Hotel California: An Anthology of New Mystery Short Stories

Music and Murder Mystery #1

by Don Bruns (Editor/Contributor), Andrew Child (Contributor), Heather Graham (Contributor)

A dangerous drifter, a hired gun, a grisly corpse - you never know who you’ll run into at the 'HOTEL CALIFORNIA'.

Eight deliciously talented mystery authors have lent their skills of crafting murder and suspense to this collection of gripping short stories. Each of these eight provocative tales is designed to entertain and mystify - and maybe even chill you to your core. Get lost in the wild imaginations of such 'New York Times' best-selling writers as Andrew Child, Heather Graham, Reed Farrel Coleman, and John Gilstrap, plus authors Rick Bleiweiss, Jennifer Dornbush, Amanda Flower, and Don Bruns. From the titular tale “Hotel California" to a new, original Jack Reacher adventure, these stories have a little something for every mystery lover.

Go ahead. Check in, enjoy some room service, and stay until the very last tantalizing page. Just don’t forget to search the closet or behind the curtains.

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction, Anthologies, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Thriller

249 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 17, 2022

About the author

Don Bruns is a writer, novelist, musician, songwriter, painter, cook, advertising executive and stand up comic who has no idea what he wants to be when he grows up. He's the author of nine books and was editor of the mystery/music anthology A Merry Band Of Murderers.

Don's published novels cover two series. One, a Caribbean thriller collection and two, the Stuff series, a humorous look at two twenty-four year old guys in South Florida who start their own detective agency and end up neck - deep in trouble.

Jamaica Blue, Barbados Heat, South Beach Shakedown, St. Barts Breakdown and Bahama Burnout make up the Caribbean books. The Stuff series consists of Stuff To Die For, Stuff Dreams Are Made Of, Stuff To Spy For, and Don't Sweat The Small Stuff. Bruns is currently working on the fifth Stuff book, Too Much Stuff.

He currently resides on Florida's West coast.

Bahama Burnout/ Finalist, National Best Books Award - Mystery/Suspense 2009
South Beach Shakedown/ Winner National Best Books Award -Fiction/Suspense 2006
South Beach Shakedown/ Winner, Indie Excellence, 2006 Award - Mystery/Suspense
South Beach Shakedown/ Winner USA Book Award, 2006 - Mystery
Stuff Dreams Are Made Of/ Winner Indie Excellence Award 2009 - Mystery/Suspense
Stuff Dreams Are Made Of/IndieBound Notable, October 2008
Stuff Dreams Are Made Of/Winner Florida Writer's Association -
Stuff To Die For/ Starred review Booklist

Reviews

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 3.57⭐

Hotel California (edited by Don Bruns) is an anthology of eight crime stories that vary in setting, crimes, and tone.

“New Kid in Town” by Andrew Child features Jack Reacher who gets embroiled in a search for a lost girl. (2.5/5)

“Life in the Fast Lane” by Don Bruns : A hired assassin breaks all the rules of the game on an assignment, altering the course of his mission.(4/5)

“Wasted Time” John Gilstrap :Two brothers, a Senator and a convicted murderer recently released from prison, hash it out as long-buried secrets resurface. (4.5/5)

“Victim of Love” by Reed Farrel Coleman : A strange face mask alters the persona and destiny of a down-on-his-luck man leading to some shocking outcomes.(3.5 /5)

“Pretty Maids All in a Row” by Heather Graham: Visitors discover more than tombs /mausoleums on a cemetery tour in New Orleans. (3/5)

“Try and Love Again” by Amanda Flower :A private investigator gets involved in trying to solve a decades old cold case.(3/5)

“The Last Resort” by Rich Bleiweiss : – A cat and mouse game ensues when a hit is taken out on a hitman.(4/5)

“Hotel California” by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush : With the lyrics of the eponymous song strewn throughout the narrative, this was more a light mystery with a surreal element rather than a crime story.(4/5)

Hey Eagles fans, do the titles of these stories sound familiar?

I loved the unique concept and enjoyed the fact that all of the story titles were taken from songs featured in the Eagles' Hotel California album. The only flipside was I couldn’t keep the music out of my head while reading!

