What do you think?
Rate this book
Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel – A Memoir of Life, Death, and America's Most Enigmatic Address
The disturbing true story of the notorious Cecil Hotel in downtown LA, by its general manager for a decade and star of the controversial Netflix documentary series Crime The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. When Amy Price took a temporary design job at an Art Deco hotel in Los Angeles to help a friend, she had no idea the path it would lead her down. Before long, she would become manager of the Cecil Hotel, seeking to make it more welcoming and correct its notoriety, not helped by sitting at the foot of Skid Row, or the fact that since its opening in 1927, there had been any number of deaths by suicide, and residents such as serial killers Richard Ramirez and Jack Unterweger. She cared about guests and residents alike, though she faced challenges on many fronts, with over eighty people dying during her decade of service. Among them was Elisa Lam, whose tragic death became the subject of a Netflix documentary series that captivated millions and led to its own controversies and unwarranted personal attacks on Amy. For the first time, Amy delves into her experiences at the Cecil Hotel. Equal parts memoir, true-crime, and cultural history, Behind the Door is essential to understanding one of America’s most enigmatic hotels.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2023
52 people are currently reading
7615 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
August 27, 2024
Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel is a Memoir written by Amy Price, who was the manager of the Cecil for a decade.
I really enjoyed this. As memoirs go, I feel it was quite interesting and it kept me engaged. I completely understand why Amy felt compelled to share her story.
I'm sure many of you are familiar with this historic L.A. property. While I knew that the hotel was considered a haunted place, steeped in dark history, including as the place the Night Stalker was staying during the time of his killings, I really knew nothing else about it.
I learned so much and have a new appreciation for the complicated purpose and history of this hotel.
If you arrive with this book in your hand and you are expecting a strict True Crime story, maybe focusing on the infamous case of Elisa Lam, you may be disappointed, because that is not what this book is.
Amy was the manager of the hotel during Elisa's stay, and she does discuss it, but it is by no means the focus of this books. It is one amongst many tragic stories that Amy watched first hand play out and relays here.
As mentioned above, I completely understand why Amy would want to tell this story. Particularly after the Netflix documentary on the Lam case released. I think it was easy for people to sort of vilify Amy as the person in charge, and say she should have done more when Elisa was exhibiting unusual behavior.
But I feel like when you hear the greater context of the hotel, its function, it's location, the types of things that happened there on an all too regular basis, you'll come to maybe understand that Elisa's behavior really wasn't that unusual at the Cecil. It was just another day.
I wasn't reading this for the Lam case, so I didn't mind that it wasn't focused on. I was reading it more for the history of the hotel and what it would be like to work there.
Amy delivered those things to me very well. I walk away with a better understanding of this property that has become as infamous as The Overlook in pop culture.
Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a quick read, and a fascinating glimpse into a place I will most likely never see first hand.
I really enjoyed this. As memoirs go, I feel it was quite interesting and it kept me engaged. I completely understand why Amy felt compelled to share her story.
I'm sure many of you are familiar with this historic L.A. property. While I knew that the hotel was considered a haunted place, steeped in dark history, including as the place the Night Stalker was staying during the time of his killings, I really knew nothing else about it.
I learned so much and have a new appreciation for the complicated purpose and history of this hotel.
If you arrive with this book in your hand and you are expecting a strict True Crime story, maybe focusing on the infamous case of Elisa Lam, you may be disappointed, because that is not what this book is.
Amy was the manager of the hotel during Elisa's stay, and she does discuss it, but it is by no means the focus of this books. It is one amongst many tragic stories that Amy watched first hand play out and relays here.
As mentioned above, I completely understand why Amy would want to tell this story. Particularly after the Netflix documentary on the Lam case released. I think it was easy for people to sort of vilify Amy as the person in charge, and say she should have done more when Elisa was exhibiting unusual behavior.
But I feel like when you hear the greater context of the hotel, its function, it's location, the types of things that happened there on an all too regular basis, you'll come to maybe understand that Elisa's behavior really wasn't that unusual at the Cecil. It was just another day.
I wasn't reading this for the Lam case, so I didn't mind that it wasn't focused on. I was reading it more for the history of the hotel and what it would be like to work there.
Amy delivered those things to me very well. I walk away with a better understanding of this property that has become as infamous as The Overlook in pop culture.
Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a quick read, and a fascinating glimpse into a place I will most likely never see first hand.
June 9, 2023
The dark truths and untold stories of the Cecil hotel…… I think it was more about Amy Price.
Sure she mentions some goings on at the hotel but most of the book was about her.
This was not expected.
Sure she mentions some goings on at the hotel but most of the book was about her.
This was not expected.
April 7, 2024
I didn't expect this to be a memoir of Price's life, rather, I thought it would be an in-depth look at the Cecil from the impression given by the book cover and synopsis. Price worked there for 10 years, so she does talk about the residents, the deaths that occurred, and how her friend's husband embezzled a huge amount of money from the owners of the hotel. However, the stories were a bit cursory and only one or two were interesting. Everything took a back seat to Price detailing her sheltered upbringing in Michigan, her many jobs, her jewelry making business, her troubled relationships, etc.
1.5 stars (very MEH)
1.5 stars (very MEH)
March 7, 2024
The book claims to be about the dark secrets and stories of the hotel, however, the book is mostly a memoir written by a hotel manager who was in charge during recent times. She recalls some stories of tenants of the building that she basically was trying to remove, so that they could make the hotel along the likes of a Best Western. Lol.
