The Midnight Guests: A grand hotel is opening. Beware who checks in...

by Alex Hay

From the bestselling author of The Housekeepers comes a glossy, dark, page-turning mystery to rival The White Lotus - unfolding over twenty-four fateful hours in London's most lavish hotel.

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. . .

Praise for Alex

'Sets a cracking pace... with plenty of twists and a great deal of fun, this is the perfect holiday read' Guardian
'Sheer delight from start to finish' Janice Hallett
'Delightfully mischievous' The Times
'Audacious, cunning, quick-witted' Louise Candlish
'Fiendishly clever' Jennie Godfrey
'A dangerous game... delivered with fabulous aplomb' Daily Mail
'A period piece, a full-throttle thriller and a masterclass in characterisation' Erin Kelly

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery Thriller

Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 10, 2026

Reviews

[Denis Wheller · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1926, Hotel Artemis was opened by Diana Gold, who then disappeared. Was this connected to the two unknown corpses stored in the vaults? Two mysteries from 1926 which remained unsolved in 2026. The Hotel had been created to be the height of style, sophistication and modernity, a magnet for the glitterati and the crème de la crème of High Society. Diana had built up her reputation in the hospitality trade over many years and she and the Artemis were rightly recognised as the pinnacle of that world. But on the opening night, unknown to her staff and the assembled guests who fill the hotel, she is expecting two ‘guests’ who could destroy all of that, and she needs all of her knowledge and skill to save the hotel. Which she obviously did since it is still here in 2026, albeit now dilapidated and about to close forever. One of the guests on the last night is Joe, an investigative reporter, who is the grandson of one of the maids from the hotel’s early days. She has recently died and left Joe some clues to the mysteries. Can he use these clues to find evidence that will explain the two mysteries?
The story is told in the two different time lines. The events of that one night in 1926 are obviously the most important and occupy most of the book. They are mostly told from Diana’s perspective, although an entwined strand is told from that of Cleo, an apparently gamine American ingénue. The style is consistent with that sort of story in that sort of time. The events of that one night in 2026 take up less space, and read rather like following the path taken by someone who is working their way through a ‘gamebook’ (e.g. dungeons and dragons). I can see why the author handled the story this way, but I don’t think it worked as a technique. The reader does resolve the mysteries, but I don’t think Joe did. That has caused me to knock off a star so 4 becomes 3.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

[Seriesbooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was invited to review an eARC on Netgalley for a free and unbiased opinion (Thank you Headline Publishing)
I really enjoyed Alex Hay’s The Housekeepers, so I was looking forward to reading his next book except the tag line suggested this as rival to White Lotus ( a tv programme I really didn’t get into) but The Midnight Guests was a book I couldn’t put down till I finally finished it.
The setting is the roaring 20’s and the author’s coveys the lush, decadence of that time and the rich, privileged people who enjoyed this versus the people who are trying to make it anyway they can.
I loved Diana-,the first-person narrator- her character was fascinating and well written- as hard as nails, ruthless but also with hints of vulnerability and fear. Diana’s desperation to raise the money she owes and then her fight to survive is the heart of the story with plenty of tension.
The other narrators include Cleo, a rich young American who is drawn into the weird sexual relationship between a power couple staying at the Artemis . In the modern-day Joe, is a guest at The Artemis , the night before it closes forever trying to finish his grandmother’s story about the hotel murky past, but this untold story might actually get him killed!
The fact that the two dead bodies in coffins found in the basement isn’t the main mystery but one of the many mysteries as well as the complicated pasts, the guests at the Artemis are trying to hide makes The Midnight Guests stand apart from other similar books.
My only whinge about the book, is that the ending felt a little abrupt and I would have liked to known what happened to some of the characters.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex Hay’s ‘The Midnight Guests’ is a high-stakes thriller set in 1926 and in contemporary London. Focusing on what was once the London hotel of its day, Hay introduces plenty of shady characters who have dubious connections with Diana Gold, the hotelier everyone wants to be seen with. But would they if they knew all that she has done to rise to such dizzy heights?

