking in shadowy corners.

Cleverly written, with a fine eye for historical detail, The Midnight Guests is a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten world of crooks, gamblers and shady deals all masquerading under the glamorous facade of 1920s London.

About the Author

Alex Hay grew up in Cambridge and Cardiff and has been writing as long as he can remember. He studied History at the University of York, and wrote his dissertation on female power at royal courts, combing the archives for every scrap of drama and skulduggery he could find. He has worked in magazine publishing and the charity sector, and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Write Your Novel course. The Housekeepers is his debut novel and won the Caledonia Novel Award 2022. 

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