Varying between dark, creepy, mysterious, surreal and action-packed, a few stories featured unpredictable endings and unexpected twists. But of course,not all stories are equally appealing . Given the wide variety of writing styles, mysteries and characters, most fans of this genre would find something they like. Many of these authors were new to me, so this was a great opportunity to sample their work. Overall, a mixed bag like most anthologies, I found “Hotel California” to be an interesting read.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of eight short stories, all mysteries and each carrying the title of a song by the Eagles. As always with such collections, the appeal ebbs and flows and sometimes the title seems to get in the story’s way, leading to a scenario that feels somewhat contrived. There’s even one (Hotel California by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush) that tracks the lyrics of the song – interesting but ultimately unfulfilling, this one.

I was attracted by the fact that there’s a Reacher tale here, penned by Andrew Child and also a piece by one of my favourite mystery writers, Reed Farrel Coleman. However, I found the former to be a very average and somewhat unlikely offering and the latter to be one of the weirder pieces in this collection. Coleman story was, though, at least interesting in its strangeness.

My favourite stories were:

The Last Resort by Rich Bleiweiss – a hit man flees to Maui in an attempt to escape a killer who is tracking him.

Wasted Time by John Gilstrap – A politician has a reluctant and life changing reunion with his mass murderer brother.

If you’re a fan of short, quirky mysteries this collection might be worth tracking down, you’re sure to find a few that’ll tickle your fancy.

My thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before" - Hotel California, The Eagles

Hotel California is a computation of eight short stories with titles taken from The Eagles songs! There is even a new Jack Reacher story thrown in! The authors are easily recognizable, and they did a nice job putting ink to paper here.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrators. These short stories have grit, mystery, and thrills. With short story collections, there will be stories readers enjoy more than others. I enjoyed the new Jack Reacher (New Kid in town) the most!

Will your favorite Eagles title be your favorite short story as well??? One must read/listen to find out!

Very clever concept!

3.5 stars

#HotelCaliforniaBook #NetGalley

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this anthology of eight crime stories, the reader is introduced to a quite wide cast that includes multiple hitmen and detectives, a senator, an influencer - and a whole bunch of victims.

I don't read many anthologies, but I do make an exception for ones consisting of crime stories. I think the mystery genre is one of the most diverse when it comes to the way authors explore its common tropes. Hotel California's central theme is that each story is inspired by a song by The Eagles, with some more closely aligning to the songs than others.

I'm not familiar with most of the authors in this anthology, so it was fun for me to be introduced to them through these short stories. The tone of the stories ranges from noir to semi-cozy to surreal, providing enough variety that at least a couple of stories will appeal to each reader's particular sensibilities.

I most enjoyed Reed Farrel Coleman's "Victim of Love" and Amanda Flower's "Try and Love Again". The former tells the tale of a down-trodden man whose role in life is altered by the influence of a Siamese cat mask, while the latter is about a private eye who is charged with investigating a twenty-year-old cold case on a small island in Michigan.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

overall 3 stars but that hotel california short story… WOWWW i’m speechless

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
Nice collection of stories. My favorite was Wasted Time” by John Gilstrap. I was excited that there was a Reacher story in the collection but it was disappointing.

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am not a fan of short stories, the eight authors of this anthology got my attention! Additionally they use the ‘Eagles’ “Hotel California” as a theme.
Since this is an audiobook I totally was hoping for some background music!!!

The authors are: Andrew Child, Heather Graham, Reed Farrel Coleman, John Gilstrap, Rick Bleiweiss, Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, Amanda Flower, and Don Bruns.

A great plus for me are the audiobook narrators as many are my favorite audio performers.
Scott Brick, Hillary Huber and January LaVoy are on the very top of my ‘like’ list. Also includes Patrick Cronin, Joe Hempel, Sophie Amoss and Richard Ferrone.

The first story is “New Kid in Town” a Jack Reacher story ~ narrated by Scott Brick.
I have always enjoyed the ‘Reacher’ stories ~ No Plan B the Pub Day is scheduled for October 25, 2022 and will be the last Reacher by Lee Child as he will be retiring. He states he wants to buy a new couch and kick back and read for the rest of his life!
However, Jack Reacher will still be around as younger brother Andrew Child who has co-authored with Lee Child will continue.

One of my fav stories in the group is ~“Pretty Maids All in a Row” by Heather Graham – Aww a creepy New Orleans murder mystery. I like psychological thrillers as well as dark and creepy.

Also like “The Hotel California” written by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush and narrated by my favorite audiobook performer ~ January LaVoy.