The opening night at the extraordinary Hotel Artemis introduces readers to millionaires, film stars, and the criminal underworld. The tone of the writing makes it clear that when a body is found in a luxurious hotel suite, the story has more in common with “Knives Out’ than ‘The Great Gatsby’. This is entertainment above all else and no worse for being so.

Strong female characters feature throughout the novel. The author seems to suggest that the misogynistic early twentieth century means that the only way women can succeed is through ruthless behaviour and dogged determination.

Hay transports us to the here and now through Joe, an academic who is trying to finish his journalist grandmother’s research into the hotel’s nefarious past. The distinctive timelines create further tension as the reader is fed information from two different eras. There is added jeopardy as we wonder whether or not Joe will live to tell his tale.

A shame that ‘The Midnight Guests’ won’t be published until September. This will make an ideal holiday read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

[Antonia Chitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the first two books by Alex Hay and this third one, the Midnight Guests, was very much up to the same standard.
The book starts in 1926, and like the first two books is in a nostalgic version of London where we are deep in a glamorous criminal underworld… this time based on a hotel. However Hay takes a slightly different approach to previous books, interweaving chapters set in 2026 with the historic ones. At first I wasn’t sure about this… did I really want to be taken out of the world of 1926 and faced with the somewhat stereotypical historian/researcher delving into a family mystery? But by the end of the book Hay had convinced me that this device did add to the story. In the final chapters he cleverly unpacks all the subtle links that he has built
I also enjoyed the strong female leads in the book. Diana Gold is the creator behind the Artemis hotel, and with a nod to her mythical namesake has set it up as the perfect place to hunt powerful men. But her motivation is unclear at first and unfolds throughout the book.
Cleo Van Der Meer is a young American woman and guest at the hotel, trying to get away from her overbearing mother. She falls in with Lady Polly Fox Stanton, wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Together with Diana these three women propel the story along at pace.
If you like nostalgic golden age mysteries and strong female leads definitely read the Midnight Guests.

[Mrs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diana Gold opens Hotel Artimis in 1926. The Hotel is full of glitter, famous and rich people on opening night. She makes her grand entrance and glides around the room. The Hotel has her stamp on every room and nothing has been left to chance. However, there is something worrying her. She knows that at midnight she is due to have some guests which will cause her big problems. The book goes from 1926 until the present day. The Hotel is in the process of closing and before it does two coffins are found in a vault. Diana Gold disappeared shortly after the opening – is it her in one of the coffins. The story goes backwards and forwards date wise and I feel it ran smoothly inbetween the eras. A lot of the story is set in 1926 and you can feel almost present as the story goes on. Present time – Joe’s grandmother has passed away and she was one of the maids in the early era. She leaves clues for Joe (her grandson) to chase as to what happened when the Hotel opened and he wants to find out the mystery behind the Hotel. Things do not run smoothly for Joe as there are people who do not want the mystery solved or indeed the names of the bodies in the coffins. Eventually the story comes together and although I enjoyed the book I am not sure about the ending – left open I guess

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing possibly more beautiful than the Hotel Artemis, London’s newest luxury hotel, is the owner, Ms. Diana Gold. Beautiful. One of a kind. She owns the room when she walks into it. She knows how to take care of her guests. But she does struggle to take care of one thing, a major debt. And she has until midnight of opening night to figure out how she is going to pay off this debt. Those coming to collect are dangerous people. And no one is beyond their cruelty. No one.

Oh, and the guests. Surely, they are just there to enjoy the opulence of the Hotel Artemis. Surely none of them have secrets and they are all who they claim they are. Correct? Where is the fun in that?

I love the descriptions of the Hotel Artemis. I love that time period and how they operated. The author, to me, got a little long-winded at times. Not in over describing the facilities, it was in just rehashing and over explaining situations. But with this mystery you can sort of overlook it or just skim a bit on a few paragraphs from time to time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Hay’s The Midnight Guests promises to be a dazzling and darkly magnetic mystery, brimming with intrigue, glamour, and danger. Set in 1923 London, the novel transforms a single night in a grand new hotel into a stage where ambition, deception, and revenge converge under the shimmer of chandeliers and the weight of secrets.