The book had some promise, if she had just stuck to writing about the hotel, but about 80 percent of it is about her life, how she became manager, her boyfriends, and how her bestie Pedro was the unofficial tour guide/historian.. imo she should have left this book to him, guarantee this would have been a much better book.
So after everything, I gave the book 2 stars for the little bit she did write about her tenant experiences. I wish more had been written about the history of The Cecil, and that more heart had been given to those who called The Cecil home.
The book had some promise, if she had just stuck to writing about the hotel, but about 80 percent of it is about her life, how she became manager, her boyfriends, and how her bestie Pedro was the unofficial tour guide/historian.. imo she should have left this book to him, guarantee this would have been a much better book.
So after everything, I gave the book 2 stars for the little bit she did write about her tenant experiences. I wish more had been written about the history of The Cecil, and that more heart had been given to those who called The Cecil home.
May 10, 2023
There could be a myriad of reasons why one would be familiar with L.A.'s historic Hotel Cecil, a 700-room behemoth on the edge of Skid Row that opened in 1924 as a budget hotel with opulent marble lobby with stained-glass windows, potted palms, and alabaster statuary.
The hotel managed to thrive even through the Great Depression, however, by the 1940s began to experience a decline largely due to the growing influence of its proximity to a burgeoning Skid Row population.
"Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil" is in many ways a companion piece to the 2021 Netflix docuseries "Crime Scene: the Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel" that recounted the hotel's dark history and focused on the mysterious disappearance and death of Elisa Lam, a young Canadian student who was ultimately found naked in the hotel's rooftop cistern.
It was for ten years that Amy Price served as an employee of the hotel, first as a favor to a friend to help in a planned renewal effort around 2007-2008 and through her being named the hotel's general manager and the hotel's eventual closure and sale to Richard Born that resulted in the hotel becoming, in 2021, an affordable housing complex.
With "Behind the Door," Price takes us on a journey through her experiences while at the Cecil Hotel while also painting a portrait of the unique characters who often served as the hotel's residents from those with mental illness to suspected child molesters to a number of folks for whom addiction took its toll and the Cecil became their only affordable option. Price, of course, references the Cecil's most notorious former residents - such as serial killer Richard Ramirez and Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger. Unsurprisingly, Price gives the most time to Lam, whose presence was during the years when Price was GM and whose death led to an extended period of "tragedy tourism" for the hotel.
While the Lam sections are intriguing, they for the most part are familiar for anyone familiar with the story other than offering Price herself the opportunity to present her own theories about what happened to Lam. Her theories, however, align almost perfectly with Lam's actual autopsy and what the official investigation would ultimately conclude - accidental death by drowning complicated by Lam's existing bipolar disorder for which it was believed she'd not been taking her medications.
For the most part, however, "Behind the Door" is less about dark truths and more about the woeful inadequacy of social and justice systems that fail to meet the needs of the people who often filled the halls of the Cecil and those same systems who would often respond slowly, if at all, when these people would experience a crisis while at the hotel. While Price's observations are valuable, and very likely accurate, they are shared with a surprising lack of emotional resonance and with a sort of detached shrug that often feels like the systems she's describing.
Some of this, of course, is reasonable. As someone who worked in crisis intervention for ten years, I'm very aware that a certain amount of detachment is necessary to survive the levels of trauma that one experiences. Considering Price reports having experienced an estimated 80 deaths during her ten years at the Cecil, a certain professional detachment is the only way to survive the experience.
However, the impact becomes that the "dark truths" don't feel quite so dark and the "untold stories" feel sadly familiar. With only relatively brief mentions of Ramirez and Unterweger and very little, if any, recounting of the hotel's early years, "Behind the Door" ends up missing a grand opportunity to really delve into its history of suicides, homicides, and violence. While there's some reference to it, the hotel's reputation as a haunted hotel is largely ignored, while instead "Behind the Door" largely exists as an expose of the attempted renewal of the hotel and that attempt's ultimate failure.
"Behind the Door" is most engaging when Price gives an inside glimpse into the politics of renewal and the people with whom she worked. It has to be a unique experience to work within the walls of the Cecil and Price does a nice job of bringing that experience to life. She also brings to life just how invasive the demands were on her life as this iconic yet troubled hotel seemed to nearly constantly experience a crisis of some sort and time after time she writes of vacations interrupted, evening phone calls, and so much more. It is during these stories that "Behind the Door" most shines, though those hoping for a deep dive into the hotel's great mysteries will likely be at least modestly disappointed.
The hotel managed to thrive even through the Great Depression, however, by the 1940s began to experience a decline largely due to the growing influence of its proximity to a burgeoning Skid Row population.
"Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil" is in many ways a companion piece to the 2021 Netflix docuseries "Crime Scene: the Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel" that recounted the hotel's dark history and focused on the mysterious disappearance and death of Elisa Lam, a young Canadian student who was ultimately found naked in the hotel's rooftop cistern.
It was for ten years that Amy Price served as an employee of the hotel, first as a favor to a friend to help in a planned renewal effort around 2007-2008 and through her being named the hotel's general manager and the hotel's eventual closure and sale to Richard Born that resulted in the hotel becoming, in 2021, an affordable housing complex.