I want to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this early Audio Galley! Audiobook Publishing Date scheduled for July 12, 2022

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few short stories by different authors. Some more entertaining than others. Perfect for short trips or reading times.

[Karl Jorgenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A readable anthology with some good stories and some duds. Fans of Jack Reacher will appreciate the Reacher short: it's just as repetitive [like a drum beat, pounding, over and over, bang after bang, rhythmically, one sound after the other, evenly spaced,] and just as outside reality as Reacher fights, kills, and improvises with perfect precision. The last story is the title story and it incorporates most of the lyrics from the song 'Hotel California.' The lyrics are integrated one line at a time (there's an old Spanish mission in the hills; she hears the mission bells,) and at first I was merely annoyed at the jarring interruption as my reading brain switched to replaying the popular song. Then I had a thought: the purpose of sprinkling the lyrics across a story named 'Hotel California' is to thumb the author's nose at the music industry who jealously guard their copyrights. Lyrics? says the author. No, she just happened to be driving on a dark desert highway. Huh. Does that work to keep the music-industry vultures at bay? Because I certainly understood the story to be a riff on the song.

[Tanya R · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best thing about short stories, in my opinion, is that they offer the exposure to many authors and their writing styles. It's a great way to find a new author you may like and want to read more of.

Hotel California is a mesh of writing styles that center around Crime/Thrillers. My favorite is the first story, which features Jack Reacher. I recently watched the Reacher season 1 on Amazon Prime and loved it!

If you are trying to branch out and considering new authors, this is a good book to grab to see if you like any of these writing styles.

[Matt. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful short stories from a diverse group of authors. There's something for everyone in this feast of mystery and thriller stories. I really enjoyed this and recommend that people go out and purchase a copy on May 17, 2022. Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this advanced copy.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio review:

Kindle review:

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. This is a collection of eight short stories by some of the hottest mystery/suspense/crime fiction writers of our time. I had yet to read anything by these writers yet they were very well-known to me. It ended up being a mixed bag for me. The stories are dark and mysterious, even creepy. There were some I didn’t care for very much, then there were a few that really had me riveted. I chose the audiobook which was just over eight hours long with each story being about one hour. As with the stories, the narrators were also a mixed bag. I am a big audiobook listener but the first few stories I had a difficult time with the narration and therefore had trouble getting into the story. That being said, there were also narrators that I really did enjoy, especially January LaVoy. Each of the stories has a title from a song on the Hotel California album from the Eagles and I felt some of the stories didn’t fit the title. It was a quick listen and gave me the opportunity to read works from some authors I’ve been curious about. I didn’t love it nor did I hate it, it was just OK.

[Brittany Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this anthology of mystery short stories by various authors. Many of the stories were crime mysteries, which isn’t my favorite sub-genre. There were two stories that really stuck out for me of which I enjoyed above the others, “Pretty Maids All in a Row” by Heather Graham and “Hotel California” by Jennifer Dornbush. Overall, I loved that the stories each were about an hour long and it was great for my long commutes to work.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and the various contributing authors for allowing me to listen to this gifted audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Dan Banana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half good, half not. Half worth your time. Mystery, murder and magic.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hotel California is made up of eight different mystery stories, inspired but the Eagles albums of the same name. I thought that in itself was a cool little detail and I liked the idea of the contributors interpreting each title in their own unique way.

I enjoyed some of these stories more than I did others, as is usually the case with anthologies, but I think the favourite one was Pretty maids all in a row by Heather Graham, This particular story is a murder mystery that is set in New Orleans. It has creepy aspects to it and overall I liked how it was written.

I also really liked the narration of this, I liked that each story had a different narrator. Overall I liked this collection of crime stories, 3 stars.

[Caii · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in Barnes and Noble. It caught my eye by all the different authors. So I didn’t really know if the reviews were saying if it’s a hit or a dub.

After reading it I do not regret buying it. It’s hard to say I have a favorite because all of them were so good.

