Murder at the Hotel Hopeless

by John Lekich

Charlie Hope was not expecting to spend his summer trying to solve a murder. Helping his mother run the family hotel doesn’t usually offer much excitement. The only other people around are Penny Price, a spoiled child actor and star of the hit TV series  Little Miss Murder  being shot in town, and Mr. Ignato, an elderly resident at the hotel. When Mr. Ignato dies from a fall down the stairs, Charlie suspects foul play. Nobody believes him except for Penny, who jumps at the chance to solve a real murder. The two of them discover that Mr. Ignato was once a famous international jewel thief who stole a million-dollar diamond that was never recovered. Is Mr. Ignato’s criminal past related to his untimely death? And can Charlie and Penny prove that it wasn’t an accident?

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2022

About the author

John was born in Vancouver, B.C., the youngest of six kids. He has a twin sister who is a full 15 minutes older and has always been at least a few minutes wiser and smarter. Born with cerebral palsy, he spent a lot of time reading books on such varied subjects as dogs, detectives, and baseball players. When he was 14, his older brother Bill suggested he read a novel by Mark Harris called Bang the Drum Slowly. John was so deeply moved by the book that he secretly decided to become a professional writer. He didn’t tell anyone about this secret, however—not even his twin sister.

As a child, John also developed a passion for old movies. He would spend many hours watching Saturday night movies on TV, nurturing a keen interest in such vintage stars as Groucho Marx, William Powell, and Carole Lombard. In high school John became interested in writing and directing for the stage. In grade 12 he won the school drama prize. He returned the following year to write and direct his first play, a melodrama entitled Partners in Grime.

While working towards a Bachelor of Education at the University of British Columbia, John became involved with the university newspaper. In the process he discovered a talent for journalism. He found that he especially enjoyed writing movie reviews. After graduating from university, he spent two years teaching English and drama at a local junior high. It was during this time that he absorbed much of the background that would ultimately prove useful for his young adult novel The Losers’ Club.

John left teaching when the pull towards full-time writing became far too strong. He began freelancing for a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, winning numerous awards and eventually becoming a west coast film correspondent for The Globe and Mail. His articles, reviews, and essays have appeared in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, Reader’s Digest, and the Hollywood Reporter. He is currently a film reviewer for Vancouver’s Georgia Straight.

John has co-written two screenplays and recently completed a novel (for adults) titled American Dad. He is currently working on several projects and continues to enjoy spending far too much time watching movies. He also likes going for long walks, listening to jazz, and petting friendly neighborhood dogs.

John lives in Vancouver.

Reviews

[Christine LaBatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie Hope helps his mom run the family hotel. His life is pretty normal until his friend, Mr. Ignato, dies mysteriously. He soon learns that Mr. Ignato was a thief previously in his life and left Charlie a missing diamond - that also happens to be cursed! With the help of a child actor, Penny Price, Charlie is determined to find out what happened to his friend.

This was a short, easy to read book. The writing was not my favorite - it felt choppy - but for a younger audience, I feel like it is a pretty solid mystery.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Pam Withers · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a dozen ways this mystery could have gone sideways but didn’t.
The ingredients are ideal for a kitschy, predictable tale. Corny characters? Check. A murder victim pushed down the stairs? Give us a break. A teen diva who solves murder dramas in her everyday acting life, and rallies when faced with one in real life? Yeah, right. A pampered dog named Baby helps with the detective work? Sigh.
Yet if you’re willing to suspend a little bit of disbelief, it all works like a well-oiled charade, and will put a smile on your face as lonely loser Charlie teams up with drama-queen Penny to solve a murder mystery. Subplots (from flashbacks of chess game conversations with an elderly hotel guest to driver’s education in a hearse) are well woven in, and characters are believable (just) and consistent.
The story is almost a spoof on murder mysteries, yet shines in its own right. And hurray for this new addition to fast and easy-read novels that suit reluctant and eager readers alike (something at which Orca Book Publishers specialize). That category entices less-than-keen readers to read.
Dialogue-heavy and told in first person from Charlie’s deliberately slow-paced, unenthusiastic point of view, it entertains start to finish, even if the choice of past tense feels awkward at times. Humor is key to this novel’s success, yet it’s not a humor novel, per se.