With "Behind the Door," Price takes us on a journey through her experiences while at the Cecil Hotel while also painting a portrait of the unique characters who often served as the hotel's residents from those with mental illness to suspected child molesters to a number of folks for whom addiction took its toll and the Cecil became their only affordable option. Price, of course, references the Cecil's most notorious former residents - such as serial killer Richard Ramirez and Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger. Unsurprisingly, Price gives the most time to Lam, whose presence was during the years when Price was GM and whose death led to an extended period of "tragedy tourism" for the hotel.
While the Lam sections are intriguing, they for the most part are familiar for anyone familiar with the story other than offering Price herself the opportunity to present her own theories about what happened to Lam. Her theories, however, align almost perfectly with Lam's actual autopsy and what the official investigation would ultimately conclude - accidental death by drowning complicated by Lam's existing bipolar disorder for which it was believed she'd not been taking her medications.
For the most part, however, "Behind the Door" is less about dark truths and more about the woeful inadequacy of social and justice systems that fail to meet the needs of the people who often filled the halls of the Cecil and those same systems who would often respond slowly, if at all, when these people would experience a crisis while at the hotel. While Price's observations are valuable, and very likely accurate, they are shared with a surprising lack of emotional resonance and with a sort of detached shrug that often feels like the systems she's describing.
Some of this, of course, is reasonable. As someone who worked in crisis intervention for ten years, I'm very aware that a certain amount of detachment is necessary to survive the levels of trauma that one experiences. Considering Price reports having experienced an estimated 80 deaths during her ten years at the Cecil, a certain professional detachment is the only way to survive the experience.
However, the impact becomes that the "dark truths" don't feel quite so dark and the "untold stories" feel sadly familiar. With only relatively brief mentions of Ramirez and Unterweger and very little, if any, recounting of the hotel's early years, "Behind the Door" ends up missing a grand opportunity to really delve into its history of suicides, homicides, and violence. While there's some reference to it, the hotel's reputation as a haunted hotel is largely ignored, while instead "Behind the Door" largely exists as an expose of the attempted renewal of the hotel and that attempt's ultimate failure.
"Behind the Door" is most engaging when Price gives an inside glimpse into the politics of renewal and the people with whom she worked. It has to be a unique experience to work within the walls of the Cecil and Price does a nice job of bringing that experience to life. She also brings to life just how invasive the demands were on her life as this iconic yet troubled hotel seemed to nearly constantly experience a crisis of some sort and time after time she writes of vacations interrupted, evening phone calls, and so much more. It is during these stories that "Behind the Door" most shines, though those hoping for a deep dive into the hotel's great mysteries will likely be at least modestly disappointed.
June 9, 2023
I am literally Dateline’s number one fan. If I’m ever murdered, I want Keith Morrison to narrate my life.
I am completely and totally obsessed with true crime. When I first heard about the Cecil Hotel mysteries on dateline, I feverishly sought out to watch and read every last detail.
After a bit you start to repeat things you already knew . This was not the case for Behind the Door. Amy Price did a magnificent job sending chills up my spine as I absorbed every last word she wrote . Price had first hand knowledge of what was happening at Cecil, as the general manager. The secrets were explosive and terrifying.
I really hope Amy Price continues to write, she definitely has a natural talent for story telling
If you haven’t heard of the Cecil murders you need this book, if you have heard, you still need the book. 🙃
Teaser:
When Amy Price took a temporary design job at an Art Deco hotel in Los Angeles to help a friend, she had no idea the path it would lead her down. Before long, she would become manager of the Cecil Hotel, seeking to make it more welcoming and correct its notoriety, not helped by sitting at the foot of Skid Row, or the fact that since its opening in 1927, there had been any number of deaths by suicide, and residents such as serial killers Richard Ramirez and Jack Unterweger.
She cared about guests and residents alike, though she faced challenges on many fronts, with over eighty people dying during her decade of service. Among them was Elisa Lam, whose tragic death became the subject of a Netflix documentary series that captivated millions and led to its own controversies and unwarranted personal attacks on Amy.
For the first time, Amy delves into her experiences at the Cecil Hotel. Equal parts memoir, true-crime, and cultural history, Behind the Door is essential to understanding one of America’s most enigmatic hotels.
I am completely and totally obsessed with true crime. When I first heard about the Cecil Hotel mysteries on dateline, I feverishly sought out to watch and read every last detail.
After a bit you start to repeat things you already knew . This was not the case for Behind the Door. Amy Price did a magnificent job sending chills up my spine as I absorbed every last word she wrote . Price had first hand knowledge of what was happening at Cecil, as the general manager. The secrets were explosive and terrifying.
I really hope Amy Price continues to write, she definitely has a natural talent for story telling
If you haven’t heard of the Cecil murders you need this book, if you have heard, you still need the book. 🙃
Teaser:
When Amy Price took a temporary design job at an Art Deco hotel in Los Angeles to help a friend, she had no idea the path it would lead her down. Before long, she would become manager of the Cecil Hotel, seeking to make it more welcoming and correct its notoriety, not helped by sitting at the foot of Skid Row, or the fact that since its opening in 1927, there had been any number of deaths by suicide, and residents such as serial killers Richard Ramirez and Jack Unterweger.
