Publication Date: July 29, 2025
When a mysterious figure shows up in the photograph an architect takes of the derelict Seabrink Hotel, ghostly encounters and murder are unleashed.
Aubrey Spencer loves photographing classic old buildings and abandoned places that hold old secrets. The Hotel Seabrink, perched overlooking the sea, is one such place. Currently abandoned but scheduled for a major renovation, it has a torrid history. Back in the 1920s it hosted A-list celebrity clientele, and now the locals insist it is haunted by the ghosts of two young women who died there. When Aubrey goes to photograph the site before the renovation begins, she bumps into a man named Dimitri Petroff, a minor online celebrity who shares her fascination with old buildings, the Hotel Seabrink in particular.
When he is found dead the next day at the base of a cliff, the police are quick to close the investigation. But Aubrey feels unsettled by locals who claim he was murdered and that it’s not the first time someone interested in the hotel was killed. As she digs deeper into the property’s dark history (and its origins as an asylum) as well as Dimitri’s professional rivalries, she becomes mired in an unsolved murder case from several decades earlier, one with eerie parallels to the contemporary case. But someone is determined to keep her from discovering the truth—at any cost.
A chance encounter turns Aubrey Spencer’s life around in Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell.
Aubrey Spencer is looking to escape her life at home. Distracting herself with a love of photography, she travels to the Hotel Seabrink, an abandoned hotel from the golden age of Hollywood. Getting lost in time while photographing the hotel, Aubrey is shocked when she realizes she isn’t alone.
Dimitri Petroff, a YouTuber who specializes in exploring abandoned places, is also at the Seabrink. Aubrey is immediately drawn to Dimitri, finding herself meeting a kindred spirit. Dimitri shares a bit more of the Seabrink’s history, including ghost stories. But the stories seem to be truer than expected when Dimitri believes he sees a girl in the attic window, a sign known to be a harbinger of death.
After spending the night together, Aubrey wakes up to find Dimitri gone and the police arriving at her hotel. Dimitri is dead, the police believing he jumped to his death, but Aubrey believes there is more to the story than meets the eye. Determined to find the truth, Aubrey launches her own investigation and finds the Seabrink may not be as abandoned as it seems.
My two favorite genres are Mystery and Ghosts. So, when I read that this book could combine the two, I was excited. And thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed. Blackwell seamlessly combined these two genres into one cohesive story. Each character was unique and seemed very genuine. I loved how the town itself felt more than just a setting, but also a character in and of itself. The entire journey of discovering the truth of Dimitri’s death was so compelling, and I did not want to put the book down.
My only complaint is that the ending did feel a bit rushed. The way the conclusion was reached was great, but after the big finale, I did feel like I had some questions that didn’t get answered. I just wanted a bit more after the big ending that could wrap things up a bit more clearly and give us more explanation through the character, rather than just being told the answers. I wanted to know how they discovered these answers, not just being told the answers.
That being said, I felt that the journey to get to the ending was so compelling, I didn’t mind the ending as much as I thought I would.
Asylum Hotel is a haunting mystery that blends the world of ghosts and mysteries seamlessly and will leave you guessing.
Juliet Blackwell is the pseudonym for the New York Times bestselling author of Off the Wild Coast of Brittany and The Vineyards of Champagne. In addition to writing the beloved Witchcraft Mystery series and the Haunted Home Renovation series, she also coauthored the Agatha Award–nominated Art Lover’s Mystery series with her sister.