So I give the whole book a 5 ⭐️

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the first in a new series, the title of the series is The Music and Murder Mystery Series and they stories are written in line with music on an album. In this case the iconic Hotel California by the Eagles. I have been a fan of the album for as long as I can remember. It was one my father listed to often. And one I have been known to have cranked up over the last 40+ years. The songs in the original order on the 1976 album was:

Hotel California
New Kid in Town
Life in the Fast Lane
Wasted Time
Wasted Time (Reprise)
Victim of Love
Pretty Maids All in a Row
Try and Love Again
The Last Resort

The stories in the order they appear in this anthology:

New Kid in Town
Life in the Fast Lane
Wasted Time
Victim of Love
Pretty Maids All in a Row
Try and Love Again
The Last Resort
Hotel California

Other than the Wasted Time Reprise there is a story for each song on the original release. I picked this up for a couple of reasons, first just the concept was intriguing. Second as a huge fan of the Reacher stories and having just finished all of Andrew Grant’s 9 novels he published before starting to write the Reacher books with his brother lee Child, as Andrew Child. And third to see what the contributors would do with the stories. The contributors are:

Don Bruns
Andrew Child
Heather Graham
Reed Farrel Coleman
John Gilstrap
Rick Bleiweiss
Jennifer Dornbush
Amanda Flower

Other than child I had not read anything by any of the other contributors prior to reading this collection. I now have several new authors on my watch and wishlist. This was a great collection. I have already recommended it to a few friends, some musicians and others that are mystery lovers. Some of the stories dray heavily from the lyrics of the songs, some not so much. The story named after the title track, Hotel California by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush draws the most heavily from the lyrics and to be honest was one of my favourite stories. I loved the twist at the end of The Last Resort. Victim of Love have some great creep factor. And the gothic Pretty Maids in a Row had excellent scare factor involved. I did love Andrew Grant’s offering which I believe is his first solo Jack Reacher Story.

Overall, there is not a bad offering in the book. Each piece was well worth the read. And the concept and how it was put together is intriguing. I love two things most about reading anthologies first stories from authors or series I love to flesh out the world, and second finding new authors. This one was excellent for both. I can easily recommend this volume.

[Kenneth Geary (KagedBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review; expected release 7/12/22

https://www.tiktok.com/@kagedbooks/vi...?

Hotel California is a collection of eight Mystery-ish stories based upon the classic Eagles album of the same name.

As with most anthologies there is a mix of stories that enjoyed and others that left something to be desired. All and all I enjoyed the collection as a whole.

I listened to the audio version and each story is narrated by a different artist, some i was already familiar with and others were new to me, but all gave a solid performance.

The Stand out stories for me were:

Wasted Time by John Gilstrap: This told a story of raising political star, who happened to have a murderer for a brother. When his brother is released from prison early he is forced to reluctantly face his brother and his past while trying to stay out of the public eye.

Pretty Maids All in a Row by Heather Graham: This was a atmospheric murder mystery taking place in New Orleans that is creepy and well written.

Of Note:

There is a new / passing of the mantle Jack Reacher story; I’m not super familiar with the Reacher books but I believe this is the first entry with Andrew Child taking over his brother.

Hotel California’ by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush: This wasn’t my favorite but it’s style is unique as it takes lyrics right from the title song and incorporates them into the story in a way that makes sense if not completely seamless.

Big thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a chance to get in on this book early. I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Jean-Luc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stylishly written and fiendishly conceived these delicious stories perfectly reflect the rather loopy world into which our daily grind has been thrown into over the last two years.
Hysteria, fear, paranoia, lies, deceit & lots of murderous
shenanigans are comingling smoothly with evil intents and ruthless carelessness...

An unforgettable cast of characters, some dazzling verbal pyrotechnics & lots of adrenaline-fueled moments managed to definitely convince me that the talented wordsmiths responsible for this terrific collection had a wonderful time putting it together...

Go ahead and enjoy this wonderful feat whitout any moderation whatsoever👍

Many thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this unexpected jewel!

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of short stories, each with the title of an Eagles song, is of such low overall quality that 7/8 of it truly deserves a 1-star rating. A complete waste of my reading time, and (I’m assuming minimal) effort from the authors.

However, the 8th story, the “title track” Hotel California, does an excellent job of weaving a tale not only associated with the song title, but also integrates nearly every lyric into the story. Cleverly done!

Still only a 2 overall though…

[Suz Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this anthology of crime stories inspired by Eagle’s songs absolutely hooked me. I appreciated how each author interpreted the theme and title of the song they selected, with some incorporating supernatural elements. While every story made an entertaining read, unfortunately, I did not find every story to be a hit.