She cared about guests and residents alike, though she faced challenges on many fronts, with over eighty people dying during her decade of service. Among them was Elisa Lam, whose tragic death became the subject of a Netflix documentary series that captivated millions and led to its own controversies and unwarranted personal attacks on Amy.
For the first time, Amy delves into her experiences at the Cecil Hotel. Equal parts memoir, true-crime, and cultural history, Behind the Door is essential to understanding one of America’s most enigmatic hotels.
June 25, 2024
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to William Morrow for choosing me.
This book sounded promising, and I was interested when I entered the giveaway, but it didn't keep my interest. I found it odd that the writer was so vague about all of her recollections. I understand that we don't remember every little detail, yet I had issues with her lack of memory at literally every turn.
There was a lot about her personal life that had nothing to do with the hotel, which I find to be a little odd since the book is marketed to be about the hotel. Even the name of the book gives you the idea that it's going to be about the Cecil Hotel.
I found myself skimming parts of the book and just wanting it to end. It felt a little disjointed, and I feel it could've been a better book without so many of the unnecessary tangents about her personal life.
It wasn't for me, but maybe someone out there will enjoy it.
This book sounded promising, and I was interested when I entered the giveaway, but it didn't keep my interest. I found it odd that the writer was so vague about all of her recollections. I understand that we don't remember every little detail, yet I had issues with her lack of memory at literally every turn.
There was a lot about her personal life that had nothing to do with the hotel, which I find to be a little odd since the book is marketed to be about the hotel. Even the name of the book gives you the idea that it's going to be about the Cecil Hotel.
I found myself skimming parts of the book and just wanting it to end. It felt a little disjointed, and I feel it could've been a better book without so many of the unnecessary tangents about her personal life.
It wasn't for me, but maybe someone out there will enjoy it.
February 5, 2025
so this was kind of a mess, like totally all over the place and losing its focus completely in the last third? quarter? BUT the writing wasn’t bad at all and the stories about the hotel were entertaining, so i enjoyed it anyway. it took me a hot minute to get into it but once we got to her time at the cecil i read the rest in one sitting. 4 stars for the middle, 3 for everything else.
May 27, 2023
As someone who was born and raised in Los Angeles, I am very familiar with the Cecil hotel and it's dark history - the serial killers, the suicides, etc. I have even driven by the Cecil hotel when in downtown Los Angeles.
I loved reading about the other residents that lived at there and were overshadowed with the darker news stories. I didn't realize Amy Price was the general manager from the Netflix series until I looked the author up after receiving the ARC. I loved hearing about the positive things she was trying to do for the hotel and for the residents, and the different personalities of those who lived there. This different outlook changed my view of the Cecil hotel and it doesn't seem quite so sinister anymore.
That said, I did rate this three stars for many reasons. I understand the book was part memoir and I loved hearing about Amy's experience in regard to the hotel. However, I could have done without the chapters on her love life. I was more so interested in the hotel and her take on that. Not her on again off again relationship with Teddy, etc. The timeline within the book was very jumpy and confusing as well. There was also a LOT of redundancy because of all the jumping - "More on that later..", "as you will see" were repeated a lot. This felt more like live journal entries than a book.
Overall, if you are interested in learning more about the Cecil hotel despite the usual new stories, I would definitely recommend this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an advance e-copy of this book.
I loved reading about the other residents that lived at there and were overshadowed with the darker news stories. I didn't realize Amy Price was the general manager from the Netflix series until I looked the author up after receiving the ARC. I loved hearing about the positive things she was trying to do for the hotel and for the residents, and the different personalities of those who lived there. This different outlook changed my view of the Cecil hotel and it doesn't seem quite so sinister anymore.
That said, I did rate this three stars for many reasons. I understand the book was part memoir and I loved hearing about Amy's experience in regard to the hotel. However, I could have done without the chapters on her love life. I was more so interested in the hotel and her take on that. Not her on again off again relationship with Teddy, etc. The timeline within the book was very jumpy and confusing as well. There was also a LOT of redundancy because of all the jumping - "More on that later..", "as you will see" were repeated a lot. This felt more like live journal entries than a book.
Overall, if you are interested in learning more about the Cecil hotel despite the usual new stories, I would definitely recommend this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an advance e-copy of this book.
February 11, 2024
This book. I wanted to like it. The numerous “more on that later” and “can’t remember…” was a turn off after a while. Also the confusing turn in the book where it’s suddenly about her romance with Ted. What does that have to do with the hotel? I started skimming pages towards the end and just wanted it to be over.
October 19, 2023
This was just okay…if she focused on the people she met at the hotel and some of the history of it, this would have been a great read, however, she comes across as arrogant and self absorbed in many instances and just plain odd. I don’t care about her relationship with a drug addict or her frustration with a tenant at the hotel who wouldn’t pay or her annoyance that the hotel has a bad reputation. Lady, you’re 2 streets away from being in skid row, you yourself mentioned people selling drugs and prostitution activities in the alley next door…how can it not have a bad reputation?
Ick…& what’s with her and the maintenance worker? I don’t think she had anything to do with Elisa Pam’s murder but I certainly think she’s covering for somebody—maybe Pedro the maintenance man???
Ick…& what’s with her and the maintenance worker? I don’t think she had anything to do with Elisa Pam’s murder but I certainly think she’s covering for somebody—maybe Pedro the maintenance man???
