The Guest in Room 120 is an intriguing historical fiction story that explores the mysterious death of Stanford University co-founder, Jane Stanford.

The Guest in Room 120 by Sara Ackerman

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical (1905) and Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Paranormal, Hawaii

My Summary:

Thanks #NetGalley @HarperCollins @HTP_Books | MIRA for a complimentary eARC of #TheGuestInRoom120 upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University, is a formidable woman who has made some enemies. In 1905, she feels threatened and, out of concern for her safety, she decides to flee from her mansion in San Francisco to a luxury hotel in Hawaii. She stays in Room 120.

In 2005, Zoe Finch registers for a writing conference at the same hotel and unwittingly stays in Room 120. As a storm rages offshore, she experiences nightmares that seem terrifyingly real. She enlists the help of Dylan, a mystery writer at the conference, and they discover what happened in that same room one hundred years earlier and persuade officials to reopen an investigation.

My Thoughts:

Interesting Historical Mystery

I didn’t attend Stanford, but I do live on the West Coast. Until I read The Guest in Room 120, I had no awareness of the mysterious death of Jane Stanford. In this respect, it is an interesting historical mystery for me.

Dual Timelines

Sara Ackerman cleverly weaves together the 1905 and 2005 timelines, building tension and suspense. Often, I prefer the historical timeline, but here the contemporary timeline is relevant and compelling. The 1905 timeline sets up the mysterious death (is it murder?), and the 2005 timeline actively reopens the investigation. Both plots were page-turning, and I cared about characters from each timeline.

Genre Mashup

Part historical, part thriller, and part paranormal, with gentle sides of romance and the writing life. It’s fun (and Meta) that the two main characters in the modern timeline are writers at a writing conference.

When a Favorite Author Changes Genres

I discovered Sara Ackerman when she was a historical fiction author, writing stories set in Hawaii involving Pearl Harbor during WWII. My favorite of her early work is Radar Girls. Currently, she writes stories with modern timelines (sometimes dual). However, she is definitely moving away from WWII histfic. My favorite of her newer work with a dual timeline is The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West.

Recommending The Guest in Room 120:

Fans of historical mystery with elements of suspense, thriller, paranormal, and romance will enjoy The Guest in Room 120. This one might be an enticing addition to your fall TBR.

My Rating: 4 Stars

More Information Here

Meet the Author of The Guest in Room 120, Sara Ackerman

Sara Ackerman is the Hawaii born, bestselling author of The Codebreaker’s Secret, Radar Girls, Red Sky Over Hawaii, The Lieutenant’s Nurse, and Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers.

Sara’s books have been labeled “unforgettable” by Apple Books, “empowering & deliciously visceral” by Book Riot, and New York Times bestselling authors Kate Quinn and Madeline Martin have praised Sara’s novels as “fresh and delightful” and “brilliantly written.” Amazon chose Radar Girls as a best book of the month, and ALA Booklist gave The Codebreaker’s Secret a starred review.

Find out more about Sara and her books at http://www.ackermanbooks.com and follow her on Instagram @saraackermanbooks and on FB @ackermanbooks.

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