My favorites included:

Reed Farrel Coleman’s “Victim of Love” takes a supernatural turn when a man is magically transformed by a face mask. Vincent’s walk on the wild side gives him a shot at his ultimate dark desire. I liked the subtle references to the COVID-19 pandemic and wonderful world building elements like Vincent’s daily frozen dinner. As a big fan of Coleman’s Gus Murphy series, I was thrilled to see him listed as a contributor.

In “Try and Love Again” by Amanda Flower, a private detective on a quirky island in Northeast Ohio takes a crack at solving a decades old cold case. Jay-Jay’s connections and close relationship with the locals are the key to finding the murderer.

“The Last Resort” by Rick Bleiweiss plays with expectations as Walker, an ex-Marine hitman, finds himself the target of another assassin. Walker flees to Maui with the assassin hot on his trail. I’m not usually a fan of ambiguity, but I liked how the ending lets the reader draw their own conclusions.

Like the song, Jennifer Graeser Dornbush’s “Hotel California” is trippy, surreal, and haunting. The story follows TikTok influencer Penelope on her way to Hollywood where she makes a pit stop at the Chateau Cambria. There, she establishes connections that will launch her career and seal her fate. I particularly liked the character of Asa, who claimed to be saved by an animated gargoyle, and who now prays for the chateau’s permanent residents. While I liked the creativity of the story, I found the embedded lyrics of the song distracting.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed a different collection from this series so much, I had to buy this one. Hotel California is a collection of short mystery stories inspired by songs from The Eagles. Each of the eight stories is by a different author. With a collection like this, I know I will like some stories more than others, and I’m okay with that.

Jack Reacher Fans will love to know the collection includes a story by Andrew Child called New Kid in Town. I liked the story, but was also a bit confused by the ending. Two other stories were my favorites - one by an author I’m very familiar with and one by an author who is new to me.

Amanda Flower is well-known for her cozy mysteries and I’ve enjoyed many of her cozy mysteries. Her contribution to this collection, Try and Love Again, is a little grittier but very entertaining. It's about a PI who lives on Put-In-Bay on Bass Island in Ohio who is investigating a cold case. I've been to that island and the author captures the setting perfectly. I really liked the main character and her determination to solve a case that nobody else could.

Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, a new author for me, wrote the titular story, Hotel California, and it is a memorable tale. This haunting story includes the essence of the Eagles’ song and seamlessly includes some of the song lyrics in the narrative. Although I would rate this collection as a whole as 4 to 4.25 stars, Dornbush’s story is a five-star read. If you are a fan of the song, this story makes the whole collection worthwhile! Fans of unique mystery stories and/or The Eagles will enjoy this short story collection.

[KayleeNeedsANewBook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hotel California
⭐⭐/5

Multiple big thriller Authors lended their skills to write this book of multiple short stories . Mostly all about hitmen . . Don't get me wrong . I can like a book about a hitman. But I wish it was one story all authors got in on . Inatead of mutliple different short stories . I had a hard time realizing I was indeed liatening to a different story.. not just utterly confused

Thank you @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for the early copy!

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting collection of short stories with the highlight for me being the Reacher tale, which seems to return a ruthless efficiency to the man mountain.

The gimmick of the anthology (all stories are named after songs by The Eagles) doesn’t really provide any connective tissue, but enjoy the stories in isolation. Some of them are intricately plotted and most have a great twist at the end.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthology with different “stars” of detective books including Reacher and others most recognize. Loved the interwoven plots of each author and how well they pulled the tale together. 👍

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome bunch of short stories based on The Eagles' songs from Hotel California. My fave was the story based on the title song Hotel California.

[Sidney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eight short stories; each a title from Eagles songs. Most are mysteries but a couple are scary ghost stories.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

a collection of short stories, some good and some bad

[ashley 👻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes, you just can’t kill the beast.

This short story collection was AMAZING! The first two stories kind of drug for me but from ‘Wasted Time’ to the very end it was hit after hit. I want to focus on my favorite story from the collection and that was ‘Hotel California’ by miss Jennifer Graeser Dornbush. Holy CRAP! If you know and love the song by The Eagles, you are going to LOVE this story! The modern twists to this short story are phenomenal, the way that Jennifer’s mind interpreted the song and she put into these words is mind blowing. I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I went into this story but I was not disappointed. This story was a solid five stars for me, I’m absolutely impressed.

Some honorable mentions: Victim of Love by Reed Farrel Coleman, Pretty Maids all in a Row by Heather Graham, Try and Love Again by Amanda Flower and The Last Resort by Rick Bleiweiss