October 31, 2023
I wish I could give this zero stars. I listened to this on audio and I was so disappointed. The entire book was about the author and how “great” of an employee she was. There were “dark” things mentioned, but only in passing. There was no true crime content. This was a fail and I hope I can save you from wasting money on a book with a very deceiving title.
October 15, 2023
Behind the Door is the story of author Amy Price, the former general manager of the infamous Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.
Amy worked at the Cecil/Stay/Stay on Main for 10 years, including the time when Elisa Lam disappeared and was later found dead. Originally hired to revamp several rooms, Amy's position changed and changed and changed until she was in charge of the entire place. The book takes us through her entire time at the hotel. It includes stories about residents, staff, and a lovely friendship between her and the maintenance manager, Pedro (who had been working at the hotel since 1984). When Amy first met Pedro, she asked him how many people had died at the hotel. Pedro's answer: "A lot." During the 10 years of Amy's stay, approximately 80 people met their demise.
I have a fascination with a bunch of weird places around the world - and the Cecil is one of them. Even for a large hotel, there has been a ton of deaths there. Amy talks about ones that occur during her tenure, but also highlights some of the more memorable stories before her time - personally, I always thought that the story of a woman leaping to her death and hitting a man on the sidewalk killing both was especially sad.
And of course, we learn Elisa Lam's story from her point of view. Remember her? The young woman that was acting odd before disappearing?
Weeks after disappearing, Amy was notified by Pedro that a member of the maintenance staff found her body in the large water tank on the roof of the hotel. I'm weird in many aspects, but even now I still gag at the thought of drinking and bathing in people soup. (Yes, that is a crude way of putting it but ever since I read about it, that's all I could think.)
Amy chronicles the entire event, including showing the parents the water tank and her appearance on the Netflix documentary. There is some information that I had never seen mentioned before.
Ultimately, I believe most people will be reading for the Lam story (which appears around the half-way point of the book). And while many people may complain that this book was too much about the author - it was a bit heavy about her towards the end, in my opinion - overall, this was a fascinating tale about a screwed up hotel in a screwed up area of a screwed up city. I don't read non-fiction unless it is about a subject I'm thoroughly interested in and even then, I sometimes get bored. While the entire tale was not exclusively about the hotel, the conversational tone made it easy to lose myself in the story. If you are looking for an interesting read and/or are obsessed about the Cecil, this is your book.
Amy worked at the Cecil/Stay/Stay on Main for 10 years, including the time when Elisa Lam disappeared and was later found dead. Originally hired to revamp several rooms, Amy's position changed and changed and changed until she was in charge of the entire place. The book takes us through her entire time at the hotel. It includes stories about residents, staff, and a lovely friendship between her and the maintenance manager, Pedro (who had been working at the hotel since 1984). When Amy first met Pedro, she asked him how many people had died at the hotel. Pedro's answer: "A lot." During the 10 years of Amy's stay, approximately 80 people met their demise.
I have a fascination with a bunch of weird places around the world - and the Cecil is one of them. Even for a large hotel, there has been a ton of deaths there. Amy talks about ones that occur during her tenure, but also highlights some of the more memorable stories before her time - personally, I always thought that the story of a woman leaping to her death and hitting a man on the sidewalk killing both was especially sad.
And of course, we learn Elisa Lam's story from her point of view. Remember her? The young woman that was acting odd before disappearing?
Weeks after disappearing, Amy was notified by Pedro that a member of the maintenance staff found her body in the large water tank on the roof of the hotel. I'm weird in many aspects, but even now I still gag at the thought of drinking and bathing in people soup. (Yes, that is a crude way of putting it but ever since I read about it, that's all I could think.)
Amy chronicles the entire event, including showing the parents the water tank and her appearance on the Netflix documentary. There is some information that I had never seen mentioned before.
Ultimately, I believe most people will be reading for the Lam story (which appears around the half-way point of the book). And while many people may complain that this book was too much about the author - it was a bit heavy about her towards the end, in my opinion - overall, this was a fascinating tale about a screwed up hotel in a screwed up area of a screwed up city. I don't read non-fiction unless it is about a subject I'm thoroughly interested in and even then, I sometimes get bored. While the entire tale was not exclusively about the hotel, the conversational tone made it easy to lose myself in the story. If you are looking for an interesting read and/or are obsessed about the Cecil, this is your book.
July 17, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. The author, Amy Price, was the manager of the Cecil Hotel and tells some of the stories of events and people that were tenants of the hotel, at the time she worked there. She also told of some of the events that happened after she left there and her participation in the Netflix documentary on the Cecil Hotel. She describes some about her life, former love, her expression of her creative self, as a maker and designer of her own jewelry, ( that is a business venture of hers) as an interior designer and how she came to be the manager of the Cecil Hotel, in California. Some people didn't like the fact that she talked about her former love in the book, but I think it all connected with her story, to help us to further understand her entire story. To better understand ones' current life situations, it helps to know ones' past, therefore, nothing is inconsequential.
While I thought the book would read more like a paranormal horror story, though it did have some creepy events that occurred at the Cecil Hotel, it focused on the human element of life at the Cecil, her work there and her work and friendship with Pedro, one of the workers there, that worked with her daily, knew more than any other employee at the Cecil, about the events that took place there and whom became a best friend and confidant with the author. As author Amy Price stated in her book, "I will remember the Cecil as the place where I learned that everybody has a story, and that the determining factor of whether that story is mostly happy or mostly sad is really nothing more than luck." and "Mostly, I will remember the Cecil as the place that taught me the true meaning of friendship, and of love."