I stepped on the brake and made the tires squeal again. The old lady in the crosswalk smiled at me and waved. But Dexter said, “Driving is not bowling, Charlie. You do not get points for knocking pedestrians over.”

“You know the only difference between a real murder and one on a crime show?” Penny asked. “At work, the dead body gets up for a sandwich when we break for lunch. But the same basic rules of investigation apply in real life.”
“What rules?” I asked.
“First we need to find a motive,” she explained.” Why would somebody want to kill a harmless old man? Then we need to find evidence. Clues that point the way to our killer.”

Enjoy the read.
This review also appears at www.YAdudebooks.ca

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not a fan of this at all. The only reason I finished it is because it was such a short, fast read, I wouldn't have bothered if it took me any longer.

I get that it's meant to be accessible for those with weak reading skills, but it still felt poorly written. The writing was choppy and stilted, and the dialogue was unrealistic and awkward. Even with simpler vocabulary, no one talks like that. Charlie and Penny were both flat, boring characters with no personality. Entire scenes and conflicts were resolved in a sentence or two, including the actual climax of the story. One of the most egregious examples of "tell, don't show" I've ever seen.

The plot pacing wasn't much better. The murder victim conveniently filmed a video right before his death that helpfully explained everything about his past. Penny has a hunch about who the murderer might be and the suspect immediately confirms everything with a shockingly detailed diary explicitly incriminating themselves. And then when confronted, happily tells Penny and Charlie everything and then leaves them alive. The climax felt like the author just got bored of writing and wanted it to end, as the final confrontation lasted a few sentences and then everything was great and fixed, happy epilogue time.

I get the need for accessible books that are aimed for an older teen audience, but this did not feel like a successful attempt at all. Writing can be both accessible and engaging, this was a major miss.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, quick, easy to read book for those that struggle with reading. I appreciate that it looks like other YA books so it doesn't come across as too young. It is a good story line about a boy Charlie, who works in his mothers hotel/apartment building in Vancouver. Money is tight so he learns money by taking care of a 14 year old actress (Penny Price) who is on break from her show, Little Miss Murder. She is quite demanding so Charlie doesn't like that. SHe also as a chihuahua that he helps care for. His friend in the building, Mr. Ignition, dies! He leaves Charlie some clues and Charlie learns he was once a famous burglar and his doorknob collection is from the homes he burgled. He tells Charlie (in a video after his death)the #13 doorknob holds a diamond that is cursed! In the end, he and Penny figure out who killed Iggy and returned the diamond to Italy and received a reward so his moms hotel is saved! Penny also gets to stay on her show since she was in the news for solving a real crime. The writing maybe was a bit choppy but I thought there were some funny laugh out loud parts and I liked the main characters.

[Erin Mendoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Murder at the Hotel Hopeless. It read more like a short story to me, but if you look at the target audience, it's perfect. It is part of @orcabook series of hi-lo novels. They are short, high interest novels written at a lower reading level. I love how this gives struggling readers access to age appropriate stories. They are also published in a dyslexia friendly format. I read an e-copy, so I can not speak to it, but I love that this exists.

Murder at the Hotel Hopeless has a relatable main character- 17 year old Charlie is trying to get his driver's license, is dealing with family money troubles, oh and solving a murder.
The plot is a fun murder mystery involving stolen jewels, ex-cons, and a hearse.
It moves very quickly, but still manages to have character development.

While this book is geared toward teens, it would also be appropriate for younger readers. Recommend for ages 10+

Thanks to #Netgalley and @orcabook for an early copy for review.

[Cyrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

3
It was a short murder mystery which was pretty good but I kinda just couldn't really get into that well. I found the plot interesting but Penny and Charlie were just not a good enemies duo since it seemed like the author was always a left turn away from making them a couple even though they have like a 3-5 year age gap as teens. I liked Mr.Iggy and thought he was fun. however I felt like the whole story was a bit lack luster and could have had a little more like info to why things were happening because I felt the bankrupt /poor Penny thing was a little left field. the ending also felt rushed but not terrible.

Edit: read some other reviews and I agree with the choppy/unoriginal comments because it was basically a game of clue as a book. No hate though because I still enjoyed it enough.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the cover on, it's clear that although this is a hi-lo novel, good for teens who are learning English, it doesn't talk down to readers. (A reminder: just because the book is written at a third grade level doesn't mean the content is appropriate for readers of that age.) With a limited vocabulary, there isn't a lot of description, which keeps the action moving but also means that the characters don't have a lot of depth. In many ways, this feel like the book version of a TV series. Great for reluctant readers and those just learning English.
Review based on an eARC received through NetGalley.