Hay, celebrated for The Housekeepers, once again blends elegance with menace crafting a narrative that captures the pulse of an era intoxicated by wealth and risk. Diana Gold, the hotel’s enigmatic owner, commands the story with sharp intelligence and haunting vulnerability as she hosts a night that spirals from celebration into chaos.

The atmospheric tension, the interplay of power, and the richly drawn characters promise a reading experience both stylish and sinister. The Midnight Guests is poised to captivate fans of The White Lotus, The Great Gatsby, and high society thrillers that explore the glittering facades hiding darker truths.

[Miss Bookery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to The Hotel Artemis...

Where the staff, and guests, are enmeshed in the criminal underworld, in 1920's London.

We meet lead character, Diana, on the opening night of her glamourous, eponymous ,art deco hotel, where excess is the name of the game.

Strong female characters lead the way and that is a real highlight of this book, for me!

The book jumps between modern day and the 1920's but, is in no way, hard to keep track of and manages to be suspenseful in both.

This reads so easily, that I could not put it down and I inhaled it, in one sitting, and am off to find the authors previous works, immediately!

Many thanks to the publishers Headline, the author Alex Hay and NetGalley for providing this book for review.

All opinions are my own

#TheMidnightGuests #NetGalley

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diana Gold has a dilemma. It is the opening of the Hotel Artemis, in London, her hotel, and she needs to raise a large amount of money tonight, to pay her debt to some dubious people.
The rich and famous are arriving and expecting a splendid evening and she must be on show, and provide it.
One hundred years later, it is the closing of The Hotel Artemis, and Joe, a historian is spending the night there, and has a personal interest in its history.
The hotel was a character itself, with its public and very private areas, corridors, and secrets, and the sad dilapidation at the time of its closure.
The majority of the action takes place over the same 24 hours a century apart and as events unfold Diana’s connection to her surprising masters become clear, as do Joe’s reason for being there.
I enjoyed the book immensely, but was left wanting to know more about many of the characters.
Maybe that’s a good sign of being invested in the book?

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book.

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant read told in two timelines 1926 and 2026. In 1926 ,Diana Gold is the creator of the Artemis Hotel in Mayfair for the rich and famous .nothing is out of bounds. It is opening night and everything is going well but Diana knows that two people will arrive to collect a million pounds that she owes them and she doesn't have the money yet !!!!! Diana disappears and two bodies are found in the vaults . In 2026 Joe a grandson of one of the maids back in 1926 is staying at the hotel it is the last night before it closes forever and is now crumbling and old. Joe is hoping to solve the mystery of the two bodies from clues his Grandma left him .There are some great characters and the story is fast paced mysterious and compelling .I loved it !! Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked by NetGalley to review this intriguing story. I have not come across Alex Hay before and will be seeking out the other books this long school summer holiday.

The story starts 100 years ago in London's glamourous criminal world, based in a hotel called Artemis. Diana Gold who is behind this interesting London hotel. Diana has created the perfect backdrop to seek out powerful men. Cleo Van Der Meer is trying to get away for a very over bearing mother and Lady Polly Fox Stanton ( wife of the Chancellor of the Exechequer) . These powerful women drive the story forward.

Arecommended read and due for publication September 10th 2026

[Kristen Perrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

*advance copy received from the publisher*

Multi-layered and intricate, with glitteringly sultry atmosphere and a mystery that resonates down the decades, I absolutely wanted to swim in the world of the Artemis Hotel. Alex Hay artfully balances so many addictive elements, and believe me when I say this book has it all - 1920s glamour, complicated relationships, the allure and toxicity of wealth, and twists that just keep coming. And above all, Hay tackles the story with uniqueness and flair, with a modern day thread that interlocks perfectly, proving he’s a force in the genre.

[Beverley Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Hay surprises every time. Every novel so very different. This twisted and turned, I never know who was going to murder who the bodies kept piling up. Don't get me started on who was betraying who.

Another could not put down by this author.

I loved the 1920's story but it left me with questions at the end in relation to the present day story. But ultimately it's fast paced and despite it all I was routing for Diana all the way.

Thanks to Netgally for a pre publication copy.

[M. J. Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like it. I finished it but couldn’t get in to it. It wasn’t for me.