Entertaining, well-written and thought provoking book. Thank you for sharing your story, Amy Price. I'm really glad you did.
Thank you to Harper Collins/William Morrow publishing, author Amy Price and Goodreads for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of the book, in exchange for my honest review.
While I thought the book would read more like a paranormal horror story, though it did have some creepy events that occurred at the Cecil Hotel, it focused on the human element of life at the Cecil, her work there and her work and friendship with Pedro, one of the workers there, that worked with her daily, knew more than any other employee at the Cecil, about the events that took place there and whom became a best friend and confidant with the author. As author Amy Price stated in her book, "I will remember the Cecil as the place where I learned that everybody has a story, and that the determining factor of whether that story is mostly happy or mostly sad is really nothing more than luck." and "Mostly, I will remember the Cecil as the place that taught me the true meaning of friendship, and of love."
Entertaining, well-written and thought provoking book. Thank you for sharing your story, Amy Price. I'm really glad you did.
Thank you to Harper Collins/William Morrow publishing, author Amy Price and Goodreads for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of the book, in exchange for my honest review.
June 3, 2023
I received an advance copy from Goodreads. THANK YOU!
Overall, I liked the idea of this book. Being the general manager of the Cecil Hotel, she has stories and experiences that people will be interested in knowing. I personally feel like the book fell flat and was quite boring compared to how it is marketed. I have not seen the Netflix interview but it seems like it painted her in a negative light and she wanted to set the record straight by telling her side of the story and sharing her experiences while employed at the Cecil. I enjoyed learning more about the hotel but the way it was told felt very sporadic and disjointed. Some things were detailed but a lot of things were vague and didn't really make much sense. It seemed like she was interviewed and they just wrote what she said and how she remembered things here and there. I did watch the AHS:Hotel season and thought it was really interesting. I'm definitely interested in learning more about the history of the hotel. I just personally don't feel like this book did it for me. It might be better as a show or an interview, where we could see the authors personality more.
Overall, I liked the idea of this book. Being the general manager of the Cecil Hotel, she has stories and experiences that people will be interested in knowing. I personally feel like the book fell flat and was quite boring compared to how it is marketed. I have not seen the Netflix interview but it seems like it painted her in a negative light and she wanted to set the record straight by telling her side of the story and sharing her experiences while employed at the Cecil. I enjoyed learning more about the hotel but the way it was told felt very sporadic and disjointed. Some things were detailed but a lot of things were vague and didn't really make much sense. It seemed like she was interviewed and they just wrote what she said and how she remembered things here and there. I did watch the AHS:Hotel season and thought it was really interesting. I'm definitely interested in learning more about the history of the hotel. I just personally don't feel like this book did it for me. It might be better as a show or an interview, where we could see the authors personality more.
September 28, 2023
I'm a voyer. A true crime junky. The creepier the better. So, of course, I watched the Netflix documentary on Elisa Lam and the Cecil Hotel. I watched it a few times. When I saw this book, there was no question, I absolutely had to read it.
The book focuses on the woman who served as the Cecil's manager when Elisa Lam was found and her experience with the hotel before Elisa, during, and after. It's juicy, bizarre, morbid, chilling, funny, haunting, intriguing, spooky.
The story of Mr. Sanchez was particularly unsettling. Not because of him or what happened to him but because Price's opinion on him sounded as though he was wrong for who he was. It rubbed me the wrong way.
This story doesn't get to Elisa until the 46% mark (Chapter Eleven). Just in case that's all you want to read about. Elisa had some rather strange behavior leading up to her going missing. Mostly passive aggressively assaulting other guests and some very odd comments. So, Amy had her moved to a private room, and shortly after she stopped calling her parents and was then reported missing. This book cemented my beliefs of what happened to poor Elisa.
As for the Cecil ... Nothing can contain so much evil and tragedy without becoming tainted, stained.
The book focuses on the woman who served as the Cecil's manager when Elisa Lam was found and her experience with the hotel before Elisa, during, and after. It's juicy, bizarre, morbid, chilling, funny, haunting, intriguing, spooky.
The story of Mr. Sanchez was particularly unsettling. Not because of him or what happened to him but because Price's opinion on him sounded as though he was wrong for who he was. It rubbed me the wrong way.
This story doesn't get to Elisa until the 46% mark (Chapter Eleven). Just in case that's all you want to read about. Elisa had some rather strange behavior leading up to her going missing. Mostly passive aggressively assaulting other guests and some very odd comments. So, Amy had her moved to a private room, and shortly after she stopped calling her parents and was then reported missing. This book cemented my beliefs of what happened to poor Elisa.
As for the Cecil ... Nothing can contain so much evil and tragedy without becoming tainted, stained.
June 5, 2023
I received a free copy of, Behind the Door, By Amy Price, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Cecil Hotel has always fascinated me, al the deaths and evil surrounding the hotel by skid row. Elisa Lam story is so sad, how did she die? Such a sad story. The Cecil Hotel has so many stories to tell, this book was ok, I was expecting more from it then it delivered.