[Kirstyn (readwithkirstyn) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder at the Hotel Hopeless centers around Charlie as he helps his mom run the family hotel. Everything is pretty normal until his friend dies mysteriously, he then begins to learn more about his life when he learns he left something behind for charlie. With the help of Penny Price, a child actor, he must untangle webs of secrets to find out what happened to his friend.

Murder at the Hotel Hopeless wasn't my favorite read of the year, and I struggled to stay engaged at certain points. I genuinely feel it's better for a younger crowd but still fun and light easy-to-read mystery.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute fast-paced middle school mystery book. You have a spoiled brat movie star, a teenager who lives in the rundown hotel his mother owns, an old man, and a missing diamond. This is the perfect book for a 6th grader to read. There is a murder to solve so the movie star comes to the rescue since she plays a detective on tv.

Thanks to Orca Book Publishing for a preview of the electronic book scheduled to be released on 8/22 via NetGalley.

[Jenna Scribbles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Orca Book Publishing creates titles for struggling readers or English Learners. I’d encourage Orca to analyze the Lexile score of this title. It seemed to have easy sentence structure, but difficult vocabulary.

The mystery was interesting. Unfortunately I didn’t find any of the characters likable. Penny was a brat, Charlie was always griping, mom stressed out, Dexter grumpy … Sorry. A miss for me.

I received an ARC of this ebook from the publisher and NetGalley.

[Riya Karadge · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall story is very interesting, and it kept me engaged throughout. I believe that the plot could have had more twists to it because it is very obvious to the readers who committed the crime. The main characters are very relatable and do a very good job demonstrating the importance of working together and having friends. This is a title I would recommend for middle schoolers who love a short mystery to solve by the end of the day.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give it a 3.5. I only read these types of books because they are quick and sometimes nice. It takes about an hour to read (and I'm a slow reader). It's very straightforward, like I expected. I didn't have high expectations when going into this book, but it was better than other small stories that I had read. It's nothing fancy, but it was good for what I was expecting and wanting from this book.

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute, and I enjoyed it as a quick fun read, but the ending is so abrupt and it feels like it just sort of stops. The resolution is there, and the book itself does close off the character points, but there's something more that I was hoping for here and I'm not sure how to put a finger on it.

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute middle-grade mystery that is more of a short story than a novel (it took me an hour to read from start to finish). A good mystery, although if you read mysteries often, you'll figure this one out pretty quickly.

[Bibliohiker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book.
This was a pretty quick read. I do like how one of the main characters was able to fool another main character. I like how at the end, even though Penny doesn’t have to stay at the hotel; she still wants to.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to say, quite fast-paced. But considering it's from Orca, well...

I quite enjoyed it. Penny was a very unique character, bratty but interesting. Mr. Ignato was also interesting. Plus Vancouver(!!)

[Raven Clawlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good for a young adult mystery. I figured out who it was pretty easily, just based on clues from around the book. The ending was your stereotypical ‘gun to the face but we somehow won!’ ending. Overall good and would recommend for a child who wants to read mystery.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this is written for lower level reluctant readers, but it wasn't very good. I would not hand this to a student in MS. I don't think they would trust my judgement anymore. There are better hi-lo books out there.

[Karen Fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short, but fun read; great for younger readers. This was fast moving and exciting enough to capture the attention of younger readers.

[Madeline Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a bit dark but a good mystery. There was a lot going on, which I like. Lots to focus on.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars

[Kaleidoscope · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay but felt as though I was reading a short story written by a high school student.

[Michelle Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for young adults (teens). Short and very good. Murder mystery. Great for emerging readers.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one was weird.

[Maddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need Goodreads to allow me half star ratings because this was a 2.5 😭 🙏

[kiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
.
This was a super cute and fun middle school mystery. There was a variety of characters and stereotypes, it was super fast-paced, I loved charlie as a character she was smart and driven. This is perfect for a younger reader that is interested in the mystery genre.

[Neža · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hated Penny throughout the book, but the ending changed my mind.