The Cut
A Novel
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
In this chilling supernatural horror novel set in a mysterious hotel, a woman fleeing her abusive ex finds herself running from more than just her past.
A historic hotel long past its prime and huddled along The Cut, a questionable Lake Erie beach, isn’t Sadie Miles’ ideal place to raise a toddler while also navigating her second pregnancy. After finally fleeing her abusive ex-fiancé, though, Sadie’s new housekeeping position and free room at L’Arpin Hotel are the best she can manage.
On her first night, Sadie runs to help a guest struggling in the hotel’s pool only to find the water calm and empty when she gets there, leaving her with a lingering unease. When a guest then goes missing and her manager insists they simply left without checking out, Sadie suspects he’s covering up darker goings-on in the hotel.
After her ex, Sadie won't let anyone convince her that what she’s experiencing isn’t real again. So, she keeps digging, quickly uncovering suspicious interactions with the staff, mysteriously vanishing security cameras, more missing guests, and things that go bump in the night...and drip in the walls, slither in the tub, and squirm in the halls. Everything isn't as it seems within the dim hallways of L’Arpin. Sadie has nowhere to go and nowhere to hide; she'll need to keep her wits about her to survive and keep her toddler and unborn child safe from whatever lurks nearby.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Dotson's disjointed debut, young widow Sadie Miles flees her abusive new husband, Samuel Keller, with her toddler, Izzy. An unexpected pregnancy and a lack of other options compel Sadie to accept a job as a housekeeper at the Hotel L'Arpin, an antiquated bed and breakfast in rural Ohio. At first the hotel seems like a refuge, but soon guests start disappearing and Sadie becomes convinced she can see tentacled monsters in the water from the hotel's faucets. Is this mere paranoid delusion, or is the hotel covering up something supernaturally sinister? The narrative is at its strongest when focused on Sadie's inner life. Her perspective is nuanced, and her struggle to care for her daughter and find safety for them both resonates, making it easy to root for this small family as they navigate the creeping dangers at Hotel L'Arpin. Unfortunately, by comparison, the supernatural elements feel sketchy and shoehorned in, leading to an unsatisfying and predictable finale. Dotson does praiseworthy work crafting a unique horror protagonist, but the scares themselves fall flat.
Customer Reviews
It’s good
It’s a good book but felt like it unraveled a bit towards the ending. The end was not as satisfying as it could have been. The book had a lot of tension and creepy moments but then it sort of limped to the finish leaving some holes.