November 12, 2023
For decades, The Cecil Hotel, in downtown LA, has played in pop culture as this dark, mysterious place where death looms around the corner. But for Amy Price, the general manager for close to a decade until its closure (as a hotel, it is now low-income housing) in 2017, it was a place of friendship, quirky tenants and personal growth. In Behind The Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel, Amy Price delivers on that: sad, dark and scary stories of the lives of people who made The Cecil their home or passed by as hotel guests.
It makes for a very entertaining read - I devoted all 230 pages in one sitting. Though Price opens up her heart and the shares the difficult situations that shaped her character, she still comes out a bit detached and emotional. But I think that’s the only way to deliver on these hard truths at the Cecil or it would have made for a very emotionally hard read. If you loved the Netflix show and true crude, this might be your escapist read.
It makes for a very entertaining read - I devoted all 230 pages in one sitting. Though Price opens up her heart and the shares the difficult situations that shaped her character, she still comes out a bit detached and emotional. But I think that’s the only way to deliver on these hard truths at the Cecil or it would have made for a very emotionally hard read. If you loved the Netflix show and true crude, this might be your escapist read.
January 1, 2024
More of an autobiography than the title implies, which was fine by me but may annoy people who came to rubberneck at the hotel.
May 17, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was very informative, and I enjoyed reading it after having watched the Netflix series when it first came out. The timeline skipped around a lot, and the book would have been better in full, rather than partial, chronological order of events. I think this book had a lot of potential. With some rearranging and a change of tone in places, it could go from a decent read to a really great one. This definitely expanded upon the Netflix series and I learned more information about the day-to-day happenings and upper management issues of the hotel. It didn't expand too much on the Elisa Lam case, but it did give more perspective. The chapters about the author's personal life easily could have, and should have, been omitted. I wanted to know more about the hotel, not her ex boyfriends.
This book was very informative, and I enjoyed reading it after having watched the Netflix series when it first came out. The timeline skipped around a lot, and the book would have been better in full, rather than partial, chronological order of events. I think this book had a lot of potential. With some rearranging and a change of tone in places, it could go from a decent read to a really great one. This definitely expanded upon the Netflix series and I learned more information about the day-to-day happenings and upper management issues of the hotel. It didn't expand too much on the Elisa Lam case, but it did give more perspective. The chapters about the author's personal life easily could have, and should have, been omitted. I wanted to know more about the hotel, not her ex boyfriends.
Read
June 12, 2024I remember watching the Netflix documentary on The Cecil Hotel...good companion read from someone who worked there and experienced it all! Audiobook was well done.
June 1, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because Amy Price is one of the lone decent people in LA.
The story is marketed as a recent history of the Cecil Hotel, a landmark Art Deco building in downtown LA steps away from Skid Row. In reality, it’s Amy Price’s memoir of her time at the Cecil - the wild, unpredictable, and overwhelming - juxtaposed with her own complimentary life story. Amy is overly sympathetic, bordering on naive, and it’s interesting to read about how calmly she can handle situations with unstable residents but can’t see past the many, many, many mistakes of her high school sweetheart.
This book is very humble: she doesn’t try to glorify or exaggerate her experiences, speaking in short simple sentences. Amy is earnest in her sympathy for the residents and guests under her care. You can feel her guilt, even years after she’s left the Cecil, that she wasn’t able to help more people. It’s endearing to read.
I am interested in more history of the Cecil and hope Amy is able to find happiness in her post-Cecil life.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The story is marketed as a recent history of the Cecil Hotel, a landmark Art Deco building in downtown LA steps away from Skid Row. In reality, it’s Amy Price’s memoir of her time at the Cecil - the wild, unpredictable, and overwhelming - juxtaposed with her own complimentary life story. Amy is overly sympathetic, bordering on naive, and it’s interesting to read about how calmly she can handle situations with unstable residents but can’t see past the many, many, many mistakes of her high school sweetheart.
This book is very humble: she doesn’t try to glorify or exaggerate her experiences, speaking in short simple sentences. Amy is earnest in her sympathy for the residents and guests under her care. You can feel her guilt, even years after she’s left the Cecil, that she wasn’t able to help more people. It’s endearing to read.
I am interested in more history of the Cecil and hope Amy is able to find happiness in her post-Cecil life.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2023
This read more like a memoir than a behind the scenes look at the Cecil Hotel. I would've enjoyed it more had there not been so much about her boyfriends. I was shocked by some of the stories of the tenants and guests. Never a dull moment there, that's for sure!
I'd recommend watching the Netflix series if you want a deep dive into the hotel, especially the bizarre death of Elisa Lam.
2.5 rounded up.
I'd recommend watching the Netflix series if you want a deep dive into the hotel, especially the bizarre death of Elisa Lam.
2.5 rounded up.
October 28, 2023
Amy Price did a very good job with this book. I watched the Netflix docuseries when it aired and became fascinated with the history of the Cecil Hotel.
I am glad that she decided to tell her story as she is entitled to do so. Her stories as a GM at the hotel were told respectfully. I admire someone who dedicated a decade of their life working at a hotel in downtown LA next to Skid Row. I did not know anything about Amy other than her position as the former general manager of the hotel and I pre-ordered her book anticipating to gain understanding of Cecil’s occupants and the day to day happenings in it.
The book was well written. It’s contents were intriguing and formatted just right. Flows nicely from one topic to the next. Amy was likable as the narrator. It contained some history of the hotel as well as logistics of running such a huge operation, ill managed or otherwise. I would definitely read books written by former employees of the hotel if released.
This one was entertaining and fun to read. Brain candy for sure.
I am glad that she decided to tell her story as she is entitled to do so. Her stories as a GM at the hotel were told respectfully. I admire someone who dedicated a decade of their life working at a hotel in downtown LA next to Skid Row. I did not know anything about Amy other than her position as the former general manager of the hotel and I pre-ordered her book anticipating to gain understanding of Cecil’s occupants and the day to day happenings in it.
The book was well written. It’s contents were intriguing and formatted just right. Flows nicely from one topic to the next. Amy was likable as the narrator. It contained some history of the hotel as well as logistics of running such a huge operation, ill managed or otherwise. I would definitely read books written by former employees of the hotel if released.
This one was entertaining and fun to read. Brain candy for sure.
September 29, 2023
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.
I have been fascinated by the Cecil Hotel for a while, from the rumors surrounding Richard Ramirez’s stay there, to the Austrian serial killer posing as a journalist, to the Elisa Lam case. Ms. Price actually worked at the Cecil, and not only worked there, but ran it. She has all the stories from her time there, and she’s willing and able to share them.
This was a really interesting book. Touching on some of the more famous aspects of the Cecil’s history, this book also delves into and really humanizes many of the lesser known tenants that lived there, many of whom had their own secret stories. Price also gives us insight into her life, and how the Cecil impacted her and became such a huge part of her life.
If you too are interested in the Cecil Hotel, I would recommend this book.
I have been fascinated by the Cecil Hotel for a while, from the rumors surrounding Richard Ramirez’s stay there, to the Austrian serial killer posing as a journalist, to the Elisa Lam case. Ms. Price actually worked at the Cecil, and not only worked there, but ran it. She has all the stories from her time there, and she’s willing and able to share them.
This was a really interesting book. Touching on some of the more famous aspects of the Cecil’s history, this book also delves into and really humanizes many of the lesser known tenants that lived there, many of whom had their own secret stories. Price also gives us insight into her life, and how the Cecil impacted her and became such a huge part of her life.
If you too are interested in the Cecil Hotel, I would recommend this book.
October 25, 2023
There are three sides to every story, yours, theirs, and the truth. Most people have heard the stories about the Cecil Hotel and all the drama that is associated with the hotel. Behind the Door is Amy Price's version of the story. She was the manager of the hotel for over a decade. She saw the good, the bad, and the ugly. Price also was vilified for being the manager by people all over the world after the Netflix docudrama on the hotel. This is Price's story of redemption. She is tells her story of how she becomes the manager and why she stayed. I think she had hoped that this story would paint her in a more redeeming light but again, this is only her version of events, which unfortunately comes across as her being self-centered rather than altruistic. I enjoyed reading this book and seeing things from Price's vantage point. I enjoyed the interesting tidbits about the goings on at the hotel. It didn't leave me feeling any particular way about Price, no more or no less than I had before reading the story but I didn't really have an opinion about her one way or the other. I think it is an interesting book that can be enjoyed regardless of your opinions of the author.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins publishing for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins publishing for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.
August 23, 2024
Unusual Memoir
There are points in this book where I feel the differences between myself and the narrator deviate tremendously. There are other parts where I’m seeing things completely through her eyes, a shared experience. This is a good book, but it is truly a memoir, not in the realm of true crime. I think it’s most effective as a commentary on the experience of understanding the crisis of mental health in American urban centers. There’s so much that could be done, but isn’t. That’s the real strength of Price’s perspective, it’s clear, detailed, and a little naive, but very authentic. Well done.
There are points in this book where I feel the differences between myself and the narrator deviate tremendously. There are other parts where I’m seeing things completely through her eyes, a shared experience. This is a good book, but it is truly a memoir, not in the realm of true crime. I think it’s most effective as a commentary on the experience of understanding the crisis of mental health in American urban centers. There’s so much that could be done, but isn’t. That’s the real strength of Price’s perspective, it’s clear, detailed, and a little naive, but very authentic. Well done.
June 2, 2024
I knew absolutely nothing about this, but reading this book was like when you see a dumpster fire and can't look away. Like this hotel was a mess and there was so much going on, and it was insane. Furthermore, hearing some of the questionable choices Price made in a memoir level true crime was so interesting. However I question the place of personal memory in a True Crime focused book. Regardless, this was such an interesting piece of history to learn about which presented the reality of poverty situations in LA in a raw and sad (although I will say privileged at some points) manner. Would recommend overall even with its slightly weird writing style.
August 25, 2023
Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways, I received an ARC of Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel, by Amy Price. I can honestly say overall the book was incredibly informative, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. It was more about Amy, rather than what happened or that I thought it would be about. I did enjoy it, and am very thankful I had the opportunity to read it. Amy can write extremely well, and I would love to see what else she could write.
May 15, 2025
Always on the look-out for new and interesting pop culture histories, I found myself picking up this slim volume at the library and enjoying it immensely. An odd corner of the zeitgeist, populated by strange, fascinating, tragic, and ambitious people. I didn't even know about the Netflix documentary surrounding one of the hotel's denizens, so that left me a little blank...but the rest made for a very entertaining if occasionally dark read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews